Series 1 > Journal of the Hon. John Erskine of Carnock, 1683-1687

APPENDIX III
245
2. Letter from the Directors of the Darien Scheme to the
Ministers of the Colony.
Edinburgh, the IQth day of February, 1700.
Right Reverend,—We were in hopes to have heard from you
by the first occasion that you had of writing to Scotland from any
part of America, and should have been glade to have had your
Sentiments concerning such occurrences as have happened to you
during your voyage, as well as concerning the temper and be¬
haviour of the People that are under your charge. We find the
loss, and themselves the smart, of the irregular lives that the
generality of those who went upon the first Expedition led ; we
have written very fully on this head both to the Council and Over¬
seers of the Colony severally, to which we referr you for fuller in¬
formation in that and other particulars. It must needs (no doubt)
be very surprising to you, instead of friends to receive and Wellcome
you, as you expected, to find Caledonia desolate. We shall not
now insist upon the unhappy occasions of it, being full upon that
head to the Council, who can inform you thereof; as will also the
Bearer, Captain Patrick Macdougal, who was witness to that
tragical Scene. However the Interest of Religion, the Honour and
Credit of the Nation is now too far engaged to think of looking
backward, which is the least of our thoughts; and the unkind be¬
haviour of our Neighbour Nation1 seems now more than ever to
make all degrees of people here more and more concerned in your
wellfare and for your Support. As we have not been idle since your
departure hence, so you may assuredly depend upon it, that we
shall constantly persevere in doing our outmost endeavours for all
your Interest: And for what concerns you in particular, we shall
not only upon all occasions be ready to perform our engagements
to you, but also contribute as much as in us lies, to make your pre¬
sent Stations easy and agreeable to you, by strictly enjoyning all
under your Charge to have a due regard to good discipline and
order; and we are hopefull that those in authority amongst you
will study to discourage vice and encourage Piety by the Example
of their own lives, and not split upon the same rock of riot and
immoralities that their Predecessors did. For it is not from a
multitude of hands that we expect great things, so much as from
a competent number of men united in interest and affection, and
1 England was jealous of the expedition, and bitterly hostile.