,.^... IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // '^ 1.0 I.I u Hi Hi Ki 12.? 2.0 1.8 6" 125 iU 11.6 0% y: '/ o 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) 872-4503 t!? ^CP t/j CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques \ \ ■^^^ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy wh'ch may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou pelliculde Cover title missing/ Ls titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur D D D Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or biack)/ Encre de couleur ii.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relid avec d'autres documents r/f Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion I 1 along interior margin/ Lareliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure D D Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors dune restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas dt6 film^es. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires; L'Institut a microfilme le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a dtd possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sunt peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une ima'^6 reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiquds ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/oi Pages restaur6es et/ou pellicul6es Pages discoloured, stained or foxe< Pages d^colordes, tachetdes ou piqu6es Pages detached/ Pages ddtach^es Shcwthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Quality tndgale de I'impression Includes supplementary materia Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible j I Pages damaged/ I 1 Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~y Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ r~7] Shcwthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary material/ I I Only edition available/ □ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tis5^ues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 film6es d nouveau de facon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiqu^ ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X • 12X 16X 20X 26X 30X 24X 28X 32X ire d(6tails es du modifier er une filmage es The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — ^> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grSce d la gdndrositd de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim^e sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en tet rninant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iliustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iliustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte jne telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ►signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. errata to pelure, 30 i U 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 \\ ITS OF ALL TH BY PRINl NEWFOUNDLAND Ain> ITS MISSIONARIES. IN TWO PARTS. TO WHICH IS ADDED A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF A.. THE XMrOHTA.T HVEKXS ^AX HAVB OCCCKBED O. XHB BY REV. WILLIAM WILSON, FOURTEEN TBAES A MIS8I0WART Df NEWFOIWIHATO. CAMBRIDGE, MAS«.. PRINTED BY DAKIN & METCALF. HALIFAX, N.S. SOLD AT TWp ■UTJ^a-r -p-.. . .- _ — E, WEo^EiAjjf BOOK ROOM. 1866. ^x 8:1 5^ 274?0() Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by WILLIAM WILSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. To THE C D18T Dear anxiety I, this volun has causei But, bj t plished, ar The his graphical s by you w: Methodist year, 1865 country. past trium] nary under You nov eight missic twenty tho God alcn In humb from xiiy ve: or their chi DEDICATION. To THE CHA.BMAS AND BketHHEK Or THE NeWPO^KtAND B,8TB.CT, AND TBK WesIEYANS OF THE CoLONY. Deae Brethren, -With much concern and deep anx,e.y I, at your suggestion, took up my pen ,„' prepare this volume on "Newfoundland and its Missionaries." It has caused me much research, and given me great labor. Bu^ by the good providence of God, ,ny task is accom- plished, and the book is now presented to the public The history of Methodism in your colony, and the bio- graphical sketches of your deceased ministers, will be read by you with deep interest. Newfoundland is the oldest Method.^ mission upon the face of the earth; and this year, 1865, is the centenary year of our existence in your country. You have great cause for thankfulness for your past triumphs, and you wiU commence your second cente- nary under circumstances truly auspicious. You now have twenty-two ministers, fourteen circuits, e.ght m,ss.on-stations, four thousand members, and, at least twenty thousand friends and adherents. Glory be to' God alc¥e ! In humbly dedicating this work to you, lean, and do from .ay very heart, offer up, on behalf of my old friends, or the.r children who may survive the.n, and also for my (3) iv DEDICATION. brethren who still labor on the island, this prayer, once presented in reference to the children of Israel : " The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you." With all respect, I am, Dear brethren. Yours affectionately, William Wilson. Mill Town, St. Stephens, New Brunswick, March 30, 1865. """ "-Re- in a more permanent fo™ ^^il'* '^'''^'f. P-^^l. then, ume, which it is the belief ,^f ,vb.^ **"" '"^ether in a vol- .otheWesleyansofthtlty:a!ronT^d'^^^^^^ reasonable cost. ^ ""'"^ ^°^ * ^^ady sale, at a " That, should the Rev. Mr WH^^. * /• , ^>ir. n ilson not feel inclined to publish (V) m VI PREFACE. them as above recommended, he would kindly permit this Board to take the liberty of doing so. " John S. Peach, Chairman." Reply to the Chairman and Ministers of the Newfoundland Dis- trict. "Dear Brethren, — I received with much pleasure the Res- olution of your District Board on behalf of ' the Wesleyans of your Colcny,' expressing their approval of certain letters which have appeared in the ' Provincial Wesleyan,' on ' Newfoundland and its Missionaries,' and requesting the publication of those letters in the form of a volume. ♦' In reply, permit me to say, that I spent fourteen years in different circuits of that important mission, during which time I mixed with all classes of society, saw into all the minutiae of its business, as well as the religious character of its inhabitants, and took extensive notes of all matters which came under my observa- tion. For many years I had thought of giving the result of these observations to the world, but delayed doing so until the Jubilee movement of last year, when, information being collected from