,,letters ,,on ,,the ,,moral ,,and ,,religious ,,state ,,of ,,south ,,america4 ,,dennett1 ,,printer1 ,,leather ,,lane1 ,,london4 ,,letters ,,on ,,the ,,moral ,,and ,,religious ,,state ,,of ,,south ,,america1 ,,written ,,during ,a ,,residence ,,of ,,nearly ,,seven ,,years ,,in ,,buenos ,,aires1 ,,chile1 ,,peru1 ,,and ,,colombia4 ,,by ,,james ,,thomson4 ,,published ,,by ,,james ,,nisbet1 #ba1 ,,berners ,,street1 ,,london4 ,hatchard and ,son1 ,piccadilly2 ,seeley and ,son1 ,fleet ,street2 ,hamilton1 ,adams1 and ,co41 and ,j4 ,duncan1 ,paternoster ,row2 ,w4 ,oliphant2 ,waugh and ,innes2 and ,w4 ,whyte and ,co41 ,edinburgh2 ,m4 ,ogle2 and ,chalmers and ,collins1 ,glasgow2 ,r4 ,m4 ,tims2 and ,w4 ,curry and ,co41 ,dublin4 ,m ,,dccc ,,xxvii4 ,,to ,,the ,,right ,,honourable ,,lord ,,calthorpe1 c4 c4 c4 ,,my ,,lord1 ,knowing the warm1 solicitude which your ,lordship feels in regard to all endeavours1 to promote the moral and religious welfare of the inhabitants of ,south ,america1 ,i dedicate these ,letters to your ,lordship2 and ,i beg of you to accept my sincere thanks for your ,lordship's kind permission thus to give your name to the world1 in connexion with the best and highest interests of ,south ,america4 ,i have the honour to be1 ,,my ,,lord1 ,your ,lordship's ,most obedient ,servant1 ,,james ,,thomson4 ,,preface4 ,soon after my return to ,england in #ahbe1 ,i was solicited by several friends to publish extracts from the letters ,i had written during my residence in ,south ,america4 ,to enable me to do this1 ,i was kindly furnished with these letters by the individuals to whom they were addressed4 ,i have at length attended to these solicitations1 with this view of creating a greater interest in this country on behalf of that quarter of the world1 and in the expectation that this increased interest will turn out to the good of ,south ,america4 ,i have to beg the indulgence of my readers in regard to these letters1 from the consideration that they were not written for publication4 ,there will appear also some indistinctness1 on account of the letters being addressed to various individuals1 whilst they are here classed simply in the order of time in which they were written4 ,to which may be added1 among their defects1 the abruptness arising from the circumstance of what is here given being only extracts4 ,if1 however1 some interest should be excited in regard to ,south ,america by the publication of these letters1 and if there should arise from this some good to that country1 ,i shall not be sorry for thus having given them to the public1 notwithstanding the disadvantages under which they appear4 ,i am now about to return to that quarter of the world1 and trust that the same gracious hand which protected me and guided me in my former wanderings there1 will still conduct me1 and will enable me to sow seed which may spring up unto eternal life4 ,ten days after this date1 ,i embark for ,mexico1 as the agent of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,i go fraught with a sacred treasure1 with some thousands of copies of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,besides circulating these1 which are nearly all in the ,spanish language1 ,i am commissioned to procure translations of the ,scriptures into the native languages of that country1 and which are still spoken there by some millions of the inhabitants4 ,in prosecuting these objects1 ,i intend to travel over the greater part of ,mexico and ,guatemala4 ,whilst traversing these parts1 ,i shall probably keep a journal of occurrences1 illustrative of the state of the country in a general point of view2 and should the small volume now published be favourably received1 ,i may perhaps at some future period have something for the press less unworthy of public attention4 ,,london1 #acth ,february1 #ahbg4 ,,letters ,,on ,,the ,,moral ,,and ,,religious ,,state ,,of ,,south ,,america4 ,buenos ,aires1 #eth ,june1 #ahbj4 ,i cannot be very particular as to all that has occurred to me since my arrival here1 the outlines will be sufficient4 ,i arrived on the #fth ,october1 #ahah1 after a voyage from ,liverpool of twelve weeks and three days1 and except about a fortnight1 was sick all the time4 ,soon after my arrival1 ,i made proposals to the ,government1 regarding the introduction of the ,lancasterian ,system of education4 ,i received promises of meeting with every encouragement in this matter1 but these promises1 through neglect1 were long in producing the desired effect4 ,i was feeling the truth of ,solomon's remark1 8,hope deferred maketh the heart sad40 ,under these circumstances ,i was proposing to go into the interior1 where ,i had more positive encouragement held out to me4 ,just at this time1 by application at a better quarter than we had at first applied to1 the arrangement was formed by which ,i was engaged by the magistrates to put their schools1 in this city and neighbourhood1 upon this plan4 ,since that time we have been doing more or less in this business1 but things in general go on very slowly here1 and besides1 many political changes have retarded our operations4 ,notwithstanding1 however1 ,i trust the foundation of a good work has been laid1 by pursuing of which1 ,i hope to see many thousands reaping the benefits of education1 and imbibing the soundest principles of religion and morality from lessons selected from the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,you will be surprised and pleased when ,i tell you1 these lessons are entirely of my own selection1 and printed in this place4 ,in no case1 regarding them1 has there been any interference or hindrance on the part of the clergy or others4 ,we have now a school going on1 with upwards of #ajj boys in it1 and soon we expect to have others set a going4 ,these things1 my dear friend1 fill me 7as they will do you7 with gratitude and thanksgiving4 ,they are small things1 in themselves considered1 but taking into consideration all the circumstances of this country1 they are great1 and more especially when considered as a foundation for future operations4 ,in another respect also something has been done1 ,i mean regarding the circulation of the ,scriptures4 ,i have got upwards of #djj ,spanish ,new ,testaments from the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 and these ,i have been able to land here without the smallest hindrance4 ,several of them have been already distributed1 and have met with a ready reception4 ,i have been able also to send some of them into various parts of the country here1 and into ,chile4 ,where the word of ,god circulates1 we have every ground to look for good effects1 though it may1 like seed sown in the earth1 appear for a while to be lost4 ,by and by1 however1 the seed springs up1 first the blade1 then the ear1 and lastly the full corn in the ear4 ,so shall it be with the seed of the word of ,god1 which shall not return void1 but shall accomplish the will of ,god in turning men from darkness to light4 ,we are in the midst of political commotions here at present1 and have been so for some time past4 ,the ,lord1 however1 is the security of his people1 he is the ,governor among the nations1 and all these changes will1 ,i trust1 lead to the promoting of his kingdom4 ,let us join in the prayer1 8,thy kingdom come1 thy will be done on earth1 as it is done in heaven40 ,for the present1 farewell4 99 99 99 99 99 ,buenos ,aires1 #bfth ,july1 #ahbj4 ,i have got the information contained in your letters1 and the printed sheet translated into ,spanish1 and have presented it to the ,magistrates1 who have ordered it to be printed in the ,buenos ,aires ,gazette4 ,i am happy to say the same favourable disposition towards our objects1 continues to prevail in this place2 and that from ,monte ,video ,i have lately received encouraging accounts1 which1 ,i hope1 will lead to a commencement in that place4 ,i went there about three months ago1 to see what could be done4 ,it so happened that ,general ,lecor1 the ,portuguese ,governor1 to whom ,i had letters of introduction1 was absent at ,maldonado1 with the two principal ,magistrates4 ,i explained my objects to the chief clergyman1 a liberal man1 and a particular friend of the ,governor's4 ,he promised to do all he could towards promoting our system of education on the ,governor's return2 and ,i some weeks ago received from him a copy of a letter1 which the ,magistrates addressed to him upon the subject1 and of which ,i subjoin a translation4 8,monte ,video1 #bjth ,may1 #ahbj4 8,sir1--,we have read with peculiar pleasure and attention the memorial which you had the goodness to send us1 relative to the system of instruction established in ,europe by ,lancaster4 ,we have the honour of communicating1 that it has met with our particular esteem2 and that in consequence1 we have resolved to adopt the said system in this city1 as soon as ,mr4 ,thomson can come here from ,buenos ,aires1 to commence it4 ,please communicate this to him1 and express our sincere thanks to him for his zeal towards the youth of this province4 ,may ,god preserve you many years40 99 99 99 99 99 ,buenos ,aires1 #bdth ,may1 #ahba4 ,i am now about to leave this city1 and to proceed to ,chile4 ,i leave the two principal schools going on as ,i mentioned in my last1 and the masters of the others instructed in the monitorian system4 ,what principally enables me to leave the schools here in the confidence that they will go on well1 is1 that they are under the particular care of one who feels much interest in the new system of instruction1 and of general education4 ,this individual is very active1 and well fitted to carry into execution what he conceives useful4 ,the person ,i am speaking of is a priest4 ,we have been associated together in the care of the schools for some time1 and have had much intercourse with each other1 and we have always been on the most friendly terms4 ,it was my intention to leave this1 at the latest1 in ,october next4 ,things1 however1 being favourably arranged1 as above mentioned1 ,i have thought it my duty to set out for ,chile without loss of time4 ,from my former letters you would learn that the ,chilian government has requested me to go there to establish schools on the ,lancasterian plan4 ,i had promised to go as soon as the state of the schools here would permit4 ,the ,chilian government1 through their minister here1 continues to shew the same interest as before in regard to this matter1 and has now made an agreement with me4 ,the season is now far advanced1 and the ,andes are covered with snow4 ,besides this inconvenience of the mountains1 the roads1 in some places1 are nearly intercepted1 so as to render travelling rather insecure4 ,from these considerations1 ,i have resolved1 with the advice of my friends1 to go by sea1 and have taken my passage in the brig ,dragon1 ,captain ,green1 for ,valparaiso1 in ,chile4 ,sailing round ,cape ,horn is by no means so formidable a matter now as it was formerly considered to be4 ,vessels frequently go round now1 and at all seasons4 ,this is now the middle of our winter1 and we expect the cold to be severe4 ,i am accordingly preparing myself for it1 as well as ,i can1 by providing warm clothing4 ,during the winter the winds are considered more favourable1 and vessels make quicker passages4 ,we expect to sail in a day or two1 and1 ,i trust1 ,he who guided me over the ocean in coming to this place1 will still be with me to preserve me1 and to bring me safely to my desired haven4 ,i leave all my friends here on the best terms1 and ,i leave the place1 in many respects with regret4 ,i shall never forget all the kindness ,i have met with in this city from the ,magistrates1 and from all classes with whom ,i have had intercourse4 ,may ,god reward them4 ,when ,i gave in my resignation1 ,i said that it was my intention to return here next summer1 to visit the schools1 and to see how they were coming on4 ,in the kindest manner ,i was requested not to forget my promise of returning4 ,they were sorry1 they said1 that it was not in their power to reward me in a pecuniary way1 from the lowness of their funds4 ,they begged me to accept of their sincerest thanks for establishing this system of education in the country1 from which they said they anticipated the happiest results1 in making education general throughout all classes of the people2 and they added that1 as a mark of respect1 they had requested the government to confer on me the honour of citizenship1 and which was accordingly done4 99 99 99 99 99 ,santiago de ,chile1 #fth ,aug4 #ahba4 ,my letter to you of the #afth ,july1 brought down my journal to the day before my leaving ,valparaiso4 ,on the #agth ,i left that place in the afternoon1 and at two o'clock on the #aith ,i said1 8,peace be to this city60 ,i was going to give you some account of the road1 and what ,i met with upon it1 but find ,i have got other things to write which will fill my letter4 ,i shall leave this description till a further opportunity4 ,you know1 already1 that ,i was engaged to come here by this government1 and that my passage round the ,cape was paid by the same4 ,i therefore looked for a fair and open reception4 ,i have not been disappointed1 or1 perhaps1 ,i should rather say ,i have1 for ,i have met with a reception beyond my expectation1 ,i might say to my wish4 ,i have been introduced to the ,director and to the ,ministers of ,government1 all of whom express much desire for the speedy establishment of schools throughout ,chile4 ,we have got the largest apartment in the ,university for a school-room4 ,the joiners are busy at work1 fitting it up1 and we only wait their finishing to begin our operations4 ,i shall occupy the rest of my letter in giving you a translation of two articles1 which bear upon this subject4 ,on my arrival here1 ,i received a copy of the following order1 issued by the ,government two days before ,i reached this city3-- 8,by supreme authority of this date1 ,i communicate to ,don ,manuel ,salas the following note4 8,mr4 ,thomson1 who has been engaged to establish in this city the new system of mutual instruction1 has already arrived in ,valparaiso4 ,his ,excellency1 the ,director1 has a decided wish that public education may be general1 and is very anxious to give all possible aid to this establishment for elementary instruction1 as preparatory to the higher branches4 ,he has for this end appointed you with full powers to forward this object1 in conjunction with ,mr4 ,thomson1 and the ,president of the ,board of ,public ,education4 ,you will1 therefore1 do all in your power to establish it as soon and as perfectly as possible4--,a copy of this order to be sent to the ,president of ,public ,education1 and to ,mr4 ,thomson40 8,office of the ,minister of ,state in ,santiago de ,chile1 #agth ,july1 #ahba4 8,,joaquin ,,de ,,echevarria40 ,upon enquiring who this ,don ,manuel ,salas was1 ,i found he was a man very highly respected by every one1 and a modest but decided philanthropist4 ,i have since been frequently with him1 and find him1 indeed1 as described to me4 ,i next give you an article from the ,public ,gazette of the #dth current2 ,i think it is from the pen of ,salas1 but this is only conjecture4 ,it is1 however1 either from him or from one of the ,ministers of ,government4 8,,public ,,education4 8,ignorance is one of the greatest evils that man can suffer1 and it is the principal cause of all his errors and miseries4 ,it is also the grand support of tyranny1 and ought1 therefore1 to be banished by every means from that country which desires a liberty regulated by laws1 customs1 and opinion4 ,none can be happy unless he study religion1 morality1 and his own rights1 unless he improve by the knowledge of those who have preceded him1 and enter into social connexion1 as it were1 with those who in former times1 and in other places1 cultivated the sciences and the arts1 and who have deposited in their writing1 the fruit of their studies for the improvement of others4 ,the only way by which we can form such an acquaintance with great men is by reading4 ,the happy day is now arrived when the infinitely valuable art of reading is to be extended to every individual in ,chile4 ,we have now the pleasure of announcing this to all classes of the community4 ,this will be considered as the most interesting news1 by those who know its importance1 and who consider it as the basis of solid prosperity4 ,deeply impressed with this truth1 our benevolent government has brought to this place ,mr4 ,james ,thomson1 who has established in ,buenos ,aires elementary schools upon that admirable system of ,lancaster1 which has spread through the world4 ,he is going to establish schools on the same plan in this city1 from which1 as a centre1 this system will be propagated through all the towns of the state4 ,the readiness with which this mode of education has been generally adopted1 its economy1 and the quickness and order with which children learn by it reading1 writing1 arithmetic1 and the principles of grammar1 strongly recommend it4 ,it has been particularly useful in those places where rural or mechanical occupations allow but a short time for instruction4 ,there is1 therefore1 now no obstacle in the way for every one in ,chile to obtain education4 ,notice will be given1 from time to time1 of the progress of the central school1 which is to serve as a model for others4 ,in it masters will be instructed1 and those masters who show the most attention in acquiring a knowledge of this system will be appointed in preference to the other schools40 99 99 99 99 99 ,santiago de ,chile1 #hth ,october1 #ahba4 ,i seize the opportunity of sending you a few lines by his ,majesty's ship ,owen ,glendower1 which sails for ,england from ,valparaiso immediately4 ,i enclose you a copy of a letter of this date to ,mr4 ,owen1 which will inform you of my concerns here1 touching the ,bible ,society1 to this date4 ,in addition to this1 ,i shall now communicate to you some notices regarding our schools here1 bringing down my accounts upon the subject from the #ast ,september 7the date of my last letter to ,mr4 ,s47 to the present day4 ,i am happy to say1 the favourable reception ,i met with here1 and of which ,i wrote you on the #fth ,august1 was not a momentary feeling4 ,it has been kept up till now1 and ,i might also say1 it has rather increased than diminished4 ,soon after my arrival in this city1 a large room in the ,university was pointed out to me as the place in which we were to begin our school operations4 ,this hall is capable of containing #bjj children1 according to our plan1 and this is a very good number for a model school4 ,this hall was to have been the ,university ,chapel4 ,the building ,i here call the ,university1 is not occupied at present in the way its name would indicate1 though intended for a place of learning4 ,there is1 however1 another building appropriated to the objects of a college1 and of which ,i may write you afterwards4 ,my present object is to speak of our schools4 ,through the delay of the joiners in fitting up this place1 it was not completed till the #agth ,september4 ,on that day our school was opened4 ,from day to day our number increased1 till1 at the end of a fortnight1 our number 7#bjj7 was completed4 ,since that time1 we have been daily importuned to admit others1 which we are unable to do4 ,we are1 however1 about to commence fitting up another large hall in the ,university buildings4 ,at the present rate of applications1 we shall certainly have more in readiness for that second school1 by the time it is prepared1 than it will contain4 ,the fitting up of others is also talked of4 ,from the short time our school has been going on1 it promises to do well4 ,the children are docile and agreeable4 ,i am now so much familiarized with the appearance and manner of the children in these countries1 that ,i feel myself quite at home among them4 ,there is more resemblance to the ,english or ,european face among the children and others here1 in ,chile1 than in ,buenos ,aires4 ,i have been this moment interrupted by one of my scholars1 who has called upon me1 and brought me a ham1 a present from his mother4 ,all classes seem to take an interest in our schools4 ,we are daily visited4 ,the ,first ,minister of the ,government pays us a visit regularly every afternoon4 ,we have already four masters studying the system1 and these will be ready in a month or two to open schools on our plan1 either in this city or in the provincial towns4 ,in ,conception1 ,coquimbo1 and another town of inferior population1 they are preparing for establishing schools upon our system4 ,the principal things we stand in need of for the rapid extension of our schools1 are slates and printed lessons4 ,i am expecting #bjjj slates by the first vessel from ,england1 and am at present getting some lessons printed in the government printing office4 ,to defray the expense of these1 we have opened a subscription1 which ,i hope will do well4 ,i have already got upwards of #bgj dollars among my ,english friends here1 and expect more4 ,thus1 you see1 the ,lord is with us1 and blessed be his name4 ,may he1 in his own way and wisdom1 make his great name glorious in the eyes of ,chile1 and of all ,south ,america4 99 99 99 99 99 ,santiago de ,chile1 #hth ,october1 #ahba4 ,i wrote you a few lines on the #bfth ,february1 and then mentioned that it was my intention to visit ,chile4 ,through the gracious providence of the ,god of the ,bible ,society1 ,i have now effected my intention4 ,i left ,buenos ,aires on the #cjth ,may1 and sailing round ,cape ,horn1 arrived safely at ,valparaiso1 after a voyage of forty-four days4 ,after a short stay in that place1 to recruit my health1 which always suffers at sea1 ,i came to this city1 the capital of ,chile4 ,here1 the moment of my arrival1 ,i met with a very encouraging reception4 ,you know1 of course1 that my most prominent object in ,south ,america is the promoting of education on the ,lancasterian plan4 ,on this footing it was that ,i experienced so hearty a reception in this place4 ,great and respected as your ,society is1 and ought to be1 in the eyes of ,england and of ,europe1 it would yet be an imprudence to proclaim one's self your agent here1 with the sole or chief object of circulating the ,bible4 ,this is not speaking very favourably of the inhabitants of ,south ,america1 you will say4 ,i confess it1 but at the same time1 ,i have told you the truth4#a ,whilst1 however1 ,i hold myself forward in the eyes of ,south ,america1 as a promoter of education and an instructor of youth1 ,i consider myself in all respects as the servant of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,i beg you to consider me in this light1 and to call upon me with the utmost freedom in whatever way ,i can1 directly or indirectly1 promote your blessed work1 in making the inhabitants of this vast continent acquainted with the words of eternal life4 ,i have said1 my prominent object here is the establishment of schools4 ,i freely and openly profess this1 and in consequence am every where hailed as a friend4 ,the little influence ,i have thus acquired1 and the confidence reposed in me1 enable me more effectually to promote the circulation of the ,scriptures1 than if ,i acted ostensibly and exclusively as your agent4 ,one proof of this ,i shall give you4 ,i brought with me among my books from ,buenos ,aires1 about sixty ,spanish ,new ,testaments4 ,in getting my luggage through the custom-house1 ,i was told1 that the books must be inspected by the ,bishop4 ,i wished this might be dispensed with1 but it was insisted on4 ,i then told the officers1 that ,i was engaged to come here by the ,government to establish the ,lancasterian schools4 ,that alters the case1 said they1 and immediately the papers for despatching my books1 c4 were signed1 and not a single book was so much as looked at either by the ,bishop1 or by any of the custom-house officers4 ,i was told1 before coming here1 that there was much less liberality in ,chile1 as to the circulation of the ,scriptures1 than in ,buenos ,aires4 ,i was1 therefore1 anxious to avoid the inspection of the ,bishop above noticed4 ,i understand he has it in his power to prohibit what books he chooses1 and that his prohibition holds1 unless the ,government give1 in the individual case1 an order to the contrary4 ,i am in expectation of receiving from you very soon #cjj of ,scio's translation of the ,new ,testament4 ,these ,i shall let pass all the forms required1 to make proof whether or not the ,scriptures are allowed to be introduced into ,chile4 ,this1 you will perceive1 is an object worth ascertaining1 and the knowledge of it will be of considerable use in directing us in future4 ,should the ,bishop demur as to their circulation1 and wish to keep them1 ,i can1 ,i think1 obtain an order of the ,government to prevent it2 so that we may consider there is no great danger of losing them1 in making the trial referred to4 ,notwithstanding what ,i have said above1 no interruption to the circulation of the ,spanish ,new ,testament has yet been experienced4 ,soon after my arrival1 ,i gave to an ,englishman1 who has a shop here1 some copies to sell4 ,this man is a ,roman ,catholic1 and ,i am happy to say1 he recommends the ,scriptures to the natives of this country1 who are of his own religion4 ,he has already sold about twenty4 ,he is very anxious for the arrival of the ,spanish ,bibles1 which ,i told him ,i expected1 as he thinks he could sell many of them4 ,in my letters to you1 from time to time1 when in ,buenos ,aires1 ,i related to you the state of the circulation of the ,scriptures in that place4 ,i am happy to say1 that at my leaving it1 the prospects regarding this important matter were more favourable than at any former period4 ,i do not mean to say by this1 that there was any particular stir about the word of ,god1 or great demand for it2 but ,i mean to convey to you this encouraging truth1 that the ,scriptures are occasionally bought1 and more so than formerly1 and that they are increasingly read from year to year4 ,i consider the word of ,god to have fairly got an entrance into ,buenos ,aires2 and that its prohibition1 or any material hindrance to its circulation1 is not only unlikely1 but1 one might say1 impossible4 ,i give you this as my opinion1 after a residence in that place of more than two years and a half1 and an intercourse with various classes of society during that time4 ,i shall now mention some things not formerly noticed1 regarding the circulation of the ,scriptures in ,buenos ,aires1 and in the surrounding country4--,a military officer1 commanding on a station a short distance from the city1 has been greatly delighted with the ,new ,testament1 and in consequence1 very anxious to make others acquainted with it4 ,he recommended the reading of it to several poor people who were unable to purchase it1 and requested to have copies to give them1 which he obtained4 ,in this way he has distributed a number of copies4 ,besides those given to the poor1 some have been sold by him to those able to pay for them4 ,he used to take me very cordially by the hand when we met1 and to speak with pleasure on the beneficence of the ,bible ,society1 and of the great advantages that would arise to his countrymen by a general reading of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,i told him ,i hoped soon to have the whole ,bible in ,spanish1 and in consequence he is all expectation for it4 ,on my leaving ,buenos ,aires1 ,i gave twenty-four ,new ,testaments to this gentleman1 in the confidence of their being distributed in the most judicious manner4 ,there is a military station and a small town on the east coast of ,patagonia1 called ,rio ,negro1 in about #db south latitude4 ,to this place some copies of the ,new ,testament have been sent4 ,one individual1 a native of that place1 was so pleased with the copy he got1 that he requested the person who brought it1 to bring several copies on his return for his family and friends4 ,i am personally acquainted with the officer at present commanding at that place1 and am pretty certain he will not throw any obstacle in the way of the circulation of the ,scriptures4 ,this gentleman attended our school in ,buenos ,aires1 and took with him lessons1 c4 to establish schools on his arrival in that place1 for which he sailed in ,may last4 ,the lessons ,i have referred to ,i got printed in ,buenos ,aires for our schools4 ,they are selections from the ,scriptures4 ,these lessons1 now used in most of the schools1 will greatly contribute1 ,i hope1 to create a desire to possess the sacred volume1 a book which has hitherto been little known in this country4 ,a ,patagonian chief1 called ,cualli ,piachepolon1 in the very centre of ,patagonia1 is in possession of one of your ,testaments4 ,this man has been in the habit of visiting ,buenos ,aires for some years1 in order to exchange the few commodities which his country at present produces1 for those of ,europe4 ,he has hence acquired some knowledge of the ,spanish language4 ,upon hearing some passages of the ,new ,testament read to him1 he requested to have the book1 that he might1 on his return1 explain it to his people4 ,some copies have been sent to ,tucuman1 to ,salta1 c42 so that your bounty is known1 more or less throughout the provinces of the ,rio de la ,plata2 and ,i have no doubt but1 some hundred years hence1 the then populous banks of that king of rivers1 and the circumjacent country1 will gratefully remember the present ,committee and ,members of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,i close my account of ,buenos ,aires1 for the present1 by noticing1 that some individuals1 upon obtaining the ,new ,testament1 and hearing of your great and extended efforts in distributing the ,holy ,scriptures1 wondered how they had been taught that the ,english were not ,christians4 ,when speaking on religion1 it is common to use the word ,christian and ,protestant in contradistinction to each other1 meaning1 by the former1 themselves or ,roman ,catholics in general1 and by the latter1 the ,english or ,protestants in general4 ,a short time before ,i left the ,rio de la ,plata1 ,i sent ten of the ,portuguese ,bibles1 and twenty ,new ,testaments1 to ,bahia1 in charge of a person who1 ,i think1 would take care to see them safely lodged in that place4 ,i sent them to the care of the ,english ,chaplain there4 ,during the few days ,i stopped at ,valparaiso1 ,i met with a gentleman to whom ,i had formerly intrusted twelve of the ,spanish ,new ,testaments4 ,upon my enquiring about them1 he told me they had been stolen out of his room4 ,though this was to be regretted1 yet one good effect would arise from it1 in as much as the person who stole them would no doubt take effectual care to put them in circulation4 ,in my letter of #bfth ,february1 ,i requested the ,society to send me #bjj of ,scio's translation to ,buenos ,aires1 and #cjj to ,valparaiso4 ,i hope these will respectively arrive in due time4 ,i then noticed to you the advantage that would arise from lettering them on the back1 and varying them in the binding4 ,i particularly request your attention to this1 as ,i am sure it will contribute greatly to their sale4 ,let the binding be in many cases elegant4 ,they would thus be more expensive to the ,society at first1 but they would be considerably less in the end4 ,it is my intention to sell them in future1 except when a favourable opportunity occurs of giving the word of ,god to a person in real poverty4 ,this ,i know to be the uniform recommendation of the ,society4 ,i would beg leave to suggest to you1 that no ,bibles or ,new ,testaments be sent out in future to ,buenos ,aires by the captains of ships4 ,the captains1 however well intentioned they may be1 cannot stay to distribute them4 ,the ,testaments1 in consequence1 have not unfrequently come into hands who wish to get rid of them in any way4 ,by this means they become1 as it were1 of too little consideration1 and their sale is thus also prevented1 which no doubt is the most effectual way of distributing them4 ,in ,buenos ,aires several persons objected to buying them1 because they had formerly been got for nothing4 ,i shall1 as ,i have said above1 most readily act as your agent in distributing the ,scriptures in ,buenos ,aires1 and in ,chile4 ,the most judicious and effectual way of doing this is through the booksellers in these places4 ,before leaving ,buenos ,aires ,i arranged for the continued circulation of the ,new ,testament1 and here ,i shall make arrangements to the same effect before ,i go4 ,it is my intention to visit ,peru before long2 and ,i shall there also1 and indeed wherever ,i may be1 zealously endeavour to promote the good work in which you are engaged4 ,in a few years ,south ,america will have large claims on your ,society1 but she will pay you from her mines for all your kindness4 ,should the ,lord spare me ten or twenty years1 ,i have no doubt ,i shall see wonderful and blessed changes on this continent4 ,it is my intention1 through the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 to spend my life 7long or short as it may be7 in ,south ,america2 probably not in any fixed place1 but residing from time to time wherever ,i may most effectually promote the work of the ,lord1 in establishing schools1 in circulating the ,scriptures1 and in the use of such other means as circumstances may direct4 #a ,some letters towards the end will show1 that this was too unfavourable a conclusion1 but it was the opinion ,i entertained from what ,i had then seen of the country4 99 99 99 99 99 ,santiago de ,chile1 #ast ,dec4 #ahba4 ,before this reaches you1 the taking of ,lima by ,san ,martin1 will be known in ,england4 ,i need not expatiate upon this subject to you4 ,you must see at once how much our field is thereby extended4 ,i may truly say1 the fall of ,lima is as great a blow to the kingdom of ,satan here1 as it is to the cause of ,spain in ,south ,america4 ,from what ,i have learned of ,san ,martin1 ,i am sure he will prove a great forwarder of our cause there1 and indeed wherever he may be4 ,the rejoicings here on account of the fall of ,lima have been very great1 and they still continue4 ,the fall of that strong hold of the ,spaniards1 is at once the liberty of ,peru1 and the stability of ,chile2 and ,i may add too1 the independence of ,south ,america4 ,we are about to form a ,school ,society in this city1 which ,i hope will be attended with happy results4 ,the ,director condescends to be the ,patron of the ,society1 and his first minister is to be ,president4 ,we are looking around us for the most patriotic and liberal men of the city to form a ,committee4 ,our ,society may not be able to do what a similar ,society would do in ,england2 but it may1 however1 do something1 and may considerably forward our objects here on behalf of the inhabitants of ,chile4 ,besides the establishing and superintending of schools throughout the state1 there is another object to which the ,society will greatly contribute1 ,i mean1 the printing of some elementary works for the schools1 and for the children to read in their own houses4 ,this is a part of our work1 which ,i consider of great importance1 and to which ,i intend to turn a considerable part of my time and attention1 so soon as other matters will allow4 ,i believe ,i wrote you1 before leaving ,buenos ,aires1 that ,i had sent a ,master to ,monte ,video1 or that ,i was about to send one4 ,he had not left ,buenos ,aires when ,i came away1 as he was occupied in printing a grammar1 which he had written for the use of our schools4 ,i have lately received a letter from him1 of which ,i shall give you an extract4--8,on the #dth of this month 7,july7 ,i arrived in this city with the slates and lessons you gave me for the schools here4 ,on the following day1 ,i presented myself to ,laraaga1 7the chief ecclesiastic in ,monte ,video17 and he introduced me to ,general ,lecor1 the ,governor1 to whom ,i gave your letter4 ,i met with a very hearty reception from the general1 as also from ,laraaga1 and the magistrates4 ,on the #ith1 we had assigned to us for a school-room1 a large hall in the ,fort4 ,this hall will hold #bjj children4 ,the general sent the joiners and masons of the ,government to prepare this school1 and ,i am in hopes we shall be able to open it in three weeks4 ,i am making endeavours to form a ,school ,society here1 which may take under its management the schools of this city and province4 ,i am in great expectation of succeeding in this object1 as the members of the ,government are very well disposed to it40 ,in the end of this month1 ,i am thinking of crossing the ,andes1 to verify my long intended visit to ,mendoza4 ,the printing of our lessons is nearly finished1 and ,i shall thus be enabled to take some with me for the supply of that place4 ,you will see by the extracts of letters ,i gave from ,mendoza1 in my last letter to ,mr4 ,h4 7,nov4 #ast71 that things there are very promising4 ,i hope my expectations regarding their improvements will be more than realized4 ,the snow still continues on the mountains1 as ,i am informed by a gentleman just come over them4 ,i hope it will be nearly all gone by the time ,i set out4 ,it has continued1 ,i understand1 for an unusual length of time this season4 ,i shall leave the schools in my absence1 under the care of an ,englishman lately come here from ,london4 ,this gentleman was engaged by the agent there of this ,government1 for the purpose of establishing ,lancasterian schools here4 ,upon his arrival1 it was the intention of the ,government to send him to ,conception4 ,i thought1 however1 it would be better that he should stay here to instruct the school-masters in grammar1 geography1 c41 whilst they were studying the system in our school4 ,to this proposal the ,government cheerfully agreed4 ,we have in consequence a separate class in the school1 in which ,mr4 ,eaton instructs the masters1 and two or three more who choose to attend4 ,this arrangement will prove1 ,i hope1 highly advantageous to the education of the country at large1 as those1 who in future take charge of schools1 will be better qualified for this important office4 99 99 99 99 99 ,santiago de ,chile1 #cjth ,jan4 #ahbb4 ,as ,i know you and your good friends of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society take a deep interest in all things here relative to education1 ,i send you an extract from the ,chile ,gazette of the #aith current1 by which you will see that our endeavours to form a ,school ,society here have not been in vain4 8,the surest method of promoting the happiness of any country is to make all the people in it well informed and industrious4 ,an end has at length been put to the obstacles which prevented the natives of ,chile from enjoying those blessings which are enjoyed by other nations less favoured by nature1 but who have preceded us in the cultivation of literature and the arts4 ,it is hence necessary now to strain every nerve to regain that time which in idleness and darkness has been thrown away4 ,we begin1 then1 by offering an opportunity of acquiring knowledge to all classes of the community1 without respect of rank or fortune1 of sex or age4 8,the ,lancasterian system of mutual instruction1 now introduced in most parts of the civilized world1 and to which many places already owe an improvement in their habits1 has been established amongst us1 and in such a manner as prognosticates its beneficial effects4 ,the propagation of this system holds out the surest means of extirpating those principles formed amongst us during the time of darkness4 ,the government has resolved zealously to protect this establishment1 and1 as the best way of fulfilling its intention1 has resolved to unite with it in this object those persons who have the same sentiments on the subject1 and who1 at the same time1 possess that activity1 zeal1 and energy1 which this important matter demands4 ,in all places this system of instruction prospers and extends itself under the fostering care of societies4 ,this circumstance at once determines me to follow the example thus set before us1 and immediately to establish a ,society for this object4 ,of this ,society ,i shall be the protector and a member4 ,my first minister of state will be ,president4 ,the ,solicitor ,general of the ,city1 the ,protector of the ,city ,schools1 and the ,rector of the ,national ,institute1 shall be ex-officio members of the ,committee of ,management4 ,the other members of the ,committee will in future be chosen by the ,society2 but1 for the present1 ,i nominate to this charge3-- 99 99 99 99 8,the ,committee will hold its meetings in the room belonging to the ,central ,school1 on such days as shall be agreed on at the first meeting1 with no other formality than what is dictated by good order4 ,the ,committee shall form rules for the ,society1 and present them to the ,government for approbation1 and shall name a ,secretary1 ,accountant1 and ,treasurer1 either from their own number or otherwise4 ,the object of this ,institution is to extend1 in every direction throughout ,chile1 the benefits of education2 to promote the instruction of all classes1 but especially of the poor2 to seize all the advantages which this new system of education offers2 and to point out those means by which it may be best adapted to the circumstances and necessities of the country4 ,in short1 this ,institution will be considered a good of the greatest magnitude1 and whose efficacies will1 we trust1 in some measure correspond to that great extension of which it is susceptible4 7,signed7 8,o',,higgins40 ,i trust this ,society1 which has thus been formed1 will be extremely useful in forwarding the great concerns of general education in this rising nation4 ,there are many circumstances here very encouraging in regard to the future prospects and prosperity of ,chile4 ,it is probable our ,society will communicate with you before long1 by way of claiming alliance with you in the grand work of universal instruction4 99 99 99 99 99 ,santiago de ,chile1 #ith ,may1 #ahbb4 ,you have heard1 ,i dare say1 that ,i left ,buenos ,aires some time ago1 and came to ,chile4 ,i have now been here ten months1 and am much pleased with this country4 ,in as far as respects the climate1 ,i believe no country can be more desirable to live in than this4 ,it rains a good deal in the winter season1 that is1 from ,june to ,september inclusive4 ,frost and snow are seldom or never seen in the plains2 notwithstanding1 a fire is very desirable in the winter4 ,the highest ridge of the ,andes is full in sight from this city4 ,this is covered with snow all the year round4 ,when it rains here below1 it uniformly snows on the mountains4 ,in the summer season1 we have no rain at all1 and very few cloudy days4 ,the common course of the seasons is four months of occasional rains1 and eight months of fair weather4 ,in the summer it is pretty hot during the day2 but it is always very comfortable at night4 ,in ,buenos ,aires1 on the contrary1 the nights1 during the summer1 are generally very warm4 ,in another respect also1 ,buenos ,aires differs very remarkably from this country4 ,there1 not a mountain1 nor a hill1 nor a rock is to be seen2 here1 all those abound4 ,the natives of ,buenos ,aires1 who have never been from home1 have no idea of what a mountain is like2#b and of snow they are equally ignorant1 having never seen the one or the other4 ,they would also be ignorant of what a stone is1 were it not that some have been brought from the other side of the river1 for paving the streets4 ,after what ,i have said of the scarcity of stones1 you may judge of the correctness of a very modern work on ,south ,america1 in which it is said1 8,all the houses in ,buenos ,aires are built of a fine white stone1 found in quarries in the neighbourhood40 ,there is not1 in ,buenos ,aires1 a single house built of stone1 nor is there any quarry on that side of the river within #ajj miles of ,buenos ,aires4 ,the houses there are all built of brick4 ,the mentioning of this last1 brings me back again to ,chile4 ,all the houses here1 or nearly all1 are built of unburnt brick1 such bricks as the ,israelites made in ,egypt2 they are made of earth mixed with straw4 ,it is said1 this material for building suits the country best1 on account of earthquakes1 which are not unfrequent4 ,last night1 just about this hour1 7eight o'clock7 we had a smart shock4 ,i was sitting writing1 when my attention was called by a rumbling noise1 and a clattering of the window shutters4 ,in a few seconds1 the whole house shook1 and the creaking of the beams and joists was very distinct4 ,the noise continued for a few seconds after the shock1 when all ceased4 ,this is now the fourth earthquake we have had in less than a week4 ,they prevail most1 ,i am told1 in this month4 ,we have now got our schools set on foot in this place1 and ,i am thinking of going to ,lima in the course of a month or less1 in order to prosecute my objects there4 ,according to the best information1 the new state of things in that country goes on wonderfully4 ,many reforms are taking place of a very salutary nature4 ,gaming1 which is carried on to a very hurtful extent in all ,south ,america1 has just been prohibited in ,lima1 by the ,government4 ,acts have passed for the gradual abolition of slavery4 ,since the taking of ,lima1 all the children of slaves are born free4 ,the importation of slaves is entirely prohibited1 and no infringement of the ,act takes place4 ,the same state of things subsists here and in ,buenos ,aires1 regarding this shameful business4 ,there is in ,south ,america generally1 ,i believe1 a great desire for the increase of knowledge4 ,i can bear witness1 that this is the case1 in those parts ,i have been in2 and ,i doubt not of finding it so in ,lima also4 ,i am told1 that learning has prevailed there more than in places to the south of it1 on this continent4 ,there are several men there1 ,i am informed1 who stand tolerably high in literature4 ,about three months ago1 a literary society was formed in ,lima4 ,i have sent a translation of the ,act incorporating the ,society to ,professor ,jameson1 of ,edinburgh1 and it may perhaps appear in the ,edinburgh ,philosophical ,journal4 ,the fall of ,lima decided1 ,i think1 the contest between ,spain and her colonies1 fairly establishing the independence of the latter4 ,if any thing1 however1 was wanting to complete this state of things1 it has now been accomplished by the late occurrences in ,mexico4 ,the immediate and solid advantages occurring from this independence1 to the cause of our fellow-men in this continent1 are very great4 ,knowledge is now tolerated in the country1 and also patronized4 ,a war of extermination has been declared against ignorance1 and is actually waged4 ,soon after ,san ,martin entered ,lima1 a provisional law was issued1 until a new code should be formed for the country4 ,in this provisional law1 religious toleration is publicly acknowledged1 for the first time1 in ,south ,america4 ,a most wonderful change has taken place in ,buenos ,aires since ,i left it4 ,war1 anarchy1 and confusion1 have given place to a steady1 firm1 and enlightened government4 ,the principal cause of this happy change is the present minister of state1 ,rivadavia4 ,he arrived in ,buenos ,aires a short time before ,i left it4 ,for some years past he has resided in ,london and in ,paris2 and the time he has spent in these places has been well employed4 ,he has there studied and is now practising the soundest principles of political economy4 ,if ,buenos ,aires goes on for a few years as it has done for some months past1 it will afford excellent lessons in this interesting science to the nations of ,europe1 perhaps to the country of ,adam ,smith4 ,a fine emulation will be carried on1 and is already begun1 between ,buenos ,aires and ,lima4 ,if an improvement is proposed in one of these places1 it is deemed sufficient to silence popular and low prejudice1 to publish that such a thing has already been done in the other4 ,as to the ,chilians1 they are1 generally speaking1 less enlightened and more indifferent in respect to these subjects4 ,our ,director is a good man1 truly desirous of the progress of ,chile in every thing useful4 ,he has1 however1 but little activity or zeal4 ,it is pleasing to see1 under these circumstances1 the good effects produced on us here1 by the newspapers of ,lima on the one hand1 and of ,buenos ,aires on the other4 ,from these many articles are copied into our public journals2 and some things are already begun among us1 in imitation of our friends in the north and on the east4 ,i lately crossed and recrossed the ,andes on a visit to ,mendoza and ,san ,juan4 ,the cause of knowledge and of truth goes on there also4 ,in each of these places there is a printing-press1 and from these are likely to issue soon1 many things which will contribute to the general good4 #b ,the river ,la ,plata1 opposite ,buenos ,aires1 is thirty miles wide1 and at times1 under a very favourable state of the atmosphere1 a dim outline of the low mountains on the northern side is visible4 ,to this extent the ,buenos ,aireans know what a mountain is4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #aath ,july1 #ahbb4 ,through the unceasing goodness of ,god towards me1 ,i have now arrived safely in this city4 ,on the #ahth of last month ,i sailed from ,valparaiso1 and after a pleasant passage of ten days we cast anchor in ,callao ,bay4 ,callao is an excellent harbour1 the best ,i have yet seen4 ,it will hold almost any number of ships riding in great safety4 ,it is well defended from all winds except the north1 but it scarcely ever blows from that quarter4 ,in consequence of an order from the ,government that no passengers should be allowed to land until they receive a licence or passport from ,lima1 ,i had to defer my coming here till the day after our arrival2 ,i got permission1 however1 from the captain of the port to go on shore4 ,after viewing ,callao1 ,i went to take a view of the place where the former ,callao stood1 which was destroyed by the earthquake1 of which of course you have read4 ,its site is about half a mile from where the present town stands4 ,the destruction seems to have been complete4 ,not a house is now standing2 but walls of houses of considerable thickness are to be seen scattered all over the place4 ,some of these are lying flat1 and others are half turned over4 ,how weak is man1 and all his works1 when ,god arises to shake the earth6 ,on the day on which ,i arrived in this city1 ,i called on ,san ,martin1 and delivered him the letters of introduction which ,i had brought from ,chile4 ,he opened one of the letters1 and observing its purport1 said 8,mr4 ,thomson6 ,i am extremely glad to see you20 and he rose up1 and gave me a very hearty embrace4 ,he would not1 he said1 be lavish in compliments1 but would assure me of his great satisfaction at my arrival2 and said1 that nothing should be wanting on his part to further the object which had brought me to ,peru4 ,next day as ,i was sitting in my room1 a carriage stopped at the door1 and my little boy came running in crying1 ,san ,martin6 ,san ,martin6 ,in a moment he entered the room1 accompanied by one of his ministers4 ,i would have had him step into another apartment of the house more suited to his reception2 but he said the room was very well1 and sat down on the first chair he reached4 ,we conversed about our schools1 and other similar objects for some time2 and in going away he desired me to call on him next morning1 and said he would introduce me to the ,marquis of ,truxillo1 who is at present what is called the ,supreme ,deputy or ,regent4 ,i called on him accordingly next morning1 and he took me with him and introduced me to the ,marquis1 and to each of the ministers4 ,from all the members of the government ,i have received great encouragement4 ,on the #fth current an order was issued relative to our schools1 and published in the ,lima ,gazette of the same date4 ,i am going to write ,mr4 ,millar to-morrow1 and shall give him a translation of this order or decree1 a copy of which will of course be sent you4 ,by this order one of the convents is appropriated to the schools1 and is now in our possession4 ,i believe the convents here will decrease in number as the schools multiply4 ,there is no contest or balancing of powers between the civil and ecclesiastical powers in this place4 ,the former has the latter entirely at their nod4 ,the case in regard to this convent is a proof of what ,i have said4 ,the order for the friars to remove was given on ,saturday1 on ,monday they began to remove1 and on ,tuesday the keys were delivered up4 ,from all ,i have seen during the short time ,i have been here1 ,i cannot doubt of the great benefits which this country will derive from the new state of things4 ,san ,martin and his first minister1 7and also the others7 seem truly anxious to characterize the times by improvements--by solid improvements4 ,they wish to encourage foreigners1 and to improve the state of the country in every point of view4 ,i have already mentioned to you my representation made to the ,chilian government just before leaving that place1 regarding the bringing out of tradesmen and farmers4 ,i showed a copy of this representation to ,san ,martin2 he read it very carefully over1 and concluded by saying1 8,excellent60 ,he then told me what was his opinion on the subject1 and proposed a plan for carrying it into effect1 much more likely to succeed than the one ,i had stated4 ,i am to draw up this plan in order1 and to present it to him1 that it may be sanctioned and carried into effect4 ,i therefore consider this matter1 so far as regards ,peru1 as fairly begun4 ,the particulars of the plan ,i may send you afterwards4 ,in the mean time1 that you may see that in these matters ,i am not losing sight of my chief object1 ,i shall mention to you one sentence of the representation