the moravians in georgia-第16章

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　21　Feb。　1736。

Nitschmann。　　Feb。　21st。

（The　small　vessel　came；　we　had　much　rain；　and　the　wind　was　so　strong　against　us　that　we　had　to　spend　the　night　on　the　transport。　　Dober's　Diary。）

　22　Feb。　1736。

Nitschmann。　　Feb。　22nd。

（In　the　afternoon　we　reached　Savannah；　where　we　were　lodged　in　the　house　which　the　Brethren　who　came　a　year　ago　have　built　in　the　town。　The　Lord　has　done　all　things　well；　and　has　turned　to　our　good　all　that　has　befallen　us；　even　when　we　did　not　understand　His　way；　and　has　laid　His　blessing　upon　our　journey；　　thanks　be　unto　Him。　　Dober's　Diary。）

　27　Feb。　1736。

Wesley。　　Feb。　16th。

Mr。　Oglethorpe　set　out　for　the　new　settlement　on　the　Altamahaw　River。　He　took　with　him　fifty　men；　besides　Mr。　Ingham；　Mr。　Hermsdorf；　and　three　Indians。

　6　Mar。　1736。

Wesley。　　Feb。　24th；　Tuesday。

Mr。　Oglethorpe　returned。　　The　day　following　I　took　my　leave　of　most　of　the　passengers　of　the　ship。　　In　the　evening　I　went　to　Savannah。




　　Organization。

The　arrival　of　the　〃second　company〃　was　a　marked　event　in　the　eyes　of　the　Moravians　already　settled　at　Savannah。　Hitherto　all　had　been　preparation；　and　labor　had　seemed　less　arduous　and　privations　less　severe　because　they　were　smoothing　the　path　for　those　who　were　to　follow；　and　it　was　with　well…earned　satisfaction　that　wives　and　friends　were　lodged　in　the　new　house；　taken　to　the　garden　and　the　farm；　and　introduced　to　acquaintances　in　the　town。　No　doubt　poor　Catherine　Riedel's　heart　ached　with　loneliness；　and　her　tears　flowed　fast；　when；　at　the　close　of　that　long　and　stormy　voyage；　she　heard　of　her　husband's　death；　and　stood　beside　his　grave　in　the　Savannah　cemetery；　　but　there　was　little　time　for　grieving　in　the　press　of　matters　that　required　attention；　for　Spangenberg's　long　visit　was　now　to　end；　Nitschmann　was　to　remain　only　until　the　organization　of　the　Congregation　was　complete；　and　there　was　much　to　be　done　before　these　two　able　leaders　took　their　departure。

Scarcely　had　Bishop　Nitschmann　greeted　the　members　of　the　〃first　company〃　in　the　dawn　of　Feb。　17th；　1736；　when　Spangenberg　and　Toeltschig　took　him　to　the　garden　two　miles　distant；　that　they　might　have　a　private　and　undisturbed　conference。　　All　too　soon；　however；　word　was　brought　that　Gen。　Oglethorpe　wanted　to　see　Spangenberg　at　once；　so　they　retraced　their　steps；　and　Spangenberg　received　a　hearty　greeting　from　the　General；　and　many　compliments　on　what　he　and　his　party　had　accomplished。　　There　is　no　record　of　the　conversations　among　the　Moravians　on　that　day；　but　they　are　not　difficult　to　imagine；　for　the　news　from　home　and　from　the　mission　fields　on　the　one　side；　and　the　problems　and　prospects　in　Georgia　on　the　other；　would　furnish　topics　which　many　days　could　not　exhaust。

That　evening　Spangenberg　again　called　on　Gen。　Oglethorpe；　who　gave　orders　that　a　boat　should　take　him　next　day　to　Tybee；　where　the　ship　lay　at　anchor；　with　all　her　passengers　aboard。　He　also　told　Spangenberg　about　the　English　preacher　whom　he　had　brought　over；　and　made　inquiries　about　Nitschmann's　position；　asking　that　the　explanation　be　repeated　to　the　English　preacher；　who　was　also　interested　in　him。

The　following　day　Spangenberg　waited　upon　Gen。　Oglethorpe　to　ask　about　Hermsdorf；　as　he　heard　the　General　had　promised　to　take　him　to　the　Altamaha；　where　a　new　town　was　to　be　built。　He　also　begged　Oglethorpe　to　help　him　arrange　his　departure　for　Pennsylvania　as　soon　as　possible；　which　the　General　agreed　to　do。

