In South Carolina. 289 



to Providence Island, one of the Bahamas, but were 

 all of the opinion that the British Colonies should be 

 supplied from Britain or Ireland. Indeed, our Amer- 

 ican societies have neither men nor money to spare. 

 O that God would, of his infinite mercy, raise up more 

 faithful laborers for his work, and incline the hearts 

 of the rich to assist us in carrying on our extensive 

 plan for the enlargement of his kingdom ! Charleston 

 has lately suffered extremely by two conflagrations, 

 both of which happened in the course of a month. 

 About six hundred dwelling-houses, besides ware- 

 houses, and a large quantity of valuable effects, were 

 destroyed. In Savannah, in Georgia, also, they have 

 had three conflagrations, the last of which nearly con- 

 sumed the small part of the town which the two former 

 had left remaining. Surely, the judgments of God are 

 upon the earth! But alas! the greatest part of its 

 inhabitants, it is to be feared, have refused to learn 

 righteousness. Poor William Hammett is now come 

 to nothing. When he began his schism, his popular- 

 ity was such that he soon erected a church, nearly if 

 not quite as large as our new chapel in London, which 

 was crowded on the Lord's-day. But alas! he has 

 now upon Sunday evenings only about thirty white 

 people, with their dependent blacks. He has indeed 

 gained a sufficiency of money to procure a plantation, 

 and to stock it with slaves, though no one was more 

 strenuous against slavery than he while destitute of 

 the power of enslaving. During his popularity, we lost 

 almost all our congregation and society; but blessed be 

 God, we have now a crowded church, and a society, in- 

 clusive of the blacks, amounting to treble the number 

 which we had when the division took place; and our 

 people intend immediately to erect a second church. 

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