referred to4 ,it is this1 8,the men who will be most useful to ,south ,america1 are men truly religious and of sound morality40 ,the minister of ,chile1 upon reading this sentence1 said1 8,that is very true20 and ,san ,martin expressed himself in a similar manner upon my stating the same thing to him4 ,what an immeasurable field is ,south ,america2 and how white it is to the harvest6 ,i have told you this repeatedly1 but ,i have a pleasure in telling it to you again4 ,i do think that1 since the world began1 there never was so fine a field for the exercise of benevolence in all its parts4 ,the man of science1 the moralist1 the christian1 have all fine scope here for their talents4 ,god1 who has opened such a door1 will surely provide labourers4 ,my present intention is to continue here about six months1 and then to move on northwards4 ,i may1 however1 be kept longer here than ,i intend1 but ,i am anxious to get to ,england as soon as possible4 ,my stay here will depend much on the facility or difficulty of obtaining good masters for the school4 ,this ,i find1 from experience1 a matter of so great importance1 that ,i intend to pay every attention to it2 and ,i have it now in my power more than ever to do so1 having represented to the government the necessity of encouragement1 by offering employment and a good salary to those who thoroughly study the system1 and are able to put it in practice2 and this encouragement ,i am authorised to give4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #abth ,july1 #ahbb4 ,my last letter to you was written a few days before my leaving ,chile4 ,i then apprized you of the state of things there at that time1 and of my intention of setting out for this place4 ,through the blessing of ,god1 ,i arrived safely in this country on the #bhth of last month1 and have now to state to you how things look here1 in reference to that truly important object--,,education4 ,i believe ,i told you1 some time ago1 that from various circumstances ,i expected every encouragement would be given to our object here by ,san ,martin4 ,i have not been disappointed in this4 ,my expectations have all been fulfilled1 and more than fulfilled4 ,san ,martin is most decidedly a friend to general1 to universal education4 ,i hope none of the members of the ,committee of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society will be offended1 but rather gratified1 when ,i say1 that they are not more friendly to this object than ,san ,martin4 ,because ,i have come to ,peru to promote this object1 ,i have received from him every mark of respect and personal attention1 as well as every encouragement to proceed in this work4 ,the ,marquis of ,truxillo1 and each of the ministers of government1 feel deeply interested in the same object4 ,blessed be ,god for this encouragement4 ,in his hand are the hearts of all1 and he inclineth them to whatsoever he will4 ,surely the days draw nigh1 when ignorance shall be ashamed to walk about any where in open day4 ,may the glorious war now waged against her be a war of extermination4 ,it will ,i trust be so1 and when this enemy of mankind shall be slain1 the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society shall be clothed with her spoils1 and be crowned with never fading laurel4 ,is it wrong to indulge pleasing prospects of the future amelioration of mankind8 ,is it sinful to cherish the hope of better times for this poor unfortunate world8 ,i think it is not4 ,if it is right to pray 8,thy will be done on earth1 as it is done in heaven10 it cannot be wrong to expect that this prayer1 daily reiterated from the mouth of thousands1 will one day be heard1 and be answered in all its extent2 and when the will of ,god is done in this world1 as it is done above1 then shall the felicity on earth resemble the felicity of heaven4 ,the following is a translation of a decree of this government relative to the ,schools1 and which was published in the ,lima ,gazette of the #fth current4 8,preamble4--,without education there is properly speaking no society4 ,men may indeed live together without it1 but they cannot know the extent of the duties1 and the rights which bind them one to another1 and it is in the right knowledge of these duties and rights that the well being of society consists4 ,the bringing of education to any degree of perfection1 is1 from the nature of the thing1 slow4 ,to accomplish it1 time is required1 and some degree of stability in the government1 as well as some other circumstances1 both natural and moral4 ,all these must combine1 in order that the education of the people may become general1 and that thus a foundation may be laid for the continuance of those ,institutions which may be established among them4 ,of the various improvements which the government has been desirous of making1 none has been more earnestly and constantly kept in view since the moment of its commencement1 than the reformation of public education4 ,in those intervals of tranquillity which have been enjoyed from the clamour of arms1 this object has occupied their attention2 and though the sun has not stood still1 they have found in activity the secret of doubling the length of the day4 8,it has already been announced1 in various decrees of the government1 that the introduction of the ,lancasterian system in the public schools1 was one of the plans in meditation4 ,it is not yet possible to calculate the revolution which will be produced in the world by this system of mutual instruction1 on its becoming general throughout the civilized world4 ,when this shall take place1 ignorance shall come to an end1 or at least shall be reduced to certain limits1 beyond which it shall never be allowed to pass4 ,the time is now arrived for setting this system agoing in this place1 and the commencing of it is worthy of the month of ,july--a month in which posterity will record many events of importance2 and we trust they will do us the justice to declare1 that we have desired to make this time memorable by deeds which philosophy applauds1 and which spring from the noblest principles of all human actions1 namely1 the love of glory1 founded on promoting the prosperity and happiness of mankind4 ,the above are the reasons on which the following decree is founded4 8,the ,supreme ,deputy1 with the advice of the ,privy ,council1 decrees-- 8#a4 ,there shall be established a central or principal school1 according to the ,lancasterian system1 under the direction of ,mr4 ,thomson4 8#b4 ,the convent or college of ,st4 ,thomas shall be appropriated to this purpose4 ,the friars at present residing in it shall remove to the large convent of ,st4 ,dominic1 leaving only so many as are necessary for the service of the church attached to it4 8#c4 ,in this establishment the elementary parts of education shall be taught1 together with the modern languages4 ,the teachers necessary for this purpose shall be appointed agreeably to the arrangements which will be pointed out in the plan for the ,national ,institute of ,peru4 8#d4 ,at the expiration of six months all the public schools shall be shut1 which are not conducted according to the system of mutual instruction4 8#e4 ,all the masters of the public schools shall attend the central school with two of their most advanced pupils1 in order to be instructed in the new system2 and in studying it they shall attend to the method prescribed by the director of the establishment4 8#f4 ,as soon as the director of the central school shall have instructed a sufficient number of teachers1 these shall be employed1 with competent salaries1 in establishing public schools on the same principles in the capital city of each province of the state4 8#g4 ,at the first public examination which shall take place in the central school1 those masters who have been most attentive in learning the system1 and shall have made such progress as to be able to conduct schools according to it1 shall receive the reward of a gold medal1 to be ordered for that purpose by the ,minister of ,state4 8#h4 ,for the preservation and extension of the new system the ,patriotic ,society of ,lima is particularly requested and commissioned to take such measures as may be considered necessary for these purposes2 and they are desired to make known to the government those things in which its co-operation may be required1 in order effectually to carry forward this important object4 8#i4 ,in order that the advantages of this system of education may be extended to the female sex1 which the ,spanish government has always treated with culpable neglect1 it is particularly recommended to the ,patriotic ,society to take into consideration the most likely means for establishing a central school for the instruction of girls4 8#aj4 ,the salary of the director1 and the other expenses necessary for this establishment1 shall be defrayed by the government4 ,the ,minister of ,state is authorized to issue all the orders necessary for the punctual fulfilment of this decree4 8,given in the government palace in ,lima1 #fth ,july1 #ahbb4 7,signed7 8,,truxillo4 8,by order of his ,excellency1 countersigned1 8,b4 ,,monteagudo40 ,as we go on in our operations1 ,i shall communicate to you the result4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #dth ,september1 #ahbb4 ,the first of ,september has returned1 and has gone by4 ,i have not1 however1 failed in seizing an opportunity of writing you according to our agreement4 ,you know1 ,i dare say1 that we have not a post that leaves ,lima every morning for ,england4 ,a vessel goes now and then from ,callao to ,valparaiso1 and through these two places1 and across the ,andes1 and through ,buenos ,aires1 my letters to you are now obliged to travel4 ,no vessel has sailed for ,chile since the #ast current2 but in a few days the ,french frigate lying here is to sail for ,valparaiso4 ,i have now been upwards of two months in this city1 and have all the while enjoyed my health very well4 ,i am inclined to think this climate is better than ,i was led to expect from the accounts ,i had heard of it4 ,the tertian ague1 however1 is a disease very common1 especially during summer4 ,of the ,englishmen ,i know here1 three have had it since my arrival4 ,the general opinion1 ,i think1 is1 that with great regularity of living1 this place is not unhealthy2 but that the effects of irregularity in the general mode of living1 is more hurtful here than in most other places4 ,a good police would certainly contribute greatly to the healthiness of this city4 ,this will be enjoyed1 ,i believe1 in due time2 but the ,government has so many things at present to do1 that some time may elapse before that improvement takes place4 ,this is the largest city ,i have yet seen in ,south ,america1 and ,i believe there is none larger in it4 ,i do not1 of course1 include ,mexico1 which is in ,north ,america4 ,the houses here1 and the general appearance of the city1 have a more commanding and richer aspect than what is met with in ,buenos ,aires or ,santiago de ,chile4 ,the general appearance of the population1 however1 ,i think1 is considerably inferior to what is seen in these two places1 particularly in the latter4 ,one thing which contributes to this difference1 is the considerable proportion of slaves here4 ,in ,buenos ,aires1 there are a good many of this class of our fellow-men1 but fewer than in ,lima and ,santiago2 and in ,chile1 in general1 there are very few2 and this is one thing which inclines me to prefer the general appearance of ,santiago to the other two cities ,i have mentioned4 ,about three weeks after my arrival here1 ,san ,martin set out for ,quito1 to have an interview with ,bolivar4 ,they met in ,guayaquil1 as the ,president of ,colombia had left ,quito1 and reached that place before ,san ,martin landed4 ,the interview was1 ,i dare say1 interesting1 and ,i trust it will be productive of good effects for the two countries of which they are the ,governors1 and also for ,south ,america in general4 ,a good understanding1 ,i trust1 will be kept up between the nations of this continent1 and war in it ,i hope will be a thing as rare1 and rarer than peace has been in ,europe4 ,san ,martin returned a few days ago1 and has since re-assumed the reins of ,government1 as 8,protector of the liberty of ,peru40 ,every exertion is making here for the formation of a congress4 ,the greater part of the representatives are already elected4 ,all the liberated provinces elect their own members for congress freely2 the right of voting is1 ,i believe1 much the same as in the ,united ,states4 ,representatives are chosen for those provinces still under the dominion of the ,spanish army1 from among the inhabitants of those places at present residing in ,lima4 ,a fair representation seems to be desired and sought for1 and ,i hope will be attained in a considerable degree4 ,all acts emanating from such a body will1 of course1 give more general satisfaction1 than if the representation were partial4 ,i do not trouble you with my views of governments1 whether monarchical or republican4 ,certainly1 on this subject1 8much may be said on both sides40 ,without fixing my mind for or against this or that form of government1 ,i am strongly in the opinion of ,pope1 where he says1 8,whate'er is best administered is best40 ,i do not think1 however1 that all are fools1 7as he insinuates7 who1 8for forms of government contest40 ,the sum of the matter and the truth is1 that honesty and uprightness are more required1 and have been less found in all governments than any thing else4 ,wisdom1 therefore1 requires1 that such measures should be taken in arranging the form of government1 as may secure good conduct in governors1 in the greatest possible degree4 ,there were some suspicions1 some time ago1 and some flying words1 which1 if true1 would have led one to suppose that ,san ,martin wished to form ,peru into a monarchy4 ,who was to be king according to these reports1 ,i need not inform you1 as ,i suppose you will find no difficulty in guessing it at the first trial4 ,the prime minister was of course in the secret1 if there was any such thing in hand4 ,with this individual1 on other grounds1 there was a good deal of dissatisfaction4 ,this dissatisfaction openly broke out a few weeks ago1 on account of his interfering in the election of representatives for this city4 ,the consequence was1 that a petition was presented to the ,marquis of ,truxillo1 requesting that the minister might be immediately dismissed4 ,this petition was signed by so many of the respectable and powerful inhabitants of the place1 and presented with such firmness1 that it had the desired effect4 ,the minister resigned before the petitioners left the palace1 and in a few days after1 he was sent off by sea to ,panama4 ,all this took place in ,san ,martin's absence1 and the leaders in it were the republican party4 ,san ,martin has very wisely fallen in with these measures since his return1 and has confirmed the new minister in his situation4 ,a republic1 ,i think1 is the general wish of the people1 and as the form of government is to be determined by the ,congress1 ,i have little doubt of what the result will be4 ,you know1 ,i dare say1 that ,colombia is free4 ,the longest and severest struggle of ,south ,america has been in that quarter4 ,the first news ,i heard on casting anchor in ,callao1 was that ,quito had fallen into the hands of the patriots4 ,i think ,bolivar1 who has been the chief instrument in the ,colombian contest1 is a great man4 ,i was not at the interview between him and ,san ,martin1 that ,i might take their comparative dimensions at one view2 but ,i may observe1 that the general opinion1 from a view of the operations of both1 is in favour of the ,northern ,chief4 ,as far as my own information and knowledge of each extends1 ,i fall in with this opinion4 ,i do so1 not from any dissatisfaction with ,san ,martin4 ,he is to me1 and has been uniformly1 more than ,i could have expected1 and ,i may say1 all ,i could wish4 ,i believe both of these men are most sincerely desirous of the real welfare of the countries which they respectively govern1 and of ,south ,america4 ,there is no unholy alliance yet formed in this country1 and ,i think there never will4 ,on all hands1 light and information are encouraged1 sought after1 and promoted4 ,knowledge1 rich with the spoils of time1 has just unrolled her ample page in this city1 in a public library4 ,this public institution is very respectably got up1 and already possesses a number of the best works in the various branches of literature4 ,it is inferior to the similar institution in ,buenos ,aires2 but superior1 if we consider the short reign of civil1 literary1 and religious freedom in ,peru4 ,every individual is free to attend this library every week-day1 from #h to #a1 and from #d to #f1 without expense2 and every book in it is at his command during that time4 ,this one view of the present state of things here1 shows at once the immense advantages gained here by the revolution1 and the blessings that tread in the steps of liberty4 ,i shall add one thing more to confirm what ,i have just said4 ,the ,bible is now publicly sold at a short distance from the place where used to sit the dreadful ,inquisition4 ,perish all unrighteousness from the earth6 ,may the knowledge and love of ,god every where abound6 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #ith ,nov4 #ahbb4 ,a considerable time has now elapsed since ,i last wrote you1 and a much longer time has intervened since ,i had the pleasure of receiving a letter from you4 ,although ,i have not communicated with you directly during this time1 yet ,i suppose you are well acquainted with my various circumstances in this part of the world1 through means of my letters sent from time to time to my friends in ,edinburgh4 ,since my leaving my native country1 ,i have experienced much of the gracious goodness of our heavenly ,father1 in directing my steps1 in making darkness light before me1 and crooked things straight4 ,the encouragements ,i have met with in my endeavours to forward the ,lord's cause in ,south ,america1 have been much greater than could have been expected before the trial was made4 ,i think a door has been opened here which will never be shut1 but which will1 ,i trust1 from one year to another1 open wider and wider1 until it become1 in the ,apostle's language1 8great and effectual40 ,should ,i say1 there are no adversaries1 and that all goes on prosperously1 without any difficulty or discouragement from any quarter1--should ,i say this1 it would be nearly the same as telling you1 that a great miracle had taken place here1 and had changed the nature of man4 ,you1 of course1 expect no such wonderful accounts4 ,at the same time1 it is a gratifying thing to be able to state1 that far less opposition has been met with than was expected4 ,difficulties1 ,i believe1 of whatever kind1 will grow fewer and weaker as ,time runs on1 bearing in his hand the torch of heavenly light2 whilst1 on the other hand1 means and opportunities of doing good will greatly increase4 ,it is surely a gratifying sight to see darkness fleeing away1 and the light of heaven breaking forth4 ,you know there is no fellowship1 in any sense1 between light and darkness1 the one must give place to the other4 ,wherever1 then1 darkness prevails1 let the people of ,god look to him who said1 8,let there be light1 and there was light20 and let them use those means which he has appointed1 under the full assurance1 that midnight shall give place to the dawning light1 and that again to noon day4 ,that a great and happy change is about to take place in our hitherto unfortunate1 unhappy world1 the ,scriptures predict2 and the days in which we live say1 8,lift up your heads1 for this happy period draweth nigh40 ,you who live in the land of ,israel1 whence the word of the ,lord is sounding out on all sides1 see these things better than ,i can do in this far distant country4 ,from every corner of the earth messengers are daily landing on your happy shores with tidings of joy4 ,one says1 ,babylon is fallen2 another cries1 the gods of the heathen are famished2 whilst a third shouts aloud1 ,satan falls like lightning to the ground4 ,i almost envy this felicity of yours2 yet ,i would not exchange conditions with you4 ,solitary and alone as ,i am here1 ,i would not wish myself elsewhere1 because ,i believe ,i am placed where ,god would have me to be2 and1 ,i trust1 his work1 in one shape or another1 is all my concern4 ,i do1 however1 wish myself otherwise circumstanced4 ,i should be glad to have with me one or more with whom ,i could always communicate in the ways and work of the ,lord1 and whose counsels and labours might prove a blessing to me and to many4 ,you1 my dear brother1 who dwell in ,mount ,zion1 have never experienced the disadvantage of being thus alone4 ,should ,i come into your thoughts when you bow your knees unto the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,i beg you to pray that grace1 and mercy1 and peace may be multiplied unto me1 and that the ,lord's work may prosper in ,south ,america4 ,in my letters to ,edinburgh since my arrival in this city1 ,i have stated the favourable reception ,i met with here from ,san ,martin1 and from others in the government4 ,since that time1 the state of affairs here1 in regard to politics1 has considerably changed4 ,san ,martin has resigned his authority in all its parts in this country1 and is gone to ,chile4 ,the ,congress was installed on the #bjth ,september1 into whose hands he delivered all the concerns of the government1 and next morning1 at four o'clock1 he set off for ,chile4 ,when he took the reins of government into his own hands1 under the title of 8,protector of the ,liberty of ,peru10 he promised to resign his authority as soon as a general ,congress could be assembled2 and by his resignation at the time proposed1 he justified his sincerity in the eyes of the world4 ,during the time he was in power1 reports were current that he was desirous to make himself king of ,peru4 ,his conduct1 however1 has shown1 that these reports were without foundation4 ,as far as my own affairs here are concerned1 ,i should have been glad that he had remained longer in the country1 and1 if ,i am not mistaken1 ,peru would have been benefited by his stay4 ,san ,martin is an intelligent and liberal-minded man4 ,he is very desirous of promoting the progress of ,south ,america in knowledge1 and he is free from those prejudices which hinder its advancement4 ,the ,congress has now been assembled for several weeks1 and has been occupied with various concerns relative to the government of the country4 ,from their own number they have chosen three to discharge the duties of the executive government4 ,this triumvirate is to continue until a constitution be drawn up1 and a new ,congress assembled1 composed of representatives chosen in every province of ,peru4 ,this complete representation of the country cannot be obtained whilst the ,spaniards are in possession of a considerable part of it1 as they actually are at this moment4 ,at present there is great distress felt here by the government1 for want of money to carry forward the operations of the war4 ,this appears to be the chief obstacle in preventing the general independence of ,peru4 ,troops are not wanting1 as1 in addition to those brought by ,san ,martin1 and those who have since been raised in the country1 ,general ,bolivar has sent about #b1jjj well-experienced troops from ,quito1 as affairs in that part have now been brought to a favourable conclusion4 ,the ,english merchants here have just given the government a loan of #gj1jjj dollars1 by way of helping them out of their difficulties4 ,an expedition sailed some weeks ago for ,arica1 and we anxiously look for the result4 ,all that part of the country is in possession of the ,spaniards1 as well as nearly all the best provinces of the kingdom4 ,notwithstanding the possessions which ,spain still holds in ,peru1 the independence of the country is not at all doubtful4 ,it may1 indeed1 by the mismanagement of the ,congress1 or by some other misfortune1 be retarded1 but it must ere long completely prevail4 ,i believe there are no remains of the ,spanish arms now existing in ,america1 except those in our neighbourhood1 and about #aejj men in the isles of ,chiloe4 ,what a change1 in this respect1 has taken place within these few years past6 ,and let not this revolution be considered as a small matter by the man of benevolence and the ,christian4 ,the interests of religion and of humanity are very closely connected with it4 ,that once dreadful1 now innoxious house1 the ,inquisition1 reminds me1 as ,i daily pass it1 of the happy change which has taken place4 ,true it is1 that the ,spaniards have now put down the ,inquisition throughout their dominions2 still1 however1 there are many inquisitorial things yet subsisting in ,spain that do not exist in the independent states of ,south ,america4 ,every effort has been used by ,spain to retard the progress of knowledge in ,america4 ,these days1 however1 have now gone by1 and light of every kind begins to dawn on these countries4 ,my own opinion is1 that the nations of ,south ,america in a few years will far outstrip many of the nations of ,europe4 ,the people here1 to a certain extent1 are conscious of their ignorance1 and are desirous of wiping out that stain which ,spain has left upon them4 ,i have hitherto been speaking of the progress of knowledge in general in ,south ,america1 and its probable results4 ,i shall now say something of the progress making in the knowledge of religion4 ,you know1 of course1 that the ,roman ,catholic religion is the only religion professed in this ,continent--as it once was the only one in ,great ,britain4 ,many are beginning to see through this system1 and to find out its inconsistencies4 ,i wish ,i could also say1 that all who see thus far1 have attained to the knowledge of the true religion1 as laid down in the ,new ,testament4 ,this1 however1 is not the case4 ,on the contrary1 ,i am sorry to say1 that deistical principles are espoused by the greater part of those who get out of the trammels of popery4 ,a good many in the higher ranks1 particularly in the army1 are of this way of thinking4 ,this state of things need not surprise us4 ,it is perhaps the natural result1 or transition1 in those places where no other religion is known than the one professed in this country4 ,a man begins to see the absurdity of the ,catholic system1 and from his infancy all that is religion with him has been connected with it4 ,in giving up this system1 he gives up with religion itself1 as considering popery and it the same thing4 ,from these circumstances1 ,i conceive this to be the most favourable time for introducing1 as far as can be done1 the holy religion of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the present is the time for labouring in this field1 by introducing the ,scriptures1 and by every other means which prudence may dictate4 ,prejudice is growing less every day1 and this is the result of the revolution4 ,there is even a perceptible difference between the different parts of this ,continent in regard to the decrease of prejudice4 ,in ,chile there is less than in ,lima1 because it has been longer independent4 ,again1 there is still less in ,buenos ,aires than in ,chile1 for the same reason4 ,having mentioned ,buenos ,aires1 ,i cannot leave it without eulogizing it1 in almost the highest degree1 in regard to the progress it is making4 ,one reform succeeds another in rapid succession4 ,they are just about to put a stop to monachism1 and to take the church property into their own hands1 paying the clergy out of the public treasury4 ,it is said also1 that they are about to pass a law for religious toleration4 ,in every respect ,buenos ,aires now holds the first rank among the cities and countries of ,south ,america4 ,to have one place thus stepping forward by way of pattern to the rest is of immense advantage4 ,there are several periodical works of a superior kind issuing from the presses in that city4 ,in these every subject is freely discussed1 prejudices attacked1 and reforms proposed4 ,the liberty of the press is enjoyed and acted upon there in the same manner as it is in ,england4 ,the articles published in the ,buenos ,aires papers and magazines find their way gradually into the papers of ,chile and ,peru1 and thus prepare the way in these places also for following up1 ere long1 the same reforms and arrangements that are now going forward in the pattern city ,i have mentioned4 ,in this city1 also1 the liberty of the press is enjoyed to a considerable extent4 ,this1 however1 only commenced about two or three months ago1 upon the dethronement of the principal ,secretary of ,state4 ,this individual1 though a great friend to reform himself1 and from whom ,i met with every encouragement1 wished to keep these things in his own hand1 at least for some time1 and to grant the freedom of the press by degrees4 ,the plan of ecclesiastical reform published in ,buenos ,aires was also published in the public paper of this city4 ,various other things of a similar nature are thus indirectly brought under the consideration of the people of ,peru2 and coming from ,buenos ,aires1 they are better received than they would be1 coming from any part of ,europe1 especially from a ,protestant country4 ,we had also an attack upon the friars of ,lima the other day1 in one of the publications of this city1 whose editor is one of the ,secretaries of ,congress4 ,these things you will consider as the fruits of the revolution in ,south ,america2 and the time fast approaches1 when we shall see still more abundant fruits1 and those too of the best kind4 ,the ,lord reigneth1 let the earth be glad6 ,with respect to the climate of this place1 you know1 we are here fairly within the torrid zone1 the latitude of this city being #ab #b #ea ,s4 ,a few days ago we had the sun vertical here1 as he passed us on his way to the southward4 ,notwithstanding our proximity to the equator1 we enjoy a very agreeable temperature4 ,in the winter the sun but seldom makes his appearance2 in spring he shows himself more frequently2 and in summer he throws off reserve1 and from his vertical throne looks down in all his magnificence4 ,from ten o'clock till two1 it is pretty hot1 but about this hour a refreshing breeze springs up from the south1 which is very agreeable4 ,it is generally said1 that it never rains in ,lima4 ,this1 however1 is not quite correct4 ,it does rain a very little in the winter season2 but the drops1 when they can be recognised as such1 seem to have passed through the finest rain sieve4 ,it is1 in short1 rather a kind of mist than rain1 although at times it may be called by the latter name2 and when it is so1 the people of ,lima call it a heavy shower4 ,before ,i came here ,i frequently heard this climate denominated unhealthy4 ,the tertian ague prevails a good deal1 but on the whole ,i do not consider this an unhealthy place4 ,for my own part1 ,i never enjoyed better health than ,i have done since my coming to this city4 ,blessed be ,god for this precious blessing6--,there is one thing of a rather terrifying nature to which this place is subject1 ,i mean earthquakes4 ,there is no place1 ,i suppose1 more subject to them than this city4 ,we have had several shocks since ,i came to it2 the greatest was on the #adth ,september4 ,i was awaked at a quarter past three o'clock in the morning by a most dreadful noise4 ,i was at no loss to know what this noise was1 considering the part of the world ,i was in4 ,this noise continued for a few seconds1 and increased4 ,the shock then followed1 and made all the house shake1 as if the whole were coming to the ground4 ,a loud hollow noise followed this for a few seconds1 and on its ceasing all was tranquil as before it commenced1 and those who had fled out of their houses quietly returned4 ,these phenomena are of frequent occurrence4 ,there are1 ,i believe1 about thirty earthquakes here in the course of a year4 ,those1 however1 which throw down houses and produce other ravages are rare4 ,once in fifty years seems to be about the period of those terrible visitations1 and with considerable regularity ,lima has suffered severely at the return of this fatal period4 ,the city of ,quito to the north1 and of ,arequipa to the south1 have also their periodical visitations4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #b;d ,december1 #ahbb4 ,some weeks ago a ,committee of the ,congress was entrusted to draw up the outlines of a political constitution for the country4 ,this has been accomplished1 has been presented to ,congress1 and ordered to be printed4 ,the ,congress is just now engaged in discussing it1 article by article4 ,a good deal of interest is thus excited and kept up regarding the subject1 and1 in consequence1 the ,congress-hall is daily well attended by all classes4 ,the discussion of the article on the form of government1 and that on religion1 have excited the most attention4 ,the form of government has been unanimously declared to be republican1 agreeably to what ,i hinted to you in one of my late letters4--,in 8the outlines10 the article on religion runs thus3 8,the religion of the state is the ,catholic ,apostolic ,church of ,rome40 ,one of the members of the committee wished to add the word only or exclusive1 but the rest not agreeing to it1 he entered his protest4 ,on this account1 as well as from the general interest of the subject1 the matter was keenly discussed4 ,i went1 as you may well suppose1 to hear what should be said on both sides1 and to see the result4 ,the first who ascended the tribune to speak was a clergyman1 carrying in his hand a book about the size of a ,new ,testament4 ,he began by stating1 that it was his sincere desire that all men might be of the ,roman ,catholic church4 ,he then stated that the only proper way1 in his opinion1 of bringing men into the church was1 not by force1 nor by persecution in any shape1 but solely by persuasion1 by the force of reason4 ,after speaking a few minutes to this effect1 he went on to treat of the article as stated in the 8outlines40 ,he regretted the divisions among ,christians1 and the distinctive names one body and another had taken4 ,he then opened the book he had in his hand1 which ,i now found to be one of the ,bible ,society's ,new ,testaments1 in ,spanish4 ,he read the #abth and #acth verses of the first chapter of the first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 and proceeded to make some remarks upon the passage1 and to apply it to the article in question4 ,it appeared to him1 he said1 very like the divisions censured by the ,apostle ,paul1 to see the article stated in the words1 ,roman1 ,catholic1 ,apostolic4 ,having done this1 he proposed that the article should be stated in this manner3--8,the religion of ,jesus ,christ1 is the religion of the state40 ,he then made some observations upon the propriety of stating it in this way1 in preference to the way in which it stands in the outlines1 and so concluded4 ,as might have been expected1 this alteration or amendment was opposed4 ,my memory is not so faithful as to give you the various speeches upon the subject1 but a great deal was said on both sides of the question4 ,in particular1 the member of the ,committee who had protested1 defended what he had done in a long speech1 in which he paid but little respect and fewer compliments to us foreigners4 ,he concluded his long story by saying1 that he was so full of matter upon this subject1 and felt so much interest in it1 that he could still speak four whole days upon it4 ,another speaker got up with a volume of the ,bible in his hand4 ,he turned to two passages in the law of ,moses1 where the children of ,israel were admonished to deal kindly towards strangers and foreigners1 and concluded by a short comment upon the passages in reference to the subject in hand4 ,in a country like this1 where all the natives are of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 every thing that is said upon toleration has a direct reference to foreigners1 for it is never for a moment supposed that any of the natives will leave the ,roman ,catholic ,church to become ,protestants4 ,the introduction of foreigners into the country1 and the consequent advantages and disadvantages of it1 entered deeply into the debate4 ,i shall refer only to one speech more upon the subject4 ,an aged member1 and a clergyman1 rose up and said1 8,gentlemen1 this is the first time ,i have risen to speak in this house1 and it is not my intention to detain you long4 ,i understand10 said he1 8that the grand and principal features of our religion are these two3--,to love the ,lord with all our heart and strength1 and to love our neighbour as ourselves4 ,we must then take care10 continued he1 8that our zeal for the first of these two commandments does not make us overlook the second4 ,now ,i ask1 whether foreigners residing among us are to be considered our neighbours or not4 ,if they are1 then we ought to love them4 ,gentlemen1 ,i have nothing further to add40 ,after being fully discussed1 the votes were taken4 ,first1 whether the article should stand as stated in the outlines1 or be altered4 ,it was carried that it should remain as stated4 ,the next question was1 if the word exclusive should be added1 and it was unfortunately carried in the affirmative4 ,the article now stands thus3--8,the ,roman ,catholic ,apostolic ,religion is the religion of the state1 and the exercise of every other is excluded40 ,we are not to be surprised that the matter has ended in this manner2 perhaps we should rather wonder that there was any one of the members of the ,congress disposed to speak1 or even to think on the side of toleration4 ,the members who are friendly to religious liberty1 may amount to one third of the whole1 or1 perhaps1 somewhat more than one third1 and they are men of influence and respect in the country4 ,these made a less vigorous stand for toleration at the present time1 from the consideration that what is done now in regard to the sanctioning of the basis of the constitution1 is only provisional4 ,the ,spaniards1 at present1 possess many of the best provinces of ,peru1 and these provinces have1 strictly speaking1 no representatives in the ,congress4 ,the manner of proceeding1 in reference to these provinces1 was this3--,the natives of each province1 residing in ,lima1 met and chose members from among themselves to represent the province1 until such time as the enemy be dislodged1 and they have freedom to choose their own representatives4 ,as soon then as the country is free1 the present ,congress will dissolve itself1 and a general ,congress will be immediately elected1 and the outlines now under consideration will be presented to the new ,congress to be examined1 and1 if judged necessary1 altered4 ,there is1 therefore1 still some hope1 that toleration may have a place in the ,peruvian constitution4 ,during the interval1 the press may forward the good cause1 as there is perfect freedom for speaking and printing any thing upon the subject1 on both sides of the question4 ,we may1 indeed1 call this freedom of speaking and writing upon the subject1 a kind of toleration2 at all events1 it is a prelude to it4 ,pamphlets of every shape1 size1 and name1 are issued from the press4 ,in these every subject is handled1 and abuses and prejudices are attacked with freedom and courage4 ,the poor friars are not overlooked in these2 almost every body is against them1 and none seems to rise up in their defence4 ,one of the members of ,congress has made a motion for the reformation of the ,convents4 ,the bill he is about to bring in1 contains four articles4 ,the first is to allow all those to leave the ,convents who wish to do so4 ,the second is to allow no one in future to become a friar4 ,the third is1 that the government should take possession of all their property1 and allow them out of it what is necessary for their support4 ,the fourth article is1 to make them all live in one convent1 instead of occupying fourteen1 as they now do4 ,this you see is a bold proposition1 and1 if carried into effect1 will be a great step in reformation4 ,at the time the article on religion was under consideration1 a certain individual went about with a paper containing a petition to ,congress1 praying that the ,roman ,catholic religion might be the religion of the state1 and the only one tolerated in the country4 ,the last part of the petition was the object he had in view4 ,he obtained a number of signatures to the petition1 and without loss of time laid it before the ,congress4 ,it was1 however1 not allowed to be read1 and several were for calling this individual to account for his officiousness4 ,this medical gentleman 7for he is of that profession7 has been sadly handled in the pamphlets of the day for this conduct2 so much so1 ,i think1 as to keep him from being forward to engage a second time in such an undertaking4 ,i have already mentioned how freely all matters are discussed in these pamphlets4 ,one of them has just begun to give a history of the ,popes4 ,from the specimens already published1 this history promises not to be very honourable to the personal character of the ,popes1 neither does it appear intended to strengthen their pontifical authority and influence1 but quite the contrary4 ,there was a monthly magazine published in ,london1 during the despotic reign of the present ,ferdinand4 ,in this work there was given a history of the ,popes1 and ,i believe what is publishing here just now is copied from the work ,i have mentioned4 ,this magazine was called ,el ,espaol ,constitucional4 ,it was written by one of those who had fled from ,ferdinand's despotic hands4 ,he was a liberal man1 and writing in ,london he felt himself under no restraint in speaking of the abuse of the ,church of ,rome4 ,there was another periodical work in the ,spanish language1 published some years before it1 called ,el ,espaol4 ,this was also printed in ,london1 and was written with the same liberality and spirit4 ,both these works have reached ,south ,america1 and have been a good deal read2 and1 as you may suppose1 they have served considerably to enlighten the people of these countries4 ,i have mentioned1 in some of my late letters1 the very gratifying circumstances of the rapid sale in this city of #ejj ,spanish ,bibles1 and #ejj ,new ,testaments4 ,these were all sold off in two days1 and as many more could have been sold in the two days following1 but there were no more1 and thus many were disappointed4 ,from this cheering circumstance1 ,i am daily looking with great anxiety for a considerable number of both ,bibles and ,testaments1 expected from the ,bible ,society4 ,the above-mentioned circumstance is truly encouraging1 as no desire at all comparable to it1 has yet been manifested in any other part of ,south ,america for the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,from this1 and some other occurrences1 ,i am led to anticipate that the word of ,god will1 indeed1 have free course in this place1 and let us pray that it may not be circulated only1 but that it may be glorified also4 ,i have another thing to relate to you1 perhaps more cheering still4 ,it is this3 the nearly confident expectation of getting the ,new ,testament introduced throughout ,peru as a school book4 ,i trust this expectation will not be disappointed1 but verified in due time4 ,every thing promises fair at present for its accomplishment4 ,as soon as the ,bibles got into circulation as above-mentioned1 there was some ferment excited from reports that it was not fairly printed from the ,spanish version of ,scio1 as indicated in the title page4 ,this report was raised1 or at least increased1 by the discovery of a typographical error or two4 ,an honest priest actually burned the ,bible he had bought on the discovery of one of these oversights in the printing4 ,the consequence of this stir was an examination of the ,bible ,society's edition1 by comparing it with the edition printed in ,spain4 ,the result of this examination was highly satisfactory1 as the ,london edition was found to be an exact reprint from the latest ,spanish edition1 with the exception of some slight oversights in passing through the press4 ,about the time this matter was under consideration1 the deputy ,archbishop 7for there is no ,archbishop here at present7 having learned that a certain priest was likely to say something from the pulpit against the reading of the ,bibles from ,london1 sent a message to him1 telling him 8not to preach any thing against the reading of the ,english ,bibles40 ,by ,english ,bibles he meant ,bibles from ,england1 for the ,bibles were in the ,spanish language4 ,a curious little piece1 in the poetic form1 appeared about a fortnight ago in one of the newspapers of this city4 ,there is a great deal of truth and force in it1 and as it is but short1 and will not occupy much room1 ,i shall give you a translation of it4 ,to do it justice it should be put in poetic dress1 but as you know ,i am neither poet nor rhymester1 you will please accept of it in plain prose4 8,simon possessed a fishing bark1 and just a fishing bark1 nothing more he left to his sons4 ,they however were great fishers2 they caught much and grew rich1 and could no longer be content with their small bark1 but got a larger one4 ,this bark afterwards became a brig1 and then a ship4 ,at last it grew into a man-of-war1 and frightened the world with its cannon4 ,how wonderfully is this ship of war now changed6 how different now to what it was in former times6 ,this great ship is now grown old1 and1 shattered by the storms it has encountered1 it now lies rotting in the harbour4 ,a thousand times has it been repaired1 but at last it must be laid aside altogether1 and its owners must once more be content with ,simon's fishing bark40 ,you will find no difficulty1 ,i dare say1 in applying this little piece1 and1 ,i believe1 you will join with me in wishing that the concluding part may be verified as exactly as the preceding parts have4 ,there is a great revolution going forward in ,south ,america4 ,i speak not of the revolt from under the ,spanish yoke1 for that in the present day may be said not to be going forward1 but accomplished4 ,the revolution ,i speak of1 is a moral one4 ,those who have eyes to see this goodly prospect1 and those who have ears to hear the harmony of this moral change1 meet on every hand with indications of its approach4 ,you will not understand me as saying1 that ,south ,america has become like the land of ,eden1 like the garden of ,god4 ,no4 ,but a change has been begun1 a happy change4 ,let us put our hand to this work4 ,let us bear it onward1 and ,god ,almighty will consummate it in due time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #bhth ,january1 #ahbc4 ,a good while has elapsed since ,i mentioned to you any particulars of my affairs in reference to the schools4 ,during this time1 however1 ,i have more than once thrown out hints1 signifying that matters went on but slowly4 ,i had too much reason for these complaints4 ,the truth is1 ,i was once and again on the point of leaving this place4 ,my affairs here have been such1 since my arrival1 that ,i may truly say1 my hopes and prospects in ,south ,america never were so high1 and never were so low as they have been1 at different times1 in ,lima4 ,i formerly stated to you the very favourable reception ,i met with from ,san ,martin1 and from the first ,secretary of ,state1 ,monteagudo4 ,both of these left this place a good while ago1 although under different circumstances4 ,to me their loss was severely felt4 ,i never mentioned a wish to ,san ,martin1 or to ,monteagudo1 that was not granted1 and granted immediately in the most obliging manner4 ,after their going away1 ,i scarcely mentioned any thing ,i wished done that was not refused4 ,i should not1 perhaps1 say refused1 for ,i was not actually denied2 ,i was told that the things ,i stated would be done1 but these promises were never fulfilled4 ,had ,i been plainly refused1 there is every probability that ,i should have left this place long ago4 ,after experiencing a number of delays1 and when my little stock of patience was all gone1 ,i asked for my passport4 ,the same individual1 however1 who had so often put me off with fair promises1 contrived to put off my passport also1 and kept me waiting days together1 with every thing nailed up for my departure4 ,it was then agreed on between us1 that since the school plan we had in view could not be carried into effect from want of funds1 ,i should stop three or four weeks to instruct some individuals in the ,lancasterian system4 ,about twelve came1 in consequence of this1 to my lodgings once a day1 for the instructions referred to4 ,at the close of the time mentioned1 these individuals were much pleased with the new plan1 and some of them represented the matter to the minister1 who gladly entered into it1 and it was agreed that ,i should stop1 and that what was wanting should be granted4 ,i did think him for this time sincere1 and ,i believe he was so2 but ,i was again subjected to be put off from week to week1 until ,i found that ,i was circumstanced exactly as before4 ,i petitioned anew for my passport1 and in the mean time wrote a letter to the ,congress1 detailing all that had happened from the time of my arrival in ,lima1 and concluded by stating1 that ,i intended to leave this place by the first vessel that sailed1 but that ,i would return or send some person instructed in the plan of the schools1 if a desire should be expressed by the ,congress to that effect4 ,the result of this communication was far beyond my expectation4 ,upon my letter being read1 a great deal of interest was taken in this matter1 and it was unanimously agreed to that the school should be commenced as soon as possible4 ,an order was accordingly issued1 that every thing ,i wanted to set it agoing should be immediately granted4 ,when ,i wrote to the ,congress1 ,i had little thought that they would be disposed to carry this object forward at the time1 having not long before resolved to use the utmost economy with the public money1 and to carry nothing forward that was not of an urgent nature4 ,this resolution was very necessary from the low state of the public funds1 owing to their limited resources1 and the great expenses of the war4 ,in consequence of the decree of the ,congress in our favour1 ,i at once gave up thoughts of leaving this place1 and we have been since that time getting on as fast as can be expected4 ,there is another circumstance of considerable importance1 which has arisen out of this4 ,the person who brought together those twelve individuals to be instructed in the system1 as above mentioned1 is a very respectable clergyman4 ,this gentleman has interested himself much in the matter1 and has been named by the ,congress to take an active part in all the arrangements necessary until a ,school ,society be formed4 ,i have had much intercourse with this individual1 and have good reason to esteem him highly4 ,we go hand in hand in our affairs most comfortably4 ,as this gentleman's name is now connected with the schools1 and being a clergyman1 many prejudices are thereby removed4 ,this is a matter of no little importance1 as there was a strong idea1 7whether well or ill founded1 ,i cannot tell17 that the late ,secretary1 of whom ,i spoke1 was atheistical in his views4 ,perhaps his atheism consisted in his making free with the convents and other church affairs4 ,however that may be1 my being favoured by him probably excited some prejudices1 in addition to those arising from my being a ,protestant4 ,the counteracting influence1 therefore1 of my connexion with my present clerical friend will1 ,i have no doubt1 be greatly advantageous4 ,when ,i add to this1 that it is through this respectable individual that ,i expect the ,new ,testament to be introduced into the schools1 of which ,i formerly wrote1 you will see that ,i have great cause for thanksgiving for the circumstances in which we now stand2 and ,i am even inclined to believe1 from what ,i have seen1 that our present encouraging prospects have not been too dearly purchased by all the harassing delays that we have experienced4 ,we are very short sighted in all things1 and can seldom tell what string of circumstances may end most favourably4 ,hence it is that we are often joyous1 when we have not much real cause for being so2 and on the other hand1 we are often sad1 when every thing is going on in the most prosperous manner4 ,how consoling is the thought1 that we are permitted to cast all our cares upon ,god2 upon him who knows the end from the beginning1 and in whose hands1 sooner or later1 every thing must turn out well4 ,i think ,i have perceived1 during the time ,i have been in this place1 a greater desire to study the ,english language than ,i have met with in any other part of ,south ,america4 ,i have uniformly encouraged this desire as much as possible1 being fully persuaded that the knowledge of our language1 and of the excellent works it contains1 will contribute in no inconsiderable degree to the progress of this country in every point of view4 ,want of books suitable for beginners in this language has formed a considerable obstacle1 as well as the want of suitable teachers4 ,in order to remove these difficulties to a certain degree1 and to carry forward this useful object1 ,i some time ago set to work to prepare1 in ,spanish1 a grammar of the ,english language4 ,this is now finished1 and nearly all printed4 ,i have at the same time been getting ready a small book1 consisting of extracts from various authors in our language1 for something of this kind was equally necessary4 ,this little work is also pretty far advanced in the printing4 ,in the next place1 in order to carry this object into immediate effect1 ,i lately published my intention of giving