Parramatta Feb[ruar]y 1819
Revd & Dr Sir
	Wishing to ascertain as soon as it could be done, what Quantity of Articles the settlers wd require per annum to furnish them with Pork, Potatoes, Fish Firewood 7c &c, I wrote to them on the Subject, and received the inclosed Answer. From which the Society will be able to learn the Expense of maintaining the Settlement in these Articles. The whole amount may cost in England about £100. I shall endeavour to supply them for one year with the Stores that came out in the Tottenham agreeable to their requisition. These Supplies are wanted for the support of the settlers & Families. In addition to these Supplies Articles of a similar nature will be wanted for hiring Labourers to cultivate their wheat and maize Grounds— At present they must get the [f] natives to work the Land for wheat, till Cattle and Ploughs can be introduced which I hope will not be long before this takes place. I should think £30 per annum would supply all the Articles necessary for Agriculture. With respect to the sawing and produring Timber, that would be no Expense to the Society, as this would chiefly be put on Board the Active, and for which I should send Articles to pay the natives. Mr Kendall urges me much to supply the School regularly with Provisions— This would amount to about £100 per annum. The School would require about three Tons of Rice, and 700 Tokees to purchase Potatoes per annum— and a small quantity of Fish-hooks. Mr King would want about ten Pounds worth of similar Articles to pay the natives for Flax &c &c— The following Sums as near as I can [f] ascertain will support the present settlement
 £100 in Axes &c &c for purchasing Provisions
£100— for the Support of the School
ditto 30— for Agriculture—
ditto— for Mr King for Flax &c &c
ditto 70 for 2 Chests of Tea & half a Ton of Sugar per annum for the Settlers—
ditto 30 for Soap, and small Articles such as Salt &c &c
Total £340 independent of the Salaries allowed to the Settlers which amount to almost £330 per annum—
To these Sums must be added the Expenses of the natives in their Passage, to and from Port Jackson, and their Support while they remain there. £200 per annum will cover this Expense, and in a little Time I hope less than that Sum, when every convenience is made for them. The natives always come naked, comparatively— and want Clothing on their arrival— I think £900 per annum will meet all the [f] general Expenses of the Society as far as concerns the Settlement. What the Expenses of the Active will be more than her Returns I am not prepared to say at present— when She has been one whole year in the Service on the Coast of N. Zealand I shall then be better able to Judge— Nothing shall be wanting on my Part to lessen the Expenses both of the Settlement & the Vessel. The Master of the Active is a very worthy man, and will do all he can— He is much esteemed both by the Settlers and the Natives— no complaint having ever been made against him. I think from what I have now stated you will be able to form a more correct idea of the State of the Settlers and Settlement— I wish to put you in Possession of every Information I can, which will enable you to determine what may be necessary to be done— As the Timber from N. Zealand from [f] from [sic] the heavy duty put upon it will not pay for bringing to the Colony. It is my present Intention to employ the Active in procuring Oil at the proper Season, or any other natural Production of the Seas or Land on the east Coast of N. Zealand by which means the Natives all along the Coast will be visited, and Communication opened as far as the East Cape and a way prepared for any future Establishments that the Society may think proper to make. Should the Vessel be fortunate in procuring Oil, she will cover much of her Expenses. The Civilization of N. Zealand could not be carried on without a regular Communication; and therefore she must be for a time at least employed in the Service. I have little doubt if a Change takes Place in this Government, but we shall be able to do something for N. Zealand in the Colony. [f] Some are willing, others think that it would not be prudent at the present time, as the opposition might be too strong— I am very happy God has been so gracious, as to prosper all that we have set our Hands unto— No Accident has happened to the Vessel, nor to any belonging to her— No Injury has been done to the natives, nor a single Circumstance occurred that can give Cause to the Enemy to blaspheme. Difficulties have been very great, and many: but they have not prevented the work from going on. Nothing has happened that can give the Society Pain. Every thing has succeeded better than the most sanguine Hopes could have warranted us to expect in such a new and important undertaking. As the Settlers will write to you by the Cathrine [sic] Whaler, you will have much [f] later News than I can send. I understand that the Natives have killed two of the Horses for trespassing in their Gardens. I blame the Settlers wholly for this Accident. I understand the Horses were very fond of sweet Potatoes, and rooted them up very much as they run at large— These are the chief Food which the Natives value, and I am not surprised that they have killed them. They have been suffered to run where they pleased for 4 years— Had the Settlers fenced a Point of Land off for them, they would then have done no injury, and the Natives wd not have molested them— The natives with me are much distressed at this Circumstance, as they are very fond of Horses— Since they have been with me, they have learned their value in all Agriculturial [sic] Purposes— I have promised to send them some more— [f] and to give them into their own Charge and then I shall be sure they will take Care of them— I am happy to learn from the Settlers that they will have wheat for their Support, and will only want a little Seed wheat this year. When Agriculture comes to flourish amongst them, Schools may then be maintained at a very little expense— The Children will want no Clothing. Bread will be the Principal Article they will require, but Rice as yet is the cheapest— This will not be the Case when they get plenty of Wheat— I shall send over all kinds of fruit Trees the Vine  &c &c. I have no doubt, but New Zealand will be the finest Country in the world for Wine from what I saw. If Grape-Vines get into the Island they will be ready for any one