va- rious sources as to the work of God on different missionary sta- tions, it seemed clearly my duty to communicate through the press what I knew in reference to a country where was commenced the first Wesleyan missionary station upon the earth, and where I spent so many of my youthful and of my happiest days. Hence the production of those papers ; and if the perusal of them has done any good, or has in any way contributed to the gratification of my dear friends in Newfoundland, I consider myself amply re- warded. '• As to the publication of those papers in the form of a volume, it is only a question of cost ; and I beg therefore to say, that if the friends think the volume will pay the expense, and they can ad- vance the sum necessary for putting it through the press, I will direct my best attention to the work, and will prepare a volume on ' Newfoundland, and its Missionaries,' with such corrections and improvements as I hope will make it both attractive and useful. PREFACE. " In conclusion, I woulfl «av fl,«* t kin.l„css from the pcojo o^n! f "^rT"""'"^ ""'"'"'S >»" I'hich is atill fre°h fn „ No^fo-n'Hand, the remcmbran.o of Yours very affeclionately, " Sackviixe, N. B., Jm, js, 1864. " ^^'"■'-"M Wnsos. ^il'^th" m VethT " r"'*'" " "»" '"^ '»«'«<' "^rfy next Lndlani """ centenary year of Methodism in Ne«. " W. W.» ^ Being thus committed, I determined to make the book aa useful and mteresting as possible. The publication „f,h^ e«^. alone would have been meagre, aoith glre^^, o«^ +i>- • -^^"vinces. It IS stiJl a terra mcoanita • .w : troft '":.'^'' """^ p^'^™' '» '•"^ '-»« incorrect, and, often, the most absurd, ideas both of ih. Sei^ign:rcer^^^^^^^^^ »' --4 .0 authentic ,„f„ . communicating to the public the , „d Hr'"".r ^"""^ ™"-' connected with the island. Hence, the miscellaneous subjects that are brought under the notice of the reader i„\he fouLrng The Topography is from the Government Ma the Min ctX f" "^'^^'"* '"'"""'^'" '"^ «-' HUo^ s Zros /r-rr'/™™''^' '^^ '•■^ statistics from Monro 8 British North America " PuUkatfo!,?T °'^^"'°''''"' '« ""■"piled from the standard pubhcations ,t the connection, the Biographical Sketches from *e Mmutes of the Conference, and'the'DescnpfW the t ishery from personal observation. m VTIT PREFACE. The present seemed the most favora'ole time for issuing such a work ; for all information in reference to these prov- inces is now called for, to lead the people to form a correct opinion as to the propriety or impropriety of a Confeder- ation. Methodistically, it ia a centenary volume ; for it was some time during the summer of 1765 that the Rev. Law- rence Coughlan commenced iiis ministry, which will be one hundred years the coming season. The writer now submits his book to the notice of a can- did public, and prays that its circulation may be the means of doing much good. Mux Town, St. Stkph«n's, New Brunswick, March 30, 1865. DISCOVERY — CONTENTS. PART I. CHAPTER I. Page CKOORAPHICaL position Awt» An,... ^ CHAPTER II. SOIL- VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL KINGDOM, . .33 CHAPTER III. DISCOVERY - HISTORY - PisHINO ADMIRALS. . CHAPTER IV. DISPLANTING THE INHABITAXTS — ST inHVQ ^. IN PLACENT,A-ST JOH^ rApJ.;^ ^^^^^«=° " ^««NCH KHNOH osBORNErsriYTnrZs' ^tT" ""'^-"^"■ A THIRD TIME -GREAT STORM aT"''' CAPTURED NEWSPAPKR _ ST TOHV, " ^^MIRAL RICHERY - PIRst ^rAft.K ST. JOHNS BURNED THK rato COCHRANE - P,„sx PARLIAMENT - STEAMERS ^ . ^"^''^' PRINCE OF WALE«l T-ABTo STEAMERS — VISIT OF THE WALES — TABLES AND STATISTICS ' ■ • • "I/ 65 PART II. CHAPTER I. STATE OP RELIGION IN ENGLAND — ENGLISH rrnr.r.^ MKTHODI8M - LAY PREACHERS - PERSEcTtio ' ^ "" ^'"^ °"' - FIRST conference, . . "^^^^^^^^^lON - JOHN NELSON (IX) 105 CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. SUCCESS OP METHODISM — IRELAND — LAWRENCE COUGHLAN — PHXIP EMBURY — METHODISM IN NEWFOUNDLAND — IN NEW YORK — CONFERENCE OF 1767 — CAPTAIN WEBB — RICHARD BOABDMAN — JOSEPH PILMOOB, . . . • . • • 122 CHAPTER III. RISE OP METHODISM IN NEWFOUNDLAND — LAWRENCE COUGHLAN — RISE OF METHODISM IN JERSEY AND FRANCE — JOHN STRETTON — ARTHUR THOME Y, 131 CHAPTER IV. METHODISM IN OLD PERLICAN — JOHN HASKINS ARRIVES — WRITES TO MR. WESLEY — PREACHES — PERSECUirON IN TRINITY— MR. STRETTON WRITES TO MB. WESLEY FOR A PREACHER — HIS REPLY — ARRIVAL OF JOHN MCGEARY — EARLY METHODIST PREACHERS — JOHN WESLEY — CHARLES WESLEY — JOHN FLETCHER — MINUTES OP 1770 — EXPULSION OP SIX OXFORD STUDENTS — REV. WALTER SHIRLEY'S CIRCULAR — CALVINISTIC CONTROVERSY — JOSEPH BENSON — ROBERT SWINDELLS — THOMAS WALSH — THOMAS OLIVERS — SAMUEL BRADBUBN — DOCTOR COKE, CHAPTER V. 149 JOHN MCGEARY — VISIT OF REV. WILLIAM BLACK — GEORGE SMITH — WILLIAM THORESBY — JOHN REMMINGTON — WILLIAM ELLIS — SAMUEL MCDOWELL — WILLIAM WARD — SAMPSON BUSBY — STATE OF THE METHODIST MISSIONS IN 1785 — STATE OP ENG- LjInD in 1798 — MISSIONS IN 1813 — SXATTS op INDIA — DOCTOR COKE SAILS FOR INDIA— ORIGIN OF THE METHODIST MISSION- ARY SOCIETY — NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT, .... 174 CHAPTER VI. NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT — PLAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MISSIONS — BAY CIRCUITS — ST. JOHNS' CIRCUIT — GREAT FIRE — CITIZENS OV BOSTON — BON AVISTA CIRCUIT — PERSECUTION — THE FISHERY — THE WINTER SEASON, 194 CHAPTER VII. SABBATH-BREAKING — ANECDOTE OF MRS. LOCKE — THE CARBON- EAIt CAPTAIN — JOHN PICKAVANT — JOHN LEWIS — METHODISM IN BURIN — THOMAS HICKSON— JAMES HICKSON — STATION FOR 1817 — NEW CIRCUITS — HARBOR GRACE — TRINITY — WESTERN BAY — FORTUNE BAY — HANTS' HARBOR — CAPTAIN VICARS — KEDL2Y VICARS — SABHATIJ SOJIi^.or.S, 218 CONTENTS. zi CHAPTER VIII. « ''"Tor.r'JrH""'""""^^"--"^^^ SCOTIA M,SSIO..KT SOCIETY - JOHN BELL - GKORGE CUBIT -JOHN WALSH- JOHN HAIGH-RICHARO KNIGHT - WESLEVAN MISSIONS -PROPrA^ TION SOCIETY -PERSECUTION IN BONAVISTA - ARRIVAL ok THE WRITER-STATE OF THE COUNTRY. . . ^ 234 CHAPTER IX. FIRST MISSIONARY REPORT - USAGES OF THE PREACHERS oZrr^Lo^r"'''"" - ^^^^^^^^ - -B^BurNG z MASON ?. . - "^'''' "^^^'^^^ - «=«««= ^««^=^ - JOHN MASON-LACK OF SCHOOLS IN NEWFOUNDLAND -NEWFOUND FOR 18^4 -ADAAi NIGHTINGALE -JOHN BOYD, . . . .253 CHAPTER X. SEALS AND THE SEAL-FISHERY - VARIETIES OF THE SEAL - r-TF,. OF THE SEALERS - RELIGIOUS SERVICES - ANECDOTE - / ToD OF TAKING SEALS- SABBATH-BREAKINO AT THE ICE-RETURN OF VESSELS - NUMBER OF SEALS TAKEN-NUMBEB OF VESSELS EMPLOYED - SIZE AND CHARACTER OF SEALING-VESSELSr 273 CHAPTER XI. MISSION TO THE LABRADOR INDIANS - MORAVIAN MISSION-ADAM CLABK AVAUD-NEWFOU.NDLAND DISTRICT- THOm!s mCK SON^ MISSION -RICHARD KNIGHt'S MISSION -GEORGE E^ .rOGE'S MISSION -CHARLES BATE - WITHDRAWAL^r XH^ 288 CHAPTER XII. THE RED iNm^NS-THE^R HABITS - KILLED BY WHITE MEN - AT- MA«c» """^ "^""^ MEN -CAPTAIN BUCHAN - MARY MARCH - THREE LOST INDIANS SEEN- SHANANDITHIT 305 CHAPTER Xni. ""ZIZMZZZTT -«-— — OHO. -Da.XOWNLEY m/« ' «^"^«^^«--^EPH BUTTERWORTH ««. XOWNLEY— MISSIONARY INCOME FOR 1828 f • • • 819 XII CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. IHSTKUCTIONS TO MISSIONARIES ~ TBAVELLINO IN NEWFOUNDLAND - KEMOVAL8 — SUMMER TRAVELLING — WINTER TRAVELLING — A JOURNEY OVER THE COUNTRY — JOURNEY OF MESSRS. KNIGHT AND TOMKINS — JOURNEY OF JAMES HICKSON, . 