Lieu thereof Cash, if agreeable to the Parson; so that no Trouble or Inconvenience arises from this Mode of levying their Salaries regularly. And as there is an exact Equality in this Taxation, the only Advantages one Incumbent has above another proceeds entirely from the Prices of Tobacco in the respective Parishes, from the different Value of the Glebe Lands & Parsonage House, & from their Situation in Point of Health.

When a Vacancy happens the Power of Presentation is in the Vestry for twelve Months after, & then it elapses to the Governor, who seldom inducts, (unless in new-form'd Parishes,) as there are a number continually waiting for Provision. The Impossibility of effecting the Removal of an Incumbent, & the ill Conduct of some Ministers, has made the Vestry, who are the Voice of the Congregation, somewhat more cautious than they formerly were in presenting; therefore the general Practice which at present prevails, is taking Strangers upon Trial, till their moral Conduct, Abilities, & Character from whence they came, are discovered.

Amongst the present Hunters for Livings, I find upon Record the Name of the Revd Mr Hanna, who, notwithstanding he has seen the King & his Robes, & been strongly recommended from England to this Province & that of Maryland, he still remains unprovided for by the latest Accounts of him. His Character is not known here, nor have I been so uncharitable as to acquaint the Clergy with it. It is his Want of Powers to please, that has hitherto been the obstacle of his success.

From this View of the Matter, Sir, which I have troubled you with, the Improbability of my obtaining Preferment thro' his Lordship plainly appears. And more especially so, as He seems to have little Acquaintance with the Vestry, & less Concern for my Interest.

The very Day I left New York, I met Mr Stuart, on his Way to Pensylvania, who told me Mr Mosley intended relinquishing the Mission at Johnstown, finding it impossible to continue longer in the State of Health he then was in, & that he was apprehensive of his Disorder's increasing. Indeed he told me when I was there that he wish'd I had his Place. Now, Sir, as I have formerly sollicited you on this Head, & have no Hopes of

being able to remove here, I shou'd be extremely happy & contented to undertake that Mission. And shou'd Mr Mosley give it up voluntarily, I trust in God, you will be good enough to let me have it, that is, if you think me agreeable' & qualified to discharge the Duties of the Mission.

This wou'd be an effectual Remedy of my present Grievances, a probable Restorative of my former Health, & be the greatest obligation you cou'd confer on

I have had the favor of your Letter, from Stonington, and am obliged to you for your kind enquiries about my health, which I think somewhat improved.

There is no doubt from the Letter you inclosed to me that the Clergy at Boston would wish well to a design so laudable in speculation, but after giving it much attention I am inclined to apprehend that there is more difficulty in the execution than you seem aware of; success is no Constant attendant on Laudable designs, they often owe it to party, or to the favorable operation of lucky Circumstances, and to cool reception and failure of some similar views, tho' well supported & strongly recommended creates a doubt in me of the success of a Scheme without any fund, depending on the piety of men in power, or the bounty of the public.-perhaps within a little time the Scheme may bid fairer for success, when however loath to renew applications I would willingly give it my countenance, as it has my best Wishes, and I am heartily sorry that the present times VOL. IV. 32

do not appear more favorable to a design that might be productive of much benefit.

Be assured that I shall always be glad to see or hear from your as I am with truth and regard, Sir

Henry Babcock Esq

Your hearty Well wisher

and very humble Servt.

Sir John Col Johnson Dr Dease & all here desire to be kindly remembered to you.

Sir

COL. BABCOCK TO SIR WM. JOHNSON.

Stonington 28th Decr 1773.

I was honoured with your Favour of the 19th Novr which have now before me, and have read it with the greatest attention; and altho' I am very loth to be troublesome to you, with my Letters, yet have presumed once more to write to you.-I observe you are pleased to say, that "Perhaps in a little Timé "the Scheme may bid Fairer for Success, when however loth "to renew applications, I would willingly give it my Counten66 ance, as it has my best Wishes" &c.