About　six　o'clock　that　evening　Spangenberg　reached　the　ship　at　Tybee；　and　was　warmly　welcomed　by　the　Moravians；　and　at　their　song　service　he　met　the　much…talked…of　English　preacher；　John　Wesley。　The　two　men　liked　each　other　at　the　first　glance；　Wesley　wrote　in　his　Journal；　〃I　soon　found　what　spirit　he　was　of；　and　asked　his　advice　in　regard　to　my　own　conduct；〃　while　Spangenberg　paralleled　this　in　his　Diary　with　the　remark；　〃He　told　me　how　it　was　with　him；　and　I　saw　that　true　Grace　dwelt　in　and　governed　him。〃

During　the　two　days　which　elapsed　before　the　transport　came　to　take　the　Moravians　from　the　ship；　Wesley　and　Spangenberg　had　several　long　conversations；　each　recording　the　points　that　struck　him　most；　but　without　comment。　　These　discussions　regarding　doctrine　and　practice　were　renewed　at　intervals　during　the　remainder　of　Spangenberg's　stay　in　Savannah；　and　the　young　Englishman　showed　himself　eager　to　learn　the　Indian　language　so　that　he　might　preach　to　the　natives；　generous　in　his　offers　to　share　his　advantages　of　study　with　the　Moravians；　and　above　all　determined　to　enforce　the　letter　of　the　ecclesiastical　law；　as　he　understood　it；　in　his　new　parish。　　He　thought　〃it　would　be　well　if　two　of　the　Moravian　women　would　dedicate　themselves　to　the　Indian　service；　and　at　once　begin　to　study　the　language；〃　and　〃as　the　early　Church　employed　deaconesses；　it　would　be　profitable　if　these　women　were　ordained　to　their　office。〃　　He　was　also　convinced　〃that　the　apostolic　custom　of　baptism　by　immersion　ought　to　be　observed　in　Georgia。〃　〃He　bound　himself　to　no　sect；　but　took　the　ground　that　a　man　ought　to　study　the　Bible　and　the　writings　of　the　Church　Fathers　of　the　first　three　centuries；　accepting　what　agreed　with　these　two　sources；　and　rejecting　all　else。〃　He　requested　the　Moravians　to　use　the　Lord's　Prayer　at　all　their　public　services；　〃since　this　is　acknowledged　to　have　been　the　custom　of　the　early　Church；〃　and　since　that　early　Church　celebrated　the　Holy　Communion　every　day；　he　thought　it　necessary　that　all　members　should　partake　at　least　on　every　Sunday。　〃He　also　had　his　thoughts　concerning　Fast　days。〃　　Spangenberg　promised　to　lay　these　matters　before　the　congregation；　but　so　far　as　Fast　days　were　concerned；　he　said　that　while　he　would　observe　them　as　a　matter　of　conscience　if　he　belonged　to　a　Church　which　required　them；　he　doubted　the　wisdom　of　forcing　them　upon　a　Church　in　which　they　were　not　obligatory。

On　the　21st；　the　periagua　（〃so　they　call　a　rather　deep；　large　boat〃）　came　to　take　the　Moravians　to　Savannah；　but　it　was　necessary　to　call　at　the　other　ship；　as　some　of　their　baggage　had　been　brought　in　that　vessel。　Spangenberg　went　ahead；　and　found　that　for　some　reason　the　baggage　could　not　be　taken　off　that　day。　　He　was　pleasantly　received　by　〃the　younger〃　Reck；　but　the　Baron　was　absent；　having　gone　to　see　the　site　to　which　the　Salzburgers　wished　to　move　their　settlement；　Gen。　Oglethorpe　having　given　his　permission。　　About　the　time　the　periagua　arrived；　a　heavy　rain　came　up；　and　fearing　the　effect　on　the　new…comers；　Spangenberg　obtained　permission　to　take　them　into　the　cabin。　When　ten　o'clock　came　they　decided　to　wait　no　longer；　and　started　for　Savannah；　with　the　result　that　they　spent　the　entire　night　in　the　rain；　in　an　open　boat；　and　then　had　passed　but　half　way　up　the　river！　Early　in　the　morning　Spangenberg　took　two　men　and　his　small　boat　and　went　ahead；　stopping　at　Capt。　Thomson's　ship　to　get　some　things　Korte　had　sent　them　from　London。　　They　reached　Savannah　in　the　afternoon；　and　before　daybreak　on　Thursday；　Feb。　23rd；　the　periagua　at　last　landed　its　passengers　at　Savannah。