337 CHAPTER XV. CUSTOMS — MODE OF TRANSPORT — DRINKING HABITS — HOUSES — — WEDDINGS — FUNERALS — LITl^RATURE — EDUCA- GARDENS TION — O. F. ALLISON — SACKVILLB ACADEMY — ST. JOHNS ACADEMY, 347 CHAPTER XVI. CHURCHES - PREACHING — SINGING — SABBATH SCHOOLS-PRAYER- MEETINGS — RELIGIOUS STATE — STATIONS FOR 1836 — MALIG- NANT QUINSY — REVIVAL IN BIRD ISLAND COVK — FAMINE, . 871 I % II i CHAPTER XVn. BEMOVAL OF THE WRITER — STATIONS FOR 1835 — WILLIAM MURRY — DR. WARREN — EXTENSION OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND MISSION — VISITING MISSIONARIES — WESTERN SHORE — GREEN BAY — STATIONS FOR 1845 — JABEZ INGHAM — JAMES NORRIS — JOHN SNOWBALL — WILLIAM MARSHALL — RICHARD WILLIAMS — LAB- RADOR-CANADA CONFERENCE- NEWFOUNDLAND BIBLE SO- CIETY — FLY-SHEET AGITATION — MISSIONARY INCOME FOR 1862 — FRENCH CONFERENCE — AUSTRALASIAN CONFERENCE — CONFERENCE OF EASTERN BRITISH AMERICA — JOHN BEECHAM, P. D. — STATIONS OF NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT, . • -897 CHAPTER XVIII. ROBERT A. CHESLEY — NEW CHAPEL IN ST. JOHNS - GREEN BAY CIRCUIT — MISSIONS OF CONFERENCE — MT.. COMBEN'S MIS- SION TO LABRADOR— MR. FOX— MR. GOODISON — PRESIDENT BOYCE — THOMAS GAETZ — W. S. SHENSTONE — JUBILEE OF THE WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY — JUBILEE MOVEMENT IN THE B. B. A. CONFERENCE - JUBILEE MEETING IN ST. JOHNS, NEW- FOUNDLAND—PRESIDENT THORNTON — REV. ROBINSON SCOTT — STATIONS FOR 1364 — MEMBERS IN NEWFOUNDLAND, . • 416 rinvf■'"• hundred tee;, tin a 'i '^ '^ ';'«'" "^ - water, on ;,„-eh Is e^ ed a 7" ul "^^ "" Her It imnossib e for h™t;io .1 • . l-arbor. The citv J Lll i^T ^^ '" *"'<" "«' and supplied with waT filTa k c! 1 T "' ^"' •nile Pond, distant from d,e c tv \ /"T'^" "iles. Ti.ewate..orKjres::d7ha'rer.80oS five per cent. The population, in 1857, was 24 851 St. Johns is a place of great business. I„ summer the harbor presents a forest of masts. The stlrrare handsome and well-sunnU..^ Tk ' ™ in the town T "PP"r- , ^''^.-^ are nme churches m the town. The prmcipal editices are, an elecrant Roman Cathohc Cathedral, and an English Cath£ three Protestant Academies, -the Wefleyan, th E^' copahan, and the General Protestant • „l ^*'P" Catlinlir. P„ii„ J ^ roiestant , also, a Roman Oathohc College and Convents; Normal School ; Me- tT mT"'' '' ""^P""' '■ Lunatic A ClI Banks; Market and Court House. The Govtrnmel' House ,s a plam but commodious stone ^,11^ Xh cost over £60,000 sterling. There is a hlJ granite building for the Colonia' I mbl^ThTr: are sevc-al institutions for charitable purpoes lo rrSn""'' -'-• -•* ^ P-'^^c lU at; 20 NEWFOUNDLAND AND 1T8 MISSIONARIES. ii The soil in the vicinity is siHcious and rocky ; but, with great expense and labor, several thousand acres have been brought into a state of cultivation ; so that the once dreary " barrens," in the rear of the town, are now traversed with good roads, studded with neat cottages, adorned with fine gardens, and ample returns are received for outlay and agricultural toil. EASTERli COAST. Leaving the harbor of St. Johns for the south at the distance of eight miles we come to Cape Spear, the most eastern point of the Island. A light-house on its point informs the anxious fisherman of his proximity to the metropolis. Eighteen miles from Cape Spear, we arrive at Bay Bulls, and, passing Ferriland, we reach Cape Race, the south-east point of the Island. It is sixtv miles from St. Johns, and lies in 46° 40' N. Lat., and' 53° 8' W. Long. It is at this place the Cunard steamers land the mail, on their way from Liverpool to Halifax. Here the land trends to the westward ; and after passing Trepassey Bay, at the distance of twentjr- five miles from Cape Race, we come to St. Shotts, the most dangerous place on the whole coast ; dangerous not because of either sunken rocks or shoal water, but because of the irregular current and undertow, oc- casioned by the two great tidal waves, one of which had rolled along from the north, and was the result of the previous tide ; the other, the tidal wave that had followed the moon across the Atlantic. These great tidal waves are here confluent ; hence the irregular cur- rent, so fatal to life and property. Leaving St. Shotts, we come to the first of the great bays : it is St. Mary's Bay. Its course is north-north- east ; its length is thirty-five miles ; and its breadth, HARBORS AND ISLANDS. 21 from^ St. ShotU to Point Lance, about twenty-five After passing Cape St. Xxry\ the great Bay of Placentm opens to view : it U forty-five miles mdl Plaeentia Harbor ,s on the eastern side of the bav Haibor of St. Lawrence ; and five leagues up the bav ;a the spac,ous Inlet and Harbor of "Burin"^ Many .slands, and dusters of islands, are found in this bay as tl^ Flat Islands, Paradise, Isle of Valen, Wool' Is and Barren Island, Sound Island, and man; let The Ragged Wands are said to be three hundred and ■xty-fiven, number; and Great Merasheen Island is twenty-one nnles long. At the head of the bay C me by Chance Harbor, from whence it is Ily three rndes to Bay Bulls' Arm, in Trinity Bay. U Ivion""""" """"™ "'■'"='' ^°'™' 'he Peninsula of Point May is the south-western extremity of the Penmsula, which separates Placentia and Vtune w • ITT ""'^ ' ""'■'^ "''^^ ''''^' ^"^ -- y Zf: n . „'"'''"' "^"'^ "'« "'e harbor, of Fortane, Grand Bank, and Great Garnish, only fit for small craft On the western shore are the fine wl of Jersey Harbor and Harbor Britain. Isltds"'ofTT' °^^°^>"- Boy are the French IsUnds of St. Pierre, Langley, and Miquelon. St. ff the '' : 'T '• rl^ '^'^"''' ^""'"^ rises 'abruptly ou of the water to the height of near four hundred feet on the eastern side of which is the harbor. Here is the seat of government for the French portion of New- foundland. A ship of war is here usually, and