instructions in the ,english language1 and ,i now have twenty-three studying it with me1 two of whom are members of ,congress4 ,accounts have reached us1 that on the #aith ,november last1 a severe earthquake was experienced in ,chile4 ,the first shock was felt about #aa o'clock at night1 and was preceded by a frightful noise4 ,during the night1 and for several succeeding days1 a number of shocks were felt1 less destructive1 ,i believe1 but sufficiently alarming4 ,we have not yet had full information as to the extent of country over which these shocks have been experienced1 but from what reports have reached us1 it seems to have extended over the greater part of ,chile4 ,the greatest damage1 we understand1 has been done in ,valparaiso4 ,in that place several houses have been thrown down1 and all the churches have been severely injured4 ,accounts say that more than two hundred people have perished in ,valparaiso alone4 ,many are the blessings which ,providence has poured out on ,chile1 and one would almost think that earthquakes have been added1 by way of giving to it its due proportion of evil4 ,the same may be said of this country1 which has suffered still more from this cause than ,chile has done4 ,we do not know the moment we may be visited in this city1 by one of these dreadful calamities which have laid ,lima nearly in ruins at different times4 ,to remind us of our danger1 as it were1 we are visited by small shocks from time to time2 a month rarely elapses without one1 and about a week ago we had two in one day4 ,one would naturally think that the being continually exposed to these catastrophes would be productive of some happy moral effects upon the inhabitants of this place4 ,i am sorry to say there are no appearances of these good results4 ,if a comparison were to be instituted between the people of this place1 and those of other parts of ,south ,america1 in regard to morals1 ,i am afraid ,lima would appear in the back ground4 ,the most imminent danger1 the most signal judgments1 seem somehow or other to be productive of nothing but momentary effects on mankind4 ,wherever this danger or these judgments are1 there the words of ,jesus are verified2 8,if they believe not ,moses and the prophets1 neither would they be persuaded though one should arise from the dead40 ,i question much if we should1 in one sense1 find fault with this disposition of mankind2 or shall ,i say rather with this arrangement of ,providence4 ,it points out to us1 ,i think1 how much happier and more solid effects may be produced by the wielding of the word of ,god1 than by wielding the mountains1 and casting them into the sea4 ,the word of ,god is a fire1 and is a hammer1 and nothing shall be able to stand before it2 every thing that opposeth shall be reduced into ashes or into dust2 and these shall be blown away by the winds1 to be seen no more for ever4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #c;d ,march1 #ahbc4 ,i have more than once1 my dear friend1 within these few days past1 heard the exclamation1 8happy are the countries that enjoy a settled and secure government40 ,the truth is1 we have just experienced one of those occurrences which frequently happen in revolutionary times4 ,i wrote you formerly1 that three individuals of the members of ,congress were exercising the executive power in this place4 ,from events which have lately occurred1 a general dissatisfaction towards this triumvirate was felt by the army in the neighbourhood of this city4 ,the consequence of this was1 that the troops drew near to the walls and shut the gates1 sending at the same time a message to the ,congress1 requesting1 or rather ordering1 a change in the government4 ,after a good deal of deliberation1 the triumvirate was removed by the ,congress4 ,another step was yet necessary1 as a certain individual was pointed out as the only person capable of filling the vacant situation4 ,there was no alternative in this more than in the other proposition1 as a part of the troops kept their station1 as before mentioned1 whilst the rest or the greater part came into the great square in the centre of the city4 ,indeed the public opinion1 not of the army only1 but also of the great majority of the people1 seemed clearly expressed in favour of the person proposed4 ,the individual in question was accordingly appointed by the ,congress as 8,president of the ,republic of ,peru40 ,this was done on the first current4 ,the troops have retired1 and there seems to be a general satisfaction with this appointment4 ,our ,president's name is ,don ,jos de la ,riva ,aguera4 ,you will naturally wish to know how our new ,president is likely to act regarding the schools1 and other such matters4 ,respecting what his conduct will be in these things1 ,i have great confidence4 ,i have known him1 and visited him occasionally since my arrival in ,lima1 in consequence of a letter of introduction to him1 with which ,i was favoured on my leaving ,chile4 ,i have uniformly found him very obliging1 and much interested in our concerns4 ,in short1 he is the very individual ,i should have named1 had ,i been asked what person ,i wished to have in this high station4 ,i called on him this afternoon in company with my clerical friend1 whom ,i formerly mentioned to you4 ,we were well received1 and encouraged to go forward in our work1 with the assurance of his protection and support4 ,i forgot to mention to you in my last quarterly letter1 that ,i had about that time got one added to the number of my friends4 ,this person is a very respectable clergyman1 and a member of the ,congress4 ,we have had several conversations together1 in a very open and friendly manner4 ,i have been much pleased with his candour and frankness4 ,he told me that when he first heard of my having come to ,lima1 he resolved to oppose me1 but that when he learned that ,i was not an opposer of religion1 but a friend to it1 he changed his mind1 and resolved to befriend me as far as lay in his power4 ,there is a kind of idea among several of those who are the most religious in this country1 that many or most foreigners who arrive here are deists or atheists1 or at least men no way friendly to religion4 ,grounds have1 no doubt1 been given for forming this opinion1 although ,i think it is generalized among the class of people ,i mentioned1 with some degree of illiberality1 as is1 indeed1 commonly the case4 ,the books which come here in favour of deism and atheism strengthen the opinion4 ,most of these are printed in ,france1 but some of them1 ,i am sorry to say it1 are printed in ,england4 ,from all ,i have seen here1 both in the ,congress1 and out of it1 ,i am strongly inclined to think that those who oppose toleration1 or at least many of them1 do so with a view to prevent the influx into the country of such as oppose or scoff at religion4 ,as a proof of this1 ,i refer to the member of ,congress1 of whom ,i have just been speaking4 ,this man opposed toleration when it was discussed in the ,congress1 and spoke publicly against it2 yet when conversing with him upon the subject1 he told me that he was not opposed to the toleration of ,protestants in the country4 ,i have taken occasion at different times to point out to some of the members1 in private conversation1 that their law prohibiting the public religious exercises of those who differ from the ,catholic church1 does not hinder atheists and deists from settling in the country1 as these have no form of religion they wish to practise2 and that this law serves only to prevent the coming of those men who are sincerely religious and moral1 and who1 as they themselves admit1 would be of great use in the country1 by bringing into it many branches of the arts and manufactures4 ,i think ,i have observed some good effects arising from these conversations1 and ,i wish it may so appear when1 the subject comes before ,congress a second time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #bfth ,may1 #ahbc4 ,a considerable time has now elapsed since ,i last wrote you4 ,i confess ,i have acted wrong in delaying so long2 but ,i know that yourself and the ,committee of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society are ready to forgive4 ,the truth is1 ,i have had no heart to write you2 ,i have had nothing encouraging to communicate2 and ,i am never fond of being a messenger of evil tidings4 ,i have been bandied about these many months past1 without being able to make any progress in those highly important affairs in which you feel so deeply interested4 ,i have been more than once on the eve of leaving this part of ,south ,america1 but one little encouragement or another called me back just as ,i was going to embark1 and flattered me into a belief that all would go on well4 ,i shall not detain you with a long list of grievances1 but shall pass at once to the more pleasing task of calling on you to join with me in thanksgiving unto ,him who comforteth those that are cast down1 and who hath turned my darkness into light4 ,blessed be his name1 the prospects of something being done in this place brighten daily1 and ,i hope yet to communicate to you something gladdening from the land of the ,incas4 ,we have1 at length1 got our school fairly begun1 and under very favourable auspices4 ,i formerly mentioned to you that the government had given us for our schools1 the ,college belonging to the ,dominican ,friars4 ,the whole of the edifice is at our disposal for school objects4 ,we have fitted up for our present school-room1 a large apartment1 formerly the college dining-room1 which will contain #cjj children4 ,the number attending at present is upwards of a hundred2 and we intend to increase it gradually rather than rapidly1 as we might do were we inclined4 ,the experience ,i have had has taught me the necessity of this4 ,it is an easy matter to tell what the system is1 and to say things are to be managed in such and such a way2 but the great difficulty consists in reducing it to practice1 in training the children to method4 ,the ,congress and the ,government here are decidedly in favour of education4 ,their object is not merely the education of the few1 but the education of the many1 namely1 of every individual in ,peru4 ,the attention of the ,congress is1 at present1 engaged in drawing up a constitution for the nation4 ,one of the articles already sanctioned is1 that no one can vote for a member of ,congress unless he can read and write4 ,from the consideration1 however1 of the shameful neglect of the ,spaniards in promoting education in the country1 these literary qualifications are not to be exacted until the year #ahdj4 ,time is thus given for every individual to qualify himself in these matters2 and the anxious desire of the ,congress is1 ,i am fully persuaded1 to carry forward education with all possible rapidity4 ,you are aware1 ,i suppose1 that the inhabitants of ,peru do not all speak the ,spanish language4 ,the descendants of the ancient ,peruvians are very numerous1 and most of them speak the language of their ancestors4 ,in some parts of the country they have assumed the manners and the language of their conquerors and oppressors2 but in other parts1 and these by far the most populous1 their ancient tongue is their only medium of communication4 ,i have long had my eye on this interesting part of the population of this country4 ,i have1 at length1 obtained a fair prospect of being able to plant schools among them1 and also to hand to them the word of ,god in their native tongue4 ,an officer belonging to a regiment1 called the ,peruvian ,legion1 and who thoroughly understands the ,quichua1 or ,peruvian1 language1 has taken a great liking to our system1 and is extremely desirous of benefiting his countrymen by communicating instruction to them4 ,he is1 at present1 attending our school for this purpose1 and ,i entertain a pleasing hope regarding the future results of his operations4 ,i beg you to express to your ,committee my sincere respect and gratitude for the very obliging manner in which they have come forward in aid of the great work of education in ,south ,america4 99 99 99 99 99 ,truxillo1 #aeth ,july1 #ahbc4 ,when ,i wrote my last letter to ,mr4 ,s4 ,i little thought my next letter would be written in this place4 ,such1 however1 is the case1 and ,i proceed to mention the circumstances that have brought me here4 ,it is probable that what has lately taken place in ,lima will reach your ears some days before this comes into your hand4 ,the ,spanish army entered that city on the #ahth ultimo1 the ,government1 the ,congress1 and a great number of the inhabitants having left it on the preceding day4 ,you will wonder at this1 ,i dare say1 after the favourable account of our affairs in my last letter4 ,it has also been a subject of wonder unto us all1 and of consternation to not a few4 ,i mentioned in my last1 that the ,spaniards had collected a considerable force in ,jauja4 ,they had left ,arequipa1 and collected in ,jauja with the intention of coming down upon ,lima4 ,they had made this movement when the independent army was sadly crippled1 and when there was no efficient force to oppose their taking possession of the capital4 ,when1 however1 reinforcements had arrived from ,colombia1 and an expedition had been sent off to ,arequipa1 we little thought they would persevere in their intention of attacking ,lima4 ,on the contrary1 we thought they would immediately retrace their steps with all speed towards ,arequipa or ,cuzco1 to secure to themselves the possession of these valuable provinces4 ,the event1 however1 has turned out otherwise1 and we now understand that they were badly informed as to the real state of their opponents4 ,the ,spaniards crossed the ,andes1 and came down towards ,lima in a very rapid and unexpected manner1 with a force of seven thousand well disciplined men4 ,upon their presenting themselves in the neighbourhood of the city1 they were reconnoitred by the ,independent ,generals1 and as soon as the number and discipline of the ,spanish army were known1 it was judged imprudent to risk a battle with them1 as the patriot army is but about five thousand strong1 and many of them recruits4 ,the independent army considered it most advisable not only to avoid a general battle1 but also to avoid defending ,lima1 and chose to retire to the forts in ,callao4 ,the ,government and the ,congress1 together with a great number of the principal inhabitants1 retired at the same time to ,callao4 ,a few days after1 the ,president and ,congress judged it most suitable to remove from the scene of military operations1 and to take up a temporary residence in this city4 ,they accordingly sailed for this place1 and arrived about a fortnight ago4 ,we were going on with our schools in a prosperous way on the #afth 7,june7 when the reports of the rapid approach of the enemy1 and the general confusion throughout the city1 induced us to suspend our operations on that day for a week1 till we should see what would take place4 ,it was on that day quite uncertain whether the city would be defended1 7for it is surrounded by a good wall17 or whether the army would retire from the city to ,callao4 ,on the following day1 however1 all doubt on these points was removed1 as it was agreed in a council of war to abandon the city1 and the army accordingly left it on the same day4 ,at three o'clock ,i left ,lima and went down to ,callao1 being assured that the enemy would enter the city that night1 or at all events on the following day4 ,i slept that night 7the #agth7 on board of an ,english vessel1 lying in the harbour4 ,it was my intention to return to ,lima in four or five days1 in which time ,i supposed the ,spaniards would be in quiet possession of the place1 and that order would be again restored1 so that as an ,englishman ,i might pass to ,lima with a passport from the ,english ,commodore on the station4 ,i accordingly remained some days1 on board the vessel1 but there was no possibility of passing from ,callao to ,lima with any safety during that time4 ,on the #bjth the vessel ,i was in cleared out for the port of ,casma1 about #bjj miles to the north of ,lima1 and ,i conceived it most advisable to go along with her1 as there was no prospect of re-entering ,lima for some time4 ,i therefore supplied myself with some dollars from a friend1 as ,i had left ,lima without money1 and with scarcely any other clothes than those ,i had on4 ,in two days we arrived safely in the port of ,casma1 and on the day after our arrival ,i went up to the village1 which is about #h miles distant4 ,i was accompanied from ,callao by an old friend1 a priest1 and a prebendary of the cathedral of ,lima4 ,we made ourselves acquainted with the ,vicar1 and were most hospitably lodged in his house4 ,here we staid a week4 ,during this time the accounts from ,lima continued as unfavourable as before1 and numbers of people who had fled from it were arriving at ,casma1 and others coming on towards it4 ,i resolved1 therefore1 to come on to this city1 where ,i arrived safely after four days travel through roads of burning sand1 which were very fatiguing to our horses and to ourselves4 ,the roads all along the coast of ,peru are of this description4 ,here and there1 at distances of from twenty to forty miles1 there is a river1 and in the valley through which it runs1 vegetation of every kind shoots out luxuriantly1 and nothing is wanting but hands of industry to raise cotton1 sugar1 coffee1 and all the tropical fruits4 ,my friend1 the prebendary1 remained in ,casma1 but ,i was accompanied to this place by two other emigrants from ,lima1 and on our arrival here we found not less than a thousand people of all conditions under similar circumstances with ourselves4 ,numbers have since arrived1 and reports say that nearly ten thousand have left ,lima1 some having gone to one place and some to another4 ,notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances1 we expect all to return to the capital before long2 it may1 however1 be three or four months4 ,from what has been stated1 you may perhaps think that the cause of independence here is losing ground fast1 or that it is in a hopeless condition4 ,this1 however1 is not the case4 ,the ,spaniards will1 ,i believe1 be under the necessity of leaving ,lima in the course of a very few months2 and in the mean time they have lost the valuable province of ,arequipa1 as there are accounts of the safe arrival of the expedition which sailed some time ago for that quarter1 and of some advantages they have already gained1 and also of the speedy prospect of taking possession of all that place1 the ,spanish force there being but small4 ,the independent army will probably march on towards ,cuzco1 where the ,viceroy is stationed with a force of about #c1jjj men1 and the ancient capital of the ,incas may very soon become the scene of the contest for liberty--the contest of truth and freedom1 with ignorance and oppression2 and may the righteous cause prevail4 ,i have long had a great desire of visiting some of the interior parts of this country1 and present circumstances offer a favourable opportunity4 ,i intend1 in a day or two1 to leave this city for ,caxamarca1 and from thence ,i purpose to go to ,jaen de ,bracamoros4 ,if the accounts ,i there obtain are favourable1 ,i shall go down the great river ,maraon or ,amazon1 as far as the mouth of the ,huallga or the ,ucayli4 ,i may then perhaps ascend some of the rivers which fall into the ,maraon from the north1 and go on in this way towards ,quito4 ,if ,i should be able to get on so far1 ,i shall then descend from ,quito to ,guayaquil1 and from thence by sea to ,callao4 ,i have got leave of absence for four months1 and have obtained a letter of recommendation from the ,president to the governors of those places through which ,i intend to pass4 ,i trust this journey is undertaken with the same views which induced me to leave my native country4 ,i trust the ,lord will protect me from every evil1 will surround me with his almighty arm1 and will guide and comfort me by his ,spirit4 ,p4,s4--#bast ,july1 #ahbc4----,on the day after writing the above1 some accounts reached this place that the ,spanish army was beginning to retreat from ,lima4 ,in consequence of this1 ,i deferred my journey until certain accounts upon this subject should arrive4 ,these accounts have now been fully confirmed4 ,the ,spaniards began their retreat on the #hth current1 and the last division of their army was to leave ,lima on the evening of the #afth1 or on the day following4 ,as ,lima is now open1 from the retiring of the ,spaniards1 ,i have given up for the present my journey to the river ,amazon1 and to-morrow ,i set out for ,lima overland4 ,the day before yesterday the ,congress was dissolved here1 and a ,senate has been appointed in its stead4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #hth ,august1 #ahbc4 ,my last letter to you was dated #ith ,november last1 and which ,i hope came safely into your hands4 ,though the interval between my letters to you be considerable1 yet ,i always suppose you acquainted with what occurs to me here during these intervals1 through my letters to our mutual friends in ,edinburgh4 ,i therefore consider it unnecessary to go over all that has happened here since ,i last wrote to you1 and shall confine myself to what is going forward at the present time4 ,i am sorry that ,i have so much to say that may be called of an unfavourable nature4 ,in my letter to ,mr4 ,h4 from ,truxillo1 ,i stated the cause of my removal to that city1 and also the favourable change which had induced me to return4 ,i arrived safely in this place on the #b;d instant1 after an absence of nearly seven weeks4 ,i found1 on my return1 all that ,i had left behind safe1 nothing had been touched4 ,the ,spanish army continued in possession of ,lima just twenty-eight days1 during which they did considerable injury to the place1 by levying contributions1 confiscating property1 c4 ,the amount of the loss sustained1 in one shape and another1 is reckoned at two millions of dollars4 ,all the property belonging to the ,english merchants1 which was in their own warehouses1 was respected1 and no loss was sustained thereon4 ,what goods they had in the ,custom-house they were allowed to withdraw1 upon paying a duty of forty per-cent4 ,the other goods in the ,custom-house1 belonging to the natives of the country1 were confiscated and sold on the spot4 ,the favour thus experienced by the ,english1 was owing to the intervention of the ,british ,naval ,commander in this place4 ,the ,spanish ,general1 however1 intimated to the ,english merchants that although he had respected their property at this time1 yet in future he would not do so1 but would confiscate all that belonged to them1 should he return again to ,lima1 and that thus they might consider themselves as warned beforehand1 of what they might expect4 ,i had heard in ,truxillo that the ,spaniards had destroyed the palace1 the mint1 and some other public buildings4 ,this1 however1 ,i am happy to find1 was incorrect3 they have destroyed no buildings4 ,the machinery of the mint was destroyed2 and they have carried off or destroyed all the printing-presses and types they could lay their hands on4 ,the government printing-presses and types have escaped1 as they had been removed to ,callao in good time4 ,one or two presses also1 belonging to private individuals1 have likewise been saved1 having been hid at the time the rest were carried off4 ,i suppose you have read 7and correctly too17 in the descriptions of this city1 that the churches are immensely rich in silver4 ,this1 however1 is not the case at present1 ,i assure you4 ,they are now completely stripped of all their former grandeur in that respect4 ,the independent government at different times ordered considerable quantities of the silver in the churches to be taken to the mint1 which was accordingly done4 ,upon their retreat from the city on the approach of the enemy1 a few weeks ago1 nearly every thing of silver that could be well spared from the churches1 was carried to the castle in ,callao1 to prevent its falling into the hands of the ,spaniards4 ,this proved a proper foresight1 for the enemy took almost every thing that had been left in the churches1 and thus thoroughly stripped them4 ,a priest observed to me the other day1 that it should seem the time is now come when ,god chooses to be served with less splendour1 and with more humility4 ,the observation was good2 and ,i wish the time were indeed come when the supporters of this system would lay aside their own riches and righteousness in every respect1 and would clothe themselves with the righteousness of ,christ1 and with true humility4 ,that period is1 ,i trust1 advancing1 although perhaps not so fast as we could wish4 ,the ,lord1 however1 will bring it about in due time4 ,the way we generally wish to do things1 in our impatience1 is to jump to our object2 or in other words1 to gain our benevolent ends all at once4 ,this1 however1 is not the way the ,almighty has established matters in the depth of his wisdom4 ,the end1 he tells us1 may be gained1 yea1 and shall be gained1 but it can be gained only by the use of the appointed means1 and by patient continuance in well doing4 ,the ,spanish army has marched towards ,arequipa along the coast4 ,the first division under ,general ,valdes is already at some distance1 but the second division1 under ,canterc the ,commander in chief1 is only about #ajj miles to the south of us4 ,there is1 however1 ,i believe1 little danger at present of his returning to ,lima1 as the main object of the ,spaniards is to attack as early as possible the patriot army in ,arequipa4 ,that army is now of considerable strength1 and much better equipped every way than the former one in that place1 which was so completely defeated by the ,spaniards at ,moquegua4 ,i wish the result may be favourable to the independent cause1 as much certainly depends on the result4 ,i mentioned in my letter to ,mr4 ,h4 that the ,congress had been dissolved in ,truxillo1 and that a ,senate had been appointed in its place4 ,this was the single act of the ,president1 and it was certainly a very bold and imprudent step1 not to say any thing of its injustice4 ,the ,president has not yet returned to ,lima1 and in the mean time a strong opposition has been stirred up against him here for having dissolved the ,congress4 ,the representatives now in ,lima have solemnly protested against this measure1 have re-installed themselves as the supreme council and government of the nation1 and have elected the ,marquis of ,truxillo to exercise the executive power4 ,what will be the result of these operations ,i know not4 ,it is probable1 ,i think1 that ,riva ,aguera1 the ,president1 will give in1 and be banished from the country for some time1 it is certainly a very unfavourable time for internal disputes4 ,a short time1 ,i hope1 will make all things wear a more smiling aspect1 and may the ,lord who reigneth in the earth1 grant that this may indeed be our case4 ,all things are in his hand4 ,he ever reigneth1 although his benignant hand may at times be invisible to us4 ,during the time ,i was at ,truxillo1 ,i formed the plan of visiting some of the aboriginal inhabitants of ,america1 on the banks of the river ,amazon4 ,i had calculated that the ,spaniards would keep possession of this city for about three months1 and ,i supposed1 that time would about suffice me for my intended tour4 ,i had bought a number of glittering buttons1 needles1 scissors1 knives1 fish-hooks1 ribbons1 c41 for presents to the natives4 ,i had also taken out my passport1 and was arranging for setting out1 when accounts reached ,truxillo1 that a part of the ,spanish army had evacuated this city4 ,in consequence of this1 ,i put off my intended journey1 though with regret1 in order to return to my duties in this place4 ,i have long had a desire to visit those parts1 and though ,i have not been able to effect my object at this time1 my purpose is not laid aside1 but only postponed until a more favourable opportunity occur2 and in the mean time ,i will go on collecting all the information ,i can1 regarding those quarters4 ,i have a considerable desire to spend the greater part of my remaining days on the banks of that great river1 or on the borders of some of its tributary streams4 ,in the ,mercurio ,peruano1 a work of which ,i dare say you have heard1 there are some very interesting accounts of the entrance of the ,jesuits and of the ,franciscan ,friars into that part of the country4 ,their success was various4 ,numbers of the missionaries lost their lives in prosecution of their object1 through the cruel hands of those whom they went to instruct4 ,at length the missions in those parts made some progress1 but they never were very flourishing2 and even in their best state1 missions under such a system were open to many objections4 ,one single ,moravian village in the midst of some wilderness would be a more gratifying sight than all the ,jesuit missions put together4 ,though we may thus condemn their system1 because truth requires it1 yet the ,missionaries themselves1 generally speaking1 in point of zeal and devotion to their object1 are worthy of great commendation1 and in many instances their conduct forcibly attracts our admiration4 ,the accounts they have published are extremely interesting4 ,in another point of view1 also1 the ,missionaries have done a great service1 by their study of the original languages1 and by the grammars and dictionaries of these which they published4 ,the whole of these works are by the ,jesuits1 and not a volume has been published since their fall4 ,these grammars and dictionaries are now extremely scarce in this place4 ,it has cost me a great deal of labour to obtain some of them1 and others ,i have not yet been able to procure1 but hope in time to get a copy of all their writings on those subjects1 as well as of the geographical works they have published4 ,i believe it is not generally known in ,europe that a great part1 the majority of the inhabitants of ,peru1 are of the descendants of the ancient ,peruvians under the ,incas4 ,an idea is1 ,i believe1 pretty general with you1 that the ,spaniards nearly exterminated this race1 as they did the inhabitants of ,st4 ,domingo and ,cuba4 ,that they destroyed vast numbers of the indigenous inhabitants of this part of the world is1 alas6 too true2 still1 however1 the majority here are ,peruvians1 and not ,spaniards4 ,there are1 of course1 a good many of a mixed race1 and on the coast there are not a few of the sons and daughters of unhappy ,africa1 and their descendants4 ,the ,peruvians who live in the towns on the coast1 all speak the ,spanish language1 and know nothing of the ancient language of ,peru1 called the ,quichua4 ,between the coast and the ridge of the ,andes1 called the ,cordillera1 there are many towns1 the inhabitants of which generally speak the ,quichua and the ,spanish1 with1 however1 a predilection for their own native tongue4 ,on the east of the ,cordillera of the ,andes1 the ,spanish language is but little spoken1 and both ,peruvians and ,spaniards speak the ,quichua4 ,it is spoken1 of course1 with more or less purity1 in these different places1 a circumstance to be fully expected of an unwritten language1 and among an uneducated people4 ,i have had my attention turned to those parts of this country where the ,quichua language is spoken ever since ,i came to ,peru4 ,i have had a great desire to communicate1 in one way or another1 to this ancient people1 the blessings of education and the light of the ,sacred ,word4 ,the ,spaniards have kept them in the lowest state of mental existence1 and it may be truly said1 that under the ,incas1 the ,peruvians were less ignorant1 and more virtuous1 than they are at this day4 ,at the time the ,spaniards 7these enemies of knowledge7 drove us from our post here1 on their entrance into ,lima1 we had in our school two descendants of the ancient ,peruvians studying our system1 with a view to carry instruction among their countrymen2 whilst another of the same people was actually engaged in translating one of the ,gospels into the ,quichua language4 ,i hope we shall be able to muster our forces again1 and to go on in this good work4 ,pray for us that the blessing of the ,almighty may be upon us1 to crown us with speedy and certain success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #ast ,september1 #ahbc4 ,i mentioned in a former letter1 that the members of the ,congress who were in ,lima had united and re-installed this assembly4 ,their number daily increased1 by the arrival of those who had fled to various quarters upon the arrival of the ,spaniards4 ,riva ,aguera was left in ,truxillo with a very few only of those he had chosen for his senate4 ,the public opinion in favour of the ,congress1 is very strong1 and all seem to rejoice in its restoration4 ,several accounts have reached us of advantages gained by the patriot troops in the south1 but the good effects of these upon us are greatly lessened by the continual dread we are in of the operations of ,riva ,aguera1 who has got collected together about #c1jjj men4 ,fulminations by the ,congress have been issued against him1 calling him tyrant1 c4 c4 and exhorting every good patriot to use his endeavours to bring him to this city1 dead or alive4 ,this commencement of internal war is looked upon by all who feel an interest in the independence of the country1 as a very unfortunate circumstance4 ,a powerful enemy is at hand1 and ready to seize every opportunity which such divisions may occasion1 in order to subject the country to its former state4 ,in fact we were1 about a fortnight ago1 in great alarm for some days1 from a rumour of the return of the ,spanish army4 ,a happy circumstance1 however1 has this day taken place1 which will1 ,i trust1 unite all parties in one4 ,this fortunate circumstance is the safe arrival of ,bolivar4 ,he landed this morning in ,callao1 and entered ,lima this afternoon1 to the very great satisfaction of all4 ,he has brought with him upwards of #b1jjj men1 and more it is said are to follow4 ,the general aspect of the war is now greatly in our favour1 and ,i think the ,spanish army is rather critically placed4 ,some letters have been intercepted from one of the ,spanish ,generals to ,la ,serna1 giving rather a sad account of his situation1 and mentioning some of his officers of whose loyalty he had not great confidence4 ,from all these circumstances1 ,i trust the time is not far distant when this unhappy and destructive war will give way to peace and to liberty4 ,when in ,truxillo1 ,i made some arrangements for the circulation of the ,scriptures in that quarter4 ,there is a medical gentleman there1 a native of ,ireland1 of the name of ,o',donovan4 ,he is of the ,roman ,catholic religion1 but he has none of those prejudices against the ,bible which many of the ,catholics have4 ,so far is he from being prejudiced upon this point1 that he takes a very great interest in its circulation1 and recommends it strongly to all his friends4 ,this is a very happy circumstance1 and ,i hope the results will be truly beneficial4 ,being a ,roman ,catholic himself1 what he says upon this subject has more weight than the same things would have from a ,protestant4 ,since my return to ,lima1 ,i have sent him #ej ,spanish ,new ,testaments1 and a number of ,spanish tracts1 which ,i got some time ago4 ,he mentioned to me the effects produced by some tracts which he formerly had4 ,he said he gave a few of them to his neighbours1 and some time after inquired how they liked them4 ,some of them told him plainly that they did not like them at all1 and that these tracts were not the ,gospel1 because there was nothing said about the ,sacraments in them4 ,you would not1 he replied1 have the ,sacraments spoken of every where1 and nothing but the ,sacraments8 ,let me read1 continued he1 a chapter of one of the ,gospels to you4 ,he then took his ,new ,testament1 and read to them accordingly a chapter from one of the ,gospels4 ,now1 said he1 is there any thing about the ,sacraments in what ,i have just read to you8 ,they said there was not4 ,and is not this the ,gospel1 said he8 ,they agreed that it was4 ,well then1 he continued1 may not these tracts be ,gospel too1 although there is nothing of the ,sacraments in them4 ,i trust the ,lord will bless the exertions of this worthy individual to circulate the knowledge of ,god around him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #beth ,november1 #ahbc4 ,what a cheering thought it is1 to contemplate the glorious exertions of the present day1 to put the ,sacred ,scriptures into the hands of all4 ,the names of barbarian1 ,scythian1 bond and free1 have disappeared in the distribution of this noble charity2 and the only distinction known is1 those who have this volume1 and those who have it not4 ,the present mighty efforts bid fair to make this only distinction among mankind disappear also2 and may it be soon fulfilled2 thus leaving every soul in possession of that treasure which can alone make his soul valuable4 ,i am happy to say that something has already been done here1 and that the prospects for the future are encouraging4 ,perhaps there have been circulated1 during these few years past1 about one thousand copies of the whole ,bible1 in the ,spanish language1 and considerably upwards of that number of ,new ,testaments1 in the same tongue4 ,it is true1 this is but a small number among so many2 yet it is a good beginning2 and you know we ought not to despise small things1 but receive them with thanksgiving1 and as encouragements to perseverance4 ,immediately after the rapid sale of the #ejj ,spanish ,bibles1 and #ejj ,new ,testaments in this city1 as mentioned in my letter of ,october #ahth1 ,i wrote to ,london for a large supply1 although ,i was then in daily expectation of some arriving4 ,the supplies sent by the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 and which ,i was then expecting1 arrived1 as ,i afterward learned1 in ,buenos ,aires and in ,chile1 but none of them reached this place4 ,i remained for a long time in great anxiety about the arrival of a supply for this city1 and country adjacent4 ,after waiting for several months1 ,i received a letter from the ,society1 informing me that the whole edition of the ,bible had been disposed of1 but that #ejjj ,new ,testaments would be sent me as soon as they could be bound4 ,these have not yet arrived1 but ,i am in hourly expectation of them4 ,i come now to speak of a new translation of the ,new ,testament1 which ,i am endeavouring to procure in this place4 ,i suppose you are aware that the greater part of the inhabitants of ,peru are the descendants of the ancient ,peruvians4 ,the language spoken by the ,peruvian nation in the time of the ,incas is called the ,quichua2 and this language1 with some variation1 continues to be spoken to the present day by two-thirds of the inhabitants of this country4 ,since my arrival in ,peru1 ,i have been desirous of procuring a translation of a part or the whole of the ,new ,testament into this language4 ,i have1 at length1 got it begun1 and under favourable circumstances4 ,two of the ,gospels1 the ,acts of the ,apostles1 and the two ,epistles of ,peter1 are already translated into this ancient tongue4 ,the translation of the rest of the ,new ,testament is going forward1 while the parts ,i have mentioned are a revising by four gentlemen1 who have cheerfully offered to take this labour upon them4 ,i am much pleased to see the interest these individuals take in this matter2 and it will1 as it were1 authorize this translation1 when it is considered that they have revised it4 ,all the four are members of ,congress1 and one of them is a clergyman4 ,the gentleman who is engaged in the translation is a descendant of one of the ,incas1 or kings of ,peru1 and a native of the city of ,cuzco4 ,as soon as the parts ,i have mentioned are thoroughly revised1 ,i intend to print them at the expense of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,in the mean time1 the translation of the whole ,new ,testament will go forward until it is completed4 ,i am also desirous of beginning with the ,old ,testament as soon as the ,new is translated4 ,this translation of the whole ,bible1 and the printing of an edition of two or three thousand copies1 will cost a considerable sum1 especially as printing is expensive in this country4 ,i have written to the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 requesting their instructions regarding the extent to which they might wish me to go in this matter at their expense4 ,i trust they will authorize me to go forward in this work1 and to carry it into completion4 ,as this1 however1 is an ,american work1 ,i believe the ,american ,bible ,society would gladly come forward with their aid to carry it into effect4 ,this language is spoken by about a million of people2 and no other inducement should be necessary to interest ,bible ,societies in regard to it4 ,there are also two other languages spoken in this country1 namely1 the ,aimar and the ,moxa4#c ,about four hundred thousand people speak these two languages4 ,i am desirous of getting1 at least1 one of the ,gospels translated into each of these1 but have not yet got any thing done4 ,it is my intention to take a journey through the interior of ,peru2 and1 when passing through the places where these two languages are spoken1 ,i shall endeavour to procure the translations when on the spot4 ,thus1 you see1 the ,lord's work goes forward1 even in this remote corner4 ,south ,america has hitherto been a neglected and benighted country2 but thanks be to ,god1 this long night of darkness is now far spent1 and the day is at hand4 ,from the time ,i set my foot on board on my voyage to ,south ,america1 ,i have considered myself as an ,american4 ,ever since that day the interests of ,america are the uppermost in my heart4 ,you too1 my dear ,sir1 and the members of your ,society1 are ,americans4 ,i would1 therefore1 call upon you1 as my fellow-citizens1 and would rouse you up to the mighty importance of that sacred work in which you are engaged4 ,america1 ,north and ,south1 is the field for your operations4 ,lo6 the poor ,indian1 begging from you the 8bread of life40 ,can you shut up your bowels of compassion8--8,come over and help us10 breaks upon our ears from every quarter4 ,surely this is not the time to sit down with folded hands1 to rejoice in what has been accomplished4 ,no4 ,it is the time to blush1 and to be ashamed for our past supineness3 it is the time for calling forth all our energy1 for plying every nerve1 in order to make the ,light of ,life shine from one end of the earth to the other4 #c ,although ,i resided upwards of two years in ,peru1 yet during that time ,i did not meet with any person qualified to translate the ,scriptures into either of these two languages4 ,but after leaving that country1 ,i met with a person fitted for translating into the ,aimar1 in a place where ,i little expected to find one4 ,in ,london1 last year1 when in one of the ,paddington coaches1 ,i perceived that one of my fellow passengers was a foreigner1 from his countenance and manner of speaking4 ,after we had conversed a little with each other1 ,i took the liberty to ask him from what part of the world he came4 ,he told me he was from ,south ,america2 and upon inquiring more particularly1 ,i found he was a native of ,la ,paz1 in ,peru1 the very spot where the ,aimar language is spoken4 ,this individual ,i found to be perfectly acquainted with this language1 having spoken it from his infancy2 and from his education and other circumstances1 ,i conceived him to be a suitable person for translating the ,scriptures into that language4 ,our acquaintance increased1 and led to his being engaged by the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society to translate the ,new ,testament into his native tongue2 and he has now nearly completed this work4 ,we call a meeting of this kind accidental1 and it was truly so1 in the common sense of the term4 ,but the ,christian looks higher1 and finds the directing hand of ,god in such matters4 ,what adds to the interest of this circumstance is1 that besides the person mentioned1 there is not an individual in ,england who understands a word of the language referred to4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #ast ,december1 #ahbc4 ,i mentioned to you in my last1 that ,bolivar had safely arrived in this city4 ,some days after his arrival1 ,i was introduced to him1 and was very favourably received4 ,he is1 in appearance1 a very modest unassuming man1 as far as ,i can judge from the short conversation we had together4 ,he appears very active and intelligent1 but ,i could not read any thing of an extraordinary nature in his countenance4 ,he has not the eye of ,san ,martin1 whose glance would pierce you through in a moment4 ,bolivar's weather-beaten face tells you that he has not been idle4 ,no man1 ,i believe1 has borne so much of the burden1 or has toiled so hard in the heat of the day1 in the cause of ,south ,american ,independence1 as ,bolivar4 ,his labours in his own country are already crowned with nearly complete success2 ,colombia may be considered free and independent4 ,according to all the accounts which reach us1 the ,congress of that country is going on with great steadiness4 ,the following1 ,i conceive1 is a very pleasing trait in ,bolivar's character4 ,when invited to come here1 he replied1 that he would very gladly come without a moment's delay1 but that he could not allow himself to obey his feelings in the matter1 as an article of the constitution of ,colombia prohibits the ,president from going out of the state without leave from the ,congress4 ,from this circumstance1 he said1 and from a desire to give an example of subjection to the laws1 he could not come until he should obtain leave4 ,he accordingly wrote to the ,congress for permission1 and although1 from the distance of the capital1 he was long in receiving an answer1 and in the interval was urgently solicited from this quarter1 yet he remained in ,guayaquil until the permission from the ,congress came1 and immediately after sailed for this place4 ,since his arrival here1 he has been chiefly occupied in military occupations1 and in endeavouring to make an accommodation between the ,congress and ,riva ,aguera4 ,every thing has been done by him in this matter1 and ,i am sorry to say without effect4 ,the last remedy only remains1 and it has been resorted to2 ,bolivar in person and #f1jjj men have gone against him4 ,i am told he is pretty confident of reducing him in a very short time1 and that he expects to return in three or four weeks4 ,lima is no longer that city of wealth it formerly was4 ,the number of people who have been reduced from tolerably comfortable circumstances to poverty1 is not a few4 ,the affairs of our school suffer greatly from the present state of this place4 ,the ,government is very friendly towards us1 and very desirous of giving us succour1 but they cannot do all they wish1 as this war rivets the attention of all1 and devours all the resources4 ,but the ,lord reigneth1 and all shall yet be well4 ,the ,congress has1 for some months past1 been busily occupied in framing a constitution for ,peru1 and which they have now brought to a close4 ,a few days ago it was published1 and it has since been sworn to with great formality by the members of ,congress1 the ,members of ,government1 and other public functionaries4 ,it is very probable that this constitution will be translated into ,english1 and published in ,london4 ,you will1 in that case1 have an opportunity of seeing it1 and of forming your opinion regarding its merits4 ,when you have passed your judgment upon it1 ,i shall be obliged to you to state particularly what that judgment is1 in order that ,i may inform my friends here of the result4 ,in this manner you may perhaps contribute to its improvement afterwards1 as the opinions of foreigners upon the subject will1 ,i am persuaded1 have some weight4 ,to find a perfect constitution would be as difficult1 perhaps1 as to find a perfect man4 ,the political constitutions of most countries might be altered for the better1 ,i believe1 especially on your side of the world4 ,there is certainly a striking difference between the old world and the new in reference to these matters4 ,you ,europeans1 generally speaking1 may be compared to an old man1 whose evil habits have grown up with him from the days of his ignorance and foolishness1 but which he either cannot see1 or seeing1 is unwilling to correct4 ,if you point out these to him1 he gets impatient and angry1 and then draws his sword1 by dint of which he convinces you that he is in the right4 ,we1 on the other hand1 who live in a new world1 have new ideas1 and1 ,i may add1 true ideas1 upon these subjects4 ,america may be compared to a young man just come of age1 and inexperienced1 but who is endeavouring to learn wisdom from seeing the stubbornness of old age on the one hand1 and from the true principles of philosophy on the other4 ,we are not fettered down by old habits1 and we are endeavouring therefore1 and ,i think with some success to look upon the subject of government philosophically1 and as free as may be from the influence of prejudice4 ,the single object1 ,i believe1 of the rising states of ,south ,america is the forming such laws or constitutions as may truly secure the liberty and protection of every member of the political body1 to the greatest degree possible4 ,political codes have been drawn up with this view1 and all of them1 ,i believe1 have an article of great importance1 namely1 that the constitution shall be revised and improved from time to time1 in order that it may move on towards perfection1 as science and wisdom increase in the world4 ,you will be saying to yourself1 perhaps1 that ,i am too favourable to my new friends1 and you will be ready to produce against me the article upon religion as found in most of the constitutions of this southern continent4 ,you are likely1 ,i believe1 to form an improper judgment of this country in reference to that article4 ,you may be sure ,i feel the want upon this matter more than you do1 but ,i endeavour to look upon the subject with as little prejudice as possible4 ,when toleration was obtained in ,england1 it was wrung from the government1 ,i may say1 by main force4 ,the safety of the state demanded it1 and this ,i suppose had more weight in obtaining for us this precious blessing1 than any qualms of conscience or political wisdom4 ,things are quite different here4 ,there is nobody1 ,i may say1 who needs toleration1 and of course nobody is asking it for himself4 ,i speak of the inhabitants of ,america1 exclusive of the few foreigners who reside in it4 ,one of the members of ,congress1 at the time of discussing this subject1 very pertinently said1 8,why such ado about toleration8 ,who is asking for it8 or who stands in need of it8 ,we1 ourselves1 do not need any such thing1 and foreigners1 who are here1 seem very little concerned about the subject4 ,it was not religion that brought them to this country1 but commerce4 ,give them money1 therefore1 in exchange for their goods1 and they will seek nothing else40 ,now all this was very true1 however unpalatable4 ,yet1 notwithstanding the real state of the country in regard to the need of toleration1 a very strong party exists in the ,congress in favour of it2 so strong indeed1 that it was thought at one time that it would be gained2 and when it was lost1 a considerable number entered their protest upon the subject2 the first of whom was an aged priest1 and the head of the principal college in ,lima4 ,now can you tell me when such things took place in any other country1 and originating wholly from a philosophical view of the matter8 ,having seen these things take place1 under my own eye1 and having conversed with several members of ,congress and others upon the subject1 ,i feel confident in stating1 that liberal views upon it are pretty general1 at least in this city1 and ,i believe that this evil will be removed from the ,constitution ere long1 perhaps at the first revival of it4 ,p4,s4--,riva ,aguera and his friends1 are now prisoners1 and his troops have returned to their duty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #ast ,march1 #ahbd4 ,i stated to you1 some time ago1 my expectation of being able to introduce the ,new ,testament undisguised into our school4 ,blessed be ,god1 that object is now accomplished4 ,i have sold several copies to the children publicly in the school4 ,in the usual course of our lessons1 we have occasion to speak of several incidents in the ,gospel history4 ,on these occasions1 ,i desire our pupils1 particularly on ,saturdays1 to find out in their ,new ,testaments where such a thing is spoken of1 giving them certain limits4 ,on the ,monday following1 a number are well prepared with their ,new ,testaments marked with slips of paper at the places in question1 and often through their pretty impatience to communicate their discoveries1 they tell me before we get into the school1 that they have found out the parable of the sower1 the conversion of ,paul1 c4 ,you may easily imagine that these circumstances are great sources of enjoyment to me1 and make up for many disadvantages4 ,i have said that we have got the ,new ,testament introduced into our school undisguised4 ,you probably perceive what ,i mean by using the word undisguised4 ,the truth is1 the ,new ,testament1 in one sense1 has all along been used in our schools in ,south ,america1 not however in the open manner we now use it in ,lima1 but1 as ,i may say1 disguised2 that is1 we have used for lessons extracts from it1 printed on large sheets1 and in little books1 thus introducing the ,scriptures as it were by stealth4 ,each part of these lessons ,i cause to be read repeatedly in the classes1 until the children