3. Indian Missionaries may be supposed better to understand the Tempers and Customs of Indians, and more readily to conform to them in a thousand Things than the English can; and in Things wherein the Nonconformity of the English may cause Disgust, and be construed as the Fruit of Pride, and an Evidence and Expression of their Scorn and Disrespect.
4. The Influence of their own Sons among them will likely be much greater than of any Englishman whatsoever. They will look upon such an one as one of them, his Interest the same with theirs; and will naturally esteem him as an Honour to their Nation, and be more likely to submit patiently to his Instructions and Reproofs than to any English Missionary. This is quite evident in the Case of Mr. Occom, whose Influence among the Indians, even of his own Tribe, is much greater than any other Man's; and when he shall settle and live decently, and in Fashion, among them, will likely do more to invite them to imitate his Manner of Living, than any Englishman.
5. The Acquaintance and Friendship which Indian Boys from different and distant Tribes and Places, will contract and cultivate, while together at School, may, and if they are zealously affected will, be improved much for the Advantage and Furtherance of the Design of their Mission; while they send to, hear from, or visit one another, confirming the Things which have been spoken. And this without so much Ceremony to introduce one another, as will be necessary in the Case of English Missionaries; and without the Cumber and Expence of Interpreters.
6. Indian Missionaries will not disdain to own English ones, who shall be Associates with them, (where the English can be introduced) as elder Brethren; nor scorn to be advised or reproved, counselled or conducted by them; especially so long as they shall be so much dependent upon the English for their Support; which will likely be till God has made them his People; and then, likely, they will not stand in such need of English Guides and Counsellors. And they will mutually help one another, to recommend the Design to the favourable Reception and good Liking of the Pagans, remove their Prejudices, conciliate their Friendship, and induce them to repose due Confidence in the English.
7. In this School, Children of different Nations may, and easily will learn one another's Language, and English Youth may learn of them; and so save the vast Expence and Trouble of Interpreters; and their Ministry be much more acceptable and edifying to the Indians. But,
8. There is no such thing as sending English Missionaries, or setting up and maintaining English Schools to any good Purpose, in most Places among them, as their Temper, State and Condition have been and still are. It is possible a School may be maintained to some good Purpose, at Onohoquagee, where there have been heretofore several faithful Missionaries, by the Blessing of God upon whose Labours the Indians are in some Measure civilized, some of them baptized, a Number of them in a Judgment of Charity, real Christians; and where they have a Sachem, who is a Man of Understanding, Virtue, Steadiness, and entirely friendly to the Design of propagating the Gospel among them, and zealous to promote it. And where the Hon. Scotch Commissioners, I hear, have sent two Missionaries, and have made some Attempt to set up a School. But at Jeningo, a little beyond, they will by no means admit an English Missionary to reside among them. And tho' they were many of them under great Awakenings and Concern, by God's Blessing on the Labours of a Christian Indian from these Parts; yet such was the violent Opposition of Numbers among them, that it was thought by no means safe for an Englishman to go among them, with Design to tarry with them. And like to this is the Case with the Parties of Indians, for near an hundred Miles together, on the West Side of Susquehanah River. Another School or two may possibly be set up with Success among the Mohawks, where Mr. Ogilvie and other Episcopal Missionaries have bestowed much Labour, to good Purpose; and where they have got into the Way of cultivating their Lands for a Living, and so have more Ability to support their Children, and less Occasion to ramble abroad with them. But even in these Places we may find it more difficult than we imagine before the Trial be made (though I would by no means discourage the Trial of every feasible Method for the accomplishing this great Design) but by Acquaintance with the Schools which the Hon. London Commissioners have with pious Zeal, set up and maintained among the several Tribes in these Parts, I am much confirmed in such Sentiments. These Parties live amongst, and are encompassed by the English, have long had good Preaching, and Numbers of them appear to be truly godly. Yet such is the savage Temper of many, their want of due Esteem for Learning, and Gratitude to their Benefactors, and especially their want of Government, that their School-Masters, tho' skilful and faithful Men, constantly complain they can't keep the Children in any Measure constant at School. Mr. Clelland the School-Master at Mohegan has often told me what unwearied Pains he has taken by visiting, and discoursing with their Parents, &c. to remedy this Evil, and after all can't accomplish it. The Children are suffered to neglect their Attendance on Instruction, and waste much Time, by which means they don't learn so much in several Years as they might, and others do in one, who are taken out of the reach of their Parents, and out of the way of Indian Examples, and are kept to School under good Government and constant Instruction. I the rather mention this Instance, because of the well-known Fidelity and Skill of that good Gentleman, and because that Tribe are as much civilized, and as many of them Christianized, as perhaps any Party of them in this Government. And by all I can learn, it is no better in this respect with any other. They are so disaffected towards a good and necessary Government, that as gentle an Exercise of it as may be, and answer the Design of keeping up Order and Regularity in any Measure among them, will likely so disgust them as to render the Case worse rather than better. Captain Martin Kellog complain'd of this as his great Discouragement in the School at Stockbridge, notwithstanding he understood as well as any Man the Disposition of Indians, and had the Advantage of knowing their Language and Customs, having been so long a Captive among them, and was high in their Affection and Esteem; yet he was obliged to take the Children home to Weathersfield with him, quite away from their Parents, before he could exercise that Government which was necessary in order to their profiting at School. But as to most Places, there is no such thing at present as introducing either English School-Masters or Missionaries to continue with them; such are their Prejudices in general, and such the malevolent, and ungovernable Temper of some, that none but an Indian would dare venture his Life among them.
And besides all this, they are so extremely poor, and depend so much upon Hunting for a Livelihood, that they are in no Capacity to support their Children at School, if their Disposition for it were ever so good.
Mr. Occom informed me by a Letter from the Oneida Country last Summer, and the same Account I had also from the young Man which I sent there, that the Indians were almost starved, having nothing to live upon but what they got by Fishing, Fowling and Hunting, that he had no other Way to come at them, to preach to them, but by following them from Place to Place in their Hunting. And though the Condition of all may not be quite so indigent as of these, nor the Condition of these at all Times quite so bad as it was then, yet it is well known that they universally depend upon Roving and Hunting mainly for their Support; and whoever has heard the constant Complaint of Missionaries, and the Matter of their Discouragement, or has only read what the Reverend Messi'rs. Sergeant and D. Brainerd have wrote upon this Head, can't charge me with writing without sufficient Evidence, and good Authority, if I had no other but theirs.