t^. jjoiice regulations ar- • - * - "'- ' I ! I ! i i f 1 very Langley and 22 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MI8aiONAIlIE8. Il'lll Miquelon are to thr north of St. Pierre. They were forinorly two ihUw^ sej vsalcd hy a narrow channel which is now «»M i' u and, but tue nea still occasion- ally rolls over th« isthmub. From F'l'Une Bay there is a straight lint (»f coast, called th<> Wetitti n Shore : it is upwards of one hundred mvl^ in length, and terminates at Cape Ray. On the Western Shore there are several good harbors and great numbers of islands, as the Western Penguins, Ramlo Islands, Burgeo Islands, La Poil Bay, Port au Basque, noted as among the best fishing stations on the island. Cape Ray is the most western point on the island : it lies N. Lat. 47° 36' 49", and 59° 21' 0" W. Long. From Cape Ray along the entire north-west coast, including the whole length of the Strait of Belle Isle • ) Q« rpon Island, and up the eastern shore to Cape John, vv hich is the northern point of the great Bay of Notre Dame, the coast lino, extending more than four hundred miles, belongs to the French, and is usually called the French Shore. The French Shore is the « Garden of Newfoundland," as its soil is well adapted to agriculture. Moreover, it has the most proHfic fishing-grounds ; and what is of great importance m conne^ction with the fishery, it has no fog, so that its climate is far more suitable for " making fish " than are those portions of the country that belong to the Crown of Britain. How the French came to occupy so large a portion of the Island, will be understood from the treaties made at different times b. tween England and France. The first treaty between '"^f-. nations, in reference to New- foundland, was th< ' : ^atv . .f Utrecht, made in the TREATIES. 23 year 1713. In this treaty, it was agreed, that « New- foundhitul, with its adjacent islands, shall, from ^his time forward, heioncr of ri^dit wholly to Great Britain; nor shall the Most Christian Kin^r, wis heirs and successors, or any of their subjects, at anytime liereaft.i lay claim to aiij right to the said island or islands, or any part of • it or them." The Treaty, however, gave permission to the French to catch and cure fish on the northern coast, from Cape Bonavista to Point Rich, but forbids their erecting any buildings except those that were necessary for the prosecution of tlie fishery. Article 13 reads, " Moreover, it shall not be lawful for the subjects of France to fortify any place in the said island of Newfoundland, or to erect any buildinL^s there, besides stages made of boards, and huts necet sary and usual for drying fish ; or to resort to the said Is and beyond the time necessary for fishing and drying fish. But It shall be allowed to the subjects of France to catch fish, and dry them on land in that part only Tl "V "«^ «ther besides that, of the said Island of Newfoundland, which stretches from the place called Cape Bonavista, to the northern point of the said Island, and from thence, running down bv the west- ei^^^side, reaches as far as the place cdled Point For fifty years, the only right the subjects of France had was the privilege of fishing on the northern coast, ond drymg their fish on the shore ; but they were not aJ.arved to e.-ect any permanent buildings, or even to remain there during the winter season. But in the year 1763, a second Treaty was made, called the Ireaty of Paris, which concedes to the French the liberty to fish in the Gulf of St. Lawrenco, wifhi- three leagues of the British coast ; and it also cedes 24 NEWFOUNDLAND AND IT3 MISSIONARIES. to France the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, as a shelter for their ships, and to keep a police guard, but it forbids the fortification of those islands, or any erections except for the fishery. We extract the fol- lowing from the Treaty of Paris, 1763 : — " Article 5. The subjects of France shall have the liberty of fishing and drying fish on a part of the coasts of the Island of Newfoundland, such as is specified in the Thirteenth Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, which article is renewed and confirmed by the present treaty; and His Britannic Majesty consents to leave to the subjects of the Most Christian King the liberty of fishing in the Gulf of St, Lawrence, on condition that the sub- jects of France do not exercise the said fishery but at the dis- tance of three leagues from all the coasts belonging to Great Britain, as well those of the continent as those of the islands situ- ated in the said Gulf of St. Lawrence. " Article 6. The King of Great Britain cedes the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, in full right, to his most Christian Majesty, to serve as a shelter to the French fishermen ; and his said most Christian Majesty engages not to fortify the said islands, to erect no buildings upon them but merely for the convenience of the fishery, and to keep upon them a guard of fifty men only for a police." From the Treaty of Paris, in 1T63, the French have had possession of the Islands of St. Pierre and Migue- lon, except in time of war. In the year 1783, a third treaty was made, called the Treaty of Versailles, which changed the French line of coast from Cape Bonavista to Point Rich. This treaty fixed the south-east point of the French coast of Cape St. John, which is to the north of Notre Dame Bay ; and conveying the line north, round Quirpon Island, thence down the Strait of Belle Isle and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, it ter- minated at Cape Ray, which has ever since been CAPES AND BAV3. 25 its so,,th-west boundary. We make the following ex- tract from the Treaty of Versailles, 1783 : - nations of En.,lancl a„,l vJll ^""=" '"""■«'"' "-e fishing wuioh SeCto z:7z:^rT' -r "?-' -^ .ho treaty of Ut Jh, fron> Ca^e BonL^t, t^t sT t."' i^at, and His Majesty the Kino of Oi-eaf R-;..- his part, that the fishery assi^n^d .0 he 1 T T^-"'"' '"' Christian Majesty, beginning a" he aid cfpe^rjl '" "™' to the north, and descending hv .1,! . ^ ^"' P^^'^S of Newfoundland, shlu :Sdt h IClJCclX '"^"^ ri;:.