vi. 12 February 1839

Letter 6: Günther to Coates, 12 February 1839, p.1.
Class Mark: C N/O 47/6
MS page no: 3-025
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[note] Rec’d July 12/39

Sydney, February 12th 1839

Dear Sir,
You will be surprised to see that I am again at this Capital; the same errand that brought me down in November last brought me down now. i.e. a Subpoena from the Supreme Court, with the news that I should interpret for a Prisoner of the Aborigines. On the former occasion, I sent you copious writings from here, through the medium of our Corresponding Committee. I embrace the present opportunity to add a few words more, principally, in a subject which I entered upon in my last with much grief, & sorrow, I mean in reference to my colleague the Revd Mr Watson. If I have not been so decided before, I now am impelled to be. For not only has nothing been effected since towards a reunion, the breach has become much wider. Mr Watson has been quite indignant, that I should have presumed to complain of him to the lay Committee, & that they should have sent him, only, what may be called a kind, fatherly, exhortation. He has avoided since speaking to, or, meeting, me, whenever he could, and we have never entered into the least conversation. About a week before I left, I sent him a note, asking, whether he would have a Committee, & would be kind enough to appoint the day, I never received, ever, an answer. That he received my lines, I am certain. In my opinion, we can do, at present, little more, & little less than prove a scandal to those against us, that is to say, to ungodly Europeans, who as the enemies of our cause will rejoice at our dissension, & to our poor, treacherous, & weak, Aborigines also, who are taking an advantage of us, & will be taught to do so, not to speak of the unfortunate impression it must make on them, if they are capable of any.

People in WellPro Directory: Coates, Dandeson

Letter 6: Günther to Coates, 12 February 1839, p.2.
Class Mark: C N/O 47/6
MS page no: 3-026
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And, I cannot help adding, I have reason to do so, that both Mr and Mrs W. have been doing much towards giving both parties a handle, by endeavouring to defend themselves, at our expense. I am certain that they have done so, both before White & Black, however incapable of judging and ungodly the parties may have been indeed, if no alteration takes place in Mr W's conduct, of which there is not the least appearance, the sooner we can be separated, the better it will be. We can do little good together, & may do much harm. It is not principally of an account of personal offences that I wrote against Mr Watson, it was his general character which I can not approve of. Nor is it now, merely, my personal discomfort which I and Mrs Günther suffer in the present situation, why I wish for separation. The name of Christ must be blasphemed by Christian missionaries living together, so entirely opposed to their Master's injunction. If Mr W will meet me in a brotherly spirit, & even reprove me for my own failings, with charity, I trust I shall be able to receive with a meek and brotherly mind and be ready to be reconciled. But if he makes no concession, has nothing to confess on his part, if he only wishes me to retract and to recant of what I have been saying and praying as being presumptuous and unfounded; then there is no possibility of a reunion. I can not repent of what I have written from a conviction of its being true, and not exaggerated. I am ready at any time to prove all I have said by a full and fair statement of all that has passed between us, and am not afraid to be confronted with Mr Watson before those that may be able or willing to judge, be they a Missionary Committee or any Ecclesiastical Council, although I trust I am not altogether unaware of my own shortcomings and weaknesses.
As regards the Government Establishment, in the proximity of our Mission, I can only add, that I am daily more confirmed in what I advanced against it in my former statements. It appears that a Township to be made on part of the Mission's land is now decided upon, by the

People in WellPro Directory: Coates, Dandeson

Letter 6: Günther to Coates, 12 February 1839, p.3.
Class Mark: C N/O 47/6
MS page no: 3-027
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Colonial Government. At the present the land is by no means of an enviable appearance; its parched condition and barrenness present a most melancholy aspect. Our Cattle must either die (a number have done so) or go far off into the bush. Most of them are off the run. If the drought continues much longer I apprehend we shall not only have to buy all our wheat this year, but meat also. The former is getting exceedingly high in price. The cheapest we can get, will be 20 shillings per bushel, add 5 or 6 shillings carriage or more. We are, generally, visited, with drought all over the Colony, but I do not think there is a worse spot than W.V. at least I did scarcely see one like it on my journey down. We suffered from lack of rain even the year previous, and for several years W.V. has been rather dry. It may indeed please the Lord to take away the rod from off our backs, & to grant us, more regularly, the early & latter rain, when we have rightly sought to please him. Otherwise, as we can not depend on crops of wheat the Mission will always be accompanied with much expense. The [land is said to] have produced plenty in former times under the Government Establishment. I would just add, that the Mission either must be established, with plenty of provision and be produced, as an unlimited sum, i.e. at least, a larger sum, than at the present, must be at its command.
Those Natives that are under instruction must of necessity be fed, and in proportion as the Mission advances, its demands must increase. Were we not too much limited by economy, I have no hesitation in saying, we might be able to pressure many a Native female from that frequent & almost constant intercourse with voluptuous Europeans, and thus, perhaps rescue them from bodily and moral ruin. Food is the only inducement we can hold out to them, and, whatever, may be said against it as a general principle, it is then, the only means of attracting the Natives & affording us an opportunity to instruct then; they all want not merely preaching to them, occasionally, in the bush, they want instructing & training up like children. It is my most fervent desire that some forceful effort, some judicious arrangements might then be made, in their behalf, lest they all die away & perish ere long; their number is indeed rapidly diminishing everywhere over the Colony, and in our district of late also. May our good God have mercy on some of them! I am, my dear Sir
your humble and obedient Servant,
J. Günther

To D. Coates Esqr

People in WellPro Directory: Coates, Dandeson

Letter 6: Günther to Coates, 12 February 1839, p.4.
Class Mark: C N/O 47/6
MS page no: 3-028
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[Addressed to] D. Coates Esqr
Church Missionary house
Salisbury Square
London

[Note] Sydney, Feb.12/38
Rev. J. Günther

[Stamp]
'Paid Sea Letter
Fe 21, 1839'

People in WellPro Directory: Coates, Dandeson