can read them readily4 ,by the time they can do so1 the substance of what they have read1 and the instruction contained in it1 is tolerably imprinted on the memory4 ,children1 you know1 have a habit of repeating to themselves what they have been saying or reading frequently4 ,in consequence of this1 what portions of ,scripture they have read in the school1 they repeat in this way at home4 ,my excellent friend and companion1 the clergyman1 already well known to you1 informs me that several of the parents of our scholars tell him that their children are talking about the ,gospel at home all the day long4 ,from other quarters ,i have heard the same thing1 and always with satisfaction expressed on the part of the parents4 ,some of the elder boys1 at times1 have requested me to lend them the little books of ,scripture extracts1 that they might read them at home2 and sometimes the request is1 8,my mother desired me to ask you for one of the little books1 as she wishes to read it40 ,these requests have been listened to with satisfaction1 and you may be sure1 complied with4 ,seeing this good disposition in regard to this matter1 and considering the advantages which might flow from this silent unpresuming introduction of the ,holy ,scriptures1 ,i intimated to the children that the little books would be sold to them at a small expense1 and the consequence was1 that many of them were bought immediately4 ,i mentioned to my clerical friend what ,i had done1 and my motive for doing it1 namely1 that the children and the parents might be improved4 ,he replied1 the books must prove useful to both parents and children1 as what they contain is the word of ,god4 ,you will1 perhaps1 think ,i am lengthening out this subject too much1 in talking of our school affairs4 ,it is a subject1 however1 of some interest1 considering where our school is1 and ,i am persuaded you will look upon it as such4 ,i shall1 therefore1 proceed a little farther1 even at the risk of being tedious4 ,we have1 at certain times1 an exercise for the more advanced boys1 which ,i conceive to be very useful1 and in which they take a great deal of interest4 ,a ,scripture narrative1 or parable1 is proposed1 which they are required to read over1 by themselves1 with great attention1 and to note in their memory all the circumstances and instruction contained in it4 ,thus prepared1 as many as choose to exhibit1 sit down on a form by themselves1 and one after another stands forward1 without book1 and delivers the parable or narrative1 not in the very words of the text1 but giving all the circumstances of the parable in their own artless way4 ,it is pleasing1 and not uninstructive1 to hear them go over their exercise in this manner4 ,instead1 for instance1 of saying that the servant in ,matthew1 chap4 #ah1 owed his ,lord ten thousand talents1 one will say1 he owed him a thousand dollars1 another1 perhaps1 will say a hundred dollars2 whilst1 on the other hand1 they will say that the one servant owed the other 8unos pocos cuartillitos10 or1 as we would say in ,english1 a few halfpence4 ,by this way of saying it1 they get into the sense of the passage themselves1 and it is thus also brought down to the level of the understandings of their younger companions1 all of whom are listening1 whilst the attention of many is rivetted4 ,one of the boys the other day1 in noticing the concluding verse of the #ahth of ,matthew1 made a very beautiful allusion to the corresponding petition in the ,lord's ,prayer1 forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others4 ,a premium of two rials 7equal to a shilling7 was awarded to the boy who delivered his parable in the best manner4 ,several times this reward was proposed and given4 ,one day they asked me what parable we should have4 ,i told them ,i was not sure that we should have any at all that day1 because money was very scarce with us1 and ,i did not know if we could spare two rials4 ,but1 said they1 we may say the parable1 although there be no premium4 ,you take a pleasure then1 said ,i1 in this exercise1 do you1 independently of the premium8 ,yes1 said they1 with one accord4 ,well1 ,i continued1 it gives me great pleasure to see you take so much interest in this matter1 and ,i can assure you1 it is a very useful exercise1 as well as a pleasing one4 ,i now go on to notice what has occurred here since my last1 in reference to supplies of the ,holy ,scriptures1 and their distribution4 ,i stated to you formerly1 that we were entirely without a supply of the ,spanish ,bible here1 and that we had but a few ,new ,testaments4 ,in hopes of obtaining some ,bibles which were much sought after1 ,i wrote to a gentleman in ,valparaiso1 to whom some ,bibles and ,testaments had been consigned some time before by the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 with an intimation that they should be at my disposal1 if ,i wished for them4 ,on learning this1 ,i immediately wrote to ,valparaiso upon the subject1 requesting the whole to be sent me without delay4 ,after more than the time necessary for their arrival had passed by without their appearing1 ,i wrote a second time1 making the same request4 ,i received an answer to my second letter1 as it seems the first had miscarried1 but ,i was sorry to learn that the ,bibles were all gone4 ,when ,i say ,i am sorry for this1 ,i speak rather in reference to the supplying of this place1 than in reference to the grand object of distributing the ,scriptures in ,south ,america4 ,these ,bibles1 to the amount of #bjj1 were all distributed1 and mostly by sale1 in ,valparaiso1 so that1 if ,i am sorry in not being able to supply those who want here1 ,i am1 on the other hand1 glad that my friends in ,chile have obtained so many copies of the sacred word in their own tongue4 ,after the accounts which ,i have now given you1 which are of an encouraging nature1 ,i am sorry in being under the necessity of giving a gloomy close to my letter4 ,the ,spanish army entered this city yesterday4 ,i feel as if ,i were no longer in ,south ,america1 but as transported to ,spain2 and as one in the visions of the night1 finds himself in foreign climes1 he knows not how1 and sighs to return home1 so do ,i sigh to return to ,south ,america4 ,my next letter may1 perhaps1 inform you1 that our school has been shut up1 and that ,i have taken my departure for--heaven knows where4 ,there1 however1 ,i shall be1 as now1 affectionately yours4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #c;d ,march1 #ahbd4 ,soon after the arrival of the ,bibles here1 there were many observations made regarding the faithfulness of this reprint from the ,madrid edition2 and many observations were made also as to the reading the ,scriptures without notes1 for the ,spanish ,bible had never been seen before without these in this country4 ,on one of these occasions1 in the street one day1 when a priest was speaking freely to some people about him against reading the ,scriptures without the notes1 a friar came up and joined them2 and1 hearing the observations of the other against reading1 the ,bible without notes1 he took up the other side of the question1 and by strong arguments and some wit1 he put his adversary to shame1 and convinced those who were present that it was the best and most natural way to read the divine instructions just as they proceeded out of the mouth of him who spoke as never man spoke1 and just as they flowed from the pens of the inspired messengers4 ,i have very great satisfaction in stating1 that many of the clergy in this place encourage the reading of the word of ,god4 ,this is a cheering circumstance1 and affords good grounds to expect a large diffusion of divine knowledge2 for the word of ,god cannot return unto him void1 but will accomplish his gracious will in the instruction and salvation of mankind wherever it is read4 ,i have leaned this friendly disposition of the clergy upon this subject more particularly1 since ,i set agoing the translation of the ,new ,testament into the ,quichua language1 as mentioned in my last4 ,all with whom ,i have talked upon this subject1 both clergy and laity1 are pleased with the object1 and ,i have not yet heard of any one condemning the doing of it4 ,i spoke to a canon1 in this place1 some time ago upon the subject1 and he voluntarily offered to correct the proof-sheets in passing through the press1 if ,i should be at any loss for one to do it4 ,blessed be ,god for this encouragement4 ,may he carry on and prosper this work1 and make it a blessing unto thousands4 ,in about three months1 or less1 ,i expect the whole of the ,new ,testament will be translated into the ,peruvian tongue4 ,the revision also is going forward1 and from the character and qualifications of those who are revising it1 ,i trust the translation will be very faithful1 and at the same time adapted to the capacities of the poor1 to whom1 in an especial manner1 the gospel is preached4 ,you will observe by my former letter1 that besides the ,quichua1 there are two other languages spoken in ,peru1 into which it would be desirable to get a part or the whole of the ,new ,testament translated4 ,i mentioned to you my application to the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society for means to carry forward these translations4 ,i also hinted that this is properly an ,american work1 and that it would not be unnatural to look for some assistance in it to the ,american ,bible ,society4 ,will you therefore have the goodness to lay this matter before the board of managers1 and request them to favour me with a communication upon the subject1 as early as convenience will permit4 ,the object is1 to translate the whole ,scriptures into the ,quichua language1 spoken by upwards of a million1 and also into the ,aimar and ,moxa languages1 spoken each by upwards of two hundred thousand souls4 ,i add no more upon this subject for the present1 but at the same time1 think it not improper to hint1 that ,i shall probably have another claim upon your liberality1 in regard to the native languages of ,mexico4 ,this claim may come before you perhaps some twelve months hence1 should our heavenly ,father be pleased to uphold me so long4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #beth ,march1 #ahbd4 ,my last letter to ,mr4 ,s4 closed with a foreboding in regard to our concerns here1 from the circumstance of the ,spanish army having entered this city4 ,on the #bith of ,february1 the ,spanish troops1 to the amount of about #b1ejj1 took quiet possession of this place1 there being not the smallest opposition4 ,the patriot troop had retired a few days before1 leaving us altogether unprotected1 and exposed to those depredations which never fail to take place in a large city where there is no government to restrain4 ,we were1 in fact1 in a very unpleasant state for some days1 and the first sound of martial music from the ,spanish army filled me with thanksgiving1 as a deliverance from the anarchy and confusion we had lived in for some time4 ,a few days after the arrival of the ,spanish army1 and as soon as things were a little tranquillized1 ,i wrote to the ,spanish ,general1 in reference to our school1 telling him what we had done1 and the state in which we were at the time4 ,i represented to him the nature of our schools1 and stated that establishments of a similar kind had been introduced and encouraged in various parts of the world4 ,i of course mentioned particularly what had been done in ,spain4 ,after stating these things1 ,i requested him to inform me whether we should go on1 or whether we should immediately shut up our school4 ,in answer to this1 ,i received from him a very polite letter1 saying1 that he was informed and fully persuaded that the school under my direction was a very useful establishment1 and that he wished it to go on until the ,viceroy should communicate his mind upon the subject4 ,in my letter to the ,general ,i inclosed a copy of a letter1 which ,i intended to forward to the ,viceroy1 and requested his opinion of the letter1 and whether ,i should send it on to ,cuzco4 ,he replied1 that he thought the letter was suitable1 and that if ,i wished he would himself forward it to the ,viceroy1 in order that it might go with greater security4 ,you may be sure1 ,i thankfully accepted his offer1 and sent him immediately my letter to forward4 ,next day ,i called on the ,general to thank him for his kindness in protecting our school1 and in taking the trouble of forwarding my letter to the ,viceroy4 ,i was very kindly received by him1 and encouraged to go on4 ,thus1 you see we have a new instance of the gracious goodness of our ,god in giving me favour with the ,governors of this quarter of the world1 however much opposed to each other4 ,i informed you1 ,i think1 soon after my arrival in this place1 that the government had ordered the college belonging to the ,dominican ,friars in this city to be put at my disposal1 for the use of our school establishment4 ,the removal of the ,friars1 and the giving up of the college1 was accomplished without the smallest murmur1 or at least audible murmur1 on the part of the monks4 ,this college is an extensive building1 and very well adapted to the purposes of a central school4 ,we have a large school room1 which will hold very conveniently #cjj children1 and another large room connected with it1 which would contain #bjj more4 ,we have also several other rooms1 very suitable as lodgings for the masters whilst studying the system1 and there is convenience for a printing office1 c4 c4 ,the apartments formerly occupied by the ,rector of the college1 have formed my own lodging the greater part of the time ,i have been in ,lima4 ,besides the places now mentioned1 which are all connected with each other1 we have a large hall1 finely adapted for a female school1 with rooms for the mistress and her assistants4 ,these are entirely separated from the parts mentioned before1 so that though in the same building1 they are quite distinct places1 with separate entrances a gun-shot from each other4 ,our boys' school contains1 at the present time1 #bcj children1 and we have often been talking of commencing a girls' school as a thing greatly wanted in this place4 ,but such has been the unhappy state of public affairs here for so long a time1 that nothing has yet been done in it4 ,from the description ,i have given you of the building we occupy1 and the use to which it was formerly destined1 you might naturally expect that the ,friars gave it up reluctantly1 though without complaining1 and that they would still have their eye upon it1 if a favourable opportunity should present itself for reclaiming it4 ,i am told1 that when the ,spaniards were in possession of this city in ,june last1 the ,friars had resolved on petitioning the government upon the subject1 but the short occupation of the city by the ,spanish troops did not allow them to carry their purpose into effect4 ,at the present time1 the ,spaniards seem to have taken a more permanent possession of the place1 with the intention of continuing in it for some time1 and their possessing the fortresses of ,callao will enable them to do so4 ,we were1 therefore1 in greater danger than ever of losing our college1 and indeed application1 as ,i am informed1 was actually made to that effect to ,general ,monet1 the commander of the division in this quarter4 ,but from what ,i have stated above1 you will see the happy resolution of the ,general in our favour4 ,i should have mentioned1 when describing the college1 that there is a church connected with it1 as there is with all the colleges here4 ,the church and the court connected with it1 are separated by a wall from the parts formerly mentioned4 ,they were formerly not entirely separated from each other1 as there were two openings1 like gate ways1 between the two places4 ,these1 however1 ,i caused to be built up1 as ,i did not know what kind of companions ,i might have in the two ,friars who were left to perform the service of the church2 and from the character of some of this class1 and the circumstance of the loss of their college1 and its being put into the hands of a ,protestant1 ,i did not augur much good from their neighbourhood4 ,we have1 however1 lived all along on good terms1 and our longer acquaintance with each other has grown1 ,i think1 into friendship4 ,i met with a proof of this friendship since the entrance of the ,spaniards1 which ,i did not expect4 ,the ,friar who has the principal charge called upon me one morning1 and informed me that he had heard that the ,conde de ,villar de ,fuente was to be appointed ,governor of ,lima4 ,now1 says he1 although he is a very good man1 yet being very friendly to the ,friars1 it is very likely they will press him hard to regain their college4 ,you should therefore1 continued he1 endeavour to see the ,governor as early as possible1 lest they get the start of you to your disadvantage4 ,i thanked him very kindly for his intimation and for his advice1 and told him that ,i was very happy in having this proof of our living in such friendship with each other4 ,i called upon the ,governor soon after his appointment1 agreeably to the advice of my friend1 and found him very well disposed to continue our establishment and to encourage it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #bith ,march1 #ahbd4 ,the ,grecian which brought your letter of #bdth ,april1 and the cases of ,new ,testaments therein mentioned1 arrived at the port of ,callao at a very unfavourable time4 ,the garrison in the castles of that place had mutinied some ten days previous to her arrival1 and every thing there was in confusion4 ,the fortresses and town of ,callao were in the hands of the ,spaniards1 whilst the patriots governed in ,lima4 ,under these circumstances1 ,i thought it most prudent not to land the ,new ,testaments1 but to wait some time to see what turn things would take1 and for the same reason ,i deferred writing you4 ,on the #bith ultimo1 the ,spaniards took possession of this city2 they have continued here since1 and seem likely to do so for some time4 ,from various circumstances1 we have been led to believe that the ,spanish government will not allow those freedoms which the ,patriot government allowed1 in reference to the introduction of books1 c4 ,in consequence of this1 ,i still considered it hazardous to land the ,new ,testaments1 and therefore kept them on board so long as the ,grecian continued here2 and when she sailed for ,chile1 which she did a few days ago1 ,i got them put on board his ,majesty's ship ,fly1 now lying in ,callao4 ,i shall thus keep them afloat until ,i see something like a certainty of landing them safely4 ,what ,i have just said refers only to the #b1ejj copies addressed to the care of ,mr4 ,thwaites1 as the rest which were addressed to ,mr4 ,lynch have been carried back to ,chile in the ,grecian1 and are to be delivered there according to instructions given4 ,after being landed in ,valparaiso1 they will be forwarded to ,santiago1 the capital1 and put into the hands of ,mr4 ,christopher ,collis for sale4 ,i have offered the whole to ,mr4 ,collis at #hej dollars1 to be paid in one month after receiving them2 or should he decline taking them at the rate mentioned1 ,i have desired him to sell them on my account1 charging the commission he usually takes4 ,the price ,i have put upon the ,new ,testaments1 when sold one by one1 is eight rials each1 and when sold in quantities to sell again1 at six rials each4 ,this you see will about cover the original cost and expenses if the whole are taken by ,mr4 ,collis1 and if he retails them they will bring something more4 ,i think this is a rule that should pretty generally be attended to1 and as few as possible given gratis4 ,what ,i have said1 applies to these countries of ,south ,america1 but other rules may be better elsewhere4 ,i do think it injurious to make a general distribution gratis4 ,individual copies may be given in this way by a time1 but it should be only at times1 and when a clear case presents itself4 ,the committee will correct me in this if ,i am wrong4 ,on the very day that ,i received the #faj ,new ,testaments from ,valparaiso1 ,i received a letter from ,truxillo begging most earnestly1 and 8for ,god's sake0 that ,i would send to that place without delay a supply of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,with the writer ,i am well acquainted1 and we had many pleasing interviews during the few weeks ,i remained in that place1 in ,june and ,july of last year4 ,my friend and correspondent in ,truxillo is a medical gentleman and a native of ,ireland4 ,he has been long in this quarter of the world1 and may be considered rather as a ,south ,american1 than a native of the ,british ,isles4 ,he is of the ,roman ,catholic religion1 but is free from those prejudices to be found among many of his own communion4 ,he studies the word of ,god himself1 and recommends the study of it most earnestly to all his friends around him4 ,i found him with a single ,spanish ,new ,testament of one of your earlier editions4 ,this was to him quite a family piece1 and his wife and children take great pleasure in reading it4 ,a copy of the whole ,bible in the ,spanish language he had not been able to procure at that time1 but in the letter referred to1 he tells me he had obtained one from a friend who purchased it in ,lima at the time of ,mr4 ,lynch's sale4 ,when we were together in ,truxillo1 ,i inculcated upon him strongly the importance of doing every thing in his power to make the ,word of ,god have free course and be glorified as far as in him lay4 ,to this he most cheerfully agreed1 and indeed was more ready to enter into it than ,i could be to lay it before him4 ,he told me that he was personally acquainted with most of the rectors in the various districts throughout the extensive province of ,truxillo1 which contains a population of about #cjj1jjj souls4 ,to each of these rectors he promised to write upon the subject1 and was pretty confident that they would1 in answer to his letters1 request large supplies of the ,scriptures4 ,i promised on my part to supply him amply with ,new ,testaments very soon1 and with ,bibles as soon as ,i could have a supply from ,england4 ,upon my return to ,lima1 ,i sent him #ej ,spanish ,new ,testaments1 some of the ,annual ,reports of the ,society1 some religious tracts1 c4 ,these were sent under the particular care of a mutual friend1 who sailed for ,santa1 and intended to send them overland to ,truxillo4 ,this happened to be at the time of one of our civil commotions1 and when our friend landed at ,santa all communication was interrupted between that and ,truxillo4 ,from ,santa he sailed to ,guayaquil1 and not finding a convenient opportunity for sending them back to ,truxillo1 he sold them there1 and wrote our friend to that effect1 saying he would account to me for the price of them4 ,this was a great disappointment to ,mr4 ,o',donovan1 for that is the name of our fellow-labourer2 and to remedy it1 he wrote me the letter above mentioned4 ,he urges his claim from the circumstance of the great need there is of the ,word of ,god in that quarter1 from his having promised to send copies to his friends1 the rectors1 agreeably to what was before stated1 and from the circumstance of a number of copies of two infidel books which had been just landed from a ,french ship in that place1 and which have done much evil in these countries4 ,often do ,i think1 my dear ,sir1 and often do ,i say1 that this is a most critical time for ,south ,america1 in a religious point of view4 ,two days after having received his letter1 ,i sent him off #bej copies1 in common binding1 and ten in calf extra4 ,the patience1 however1 of our friend has again been put to the trial1 for notwithstanding that the box containing this supply was sent down to ,callao immediately1 yet on account of the confusion in that place1 as above mentioned1 it only went off a few days ago4 ,i imagine him just now opening it1 and satiating his eyes with its sacred contents4 ,in the conclusion of his letter1 he says he intends to go from house to house to urge these 8ignorant but docile ,christians0 to receive the treasure offered them4 ,let us pray that his benevolent and zealous efforts may be crowned with happy success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #cjth ,march1 #ahbd4 ,we have at present three masters learning our system1 and whom we expected to place in other schools before now2 but this war literally devours up every thing1 and ties us down to a spot4 ,when we shall clap our wings and fly over the ,andes1 to teach the poor ,peruvian in his native tongue1 ,i cannot tell3 ,god may1 perhaps1 bring this about sooner than we expect4 ,in the course of a week1 the whole of the ,new ,testament will be translated into the vernacular language of ,manco ,capac1 and by a descendant of that ancient race of kings4 ,i have written to the ,viceroy ,la ,serna1 who resides at present in ,cuzco1 requesting to know his determination regarding the continuing of our system1 under his government1 in this city1 and whether he is desirous of extending it throughout the country4 ,in something less than two months ,i shall probably hear from him1 and shall communicate to you the result4 ,if the answer be favourable1 ,i shall most likely repair immediately to ,cuzco1 leaving one of the masters before mentioned in charge of this school2 and should his answer be unfavourable1 ,i shall leave this place and go northwards4 ,we have often been very desirous of commencing a girls' school in this city1 and we have very good accommodations in our college for this purpose2 but we have never been able to effect it1 in consequence of the extreme scarcity of money at present in this city4 ,if ,lima had been in its former state of abundance1 we could have effected it with great ease2 and it would have been a very great blessing to this place4 ,we would1 in that case1 have been very desirous of receiving a well-qualified teacher from your ,committee1 to direct our female department4 ,it would still be preferable to send two1 as one of them could attend to the public school1 and the other might keep a respectable boarding-school for the higher classes4 ,regarding this last-mentioned part1 several parents have spoken to me2 and on the whole1 ,i think it would turn out well for those who might come out for that purpose4 ,such an establishment ,i am sure would be the means of doing a great deal of good in this country4 ,female education1 in my opinion1 is the thing most wanted in every country2 and when it shall be properly attended to1 the renovation of the world will go on rapidly4 ,let us know if you could aid us in these matters1 if we were directly to apply to you4 ,i notice these things that you may write me upon the subject1 and knowing1 from experience1 how ready you are1 at all times1 to listen to every proposition which bears on knowledge and benevolence4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #abth ,april1 #ahbd4 ,you have1 more than once1 requested me to state to you any interesting conversations ,i might have at times with individuals of this country1 upon the subject of religion4 ,i have not1 ,i believe1 been very communicative in my letters to you on this subject4 ,i believe such details might1 in many cases1 be interesting1 but generally speaking1 the questions and answers upon these matters are so nearly what we might expect them to be before hand1 under the given circumstances1 that little of what can be called solid information is derived therefrom2 besides1 ,i understand you print some of my letters1 and there is some delicacy and caution to be used under such a consideration1 more especially as ,i have never seen any of your printed accounts1 and am thus unable to judge of the freedom you use in such matters4 ,i hope in your selections for the press1 you will be wise as serpents1 and harmless as doves4 ,i shall now detail to you a conversation which ,i had a few days ago1 with a particular friend1 upon the subject of religion1 and more particularly upon the ,catholic and ,protestant controversy4 ,the gentleman1 with whom ,i had the conversation1 is a man of superior education and abilities1 and holds an important situation in one of our colleges4 ,we have been acquainted with each other ever since ,i arrived in this city4 ,we have visited each other occasionally during that time1 and have talked upon religious subjects1 but almost always upon those things in which we were agreed4 ,a few days ago ,i had a visit from him1 and we entered almost immediately into a close conversation or controversy upon some of the points of the ,catholic religion4 ,i had lying on the table one of the ,pope's bulls1 which a young man had brought me a day or two before1 as ,i had expressed to him a desire to see it4 ,i enquired of my friend1 where ,i could obtain a set of these bulls1 as ,i wished to see each of them1 in order to ascertain their nature1 and what it was they promised to those who should purchase them4 ,after he had informed me where this article was to be found1 ,i told him that ,i understood that those who purchased one of these bulls at a certain price1 namely1 eight dollars and a half1 were assured that they would get out of purgatory in two or three days after death4 ,he said it was so as ,i had stated4 ,do you then really believe1 said ,i1 that the ,pope can thus pardon the sins of men1 and that men can obtain the pardon of their sins by means of expending such a sum of money in the purchase of this bull4--,he said he believed the forgiveness of sins could be obtained in the way mentioned1 and that the ,pope had such authority in virtue of being the successor of the prince of the apostles1 to whom ,jesus ,christ had granted the keys of the kingdom of heaven1 and power to remit or to retain the sins of men4 ,it is to be supposed1 however1 continued he1 that confession of sins is to be made in order to this forgiveness4 ,and in confession to whom can the penitent go but to the minister of ,christ1 in order that they may instruct him in the nature of repentance8 ,to prevent him from deceiving himself1 and believing he has repented when he has not1 it is necessary to show him what are the signs of a sincere repentance2 and when the priest finds the penitent as he ought to be1 then in virtue of the power given by ,christ to his ministers1 they absolve him from his sins4--,in answer to what he said1 ,i told him that ,i considered it to be the duty of man to confess his sins unto ,god1 as it is with him alone we have to do1 and not with one another2 and that the ,scripture assures us1 that if we humbly and sincerely confess our sins unto him1 and beg forgiveness through the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 we shall obtain the mercy we ask for4 ,i then said1 that ,i believed none could forgive sins but ,god only2 and that as to the power given to the apostle ,peter1 and also to the other apostles to forgive the sins of men or to retain them1 ,i conceived it to be a power of doing this only in a certain way1 namely1 in the way corresponding to the instructions which they had received from their divine ,master4 ,i illustrated this by the case of an ambassador sent by his sovereign with terms of peace to a neighbouring prince4 ,the ,ambassador1 ,i said1 is authorized to make peace between the two nations1 that is1 to put an end to the war or to continue it4 ,he is not1 however1 at liberty to do this in any way he chooses1 but only in that way which the instructions of his sovereign authorize4 ,so was it1 ,i continued1 with the ambassadors whom the ,lord ,jesus sent into the world2 they were sent to proclaim and to celebrate a peace between ,god and man1 but they were to do so only in one way1 that is1 in the way prescribed to them1 and of which1 ,i observed1 we shall presently speak4 ,as to the superiority of the ,apostle ,peter1 said ,i1 to which you refer1 or to speak more properly1 the superior honour conferred upon him1 it is easy to see in what it consisted1 and how far it extended4 ,to him were promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven1 and also the power of remitting and retaining sins2 this latter power was also conferred upon the other ,apostles1 so that the difference1 or the superior honour conferred upon ,peter1 consisted in having the keys put into his hands4 ,keys are for the unlocking of doors1 that a free entrance may be had to a place inaccessible before the gates were opened4 ,now1 said ,i1 the ,apostle ,peter was honoured by his ,lord1 to open the gates of the kingdom of heaven1 in the first place unto the ,jews1 and which he accordingly did in his sermon on the day of ,pentecost1 and by which means three thousand entered the church of ,god at one rush4 ,the same individual was afterwards honoured to open the door of faith unto the ,gentiles1 by a special commission from heaven to that effect4 ,having thus opened the gates of the kingdom of heaven unto the ,jews1 and also unto the ,gentiles1 there was no farther use for these keys4 ,the ,apostles of our ,lord1 in regard to authority in the church1 were exactly upon a level1 none was superior and none was inferior4 ,and now1 ,i continued1 with regard to what we were speaking of before1 namely1 the forgiveness of sins1 ,i conceive the ,apostles could do it only by making known the message of peace and reconciliation to their fellow sinners1 and by declaring1 in the name of their ,master1 to those who believed their testimony1 the remission of sins consequent upon their belief2 and on the other hand1 they retained the sins of men1 by declaring unto those who disbelieved their testimony1 that the wrath of ,god remained upon them4 ,further1 ,i said1 regarding the successors of the ,apostles1 ,i conceived that strictly speaking they had none1 nor were there any required4 ,in their life time they exercised their authority1 and fulfilled their commission in the way ,i have stated4 ,and knowing that they were not to continue long upon the earth1 and being desirous that these sacred truths which they preached into men should always be held in remembrance1 they committed them to writing1 and these writings1 through the blessing of ,god1 remain unto this day4 ,the ,apostles1 therefore1 have made their own writings their successors1 and thus1 through them1 they continue still to speak to mankind2 they still publish the message of reconciliation1 and whose sins soever they remit1 they are remitted1 and whose soever sins they retain1 they are retained4 ,i remarked a little before1 ,i continued1 that it was at their peril that the ,apostles acted in any other way in the forgiving and retaining of sins1 and ,i now add1 that it is at the peril of men to receive the remission of sins in any other way than in that which the ,apostles taught4 ,the great and eventful day that awaits us all1 will declare on what authority and foundation we have enjoyed peace in this weighty affair4 ,the precious stones1 the gold and the silver will stand the fire which is to try them1 but the wood1 the hay1 and the stubble shall be burned up4 ,when ,i had finished the observations which ,i have now mentioned1 my friend took his turn to speak1 and stated his mind upon these topics with great clearness and eloquence to the following effect3--,my dear ,sir1 in regard to the explanation of the passage on which you have now given your opinion1 and also with regard to the explanation of the ,scriptures in general1 ,i conceive our best and surest plan is to have recourse to the uniform explanation and judgment of the church4 ,if every one is at liberty to form his own opinion of the meaning of ,scripture1 there will be nearly as many opinions as there are individuals4 ,witness the divisions which exist among the ,protestants1 in consequence of this liberty which they take of explaining the ,scripture1 every one as appears best to him4 ,one believes a certain thing1 another denies it1 and a third believes something different from both4 ,every truth in the ,scripture has thus been defended and opposed1 and torn in pieces by this principle1 of every one explaining according to his own judgment and fancy4 ,under these circumstances1 what a consolation it is to have an authority to which we can in all cases recur1 and in whose decision we can rest fully satisfied4 ,this authority is the church1--which ,jesus ,christ has invested with full power on all these points4 ,in consequence of this1 the noble truths of our religion continue as they were in the beginning4 ,the judgment of the church has never varied upon them as it has done among the ,protestants1 neither can it vary4 ,we have the promise of ,jesus ,christ that he will be with his church to the end of the world1 and that whatsoever shall be bound by its judgment upon earth1 shall be bound also in heaven1 and that whatsoever shall be loosed by it on earth1 shall be loosed in heaven4 ,my dear friend1 here is our foundation1 here is our authority and consolation4 ,the ,catholic church has continued since the days of the ,apostles and has had an uninterrupted succession of ,bishops1 from ,st4 ,peter until the present day4 ,the ,protestants cannot plead such a succession4 ,they are but a sect which left the church a century or two ago1 and still occupy a small portion of the world2 whereas the ,catholic church1 descending from the ,apostles1 has spread on every side1 and its doctrines have continued pure and uncorrupted from the beginning until now1 yea1 and they will continue so until the end of the world1 for ,jesus ,christ has promised it4 ,here1 my friend1 is firm footing1 and all else1 be assured1 is quicksand and uncertainty4 ,i was born a ,catholic1 and ,i adhere to the religion of my country1 and in which ,i was educated4 ,it is not1 however1 from the circumstance of being brought up in this religion that ,i now adhere to it4 ,no1 ,sir1 on the contrary1 when ,i came of age ,i began to entertain doubts about our religion4 ,upon this1 ,i set myself to examine the subject with diligence and attention1 and the result was a thorough persuasion of its firm and unalterable foundation1 and of the beauty and grandeur of the structure4 ,i look upon the ,catholic religion1 therefore1 with great delight and confidence4 ,it appears to me like a great and majestic river running through an extensive continent4 ,on one hand it makes its way1 tumbling over rocks1 yet uninterrupted in its course by such impediments2 again1 it meets in its course with shelves and dykes1 and after being retarded a little by these hindrances it breaks its way over1 and then holds its noble and majestic course until it reaches the ocean1 enriching and beautifying every place through which it flows4 ,such is our religion1 and ,i clasp it to my bosom and esteem it my best and only treasure4 ,when he had finished1 ,i observed to him1 that the plan of the ,church explaining all doubts and difficulties regarding the meaning of every part of ,scripture1 and of our resting in that decision1 had the appearance of possessing many advantages4 ,how desirable is it that we should be able to set our minds at rest on subjects of such importance1 and wherein a mistake or an error might be attended with very serious consequences4 ,but there appears to me1 ,i said1 a great difficulty to be got over1 before we can allow our minds to enjoy the ease and confidence referred to1 by resting in an infallible interpreter4 ,the difficulty ,i speak of is this3 ,how shall ,i know that the church has indeed the authority you speak of8 ,if ,i were fully satisfied that the church possesses this authority1 ,i would1 ,i assure you1 fully confide in it4 ,you remember that1 in a former conversation1 you promised to prove your positions regarding the ,catholic ,church with evidence as satisfactory as the proof1 that the three interior angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles4 ,now1 ,i continued to observe1 ,i cannot see evidence for believing that the church has the power in question1 and ,i cannot receive it as a doctrine until ,i be convinced4 ,on what then do you build this doctrine8 ,i build this doctrine1 said he1 in the first place1 on the promises of ,jesus ,christ to his church1 which are these3 8whose sins soever ye remit1 they are remitted1 and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained2 whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven2 and again1 ,i will be with you always even unto the end of the world40 ,in the second place1 said he1 from the consideration that the promises of ,jesus to his church1 must necessarily have been fulfilled1 ,i maintain that the church has been guided by the ,spirit in the manner ,i have stated1 and in consequence thereof1 she has held the same doctrine from the days of the ,apostles until the present time4 ,i differ from you1 ,i replied1 regarding the meaning and application of the passages you have quoted from the ,scriptures4 ,but as you will have the church to explain them1 and as the church does actually explain them as you have stated1 we cannot therefore meet each other here1 on open ground4 ,let us then pass on to the other fundamental principle which you hold1 namely1 the fulfilling of this promise in the way you have explained it4 ,how then do you prove to me1 that the church has never varied in her doctrines8--,i prove1 said he1 the constancy and stability of the church by the uniform voice of ecclesiastical writers1 from the days of the ,apostles until now4 ,no sooner did any pastor or bishop broach any new doctrine1 than his own flock1 and the whole body of ,christians1 every where raised the cry against him4 ,errors now and then arose1 continued he1 and errors too of great consequence1 but in this manner they were publicly reprobated1 and the individuals who had erred were thereby brought to repentance1 or else expelled the church4--,as ,i wished to drive this subject to its proper issue1 and to fix upon the very point upon which we differed1 and which point it was necessary to settle before we could proceed farther with any advantage1 ,i put this question to him3 ,do you maintain that the writers upon ecclesiastical affairs1 from the days of the ,apostles downward1 have all held the same opinions regarding the interpretation of ,scripture8 ,not exactly so1 said he1 for there have been differences among them regarding the interpretation of several passages of ,scripture2 and he here instanced several opinions of ,st4 ,augustine1 ,st4 ,cyprian1 c4 ,but so far1 continued he1 as respects what are strictly and properly called the doctrines of the church1 ,i maintain that there is no difference among them1 although in points of discipline they are not all agreed4 ,you hold then1 said ,i1 do you1 that so far as the doctrines of the ,roman ,catholic church are concerned1 the writers we speak of do not vary8 ,i expected he would here give an answer at once in the affirmative1 but he withdrew a little farther1 and said that he would not affirm to the question ,i had put1 as to all that these writers had said2 but so far only1 as they had given their testimony to the doctrines in question as existing among them1 he wished to speak1 and not as to their own opinions of these doctrines4 ,he here stated some opinions of the fathers1 and said1 that so far as they acted as witnesses to what existed among them1 and in the ages previous to their time1 thus far and no further were their writings to be considered respecting the argument in hand4 ,i here reminded him by the way1 of what ,i had before urged1 but which he did not concede1 namely1 that there were a great variety of opinions among the ,catholics as well as among the ,protestants4 ,i stated1 at the same time1 that ,i did not urge this particularly as an objection to their system1 but merely as a counterpart to his objection to the ,protestants1 arising from their differences4 ,i then put the question3 ,do you maintain then1 that so far as ecclesiastical writers have given testimony to the doctrines of the church1 they do not vary1 nor can vary8--,yes1 said he1 ,i do maintain that position4--,i then replied1 ,i am glad we have come at length to this one definite point1 and ,i am glad1 also1 that you have excluded the opinions of the writers on these subjects1 and that you rest solely on them as witnesses4 ,i now see the point you maintain1 and here we will come to issue4 ,my answer1 for the present1 shall be short4 ,this position which you maintain1 is a position which ,i believe to be insupportable1 and which1 in consequence1 ,i deny4 ,here1 then1 let the subject for the present rest2 we have got a great length in seeing the very line which divides us1 and we have now the matter free of mystery4 ,it is reduced to a mere historical question4 ,we shall1 therefore1 decide it as such on some future occasion1 when ,i shall take in hand to prove that the church has varied4 ,we have now seen1 said ,i1 the very point in which we differ1 let us also see where we agree4 ,i believe1 said ,i1 that all mankind are sinners1 and stand in need of a ,saviour4 ,i believe that ,god pitied our race1 and sent his only begotten ,son to seek and to save the lost4 ,i believe that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is the true ,mediator and ,saviour of mankind1 and that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved4 ,i do sincerely believe1 ,i continued1 in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as my ,lord and my ,redeemer2 and1 ,i trust1 also that ,i desire to know all his precepts and instructions1 and to conform my thoughts1 and words1 and actions thereunto4--,i then said to him1 is not this exactly what you believe8--,he said it was so4 ,well then1 ,i replied1 may not we look upon each other as fellow disciples1 and may not we each expect1 if we hold on1 that the ,lord will give unto us both that crown of righteousness which he hath promised to them that love him8 ,he here seemed to hesitate1 and did not give a direct reply4 ,you see that ,i was here touching upon the point of there being no salvation out of their church4--,he said that what ,i had stated regarding my faith was well1 but that there was something farther necessary1 and upon saying so1 he seemed to digress a little1 or1 at least1 not to speak directly to the point in hand4 ,my dear ,sir1 said ,i1 pray let us settle this point4 ,have the goodness to speak your mind freely2 speak out1 what do ,i still want1 what more must ,i believe1 than what ,i have stated1 in order to obtain eternal life4 ,did not the ,lord ,jesus himself concede eternal life to those who believed what ,i have told you in my belief8 ,and did not the ,apostles1 according to the power invested in them1 remit the sins of those who believed and acted in the manner ,i have stated8 ,he then said something about the necessity of believing the church1 in order to salvation4--,can ,i not look for salvation without this8 said ,i4--,take care that you do not put obstacles in the way to heaven1 which the ,god of our salvation has not put4 ,strait is the gate1 and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life1 pray then1 do not with stumbling blocks fill up this narrow way4 ,let the ,lord ,jesus and his ,apostles guide us in this1 and in all matters that concern the kingdom of ,god4 ,upon arriving here we found our time was gone1 and that we had been upwards of two hours in a very close conversation4 ,as my friend could stop no longer1 we broke up our conversation at this point1 he still stating it as necessary to salvation1 that ,i should believe the church4 ,when we thus dropped our disputation1 he arose1 and as ,i accompanied him out1 he threw his arms around me1 and said1 8,we shall yet1 ,i trust1 be united together1 and companions in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,i have lengthened my account of this interview1 perhaps unnecessarily1 and it may be till ,i have tired you4 ,by way of excuse1 ,i would say that ,i felt real interest in the conversation1 and my endeavour has been to make you participate with me1 as ,i believe what interests and pleases one of us is not unpleasing1 nor without interest1 to the other4 ,it often happens1 however1 that what interests us in a conversation or narrative loses its effect upon others by the imperfect way in which we repeat it4 ,in the present instance1 this is very likely the case1 but ,i leave you to judge4 ,i have only to remark1 before ,i conclude1 that the point in dispute between us is now reduced to narrow limits2 and it was my main endeavour to bring it to this bearing1 nor was he averse to it4 ,he is1 as ,i said at the outset1 a man of good talents1 and reasons clearly4 ,i do not promise to you that we shall be able to set the subject at rest in our next conference1 notwithstanding all the accuracy and honesty of my good friend4 ,you know there are many things which prevent such an anticipation4 ,i shall1 however1 endeavour to prove to him1 in the first place1 that the church at ,rome1 and other churches in the days of the ,apostles1 held the doctrines and followed the practices which are contained in the ,new ,testament4 ,with these doctrines ,i shall then compare the doctrines of the church of ,rome in the present day2 and if ,i can show a disparity between them1 ,i think impartiality should give the judgment in my favour1 even without entering upon ecclesiastical history2 as ,i shall thus have proved that the church has varied1 and hence that those passages he referred to1 must be misinterpreted by ,romish writers1 and that they do not apply to their church1 whose infallibility must1 of course1 fall to the ground1 agreeably to the principles stated in the preceding conversation4 ,should1 however1 justice not speak out in my favour1 ,i shall pass on to show1 from ecclesiastical writers1 that the doctrines of the ,church of ,rome differ in the present day from what they were in the first and second centuries1 and even later4 ,by this means ,i hope to arrive at the same conclusion1 as in the way before mentioned1 and thus to disprove my friend's position of the church never having varied1 by the very means by which he maintains it4 ,this ,i conceive1 is the only way of managing the controversy between the ,catholic and the ,protestant4 ,until you settle this point about the authority of the church1 you can do nothing effectually4 ,if you cite1 for instance1 a passage of ,scripture to disprove any one of the doctrines of the ,catholic church1 you are met immediately with the interpretation which the church puts upon that passage1 and there is an end of it4 ,if you should allege that the passage plainly and evidently means something very different from each interpretation1 then you are reminded that our judgement is weak and erring1 and that the judgment of the church is infallible4 ,so that to whatever hand you turn1 you never can get out of this circle4 ,it is therefore necessary to demolish this outwork entirely4 ,what ,i have said of course applies chiefly to the mode of reasoning with those who are thorough-paced in their theological arguments2 but with regard to others1 you can attack them in any particular part1 and carry your argument forward on the principles of common sense1 and by the doctrines of ,scripture taken in their plain and obvious meaning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #ast ,june1 #ahbd4 ,in the conclusion of my letter of the #ast of ,march1 ,i noticed that this city had been taken possession of by the ,spanish army4 ,it is still in their possession1 and there does not appear1 at present1 any immediate prospect of a change in this respect4 ,you will not expect from me political news under present circumstances1 and ,i pass on to note what little affairs have come under my observation during these two or three months past1 respecting that kingdom which cannot be moved by the strifes of men1 nor the clangour of war4 ,my letter to ,mr4 ,h4 of #beth ,march would inform you of the protection which the ,spanish ,general granted to our schools4 ,in consequence of that encouragement1 ,i resolved to remain her some time longer1 in order to put our establishment upon as sure a footing as possible4 ,nothing material occurred in our school upon the arrival of the ,spaniards1 except the losing of some of our scholars4 ,the cause of this was the dread their parents were in1 lest their children should be seized on their way to and from the school by the recruiting parties1 who not infrequently take some of the bigger boys as they find them in the street1 in order to make drummers of them4 ,our number1 in consequence of this1 is less than it was about three months ago4 ,in these times1 when party spirit runs high1 we endeavour in our school to maintain a strict neutrality in words and actions4 ,we found some difficulty during the first days1 after our change of rulers1 to establish this neutrality among the children themselves4 ,they would1 from time to time1 be forming themselves into sides1 and calling each other respectively ,patriots and ,goths4 ,we have in the school1 children whose parents have taken opposite sides in this contest1 and as might naturally be expected1 the children on the one hand and on the other have imbibed the sentiments of their parents4 ,we succeeded at length in putting an end to these strifes among the children1 and we now all live in peace and unity4 ,the government holds out to us no immediate encouragement1 and on the other hand1 it never in any shape interferes with our operations4 ,on the whole1 this school is going on very well4 ,the children are making progress in their learning1 and advancing in moral dignity2 and some are lisping out1 and some are reading with readiness1 the gracious words which proceeded out of the mouth of our blessed ,saviour1 as they were taken down by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,i may add1 that we are not losing the estimation of our friends here1 but on the contrary1 if ,i mistake not1 we are gaining