^'::: fatted^?: £%^~f ^^^ Having given the information as to the way in which the trench came to possess such a large part o7Ae country, we shall proceed with our geogra' ill survey An?u lie if ;r 7 " "^-ghboring cape called Cape Anguille, ,s the southern point of the spacious Bay of St George, wh.ch ,s near forty miles wide at the mof.th and sevemy miles long. In this bay there are severTfine s reams of water ; there is a salt spring on the sou h at the head of the bay. A number of Micmac and those who have made explorations into the interfo fiom hence, report it as mountainous, abounding in small nv^rs, extensive lakes, and g:.ssy plains. ^ A few miles to the north of St. George's Bay and separated from it by a narrow isthmus, is tlfe magnificent double harbor of Port-au-Port. said to be sulcieX 8 -^ .1 i 26 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. |.:il spacious to afford good anchorage and perfect security from storm to all the ships in the British navy. Passing Port-au-Port, and steering north-east, at the distance of twenty miles we reach the Bay of Islands ; so called, because of some clusters of islands at its en- trance. It is about twelve miles wide ; and passing up the bay it is seen to divide into three arms, and the south-east arm is called the Humber Sound. This is the embouchure of the River Humber, the largest river known in the Island. The land is good and well wooded. The region around St. George's Bay, and the Bay of Islands, is the richest and best part of New- foundland. We shall therefore pause here to give the reader some further information in reference to this interesting district. Mr. Jukes landed near Crab's River, on the south side of St. George's Bay, on the 11th of September, 1839. He describes the country in that vicinity " as gently undulating, with a fine short turf, not unlike Rome English landscapes." The place of his debarkation was the mouth of a brook, which he describes as " a very pretty spot, with green meadows on each side of the brook, and a few neat houses clustered under the shelter of a rising bank, covered with green turf. Geese were feeding on the grass, ducks and poultry were scattered about, and a few cows and some sheep gave it all the appearance of a pastoral scene at home. From the rising ground in the rear of the houses, the view was very beautiful. A tract of low, undulating land, covered with a rich sea of wood, stretched away into the interior for fifteen or twenty miles, and was backed by a range of blue hills in the horizon, that rose toward the south-west, while toward the north-east they died away, and coalesced with the hills at the head t FRKNCH SHORE. 27 i of the bay. The wood was not of that sombre hue so genera y seen in Newfoundland, but was patched with he hght green of the birch, and what the colonists call he «ntch Aa.el, the barm, and the ap., and probab " the ash was present there." Mr. Jukes considered the nch-bok,ng valley of the brook, with its b J wlteL wmdmg away into the woods, as " completin'g am" lovely and most English picture " ^ « a most But unfortunately this fine country is on the French Shore; and while the French^re Zt 2! ;rLShtoTeirf; ■:Lr~' -"'-^^^^ ^.^iujng a-~ po t of f.;r"' '';; '^"'''"- ^'"" *« «ffieial re- port of Cptam Granville Lock, R. N., we make the fol ow,ng ext,.ct, which will show the condition of the B„t,sh settlement i„ St. George's Bay The report IS dated October 2, 1848 : — " The inhabitants consist of Encrlial. > «.™ t • i. spirit of the t^;Z^:~' " '^"^ '■^''^'^'' '«'"-' "■" statton. There are some British settlers on its shores non whom an anarchy reigns similar to that exisS at C5t. Ueorge s Bay. ° Proceeding along the French Shore, from the Bay 28 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. of Islands seven leagues, we come to Bonne Bay, which is a good harbor, but of difficult entrance. Seventy miles further is Ingornachoix Bay, which contains three good harbors, the chief of which is Port Saunders, a spacious inlet, so landlocked that ninety or one hundred vessels may lie in perfect security in every wind ; yet not inhabited, because it is not a good fishing station. A few miles to the north of Ingornachoix Bay is Point Rich, which was the terminus of the French Shore on Belle Isle Strait, until the year 1783. Round Point Rich is St. John's Bay, into which a considerable stream, called Castor River, dis- charges its waters. We now enter the Strait of Belle Isle, which is fifty miles long, and in some places scarcely twelve miles wide. The Newfoundland coast, along this Strait, is rough, and contains no harbor of importance. Cape Norman is the north-west point of the Island : it lies 51° 39' 5" N. Lat., and bQ" 2' 0" W. Long. Twenty-eight miles north-north-east from Cape Norman is Belle Isle Island, from which the strait derives its name. This island is a good fishing station, and is claimed as part of the French Shore. Quirpon Island is the northern point of Newfoundland : its position is 61° 40' 20" N. Lat., and 55° 27' 50". W. Long. The course is now nearly south to Hare Bay, a gulf which intersects the land for two thirds of its breadth, and which, near the head, branches off into numerous arms and coves, sheltered by lofty hills, which pour their torrents into the bay. Proceeding south, we next reach White Bay, after passing several good and much frequented harbors. Whit^Bay is about twenty miles wide, and runs into the land south-west for sixty=five miles. The next THE COAST. 29 prominent land south of White Bay is Cape St. John the present limit of the French Shore, on the eastern side of the island. It lies north-east, in N. Lat. 50° W. Long. 55° 38'. . ' After leaving Cape St. John, the great Bay of Notre Dame opens to view. This bay is more than fifty miles wide, and is studded with islands. Here is Long Island, Sunday Cove Island, Pilley's Island, Triton Isl- and, Twilhngate Island, New World Island, the Black Islands, the Burnt Islands, Change Island, Togo Island, Indian Islands, Duck Islands, Wadham Islands, the I'engmn Islands, and very many others, most of which are good fishing-stations, and afford good shelter for vessels. From the great bay, smaller bays, or arms, run mto the land for many miles. Green Bay runs up near twenty miles, and Hall's Bay is about the same length. Both these bays are famous hunting-grounds, from whence the trappers not unfrequently cross the country to the French Shore in their hunting excursions, and sometimes go over the straits to the Labrador To the south is the Bay of Exploits, into which is dis- charged the water of a considerable river bearing the same name. It was from the neighborhood of the Riv- er Exploits, that Mary March, a Red Indian female was brought to St. Johns in the year 1819 From Notre Dame Bay, the course is south-east to Cape Freels which is the north point of Bonavista Bay. On the north side