I should be extreamly sorry, to desire any thing of You, that would give you the least uneasiness, and I am thoroughly sensible that no Person can be more delicate than you in asking a Favour for your Self.

But in soliciting Benefactions, for those nations of Indians, who you well know, have been very useful in saving this Coun try, and adding to it vast acquisitions, as they were improved by you the last War. To civilize Barbarians, and make them happy, is a Task as replete with Pleasure, as any I can figure to myself. I will readily allow, that there are Difficulty's in the Way (particularly in establishing a Fund) but Industry & Perseverance will surmount them-I would, could I be authorised by you, next Spring chearfully make the Trial throughout the Colonies, in the game manner that I did in he Town of Newport.

and should it meet with the favourable Reception, that I flatter myself it would, you would never repent it.-In the Island of Jamaica, for the Philadelphia College was raised Eight Thousand pounds their Currency; and Charity may be asked with infinitely more Propriety for the Indians, than the Philadelphians, who are of themselves, well able to support a Seminary without any foreign Assistance.

Success (as you may justly observe) is no constant Attendant. "on laudable Designs, they owe it often to Party and the favourable opperations of lucky Circumstances" and may we not venture to add that it's often owing to the invisible hand of God. The Story of Joseph and his Bretheren, as mentioned in the old Testament does not appear more striking to Me than your first settling in this Country.-The Place you pitched upon to settle, and in Consequence of that, the surprizing Influence you had over the Indians, and the great Benefits resulting from that Influence-The many narrow Escapes you have run, not only the common Chances of War, but the high Rewards offerd to the french Indians either to assasinate You, or take You Prisoner, and your eluding all their repeated Efforts; it cannot be enthusiastical, for me to say, that there was a kind Providence that protected you; and your most valuable Life I stil believe, is reserved, to lay the Foundations of civilizing & christianising those numerous Nations of Indians, at present ignorant of the vast Blessings in store for them.

Please to accept of my sincerest Thanks, for the kind Manner in which you are pleased to express yourself in my behalf; and return my Compliments to Sir John, & the rest of the Gentlemen of your vicinity-am not determined, whether I shall do myself the Honour of paying You a visit this Winter, but if I do not this Winter fully intend it in the Spring.

I am with greatest Esteem

Your most obedient

& most humble Servant

Sir William Johnson.

HENRY BABCOCK.

Sir,

SIR WM. JOHNSON TO THE REVD DR. HINDS.

Johnson hall March 8th 1774.

In my Letter of November last to you I laid before the Venerable Society a General Sketch of the present State of the Missions in this Quarter, and of some late Changes respecting them, wherein I had occasion to acquaint you with the manner in which the Revd Mr Mosley was introduced to the Mission at Johnstown in my neighbourhood, and of the precarious State of his health for some time past;-Since which he has been under the Necessity of acquainting me, that he can no longer undertake to discharge the duties of his Office here from the repeated attacks of an Epileptic complaint, & is therefore desirous of returning to England to his friends, he has not been able to officiate for some time, his faculties seem much impaired & he has retired from the Mission.

As I have in my last, and former Letters so fully shewn the Importance of this Mission in many essential points It is unnecessary to observe that it must suffer great disadvantage should it continue long unsupplied I have therefore no doubt of the Society's care & attention to promote true Religion in this Infant Settlement by endeavouring to procure some fitting person to undertake that Charge, as soon as possible as I know of no Candidate. that offers at present in this Country, tho' I trust such may be found in England amongst Some of those Gents who have but small incomes with large families for whom they can make a better provision in America than at home, At the same time I shall in Conjunction with the Clergy of this Province make the most diligent enquiry in order to have it supplied here if possible as a Congregation so large & promising & that must in a little time influence a large extent of Country deserves much attention; and I think it very necessary to make a private observation that this part of the Country is not Circumstanced like the Old Settlements on the Sea Coasts, where the Missionarys are in fact usefull only to a select few, where all their Neighbours, are bigotedly attached to their respective Sects, & seldom come