The visit of the Indians was made subservient to the favorite purpose of Oglethorpe, by rousing attention to the improvement of the race in knowledge and religion. At their earliest interviews with him, they had expressed a wish that their children might be taught to speak and read the English language, and they themselves instructed in the principles of Christianity. From their intercourse with the Carolinians for many years, they had been made sensible of the superiority which such attainments conferred, even where that intercourse had been, as it mostly was, with the traders; but no missionary had been sent, as in our times, to form them to civilization, and "teach them which be the first principles of the oracles of God." Oglethorpe felt extremely desirous of obtaining for them these advantages; and expressed to the trustees his belief that they would readily avail themselves of an opportunity for their attainment. In furtherance of this most important object, he applied to the Reverend Dr. Wilson, Bishop of Sodor and Man, to prepare a manual of instruction for them. The good Bishop complied with his request with great readiness; and the work was printed at the expense of "the Society for propagating the Gospel in foreign Parts." The volume was dedicated to the Trustees; and, in the preface, the author states that it "was undertaken in consequence of a short but entertaining conversation, which he, and some others, had with the honorable and worthy General Oglethorpe, concerning the condition, temper, and genius of the Indians in the neighborhood of Georgia, and those parts of America; who, as he assured us, are a tractable people, and more capable of being civilized and of receiving the truths of religion than we are generally made to believe, if some hindrances were removed, and proper measures taken to awaken in them a sense of their true interest, and of their unhappy condition, while they continue in their present state."
"And, indeed, that most worthy gentleman's great and generous concern for both the present and future interest of these nations, and his earnest desire and endeavors, so well known, to civilize them first, and make them more capable of instruction in the ways of religion and civil government, and his hearty wishes that something might be done to forward such good purposes, prevailed with the author, however indifferently qualified for such a work, to set about the following essay for propagating the Gospel amongst the Indians and negroes."[1]