PREFACE.
Soon after my return to England in 1825, I was solicited by several friends to publish extracts from the letters I had written during my residence in South America. To enable me to do this, I was kindly furnished with these letters by the individuals to whom they were addressed. I have at length attended to these solicitations, with this view of creating a greater interest in this country on behalf of that quarter of the world, and in the expectation that this increased interest will turn out to the good of South America.
I have to beg the indulgence of my readers in regard to these letters, from the consideration that they were not written for publication. There will appear also some indistinctness, on account of the letters being addressed to various individuals, whilst they are here classed simply in the order of time in which they were written. To which may be added, among their defects, the abruptness arising from the circumstance of what is here given being only extracts. If, however, some interest should be excited in regard to South America by the publication of these letters, and if there should arise from this some good to that country, I shall not be sorry for thus having given them to the public, notwithstanding the disadvantages under which they appear.
I am now about to return to that quarter of the world, and trust that the same gracious hand which protected me and guided me in my former wanderings there, will still conduct me, and will enable me to sow seed which may spring up unto eternal life. Ten days after this date, I embark for Mexico, as the agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society. I go fraught with a sacred treasure, with some thousands of copies of the Holy Scriptures. Besides circulating these, which are nearly all in the Spanish language, I am commissioned to procure translations of the Scriptures into the native languages of that country, and which are still spoken there by some millions of the inhabitants.
In prosecuting these objects, I intend to travel over the greater part of Mexico and Guatemala. Whilst traversing these parts, I shall probably keep a journal of occurrences, illustrative of the state of the country in a general point of view; and should the small volume now published be favourably received, I may perhaps at some future period have something for the press less unworthy of public attention.
London, 13th February, 1827.
LETTERS
ON THE
MORAL AND RELIGIOUS STATE
OF
SOUTH AMERICA.
Buenos Aires, 5th June, 1820.
I cannot be very particular as to all that has occurred to me since my arrival here, the outlines will be sufficient. I arrived on the 6th October, 1818, after a voyage from Liverpool of twelve weeks and three days, and except about a fortnight, was sick all the time. Soon after my arrival, I made proposals to the Government, regarding the introduction of the Lancasterian System of education. I received promises of meeting with every encouragement in this matter, but these promises, through neglect, were long in producing the desired effect. I was feeling the truth of Solomon’s remark, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sad.” Under these circumstances I was proposing to go into the interior, where I had more positive encouragement held out to me. Just at this time, by application at a better quarter than we had at first applied to, the arrangement was formed by which I was engaged by the magistrates to put their schools, in this city and neighbourhood, upon this plan. Since that time we have been doing more or less in this business, but things in general go on very slowly here, and besides, many political changes have retarded our operations. Notwithstanding, however, I trust the foundation of a good work has been laid, by pursuing of which, I hope to see many thousands reaping the benefits of education, and imbibing the soundest principles of religion and morality from lessons selected from the Holy Scriptures. You will be surprised and pleased when I tell you, these lessons are entirely of my own selection, and printed in this place. In no case, regarding them, has there been any interference or hindrance on the part of the clergy or others. We have now a school going on, with upwards of 100 boys in it, and soon we expect to have others set a going. These things, my dear friend, fill me (as they will do you) with gratitude and thanksgiving. They are small things, in themselves considered, but taking into consideration all the circumstances of this country, they are great, and more especially when considered as a foundation for future operations. In another respect also something has been done, I mean regarding the circulation of the Scriptures. I have got upwards of 400 Spanish New Testaments from the British and Foreign Bible Society, and these I have been able to land here without the smallest hindrance. Several of them have been already distributed, and have met with a ready reception. I have been able also to send some of them into various parts of the country here, and into Chile. Where the word of God circulates, we have every ground to look for good effects, though it may, like seed sown in the earth, appear for a while to be lost. By and by, however, the seed springs up, first the blade, then the ear, and lastly the full corn in the ear. So shall it be with the seed of the word of God, which shall not return void, but shall accomplish the will of God in turning men from darkness to light.