That　evening　Spangenberg　returned　with　Oglethorpe　to　the　ship；　that　various　important　matters　might　be　more　fully　discussed。　They　agreed；　（1）　that　the　five　hundred　acres　already　surveyed　for　Zinzendorf　should　be　retained；　and　settled；　but　that　it　would　be　wise　to　take　an　additional　five　hundred　acres　of　more　fertile　land　nearer　Savannah；　where　it　would　be　more　accessible；　the　grant　to　be　made　to　Christian　Ludwig　von　Zinzendorf；　the　Count's　eldest　son；　（2）　that　no　Moravian　could　accept　a　fifty　acre　tract　without　pledging　himself　to　military　service；　but　land　could　be　secured　for　a　number　of　them　at　the　rate　of　twenty　acres　apiece；　without　this　obligation。　This　land　could　be　selected　near　Zinzendorf's　estate；　the　town　to　be　built　on　the　Count's　property。　　If　any　wished　to　leave　the　Moravian　Congregation；　he　should　receive　twenty　acres　elsewhere　for　himself。　　（3）　Non…Moravians；　like　John　Regnier；　might　live　with　them　on　the　same　conditions。　（4）　If　one　of　the　Moravians　died　without　male　issue；　the　Congregation　should　name　his　successor　in　the　title　to　the　land。　（5）　The　promised　cattle　should　still　be　given。

It　was　further　arranged　that　Spangenberg　should　continue　to　hold　the　title　to　his　fifty　acres；　but　with　the　understanding　that　it　was　in　trust　for　the　Congregation；　the　same　to　apply　to　Nitschmann's　land；　if　desired。

On　the　25th　and　26th；　a　number　of　Indians　visited　the　ship；　being　received　with　much　ceremony。　　〃King〃　Tomochichi；　and　others；　Spangenberg　had　often　seen；　and　they　were　formally　presented　to　Mr。　Wesley；　of　whom　they　had　heard；　and　to　whom　they　gave　a　flask　of　honey　and　a　flask　of　milk；　with　the　wish　that　〃the　Great　Word　might　be　to　them　as　milk　and　honey。〃　　Tomochichi　told　of　his　efforts　to　keep　peace　among　the　tribes；　in　the　face　of　rumors　that　the　English　meant　to　enslave　them　all；　and　of　his　success　so　far；　but　he　feared　the　Indians　were　not　in　a　frame　of　mind　to　give　much　heed　to　the　Gospel　message。　Still　he　welcomed　the　attempt；　and　would　give　what　aid　he　could；　advising　that　the　missionaries　learn　the　Indian　tongue；　and　that　they　should　not　baptize；　　as　the　Spanish　did；　　until　the　people　were　instructed　and　truly　converted。

On　Feb。　27th；　General　Oglethorpe　started　for　the　Altamaha。　His　journey　to　Georgia　on　this　occasion　had　been　principally　to　protect　the　southern　borders　of　the　colony　by　establishing　two　new　towns　on　the　frontier；　and　erecting　several　forts　near　by。　　One　company；　which　sailed　direct　from　Scotland；　had　landed　in　January；　and　begun　a　settlement　at　New　Inverness；　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Altamaha；　and　a　second　was　now　to　be　established　on　St。　Simon　Island；　and　was　to　be　called　Frederica。　　Oglethorpe　had　expected　to　take　the　Salzburgers　who　came　on　the　‘London　Merchant'；　to　the　southward　with　him；　but　nearly　all　of　them　decided　that　they　preferred　to　join　those　of　their　number　who　were　preparing　to　move　to　New　Ebenezer；　and　the　General　did　not　insist；　contenting　himself　with　his　English　soldiers。

A　periagua　had　been　started　a　little　in　advance　of　the　sloop　which　bore　the　provisions；　arms；　ammunition；　and　tools；　and　in　the　evening　Gen。　Oglethorpe　followed　in　a　swift；　ten…oared　boat；　called；　　from　the　service　in　which　it　was　often　employed；　　a　scout　boat。

With　the　General　went　Mr。　Ingham；　and　Lieut。　Hermsdorf。　The　latter　assured　Spangenberg　that　he　had　really　meant　little　more　than　to　compliment　the　General　on　the　occasion　when　he　remarked　〃that　he　would　ask　nothing　better　than　to　follow　him　through　bush　and　valley；　and　see　him　carry　out　his　wise　designs；〃　that　he　did　not　know　at　that　time　that　Oglethorpe　was　going　to　the　Altamaha；　nor　how　far　away　the　Altamaha　was。　But　Spangenberg　gravely　told　him　that　Gen。　Oglethorpe　had　taken　his　word　as　that　of　an　honest　man；　and　that　he　would　not　attempt　to　hold　him　back；　only　he　wished　him　to　so　demean　himself　as　to　bring　credit　and　not　shame　to　Zinzendorf　and　the　Moravians；　to　whom　he　was　at　liberty　to　return　when　he　desired。　　Hermsdorf；　therefore；　went　with　Oglethorpe　and　his　fifty　men；　was　made　a　Captain　and　was　given　a　position　of　importance　in　superintending　the　erection　of　the　necessary　fortifications　on　St。　Simon。

Benjamin　Ingham's　visit　to　Frederica　pr