more friends in both parties1 and making advances in public confidence4 ,about three weeks ago ,i was on the eve of leaving this place1 and had1 as on a former occasion1 every thing packed up with that intention4 ,i had indeed resolved to sail for ,guayaquil with the first ship1 and was inquiring for a passage4 ,my reasons for doing so were quite solid4 ,my salary1 as ,i suppose you know1 is paid by the government4 ,under present circumstances1 the payment of the troops is the first thing attended to1 and to procure funds sufficient for this purpose1 requires great exertions in the present exhausted state of this place4 ,to obtain this supply1 all the ordinary sources of revenue are laid hold of1 and pretty heavy contributions also are laid on the inhabitants to make up deficiencies4 ,this being the case1 there was no prospect of my obtaining any supplies1 more especially as persons in the immediate employ of the government1 and who have salaries assigned them1 could obtain nothing4 ,to make certain1 however1 ,i made application1 and found it impossible to obtain any thing1 on account of the circumstances mentioned4 ,as you know ,i have no supplies but what my own hands provide me with1 it became an imperative duty to remove when my usual resources were dried up4 ,these were my reasons for going1 and ,i suppose you will consider them sufficient1 especially if you take into consideration the high price of all kinds of provisions in this city4 ,sugar for instance1 which grows and is manufactured within a few miles of the city1 is now selling at twenty-pence and two shillings the pound4 ,being ready for setting off1 as above mentioned1 and having given notice to the children to that effect1 ,i waited only till the following day to send my luggage down to ,callao1 and to follow it immediately4 ,whilst ,i was thus prepared1 my good friend the clergyman1 whom ,i have frequently mentioned in my former letters1 called upon me1 and said that he believed ,i would not go away yet1 notwithstanding all my preparations4 ,i smiled at what he said1 and replied1 that my going appeared very certain and very near too1 for ,i intended to send my luggage to ,callao next morning4--,well1 ,i do not think you will go away for all that1 said he4--,upon my asking him what reasons he had for saying so1 he stated1 that he had been speaking with some of the parents of the children1 and that they had expressed to him their concern at my going1 and said they would very willingly contribute what they could1 and would speak to some others who had children in the school1 and that they hoped by that means something might be raised1 which might1 in a great measure1 remove the reasons ,i had stated for my going4 ,whilst my friend and ,i were talking to this effect1 a person came in who had a son at school1 and repeated the same things4 ,i replied1 that ,i felt very much obliged by the confidence they reposed in me1 and for their friendly interference for my continuance in this place4 ,i noticed also that ,i had candidly stated my reasons for going away at this time1 and that though they had kindly proposed a way of removing these difficulties1 yet ,i felt a delicacy in calling on the parents of the children on my own behalf4 ,they replied to this by saying that they would speak to some of their friends upon the subject1 and that in fact they had spoken to some of those of most influence who were very cordial and anxious in the matter2 and my friend the clergyman proposed to write notes to others of the parents1 in his own name1 to remove any delicacies ,i might have as to the application4 ,upon seeing so much interest taken in this matter1 ,i recognized the hand of ,god in it1 and agreed to their proposal4 ,their plan has been carried into effect1 and this has the ,lord opened1 as it were1 a window in heaven1 and let down before me a sheet full of supplies4 ,in this same manner1 ,i may say1 has the ,lord provided for me during the years of my pilgrimage in this foreign land4 ,he has set a table before me1 he has anointed my head with oil1 he has made my cup to run over4 ,surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life1 and ,o may ,i dwell in the house of the ,lord for ever4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #aeth ,july1 #ahbd4 ,your very acceptable favour of #fth ,january last1 came safely into my hands on the #bb;d ultimo1 and ,i have now the pleasure of writing you a few lines in reply4 ,your notice of the progress of ,bible ,societies in ,france is very interesting1 and it is not less so what you mention regarding the circulation of the ,holy ,scriptures in ,egypt1 and in ,jerusalem1 the city of the great ,king4 ,to whatever quarter we turn our eyes1 we behold the word of ,god silently making its way into the hands of men of every nation and of every language1 saying unto all1 ,fear ,god1 and give glory to his name1 for the day of his merciful visitation is come4 ,the strains of the ,bible ,society remind us of the song of the heavenly messengers upon their announcing the ,advent of our great ,deliverer4 ,the language of both is1 8,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on earth1 peace1 good will towards men40 ,it affords me much satisfaction to observe the interest which the ,society takes on behalf of ,south ,america1 and ,i hope the day is coming when we shall be more sensible of your favours to us1 and when we shall join together in grateful acknowledgment of your godly benevolence4 ,have the goodness to convey my sincere thanks to the ,committee1 for the readiness with which they have acceded to my request respecting the translating and printing of a part of the ,holy ,scriptures into the ancient ,peruvian tongue4 ,i thought ,i should1 by this time1 have been able to give you a very favourable account of the progress of this work1 but we are subject here to sad vicissitudes1 for war rages in the land1 and of late the sword has reached unto our very soul4 ,how long we shall be visited with this scourge ,i cannot tell4 ,the ,judge of all the earth will do right1 and it is our duty to submit to his holy will4 ,the translation of the whole of the ,new ,testament into the ,peruvian language was finished about two months ago4 ,the ,gospel by ,luke has been very carefully revised and corrected by four individuals1 one of whom is a ,clergyman1 another is a ,theological ,tutor in one of the colleges of this city1 and the other two are of the medical profession4 ,these four1 along with the gentleman who made the translation1 went over this gospel verse by verse1 with great care4 ,the present corrected version1 therefore1 is the joint work of five persons1 and ,i trust it may be relied on with some confidence4 ,it has not yet been put to the press1 for we have not had a printing press in ,lima during these four months past4 ,there are two indifferent ones in ,callao1 one of them in the castle and the other under its guns1 but ,i have not yet been able to ascertain1 since ,i received your letter1 whether any thing can be done at these or not4 ,in my next ,i shall inform you more particularly upon this subject1 and if the printing shall be then begun1 ,i shall forward you a copy of the first sheet4 ,in my letter to ,mr4 ,ronneberg of #bith ,march last1 ,i noticed the safe arrival of the ,grecian in ,callao1 bringing the #b1ejj ,spanish ,new ,testaments addressed to me1 and the #a1eib addressed to ,mr4 ,lynch4 ,of the six boxes which came to me1 ,i have sent two to ,guatemala by a favourable opportunity which offered4 ,i have also sent one to ,arequipa1 and one to ,truxillo1 and two yet remain on hand4 ,a few weeks ago ,i received from ,captain ,robson1 of the ,sesostris1 two boxes of ,new ,testaments1 7,paris edition17 containing about #ejj each4 ,these he received1 ,i believe1 from the ,merchants' ,bible ,society1 or from some other of the ,societies in ,london4 ,in the letter already referred to1 ,i noticed what had taken place with regard to #ej ,new ,testaments1 which ,i sent to ,truxillo some time ago4 ,i mentioned the impossibility of getting them conveyed to ,truxillo under the circumstances then existing in that place1 and that in consequence they were carried to ,guayaquil4 ,i have since received a very pleasing letter regarding their reception in that place1 of which the following is an extract4 8,it is with the utmost pleasure ,i sit down to write these few lines to you1 to inform you of the hunger and thirst after the word of ,god in this part of the world4 ,you may remember1 that when ,i last left ,lima you gave me a box containing ,tracts and ,testaments1 for ,dr4 ,o',donovan in ,truxillo1 but from the then existing state of the country it was out of my power to forward the above mentioned box to ,truxillo1 and as we were not allowed to enter that port1 we were consequently obliged to proceed to ,guayaquil4 ,i wrote you from that place1 saying1 that ,i was bound for the coast of ,mexico1 but as affairs would not permit it1 ,i made a trading voyage to ,jipijapi1 ,monte ,cristi1 and the ,bay of ,caracas4 ,but before leaving ,guayaquil some one got knowledge of my having these ,testaments1 and the demand was so great1 that it was almost out of my power to save any of them1 although it was my intention to do so1 for the other above mentioned parts2 and as ,i had no likely opportunity of forwarding them to ,mr4 ,o',donovan1 ,i thought it best to circulate them1 and not to let such a treasure lie hid in darkness2 and ,i am convinced that it is in general considered as a treasure2 for with pleasure have ,i seen1 in passing through the streets of ,guayaquil1 not once or twice1 but mostly every day1 the shopkeepers1 and the poor people who have stalls1 read in the blessed ,gospel of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,if ,i had had ten times as many1 ,i am persuaded ,i could have sold them all4 ,on my arrival in this port1 7,monte ,cristi1 latitude #c south7 ,i had no ,testaments1 but a few tracts1 and some of the instructions of the ,lancasterian system of teaching2 ,i gave the latter to different school-masters1 and likewise a few tracts along with them4 ,a day or two after it was known that ,i had tracts on board1 it was astonishing1 but at the same time pleasing1 to see both old and young coming after me in the street1 and to where ,i lived1 requesting me either to sell or give them one of each kind4 ,there was one tract in particular1 which1 to my knowledge1 was sent twenty leagues to a curate1 an acquaintance of mine1 and on my going to some of the inland towns1 which ,i had occasion at times to do1 there was always particular inquiry for ,tracts and ,new ,testaments4 ,i had once1 about four years ago1 distributed a few ,testaments in ,monte ,cristi1 one or two of which ,i saw this time4 ,such is the thirst after the word of ,god1 that the ,governor and two or three more1 requested me as a particular favour1 that ,i would leave a ,new ,testament ,i had for my own use1 until ,i should return1 and begged and even offered money1 so that ,i would bring either the ,new ,testament or the whole ,bible on my return4 ,the ,governor1 after reading the rules of the ,lancasterian plan of teaching1 gave orders in my presence to some of the school-masters to conform to some of the rules as near as they could4 ,he seems to be a young man very much inclined to forward any thing that tends to promote the education of youth4 ,at this moment ,i am surrounded with children requesting tracts1 but as my stock is small1 ,i am very particular to whom ,i give them1 making every one read a sentence or two before they get a tract4--,it gives me infinite pleasure to be thus employed in distributing the word of ,god to those that hunger and thirst after righteousness2 and after the fatigues of the day1 ,i feel refreshed to be thus employed40 ,the information contained in the above extract is very interesting1 and ,i trust many other instances will be witnessed upon this continent1 of a sincere desire to possess1 and to read the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,i shall take care to seize the first opportunity of sending a supply of ,new ,testaments to ,guayaquil and parts adjacent4 ,it often occurs to me that it might prove very useful to make journeys through various parts of this country1 in order to dispose of the ,scriptures to the best advantage1 and to the greatest extent possible4 ,i felt much inclined to employ a person in whom ,i have confidence1 in such journies1 but did not like to do so at your expense without orders1 and my own funds at present cannot afford it4--,i have as yet received no answer to my letter to the ,viceroy1 and am quite uncertain as to the time ,i remain here4 ,i had almost forgot to mention to you the safe arrival of the parcel containing the ,brief ,view1 in ,spanish4 ,many copies of this have already been circulated1 and they have produced a good effect4 ,i conclude1 my dear ,sir1 by praying that an abundant measure of the ,holy ,spirit may be poured out upon yourself1 and upon all your associates4 99 99 99 99 99 ,lima1 #ast ,september1 #ahbd4 ,many feelings1 my dear friend1 rush upon my mind on the present occasion4 ,i shall1 at once1 give you to understand something of the number and the nature of these1 by telling you1--that ,i have just now shut up my house1 have taken leave of the children and of several warm friends1 and go down immediately to ,callao1 to embark for ,truxillo and ,guayaquil2 and from the latter place ,i intend to go to ,bogot2 and thence onward from one place to another1 until perhaps1 and if the ,lord will1 ,i shall see you face to face4 ,in consequence of these things1 as you may easily suppose1 ,i have my mind full of past1 and of present1 and of future objects4 ,i think of my parting from you more than six years ago2 ,i think of the wonderful way by which the ,lord has preserved me1 and led me1 and blessed me in this foreign land2 ,i think of the goodness of ,god in having allowed me to drop a seed here and a seed there in this continent1 which appears a world of itself2 ,i think of the affectionate parting ,i have this day had with many warm friends1 and who are mostly priests1 and of their sincere and earnest entreaties for my speedy return to them2 and further1 ,i think of the prospect of sowing the word of ,god on my journey1--of the pleasure1 if such be the will of our ,saviour1 of seeing again all my dear brethren and friends in ,england1--of spending a few months with you in endeavours to forward the cause of our ,redeemer in ,south ,america2 and finally1 ,i think of parting from you once more1 and of returning again to this quarter of the world1 to spend in it the remaining days of my life in seeking its welfare4 ,it is time to tell you the immediate cause of these projected movements4 ,i say the immediate cause1 for ,i suppose you know that these are not new arrangements4 ,the reason1 then1 of my setting off at the present time is1 because ,i conceive it the most favourable time ,i am likely to have of reducing these arrangements to practice4 ,you know how the war rages here1 and how it defeats every attempt to forward the education of youth1 and the promoting of general improvement4 ,what ,i have said applies to ,peru in general1 but more particularly to this city1 where the sword has truly reached to the heart4 ,we are here1 ,i may say1 in a beseiged city1 having the enemy on all sides4 ,guerilla parties surround the city by land1 and have several times come in at night1 and carried off people and property2 and on the other hand the port of ,callao is actually blockaded by the ,peruvian squadron under ,admiral ,guise4 ,the distress which prevails in this city1 in consequence of every thing being thus at a stand1 is very great1 and it is augmented by heavy contributions4 ,this1 perhaps1 in former times1 was1 without exception1 the richest city in the world1 but now1 ,i may say with equal certainty1 that it is the poorest4 ,the luxury and dissipation which prevailed1 in consequence of this abundance of wealth1 may be easily imagined2 and ,i have often thought upon that passage in the #ahth chapter of the ,revelation1 and have seen it applied1 ,i think1 to our case1 8,how much she hath glorified herself1 and lived deliciously1 so much torment and sorrow give her40 ,until1 therefore1 some change take place here1 nothing more can be done than has already been done4 ,our school goes on1 and ,i may say1 with as much prosperity as could be expected under the circumstances above mentioned4 ,the number of scholars has decreased from #bcj to about #bjj4 ,there are two causes for this decrease2 the one is1 that the bigger boys are afraid to go out lest they should be taken up by the recruiting parties2 and the other is1 the real poverty which exists1 and which prevents many parents from sending their children1 as they are unable to procure them shoes and clothes to enable them to appear decently among others4 ,whilst these two causes exist1 the number may diminish1 perhaps1 still more1 but the school will continue to maintain itself1 and to support its character1 ,i expect1 in the progress of those who attend4 ,there are two masters in it1 who are well instructed in the plan1 and the whole is under the direction of my good friend1 the clergyman1 of whom ,i have often spoken to you4 ,what ,i have said applies to the model or central school4 ,there is also another school in the city on the same plan1 with about eighty scholars1 which1 ,i hope1 will also continue to go on well1 though subject1 of course1 to the same disadvantages4 ,i have thought1 then1 that ,i was called upon to seize this time as the most suitable for visiting other parts of this ,continent1 and for the objects ,i have in ,england4 ,my principal business upon my journey will be the circulation of the ,scriptures in the different places ,i may visit1 and ,i hope that something may be done in this way1 so as to make my journey not unprofitable4 ,of my progress on my road1 and in my objects1 ,i shall endeavour to inform you from time to time4 ,i shall only farther observe1 in regard to my intentions1 that my route1 c4 will be a good deal determined by the circumstances which may occur in the way by which the ,lord may lead me4 ,these movements have1 ,i trust1 been entered upon in the fear of ,god1 and after mature deliberation1 and fervent supplication to the ,father of lights1 who has promised to guide in judgment those who seek his face in sincerity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,guayaquil1 #eth ,october1 #ahbd4 ,i arrived in this place a few days ago1 and seize the earliest opportunity to state to you the cause of my being here4 ,you already know that the single object which ,i have in view in ,south ,america1 is the promoting of the kingdom of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,there are1 of course1 various ways of doing this1 and ,i have thought it best to allow myself to be guided in the manner of doing it1 by the various circumstances and occasions which the providence of ,god opens up to me from time to time4 ,the two things to which ,i have more particularly given my attention all along are1 the education of youth1 and the circulation of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,in regard to the latter1 with which you are more immediately connected1 ,i have stated to the ,society1 at different times1 my desire of forwarding their work in this quarter1 in every way which lies in my power4 ,i have also informed the ,society1 on various occasions1 as to the progress of their work in this continent4 ,it has afforded me much satisfaction to observe the interest taken by you all for supplying ,south ,america with the sacred volume1 and to read the repeated assurances you have communicated to me of your desire to carry forward this object in the most extensive and effectual way possible4 ,the confidence ,i reposed in the ,society in regard to this country1 induced me to commence the translation of the ,new ,testament on your account into the ,quichua1 or ancient language of ,peru1 and the answer ,i received from you some time ago1 has shown me that ,i was not mistaken in regard to your views4 ,the same confidence as to the views of the ,society1 and a hope of being able to do something in the way of circulating the word of ,god1 in places not yet visited1 or but very partially1 by this messenger of peace1 has induced me to come to this city at the present time4 ,it is my intention to set out from this place in two or three days for ,bogot1 the capital of ,colombia4 ,in my way ,i shall pass through ,riobamba1 ,ambato1 ,tacunga1 ,quito1 and ,popayan1 all of which are populous cities1 and where ,i expect to sell a considerable number of copies of the ,spanish ,new ,testaments4 ,the present state of the war in ,lima renders abortive every attempt to forward education there1 and very little can be done in the circulation of the ,scriptures by sale1 on account of the very great pressure of the war1 which has reduced the city to much distress4 ,under these circumstances1 ,i thought the best time ,i could find for visiting the quarters above mentioned1 and perhaps for visiting my native land1 was the present4 ,i set out then from ,lima with this intention1 and to perform the part of an agent of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,i am not sure1 but ,i may feel myself under the necessity of petitioning you for my travelling expenses4 ,i never intended to charge you for any services ,i might be honoured in doing for your ,society1 if possible to avoid it2 but the low state of my funds at present1 on account of the war here1 may urge me to do what otherwise ,i should not have done4 ,i mention this at present1 only in case it should be necessary4 ,the prosperous turn the war has lately taken in ,peru1 encourages me to hope that what is due to me by the government of that country will be paid in due time1 and in that case my little services shall cost you nothing4 ,i left ,lima on the #eth ultimo1 and at that time the supply of ,new ,testaments1 and of the four books of the ,old ,testament1 printed with a small type1 of which you wrote me1 had not arrived4 ,i had anxiously looked for their arrival for some weeks before my coming away1 as by the date of your letter1 ,i thought there was sufficient time for their reaching that place4 ,i was very sorry in not having been furnished with this supply before entering upon my present journey1 as ,i think the volumes printed with the small type would have been very acceptable1 and the whole ,bible also would have been equally so1 as it has been often sought for4 ,i have just one ,bible with me to show as ,i go along1 by way of specimen1 in order to incite curiosity1 and a desire to possess it1 when it may be supplied to all those places4 ,this copy ,i bought in ,lima for this express purpose1 and hope it will serve the end in view4 ,i have brought about #hjj ,new ,testaments with me1 and in this place ,i have found the supply you sent by the ,grecian to ,mr4 ,lynch1 and which ,i thought had gone to ,chile4 ,i am glad at finding these here1 as it enables me to send a quantity to ,guatemala by an opportunity which offers from this place in a day or two4 ,the rest ,i will dispose of otherwise4 ,i mentioned to you some time ago1 that ,i had sent two boxes to ,guatemala of those which came to me by the ,grecian4 ,i have however learned1 that the vessel in which they were sent had changed her destination1 and that they have not yet arrived at that place4 ,the accidental finding1 in this place1 the cases brought by the ,grecian1 enables me now to supply this deficiency1 and also to send by the same person a supply to ,california4 ,as to the boxes formerly sent1 though they did not arrive at the destination intended1 ,i entertain no doubt of their safety1 and of their being profitably disposed of somewhere1 and of which ,i expect to hear in due time4 ,i shall now state to you what has occurred in the part of my journey already performed4 ,the first object ,i had in view1 was to visit ,truxillo1 where ,i expected to find my good friends who take so much interest in the ,peruvian translation of the ,new ,testament1 and who had laboured so diligently to accomplish it4 ,i accordingly embarked on board a vessel bound for that place1 and where ,i safely arrived in due time4 ,i was sadly disappointed in not finding my friends there as ,i expected4 ,not one of them was to be found1 nor could ,i ascertain with certainty where they were1 but heard that one had been seen going to one place and another to another4 ,the suddenness of their leaving ,lima prevented us from making any arrangements about our translation1 and we had not even time to bid each other adieu4 ,the abruptness of our parting1 rendered more severe my disappointment in not finding them in ,truxillo1 where ,i intended to make arrangements with them for carrying forward thin work during my absence4 ,i had brought from ,lima the manuscript of the whole ,new ,testament in the ,quichua language1 together with the ,gospel of ,luke1 thoroughly revised and prepared for the press4 ,i mentioned to you in my last1 that ,i would endeavour to carry your resolution into effect regarding the printing of #a1jjj copies of this revised part4 ,i mentioned also that all the printing presses had been removed from ,lima1 but that two were to be found in ,callao1 and that ,i would ascertain whether the work in question could be done there4 ,upon enquiry1 ,i found it could not4 ,in consequence of this1 ,i wished to get the ,gospel of ,luke printed in ,truxillo1 and for that end carried the ,,ms4 to that place1 that it might be carried through the press there4 ,and in regard to the ,,ms4 of the other parts of the ,new ,testament1 ,i expected that our friends1 in their exile1 might go on revising and correcting it4 ,all these plans1 as you see1 have been frustrated4 ,i therefore carefully packed up the whole ,,ms4 and addressing it to one of our translators1 gave it into the hands of an ,english gentleman going to ,lima1 to be delivered according to the address1 when the expulsion of the ,spaniards from ,lima 7which is soon expected7 would enable our friends to return4 ,i also wrote a few lines explaining my wish regarding the revising of the ,,ms41 and regarding the printing of the part already revised4 ,the ,english gentleman of whom ,i have spoken1 has kindly offered to advance all the money that may be necessary for carrying this into effect4 ,from these arrangements ,i expect that the work will be set agoing again in the course of two1 or at most three months from this date2 for according to the present aspect of the war1 the ,spaniards will not be able to continue longer in possession of ,lima1 although they may1 and probably will1 retain the fortresses of ,callao till a later period4 ,having touched upon this subject of the ,spanish cause here1 ,i cannot forbear mentioning to you the singular interposition of ,providence on behalf of the cause of liberty in this quarter4 ,on the #fth of ,august last the two armies came in sight of each other at a place called ,junin1 between ,pasco and ,tarma4 ,the consequence was1 that a battle took place between the cavalry of the two parties4 ,there were #a1bjj of the ,spaniards and #hjj of the ,patriots4 ,an eye witness says1 8,the concussion was tremendous1 as they came up to each other at full gallop4 ,in a quarter of an hour1 upwards of #djj men lay dead upon the field1 more than three-fourths of whom were ,royalists4 ,all this havoc and slaughter was caused by the lance and sword1 principally by the former4 ,not a shot of any description1 was fired40 ,in a short time victory begin visibly to declare for the ,spaniards1 and the ,general at the head of the patriot cavalry was made prisoner4 ,at this critical moment1 by some scarcely explained movement1 the ,spaniards got somehow into disorder1 and began to give way4 ,this was followed up by the ,patriots1 and in a very short time they obtained a complete victory4 ,the whole of the ,spanish army was1 in consequence of this defeat1 struck with a panic1 and by forced marches endeavoured to get out of the way of the enemy as fast as possible4 ,bolivar immediately advanced1 and the ,spaniards continued to flee before him with all speed4 ,on the #bb;d ,august1 only #ae days after the battle1 the advanced guard of the patriot army entered ,guamanga4 ,five of the finest provinces of ,peru thus fell into their hands in the short period of about a fortnight4 ,the ,spanish army has been sadly reduced and dispirited by their rapid retreat1 and the army of ,bolivar has increased in numbers and in strength4 ,i consider this to be a deadly blow to the ,spanish cause in this quarter of the world1 from which ,i think and hope they will never recover4 ,with this cause will terminate1 ,i trust1 the reign of oppression and violence1 of ignorance and fanaticism in ,peru1 and by which it has been borne down for these three hundred years4 ,so perish all tyranny and ignorance from the earth6 ,i should perhaps beg your pardon for having drawn your attention so long to the concerns of war and of politics1 as you are men of peace and of no party1 and your only occupation is speaking peace to them who are far off and to them that are nigh4 ,still1 however1 you will remember that the book whose circulation we are engaged in1 detains our attention in many places with the account of wars and revolutions4 ,but you will say that all these are related there merely from their being connected with the grand moral and religious revolution of the world through that great prophet who was to come4 ,this is certainly a right view of the subject2 and motives of a similar nature1 ,i trust1 and not party nor malicious principles1 have induced me to detain you a moment upon the wars of this quarter of the world4 ,i firmly believe that the deliverance of this country from bondage and oppression1 and the mental emancipation of its inhabitants1 depend upon the success of this revolution4 ,the ,spaniards1 as is well known1 have greatly impeded1 not to say prohibited1 the progress of knowledge and of true religion in ,america4 ,it is not easy therefore1 nor is it proper1 to remain indifferent as to the issue of this struggle4 ,i now return to our work of peace1 and to ,truxillo4 ,i wrote the ,society some time ago1 of having found a useful and zealous co-labourer in that city1 and that ,i had forwarded to him from ,lima a supply of ,new ,testaments4 ,at the first he met with some difficulties1 owing to the ecclesiastical authorities of the place4 ,these were at length overcome1 and he was allowed to commence the sale of the ,scriptures publicly4 ,when he had obtained leave to do so1 he printed an advertisement1 and posted it up in the public places of the town1 intimating the sale4 ,the consequence was1 that he had sold when ,i was there about #ajj copies4 ,he had also written to his friends the ,vicars in the provincial towns1 but he had not then1 from the shortness of the time1 received the answers to his letters4 ,when these arrive1 he expects several orders for ,new ,testaments to be sent to the various towns in the department of ,truxillo1 which contains a population of upwards of #cjj1jjj4 ,in addition to this mode of circulating the ,scriptures1 my friend informed me that he was about to put in practice a method of lending the ,new ,testaments in the different houses which he is in the habit of visiting1 and in others which he intends to visit for that purpose4 ,our friend's medical duties give him a facility for carrying this into practice4 ,he intends to lend the ,new ,testament for a day1 or for two or three days1 as circumstances may direct1 and to call again for it himself at the given time4 ,upon calling for it1 he says he will ask them if they wish to purchase it1 and if so1 he will sell it at a price corresponding to the circumstances of the individual2 and if they do not wish it1 he will take it with him and lend it to some other1 to whom in turn he will put the same question1 and thus sell it or take it with him1 as circumstances require4 ,you will easily see that this way of doing will cost him a good deal of labour and care1 but he seems to count nothing of these1 if in this manner he may be the means of circulating the word of ,god1 and of drawing the attention of the people around him1 to its all-important contents4 ,as he makes all his rounds on horseback1 he will1 ,i hope1 be enabled fully to verify his benevolent purpose4 ,he showed me a pair of saddle-bags1 which he told me he had got made for the very purpose of always carrying about with him a supply of ,new ,testaments4 ,he gave me one hundred dollars to account of sales1 which was rather more than what he had received4 ,the next thing ,i have to notice in ,truxillo1 is1 ,i conceive1 of some importance1 and will prove1 ,i trust1 the means of greatly extending the operations and diffusing the blessings of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,what ,i refer to is1 the finding of an additional agent who takes a lively interest in the diffusion of the ,scriptures1 and in every other means by which his countrymen may be benefited4 ,the individual in question is a clergyman1 and a man of rank in that order4 ,he is ,vicar-general to the army1 and possesses a considerable influence4 ,his residence1 at present1 is at ,moche1 a little village about four or five miles from ,truxillo1 and of which place he is rector4 ,this1 however1 is only a temporary residence1 during the occupation of his home by the ,spaniards1 and from which1 in consequence1 he was obliged to flee4 ,the place of his nativity and of his permanent residence is in the province and near the city of ,arequipa1 towards the southern extremity of ,peru4 ,it is this circumstance in particular1 that will render his services valuable1 as we have already an active agent in ,truxillo4 ,he intends to return to his native province as soon as the course of the war will permit4 ,arequipa is in the centre of a populous country1 and he will have an extensive field of operation4 ,another circumstance renders the acquisition of this gentleman very valuable1 and that is his thorough knowledge of the ,indian or ,peruvian language1 which is very extensively spoken in that quarter4 ,to this ,i add another feature in his character of yet more importance1 which is1 his compassion for the oppressed and degraded state of the indigenous population of ,peru1 and the lively interest he takes in ameliorating their condition1 by his representations to the government upon the subject1 and by his personal labours4 ,no individual ,i have yet met with in these countries1 has offered himself so decidedly and so heartily to promote the cause of your ,society1 as this gentleman2 and from all the circumstances ,i have mentioned1 you will see that his good will and his services must be considered a great acquisition4 ,i considered the time spent in visiting ,truxillo abundantly recompensed in meeting with this fellow-labourer1 and ,i found1 in this circumstance1 some relief from the disappointment ,i had met with in not finding there the friends ,i had expected4 ,my falling in too with that individual was perfectly accidental1 for ,i had no knowledge of such a one being in that place4 ,but then again we must remember1 that 8all chance is but direction which we cannot see40 ,blessed be ,god who leadeth us by ways we know not1 but which he knows1 and which will lead us to the glorifying of his name1 when that is our object4 ,i must not omit to give you the name and address of our fellow-labourer4 ,it is 8,dr4 ,don ,manuel ,fernandez de ,crdova1 ,vicario ,general del ,ejrcito del ,peru1 y ,cura de ,salamanca del ,obispado de ,arequipa40 ,i have given you this address in ,spanish to enable you to write direct to our friend1 should you feel so inclined4 ,i shall now leave ,truxillo1 but before ,i go on board1 shall just notice a little incident4 ,truxillo is about six miles distant from ,huanchaco1 which is the sea port town of that quarter4 ,in going down to this port1 ,i happened to get a very bad horse1 which soon becoming restive1 ,i was obliged to leave it at a house upon the road1 and to walk down under a burning sun4 ,after ,i had walked more than half the way1 a person came riding up to me and offered me a horse1 which of course ,i accepted4 ,he told me he had observed me on foot from a distance1 and had pushed forward to offer me assistance4 ,upon entering into conversation ,i found my obliging friend was a peasant1 belonging to a neighbouring village1 where he had a family to which he was returning4 ,we spoke a little about education in general1 and of his family in particular4 ,i learned from him that he could read1 and was anxious that his children should be well instructed4 ,i asked him if he had ever seen the ,new ,testament1 to which he replied in the negative1 and from less to more1 he intimated to me that he would be glad to purchase one if he could find it1 for the use of himself and of his children4 ,when we arrived at ,huanchaco1 he would accept of no remuneration for his kindness1 and as ,i found my luggage there not embarked1 ,i brought him a ,new ,testament and made him a present of it1 in return for his unsolicited and friendly attentions4 ,he received it most thankfully1 and we parted4 ,on the #bdth we sailed for ,guayaquil1 but as we carried a gentleman with us at the request of the government1 we had to call at ,paita to land him there4 ,we cast anchor in that port on the #bfth1 after sun-set1 and early next morning ,i went ashore to see the place1 and took three ,new ,testaments with me4 ,i went into a store near the landing-place1 and being invited1 took a seat upon a bale of cotton4 ,after some general conversation1 ,i opened my treasure1 and offered the ,new ,testaments for sale at one dollar each1 and in a few minutes they were bought4 ,some little time after1 ,i was asked if ,i had any more4 ,i replied that ,i had1 but that they were in the ship4 ,i immediately went on board1 and just as we had got our anchor up1 a boat came along-side1 in which ,i recognized the person who had asked me for more ,new ,testaments4 ,he came on board and bought two dozen1 for which he paid me eighteen dollars4 ,as we were by this time under way1 the boat had to return ashore without loss of time1 whilst we1 with a most propitious gale1 made for this port4--,on the evening of the #bith we cast anchor off the small town of ,pun1 on the island of the same name4 ,you will remember that this island is famous in the conquest of ,peru1 by the ,spaniards4 ,according to the accounts of it that remain1 it seems to have been very populous at that time4 ,it is not so now4 ,there is1 on the whole island1 only one little village1 namely1 the one ,i have mentioned1 and which does not contain above #bjj inhabitants4 ,we landed at this little place for a pilot to conduct us up the river4 ,i took with me1 as ,i had done at ,paita1 three ,new ,testaments4 ,when we landed1 we found some people on the beach1 to whom we communicated intelligence of the rapid progress of ,bolivar4 ,we were invited into one of the houses1 and after having talked a little upon various subjects1 ,i opened my casket and presented my ,new ,testaments1 which they were all very curious to see4 ,whilst they were looking through them1 one of the neighbours came in4 8,here60 said one who was examining the ,new ,testament1 8here is a book that will tell you about the beginning of the world1 and a great many other things40 ,his friend replied1 that he cared very little about the beginning of the world1 but that he wished to know something about the end of it4 ,upon hearing this1 ,i told him that the book he had in his hands was the very book that would suit him1 as it would inform him particularly about the end of the world4 ,i sold the three ,new ,testaments in this same house1 and as our captain had by this time made arrangements with the pilot1 we got on board again1 and set sail4 ,on the following night 7the #cjth7 we arrived at this place1 at eight o'clock4 ,before we cast anchor1 an ,english gentleman came on board1 to whom ,i had a letter of introduction4 ,he kindly invited me to his house1 where ,i am comfortably lodged1 and from which ,i now write you4 ,i intend to stop in this place only a few days1 during which ,i shall endeavour to dispose of as many ,new ,testaments as ,i can1 and in the way that may be most profitable4 ,i now close this letter1 and shall inform you of the success ,i meet with here1 in my next communication4 99 99 99 99 99 ,guayaquil1 #aath ,october1 #ahbd4 ,my letter of the #eth current will inform you of the motives and objects which have brought me to this place4 ,it will also inform you of what progress ,i have made in the circulation of the ,holy ,scriptures1 and in objects connected therewith1 from my leaving ,lima till my arrival in this quarter4 ,i proceed1 therefore1 to state to you the occurrences of ,guayaquil in reference to these matters4 ,some time ago1 and of which ,i believe ,i informed you1 ,i sent from ,lima twenty ,new ,testaments to a ,gentleman here1 to be sold at one dollar each1 if opportunities should offer1 of disposing of them among his friends4 ,this gentleman holds a principal situation in the government1 and had been recommended to me by a relation of his in ,truxillo1 as a person desirous of doing good4 ,upon my arriving here1 ,i called upon him1 and found him to be a person worthy of the honourable appellation just mentioned4 ,he told me he had disposed of the ,new ,testaments1 and he gave me twenty dollars which he had received for them4 ,as soon as ,i had reached this place1 ,i mentioned to some persons that ,i had a supply of ,new ,testaments for sale1 and in consequence ,i sold one hundred and sixty-eight copies4 ,after thinking for some time upon what would be the speediest and most effectual way of disposing of the ,new ,testaments1 it occurred to me that the best thing ,i could do would be to print an advertisement1 and to give notice of the sale by posting these up in the public places of the different towns ,i pass through on my journey4 ,this1 you will see1 would at once draw the attention of the public4 ,the only objection that occurred to me was1 that it would be a kind of challenge to our opponents1 or at least an intimation of our hostile operations4 ,this obstacle ,i kept in mind1 but did not think our adversaries would be able to make any effectual resistance4 ,more powerful1 ,i believe1 are those who are for us than those who are against us4 ,the encouragement to make such an attempt as this1 arises from the great and happy changes already effected by the revolution going on in this country1 and1 ,i trust1 now concluding4 ,i could not have ventured upon such a thing under the ,spanish government4 ,what is going forward in these countries is truly a revolution in every sense of the word4 ,i accordingly wrote out an advertisement1 and got it printed in the government printing-office in this place4 ,translated into ,english it runs thus3 8,to be sold in 7a7 the ,new ,testament of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 in one volume1 well printed1 and neatly bound1 at the low price of eight rials4 ,this sale will continue for 7b7 days only1 and it is expected that those who wish to procure for themselves this sacred code of our ,holy ,religion1 will improve the occasion now offered them40 ,as this advertisement was intended not for this place alone1 but for others also1 ,i left the blank 7a7 to be filled up with the pen to suit each place1 and the blank 7b7 ,i leave for the number one1 two1 or three1 as my time will permit1 and as the importance of the town visited may require4 ,when these notices were finished1 ,i caused some to be put up in this place1 saying that the sale would be for three days only4 ,in a few minutes after putting them up1 ,i enjoyed the great satisfaction of seeing it produce much better effects than ,i had anticipated4 ,at noon the notices were put up and at one o'clock ,i had sold fifteen copies4 ,in the next hour ,i sold forty-seven4 ,in the course of an hour and a half during the time the store was open in the afternoon1 ,i sold one hundred and twelve4 ,next day ,i sold #bfb copies4 ,the day following1 which was also one of the three days of sale1 happened to be a festival day held to celebrate the declaration of independence in this town four years ago4 ,the stores in consequence were all shut1 and public business suspended4 ,nevertheless1 there were eleven copies sold during a few minutes before breakfast1 when the store was open for some particular purpose4 ,to-day ,i set out on my journey to ,quito1 bu ,i may perhaps sell some before ,i go1 as ,i cannot go off before four o'clock in the afternoon1 having to sail up the river with the flood tide4 ,the whole number disposed of in this place is #fae1 and for these ,i have received #edb dollars #b rials4--,the greater part were sold one by one at eight rials each1 but sometimes ,i sold a dozen or two together1 and in that case sold them somewhat cheaper4 ,to the number of copies already mentioned1 ,i add the #cj disposed of1 as noticed in my last1 and three copies sold in ,truxillo of those in superior binding1 making in all #fdh copies since the commencement of my tour4 ,to the amount of monies received in the same time as above1 ,i add1 what ,i received from ,dr4 ,o',donovan1 from the gentleman here as previously mentioned1 and for those sold in ,paita and ,pun1 and the three just noticed1 making #aec dollars1 amounting in all to #fie dollars #b rials4 ,of this sum1 ,i have remitted #ejj dollars to ,messrs4 ,cochran and ,robertson1 of ,lima1 with whom ,i keep my accounts4 ,this sum will be applied to carrying forward the translation and printing of the ,scriptures into the ,peruvian language1 agreeably to your resolution upon the subject1 communicated to me some time ago4 ,need ,i add anything to the above by way of comment or observation8 ,is it not most gratifying to see so many seeds sown in this town8 ,let us join together in prayer1 that ,he who causeth the rain to descend from heaven to fertilize the ground1 and to raise into fruit the puny efforts of man1 may cause his blessing to be upon the seed sown in this place4 ,as it is sown in weakness may it be raised in strength1 and produce at least a hundred fold4 ,p4,s4--#abth ,october4--,our boat did not sail yesterday1 and thus gave me the opportunity of adding #ga to the number of copies formerly mentioned1 and #ga dollars to account4 ,the preceding sentence was written in the morning1 and now1 in the afternoon1 ,i add #eb copies more1 making in all1 in ,guayaquil1 #gch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,guaranda1 #beth ,october1 #ahbd4 ,my last letter to you was written in ,guayaquil on the #abth instant4 ,on that occasion ,i noticed that ,i had taken that freedom with you in regard to writing1 which we often take with our friends without the danger or the thought of offending on the one hand or on the other4 ,the letter referred to was short and could not well be longer from the circumstances in which ,i was then placed4 ,before ,i had finished it1 the master of the canoe in which ,i was to leave ,guayaquil1 had knocked at the door according to appointment1 at four o'clock in the morning4 ,although1 however1 that letter was short1 ,i did not consider that ,i had left you uninformed as to the circumstances that had occurred during my journey from ,lima to ,guayaquil1 as well as those that had occurred in the place last mentioned4 ,i wrote upon that subject two letters of some length1 to the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 detailing these matters with some degree of minuteness4 ,of these two letters ,i requested ,mr4 ,b4 to forward you copies1 and doubt not that such will be forwarded to you immediately upon their arrival4 ,in the two letters referred to1 ,i stated the measures ,i had taken in circulating the ,scriptures in ,guayaquil1 and the unexpected and happy results which followed in the sale of #gch copies of the ,new ,testament4 ,it was gratifying1 ,i assure you1 to see in this manner almost the whole city come together to hear the word of ,god1 and it was not less so1 to pass along the streets and to count one1 two1 three1 a dozen perhaps1 diligently engaged in reading their ,new ,testaments4 ,who could pass along under such circumstances1 in any other frame than that of thanksgiving and prayer8--thanksgiving to ,god for having disposed so many to attend to the things which belong to their everlasting peace1 and which ,i may say1 have been hitherto hid from their eyes1--and prayer1 that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened1 that they might be turned from darkness to light1 and might enjoy that inheritance which the ,lord hath prepared for them that love him4 ,nor could ,i feel otherwise1 nor withhold from expressing those feelings1 as ,i walked over the spot where sin has deposited his spoils won in that place4 ,the small and the great are there4 ,my prayer to ,god was1 that through means of the word of life then circulated1 many from that spot might1 at the voice of the ,archangel1 awake to life and everlasting glory4 ,we read in the sacred page upon a certain occasion1 some thousands of years ago1 when the sons of ,god came to present themselves before him1 ,satan came also among them4 ,the same seems to have been his practice in ,jerusalem1 in ,antioch1 in ,philippi1 as well as upon other occasions of ancient and modern date4 ,that he was not absent on this occasion in ,guayaquil1 we may a priori be assured of4 ,that he was successful1 however1 ,i have not yet learned4 ,i did1 indeed1 overhear that some priest had said something against the reading of the ,new ,testament1 but ,i had some suspicion that the information was not quite correct4 ,as a counterpart to this1 several priests and friars bought of the ,new ,testaments4 ,at one time1 ,i think there were five friars in the store at one time to purchase1 and one of these took thirteen copies4 ,at another time1 a friar1 who had bought a ,new ,testament1 came afterwards inquiring very anxiously for the whole ,bible1 and was much disappointed upon learning that there was none4 ,i told him that some two months after1 some ,bibles might be expected1 and that as only #ej copies were ordered1 he had better put down his name if he wished to secure one for himself4 ,upon my telling him so1 he immediately subscribed for two copies4 ,this person told me that all the friars in his convent had bought ,new ,testaments1 and that they were all highly pleased with them4 ,it is really encouraging to see the word of ,god circulate in this quarter with little or no opposition4--,i may add further regarding this matter1 that ,i was upon very good terms with the rector of ,guayaquil during the few days ,i remained there4 ,i paid him a visit1 accompanied by a friend to introduce me1 and next day ,i received a very courteous visit from him in return1 accompanied by the ecclesiastic next in rank to himself4 ,he has1 besides1 given me two letters of introduction1 warmly recommending me to his friends in ,quito4 ,do not all these things1 my dear friend1 lay us under obligations to give thanks unto him in whose hands are the hearts of all8 ,and are not such occurrences calculated to encourage us to labour in this sacred cause and to ask of the ,lord liberal things according to his promise8 ,i am persuaded you so feel1 and so act1 but still it is not unnecessary to remind you of these matters1 to stir up your pure mind by way of remembrance1 and thus to add line upon line4 ,let us then continue instant in prayer1 that the ,lord would pour out his blessing upon this country1 already white unto harvest4 ,a little after four o'clock on the morning of the #adth1 ,i got into the canoe which was to conduct me from ,guayaquil to ,babahoyo4 ,the river ,guayaquil is navigable at all seasons as far as the latter place1 a distance of about #dj miles1 and in the rainy season1 when the river is high1 boats pass some #ae miles farther up4 ,the navigation is performed in balsas1 and in large and small canoes4 ,the small canoes are made of a single tree hollowed out1 and the large ones are built like our boats1 and capable of carrying several tons1 but made in the shape of the small canoes4 ,it was in one of the large ones ,i took my passage to ,babahoyo4 ,it is in general by no means a pleasant voyage that is made between these two places4 ,on the one hand1 the heat is very great2 and on the other1 the mosquitos are numerous and active4 ,the effects arising from the bite of this troublesome insect are still1 at the distance of more than a week1 very visible on my hands1 and also on my legs1 where they were defended by the stocking only4 ,on the first day1 owing to the excessive heat1 ,i felt very unwell1 but enjoyed good health on the following day4 ,on this occasion ,i experienced from some of my fellow-passengers those friendly and soothing attentions which adorn the female character1 and which1 on several occasions1 ,i have seen exhibited in regard to myself and to others during my residence in this country4 ,we were nearly three days in our passage4 ,the river abounds with alligators4 ,i might almost say1 it is full of them4 ,great numbers lie basking on the banks with their horrible mouths wide open1 and upon coming close up to them they plunge into the river1 and swim about like so many logs floating around you4 ,at one time ,i counted1 in a very short distance1 all at one view1 on one side of the river1 to the number of forty1 and at another time ,i saw twenty1 close together4 ,very few are found at or below ,guayaquil1 as the water is salt for some miles above the town4 ,in the rainy season1 however1 when the great quantity of fresh water keeps the salt water down below the town1 the alligator is found farther