no appearance of complaint, the uninformed islanders think it is all
my obstinacy, and that I WILL NOT entertain them with my music,
which makes me say that I CANNOT; and they have imprisoned me, and
threaten to put my son to death if I persist in my stubbornness any
longer.

"The anguish I feel in my mind takes away all hope of the recovery
of strength in my hand; and I have no doubt but that they intend in
a few days to put their horrid threat into execution.

"Therefore, dear brother William, hearing in my prison of a most
uncommon circumstance, which is, that an English vessel is lying at
a small distance from the island, I have entrusted a faithful negro
to take my child to the ship, and deliver him to the captain, with a
request that he may be sent (with this letter) to you on the ship's
arrival in England.

"Now my dear, dear brother William, in case the poor boy should live
to come to you, I have no doubt but you will receive him; yet excuse
a poor, fond father, if I say a word or two which I hope may prove
in his favour.

"Pray, my dear brother, do not think it the child's fault, but mine,
that you will find him so ignorant--he has always shown a quickness
and a willingness to learn, and would, I dare say, if he had been
brought up under your care, have been by this time a good scholar,
but you know I am no scholar myself. Besides, not having any books
here, I have only been able to teach my child by talking to him, and
in all my conversations with him I have never taken much pains to
instruct him in the manners of my own country; thinking, that if