John Clarke, Falmouth, to Joseph Angus, 6 Fen Court, Fenchurch Street, London, 16 February 1843.

Falmouth
Feby 16th 1843

My dear Brother,

   I have too long omitted to acknowledge the kindness of many dear Friends who have deeply interested themselves on behalf of Africa—The only excuse I can offer is my perpetual traveling and engagements in behalf furtherance of their object, which is ever dear to me; and for the advancement of which I cheerfully offer myself to God, to live, to labour, and to die on the plains, or mountains, of Ethiopia—

   I have first to acknowledge, with much gratitude, a valuable assortment of Nails, Screws, Padlocks, Tools, Ship implements, Knives, Plates, Frame, Ironmongery of various sorts—Stationary—Bags, Neckerchiefs—Shawls—Prints (Cotton) Cloth Pinafores, & various Fancy & useful articles—Buttons—a Bag of Building Nails, (from Mr Miles of Henley in Arden) and various other articles, through our kind, and devoted Friend, Miss Morgan of Birmingham—The Promise of a second supply of Needles from our venerable friend the Revd J Smith of Astwood—Various presents of pen knives—pocket-knives, scissors &c from friends at Sheffield—the present of a Bible from a little girl who could not retain in her possession two Bibles while so many of her fellow creatures were without one—two testaments at Hook Norton for the children of our friend J. W. Christian & one from a friend at Berwick to be given to some African who can read the word of God. A present of Books, & various other valuable articles, to Mrs Clarke, myself, & daughter from our liberal and devoted Friend, R Sherring Esqe of Bristol. Five Pounds for the purchase of Books, for my personal library, from our respected Friend, Mrs J. L. Angas of Newcastle—valued personal presents from Mr & Mrs Prowse of Exeter—several Volumes of useful works for Africa, from Friends at Berwick—a Book on Africa from a Friend at Leeds—And to these favours I ought to add the universal interest, which has every where been manifested, towards the African Mission; and the great kindness which christian friends have been pleased to bestow upon myself—for these I am sincerely thankful to God, & to those dear Brs & Sisters in Christ Jesus, among whom I have gone, and whose faces in the flesh I expect to see no more—If I live to reach the Mountains of Fernando Po, I shall reflect upon their kindness with deep gratitude, & interest; & there, as well as here, I shall pour out my heart in prayer to God, that prosperity of soul may ever attend all who feel for the Heathen, & seek to glorify God, and extend the dominion of Jesus, by sending among them the Gospel of his grace—As many inquiries are made respecting the articles most useful for Africa—I may add to the "Hints for clothing societies," already sent you, the following list as descriptive of the things which wd be of greatest use to us in that Land—

   Nails of all descriptions, for erecting Houses—Shingle Nails, etc. Carpenter's tools—Cooper's adzes—a turning lathe—Drilling tools—A large supply of axes, & hatchets—Fish hooks—lines—Cord etc. Common halfworn table knives are highly valuable—Strong Hoes, & Cutlasses, for agricultural labour—small grind stones, & sharping stones. Bill hooks; & Chisels, for digging up yams, as used in the West Indies—Looking glasses—magnifying & multiplying glasses—Caps—umbrellas—shoes—Cups—Tin plates—Iron pots &—Nets—& large lines for fishing in the sea. Writing paper, Memorandum Books, etc. Ink—Steel pens—Books in any of the languages of Africa; & Books on African History—Friends who may feel disposed to supply any of these articles for the benefit of the African Mission, wd need to lose no time in forwarding them to Fen Court as Mr & Mrs Merrick are likely to sail for Africa in a few weeks, & I do not expect to remain in England beyond the month of May—

   Mr. Sherring has been most liberal and kind. He has added to his former presents to me, the following, Hall’s Works, in russia, Hall’s Fifty Sermons, Doddridge’s Works, and Expositor, complete in russia, Fuller’s Works, ditto, Cuvier’s Works, 11 guineas, Pritchard’s Works, to include a volume in the press, Howe’s Blessedness of the Righteous, a large bible, and several smaller works, all in russia, and in good binding.

   That the blessing of God may rest upon our efforts for His Glory, & that “Ethiopia may soon stretch out her hands unto God” is the prayer of my dear Brother, yours, most respectfully and sincerely,

                                             John Clarke

Text: MAW, Box 39 (BMS 2691 1/2), John Rylands University Library of Manchester. This letter appeared in the Missionary Herald (April 1843), 228-229, with some differences. James Smith (1770-1850) was the Baptist minister at Astwood, Worcestershire, 1813-1850; Richard B. Sherring was a prominent Baptist layman and member at Broadmead, Bristol; Mary Angus (1775-1850) was a bookseller/printer and the wife of John Lindsey Angas (1776-1861) and sister-in-law to George Fife Angas (1789-1878) (see letter 159). All were members of the Baptist church at Tuthill Stairs, Newcastle.