The next labourers, so far as known, in this field were Rev. Samuel Davies, afterwards President of Nassau Hall, and Rev. John Tod, of Hanover Presbytery in Va. Mr. Davies began his ministry in Hanover in 1747, and in 1755 he gives the following account in a letter to a member of "the Society in London for promoting Christian Knowledge among the poor." "The inhabitants of Virginia are computed to be about 300,000 men, the one-half of which number are supposed to be negroes. The number of those who attend my ministry at particular times is uncertain, but generally about 300, who give a stated attendance; and never have I been so struck with the appearance of an assembly, as when I have glanced my eye to that part of the meeting-house where they usually sit, adorned, for so it appeared to me, with so many black countenances eagerly attentive to every word they hear, and frequently bathed in tears. A considerable number of them (about five hundred) have been baptised, after a proper time for instruction, and having given credible evidences, not only of their acquaintance with the important doctrines of the Christian religion, but also a deep sense of them upon their minds, attested by a life of strict piety and holiness. As they are not sufficiently polished to dissemble with a good grace, they express the sentiments of their souls so much in the language of simple nature, and with such genuine indications of sincerity, that it is impossible to suspect their professions, especially when attended with a truly Christian life and exemplary conduct. My worthy friend, Mr. Tod, minister of the next congregation, has near the same number under his instructions, who, he tells me, discover the same serious turn of mind. In short, sir, there are multitudes of them in different places, who are willing and eagerly desirous to be instructed, and embrace every opportunity of acquainting themselves with the doctrines of the gospel, and though they have generally very little help to learn them to read, yet to my agreeable surprise many of them, by dint of application at their leisure hours, have made such progress that they can read a plain author intelligibly, and especially their Bibles, and pity it is that any of them should be without them. Some of them have the misfortune to have irreligious masters, and hardly any of them are so happy as to be furnished with these assistances for their improvement. Before I had the pleasure of being admitted a member of your society, they were wont frequently to come to me with such moving accounts of their necessities in this respect, that I could not help supplying them with books, to the utmost of my small abilities; and when I distributed those among them which my friends, with you, sent over, I had reason to think that I never did an action in all my life that met with so much gratitude from the receivers. I have already distributed all the books that I brought over, which were proper for them.