down4 ,i made several inquiries as to the feeling of this animal towards man in this quarter1 but could not get any well authenticated information of its seizing upon human kind1 and the frequency of bathing in the river speaks the same language4 ,it seems1 in this river1 still to observe that fear and regard to man which all the animal creation once possessed1 but which has now in regard to several animals been effaced1 and in most cases1 ,i believe1 through the cruelty of man towards the animal creation4 ,all accounts1 however1 agreed in affirming that the alligators here often seize upon hogs1 and other small animals1 when found close to the river4 ,whilst speaking upon this subject ,i may also notice1 that in all the low lands between the sea and the mountains in the parts subject to periodical rains1 lions1 tigers1 and serpents abound1 particularly the latter4 ,the lions ,i am told do not attack man1 nor does the serpent1 except when trode upon4 ,many topics of conversation occurred during our passage up the river4 ,the sale of our ,new ,testaments was known to every body1 and thus afforded a subject of conversation in which we could all take a part4 ,of course ,i had also something to say upon this subject1 as it was well known that ,i was the seller of them4 ,two copies were on board1 one of which had been purchased by the captain of our canoe1 and the other by one of the passengers4 ,i have already told you of the evangelical aspect of the streets of ,guayaquil1 and the same aspect at times was exhibited on board1 both of the ,new ,testaments being frequently in use at the same time4 ,during the many things that were said1 arising from what was read1 7the reading being frequently aloud17 a conversation took place1 the relation of which will probably interest you1 and more especially as it affords a specimen of the progress of thinking upon religious subjects in this country4 ,the subject was a delicate one1 but so much the better1 as a specimen4 ,the worship of saints was the matter treated of1 though ,i do not remember what gave rise to it4 ,i stated my views upon the subject1 appealing to the ,scriptures and to common sense in support of my opinion4 ,a very keen and interesting conversation immediately took place1 in which four1 besides myself1 took a part1 and you will be surprised when ,i tell you that three of the four took my side of the question4 ,the one who was opposed to us happened to be a stout disputant1 and thus gave occasion to a thorough discussion of the matter4 ,among other things brought forward to show the incongruity and sinfulness of the worshipping of saints1 ,i stated that the ,apostle ,peter himself1 7who according to them is the prince of ,apostles and saints17 refused this worship1 and in proof of this1 ,i referred him to the tenth chapter of the ,acts4 ,this passage was turned up and read by one of the company1 and it appeared to all of us1 except one1 conclusive upon the subject4 ,our opponent1 however1 defended himself1 by alleging that although ,peter1 upon that occasion1 refused worship1 he refused it because he was not glorified1 but that after death things were otherwise4--,you agree then1 ,i remarked1 that worship is not to be given to the saints when upon earth1 but it is lawful1 you say1 to give this worship to them after their death4 ,let us then go to another passage1 ,i said1 and see who of the inhabitants of heaven are to be worshipped4 ,i then referred to the last chapter of the ,revelation1 namely1 8,when ,i had heard and seen1 ,i fell down before the feet of the angel who showed me these things4 ,then saith he unto me1 ,see thou do it not1 for ,i am thy fellow servant1 and of thy brethren the prophets1 and of them who keep the sayings of this book3 ,worship ,god40 ,this passage cut off the refuge which our friend had taken in his distinction between worshipping a saint on earth1 and a saint in heaven4 ,he then took refuge in the church1 alleging that since authority had been given to it by ,jesus ,christ to order and direct the concerns of his kingdom after his ascension1 it was our duty to obey its orders1 and one of these orders was1 the praying to the saints4 ,you know1 of course1 how ,i would have got rid of this objection1 that is1 by sweeping away this authority of the church altogether1 and ,i stated this to be my opinion4 ,the captain of our canoe1 who took a large share in the conversation1 and who saw in the church an authority to which he considered himself bound to submit1 assailed our opponent by another argument1 and a very effectual one4 ,he came close up to him1 and with an air of having something in his mind worth saying1 8,is it not10 said he1 8the duty of children to reverence their parents1 and to obey them readily and constantly80--8,certainly it is10 replied his friend4 ,our ,captain continued3 8,and if a parent should tell his child to steal1 to lie1 and such like things1 should the child obey80--8,certainly not10 was the reply4 8,you are right10 says the ,captain1 8and that is just our case with the church4 ,it is our duty to obey it1 as it is our duty to obey our parents1 but if our parents or the church bid us do what is obviously wrong1 in that case it is our duty to disobey40 ,you see what an excellent argument this was1 and it completely silenced the other1 and left him without any thing to say upon the subject1 except mere general talk and repetition4 ,our ,captain having gained this triumph1 turned to one of the four1 who seemed rather to acquiesce in the strength of our arguments from the ,scripture1 than zealously to defend our side1 and put this question to him4 8,can you tell me10 said he1 8why the priest reads all the service and prays in ,latin1 a language of which ,i do not understand a word1 and thus leaving me1 when in church1 as a mere statue1 without knowing what ,i am saying or doing80 ,this was a hard question1 and it was answered significantly1 but without words4 ,our ,captain next comes up to me1 and says1 8,you see every one sets up his little machine to gain his dollar40 ,i thought ,i understood his meaning1 although couched under a figure1 but as ,i wished it to be well understood by all1 ,i asked him what he meant by it4 ,after a short delay he answered me1 by stating1 that the church and the priests had made various laws and ceremonies for their own benefit1 and that they might thus put a dollar into their pocket4--,various other things were said1 and among which the ,new ,testament was praised as a book any one might read and understand1 and not like the prayers of the priests1 which no one understood1 perhaps not themselves4 ,one of the four alluded to1 towards the end of the conversation1 said1 in a very distinct voice1 and in the hearing of all1 8,if ,i were going to die1 this is my faith2 ,i believe that there is one ,god who made all things1 and that there is one ,redeemer who died for us1 and who rose again2 and as to the worshipping of saints1 and all the rest of it1 ,i know nothing40 ,i should not omit an observation of one of our female passengers4 ,when two of us were debating about the worship of saints1 she observed to me that she did not like such conversation4 ,why so1 ,i replied4 ,because1 said she1 if saints are not to be worshipped1 then it will follow that we are not to pray to the ,virgin ,mary neither4 ,i said1 in reply1 that ,i thought her reasoning worth being heard1 as it was a fair deduction1 and requested her to put it in the form of a question1 to the one of the four who appeared the coolest1 and who1 as ,i said before1 rather acquiesced in the strength of our arguments than defended our side4 ,as soon as silence was obtained1 the question was put1 and the answer returned was just what ,i would have said if called upon to reply4 ,you will see in the whole of this conversation a freedom of thinking and of speaking1 which you probably did not expect1 and ,i confess that ,i was myself greatly surprised at it1 notwithstanding the many opportunities ,i have had of observing the sentiments of the people of this quarter4 ,in the higher and more enlightened classes of society1 ,i have often met with liberal sentiments1 but as the two persons who took the chief part in the above conversation were of the lower class1 it was both new to me and interesting4 ,on our arrival at ,babahoyo1 ,i found lodgings difficult to be procured1 as the houses seemed all occupied4 ,as soon as this was known to one of my fellow-passengers1 he took me to his father's house1 where ,i enjoyed comfortable bed and board1 kindly bestowed and free of expense1 during the two days ,i remained in that town4 ,as ,i intended to make no stay in this place1 but push on1 ,i gave no public intimation regarding the sale of ,new ,testaments2 yet1 through means of my fellow-passengers it came to be known that ,i had these for sale1 and in consequence ,i disposed of fifty-one copies for which ,i received fifty dollars1 one copy being a present4 ,i may mention1 before leaving this place1 that it lies very low on the banks of the river1 and is overflowed in the rainy season4 ,the church stands upon a spot elevated some feet above the surrounding parts2 and ,i am told it is common for the people in that season to go up to the church door in their canoes4 ,the usual practice in passing from ,babahoyo to ,quito1 is to hire mules at the former place to ,guaranda1 and again to hire anew from that to ,quito4 ,i accordingly hired mules for this place1 which cost me five dollars each1 on account of the badness of the roads1 though four dollars is the usual charge4 ,the weather at the present time is very unfavourable1 and it is singular to see it so at this season of the year4 ,i had counted upon fair weather in this quarter during the whole time of my journey1 according to the information which ,i had obtained in ,lima1 and am thus less prepared for rain than otherwise ,i would have been had ,i expected it4 ,i may add also1 that ,i like rain now worse than ever1 as during these two years past ,i have not seen any4 ,from ,babahoyo to the base of the mountains the roads were very deep and bad4 ,when we began to ascend the mountains1 we found ourselves still worse situated4 ,the very steep ascent1 and the clayey slippery roads1 rendered the journey very unpleasant1 and not a little dangerous from the slipping of the mules1 which were frequently brought down upon their knees4 ,i shall not detain you for the present with a minute account of the journey to this place1 suffice it to say1 that ,i arrived1 here1 the day before yesterday in the afternoon in perfect health and safety2 and ,i feel1 ,i assure you1 upon looking back upon the road over which ,i have passed1 a new motive for thanksgiving to the ,father of mercies for my daily and hourly preservation4 ,i shall just farther add1 as descriptive of the mountains1 that on the first day of our ascent1 the barometer in the valley1 in the morning1 stood at #bi4iej1 and where we lodged in the evening it stood at #bf4ada1 which indicates a great rise4 ,where we lodged on the evening following it stood at #bb4jhe4 ,on the next day we passed the highest part of the ancient ,indian road1 where the barometer stood at #ba4cbb4 ,the situation of ,guaranda1 from which ,i now write you1 is about ten miles ,s4 ,w4 of the great ,chimborazo4 ,this king of mountains raises its majestic hoary head full in view4 ,it is deeply covered from the top1 almost to the base1 with everlasting snow--snow which must have fallen1 if not in the days of ,adam1 at least in the days of ,noah4 ,to-morrow ,i set off for ,riobamba1 when ,i expect to have a fuller view of it1 as the road passes along it close to the skirts of its snowy mantle4 ,guaranda contains about #aejj inhabitants1 mostly ,indians1 who all speak the ancient ,peruvian language4 ,there are several little towns in the glens within the district1 containing in all #ad1jjj inhabitants1 and who all speak the same language4 ,you will recollect that this is the language into which the ,new ,testament has lately been translated in ,lima1 as mentioned in my former letters1 and you will see here a still more ample field of usefulness for this translation1 and the more so1 when ,i add1 that not only in this district is the language spoken1 but also in all the towns in this quarter as far as ,quito4 ,what a wonderful extent and uniformity must the ancient ,peruvian empire have had4 ,the inhabitants of this town and the ,indians of ,peru have exactly the same features and countenance1 at well as language4 99 99 99 99 99 ,riobamba1 #cast ,october1 #ahbd4 ,soon after my arrival in the town of ,guaranda1 ,i called upon the ,governor1 and made known to him the object of my journey in this quarter4 ,i found him a man of intelligence1 and a friend of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,observing him to be a person worthy of all confidence1 and very desirous of the instruction of his countrymen1 ,i made known to him1 without reserve1 the plans and operations of the ,bible ,society1 and that ,i was travelling to forward its sacred object4 ,he was much pleased with the brief view of the ,society which ,i gave him4 ,he wished to see the ,new ,testaments1 and became the first purchaser himself4 ,he also called upon those around to buy for themselves1 by telling them to come and learn to be ,christians from this book4 ,i received many friendly attentions from him during the two days ,i remained in that place1 and ,i think we formed a kind of friendship which may contribute to forward the objects of the ,society in that quarter on future occasions4 ,notwithstanding my printed notices1 and the encouragement of the ,governor1 ,i sold but a very few copies in that place1 the whole number being thirteen4 ,one cause of there being so few sold is1 that almost all the inhabitants are ,indians1 and do not understand the ,spanish language1 at all events cannot read it4 ,to which may be added the general apathy which always exists in small towns4 ,the few copies1 however1 which have been circulated in that town1 will form a beginning 7,i may say of an era7 in that place1 and will create a desire for more1 both there and in the villages around1 when1 on a future occasion1 some pilgrim from your ,society shall climb the ,andes to visit their abode4 ,on the #bith ,i left ,guaranda on my way to this town4 ,you will see by the map1 that in visiting ,riobamba1 ,i was going out of the straight road to ,quito1 but ,i was anxious to visit this place1 if peradventure the ,lord would incline the hearts of some here1 as in other places to receive the word of ,god2 and1 generally speaking1 my wish is to pave the way for future operations1 as well as to drop a few seeds whilst so doing1 and thus to be a pioneer in your service1 in the service of this people1 and1 ,i trust1 in the service of ,god4 ,i told you that ,guaranda1 and the villages around it1 lay upon the ,andes2 they are not1 however1 at the top1 but lie on the western side or declivity of the great ridge1 or ,cordillera4 ,after leaving ,guaranda1 there is nearly a whole day's climbing before you reach the top4 ,upon reaching the highest parts of the ridge1 you have something like a plain1 though of no great extent2 and out of this plain1 or rather this mountain1 and from your very feet1 rises the great ,chimborazo4 ,from ,guaranda we turned our faces towards this great mountain1 and began to ascend4 ,as we approached it1 it began to frown1 and to forbid our drawing nearer4 ,the rain1 in a little time1 began to fall very heavily2 we pushed on2 the hail succeeded1 accompanied by vivid lightning1 whose rapid flight1 from our elevated situation1 we could trace from heaven to earth4 ,to crown the whole1 the loud thunder rolled along as if ,chimborazo were tumbling down upon us4 ,to pursue our journey1 under such circumstances1 would have been foolish1 and perhaps fatal4 ,we accordingly turned our backs upon the mountain1 and began to descend1 and to seek refuge in the first hut we could come to4 ,after some little time we descried a thatched cottage1 but we could not reach it1 as the descent to it from the ridge1 along which the road lay1 was too rapid for our mules4 ,another and another we had to pass in this way1 without being able to take shelter from the storm4 ,we at length found a house to which we could descend1 and ,i rode on towards it1 and made inquiry if we could be lodged there4 ,i received an answer in bad ,spanish1 saying1 they did not understand what ,i said4 ,i was obliged1 therefore1 to wait till the guide arrived1 who understood the ,indian language1 and upon his putting the same question which ,i had put1 we obtained refuge from the storm1 and found1 in our circumstances1 the cottage converted into a palace4 ,i thus found myself in a cottage belonging to one of the indigenous inhabitants of the country1 and had thus an opportunity of learning some things which could not have been so well learned in any other situation4 ,i found that the inhabitants of this hut understood only their native language2 and learned that this was the case with all the rural inhabitants of these quarters4 ,the language spoken is that of ,peru1 into which1 through your beneficence1 the ,new ,testament has been translated1 and part of which will soon be printed4 ,the need of having the word of ,god translated into this language1 is thus rendered more evident1 and we see the field to be watered by it increased4 ,towards the evening the sky cleared up1 and as the sun was setting1 the aspect around became beautiful4 ,i stepped to a little distance from the cottage1 and reached the road on the ridge which we had left some hours before4 ,as ,i walked backwards and forwards in this spot1 enjoying the serene and peaceful evening1 ,i felt gratitude rise in my heart to the ,father of mercies1 for my protection and shelter from the storm4 ,i had just gone over that beautiful hymn1 of which the first and last verses follow3 8,when all thy mercies1 ,o my ,god1 ,my rising soul surveys2 ,transported with the view1 ,i'm lost1 ,in wonder1 love1 and praise4 8,through all eternity to ,thee ,a joyful song ,i'll raise2 ,for1 oh1 eternity's too short ,to utter all thy praise40 ,i had just repeated this companion of my travels1 and was beginning to descend to the cottage1 when ,i observed a person coming up1 mounted on a very good horse1 and leading another still better4 ,i wondered to see him bend his course to the uninhabited mountains at such a late hour1 and had the curiosity to wait his approach1 to make inquiry4 8,pray friend10 said ,i1 8where can you be going this way at so late an hour80--8,i am seeking you10 was the reply4--8,seeking me60 ,i replied4 8,yes10 said he1 8,i have a letter for you from the ,governor of ,guaranda40 ,i received and opened the letter1 and read1 in the language of friendship1 that my good friend1 dreading that ,i should be worsted by the storm1 had sent an excellent horse for me1 with orders to his servant to travel on until he should find me1 at whatever hour it might be1 and to see me safe in ,riobamba4 ,whatever might have been my feelings before1 they were1 at least1 now 8lost in wonder1 love1 and praise40 ,i should have mentioned1 also1 that the servant delivered me a little basket1 which ,i found to be filled with provisions for our journey1 and into which1 also1 the hand of friendship itself had dropped a few sweet cakes4 ,all these things1 under the circumstances in which ,i found myself1 had a powerful effect upon my mind1 and encouraged me anew to hope in ,god and to persevere in his service4 ,in a few minutes we stepped down to the hut1 procured some provisions for the horses1 some repast for ourselves1 and passed the night as comfortably as we could4 ,early next morning we began to prepare for our journey4 ,i had given our hostess a rial now and a rial then to give her confidence in my honesty2 for there is some distrust in regard to provisions bestowed upon strangers1 and it is founded1 ,i believe1 on experience4 ,before setting out1 ,i paid her all her demands1 and gave her a little more2 upon which she lifted up both her hands1 and prayed for a blessing upon me1 and thus we parted4 ,after travelling for some time1 ,chimborazo looked out from the clouds1 the first appearance of which1 ,i confess1 filled me with a kind of dread1 more especially as ,i thought it frowned upon us again4 ,as we went on1 however1 the day brightened1 and we reached the mountain in due time1 and took up our lodging in an uninhabited house on the side of it4 ,during my evening walk the clouds entirely disappeared from the mountain1 and it seemed to sit down in beautiful splendour beside me1 and thus we became more than reconciled to each other4 ,next morning the same beautiful appearance was exhibited as we set out on our way to ,riobamba4 ,at mid day we reached this place1 which contains about #cjjj inhabitants1 with a considerable population in the villages around4 ,i called upon the ,governor1 and presented him a letter of introduction which ,i had brought from the ,governor of ,guaranda4 ,in this gentleman ,i also found a friend1 and an encourager of our object4 ,he directed me to the house of a friend1 where ,i have a comfortable lodging4 ,upon stating to him my object1 and showing him the advertisement which ,i wished to fix up in the public parts of the town1 he ordered his clerk to fill up the blanks according to my directions1 and then sent one of the ,alguazils to put them up4 ,he bought six ,new ,testaments himself1 and during the two days of my stay here1 ,i have disposed of #ce copies4 ,to-morrow ,i set out for ,ambato1 accompanied by a soldier1 which the ,governor has ordered to attend me by way of a guide and a guard4 ,considering the shortness of my stay here1 and considering that many more ,new ,testaments would have been bought had time been afforded1 ,i thought it advisable to leave #ej copies in the hands of the ,governor1 who kindly undertook to dispose of them as circumstances offered4 ,for the same reason ,i left #ej copies with him to be forwarded by the first opportunity to the ,governor of ,guaranda4 ,i have also had another object in view in doing so1 and that is to convert1 as it were1 these individuals into members and agents of your ,society1 the importance of which you will at once see4 ,i have already noticed to you that the rural inhabitants of the district of ,guaranda speak the ,indian language only4 ,the same also may be said of all the districts in this quarter1 as far as ,quito1 ,i formerly stated to you1 that in ,peru a million of souls stood in need of the translation of the ,scriptures into the ,quichua language1 and you now see how many thousands more may be added to this number4 ,i have no doubt but the importance of the translation in question will lead you to extend your beneficence to the translating and printing of the whole ,scriptures into this language4 ,when ,i find persons1 particularly clergymen1 with whom ,i can communicate with confidence1 ,i state to them what has been done in regard to this translation1 and the use that may be made of it in instructing the indigenous inhabitants of this quarter1 which is by far the most numerous class of the population4 ,to such individuals ,i mention1 also1 the happy effects produced by the schools in the ,gaelic and ,irish languages4 ,i have succeeded in convincing many of the importance and practicability of educating the native population1 and am much encouraged by the interest ,i find taken in this matter1 by many persons of name and influence in the places ,i have visited4 ,in this town1 the prior of one of the convents1 and the rector of the town1 have promised to forward this object as far as lies in their power1 and on my part ,i have promised to forward them some copies of this translation as soon us they are ready4 ,on the whole1 there is great cause for thanksgiving1 in seeing the ,scriptures meet with so ready a reception in this quarter1 and the more so when we consider that this is the first time this treasure has been offered them4 ,let us pray that the word of ,god may have free course in this place1 and that it may be glorified4 99 99 99 99 99 ,quito1 #hth ,november1 #ahbd4 ,through the tender mercies of the ,lord ,i arrived in this city yesterday morning in health and safety4 ,the same gracious hand who has guided me hitherto has provided for me a lodging in this place1 in the house of the ,marquis de ,san ,jos1 where ,i enjoy all the comforts that kindness and plenty can bestow4 ,my last letter to you was dated the #cast ultimo1 from ,riobamba1 and detailed the various circumstances that occurred in my journey from ,guayaquil to that place4 ,it now remains for me1 therefore1 to state the particulars of my journey from ,riobamba until my arrival in this city4 ,early on the morning of the #ast current1 ,i set out for ,ambato1 and arrived there safely in the afternoon4 ,ambato is a larger town than ,riobamba1 and may contain #ejjj people4 ,in this place ,i found myself comfortably lodged in the house of the ,governor4 ,my luggage1 along with the ,new ,testaments1 did not arrive till the following morning4 ,upon the arrival of the ,new ,testaments1 ,i showed them to the ,governor1 and told him of my intention of advertising them for sale1 and inquired in what shop or store ,i could conveniently do so4 ,he answered me1 by saying1 that his own house was at my service for that purpose4 ,i accordingly stated in the advertisement1 that the ,new ,testaments were on sale at the house of the ,governor1 and that the sale would continue but one day4 ,it afforded me much satisfaction to see the interest taken in this matter by the ,governor and by his lady1 both of whom took great pleasure in showing the ,new ,testaments to those who came to buy1 and when ,i had to go out to pay or return a visit1 they kindly supplied my place until my return4 ,you cannot but have observed the liberality1 kindness1 and encouragement ,i have met with from the ,governors of ,guaranda1 ,riobamba and ,ambato1 in the service of the ,society4 ,these circumstances are very encouraging as to your future labours and expectations in this quarter1 and are circumstances of which you will not fail to take advantage4 ,the three individuals mentioned1 will be most ready1 ,i am persuaded1 on any future occasion1 to forward in the most obliging and effectual manner the holy object of your ,society4 ,they will also readily lend their influence for the establishment of ,bible ,societies in their respective districts1 as soon as a ,society of a national character shall be formed in the capital1 to which they may become auxiliaries4 ,of this ,society in the capital1 which ,i have much in view and at heart1 ,i shall inform you afterwards1 should it please the ,lord to conduct me safely to that place4 ,that you may not1 however1 lose the advantages already gained by the acquisition of these gentlemen1 as co-operators in your work1 ,i shall here give you their names and addresses in the style of the country4 8,s ,coronel ,carlos ,araujo1 ,gobernador de ,guaranda2 ,s ,ambrosio ,dvalos1 ,gobernador de ,riobamba2 ,s ,nicolas ,bcones1 ,gobernador de ,ambato40 ,in the preceding addresses1 ,i have given you verbatim what you should write in addressing any letter to them4 ,the best manner of communicating with these gentlemen will be through ,guayaquil1 as that is the nearest port1 and with which there is constant intercourse4 ,during the time ,i remained in ,guayaquil1 ,i stopped in the house of ,messrs4 ,robinet and ,wheelwright1 and found there every facility afforded me in forwarding the work of the ,society4 ,if you would communicate with that house in your transactions with ,guayaquil1 ,guaranda1 ,riobamba1 and ,ambato1 you will find1 ,i am persuaded1 all attention paid to your concerns4 ,i mentioned above1 that my advertisement stated the sale to last for one day only4 ,i was1 however1 detained another day1 and thus gave an additional opportunity for purchasing4 ,the whole number sold amounted to forty-seven copies2 but a small number1 indeed1 yet great as a beginning1 and as an encouragement4 ,i may mention1 also1 that the rector and several clergymen bought copies1 and that ,i heard of no opposition4 ,in one of my letters from ,guayaquil ,i told you that the #bjj ,bibles you had ordered me had not arrived in ,lima when ,i left that place1 and to my no small regret4 ,i have1 however1 regretted that delay a thousand fold in the course of my journey4 ,i mentioned to you at the same time1 that ,i had bought one ,bible in ,lima to carry with me1 by way of a specimen1 and to excite an interest to purchase when a supply should arrive4 ,all my expectations in regard to this have been fully realized4 ,the many offers ,i have had to purchase this ,bible1 have filled me with pleasure and with pain2 pleasure to see so great a desire for the word of ,god1 and pain in not being able to satisfy that desire4 ,of the many occasions in which ,i have been so placed1 none was so pleasing1 on the one hand1 nor so painful1 on the other1 as that which ,i experienced with the ,rector of ,ambato4 ,he had been to visit me1 and ,i went to his house to return his kindness4 ,after experiencing much attention from him1 he in a very formal manner urged me to sell him the ,bible4 ,i stated to him1 upon this occasion1 what ,i had been called on to state upon so many other occasions1 namely1 that the ,bible ,i had was a kind of common property1 that my object in carrying it with me was to show it to all1 and to encourage all who wished for it1 by informing them that a number of copies were coming1 and that their desire would be realized in the possession of this precious volume4 ,he however renewed his request1 besought me to let him have it1 and urged his claim in the name of all his flock1 for whose use he said he particularly wished it4 ,my difficulty here was great1 yet ,i considered my reasons for not parting with this volume still greater1 and was thus obliged most unwillingly to withhold what1 under other circumstances ,i would most gladly have bestowed4 ,he said1 among other things1 to induce me to yield to his request1 that ,i would be able to find a copy in ,quito1 for he had learned that some had been sold here some time ago1 as was actually the case1 for #dj copies of the #ejj sold in ,lima were brought here4 ,i told him that there were some doubts as to my obtaining a copy in ,quito1 but that ,i would make inquiry when ,i should arrive there1 and in the event of finding one ,i should send him my own copy1 and at the price at which ,i purchased the other4 ,upon these terms we came to an agreement1 and he remarked that ,i should not make any hesitation in regard to the price1 for he would willingly pay what should be charged4 ,on the #dth current ,i left ,ambato on my way to this city4 ,there is a town called ,tacunga or ,latacunga about #bj miles distant from ,ambato1 and on the straight road to this place4 ,from the consideration of having been much detained in my journey from ,guayaquil1 ,i wished to reach this city as quickly as possible1 and on that account ,i intended not to stop at ,tacunga1 but to push on to a village called ,mulal1 and to pass the night there1 in order that ,i might reach ,quito on the following day4 ,i was the more inclined to do so1 as ,i understood that ,tacunga was inhabited almost wholly by ,indians1 none of whom could use our books4 ,another arrangement1 however1 had been determined on by a higher authority than mine1 and for a purpose which you will presently see4 ,i had scarce left ,ambato1 when a ,friar travelling for ,quito1 came up with me upon the road4 ,as he was accompanied by a servant only1 and unencumbered with luggage1 he could get faster on his way than ,i could1 accompanied as ,i was by the loaded mules4 ,we1 notwithstanding1 rode together for some time1 and fell into various conversation4 ,he urged me to go forward with him1 and to leave the loaded mules to follow us1 which1 after some hesitation1 ,i complied with1 and we went on together at a gentle trot4 ,his intention was to stop all night at ,tacunga1 as he had some concerns to arrange there4 ,he kindly invited me to stay there also during the night1 in order that we might go on together next day towards ,quito1 offering me a hospitable lodging in the convent of ,st4 ,dominic1 to which he belonged4 ,i still1 however1 thought it my duty to push forward1 so as to reach ,quito next day1 and which ,i could not do if ,i stopped all night at ,tacunga4 ,before we arrived at the place1 in passing a river1 my horse1 upon reaching the bank1 which was rather difficult of access1 stumbled1 plunged again into the river1 and nearly threw me into it4 ,i got safely out1 though considerably wet4 ,this circumstance determined me to stop at ,tacunga till ,i got my clothes dried4 ,upon reaching the town1 ,i went with my friend to the convent1 where ,i got myself comfortably dried1 and prepared for the journey4 ,before ,i was ready to set out1 there came on a thunder storm1 and by the time the weather cleared up1 it was too late to set out4 ,my good friends in the convent strongly urged me to pass the night with them1 and which ,i consented to do4 ,i found this town larger than ,i expected1 and as ,i was to pass the night in it1 ,i was anxious to seize the opportunity of offering the word of ,god to them1 although ,i had not much confidence as to the success ,i should meet with4 ,in carrying this purpose into effect1 ,i found myself rather embarrassed4 ,i was lodged in a convent1 and knew not what disposition the friars might have to the distribution of the ,scriptures1 especially to their being sold in the convent4 ,i wished myself lodged elsewhere1 and indeed any where else1 but could not with any decency remove1 as my friends loaded me with kindness4 ,had ,i known1 upon my entering the town1 that ,i was to have a sale of the ,new ,testaments there1 ,i would not have gone to the convent1 more especially as ,i had a letter of introduction to the ,governor and to another gentleman in the place4 ,after some hesitation1 ,i resolved to make an attempt where ,i was4 ,i went pensively to the case in which the ,new ,testaments were1 took out one1 and went direct to the ,prior to show it to him1 praying all the while as ,i went1 that the ,god of heaven would dispose his heart and the hearts of the rest to befriend the circulation of his holy word4 ,my prayer was heard4 ,the ,prior was much pleased with the ,new ,testament1 and bought it4 ,he showed it to one of the rest1 and recommended it1 whilst ,i did not fail to put in a word to the same effect1 pointing out the advantages of the ,scriptures to all1 and how more immediately it concerned them1 as ministers of religion1 to possess it1 and to recommend it to others4 ,yes1 said one of them1 it is the very book which concerns us1 and we would gladly encourage others to receive it4 ,i then told them that ,i had a number of copies1 and that ,i wished to expose them to sale in that town4 ,i showed the ,prior the advertisement1 and said1 ,i should be glad to have the sale in the convent1 if it were agreeable to him4 ,by all means1 said he1 and immediately he filled up the blanks in the notices with his own hand1 and sent a person to fix them up4 ,the advertisements were scarcely up1 when one1 and another1 and another came tripping in to purchase a ,new ,testament4 ,in a little1 the buyers thickened1 whilst all the friars stood around enjoying the sight1 and warmly recommending the sacred volume to all who came1 and assisted me in the sale when occasion required4 ,the result was1 that in two hours and a half1 that is1 till the night came on1 ,i sold one hundred and four copies1 which was more than ,i had sold in ,guaranda1 ,riobamba1 and ,ambato taken together1 although ,i remained two days in each of these places4 ,you see1 by this time1 ,i dare say1 why superior arrangements called me to stop at this place1 contrary to my own intention4 ,among others1 whom the sound of our horn brought together1 came the ,vicar of the town in propria persona4 ,upon learning who he was1 ,i made my obeisance1 and entered into conversation with him1 as to the advantages of the word of ,god1 and the duty of making it known to all1 and to my great joy ,i found in him also a friend to this object4 ,at an early period of our sale1 ,i brought out the ,bible1 of which ,i have spoken above1 and for the purpose there mentioned4 ,it had the desired effect4 ,it arrested the attention1 and could have been sold many a time4 ,i told all who wished to purchase it1 that there would arrive in a few months a number of copies1 and that all would be supplied4 ,none being able to obtain it1 a little circle resolved to improve the occasion to learn what it contained1 while a friar in the middle kept reading aloud for a considerable time4--,there was another attractive1 namely1 the ,brief ,view of the ,bible ,society4 ,this also drew the attention1 and was eagerly read4 ,their approbation of the object of the ,society1 and their wonder at the effects already produced by it1 alternately drew forth corresponding expressions4 ,you need not be told that ,i relished the scene before me1 and enjoyed a high entertainment4 ,i could not refrain from silent thanksgiving to the ,god above1 as ,i brought out another and another parcel of ,new ,testaments1 to which ,i joined a fervent prayer1 that on this occasion the word of ,god might be sown in good ground1 and might produce in some thirty1 in some sixty1 and in some a hundred fold4 ,i felt also my heart warm within me1 whilst the contemplation of the ,british character1 which was thus brought under review1 called forth the just praises of my native land4 ,o favoured isle6 garden of ,god6 where the fruits of righteousness grow more abundantly than in all the world beside4 ,peace be upon thee6 ,in thee may the will of ,god be done--as it is done in heaven4 ,by and by the night came on1 and our sale closed4 ,after which we retired to one of the cells and entered into general conversation4 ,we were all pleased with each other4 ,my friends1 on the one hand1 seized every opportunity to show their kindness and attention1 and ,i1 on the other hand1 in return for their kindness1 amused them with my mountain barometer1 thermometers1 and pocket compass1 all of which were perfectly new to them1 and highly entertaining4 ,at a proper hour the friars retired to their cells1 and ,i also retired to mine1 where ,i passed part of the night in contemplating the scene which had just passed before me1 and the rest in repairing the fatigues of the day4 ,i told the ,prior of the convent and the others1 that the sale which had been effected in that place1 so much greater than in the other places ,i had visited in their neighbourhood1 did great honour to their town4 ,i took occasion also to return them my sincere thanks for the very active and friendly part they had taken in this matter1 and told them ,i should have great pleasure in communicating the same to the ,society in ,london1 and which ,i accordingly now do4 ,the ,prior said that he should be very glad1 upon any future occasion1 to forward the objects of the ,society as far as he could1 and that in regard to any other supply of the ,scriptures destined for ,tacunga1 he would most readily take charge of them1 and dispose of them according to the directions which might be sent with them4 ,the other ,friars heartily seconded the ,prior in all these matters4 ,in conversing about the ,bibles that were to come to them from ,guayaquil1 it was agreed that not fewer than fifty copies would be required for ,tacunga1 and ,i promised to write to ,guayaquil in order that this number might be sent to them upon their arrival there from ,lima4 ,at the same time ,i write to ,lima to forward a sufficient supply to ,guayaquil of your second edition1 which must1 ,i should think1 be already in ,callao1 or near it4 ,in the preceding part of this letter1 ,i gave you the names and address of some persons who would gladly carry forward your object in the places mentioned4 ,i now add to this list another1 namely1 the ,prior already mentioned1 8,el ,r4 ,p4 ,fr4 ,manuel ,peaherrera1 ,prior de ,santo ,domingo de ,latacunga40 ,the person just named1 as well as all his colleagues1 will be most ready to establish an ,auxiliary ,bible ,society in that place1 when the proper time comes for doing so4 ,i give you also the names of some others belonging to this convent1 as my duty and my promise require of me1 and could wish that in some corner of one of your monthly extracts or annual reports their names might be recorded1 for ,i think they are worthy of it2 and in seeing their names in any of these publications ,i shall feel myself as discharged from what nearly amounts to an obligation1 and which my feelings of respect and gratitude towards my friends led me into4 ,the names are as follows3 ,padre ,mariano ,quintana1 ,padre ,narciso ,molina1 ,padre ,matias ,granja4 ,to which ,i add1 as the last1 but not the least1 my travelling companion1 ,padre ,jos ,celio4#d ,i conclude this letter1 the writing of which has been the means of my enjoying over again the encouraging scenes which ,i have endeavoured to describe1 and which ,i lay before you that you may comply with the pleasing duty of rejoicing with those that rejoice4--,i only add1 ,may ,god ,almighty prosper you most abundantly in all your undertakings2 and unto whom in all things be glory for ever3 ,amen4 #d ,these names were not inserted in the ,society's ,extracts1 as the ,secretaries thought the doing so might1 perhaps1 compromise our friends there with their superiors4 ,a letter1 however1 was written to the ,prior1 in the name of the ,society1 conveying to him those sentiments which his conduct1 on the above occasion1 called forth4 ,a few weeks ago an answer was received from the ,prior1 in reply to this letter1 in which he expresses his continued interest in the object of the ,bible ,society1 and his desire to circulate the ,scriptures in his native country4--,it may be mentioned here also1 that a suitable letter was sent by the ,society to the ,governor of ,guaranda1 and that a very friendly reply to it has been lately received4 ,this gentleman continues a warm friend to the ,bible ,society4 99 99 99 99 99 ,quito1 #aith ,november1 #ahbd4 ,a considerable time has elapsed since the date of my last letter to you1 and during the same period1 if ,i remember right1 ,i have not been favoured with any of your communications4 ,so that1 as far as mere exchange of letters is concerned1 ,i am not so much in arrear as you may perhaps be thinking4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that it is my part to write to you1 rather than yours to write to me1 but that again supposes that ,i have something worth communicating4 ,now1 ,i am sorry to say that this has not been the case during my partial silence1 a silence arising from a very natural cause1 that of having nothing to say4 ,i mean that ,i have had nothing to say about the progress of education in this quarter3 and though ,i have still very little to say upon that subject1 yet1 knowing you take a great interest in the well being of this part of the world1 and in my feeble efforts to promote it1 ,i think it my duty to let you know at least where ,i am1 and what ,i am doing4 ,you will observe by the line at the top1 that ,i am in the city of ,quito1 and ,i shall now state to you why ,i am here1 and what ,i am engaged in4 ,you know how the war has raged for some time past in ,peru1 and that ,lima has been for a considerable time in the hands of the enemy4 ,i am not sure that ,i have expressed myself correctly in saying the enemy1 a term applied by each party to the other1 but which in the mouth of a neutral is an impropriety of speech4 ,i beg leave to justify myself in this1 by informing you that ,i am not a neutral in this contest1 as all my feelings and my wishes are on the one side1 and of course the other side is the enemy4 ,i leave you to find out at your leisure what side ,i am on1 and shall proceed to give you what information ,i have to communicate relative to our concerns1 the concerns of education4 ,i left ,lima in the beginning of ,september1 with the intention of not returning to it for some time4 ,the immediate cause was the impossibility of moving forwards in our work under the pressure of existing circumstances4 ,the very utmost that could be done was to keep hold of what we had obtained1 and even that was done with great difficulty4 ,our model school in ,lima1 at the time ,i came away1 contained about #bjj children1 a number somewhat less than what it contained some months previous to that time4 ,this decrease is owing to the great poverty that existed there1 on the one hand2 and on the other hand it arose from a natural fear in the parents lest their children should be picked up on their way to the ,school by the recruiting parties1 a fear not altogether groundless4 ,i may mention here1 that there is another ,school on our plan1 containing about #hj children4 ,you know that1 for a considerable time back1 ,i have had a desire to pass through that part of this ,continent where ,i now am1 but ,i was prevented from doing so1 by the difficulty of leaving ,lima in the state in which things were1 and by the prospect of making a rapid progress in extending education over ,peru4 ,at the time ,i came away1 the difficulty referred to was removed1 and the prospect in regard to the other circumstance mentioned was altogether blasted1 at least for a time4 ,the difficulty ,i have noticed was the want of a proper master1 in whose hands ,i could trust the school with confidence4 ,the school1 however1 at my leaving ,lima1 was in the hands of a good master1 with an assistant to aid him1 whilst the superintendence of all is in the hands of my excellent friend the ,clergyman1 of whom ,i have often spoken to you with approbation4 ,from this good friend1 notwithstanding these favourable arrangements1 ,i was obliged to tear myself away4 ,he urged me to stop1 and would at length only hear of my going away in the expectation of my early return1 and in the hope of my visit to ,england being turned to the advantage of the schools in ,peru1 as ,i trust it will1 should ,i have the happiness to reach your favoured country4 ,i thought it advisable1 and my duty1 to seize the time that thus offered for verifying my long-intended journey4 ,you know1 ,i dare say1 that it was not the mere desire of jaunting that led me to propose this journey to myself4 ,the two objects which have hitherto more immediately engaged my attention in ,south ,america are those which form the work respectively of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 and the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society4 ,with these two objects in view1 ,i left ,lima for ,bogot the capital of ,colombia4 ,though ,i can never lose sight of any one of these two objects1 yet that of the ,bible ,society is the main one in this journey4 ,i have been very much pleased with my journey1 in the prosperity ,i have had in the distribution of the sacred volume4 ,i have observed a very general desire to possess this book1 and ,i have had the pleasure of seeing great numbers flock together1 not to receive it as a present1 but to buy it4 ,of upwards of #aejj ,new ,testaments which ,i had at the outset1 not many remain4 ,i had no ,bibles1 and was very sorry for it1 as1 from its being generally asked for1 ,i am sure ,i could have sold many copies4 ,it is gratifying to know that a supply of them may be expected in the course of a few months2 and with this prospect ,i have revived the spirits of many who evidently felt disappointed when ,i told them that ,i had none4 ,it is truly a pleasing sight to see so many eagerly seeking after ,god2 and it cheers the heart of the poor traveller1 as he moves along now through the woods1 now over the mountains1 to think that he is the means of cheering the hearts of others1 by putting into their hands the only book which can effectually cheer the heart with solid comfort4 ,i refer you for further particulars regarding the circulation of the ,scriptures to my letters upon the subject to the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,before ,i speak of the state and progress of education in ,quito1 ,i shall mention two circumstances which have occurred to me since ,i left ,lima4 ,i notice these because they are encouraging1 as it respects the progress of education1 and because they tend to prove what ,i have so often stated to you1--that there is a very general desire throughout this country for extending the benefits of education to all1 and with all possible speed4 ,the circumstances referred to occurred in ,truxillo and in ,guayaquil4 ,in both these places ,i received proposals from the magistrates to remain among them1 in order to establish schools on our plan1 and to promote the objects of education in general4 ,in both cases ,i had a struggle with my feelings1 though not with my judgment1 in declining the honour offered me4 ,though my duty bade me pursue my journey1 yet1 in consequence of these proposals1 ,i cannot help taking an additional interest in the progress of education in the places mentioned2 and through the intercourse that took place upon this subject during my short stay in these tours1 ,i expect some good will result1 of which ,i shall afterwards inform you4 ,i come now to speak of the state and prospects of education in this city4 ,the state of elementary education here is1 at present1 very low1 but its prospects are more encouraging4 ,perhaps you are aware that the ,colombian ,government is taking active measures to extend education over all their share of ,south ,america4 ,some time ago a ,central ,school on the ,lancasterian plan was established in ,bogot1 the capital4 ,this school was set agoing by a friar who had been banished from his native country on account of his then-called revolutionary principles1 and who had learned the system during his exile4 ,upon his return to ,america he established this school in the capital1 which has now existed two or three years4 ,it is the wish of the government to put a model school in the capital of each department1 and from these schools to send out masters to all the towns and villages the department contains4 ,for this purpose the friar ,i before mentioned1 has lately arrived here1 and is getting his school-room prepared4 ,i have had several conversations with this individual1 and have been much pleased in observing the very lively interest he takes in the education of youth1 as well as in the general progress of knowledge throughout his native country4 ,it is delightful to shake hands with such persons1 and to unite one's heart with them wherever they are found4 ,i augur much good from the establishment and direction of schools by a person of this character4 ,i do from my heart wish him great success1 and a success equal to the desires of his own benevolent mind4 ,the ,intendant or ,governor of the department is an excellent man1 and very desirous of the progress of knowledge throughout this quarter4 ,he is urging forward the school with all diligence2 and to supply the children with books1 he has bought of me #ej ,new ,testaments4 ,the next thing ,i have to notice is of some interest1 and respects female education4 ,you are aware1 that the education of this sex is very limited in ,south ,america4 ,it is so in ,quito1 as might be expected4 ,from the consideration that this is a large place1 and the chief city of a large and populous district of country1 ,i was very desirous of doing something towards establishing a female school or academy here4 ,i spoke to the ,intendant and others upon the subject1 and found them all willing to do whatever was practicable in carrying into effect such a desirable object4 ,the plan ,i proposed was1 to send for a well-instructed person or two from ,england1 in order to establish at once a school or academy of the best description2 and ,i promised to do1 on my part1 all ,i could to procure such persons upon my arrival in ,england4 ,my proposition was very favourably received1 and a plan was immediately thought of for carrying it into effect4 ,the want of funds was the only obstacle that occurred1 and where to find them was the object to which the attention of all was directed4 ,at length it was discovered that there was a certain religious house in the city which had good funds belonging to it4 ,this house is not a nunnery1 though it is somewhat allied to it4 ,it is what is here called a ,beateria2 and if one were called upon to give it a name corresponding to its nature1 it might be called a ,house of ,idleness4 ,this name1 at all events1 would suit the character given me of it by the ,intendant4 ,to get this house and its funds was now the object of consideration1 and a petition to the general government of ,colombia was thought of for that purpose4 ,you know that respecting a matter of this kind1 it is necessary to interest the female sex themselves in it4 ,i accordingly spoke with some ladies upon the subject1 and found them very anxious to lend their influence to obtain the object in question4 ,i am lodged and very kindly treated in the house of the ,marquis de ,san ,jos1 and ,i wished that the ,marchioness should take the lead in this affair1 as a matter of courtesy on my part1 and principally because she is the person of most influence in the place4 ,i stated to her the plan proposed1 of establishing a school or academy in the style of those in ,england1 and was happy to find that she entered heartily into it4 ,the way ultimately fixed upon for carrying forward the plan is this3 ,the lady before mentioned1 along with some female friends1 is to draw up a petition to the ,intendant1 begging that something may be done for establishing a female academy in ,quito4 ,as soon as this comes into the ,intendant's hands1 he will state his opinion upon the subject1 strongly recommending