of this bay are also many small bays and numerous islands. Here is Green Pond Island, Fair Islands, and Gooseberry Islands. Here also are In- dian Bay Trinity Bay, Locker Bay, Fresh-water Bay, and Bloody Bay ; so called because of the frequent ren- counters between the aborigines and the Europeans who first visited these shores. On the south is Clode 80 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. li 1,51 Sound, which indents the land for twenty-five miles. Here also is Goose Bay and Indian Arm. On this shore likewise are the harbors of Keels, King's Cove, and Bo- navista. Bonavista is not a harbor for large vessels ; and, in heavy storms, it is only an indifferent shelter for fish- ing-craft. It, however, contains a population of 2000 souls, and has always figured in the history of the coun- try. Cape Bonavista was the southern limit of the French shore on the eastern coast, until the treaty of Versailles in 1783. A few miles south of Cape Bonavista, is the Harbor of Catalina ; so named from the fact that Jacques Car- tier, the French navigator and explorer of lower Canada, landed there in 1534. Trinity Bay commences at Cat- alina, and is about twenty-four miles wide, and seventy long. Trinity Harbor is twenty miles above Catalina. It is a spacious haven, easy of access, safe for large vessels, and is pronounced by nautical men one of the best har- bors in the island. The town of Trinity is situated on a level spot of land, under Rider's Hill. It is small, but neat, and the inhabitants are respectable and intelligent. On the north shore of the bay, above Trinity Harbor, are the harbors of Bonavinture, Ireland's Eye, Random Sound, Heart's Ease, and Bay Bull's Arm, from the head of which it is only three miles to the head of Come by Chance Harbor, in Placentia Bay. It is this narrow isthmus that connects the peninsula of Avalon with the main land. It was in Bay Bull's Arm the Atlantic Ca- ble was landed, which, by some unknown cause was broken in the deep sea. On the south side of the bay, are New Harbor, Heart's Delight, Heart's Desire, and Heart's Content ; the last named, a good harbor, and is the place where, it is said, a second Atlantic cable will CONCEPTION BAY. 31 have Its terminus. Below Heart's Content, are New Perlican, Hunt's Harbor, Old Perlican ; and near the south ponit of the Bay is Great's Cove. About two leagues east from Great's Cove, is the north end of Baccalao Island, the most famous land- mark on this part of the coast. This island rises abrupt- ly out of the water to the height of some four hundred feet. It is bluff, barren, and rocky, without inhabitants, save the turs, the gulls, and other sea-birds which* build their nests in its clefts, and are found there in countless numbers. They are generally called " Bacca- lao birds " by the Newfoundlanders. The island is six miles long. It is said to have been the land first seen by Cabot in 1497, and by him called Prima Vista ; but It was afterwards called Baccalao, which means "codfish," because of the immense shoals of cod which are found near its base. . CONCEPTION BAY. At the south point of Baccalao Island, commences this spacious bay, which is twenty miles wide, and fifly miles long. The shore around Conception Bay is generally bold ; the clifts are often perpendicular ; the water is deep near the land, while, in the middle of the bay, the bottom cannot be reached with ninety fathoms of line. On the north shore, every cove and'inlet is inhabited* A line of fishing-stages, fishing-flakes, and oil-houses IS erected along the shore, behind which peer numer- ous neat-looking villages, with school-houses and church- es ; and, in the rear, a succession of lofty hills tower above each other until they reach an elevation of five hundred feet, often terminating in conical peaks, and all more or less covered with shrubby or stunted forest. The numerous cascades which pour over the high sea- 32 NEWFOUNni-AND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. wall, the multitude of fisliinrr-boats in the distance, and the shoals of fish, causing an agitation of the water for miles, presents to the beholder an appearance that is both grand and majestic, and, withal, truly picturesque and beautiful. There are several rising towns of im- portance on this shore, where there is much wealth and intelligence among the people. Carbonear contains a population of some four thou- sand souls. It is not a very safe harbor at all times, being exposed to an easterly wind. It, however, has several lariie mercantile establishments, and is famous for the spirited resistance it made against the French forces in the year 1G96, and again in 1708. Harbor Grace is three miles above Carbonear, with a population about equal. The town is built on a level spot of land. Many of the houses are very good, • which, with the churches and other public buildings, give an impression to the stranger of elegance and com- fort. The harbor is good ; and vessels may ride there in all winds with perfect security. Above Harbor Grace, are Spaniard's Bay, Bay Rob- erts, Port De Grane, and Brigus. The two last-named places are of much importance, and have large popula- tions. Harbor Main and Holy Rood are at tlie head of the bay. On the south shore are the settlements of Topsail, and Portugal Cove, so called, because the Portuguese first landed there in 1525. It is only an open road- stead, in which even small craft are not always safe in an easterly wind. In approaching Portugal Cove by land from St. Johns, the scenery is strikingly picturesque. A succession of high hills on each side tower over the road, and shut HATS AND CAl'ES. 88 out every otl.or object except the village, wl.iel,, from this stand-poiiit, appears very beautiCil Oppodte to Portugal Cove, at the distance of fo„r m.los a,ul two ve n.iles from Harbor Grace, lies a love- ly h« e IS and, called Belle Isle, from a large bell- MX m,les ong and ,s perhaps the most fertile spot in Newfoundland. The soil is a deep, rich, black earth, a..d sehlom requires manure. Wheat grows well, and will yield twenty-fold. Oats, potatoes, and hay also thrive well ; and culinary vegetables of all kinds grow luxuriantly. ^ Conception Bay is the most populous and the most important district on the island. Its population is esti- mated at 25,000. Here reside some of the most wealthy merchants and planters. From its harbor every spring, hundreds of vessels sail for the ice in' quest of seals ; and, on their returning from their sealing the cod-fishery on the Coast of Labrador ; while the ahore fishery is followed with great diligen e by he wo ave not the means of fitting ouffor Lab^dor :"fir;e;r^''^^^ '-"' ^'"' *■-' '"^ -- Cape St. Francis is the southern ^oundary of Con- ception Bay. Its posidon is given as 47" 56' 45" N Lat., and 52» 30' 0" W. Long.