“Oahu (Waahoo) Sand. I. Oct. 8, 1822.” Dateline on four-page folded letter from Elisha Loomis, the missionary printer who arrived with the Pioneer Company of missionaries, to his brother Chester, the postmaster of Rushville N.Y., sender’s ship-name directive “Pr. Ship Spermo Capt. Bunker Nantucket”, “Edgartown Ms. March 28” (1823) manuscript postmark with “Ship Free” (postmaster free frank), light soiling

FINE AND RARE EARLY MISSIONARY LETTER FROM ELISHA LOOMIS IN HAWAII, TO HIS BROTHER IN RUSHVILLE, NEW YORK.

In his letter Loomis acknowledges receiving a letter from his brother sent Dec. 3, 1821. He notes that the Reverend Bingham for the last two months has been preaching in the Hawaiian language, that a second edition of 2,000 copies of “our Spelling Book” is being printed, and regrets not having the time to learn the language himself. In January 1822 the missionaries’ first publication, a 16-page spelling and reading pamphlet, was printed in an edition of 500 copies. Over the next few years the printing office, with the help of native apprentices, issued a number of pamphlets, primers and scripture tracts, in addition to a translation of the Bible which was finally completed by May 10, 1839.

Ex Ishikawa, Honolulu Advertiser and Golden

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