October 1826
Oct 1st/26. Lord's-day. Went to Layou - had an overflowing congregation and a better love-feast than ordinarily. There is much improvement in this Society; may more souls be awakened & saved, to the glory of God. Visited an old infirm & sick man, one of the Leaders, attended by many of the members, especially those of his class. He was enabled to speak satisfactorily of his state by grace & I hope well of him either for life or death as the will of the Lord is. From a cold I have had a severe pain in my head; May the Lord, whose I am & whom I serve give me health & every other qualification requisite for the work assigned me in this part of his vineyard; and make me very useful to all with whom I have to do.
7th Oct/26 Prepared for the Sabbath; and Mr Pope came from town to take one of the Leeward appointments, as is usual once a fortnight.
8th Lord's-day - Excessively rainy, yet not long after the usual hour, at which I commenced with the prayers, we had a goodly company: also a good time. In the afternoon I visited the afflicted & their attendants; superintended & catechised the scholars of our S. school, and at night I heard a sermon, as Mr Pope returned to P. Town, not being able to stay for evening service on acct of business in Town tomorrow.
9th Oct/26. Went to Town to the Quarterly meeting; two of us in the canoe, as passengers by no means safe, but there is no other conveyance.
10th Returned to P. Town and prepared for the usual Tuesday evening service. Necessity obliges me to sacrifice much of my time in travelling, and after a three hours trip, especially in the hot part of the day, it is not an easy matter to make out any thing in the way of study during the remainder.
15th Lord's-day. In going to Layou between eight & ten the heat was great and affected me much all day. Attended to the usual routine, & believe that the word was made a blessing to the attentive congregation who listened to it: may they all receive abundantly the promised comfort, the subject of my preaching today. The newly established central school has quite swallowed up our S. School at Layou, & similar establishments in other places will have corresponding effects, though perhaps neither so instantly nor generally. This is the first instance of a direct collision of interests I have observed in the Mission field; the Bishop of Barbados & the Leeward islands is the monopolist; and will continue so, unless his funds be exhausted, or the Wesleyans commence day schools. It is not my wish that the central schools be superceeded [sic] by ours but they ought to allow the children of our members & hearers to attend our Chapels on the Sabbath & not to oblige them to attend church with an inefficient ministry, or go altogether without instruction, during the week. The subject of keeping day-schools ourselves, as missionaries has not been overlooked, but to do so, where there is much preaching & other weekly employment would not it is thought answer well, except in the country where a Missionary is resident, as in P. Town, where, however, our S. School is undiminished: but what would become of Chateau-belair & Layou without resident masters? These, the people are too poor to provide for their children, and the Committee in London have enough to do, to maintain their present ground and to furnish their Societies and congregations with the ministration of the word.
17th Oct/26. Was unexpectedly called to Layou to inter two corpses. Two Negroes, Scott a carpenter & another, a mason, belonging to Palmiste Estate had died. The former one had been some years in our Society. Dr. Jackson in his note requesting me to attend the funeral called him "a much regretted member of your Society & of society at large." The funeral was large, and the night dark. Those of us who wore shoes! crossed the river on a single plank several persons lighting us with candles which they held in their hands as we padded along the low beach in solemn procession, the night hot & still and the murmuring waves expiring at our feet. On entering the burial ground, a dreary waste, though not extensive, we were surrounded by swarms of flies, and passed by a rugged path, or rather no path at all, to between the two graves, one being made at the end of the other. There I read the burial service, and addressed the assembly, who heard me patiently and many sighed & wept aloud. O may they turn to God & find salvation.
21st Oct/26. Went to Town preparatory to taking my appointment tomorrow.
22nd Sabbath. Congregations large and attentive as usual. I had fruit of my labor, especially in the morning. May it be found to the praise & honor and glory of the Redeemer in that day. After morning service I married 2 slaves and baptised a child. Also visited a sick person, who is apparently very penitent. It appears that on this occasion she received comfort; may her sins be blotted out & her name be written in the Lamb's book of life. Attended & closed the school, in addition to the classes & receiving some candidates, with which I was very weary. It is astonishing how much one's strength is prostrated by this relaxing climate.
23rd Oct/26. Met a congregation at 5 a.m. in the chapel - and arrived at home about 2 P.M. Blessed be God who blesses "my going out & my coming in".
29th. Sabbath. Employed at Layou and received two candidates. Expelled an unworthy member - May God almighty turn his heart from sin & folly!
31st. Just received a visit at my door, for he would not alight, from Mr. H. the clergyman recently appointed to P. Town who called to inform me that he must "now consider the burying ground his freehold", & in case of his absence, the licensed catechist would supply his place and officiate in future": - Therefore the poor can no longer have their dead interred without fees, as heretofore by the missionaries. Is this any blessing to the Parishioners? who are in common with their fellow colonists, the missionaries included, taxed to pay twice as much for Rectors as is allowed to missionaries, who in general, perform about twice the labor, or even more. The surplice fees are shamefully high, and rigidly collected, "they say", especially in town. No more can I have the pleasure of conferring a favor by my gratuitous offices in the consecrated church yard at P. Town; nor of addressing the thoughtful solemn company assembled round the grave, except in private grounds, one of which is contiguous to each estate; and some connected with the smaller towns are, it is said, unconsecrated. At all events, if true, this is a great mercy to the people in general, as they will be saved the trouble & expense of sending for the man in canonicals who only works for money, and for "the cash down"; but more on this subject by & bye [sic].