On the 19th of November, 1742, Mr. Brainerd received a letter from the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, of New York, desiring him to go thither without delay; in order to consult about the state of the Indians in those quarters, and to meet some gentlemen who were entrusted with those affairs. The gentlemen alluded to were the correspondents in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge.

This will be a suitable place to introduce some account of the first exertions of that society in behalf of the North-American Indians.

The deplorable state of the Indians in those parts of America being by several ministers represented to the society, the society charitably and cheerfully came into the proposal of maintaining two missionaries among these miserable Pagans, to endeavour their conversion from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and sent their commission to some ministers and other gentlemen, to act as their correspondents, in providing, directing, and inspecting the said mission.

As soon as the correspondents were authorized by the society's commission, they looked out for two candidates, whose zeal for the interests of Christ's kingdom, and whose compassion for perishing souls, would prompt them to such a difficult and selfdenying undertaking.