imaginary notions, spiritual pride, and Satanical delusions among my people; so there has been a very few instances of scandalous and irregular behaviour among those who have made a professsion, or even an appearance of seriousness. I do not know of more than three or four such persons that have been guilty of any open misconduct, since their first acquaintance with Christianity, and not one that persists in any thing of that nature. Perhaps the remarkable purity of this work in the latter respect, its freedom from frequent instances of scandal, is very much owing to its purity in the former respect, its freedom from corrupt mixtures of spiritual pride, wild-fire, and delusion, which naturally lay a foundation for scandalous practices.

May this blessed work in the power and purity of it prevail among the poor Indians here, as well as spread elsewhere, till their remotest tribes shall see the salvation of God! Amen.

D. B.

APPENDIX TO THE JOURNAL.

I SHOULD have concluded what I had at present to offer respecting my Mission, but that I lately received from the President of the Correspondents, the copy of a letter directed to him from the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, dated at Edinburgh, March 21, 1745, expressly enjoining upon their Missionaries, "That they give an exact account of the methods they make use of for instructing themselves in the Indian language, and what progress they have already made in it. What me

thods they are now taking to instruct the Indians in the principles of our holy religion; and particularly, that they set forth in their Journals what difficulties they have already met with, and the methods they make use of for surmounting the same."

As to the two former of these particulars, I trust that what I have already noted in my Journals from time to time, might have been in a good measure satisfactory to the Honourable Society, had these Journals arrived safely and seasonably, which I am sensible they have not in general done, by reason of their falling into the hands of the enemy, although I have been at the pains of sending two copies of every Journal, for more than two years past, lest one might miscarry in the passage. But with relation to the latter of these particulars, I have purposely omitted saying any thing considerable, and that for these two reasons. First, Because I could not oftentimes give any tolerable account of the difficulties I met with in my

work, without speaking somewhat particularly of the causes of them, and the circumstances conducing to them, which would necessarily have rendered my Journals very lengthy and tedious. Besides, some of the causes of my difficulties I thought more fit to be concealed than divulged. Secondly, Because I thought a frequent mentioning of the difficulties attending my work, might appear as an unbecoming complaint under my burdens; or as if I would rather be thought to be endowed with a singular measure of self-denial, constancy and holy resolution, to meet and confront so many difficulties, and yet to hold on and go forward amidst them all. But since the Honourable Society are pleased to require a more exact and particular account of these things, I shall cheerfully endeavour something for their satisfaction in rela tion to each of these particulars; although in regard of the latter, I am ready to say, Infandum jubes renovare dolorem.

The most successful method I have taken for instruct ing myself in any of the Indian languages is, to translate English discourses by the help of an interpreter or two, into their language, as nearly verbatim as the sense will admit, and to observe strictly how they use words, and what construction they will bear in various cases; and thus to gain some acquaintance with the root from whence particular words proceed, and to see how they are thence varied and diversified. But here occurs a very great difficulty; for the interpreters being unlearned, and unacquainted with the rules of language, it is impossible sometimes to know by them the part of speech of some particular words, whether noun, verb, or participle; for they seem to use participles sometimes where we should use nouns, and sometimes where we should use verbs in the English language. But notwithstanding many difficulties, I have gained some acqaintance with the grounds of the Delaware language, and have learned most of the defects in it; so that I know what English words can, and what cannot be translated into it. I have also gained some acquaintance with the particular phraseologies, as well as peculiarities of their language, one of

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which I cannot but mention. Their language does not admit of their speaking any word denoting relation, such as, father, son, &c. absolutely; that is, without prefixing a pronoun passive to it, such as my, thy, his, &c. Hence they cannot be baptized in their own language in the name of the Father, and the Son, &c. ; but they may be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and his Father, &c. I have gained so much knowledge of their language, that I can understand a considerable part of what they say, when they discourse upon divine things, and am frequently able to correct my Interpreter, if he mistakes my meaning. But I can do nothing to any purpose at speaking the language myself.

As an apology for this defect, I must renew, or rather enlarge my former complaint, viz. That "while so much of my time is necessarily consumed in journeying,” while I am obliged to ride four thousand miles a-year, as I have done in the year past, "I can have little left for any of my necessary studies, and consequently for the study of the Indian languages." This I may venture to say is the great, if not the only reason why the Delaware language is not familiar to me before this time; and it is impossible I should ever be able to speak it without close application, which at present I see no prospect of having time for. To preach and catechise frequently; to converse privately with persons that need so much instruction and direction as these poor Indians do; to take care of all their secular affairs, as if they were a company of children; to ride abroad frequently in order to procure collections for the support of the school, and for their help and benefit in other respects; to hear and decide all the petty differences that arise among any of them, and to have the constant oversight and management of all their affairs of every kind, must needs ingross most of my time, and leave me little for application to the study of the Indian languages. And when I add to this, the time that is necessarily consumed upon my Journals, I must say I have little to spare for other business. As was observed before, I have not sent to the Honourable Society less than two copies of every Journal, for more than two years

past, most of which, I suppose, have been taken by the French in their passage. A third copy I have constantly kept by me, lest the others should miscarry. This has caused me not a little labour, and so straitened me for time, when I have been at liberty from other business, and had opportunity to sit down to writing, which is but rare, that I have been obliged to write twelve and thirteen hours in a day, till my spirits have been extremely wasted, and my life almost spent, to get these writings accomplished. And after all, after diligent application to the various parts of my work, and after the most industrious improvement of time I am capable of, both early and late, I cannot oftentimes possibly gain two hours in a week for reading, or any other studies, unless just for what urges and appears of absolute necessity for the present. Frequently when I attempt to redeem time, by sparing it out of my sleeping hours, I am by that means thrown under bodily indisposition, and rendered fit for nothing.

This is truly my present state, and is likely to be so, for aught I can see, unless I could procure an Assistant in my work, or quit my present business. But though I have not made that proficiency I could wish, in learning the Indian languages; yet have used all endeavours to instruct them in the English tongue, which perhaps will be more advantageous to the Christian interest among them, than if I should preach in their own language; for that is very defective, as I shall hereafter observe; so that many things cannot be communicated to them without introducing English terms. Besides, they can have no books translated into their language, without great difficulty and expense; and if still accustomed to their own language only, they would have no advantage of hearing other ministers occasionally, or in my absence. If therefore I had a perfect acquaintance with the Indian language, it would be of no great importance with regard to the congregation of Indians in New-Jersey, though it might be of service to me in treating with the Indians elsewhere.

The methods I am taking to instruct the Indians in