who may come afterwards and turn his attention to these things— The Chief Sons who are [f] with me visit our Orchards, and Vineyards; and are much astonished to see the fruit, and anxious to promote their Growth in their own Country. Various things here which they had never seen furnish us with much Conversation about God. They cannot be persuaded that the same God made them and us they see such a difference between our civilized and their savage State. When I tell them there is but one God, they advance many Arguments to prove my Ascertion [sic] incredible— The following is part of a late Conversation with them upon this Subject. When I told them there was but one God, and that one God was theirs, they asked me if our God had given us any sweet Potatoes—? I replied no. They answered, our God has given us Sweet Potatoes, and if he had been your God also, he would have given you some— I told them our Climate was too cold, they would not grow, and therefore [f] and therefore [sic] he knew it would be no use to give us any. They said your God has given you Cattle and Sheep and Horses, and many other things, which he has not given us— was he our God as well as yours he would not have acted so partially— he would have have [sic] given us Cattle &c &c as well as you. This brought us to the Creation of the world and to Noah’s Flood, from which I shewed then how the different Animals came to be spread over the World and told them that England were [sic] for a long time without Cattle &c &c but in due time God had given them to England and now he was going to give all these things which we had to them, as they had already got Cattle Horses &c &c. They then replied, but we are of a different Colour to you, and if one God had made us both, he would not have made such a mistake, as to make us of different Colours— This I endeavoured to explain also, [f] and told them, when they could read the Book which God had given to us, and which they would soon have they would then believe what I told them to be true. Many other arguments they used to prove that there must be more than one God. You will see from the four young men, Tooi, Teterree, Towrow, and Towrua what their national Character is— what are their Abilities and what their natural dispositions, for all that I have seen are very similar in most respects to these young men. Their Reasoning Faculties are strong and clear, and their Comprehension quick when once they obtain a true Knowledge of the Scriptures, they will improve very fast, and may then be ranked with civilized Nations. Their Improvement is not doubtful, but certain, and the Society are not labouring in vain— In one o,f the Committee’s Resolutions relative to the Seminary at Parramatta, the Committee [f] direct that the natives of this Colony be received into it with the New Zealanders. It is the opinion of all who wish well to the Cause that this would be impossible at the present time. There are difficulties in the way that could not be removed— The Govt has established a School for the Native Children in which there are about 16. young Children many of these the Sons or daughters of European Fathers and native women. They are very young. The Natives of the Colony when they attain the Age of 13 or 14 years always take to the woods. They cannot be induced to live in any regular way. And as they increase in years they increase in every vice, and particularly drunkenness, both men and women, and still go naked about the Streets. They are the most degraded of the human Race, and never seem to wish to alter their Habits and manner of Life— I have not [f] not [sic] known one single Instance where a Boy or a Girl who has lived for a time with Europeans, has not taken to the woods again immediately they attain a certain Age. They are all addicted to drunkenness, and Idleness and Vice— The New Zealanders would never be induced to live with them, if it was possible to confine them— They can not bear their degraded Appearance; their Con duct is so disgusting altogather as well as their Persons. Whether the half-cast Children will take to the woods remains to be ascertained. t ime [sic] will shew how they will act. I do not think the Govr would sanction any Interference with the Natives, so as to unite them in [the] same seminary with the New Zealanders, if this could be done. I consulted the Revd Mr Cartwright and the Judge of the Supreme Court, [f] with a few more Friends who were all of Opinion that the Plan would not do, and that it would not be prudent to mention the Subject to the Govr at the present time. It will be best to keep the New Zealanders by themselves as much as possible in the Seminary. We shall therefore for the present continue unconnected as we are. Time may alter the present Circumstances and something then may be done; but if we may be allowed to judge from what we see and know of the natives of N.S. Wales, the time is not yet arrived for them to receive the great Blessings of Civilization and the Knowledge of Christianity. I trust from the above Remarks the Committee will approve of that Line of Conduct with Respect to the Natives of New Holland we [f] have adopted as it was out of our Power to carry the resolution of the Committee into Effect. I can not have much Consultation with my Colleagues on the Society’s Affairs. The Revd Mr Youl is at present at Port Dalrymple— Mr Fulton never calls upon me. Mr Cowper I do not see at Parramatta very often. Mr Cartwright is 20 miles distant but is very ready to join with me in every thing that will promote the Cause of the mission— I have found him a constant Friend, and we have been very happy togather. Troublesome times did not change his affection or conduct towards me, and I hope while we are togather we shall maintain that cordial Christian Regard for each other that ought at all times to subsist between Ministers of the Gospel. He is anxious to leave the Colony [f] and has made official Application to the Govr. but has not succeeded in obtaining Leave yet. I shall lament his departure— I have now stated all that occurs to me, and perhaps much more than necessary. You will pardon my long Correspondence— It must be tedious to you. I shall forward a List of wants by this Conveyance and a statement of the Accounts—
I have the Honor to be
Revd Sir
Your most obedient
Humble Servant
Samuel Marsden
Revd J. Pratt
Secretary to the
C[hurch] M[issionary] S[ociety]