Grove, 11th March 1779.

This letter was also accompanied by the following from Doctor Wallace, who had resided in Africa for many years, and whose sentiments on the subject of an African mission were the same with Governor Macnamara’s.

March 13, 1779.

My Lord,

I have resided near five years on Senegambia on the coast of Africa, and have had the honour of filling very considerable employments in that province.  I do approve of the within plan, and think the undertaking very laudable and proper, and that it deserves your Lordship’s protection and encouragement, in which case it must be attended with the intended success.

I am,
My Lord,
Your Lordship’s
Humble and obedient servant,
THOMAS WALLACE.

With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor’s desire, and presented them to his Lordship.  He received me with much condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of delicacy, declined to ordain me.

My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the attempt were countenanced by the legislature.

Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to make a detail of.

In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of curiosity.  While I was in that part of the country I was led to go down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one poor man, who was not far from me:  upon this I got out as fast as I could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it.

In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again.  In consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for New-York.  I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built, and abounds with provisions of all kinds.  While we lay here a circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:—­One day a malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under the gallows, his life was to be saved.  This extraordinary privilege was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was performed.  Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January 1785.  When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March 1785, for Philadelphia.  On the fifth of April we took our departure from the Land’s-end, with