*- It is high bluff lan^" covered with stunted forest. ' Four leagues south-south-east from Cape St. Francis we arrive at Torbay, where there is a conlderable popu: 1.1 ion, but It IS a very exposed harbor. A number of 34 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. i; n; r Nine miles from Torliay, we arrive at Quidy-Widy Cove and the harbor of St. Johns. The appearance of tlie sea-coast is generally rough and uninviting to the stranger. Still there is much fine scenery, and many fertile spots ; while British skill and industry has made tracts of land, formerly barren, to become fruitful gardens, and laid the foundation of many towns and villages, which, from their position, must in time become places of importance. The eastern coast, from Cape Freels to Cape Race, and the southern coast, from Capo Race to St. Pierre's Island, is generally bold, and the water is deep, witli comparatively few shoals and sunken rocks ; but to the north-east and also on the western coast, those terrors to the weather-beaten mariner are met with mach inore frequently. Around the shores of Newfoundland, besides a num- ber of small bays, there are nine magnificent estuaries, varying in length from forty to near one hundred miles, and are from twenty to sixty miles in width at their entrance, which deep recesses entice the finny tribes to seek their food in shoal water ; by which simple ar- rangement, a kind Providence has placed the boundless . wealth of the ocean within the grasp of man. The whole coast is rocky and frequently quite pre- cipitous ; occasionally, however, a rough, pebbly beach forms a barrier to the further advance of the ocean billows. Bold capes and lofty headlands are constantly in view ; and the streams (brooks, as they are called) falling from these lands form many beautiful cataracts ; several of which, miniature imitations of the great Niagara, may be seen on the bluffs of Belle Isle Island in Conception Bay. The action of the tide is little fek on the northern msTANCES. 86 and eastern coasts ; but, on the western coast, the ^ elevations of land not exceeding 1000 or 1600 feet. / 'I * 38 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ¥ ill Besides an untold number of isolated rough hills, there are two remarkable ranges of hills in Avalon. Each range is about thirty miles in length. The first commences at Renews, fifty miles south of St. Johns, and running north-north-west, terminates at Holyrood, in Conception Bay. This mountain range is known at Renews by a number of rough hummocks, called The Butter Pots : they are 1000 feet high, and is the land first seen when approaching the eastern coast from sea. Passing north from the Butter Pots, we come to more hummocks, which are called The Bread and Cheese Hills ; and on the west side are the Green Hills. Near Holyrood are several other hummocks, which also are called The Butter Pots. About twenty miles west from the Butler-Pot range, is a second range of hills, which commences at Cape Dog, in St. Mary's Bay, and terminates near Chapel Arm, in Trinity Bay. This chain has in some places an elevation of one thousand five hundred feet : it is less broken than the former, has a more con- tinuous outline, and many of the hills are rounded and flat at the top. Connected with this range, are Mount Scapie, near Cape Dog ; Sawyer's Hill, to the south of Great Placentia ; Cap Hill ; and North-east Mountain, to the east of Little Placentia. The main land is equally mountainous with the peninsula. A range of mountains commences at Cape Chapeau Rouge, in Placentia Bay, and occupies a large part of the peninsula between Placentia and Fortune Bays. It runs the entire length of Placentia Bay from the cape, and sometimes it approaches the water, and forms a rough, hummocky sea-wall ; its di- rection is north-north-east to Piper's Hole. On the opposite side of that harbor, its bluffs again appear ; HILLS. 39 and runnmoj the same course, it strikes Goose Bay, in Bonavista B,y : here an oflshoot curves eastward ^ Irmity Lay, and past Random Sound to Trmity Harbor. Taking its whole length, it is at least one hundred miles. This range is often much broken, abrupt, a.id precipitous, with frequent table-lands and marshes m its hollows and on its summits. In width It IS irregular; but sometimes it is several miles wide. It IS a peaked, wild, and serrated mass of hills One ^o ated peak, called Powder-Horn Hill, or Centre Hill, near Bay Bulls' Arm, in Trinity Bay, has an elevation of more than one thousand feet; and from the top of It, nearly the whole of Placentia and Trinity Bays can be seen, as well as portions of Conception, Bonavista and Fortune Bays. The land in the vicinity of this range consists of undulated ridges, rising from three hundred to five hundred feet above the sea, and is often covered with dense woods. A few miles to the westward of Green's Pond, is an ISO ated ridge, called Fox Harbor Hills, of about ten miles in length. A chain of hills running north-north- east and south-south-west, the south part of which is called The Heart Ridge, and the northern part known as the Blue Hills, is between Bonavista Bay and the River Exploits. The length of this Cham IS thirty miles, and some of its peaks have an elevation of one thousand feet. On the south side of the River Exploits, and about Uurty miles from its mouth, are the Sliute Brook Hi s ; and on the north side of the river is Hod^^es T- 'xT^n *l' "«^^h-east of which is the West;,.! 