it1 and pointing out where the funds may be obtained for the purpose4 ,the petition thus prepared is to be put into my hands1 and ,i am to have the honour of laying it before the ,vice-,president in ,bogot upon my reaching that city2 and such is the interest taken by the ,government in these matters1 that ,i have no doubt of its complete success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,quito1 #bdth ,november1 #ahbd4 ,my last letter to you was written from this place1 and dated the #hth current1 the day after my arrival4 ,i then stated to you what had occurred to me from ,riobamba until my arrival in this city4 ,i shall now1 therefore1 proceed to give you an account of the reception your cause has met with in ,quito4 ,when ,i set out from ,guaranda on my way to ,riobamba1 ,i left four boxes of ,new ,testaments behind me1 partly because ,i was going out of the straight road for ,quito1 and partly because mules could not readily be had to carry them4 ,these boxes ,i left in the hands of my good friend the ,governor1 who kindly undertook to forward them direct to this city4 ,upon my arrival here1 ,i found that these boxes had not arrived1 although there was more than sufficient time4 ,i waited for them with some impatience1 especially as ,i had disposed of the contents of those ,i had brought with me1 so that there remained none in my hands for sale in this place4 ,during this delay of the ,new ,testaments ,i had many inquiries for them1 as it had got abroad that ,i had brought with me a good supply for this city4 ,at length a part arrived1 when ,i learned that the delay was owing to the owner of the mules4 ,i gave notice publicly of the sale1 as ,i had done in other places1 and in a short time all were sold1 amounting to #acg copies4 ,after these were all gone1 the inquiries after them continued1 and ,i had to put off the inquirers1 with telling them that there were two more boxes expected every minute4 ,day passed on after day without the arrival of these1 until ,i was beginning a second time to think them lost4 ,yesterday afternoon1 however1 they safely arrived1 and as soon as they were opened #hj copies were paid for and carried off by a highly respected clergyman4 ,fifty of these were for the use of the schools here1 and were purchased on account of the government1 agreeably to an order given to that effect some days previous to their arrival4 ,twenty-five of the eighty were purchased at the request of the ,provincial of the ,convent of ,st4 ,francis1 for the express purpose of putting a copy into the hands of each friar in the convent4 ,i noticed in my last the triumph of our cause in the convent of ,st4 ,dominic1 in ,latacunga1 and it affords me no small pleasure to be able to record what ,i may call a triumph of a similar kind1 as just mentioned1 regarding the ,franciscans in this city4 ,to which ,i may add1 that the respected clergyman ,i before referred to1 has orders from1 ,i believe1 all the convents to purchase one1 two1 or more ,bibles for them at the moment of their arrival4 ,the remaining five of the above mentioned eighty were for particular friends4 ,i have noticed to you1 in my preceding letters1 the desire manifested in the places ,i have passed through1 for the whole ,bible4 ,this desire has also been manifested in ,quito1 and in a strong degree4 ,in order to increase this desire1 rather than supply the wants of these places1 ,i have written to ,guayaquil1 directing the fifty ,bibles which ,i formerly ordered from ,lima to that place1 to be sent to these parts1 in due proportions2 only ten or twelve of these will come to this place1 and these are already bespoken4 ,i have also ordered to be sent to the different towns mentioned in my former letters1 a considerable number of copies of the small ,new ,testament1 and of the ,books of ,psalms1 ,proverbs1 c42 the proportion for ,quito is #bjj of the former1 and #bjj of the latter2 these ,i expect will meet with a very favourable reception1 and will fall short of the demand for them4 ,i have thus1 you see1 distributed the whole of the supply sent me as mentioned in your last letter1 yet this supply1 so distributed1 will prove inadequate to the wants and the demands of these quarters4 ,to meet this demand1 we must have recourse to your second edition of the ,bible1 of which you have advised me1 and of which ,i expect a good supply is already on the way to ,lima4 ,in that city1 and also in ,guayaquil1 ,i have given the necessary directions for sending proper quantities to each place4 ,the city of ,quito is large1 and contains upwards of #ej1jjj inhabitants4 ,it is also surrounded by a populous country1 of which it is the capital and the centre4 ,on this account ,i have ordered to it #ejj copies of the whole ,bible1 with a request to our correspondent in ,guayaquil to remit #ejj more1 if the wants of the latter place will admit of it4 ,i have mentioned to you the names of different persons who offered to manage your concerns in some of the places ,i have passed through1 and ,i am happy in having it in my power to say1 that you have found a warm friend and an agent here in the ,marquis of ,san ,jos1 a gentleman of the first respectability in this city1 on account of his personal character1 and on account of his large possessions in this quarter4 ,from this gentleman ,i have received every friendly attention during my stay under his hospitable roof4 ,he allowed me to sell the ,new ,testaments in his own house1 and encouraged his friends to purchase them4 ,in consequence of his readiness to take the charge of the ,society's concerns here1 ,i have ordered the supplies for ,quito1 already mentioned1 to be forwarded directly to him4 ,you will also please consider him as your correspondent for this quarter1 and can address to him accordingly4 ,his address is 8,s ,manuel de ,larrea1 ,marques de ,san ,jos1 ,quito40 ,i spoke to this gentleman1 also1 regarding the formation of a ,bible ,society for the district of ,quito1 whose seat should be in that city4 ,into this matter he entered fully and cheerfully1 and promised to do every thing in his power to commence and to carry forward such an establishment1 as soon as a suitable opportunity should offer for doing so4 ,i spoke also to the ,marchioness regarding a ,female ,bible ,society1 and had the pleasure of being assured by her1 that nothing should be wanting on her part to set such a ,society on foot4 ,i have thus endeavoured to place things in such a state as to induce the hope that the concerns of the ,bible ,society will not be neglected here1 but carried forward in a prosperous manner4 ,i should have mentioned also1 that several gentlemen1 with whom ,i conversed about the circulation of the ,scriptures1 and about a ,bible ,society1 much approved of both1 and expressed their readiness to lend their aid in these matters1 ,i trust these favourable circumstances1 which form an encouraging commencement in this interesting and populous district1 will be followed by results truly beneficial to all the inhabitants here1 and gratifying to the members of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,there is a circumstance indirectly1 or rather ,i should say directly1 connected with our main object1 which ,i should not omit to state to you4 ,i carried with me two copies of the late ,bishop of ,london's ,evidences of ,christianity1 in ,spanish4 ,these ,i bought in ,lima about the time ,i set off1 in the expectation of their doing some good in the course of the journey4 ,i showed this work to the ,marquis1 who immediately bought it4 ,this he eagerly read1 and was highly gratified with its contents4 ,i could have sold the other copy frequently1 but refused to sell it1 as ,i intend to carry it farther on1 and to dispose of it in some other place4 ,the ,marquis lent his copy to several of his friends1 who were also much gratified with perusing it4 ,from less to more1 the interest in this work was carried1 till it was resolved to print an edition of it in ,quito by subscription1 and this subscription is to be solely among the ladies4 ,this1 you see1 is a feeling very friendly to the cause of religion1 and of the ,bible ,society4 ,i suppose ,i need not to tell you1 that a work on the evidences of the christian religion is not a little wanted in many parts in this country1 as there are many who are verging towards1 or are already gone into1 deism4 ,on this account1 as well as on others1 it behoves the friends of ,christianity to bestir themselves in behalf of ,south ,america4 ,the present is a very interesting and also a very critical period for this country4 ,much1 very much1 may be done at present1 through prudent and zealous means1 to instruct and confirm the wavering1 and even perhaps to bring back those who have apostatized from the faith4 ,if these measures were connected with means of instruction1 as far as can be done1 regarding the true principles and practices of ,christianity1 as taught in the ,holy ,scriptures1 a very plentiful harvest1 through the blessing of ,god1 might be reaped4 ,if it should please the ,lord to spare me1 and to enable me to reach my native land1 ,i trust ,i shall find many ready to lend their aid towards such a sacred object4 ,p4,s4--#bfth ,november1 #ahbd4--;,i have now disposed of #cfj copies of the ,new ,testament in this city4 ,may the ,lord follow with his abundant blessing this seed which has been sown1 and cause it to bring forth a hundred fold4 ,to-day ,i set off for ,popayan1 and trust that ,he who has preserved me thus far1 will continue to me his blessing to that place1 and thence onwards4 ,i shall endeavour to drop a few seeds as ,i go along1 and pray that these may fall into good ground4 99 99 99 99 99 ,popayan1 #ast ,january1 #ahbe4 ,you will perceive1 by the date of this letter1 that it is a month later than it ought to be1 according to our epistolary agreement4 ,you will not wonder at this delay1 when you consider that ,i am in the middle of a long and incommodious journey4 ,the day on which ,i should have written you1 ,i was travelling from ,otabalo to ,ibarra1 and of course had neither leisure nor convenience for conversing with you4 ,i now seize the opportunity of a few days rest which ,i enjoy in this city1 to write you a few lines4 ,you will probably he expecting some account of the country in which ,i now am1 and through which ,i have lately passed4 ,i shall endeavour to satisfy your curiosity in some measure upon this point4 ,i shall begin with ,guayaquil4 ,that place contains from #ab1jjj to #ae1jjj inhabitants1 and is situated upon a river of the same name4 ,there are regular tides in the river opposite the town1 twice in the #bd hours1 and the same also takes place for a considerable distance above the town4 ,the spot on which the town is built is very low1 being only a very little higher than the river at the time of high water4 ,the weather here is very hot1 considerably more so than in ,lima4 ,this1 together with a low and somewhat marshy situation1 makes the place unhealthy1 particularly in the rainy season4 ,i could not help observing1 however1 during the short time ,i was there1 that the want of cleanliness in the streets1 and on the banks of the river1 are circumstances which contribute1 in my opinion1 at least one half to the unhealthiness of the town4 ,this port is the place on the ,pacific which at present affords more articles of exportation than any other1 and every succeeding year will make it more so4 ,the cocoa from which the chocolate is made is the principal article1 and of this several ship-loads go annually to ,europe1 besides what is used in ,peru1 ,chile1 c4 ,it is through this place that all the towns1 as far as ,quito1 are supplied with ,european goods1 and through this place also should these towns be supplied with the ,holy ,scriptures1 and with other works which may contribute to enlighten and to benefit them with respect to time and to eternity4 ,i have made arrangements there by which the ,scriptures may be supplied to these quarters in future4 ,the town of ,guaranda is high up on the ,andes1 and within a few miles of the great ,chimborazo4 ,it enjoys a temperate and healthy climate1 notwithstanding its proximity to the ,equator4 ,i need not state to you the causes of this1 as you are well aware of them4 ,i may1 however1 say that ,chimborazo exerts a considerable influence in moderating the heat which might be expected in this quarter4 ,if you should ask me more particularly what ,i think of the climate1 ,i would say1 judging from my own feelings1 that it is cold4 ,so ,i felt it to be1 but that arose partly from my having just come from a very hot climate4 ,it is curious to observe the different feelings of two persons met together on the declivity of the mountains1 the one ascending from ,guayaquil1 and the other descending from ,quito4 ,if you ask one of them regarding the climate1 or weather1 he says it is very cold2 and if you ask the other1 he says it is very warm2 and so they respectively feel from the opposite climates they have come from4 ,guaranda is situated on the western side of the western ,cordillera of the ,andes4 ,you will observe that the word ,andes1 is the general name of all these mountains1 and ,cordillera means the high ridge or line of mountains running nearly north and south4 ,there are two great cordilleras which extend from ,cuenca to about #ajj miles to the north of ,popayan4 ,to the south of ,cuenca and to the north of the department of ,popayan1 one of the ,cordilleras disappears4 ,in going from ,guaranda to ,riobamba1 you first ascend the western cordillera to the top4 ,on this top is the base of ,chimborazo4 ,the road is close along the base of the mountain and you would think you could lay your hand upon it4 ,from this spot it does not appear a very high mountain1 and the reason is obvious1 as this spot itself is at a great elevation4#e ,the whole of ,chimborazo1 except perhaps1 a few yards1 is covered with snow--everlastingly covered4 ,having reached this top1 you see1 for the first time1 the eastern cordillera1 vying with the western in height4 ,you then descend down till you come to ,riobamba1 which is situated in a level plain between the two ridges1 and at nearly an equal distance from both4 ,the whole of my journey1 from leaving ,riobamba till my arrival in this city1 has been in this great valley1 between the two cordilleras of the ,andes4 ,in two days or three after leaving this place1 ,i will have to cross the eastern cordillera on my way to ,bogot4 ,the two principal towns between ,riobamba and ,quito1 are ,ambato and ,tacunga1 and of which ,i have spoken in my letters to ,mr4 ,b42 the former may contain #e1jjj1 and the latter #f1jjj4 ,the greater part of this population consists of ,indians1 who all speak the ancient ,peruvian language4 ,the largest town in the whole of this extensive valley1 between the ridges of the ,andes1 is ,quito4 ,it is a city of #ej1jjj inhabitants and upwards1 and will not yield to any city in ,south ,america in point of population1 except to ,lima and to ,buenos ,aires4 ,its public buildings are much superior to those of the latter place1 and not much inferior to those of the former4 ,its site is unfavourable1 as it is placed on an uneven piece of ground4 ,in travelling from ,quito to ,popayan you experience a great variety of climate4 ,sometimes you have the unmitigated heat of the torrid zone2 at another time you might imagine yourself in the neighbourhood of one of the poles rather than the equator2 and again at other times you have a climate of the most delightful kind1 equally removed from the extremes of heat and of cold4 ,one of the coldest nights ,i passed on the journey1 was within a few yards of the line4 ,you will wonder1 perhaps1 at this variety1 but ,i will explain it to you4 ,here and there1 during the whole course of this long valley1 from ,cuenca to ,popayan1 you have1 rising out of the one cordillera or the other1 an enormous snow-capped mountain4 ,it is evident that the cold reigns uninterrupted on these towering summits1 as the snow1 its certain signal1 is ever spread over them4 ,of course when the wind blows from these1 it temperates 7or perhaps somewhat more7 the heat of the sun wherever it passes4 ,any place situated near these mountains is necessarily temperate1 or cold4 ,the coldest place in the whole road1 is a place called ,tiupuyo1 some #bj miles south of ,quito1 because there you have ,cotopaxi on the one side1 and right opposite on the other you have ,ilinisa1 both of which are always covered with snow4 ,i have thus noticed to you the cause of the cold1 and shall now point out what is the cause of the heat in those places where its effects are most felt4 ,wherever there is a deep valley with sloping mountains around1 and no towering summits covered with snow1 for a considerable distance1 there you have a climate of the same kind as is met with in the same latitude on the sea coast4 ,as to the temperate places ,i have spoken of1 they are always to be met with in the absence of these snow-covered mountains on the one hand and the deep valleys on the other4 ,in these tracts the climate is delightful in the extreme1 all the year round4 ,in none of these parts have you ,spring1 ,summer1 ,harvest1 and ,winter1 but one uniform temperature from one end of the year to the other4 ,in most of these places there are periodical times of rain1 which form what they call the ,winter1 whilst the dry season is called ,summer4 ,the farmer there may sow when he chooses1 and may have his harvest in any month of the year2 notwithstanding1 however1 there is some order attended to in this respect1 but it is not uniform in all places4 #e ,the top of this ridge1 or cordillera1 cannot be less than #ag1jjj feet above the level of the sea4 ,on arriving at this height1 ,i recollected what ,i had often read of1 that persons at great elevations felt much difficulty in breathing4 ,i resolved to try the correctness of these accounts3 and for this purpose1 ,i alighted from my horse1 and with a heavy great-coat on1 ,i walked with a quick pace for half an hour4 ,the result was1 ,i felt not the slightest inconvenience in breathing4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bogot1 #hth ,february1 #ahbe4 ,since my last communication to you from ,quito1 ,i have had a long1 and by no means an agreeable journey4 ,the distance from ,quito to this place is considerable1 the roads are very bad1 and in passing through one district1 there is no inconsiderable danger4 ,on the #bith ultimo1 ,i arrived safely in this city1 and now seize the first opportunity that offers of writing you a few lines1 to inform you of occurrences in these parts since my last1 of the #bfth ,november4 ,i intimated to you in the letter last mentioned1 that it was my intention to drop a few seeds as ,i went along1 or in other words1 to endeavour to circulate the sacred volume1 as opportunities might offer1 in the course of my journey4 ,i accordingly posted up my notices in those places1 where ,i stopped for half a day1 or upwards4 ,in these country villages a great sale was not to be expected4 ,the inhabitants are in general poor1 and very few of them are addicted to reading4 ,some copies1 however1 were thus put into circulation1 and in such places1 and under such circumstances1 ,i always think much has been done if a kind of beginning has been made4 ,i shall1 in a future communication1 state to you the number sold in each place1 and the respective sums received since my leaving ,lima4 ,i would give you this account now1 were it not that the scantiness of my time at present will not allow me to extract these notices from among my notes4 ,i have now disposed of all the ,new ,testaments ,i brought with me from ,lima1 and those which ,i found awaiting me in ,guayaquil4 ,i bless the ,lord for having counselled me to undertake this journey1 and thus to put into circulation a considerable number of copies of his holy word1 and which would not likely have been accomplished1 but by means of making a complete tour through these quarters4 ,i have thus cause of gratitude to ,him who distributeth his favours to whom he will1 for having honoured me with a share of this angel-work1 of communicating the revelation of ,god to man4 ,i shall be glad also to know1 that the plan ,i have taken meets with the approbation of the ,committee of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society4 ,i thought much about this journey before undertaking it1 and prayed much to the ,lord to counsel me in regard to it4 ,and now1 looking back over the road ,i have travelled1 and reflecting on the number of copies of the word of life1 now in the hands of many people who had never before seen it1 ,i feel my heart drawn out in thanksgiving and praise for all the way by which the ,lord hath led me4 ,my labours in distributing the sacred volume on this journey must now terminate1 because ,i have no more to distribute4 ,in the multitude of my thoughts within me upon setting off from ,lima1 it occurred to me that ,i might1 after reaching this place1 extend my journey in your service to ,guatemala1 and from thence overland to ,mexico4 ,two objects ,i had in view in reference to this2 the one was the circulation of the ,scriptures1 and the other was the procuring translations of the ,new ,testament into the native languages of those parts4 ,of this latter object ,i wrote you some time ago4 ,this intended journey1 however1 must now be given up1 for various reasons4 ,the first is1 because ,i have no more copies of the ,scriptures to distribute2 the second is1 because ,i feel doubtful if it would meet with your approbation to incur the expense of travelling through those parts1 with the single object of procuring the translations referred to2 the third reason is1 the happy change which has taken place in ,peru1 in the termination of the war there1 and which induces me to visit ,england as early as possible1 that ,i may again return to ,lima without loss of time1 in order to carry on the work of the ,lord there1 according to the grace and strength he may be pleased to afford me4 ,i trust in the ,lord that we shall have an opportunity of seeing each other face to face1 before many months elapse1 that we may talk over all the doings of the ,lord1 in making his word to circulate in this country and in every place1 and that we may make arrangements for benefiting ,south ,america yet more extensively4 ,i have spoken of the termination of the war in ,peru1 and this to me is no small subject of thanksgiving2 for the deliverance of the country from the ,spanish yoke1 and the rapid progress of the ,lord's work1 are closely identified4 ,i wrote you from ,guayaquil some months ago respecting this identification4 ,it was then ,i gave you an account of the battle of ,junin1 and of the very important effects that followed4 ,i then also ventured to speak of what were likely to be the ultimate and no very distant results of that battle4 ,all these things the ,lord hath now brought about1 in scattering those who delight in war and oppression1 and in commanding the destroying sword to return into its scabbard4--,rest and peace to this destroying instrument--and for ever6 ,may it never more be drawn in this country1 to cut in sunder afresh the peace and the progress of man6 ,i send you an account of this late event in ,peru1 which ,i think will prove interesting to you and to your friends4 ,i expected to find1 on my arrival here1 a large supply of ,spanish ,new ,testaments1 which ,i thought you would have found an opportunity of forwarding to some correspondent in this quarter4 ,i have spoken with ,mr4 ,henderson1 the ,british ,consul ,general here1 upon the subject1 and he informs me that there are neither ,spanish ,bibles nor ,new ,testaments in this city1 and that there is a demand for them4 ,he also informs me1 that he wrote about three months ago to ,mr4 ,dowson1 a correspondent of his1 requesting him to forward some to this place4 ,you will please make inquiry of ,mr4 ,d41 who lives in ,welbeck ,street1 if he has sent any2 and in the event of none having been sent1 have the goodness to forward to this city1 as early as possible1 a supply of each of your editions of the ,spanish ,scriptures4 ,i have talked with ,mr4 ,henderson upon this subject1 and think he will be a very suitable person to manage your concerns here1 and to correspond with you4 ,he takes a particular interest in this matter1 and desires me to assure you of his readiness to do all that lies in his power to forward your good work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bogot1 #beth ,february1 #ahbe4 ,i have noticed to you1 more than once1 the very favourable reception given to the ,scriptures in these parts4 ,i am now to state to you an exception1 and it is in a quarter where it should not have been found4 ,the only person whom ,i found unfriendly to the circulation of the ,scriptures without notes1 in the whole of the journey from ,lima to ,bogot1 was the ,bishop of ,popayan4 ,i have stated his opposition in gentle terms1 for truth requires it4 ,i heard1 soon after putting up the advertisements for the sale of the ,new ,testaments1 that the ,bishop had spoken against the reading of them4 ,i called upon him to know whether it was so or not1 and to learn what were his objections4 ,i had visited him before1 and had had a visit from him in return1 so that we were1 on this second visit1 on terms of a friendly intercourse1 and we therefore entered freely into the subject of the sale and distribution of the ,scriptures4 ,i mentioned to him what ,i had heard1 and inquired whether ,i had been correctly informed4 ,he then told me the whole of what had occurred upon the subject4 ,he said1 a person who had bought one of the ,new ,testaments1 brought it to him and asked his opinion as to his using it4 ,the person was a priest1 and he named him to me4 ,the ,bishop1 upon his opinion being asked1 rose and brought the ,acts of the ,council of ,trent1 and pointed out to the priest the article there1 prohibiting the use of the ,scriptures without notes4 ,he concluded1 however1 by telling the priest that he might keep his ,new ,testament and use it4 ,this1 said the ,bishop1 is all that occurred upon this matter4 ,he said farther1 that it was not his intention to oppose the circulation of the ,new ,testaments in any other way4 ,if any person chose to buy them1 he would not interfere2 but if any one should ask his opinion upon the matter1 he would refer him to the same article1 as his duty required him to do4 ,i said that ,i understood the article in question was as he had stated it1 but that when ,i considered how many among all ranks of the catholic clergy made no account of that article1 but freely encouraged the circulation of the ,scriptures among their flocks1 ,i was inclined to think that the article was qualified by something subsequent to it1 or that it was not generally considered as in force4 ,he replied to this1 that there was nothing subsequent to alter the force of that article1 but rather to strengthen it1 and that whatever others did1 he considered his duty to be1 to follow the rules of the church in that and in all such matters1 as every good ,catholic ought to do4 ,i said that ,i saw the force of what he said1 considering what were the principles of his faith4 ,i added1 that notwithstanding his reasons1 ,i could not but be sorry to see any opposition to the circulation of the ,holy ,scriptures1 a book which ,god had graciously given to all1 and which should1 of course1 be studied by all4 ,i observed1 also1 that ,i was fully persuaded that very great advantages would arise from a general reading of the word of ,god1 and from these considerations ,i conceived it to be my duty to put them into the hands of all1 and to call upon all to read them with serious attention4 8,amen10 replied the ,bishop1 8,i also am of the same opinion4 ,i am sure that it would be advantageous to all to read the ,scriptures1 but then let them be read with the necessary directions4 ,if ,bibles and ,new ,testaments were to come here with the notes1 ,i would be the first to promote their circulation40 ,our conversation was extended a good deal further upon this subject1 and embraced the usual topics of this question1 but which it is unnecessary here to repeat4 ,i am labouring what ,i can to establish a ,bible ,society here1 and it is that alone which keeps me longer in this city4 ,i am not yet sure whether ,i shall succeed or not1 but my next letter will inform you4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bogot1 #ast ,march1 #ahbe4 ,my last letter to you was written from ,popayan on the #ast of ,january4 ,i informed you at that time of some of the circumstances that occurred to me in the way1 and gave you some account of the peculiar situation of the country from ,guayaquil to ,quito4 ,i shall now resume this description1 which ,i was obliged to break off abruptly in my last4 ,i remained about three weeks in ,quito1 experiencing the kindest attentions from many friends4 ,the remembrance of my short stay in that place will always be agreeable4 ,thanks be to ,god for providing me friends in every quarter1 and may they all be fully rewarded for all their kindness4 ,i had several very interesting conversations with the ,rector1 and with some of the ,professors of the ,college in that city1 upon religious subjects2 and one of the ,professors who understands ,english begged me to let him have1 at any price1 two works ,i carried with me4 ,these were ,jones's ,biblical ,cyclopedia and ,stewart's ,philosophy of the ,human ,mind4 ,he said that if ,i could not spare both works1 he particularly wished for the first1 as being in the line of his profession as a clergyman1 and because he wished to examine the subject of religion1 not merely from their own writers1 but from ours also4 ,i let him have both of them1 with which he was much gratified4 ,these gentlemen belonging to the ,college1 whom ,i have just referred to1 manifested an excellent and liberal spirit in regard to the improvements necessary in their mode of education in the seminary to which they belong4 ,there are about #cjj students in this college4 ,nothing very material occurred in the journey from ,quito until arriving at the province of ,pastos4 ,this province has been for a long time past in a very unsettled state4 ,it has repeatedly raised the standard of rebellion against the existing ,government1 and has as often been reduced to subjection by the force of arms4 ,at each time it has suffered severely1 and at present it resembles a deserted country2 the finest fields and pastures are met with1 without a single head of cattle4 ,this province is still but ill at rest1 and may be said to be subdued and reduced1 rather than tranquillized4 ,a proof of that is to be found in the banditti which exist in it4 ,at the time we passed1 there were three or four of these parties in different places1 and one of them consisted of one hundred men4 ,on arriving at ,tulcan1 which is about three days journey from the city of ,pasto1 the capital of the province1 we had to take with us a guard of ten men4 ,we passed from ,tulcan to ,pasto1 without meeting with any enemy4 ,but from what we heard afterwards1 we may consider ourselves as having made a providential escape1 as there was a party of #af men seen in these quarters1 a few days after we passed4 ,in the city of ,pasto1 there is constantly kept a body of about a thousand men2 some of these are employed in searching out and in persecuting these banditti2 and some of them are employed in escorting the mail and travellers from that to the province of ,popayan4 ,the ,governor of ,pasto gave us an escort of forty men1 and which was judged necessary from the general state of the province1 and from a recent occurrence4 ,this occurrence was the assault and murder of a merchant travelling from ,popayan to ,pasto1 notwithstanding his having an escort of twelve men with him4 ,the soldiers we brought with us behaved very well2 we kept a good look out1 and mounted our centinels every night1 particularly in that spot where the murder was committed1 and where we passed the night4 ,had we fallen in with any of these parties we would have been hardly put to it1 and had we been worsted1 we should certainly not have escaped with life4 ,from this1 however1 and from every other danger on the journey1 the ,lord delivered us4 ,for all these mercies1 ,i feel my heart stirred up with gratitude and thanksgiving1 and ,i feel a desire more than ever to devote my whole life to the service of ,god1 and to the service of mankind4 ,i have already stated to you the unquiet state of the ,province of ,pastos1 and its desolateness in consequence4 ,the ,city of ,pasto1 the capital1 affords also a melancholy proof of this desolation4 ,its population has been reduced from #ae1jjj1 to1 perhaps1 not more than #djjj1 and in every street you meet with numbers of houses waste and uninhabited1 with all the wood of the doors and windows torn out1 and which was used by the military for firewood4 ,you are not to consider this revolutionary spirit as extending throughout the country1 but as confined exclusively to that province4 ,upon my arriving at ,popayan1 ,i found there an ,english medical gentleman1 of the name of ,wallis1 who has been upwards of twenty years in the country4 ,dr4 ,wallis shewed me much kindness2 he was very friendly to the circulation of the ,scriptures1 and aided me therein as much as he could4 ,the number sold there was very small1 considering the size of the place1 on account of some little opposition from the ,bishop1 of which ,i have spoken in one of my letters to ,mr4 ,b4 ,the topography of ,popayan is worth noticing4 ,it is situated in a very large plain1 called the valley of ,cauca4 ,it is by far the largest plain in those quarters1 the ,cordilleras separating farther from each other there than in any other part1 and the space between them is1 in general1 even1 or nearly so4 ,it is watered by a beautiful river1 called ,cauca4 ,the population in the whole valley is exceedingly small1 considering its size and fertility4 ,there is little doubt1 ,i think1 but it will one day become a place of great population and importance4 ,its climate is healthy and delightful1 with an everlasting summer1 and its productions1 taking one part with another include every thing1 from wheat to the sugar-cane4 ,there is no part of ,colombia which ,i have yet seen1 nor1 perhaps1 of ,america1 in which ,i could wish to live in preference to ,popayan4 ,no part of ,south ,america1 ,i believe1 has felt more severely the effects of the revolutionary war than the city of ,popayan and its neighbourhood4 ,the city was taken and retaken1 ,i believe1 fourteen times1 and there is scarcely an individual in it who has not a long tale of woes to relate1 either of himself or of his friends4 ,it has now enjoyed peace for some time1 and is beginning to regain its former state1 but years of tranquillity are necessary to restore it fully4 ,there is a mint here1 which coins annually about one million of dollars1 of the gold of ,choc1 and from the mines of the province of ,popayan4 ,there is also coined there twenty thousand dollars of silver4 ,the ,director of the ,mint is a gentleman of the name of ,pombo1 a literary man1 and who has published two or three elementary works for schools1 of considerable value4 ,from ,popayan to ,bogot there are two roads across the cordillera1 but the one to the south is the best4 ,this is called the ,pass of ,guanacos1 and lies nearly east of ,popayan2 the other is called ,quindiu1 and lies to the north4 ,the cold on the top of the mountain is generally pretty keen4 ,the ascent from ,popayan is gradual1 but the descent on the other side is rapid1 and you pass quickly from a very cold climate to a hot one4 ,it is a frightful road in some places4 ,you have frequently to ascend and descend very steep places on this side of the mountain1 from the many deep glens made by the rivers which you pass4 ,you may be said to be riding up stairs and down stairs in these places1 and in several of them it is literally so4 ,the mules are wonderfully steady1 being accustomed to these roads1 so that they very seldom slip4 ,some years ago an ,italian doctor1 passing that way1 was so frightened with the going down these stairs1 that he mounted his mule the reverse way1 with his face backwards1 and then leaned him down flat upon the mule4 ,this attitude1 together with his three-cocked hat and queue1 afforded no little diversion to the muleteers who conducted him4 ,this kind of road continues till you come to the town of ,la ,plata1 and after that you have a much better road1 the greater part of which is in the great valley of the river ,magdalena1 and one of its contributaries4 ,the usual stages or places where you hire mules1 on the way between ,popayan and ,bogot are1 ,la ,plata1 ,neiva1 and ,la ,mesa4 ,in most places the mules are scarce1 on account of the great number of these animals destroyed by the war4 ,at proper distances on the road there are houses called ,tambos1 which are the inns of the place4 ,these houses consist of a roof erected upon poles1 and without any walls1 so that they afford shelter from the rain1 but not from the wind and the cold4 ,the town of ,la ,plata is pleasantly situated on the banks of a river of the same name1 on the first lowlands after getting out from the great mountains4 ,there is a great deal of fertile land about the place1 affording a great variety of productions1 including the sugar-cane1 but these fertile lands are almost all lying waste4 ,the river ,la ,plata1 about ten miles below the town1 joins the river ,paez1 a river on the banks of which we travelled a good deal1 and across which we passed repeatedly4 ,the ,la ,plata and the ,paez are nearly of the same size1 and make a fine stream when united4 ,when these two streams unite1 the whole goes by the name of ,paez4 ,after travelling two days on the banks of the ,paez1 we saw it fall into the ,magdalena1 and lose its name there4--,from the town of ,la ,plata the heat begins1 and when you reach the ,magdalena it is very great1 and continues so all along the banks of the river4 ,this is decidedly the hottest place ,i ever was in4 ,the thermometer every day rose to #ig1 and remained there two or three hours together4 ,i was in a constant state of perspiration during the #bd hours1 except1 perhaps1 from #b o'clock in the morning till #h4 ,this was the only respite1 if respite it might be called4 ,at ,neiva we left the road and the mules1 and took to the river1 down which we went for some days4 ,from ,neiva to ,honda the river is navigable in what are called balsas4 ,the balsa consists of long poles or trunks of trees laid close to each other1 with others laid over then cross-wise1 and again1 above this row1 or above an additional one1 is a kind of flooring1 made of the bamboo flattened out4 ,the wood of which these balsas are made is exceedingly light1 and very well adapted for the use4 ,in this vessel there is not a single nail used1 nor a single rope4 ,the poles are tied together with what are called bejucos1 which is a species of plant that grows abundantly in these quarters1 and resembles a rope in length and thickness4 ,with these1 which are of all sizes1 the whole work of nails and ropes is performed4 ,over the balsa is raised a roof1 thatched with what the wood affords4 ,this protects the luggage as well as the passengers from the rain4 ,in this rude vessel we passed some days and some nights1 sailing when we had light1 and at night fastened by one of these ropes to a tree4 ,the river was very shallow at the time we passed1 so that we frequently got aground in the middle of the stream1 at which time our boatmen1 or bogas as they are called1 had to get into the water and push us along4 ,there was another evil of a worse kind which we had to encounter1 namely1 the trunks of trees sunk deep in the bottom of the river1 sometimes appearing above the water1 and sometimes not4 ,it requires a good deal of dexterity to steer among these at times1 as the current perhaps draws you straight to them4 ,against one of these sunken trees we drove one day1 and fortunately broke it with the blow4 ,the shock pitched our bogas into the river in a moment1 but they were immediately again on board4 ,this blow1 however1 broke some of our wooden ropes1 and we were under the necessity of fastening ourselves to a tree till we got repaired4 ,the bogas got into the wood1 and got1 quite at hand1 other ropes of a similar kind1 cut them down1 repaired the bark1 and in an hour's time we were again at sea4 ,the general landing place for travellers for ,bogot1 is not as far down as ,honda1 but at a place called ,fusagasug4 ,here you leave the river1 and begin to ascend the hills1 and afterwards the mountains1 and sensibly to change your climate from extreme heat to temperature1 but a temperature which1 under these circumstances1 feels quite cold4 ,on the last day's travel to this place1 we began early in the morning to ascend the mountain by a steep and rugged road1 closely wooded on both sides4 ,we kept ascending till about noon1 when we reached the top1 and the wood disappeared4 ,here ,i expected we would have had1 as usual1 to descend again1 but quite otherwise4 ,on the top of this mountain is a large beautiful plain1 and at the farther end of it stands the city of ,bogot4 99 99 99 99 99 ,bogot1 #eth ,april1 #ahbe4 ,i had the pleasure of writing you on the #beth of ,february last1 and of giving you an account of those places1 in which the ,holy ,scriptures were distributed in the course of my journey4 ,i noticed to you at the same time1 the only instance ,i met with of opposition to the circulation of the ,scriptures without notes4 ,i also informed you of my endeavours to bring about the establishment of a ,bible ,society in this city4 ,by the last packet for ,england1 ,i sent you a copy of ,no4 #bi of 8,the ,constitutional10 a newspaper published in this place1 and which contained an advertisement relative to the subject in question4 ,by that advertisement1 you would see that something was doing in the matter1 and from the respectability of the gentlemen who are there mentioned1 you would perceive that we had met with some valuable supporters1 and that there was a prospect held forth of succeeding in this object4 ,i now send you ,nos4 #cj1 #ca1 and #cb1 of the same paper1 which will point out to you the different steps we have taken1 and you will be able to notice also the progressive encouragement we obtained4 ,you will perceive by the two last numbers that our ,society at length obtained a fair and firm establishment4 ,i say a fair establishment1 because the whole of our transactions were done in open day1 and because all who wished to state their objections were not only permitted1 but encouraged to do so4 ,our meeting on the #bdth was very well attended1 and consisted of the most respectable class of the community in this city1 both clergy and laity4 ,we had1 on that occasion1 a very warm and interesting discussion of the point in question4 ,a professor in one of the colleges was the first who spoke1 a man of very respectable talents1 and commendable for his ,christian virtues1 but withal full of ,catholic prejudices4 ,this gentleman opposed our object1 as being contrary to the acts of the general councils of the church1 and as being injudicious and hurtful1 especially under present circumstances4 ,the next who spoke was the very respectable rector of the principal college of this city4 ,in this gentleman we met with a warm friend to our ,institution1 and we had the pleasure of hearing him reply to the objections of the preceding speaker4 ,both these individuals are clergymen4 ,the next who spoke was also a clergyman1 a well known and eloquent preacher in this place1 a man full of zeal1 and who adorns his profession by a very exemplary conduct4 ,this gentleman opposed our plans1 as the first speaker had done1 and even went farther1 and said1 that under existing circumstances1 he considered it improper to have a general circulation of the ,scriptures1 even with the notes affixed4 ,this last observation relieved us a little1 in respect to the opposition we met with from this individual1 as it was plain that1 as a ,catholic1 he proved too much1 and thus overshot his mark1 and injured his cause1 inasmuch as he carried things farther than either the ,pope or the ,council of ,trent4 ,this ended our opposition1 or at least finished the list of our opponents1 for no other individual present spoke on that side of the question4 ,the gentleman1 however1 who had spoken first1 was so full upon his subject1 that he rose again and again to advocate his cause1 until it was necessary to reply to him from the chair as to order1 and to the giving an opportunity to others to speak as well as himself4 ,several gentlemen spoke in succession1 and warmly advocated the cause of the ,bible ,society in general1 and pointed out to the meeting the consistency of the object of the ,society to be established1 with the laws and customs of the people of ,colombia1 and stating at the same time the great advantages that would certainly arise to their country1 from a general circulation and reading of the word of ,god1 not encumbered with notes1 but in its own native simplicity1 as it was delivered by the ,almighty to mankind4 ,the two ,ministers of ,government who were present1 ,mr4 ,gual1 and ,mr4 ,castillo1 very ably1 and at considerable length1 defended and supported the object of the ,society1 and pointed out that there was nothing of a clandestine nature in the establishment of this ,institution1 but that it had the full and open approbation of the ,executive ,government of the country1 and also of the ecclesiastical authorities4 ,after our plans respecting the ,society had thus been clearly and openly stated to the assembly1 and nothing kept back1 and after we had heard all that was to be said in support of its adoption in ,colombia1 and also the objections urged against it1 the sense of the meeting was taken by vote4 ,the question put amounted to this3 ,is it compatible with our laws and customs1 as ,colombians1 and as of the ,roman ,catholic church1 to establish a ,colombian ,bible ,society in this capital as a national ,society1 and whose only object is to print and circulate the ,holy ,scriptures1 in approved versions1 in our native tongue2 and does such a ,society meet with the approbation of this assembly8 ,this question was triumphantly carried in the affirmative1 and almost unanimously4 ,i need not tell you how much pleasure ,i enjoyed in witnessing this triumph1 nor how many anxieties previously entertained respecting the result of these meetings1 were at once laid asleep1 or were changed into that tranquillity1 that peace and joy1 which arise from seeing the name of the ,lord glorified among men4 ,i know you will participate in the same feelings1 and will hail the establishment of this ,society as a new era in ,south ,america4 ,see here one of the happy effects of the political revolution6 and it is but one of many1 some of which are already visible1 and the rest come on in their natural order and beauty4 ,blessed be ,god1 who doeth all things according to the counsel of his own will1 who maketh the wrath of man to praise him1 and who in due time saith to the wars1 as to the winds and the waves1 peace1 be still6 and thus leaving us in the midst of the calm1 to exclaim1 ,who is a ,god like unto our ,god1 who bringeth order out of confusion1 and who maketh waters to spring up in the wilderness1 and streams to flow in the desert4 ,our last meeting to establish the ,society was held yesterday afternoon1 and consisted of those who had subscribed as members of this ,institution4 ,the ,president1 ,vice ,presidents1 the ,treasurer1 and ,secretaries1 were chosen at this meeting1 and you will find their names in the paper1 ,no4 #cb1 ,i now send you4 ,these gentlemen1 you will see1 are of the most respectable inhabitants of this place1 and this gives at once a tone and a stability to our ,society4 ,besides the preceding office-bearers1 there was chosen a ,committee1 consisting of twenty1 one half clergymen and the other half laymen4 ,the gentlemen elected into the ,committee1 are also of the same highly respectable class as those whose names you have mentioned in the paper4 ,it is intended to publish1 as soon as possible1 an account of the origin and actual state of the ,society4 ,along with this will be published the ,rules and ,regulations adopted1 the names of the office-bearers and committee1 and a list of subscribers4 ,to all of which will be added a short address to the people of ,south ,america1 upon the object and the advantages of the ,society4 ,i have much pleasure in saying that the subscriptions already amount to #achj dollars4 ,i should not omit to mention to you1 that all the meetings upon this matter have been held in the chapel of the ,university1 which is in the principal ,dominican ,convent of this city4 ,the ,rector of the ,university and the ,prior of the ,convent have been and are our very warm friends and supporters4 ,with the former the subscription paper lies1 and is daily obtaining additional subscribers4 ,one of our secretaries is also a ,dominican ,friar1 is secretary to the ,university1 and formerly filled the office of secretary in the district tribunal of the ,inquisition of this quarter4 ,it is this gentleman who has written all the articles in the ,newspaper about the ,society1 and what you read in the ,english part is merely a translation from the same article in ,spanish1 as written by him4#f ,i have now to say a few words respecting the conduct on this occasion of ,mr4 ,gual1 ,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs1 and now ,president of the ,bible ,society of ,colombia4 ,i wish to speak of the conduct of this gentleman in the highest terms1 and in doing so1 feel that ,i am not using the voice of flattery and adulation1 but complying with the precept of rendering to every one his due4 ,it is an act of injustice to withhold the praise that is due to any one1 when a proper occasion offers of mentioning it4 ,i had occasion to call upon him at different times1 in regard to the preliminary steps for setting the ,society on foot1 and notwithstanding the hurry of business in his public situation1 ,i always found him ready to spend a few minutes in listening to the propositions made to him as to our mode of acting in this matter4 ,he also cheerfully attended and presided at all our meetings1 and constantly defended1 with much judgment and eloquence1 the glorious work of circulating the ,holy ,scriptures in their natural beauty1 in every corner of his native land1 over all this continent1 and finally throughout the world4 ,mr4 ,castillo1 the ,minister of ,finance1 also warmly advocated our cause1 and these two gentlemen1 as well as the ,minister of the ,interior1 have given #ej dollars each by way of donation1 and are1 besides1 annual subscribers of #bj dollars each4 ,the ,vice-,president has also given us a donation and his subscription of #bd dollars4 ,i have much pleasure in noticing to you that ,colonel ,hamilton1 ,h4 ,b4 ,m4 ,commissioner to this ,government1 and ,mr4 ,henderson1 the ,british ,consul-,general1 have lent the influence of their names and of their purses to the forwarding of our ,society4 ,colonel ,campbell also1 the ,british ,charg d',affaires1 just arrived in time to be present at our last meeting1 and both he and ,mr4 ,henderson were chosen members of the committee4 ,i have requested ,mr4 ,gual to write a few lines to ,lord ,teignmouth1 by way of introducing our new ,society to a friendly correspondence with that great and venerable ,society over which he has so long presided1 with so much honour to himself1 and with much advantage to mankind4 ,i expect ,mr4 ,gual's letter to-morrow1 and shall forward it with this4 ,he is going also to write a few lines in order to begin a correspondence with the ,american ,bible ,society4 ,i have now been detained in this city considerably longer than ,i expected upon my arrival here1 but ,i have the satisfaction of thinking1 that my stay has been prolonged in the forwarding of a good work4 ,i now set off immediately1 and expect soon to have the pleasure of seeing the friends of the ,redeemer's cause in the ,united ,states2 and not very long after1 if the ,lord will1 ,i hope once more to behold my native land1 and to salute there my friends and brethren in ,christ ,jesus4 #f ,these articles from the newspaper are added at the end of this letter1 as descriptive of the state of the country in regard to these matters4 ,articles regarding the ,formation of a ,bible ,society in ,bogot1 extracted from 8,the ,constitutional10 a weekly ,newspaper published in that ,city1 in ,spanish and ,english4 #agth ,march1 #ahbe4 ,on the #aeth instant1 at half-past five in the afternoon1 a public meeting took place in the ,chapel of the ,university of this city1 at which were present ,dr4 ,pedro ,gual1 ,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs2 ,dr4 ,antonio ,malo1 ,member of the ,senate2 ,dr4 ,joaquin ,gomez and ,dr4 ,mariano ,mio1 ,members of the ,chamber of ,representatives2 ,dr4 ,jose ,maria ,estevez1 ,rector of the ,college of ,san ,bartolom2 ,father ,joaquin ,galvez1 ,rector of the ,university2 ,father ,mariano ,garnica1 ,prior of the ,dominican ,convent2 ,dr4 ,nicolas ,quebedo2 and the ,secretary of the ,university4 ,the meeting was assembled at the instance of ,mr4 ,thomson1 ,agent of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 with the view of establishing a ,bible ,society in ,colombia4 ,the ,rules for the proposed ,society were read1 and after some observations from ,sr4 ,gual1 it was resolved unanimously to call a general meeting on ,sunday next1 the #bjth instant1 at four o'clock in the afternoon1 in the same place1 in order to take into consideration the advantages or