754 they began their labours in Jamaica: in 1756 in Antigua: in 1765 in
Barbadoes: in 1775 in St. Kitts: in 1790 in Tobago. In 1735 they began
their labours among the free negroes of Surinam, and in 1736 they
commenced a mission in South Africa. The same zeal led the same people
to labour amongst the slaves at and near Paramaribo. One mission was at
Paramaribo and one at Sommelsdyke.

The difficulty of establishing the first missions among the negroes can
scarcely now be conceived. This difficulty was neither blindly
contemned, nor timidly feared. With a zeal which Christ knows how to
reward, "two of the Brethren at Hernhutth offered to sell themselves as
slaves, should they find no other way of obtaining an opportunity of
instructing the negroes." In almost every instance some ignorant or
viciously disposed persons chose to misunderstand and misrepresent the
object and tendency of this missionary labour; and thus at first
opposition was frequently violent. But in every case this hostility was
found to be unreasonable and died away. Thus in St. Thomas through the
bitterness of some, of whom better things might have been expected, the
missionaries were at one time imprisoned for fifteen weeks; but soon
after the governor and most of the planters on the island were
convinced, by experience, that the instruction of the negroes in the
principles of religion, instead of impairing, promoted the interests of
their masters; and therefore they were pleased to see their slaves
attend on the preaching of the gospel. Thus also in St. Croix, when a
dangerous plot was discovered among the slaves, who had bound themselves
to murder all the white people on the island in one night, certain
malicious persons reported, that some of the negroes baptised by the
missionaries were concerned in this conspiracy; but their ignorance was
soon vindicated by the criminals themselves. As long as the disturbances
lasted, the Brethren by the governor's advice, omitted the large
meetings of the negroes; and when he authorized them to begin them
again, he and some other gentlemen were present and encouraged the
negroes in their attendance. On another occasion when an order was
issued that no negro should be seen on the streets or roads after seven
o'clock in the evening, he made a regulation that such negroes as had
attended the meetings of the Brethren, and could produce a certificate
to that effect, signed by their teacher, should pass unmolested by th