Thursday 30 June 1836

June 30 1836

Brig Emma
Lat.                Long.

Dear Sir

You will be glad to hear that
the “Brig Emma” [and?] all that are in it are well at
this date, with every prospect that they will complete
the first and most arduous part of their journey
safely You will recieve  by a letter addressed
to you as Chairman of the Comp^y a letter from
myself with a detailed acc^t of the Emigrants Stock
&c &c I thought it well to write you a Letter
as there may be some affairs interesting to you
individually which would perhaps present no point
of Interest to the Comp^y generally you will
be surprised and I am sure pleased to hear that
M^rs Hare has been neither seasick nor home sick …
…
I believe you were thinking of purchasing this
Brig, if you allow me to say that I think her
construction and qualities will not answer your
purposes, with the most favourable wind on her
beam she has hardly done 8 knots per hour
she is well found and in good repair, steers easily
but goes slowly, fast sailing Brigs but
particularly, top sail schooners, Clipper built
will if my views of the wants of the colony are correct
best answer the interests of the Comp^y there will
be no great want of any great quantity of goods
from any one place in the infant state of affairs
but small cargoes in quick time – may I
advise you for the future to charter your vessels
not according to the month, but per voyage, then
for a space of time afterwards, more haste
might be made that way than by the month
Perhaps it may interest you to give you a
slight sketch of our Sabbaths at sea – The 1^st time
we had prayers the Cap^t read the church service
I gave a short address from “Remember the Sabbath”
endeavouring to shew 1^st the Origin, and 2^nd, the
utility and blessedness of keeping holy the Sabbath
The 2^nd Sabbath Capt Nelson read the litany &c and
I spoke for some time from the parable of the good
Samaritan, there had been a great deal of quarrelling
in the steerage during the week, the Acton men
backing one another against the rest &c
I endeavoured to shape my observations to meet these
circumstances, discussing the question who is
my neighbour – detailing the social & relative
duties that arise from our being neighbours, the
responsibilities that arise, and the consequences
that we incur in a moral and religious sense
from our use or abuse of these opportunities and
virtues. During the succeeding Sabbath
M^rsCaptain Nelson, thought that the litany was
quite enough, and that Captⁿ Nelson & M^r Douglass
had much better perform the service. I found
there was a great disinclination to let me have
anything to do with the service and consequent
ly Capt Nelson and M^r Douglass as premier have
ever since conducted the Sabbath prerorations
which I nevertheless always attend (need I say
that the congregation has declined) in this and
man other affairs the direct interference of M^rs Captⁿ
Nelson has not only been injudicious but I think hurtful
to the general arrangements of the passengers and myself
This is such a painful and delicate subject that I dislike
[illegible] to mention it I would in all christian charity bear a
great deal first

Cape Town July 8 1836

Since writing the above …
…
with sincerest regards to Yourself from Myself and M^rs H

Believe me my dear Sir

yours truly

Cha^s S. Hare