inconveniences of such an establishment in ,colombia2 to obtain the general consent for the incorporation of a ,society similar to that which has been the source of so many spiritual benefits to the human race in ,europe1 ,asia1 and ,africa2 and of which a correct idea will be given to the public by means of the press4 ,in the mean time1 it is distinctly stated1 that the sole and exclusive object of this ,society is the dissemination of the ,holy ,scriptures throughout the world4 #bdth ,march1 #ahbe4 ,on ,sunday last1 the #bjth instant1 the meeting took place which was advertised in the ,,constitutional of last week1 for the purpose of establishing this valuable and important ,institution4 ,upon this occasion eloquent and appropriate speeches were delivered by ,sres4 ,gual1 ,castillo1 and ,herrera2 and1 after a debate of considerable length1 it was agreed to convene a general meeting1 by means of circulars1 for this day1 7,thursday17 at four o'clock in the afternoon4 ,the principal object of this invitation is to place the basis of the ,society on the most permanent and respectable foundation2 to hear the opinions1 and be benefited by the judgment of the gentlemen who may assemble2 and to determine definitively upon what may appear most suitable and in conformity to the state and relations of ,colombia4 ,by the blessing of ,heaven we hope to see accomplished the desires of those who have devoted their wisdom and love of their country to the promotion of so benevolent an undertaking4--,we will have the pleasure of publishing a report of the speeches delivered on the occasion1 also the rules and regulations of the ,society1 together with the objections that may be urged against it4 #cast ,march1 #ahbe4 ,at length the setting on foot of this establishment has been obtained1 and its advantages will soon be known to those who are alike the friends of the religion of ,jesus ,christ1 and of the true enlightening of the people4 ,endeavours were made to bring together all the principal persons of this city1 by issuing upwards of #cjj cards of invitation2 and notwithstanding the smallness of the ,chapel of the ,university1 there assembled in it two-thirds of those invited4 ,it is our intention to publish the speeches then made1 together with the discourses offered us by some gentlemen who had not time to deliver them upon that occasion4 ,this we promise to do with the greatest correctness possible4 ,the opposition which has been made to this beneficent ,institution by sinister interpretations of its object1 is not to be wondered at1 nor that strife of opinion which has already been manifested upon this important subject4 ,it is1 however1 strange that any public writer should have said that it would be better to print two millions of copies of the ,catechism1 7the only book of instruction afforded to the people by our old oppressors17 than to print and circulate the ,holy ,bible4 ,it is not suitable in itself1 nor is it consistent with our upright motives to excite contention4 ,the exclusive object of the ,bible ,society which has been established in ,colombia is1 to facilitate to all ,colombians the reading of the divine word1 in our own native tongue1 from approved versions1 such as that of ,father ,scio1 or that of the celebrated ,torres ,amat1 which has just been published in ,madrid with all the necessary licences3 and this object will be accomplished without in any degree infringing upon the ,articles of the ,council of ,trent4 ,if this plan draw forth opposition--if this object is capable of producing bitter and extemporaneous censures1 then we will be under the necessity of classing the people of ,colombia with the most uncivilized people of the world4 ,this ,bible ,society has been established with the consent and approbation of the most distinguished persons1 actually entrusted with the ,executive ,government of the ,republic1 and the ,ecclesiastical ,government of the ,archbishopric1 to whom it belongs exclusively and without dispute to watch over the spiritual and temporal happiness of the people1 and whose fidelity none without injustice can call in question4 #gth ,april1 #ahbe4 ,on the #dth current there assembled in the ,chapel of the ,university1 those ,foreigners and ,colombians who have so generously contributed to the formation of this establishment1 and whose names will be furnished upon another occasion4 ,rules and ,regulations for this ,society were read1 and were unanimously approved of as the laws of its organization4 ,in conformity to these ,rules1 the subscribers proceeded to the election of ,president1 ,vice-,presidents1 ,treasurer1 and ,secretaries1 when the following gentlemen were duly elected4 ,president4 ,don ,,pedro ,,gual1 ,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs4 ,first ,vice-,president4 ,don ,,jose ,,maria ,,castillo1 ,minister of ,finance4 ,second ,vice-,president4 ,doctor ,,jose ,,maria ,,estevez1 ,prebendary1 and ,rector of the ,college of ,st4 ,bartholomew4 ,third ,vice-,president4 ,doctor ,,juan ,,fernandez ,,de ,,sotomayor1 ,rector of the ,college del ,rosario4 ,treasurer4 ,don ,,jose ,,sans ,,de ,,santa ,,maria1 ,senator1 and ,comptroller of the department of ,cundinamarca4 ,secretaries4 ,father ,,antonio ,,marco ,,gutierres1 ,secretary of the ,university4 ,doctor ,r4 ,n4 ,,cheyne4 ,in the same manner the members present proceeded to vote for a ,committee consisting of twenty individuals1 one half of whom are ,clergymen4 ,the ,society wished to place among its principal office-bearers the virtuous and worthy ,governor of the ,archbishoprick2 but this gentleman1 with his accustomed moderation1 declined this honour1 and very properly noticed1 that the third article of the ,rules reserved to the ,ordinary of each diocese1 the right of examining the edition of the ,holy ,scriptures that should be published by the ,society1 in conformity with the decrees of the councils2 and that the exercise of this power would prevent him1 as ,governor of this diocese1 from accepting of the honour that this respectable ,society wished to confer upon him4 ,it was then resolved on to print1 as soon as possible1 in the form of a pamphlet1 the speeches made at the last meeting1 the ,rules and ,regulations of the ,institution1 a list of subscribers1 and the transactions of the ,society4 ,it was also agreed upon that the advertisements of the ,society should be made through 8the ,,constitutional10 in consequence of its ,editors having cheerfully employed their pages in promoting this ,society4 ,finally1 it was agreed on that the ,subscription ,list should lie with the ,rector of the ,university1 at whose apartments all who wish to subscribe1 may have an opportunity of doing so1 on any day from eight to nine o'clock in the morning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to the ,committee of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society4#g ,london1 #beth ,may1 #ahbf4 ,gentlemen1 ,agreeable to your wishes ,i sit down to give you a sketch of the progress1 and of the actual state of education in ,south ,america4 ,i shall begin at ,buenos ,aires1 and shall take the different states in the order in which ,i travelled through them4 ,when ,i left ,buenos ,aires1 in ,may #ahba1 there were eight schools for boys in that city1 supported by the magistrates1 and all of them conducted1 more or less1 on your system4 ,there were1 ,i think1 about as many more schools in the small villages around the city4 ,these were also under the care of the magistrates1 but had not been put upon your system at the time mentioned4 ,i had visited some of them for the purpose of organizing them upon this plan1 but the never-ending revolutions of that unhappy period1 prevented the proper measures from being carried into effect for their improvement4 ,upon my leaving ,buenos ,aires1 the schools were put under the direction of a very respectable clergyman1 who1 ,i thought1 would conduct them with much advantage1 but1 from his not being well acquainted with the system1 or from his being peculiar in the application of it1 the schools did not improve1 but rather grew worse4 ,this state of things lasted for several months1 until the ,society1 which had been formed some time before my leaving that place1 becoming re-organized1 and arousing from its lethargy1 began to take a particular interest in forwarding education according to this system4 ,much was done through this means2 and1 ,i am happy to say1 that ,i have lately heard that the ,society continues its useful exertions1 and is likely to become more efficient from year to year4 ,as you wish me to mention some individual or individuals in the different countries in ,south ,america with whom you could advantageously correspond in furtherance of your ,christian object1 universal education1 ,i give you here the name of the ,secretary to the above-mentioned ,society1 ,don ,bartolom ,muoz4 ,this individual is a clergyman of great respectability1 he possesses a spirit of active benevolence1 and is a warm friend to education4 ,with this gentleman you may correspond with great advantage to the furtherance of your object2 and ,i am sure it will afford much satisfaction to the individual mentioned1 and to the rest of the ,society1 to hear from you1 and to labour with you in this good cause4 ,i am not sure whether ,i mentioned to you in my letters from ,buenos ,aires1 the circumstances of the meetings at the first formation of this ,society1 being held in the chief ,franciscan convent of that city4 ,this is worth mentioning1 as it shows the liberality of priests and friars on the subject of education4 ,the ,provincial of the order1 ,don ,hiplito ,soler1 lived in this convent1 and was very friendly indeed to our object4 ,the uniform kindness and courtesy which ,i experienced in my many calls upon him in his cell1 ,i shall never forget4 ,the ,prior of the convent was also very friendly4 ,to the list of our excellent friends among the priests1 ,i must not omit the highly respected ,dean of ,buenos ,aires1 ,don ,diego de ,zavaleta4 ,the nephew of this gentleman1 ,don ,ramon ,anchorez1 was also a very particular friend1 and often encouraged me to go forward when obstacles lay in the way4 ,i have mentioned the labours of the ,society in promoting ,schools in that city4 ,i must also mention1 and very particularly1 that the interest taken by the government1 under the direction of ,don ,bernardino ,rivadavia1 greatly contributed to carry forward this noble object4 ,the labours of the gentleman now mentioned1 in instructing his countrymen in true political wisdom1 by precept and by example1 and his exertions in forwarding the cause of knowledge and general education1 have mainly contributed to give to ,buenos ,aires1 7what it indisputably enjoys7 the first rank among the new ,american states4 ,his name will ever be associated with the happiest part of the revolution of that country2 and he will long be looked upon as its best benefactor4 ,accounts have just reached ,london1 that this gentleman has been recently elected ,president of the ,united ,provinces of the ,rio de la ,plata1 an honour justly due to him as the regenerator of their independence of ,spain1 and of their dependance upon each other4 ,we may1 ,i think1 fairly augur1 that much good will be done in the advancement of education by this individual throughout the various provinces of the ,union1 at the head of which he is now placed4 ,i think a letter of congratulation from the ,society is justly due to him1 and1 from what ,i know of his sentiments1 ,i have no doubt of his readily acceding to any plans the ,society might suggest for the establishing of schools throughout the provinces4 ,through the means above stated1 the number of schools has greatly increased in ,buenos ,aires since ,i left it4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,armstrong1 in a letter lately received by the ,bible ,society1 reckons them to amount to about one hundred1 and thinks they may contain about five thousand scholars4 ,in the letter now referred to1 ,mr4 ,armstrong states1 that he had presented #ejj ,new ,testaments to these schools on the part of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 and he expresses a hope that this precious volume is likely to be generally used in all the schools before long4 ,at the time ,i left ,buenos ,aires1 there was a very good girls' school1 on the ,british system1 containing #abj scholars4 ,i have not heard particularly of this school since that time1 but hope it continues to prosper as it then did4 ,the person who organized this school was ,don ,jos ,catal1 a native of ,spain1 and a zealous promoter of education4 ,this gentleman was the first who studied the system at our schools in ,buenos ,aires4 ,he was afterwards appointed to be master of the central school1 and continued in that situation until a few weeks before ,i left that place4 ,i mentioned to you1 in some of my letters1 that ,i had paid a visit to ,monte ,video1 where ,i was kindly received by the first ecclesiastic of that place1 ,don ,damaso ,antonio de ,laraaga1 a priest of a liberal and enlightened mind1 and a friend to education4 ,this gentleman laid the subject of the establishment of schools on the ,british system before the magistrates1 and1 in consequence1 ,i was authorized to send a master to them1 who was to receive a salary of #abjj dollars a-year1 whilst engaged in establishing and superintending the schools4 ,the person most qualified for this undertaking was ,don ,jos ,catal1 already mentioned4 ,he was1 accordingly1 sent there with a supply of the necessary articles for making a commencement4 ,i received1 whilst in ,south ,america1 different letters respecting his progress1 which was at first slow on account of the war in which that place was involved1 and the scarcity of funds consequent upon it4 ,afterwards he was enabled to get on better4 ,the last letter ,i had from him is encouraging1 of which ,i shall give an extract3-- 8,the school which ,i formed here has produced upwards of eighty children well instructed in elementary education4 ,these have given satisfaction to those best qualified to judge1 and to the public in general1 in two public examinations which have taken place4 ,the number of children now in the school is #bjh4 ,two years ago1 ,i formed a private school upon the ,lancasterian system4 ,it contains at present forty children belonging to the best families of this city1 who pay for each child six dollars a quarter4 ,the master of this school is a young man of excellent talents1 and of good conduct4 ,he attended the central school for a whole year1 in order to learn the system well1 and to approve himself capable of conducting a school upon these principles4 ,he expected to be employed in one of the schools which the magistrates were about to establish1 but as it was impossible for them to carry forward their purpose1 owing to the disturbances of the times1 ,i advised him to establish a private school4 ,the young man had not means to do this1 as he was the son of a poor widow4 ,the ,society1 however1 gave him lessons1 slates1 and pencils1 and ,mr4 ,noble gave him the wood to make the seats and desks4 ,thus provided1 he offered to instruct1 under the auspices of the ,society1 and by my direction1--elementary education1 and also the principles of geometry1 trigonometry1 and geography1 and to hold a public examination of his pupils every year4 ,i am happy to inform you that the children are making very great progress1 owing to the steadiness and fidelity of the master1 and to the six well instructed monitors whom ,i sent him from the other school1 each of whom knows more than any of the masters of this place4 8,i am sorry to inform you that the master of the central school died about three weeks ago4 ,in consequence of this misfortune1 ,i have been obliged to take the school into my own hands until another master be appointed4 8,i mentioned to you1 in a former letter1 that ,i had organized ,mrs4 ,hyne's school in ,buenos ,aires on the ,lancasterian system1 with this peculiarity in the arrangement1 that the children are taught in ,english one day1 and in ,spanish the other2 as she has scholars who speak these languages respectively1 ,i sent her some of the lessons printed here for the use of her school40 ,the school here referred to is kept by an ,english lady1 and was just beginning when ,i left ,buenos ,aires4 ,it was afterwards fully established on your system as above mentioned4 ,i have had frequent information respecting the prosperity of this school1 and am told that the youth of that city show a great desire to study the ,english language1 and are making progress in it4 ,their parents have thus shown their desire for the education of their children1 in instructing them in our tongue1 and they have shown their liberality in sending them without scruple to be educated by an ,english lady belonging to the ,protestant church4 ,in the preceding review of the schools in ,buenos ,aires1 there is much to cheer the minds and hearts of those who interest themselves in the welfare of their fellow-men1 and who use their best exertions for this end1 in the way in which they can be most effectual1 namely1 in the instruction of the young4 ,to see the youthful flocks increasing in numbers1 and growing in the knowledge of the purest religion and morality1 by reading and imbibing the sacred oracles1 is a sight truly gratifying1 and to hear of this will1 ,i am sure1 afford much satisfaction to the ,committee of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society4 ,it will also1 ,i trust1 lead you to renewed exertions on behalf of that country1 and1 knowing your readiness to do so1 ,i beg leave to suggest the propriety of sending out a person possessing good talents1 and well acquainted with your system1 that he may be employed in extending education through the various provinces of these ,united ,states2 and1 in recommending this measure1 ,i repeat my conviction1 that the gentleman now elected ,president of these ,states1 ,don ,bernardino ,rivadavia1 will take a pleasure in seconding your views4 ,i now turn your attention to the provinces of ,mendoza and ,san ,juan1 as these form a part of the ,united ,provinces of the ,rio de la ,plata4 ,in ,march #ahbb1 ,i visited these places1 and found a very great desire existing there1 in regard to education4 ,our excellent friend1 ,dr4 ,gillies1 was at that time 7and still is7 residing in ,mendoza4 ,he had contributed much to create such a desire1 and was very active in using every means for satisfying it4 ,it was through his very urgent request1 that ,i visited these places1 ,i was much gratified with what ,i saw there1 as regards a growing spirit of knowledge and liberality4 ,the governor of ,mendoza was very friendly to the establishment of ,schools4 ,a ,society for promoting them was established a few days after my arrival1 and a petition was presented to the ,governor1 that a small printing press1 belonging to the town1 might be placed at their disposal1 that they might print lessons for the schools1 and might otherwise gain a little for promoting their objects4 ,this request was immediately acceded to1 and the press and the types were transferred accordingly4 ,a newspaper has been printed at this press for some time1 and it has greatly contributed to enlighten that quarter4 ,a girls' school was begun whilst ,i was there1 and measures were taken for establishing schools for boys1 which were afterwards carried into effect4 ,after these favourable circumstances had been some time in operation1 a storm overtook our worthy friends4 ,they were like to be overwhelmed by a spirit of fanaticism1 which had raised itself against the promoters of education and reform1 by those of a contrary mind4 ,the enemies of righteousness prevailed for some time1 but at length they stumbled and fell1 and truth and improvement again appeared1 and prevailed1 and now reign in triumph4 ,those individuals who had combined together to benefit their country1 and whose benevolent arrangements were thus for some time impeded2 these very individuals are now the chief persons in the government1 and are thus enabled to carry their measures into effect4 ,in the ,province of ,san ,juan ,i found many enlightened individuals who were warm friends of education4 ,there were1 no doubt1 many of other feelings and wishes4 ,a printed circular was sent to the different persons of note in that place by the ,governor1 inviting them to a meeting in his own house1 for discussing the subject of establishing schools on your system4 ,a good many attended1 and some were for the measure1 and some against it4 ,the ,governor was a warm friend to the object1 and the meeting broke up by his signifying1 that it was the intention of the government to use its best endeavours to forward this object4 ,i left some ,scripture lessons for the schools in that place1 as ,i had done in ,mendoza1 the price of which1 together with the expenses of my journey there1 were paid by the ,governors of these two places4 ,before ,i leave ,san ,juan1 ,i wish to notice the meritorious conduct of ,don ,salvador ,carril4 ,in the meeting referred to1 he was one of the principal defenders of our objects1 and strongly urged the adoption of the proposed plan4 ,some time after1 this gentleman was appointed ,governor in that province4 ,when holding that situation1 he wished to use all his influence for the establishment of religious liberty in his native province4 ,i have great pleasure in stating that in this he completely succeeded4 ,he has thus had the honour of leading the way in this important matter1 and of making his own province the first part of ,south ,america1 to declare for ,religious ,liberty4 ,the date of this era1 for such it may be called to this new continent1 is the sixth of ,june1 #ahbe4 ,the province of ,buenos ,aires has adopted the same wise and liberal policy1 but the first honour is due to ,san ,juan1 and to its ,governor ,carril4#h ,i must not omit to mention here1 ,mr4 ,rawson from the ,united ,states1 and who has long resided in ,san ,juan4 ,his name is connected with every measure for the improvement of that country4 ,in regard to the other provinces of the ,rio de la ,plata1 ,i can say very little1 but ,i believe education is in a very low state in all of them4 ,the names of these provinces are1 ,santa ,f1 ,entre ,rios1 ,corientes1 ,paraguay1 ,salta1 ,tucuman1 and ,crdova4 ,it is1 however1 very probable1 from the general spirit diffused through these countries1 that plans for the improvement and extension of education would be very favourably received1 particularly under the recommendation and fostering care of the ,president1 ,don ,bernardino ,rivadavia4 ,i omitted to mention before stretching across the ,pampas1 another ,lancasterian ,school and ,society4 ,this ,school and ,society are situated about #ejj miles to the ,south of the ,city of ,buenos ,aires1 at the mouth of the ,rio ,negro1 where there is a small fort and town4 ,colonel ,oyela1 who was appointed ,governor of that quarter some months before my leaving the eastern side of the continent1 attended our central school to get acquainted with our system1 and on going to the place of his appointment1 he carried with him a supply of lessons for the commencement of a school4 ,i afterwards learned1 that he had endeavoured to interest the inhabitants of that place in the education of their children1 and that he had succeeded in establishing a school1 and in forming a small society for its support4 ,to this small society1 contributions were made by the inhabitants of such things as they had1 and these were turned into money1 and kept the school going forward4 ,the conduct of ,colonel ,oyela in this matter is truly praiseworthy1 as it springs from a sincere desire to promote education1 and to benefit those over whom he is placed4 ,if all governors1 far and near1 were to act in the same manner1 we should soon see ignorance turned into knowledge all the world over4 ,the ,british ,system was begun in ,chile1 in ,july #ahba4 ,the ,director1 ,don ,bernardo ,o',higgins1 manifested a sincere desire to extend education throughout the country over which he was placed1 and was ready to listen to any improvements in the manner of communicating knowledge1 which might be brought before him4 ,the principal ,secretary of ,state1 ,don ,rafael ,echevarria1 was also much interested in the subject4 ,three schools were established in ,santiago1 the capital1 one in ,valparaiso1 and one in ,coquimbo4 ,some months before ,i left ,chile1 ,mr4 ,eaton arrived there1 having been sent from ,london1 by ,mr4 ,irisarri1 to promote education on the ,lancasterian plan4 ,the government intended to send ,mr4 ,eaton to ,conception1 in the south of ,chile1 to establish schools in that province1 but on representing to the director1 that it would be better to concentrate our labours in the capital1 and from thence to send qualified masters to the various provinces1 it was acceded to that ,mr4 ,eaton should remain in ,santiago4 ,our labours were continued there together until ,i received an invitation from ,general ,san ,martin to go to ,peru4 ,upon considering fully the importance of this invitation1 as affording an opportunity for extending the blessings of education1 in that interesting country1 ,i thought it advisable to accept of it1 considering that ,mr4 ,eaton would remain in ,chile1 and that thus what had been begun there1 would be maintained1 and that by degrees1 through his labours1 the system would be generally extended in that quarter4 ,these expectations1 however1 were not realized1 as ,mr4 ,eaton1 in a few months after ,i went to ,peru1 fell sick1 and was obliged to return to ,england4 ,in consequence of this misfortune1 the cause in ,chile began to decline1 and ,i believe1 at the present moment1 the schools formerly established are in a very low state1 if not given up altogether4 ,it is much to be regretted1 that things should remain in this state in ,chile1 and that the great work of education should be retarded there1 whilst it is making progress in other quarters4 ,during my stay in ,peru1 ,i had some notices of how things were going on1 and where they might probably end1 unless ,i should accede to their invitation to return there1 or at all events send a well qualified master to sustain the system4 ,i could not go myself to ,chile1 although ,i had a great desire to go1 because my leaving ,peru at that time1 might have occasioned a retrogression similar to what had taken place in ,chile4 ,in consequence of this1 ,i looked out for a well instructed master to go there4 ,before ,i succeeded in obtaining one1 the ,spanish army took possession of ,lima1 and ,general ,rodil1 who commanded the fortresses of ,callao1 refused to allow the master to go when ,i called on him to obtain a passport4 ,from the representatives of the ,chilian government1 now in ,london1 ,i have learned that there is a great regret at the disappointment met with in regard to the schools2 and that there exists a sincere desire to remedy the evil as much as possible1 and without delay4 ,i mention this to the ,committee agreeable to your request that ,i should point out the best means for forwarding education in ,south ,america4 ,i would suggest the propriety of seeking out a well qualified person to go to ,chile1 and if the one selected is well fitted for conducting education1 ,i have no doubt of his obtaining a favourable reception1 and of his being the means of greatly benefiting that country4 ,for the encouragement of such a one1 ,i would say1 that ,chile enjoys a delightful climate1 and its inhabitants are1 ,i think1 more moral in general than in any other part of ,south ,america where ,i have been4 ,the persons you might correspond with in ,chile upon this subject1 are the present ,director1 ,general ,freire1 ,don ,rafael ,echevarria1 ,don ,henrique ,camillo1 and ,don ,manuel ,salas4 ,general ,freire was ,governor of ,conception when ,i resided in ,chile2 but1 on a visit he paid to ,santiago when ,i was there1 ,i had an interview with him1 in which he manifested his satisfaction at the progress of our schools on your system1 and his readiness to encourage the introduction of the same plan in the province of ,conception1 when we should be able to send a master there4 ,i have1 indeed1 no doubt of his hearty co-operation with any measures which the ,society may adopt on behalf of ,chile4 ,the other three person mentioned will lend all their aid in this good work4 ,mr4 ,echevarria was ,first ,secretary of ,state at the time ,i was there1 and encouraged education on this system by sending his own son to our central school1 and by a frequent attendance himself in the afternoons when his public business was over4 ,mr4 ,camillo was1 and ,i believe is1 contributing to the enlightening of his countrymen respecting education and other improvements by publishing a periodical work which had these things for its sole object4 ,don ,manuel ,salas is already known to you by my letters from ,chile4 ,he is a man up in years1 and his only desire is to benefit his countrymen in every way he can1 and he looks upon education as the most effectual means of doing permanent good4 ,i have only further to mention respecting ,chile1 that ,mr4 ,egaa1 the present envoy from that government now in ,london1 will be ready to give the ,committee any information or assistance in his power to the furtherance of this object4 ,my arrival in ,peru1 in the end of ,june #ahbb1 and the favourable circumstances in the establishment of schools there1 is detailed in my letters written about that period4 ,some time after these prosperous days1 the war in that country greatly hindered the progress of education4 ,we had often been scourged by this foe before1 particularly in ,buenos ,aires1 but the occurrences in ,peru were to me1 at least1 new4 ,our former wars were among ourselves1 and whatever party gained the ascendancy the schools went on unmolested1 or nearly so2 but in ,lima we came in contact with the ,spaniards1 the well known encouragers of ignorance1 at least so far as ,south ,america is concerned4 ,twice was ,lima taken possession of by the ,spanish armies during my residence there4 ,on the first occasion ,i left the city along with some thousands1 who fled at that unhappy time4 ,the schools suffered an interruption of three months by the first visit of the ,spanish troops4 ,on the second occasion1 to prevent a like interruption1 ,i remained in the city1 and the schools went on1 though not so prosperously as we could have wished4 ,the protection we enjoyed at this time was owing1 ,i believe1 in a good measure1 to the general feeling in the place in favour1 of education4 ,after remaining six months under the ,spanish dominion1 in that city1 and finding it impossible to advance1 ,i left that place on my way northward1 and finally came to ,england4 ,of the result of this journey you are already acquainted1 through the publications of the ,bible ,society4 ,the ,central ,school established in the ,college of the ,dominican ,friars in ,lima1 contained1 on the entrance of the ,spanish army1 #bcj children1 and was going on well2 there was another school on the same plan which had #hj scholars in it4 ,in both these schools printed sheets of extracts from the ,scriptures were used for lessons1 the same as in ,buenos ,aires and ,chile4 ,but in addition to this1 in ,lima the ,new ,testament entire1 printed by the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society in ,london1 was used as our principal school-book4 ,in this precious volume the children in the higher classes read1 and were questioned as to its contents4 ,the same volume was carried home by the children1 and read by them there1 and portions of it also were committed to memory4 ,these portions were recited in school1 and premiums were awarded according to the accuracy of the recitation1 and the clearness of the views which the children gave in their own language1 of what they had recited4 ,besides the sheet lessons1 the ,scripture extracts were printed and used in the form of little books4 ,requests at times came from the parents to have a copy of these to read1 which requests were complied with1 and thus the word of ,god became more known1 and ,i trust more revered and obeyed4 ,i am not sure whether ,i mentioned to you or not1 on former occasions1 the name of an esteemed friend and an able coadjutor in the work of education4 ,it would in me be a dereliction of duty to pass over in silence the name and the character of this individual4 ,the gentleman ,i speak of is ,don ,jos ,francisco ,navarrete1 a clergyman in ,lima4 ,after an acquaintance with him for about two years1 and experiencing during the half of that time his able co-operation1 ,i beg leave to recommend him to the attention of the ,society1 in reference to the furtherance of education in ,peru4 ,i have had three letters from him since my return to ,england1 and am happy to find that he continues his exertions unabated in promoting the instruction of youth1 and that the schools left under his charge are doing well4 ,he informs me that a school has been established in ,hunuco1 and that it is conducted by a native of that place1 who attended our school in ,lima several months when ,i was there4 ,hunuco is a very happy station for a school4 ,it is situated in an interesting country1 and is the key to the large uncivilized population which inhabit the banks of the ,huallga1 ,ucayli1 and ,amazon4 ,from ,hunuco as a centre ,i am persuaded much may be done on behalf of these poor creatures1 who1 though living in one of the richest portions of the world1 wander about almost naked1 half fed1 and in complete ignorance of the arts and comforts of life2 and what is still more to be regretted1 no cheering ray breaks in upon them of a world to come1 and of the everlasting felicity to be enjoyed there through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,let us hope1 and let us pray for it1 that education may soon begin among them1 that the ,holy ,scriptures may be put into their hands1 and that the ,spirit of ,god may descend upon these poor ,gentiles1 as it did on us in former days1 that their sins may be washed away1 and that they may enjoy an inheritance among all them that are sanctified4 ,another favourable circumstance has taken place since my leaving ,peru1 in regard to the quarter ,i am now speaking of4 ,in ,ocopa1 not far distant from ,hunuco there has existed for many years a ,college of ,friars1 most of whom were natives of ,spain4 ,this ,college has been made to change its object1 and instead of being as formerly a nursery of ,friars1 it has become a seminary for the education of youth on the ,british ,system1 and its ample funds are now applied to this object4 ,this happy change has been effected entirely through ,general ,bolvar4 ,after mentioning this circumstance1 as bearing on the character of ,bolvar1 it might be thought unnecessary to say more respecting him1 as the instance now mentioned very plainly indicates his desire to benefit ,south ,america1 not by his military exertions only1 but also by the gentler1 more effectual means of early instruction4 ,i must however add two circumstances more1 in proof of ,bolvar's deep interest and active exertions in the cause of education4 ,some months subsequent to the decree referred to for changing the object of the ,college of ,ocopa1 he issued a decree for establishing a ,central ,school on the ,lancasterian ,system1 in the capital city of each province throughout ,peru1 and from which ,central ,schools1 masters are to be sent into all the towns and hamlets of the respective provinces4 ,this is a most effectual measure for speedily enlightening all the inhabitants of that country4 ,the other circumstance ,i have to mention in regard to ,bolvar is a decree he issued about a year ago for sending two young men from every province in ,peru to ,england1 to receive here1 at the expense of the ,government1 the best education that can be obtained4 ,after finishing their studies in this country1 these young men are to return to their native land1 and to fill important stations in the great work of general illumination4 ,i am sure the hearts of the ,committee are by this time warmly attached to this useful individual1 whom ,god ,almighty has raised up to be so great a blessing to his country1 in breaking their chains of oppression and of ignorance4 ,ten of the young men sent by ,bolvar have arrived in this country1 and are now pursuing their studies in the neighbourhood of ,london4 ,one of these was a monitor in our central school in ,lima4 ,the rest of the young men are expected to arrive here soon4 ,i am happy in being thus able to confirm1 by unexceptionable instances1 the opinion ,i formerly gave you of this great man1 after enjoying the pleasure of an interview with him1 and conversing upon these subjects4--,to these things must be added the appropriation of #bj1jjj dollars for promoting schools in ,caraccas through ,mr4 ,lancaster4 ,in the lustre of ,bolvar1 ,i had nearly forgotten something more ,i had to say of our friend ,navarrete1 a man who only needs the station of ,bolvar to do all that he does4 ,in one of the letters ,i lately received from him1 he says1 he has obtained from the ,government the grant of part of a nunnery for establishing a girls' school4 ,this nunnery is close beside the college where the boys' central school is4 ,this school1 about to be established1 is to be the model and the central establishment for the education of the female sex1 a branch of education very much wanted in that country4 ,may ,god speed the labours of our dear friend in this matter1 and may mothers1 and daughters1 and sisters1 embalm his memory for ages to come6 ,i believe the ,committee is now aware that ,i have given up any intention of returning to ,peru1 and that ,i have fixed on another spot of ,south ,america1 where ,i intend to spend my remaining days4 ,i would beg leave1 therefore1 to solicit the attention of the ,committee to ,peru1 and would suggest the propriety of their sending out a fit person to that place1 to be actively employed in the establishment of schools4 ,i have no doubt of such an individual meeting with a favourable reception1 and of his being immediately employed by the ,government in this work4 ,before leaving ,peru1 ,i wish to notice one of the articles of the constitution of that state1 as it has an important bearing upon the cause of education4 ,the article in question states1 that the elective franchise is open to all1 but with the express preliminary qualification1 that the voter be able to read and to write4 ,it is1 however1 added that in consequence of the ignorance in which the ,spaniards have kept the people in general1 this pre-requisite shall not be required until the year #ahdj4 ,the measures which the ,government is pursuing for promoting general education1 bid fair1 ,i think1 to qualify all by the given time1 in the manner referred to4#i ,in regard to education in ,colombia1 ,i have hitherto said but little1 and that little is contained in a letter to you from ,quito1 in ,november #ahbd4 ,in that communication1 ,i mentioned a plan for establishing a seminary for the education of the female sex in that city4 ,the difficulties of converting a monastery into such a seminary are considerable1 and although ,i am pretty confident of the ultimate success of that measure1 ,i cannot speak definitely as to its progress4 ,the last notice ,i had upon the subject1 was in a letter from one of the members of ,congress1 in which he says1 that the question was to be forthwith discussed in ,congress4 ,i hope no long time will elapse before we have the gratifying intelligence of the complete success of this measure1 and1 in expectation of this1 ,i suggest the propriety of having a well qualified person ready to occupy this station4 ,i am thus particular upon this point1 as ,i conceive the carrying into effect the proposed plan1 will have a most beneficial tendency on the welfare of that large city 7the largest in ,colombia71 and on that of the populous and interesting district in which it is situated4 ,in passing along from ,quito to ,bogot1 ,i found three schools established on the ,british or ,monitorian ,system2 one was in ,yahuar1 and the other two were in ,popayan2 one of the latter was for boys1 and the other for girls4 ,the establishment of these schools1 in the provincial parts of ,colombia1 is the result of a general plan of education upon this system in connection with a central school established some time ago in ,bogot1 the capital4 ,on arriving at that city1 ,i visited this model school1 and hoped to meet there the director of the establishment1 to converse with him in regard to the number and efficiency of the various provincial schools4 ,i was however disappointed of seeing him1 as he was then actually engaged on a tour through some of the provinces to promote the formation of new schools4 ,i cannot1 therefore1 state how many schools were then in operation1 but ,i have good reason to think the existing number is calculated to encourage the friends of education1 and that it goes on increasing4 ,i received from ,mr4 ,restrepo1 the minister of the interior1 a set of the lessons used in the schools4 ,one regrets to find the ,scriptures not there1 nor any extracts from a volume so much calculated to benefit us1 in youth and in age1 in time and in eternity4 ,with this important exception1 the lessons are good1 and every way superior to the trash formerly used in the schools of ,south ,america4 ,one part of the lessons is worthy of notice4 ,the constitution of the country is divided into portions and sections1 and is read in the schools4 ,by this means the children get acquainted in early life with the real nature and circumstances of their native land1 and thus become better citizens1 and more useful to each other4 ,this plan is worthy of imitation in other quarters4 ,it is to be hoped that ere long this judicious plan1 which has been adopted for imbuing the early mind with a knowledge of the statutes of their country1 will be adopted also with regard to the statutes of ,god unfolded in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,the next part of what was formerly called ,spanish ,america is ,guatemala4 ,this is properly neither in ,north nor ,south ,america1 and it has1 in consequence1 been denominated ,central ,america4 ,not having visited that quarter1 all ,i have to say of it in regard to education is but little1 and that is1 of course1 from the information of others1 ,i understand several schools have been established in the capital and elsewhere1 but none of these are on the monitorian plan4 ,in conversing with ,mr4 ,zebada the envoy of that government in ,london1 and with ,mr4 ,herrera1 a gentleman from that country who feels a great interest in education1 ,i have learned that they are very desirous of obtaining a person thoroughly versed in this system1 in order to establish a central and other schools in that republic4 ,i hope the ,committee will have this quarter in view as well as the others recommended above1 when properly qualified teachers can be obtained4 ,the only other part that remains to be noticed is ,mexico2 and for information respecting the state and prospects of education there1 ,i beg leave to refer you to the interesting communication of our excellent friend1 ,don ,vicente de ,rocafuerte1 ,charg d',affaires from that government4#aj ,in reviewing the state and progress of education in ,south ,america1 there is undoubtedly much that is calculated to gratify and to cheer the hearts of those who delight in the progress of knowledge1 and in the welfare of man4 ,besides the pleasure that arises from seeing what has actually been done in the few years in which these new states have enjoyed the boon of liberty1--there is yet more to cheer us in contemplating the general feeling which pervades the country upon the important subject of education4 ,during my seven years' residence in that country1 ,i have had intercourse with all classes of society there1 and1 through repeated conversations and otherwise1 have come1 ,i think1 to understand what are the actual feelings and desires of the people upon this point4 ,i have no hesitation in saying1 that the public voice is decidedly in favour of ,,universal ,,education4 ,i never heard1 even once1 what is still to be heard elsewhere1 8that the poor should not be taught40 ,the very opposite feeling most undoubtedly exists and prevails among the clergy and the laity1 the governors and the governed4 ,on a survey1 therefore1 of the whole scene1 and in looking into futurity1 the brightest views may1 ,i think1 be entertained as to the progress and best interests of man in that large and interesting continent2 and1 from this view of things1 ,i am sure none will derive more real gratification than the ,committee of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society4 ,report of ,mr4 ,rocafuerte1 ,charg d',affaires in ,england from the ,government of ,mexico1 delivered in a ,speech at the ,twenty-first ,annual ,meeting of the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society1 ,may #aeth1 #ahbf4 ,the independence of ,south ,america is the consequence of that growing spirit of modern civilization which1 having crossed the ,atlantic ,ocean on the wings of trade1 has penetrated into those remote countries1 and liberated them from the ,spanish yoke4 ,what more gratifying picture can there be for a true and liberal ,christian1 than that which the new world now presents1 overturning a bad system1 and establishing a good one1 without being attended with scenes of violence and cruelties4 ,it may truly be said that the characteristic feature of the ,mexican revolution is that spirit of moderation and generosity which the maxims of the ,gospel recommend1 and which are the best means for establishing true liberty4 ,our revolution1 in its object1 its means1 and end1 is very different from that of ,france3 among us1 it is not an overthrow of all principles2 it is a natural tendency to create a new order2 it is a general combination to promote the happiness of a vast continent2 it is a necessary transition from darkness to light1 from superstition to christian morality4 ,from the ruins of ,greece and ,italy1 sprung some rays of light1 which1 illuminating the darkness of the middle age1 prepared the epoch of the discovery of the printing-press1 the mariner's compass1 and the new world4 ,from that time1 the constant progress of the arts and sciences has converted knowledge into power1 and nations have been more or less opulent and happy in the ratio of their scientific attainments1 of their industry1 and above all1 of their moral and religious principles1 which form the solid basis of true freedom4 ,to these effects of liberty1 ,england owes her greatness1 her happiness1 and that very first rank which she holds in the catalogue of civilized nations4 ,spain1 that beautiful country1 worthy of a better fate1 has been ruined by her ignorance and monkish superstition2 she has only one advantage over the ,turkish nation1 and that is1 that she lives under the glorious standard of the cross2 and this standard1 ,i hope1 will soon lead the valiant and heroic ,greeks to victory1 and thus enable them at length to spread ,christianity over the land of their tyrants4 ,those lessons shall not be lost in ,south ,america4 ,we are convinced that the foundation of our future and permanent prosperity rests on the moral improvements of the lower classes of society4 ,it is not enough for a man to know how to read and write1 and gain a livelihood2 he must have religious habits1 must know exactly his duties towards ,god and towards society2 and no institution is so well calculated for obtaining those great objects as the ,british and ,foreign ,school ,society4 ,what an admirable undertaking it is1 to bestow the blessing of scriptural knowledge on all mankind1 to unite all the nations of the globe1 by the brotherly ties of science and religion4 ,ye noble promoters of this institution6 be assured you have many warm friends in ,south ,america4 ,the general desire with us of all true and enlightened patriots1 is for education2 the general cry all over our continent is1 give us education4 ,this is the reason that the ,lancasterian ,system has been immediately adopted in almost every part of ,south ,america4 ,mr4 ,lancaster is now living at ,caraccas1 and promoting public instruction there4 ,in ,mexico1 the first ,lancasterian ,school was opened on the #bbnd of ,august1 #ahbb2 and by one of those singular occurrences in revolutions1 the halls of the ,inquisition1 so inimical to this ,institution1 were converted into a public school1 into a nursery of free men1 into a true temple of reason4 ,three hundred children are taught to read in this school according to this new system of education1 a system which will lead to the moral perfection of the world1 as the mariner's compass led to the geographical perfection of the globe4 ,this first school was called ,escuela del ,sol4 ,some time afterwards the ,government granted to the ,lancasterian ,association of ,mexico the large and beautiful convent of ,bethlehem1 and a second school was formed there4 ,this establishment is divided into three departments1 and directed by two professors well acquainted with the system2 one of them is a ,frenchman1 who went purposely for that object from ,paris to ,mexico4 ,the first department is calculated for six hundred and sixty children2 they learn to read1 write1 and cypher2 they are also instructed in the political and religious catechism1 orthography1 arithmetic1 and ,spanish grammar4 ,the parents of the scholars who can pay1 give a dollar a month1 which is about two pounds ten shillings a year2 the children of the poor pay nothing4 ,the second department will contain four hundred scholars1 who pay two dollars per month1 or nearly five pounds a year4 ,it is a model or central school for forming teachers and good professors2 and these are afterwards to be sent into the different provinces1 in order to fulfil the desire of our ,government1 which is1 to place in every village throughout ,mexico a ,lancasterian school1 a printing-press1 and a chapel4 ,the third department will contain three hundred scholars2 and these pay three dollars a month1 or seven pounds a year4 ,the object intended in this department is1 to teach ,latin1 ,french1 geography1 and drawing1 on the principles of the ,lancasterian system4 ,this trial has been made1 but ,i am not sure whether it has answered or not4 ,in #ahbc1 there were introduced into the ,lancasterian school of ,mexico1 the lessons used in your school in ,london1 taken from the ,bible1 without note or comment4 ,some old priests opposed the introduction of these1 stating that it was prohibited to read extracts from the ,bible without notes4 ,the ,secretary of the ,lancasterian ,association1 ,mr4 ,gandra1 a very enlightened clergyman1 and distinguished for his virtue and zeal in the cause of religion1 supported the opposite opinion1 and succeeded in establishing in the school the use of these extracts4 ,the consequence is1 that our children are acquiring a taste for the perusal of the ,scriptures1 and they are hence learning to be virtuous1 charitable1 tolerant1 and free4 ,this moral education will promote the cause of religious toleration1 and will effect that regeneration which our new political system requires4 ,we cannot remain as we are2 we must go forward2 and1 as said in ,parliament by ,mr4 ,canning1 7whose name is dear to all our hearts in ,south ,america17 8we must go forward1 and keep pace with the growing spirit of the times1 and the great change that has been wrought in the opinions of the world40 ,this great change in the general opinion is1 that nations can only be happy under the banners of liberal sentiments and true morality2 that1 in short1 the combination of political and religious freedom is as necessary for the moral happiness of mankind1 as that combination of the two gasses1 forming the atmospheric air which we breathe1 is to our physical existence4 ,this vast plan of human improvement is the great object of your noble ,institution1 an ,institution which truly deserves the gratitude of the world1 and the most cordial support of all who are influenced by the love of their country1 and the principles of ,christianity4 #g ,though this letter was not written in ,south ,america1 as all the preceding were1 yet its evident bearing upon the subject in hand entitle it1 perhaps1 to the place it occupies4 #h ,at page #cb1 it is stated that religious liberty was publicly acknowledged in ,peru1 under ,san ,martin4 ,this acknowledgement1 in ,peru1 of this sound principle of policy and of justice1 certainly preceded the one here referred to in ,san ,juan4 ,but the circumstances were different4 ,in ,peru it was the single act of ,general ,san ,martin1 as ,protector1 or ,dictator of ,peru1 and the people of the country had no share in it1 whereas in ,san ,juan1 the declaration of ,religious ,liberty was a legislative act4 #i ,this notice1 ,i find1 is mentioned in a preceding letter1 yet ,i leave it here also1 as ,i think the subject is not unworthy of a repetition4 #aj ,this communication1 bearing upon the subject of education in ,spanish ,america1 will be added at the close of this letter4 ,when this communication is considered as the production of a native of that country1 a gentleman intimately acquainted with its concerns1 and actually holding a high official situation under the ,government of the most populous of these new states1 it may tend to confirm the favourable accounts from that quarter of the world contained in the preceding letters4 ,the enlightened and liberal mind of ,mr4 ,rocafuerte1 and his truly zealous endeavours to raise his country high in political wisdom1 in literature1 in morality1 and in pure religion1 are truly praiseworthy4 ,,finis4 ,,dennett1 ,leather ,lane1 ,london4