His passage from the mouth of the river Hoogley, on which Calcutta is situated, to Shiraz, the capital of Persia, occupied five months. The particulars, which are worthy of notice, are given in his own words.
“Bay of Bengal, January, 1811.
“I took a passage in the ship Ahmoody, Captain Kinsay, bound to Bombay. One of my fellow passengers was the Honourable Mr. Elphinstone who was proceeding to take the Residency of Poonah. His agreeable manners and classical acquirements, made me think myself fortunate indeed, in having such a companion, and I found his company the most agreeable circumstance in my voyage.
“Our captain was a pupil of Swartz,[7] of whom he communicated many interesting particulars.—Swartz, with Kolhoff and Jœnicke, kept a school for half-caste children, about a mile and a half from Tanjore; but went every night to the Tanjore church, to meet about sixty or seventy of the king’s regiment, who assembled for devotional purposes: after which he officiated to their wives and children in Portuguese. At the school, Swartz used to read, in the morning, out of the German ‘Meditation for every day in the year;’ at night, he had family prayer. Jœnicke taught geography; Kolhoff, writing and arithmetic. They had also masters in Persian and Malabar.
“At the time when the present Rajah was in danger of his life, from the usurper of his uncle’s throne, Swartz used to sleep in the same room with him. This was sufficient protection, ‘for (said the captain,) Swartz was considered by the natives as something more than mortal.’ The old Rajah, at his death, committed his nephew to Swartz.”
“Jan. 27th to 31.—Generally unwell. In prayer, my views of my Saviour have been inexpressibly consolatory. How glorious the privilege that we exist but in him; without him I lose the principle of life, and am left to the power of native corruption,—a rotten branch, a dead thing, that none can make use of. This mass of corruption, when it meets the Lord, changes its nature, and lives throughout, and is regarded by God as a member of Christ’s body. This is my bliss, that Christ is all. Upheld by him, I smile at death. It is no longer a question about my own worthiness. I glory in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Feb. 18th.—Anchored at Bombay.—This day I finished the thirtieth year of my unprofitable life; the age at which David Brainerd finished his course. I am now at the age at which the Saviour of men began his ministry, and at which John the Baptist called a nation to repentance. Let me now think for myself, and act with energy. Hitherto I have made my youth and insignificance an excuse for sloth and imbecility: now let me have a character, and act boldly for God.”
“Feb. 24th.—Preached at the Bombay church.”
“March 25th.—Embarked on board the Benares, Captain Sealy; who, in company with the Prince of Wales, Captain Hepburn, was ordered to cruise in the Persian Gulf, against the Arab pirates. We got under way immediately, and were outside the land before night.”
“March 31.—The European part of the ship’s crew, consisting of forty-five sailors and twelve artillerymen, were assembled on the quarter-deck to hear divine service. I wondered to see so many of the seamen inattentive; but I afterwards found that most of them were foreigners, French, Spanish, Portuguese, &c. We had prayers in the cabin every night. In the afternoon I used to read to a sick man below, and two or three others would come to hear.”