1 lit Hill. Several of these hills have precipitous sides, are almost of a square form, and are flat at their sum- mits, oome of them },ave an elevation of one thousand reet. 40 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. THE LONG RANGE. Near Cape Ray, a distinct chain of mountains com- mences with three conical or sugar-loaf hills, and runs north-east and north-nortli-cast, for nearly sixty miles, until it reaches the head of St. George's Bay, where it expands to the west, and forms Hare Hill. It then turns to the north-east again, and forms the north-west bank of Grand Pond, and the south-east bank of Deer Pond ; and, allowing the Humber River to flow through its chasm, it runs north for sixty or seventy miles further, then resumes its north-east course, until it reaches the north-east coast, and forms a sea-wall, in White Bay. It is called the Long Range, and its entire length is up- ward of two hundred miles. Offshoots from the Long Range tend to the west until they reach the sea, in that direction, where they form bluifs on the Gulf Shore. These hills are steep toward the north-west, but the ascent is more gradual toward the south-east. There is a belt of level land between this chain of hills and the sea, of considerable width, through which the rivers drain the country. Hare Hill, already noticed, is very conspicuous from St. George's Bay, aiid is twenty miles north-east from St. George's Harbor. The Blow-me-down hills, on the River Humber, which also belong to this chain, have an elevation of eight hundred feet. Many other isolated mountains, or mountain ranges, have been reported ; but too little is known of their extent or position to justify any notice in reference to them. What may be called the table lands, have a general elevation of three or four hundred feet. On these table lands grow quantities of wild grass, and berries in crrpnt vnriaty. There are many tracts of eood lAKES AND POND3. 41 wood-land and ooeasionully n,ay be seen a spot of arabe lan.l t at would repay the labor of tl,e agH ul tumt ; but the general appearance of the int^io 1 wild, rough, and barren. LAKES AND PONDS. Lakes, or ponds, are met with all oyer the country valleys on the higher table-lands, in every mountain he h ghest lulls. They va.y i„ si^e, from small pools extended sheets of water, fifty „r sixty miles in len' "th 1 he water is often of ..reat denUi Ti • , , »'"• well-wooded. Islands, Cett '-sevtT md s^ t e^th covered, with dense forests, give the^ d Littll P ■ ^ ' '°P "^ ^'"■"'-^^^' Mountain, near Litde Plaeentia sixty-seven ponds were counted, none Of the lakes to the north of the Island, little is known nd so of many in the interior; but, of those which Z' maae, the following are the principal : — RED-INDIAN POND. S- r" '" ^''''' ""^'^ encampments on marg,„. It ,, „,„re than forty miles in length, 42 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. m • (. .■: i and five or six in width, and contains a number of islands. Its north point is about thirty miles from Hall's Bay, at the head of Notre Dame Bay ; and, ten miles from thot point, it is crossed by the 49° of north latitude. Ten miles from its southern point is Croaker's Lake, several miles long, and crowded with islands. The water from Croaker's Lake runs into Red-Indian Pond. These ponds are the head waters of the River Exploits. GANDER-BAY POND. This lake is twenty-three miles long, but is narrow, and has a ribbon-like appearance : it lies a few miles north-west from Bonavista Bay. At its south-west point, a river brings the waters from a great number of small ponds. Its outlet is north to Gander Bay ; and, by its numerous brooks, it drains the land for seventy or eighty miles. . TERRA-NOVA POND Is twelve miles long, and discharges itself into Bonavista Bay. The ponds on Avalon are equally numerous with those on the main land; but they are not so large, because the water-sheds are less extensive. Twenty- mile Pond, near St. Johns, is a fine sheet of water ; and the Hundred-Island Pond, at the head of St. Mary's Bay, is remarkable for the number of its islets. barrow's lake Li s a few miles south of McCormack's track, and the 65° of longitude, and passes nearly through its centre : it is about fourteen miles long, and discharges its waters into the north-west arm oi r ortune Bay. LAKES AND PONDS. 43 Jameson's i^ke Was exactly i„ Connack's track, and he crossed it • berpentme Muuntan, ,s to the north-east of Jameson Lake, and Mount Misery on the south-west. LAKE BATHURST. A little to tlie south of Mount Misery com- mences Lake Bathurst, and lies nearly north-nlh e" and south-south-west. The 57" of longitude ZZl down the lake, which is about seventeen Jles lonCnd fivew,de. It has a number of islands. A brook r'.ns from ats south point, which, after passing through a number of small ponds, discharges L ^^er. into" th! ocean, on the western shore. GEORGE IV. LAKE. twe^ntv fi"''' 'r" ^■''- ^'■"'" •^'""^^0"'^ ^^^'' distance twenty-five miles : ,t ,s about eighteen miles long, and Bathu,^t Lake, and George IV. Lake, there are T e, 1 T ' u ^^'' '"'' *^»°'«'^™^ Lake. These Likes, with a great number of lakelets, dis- charge then- waters into White-Bear Bay, on the western shore. •'' ^ GRAND POND, OB BAT OF ISLANDS* LAKE. This is the largest sheet of water known on the wfd'lh t! r "•'."'y.^'^'y "'"'' '» '«"gth, and five in width. I hes in the same direction as Red-Indian I-ond, and only fifteen miles to the west of it. This fine lake commences about fifteen miles north- east from the head of St. George's Bay. The chain iMf^ [«»•' 4:^ 44 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. of mountains called the Long Range forms the great water-shed of this part of the island ; and down its gorges flow the streams which originate this noble lake*! It first runs east-south-east, seven miles, and is about two miles wide, bounded on each side by the lofty hills of Long Range. Here commences an island, more than twenty miles long, and five wide. At the end of this long island, the lake curves to east-north- east, and then nearly north for a further distance of some twenty-five miles. The high hills at its south-west ex- tremity form precipitous banks on the lake, and the depth of water corresponds with those steep bluffs ; for, in some places, no bottom could be found with ninety fathoms. Numerous brooks flow into it, through its whole course ; and, near its north-east extremity, it re- ceives the waters of a considerable river, called The Main Brook, which is fifty yards wide, and several feet deep. The Main Brook drains the country from the north-east to within twenty miles from the head of Notre Dame Bay. To the north of the lake, a river quite as large as Main Brook flows out of it. This river is called Junction Brook, because it unites with the waters of the Humber, and forms another lake, at the distance of seven miles, called Deer Pond. DEER POND Is about fifteen miles long, and three or four wide. It lies north-east and south-wer.t ; and, at its south- western extremity, the waters are again narrowed to fifty or a hundred yards, and flo^^' into the Bay of Isl- ands, where they are known as the River Humber. The Indians say, that, by means of a chain of ponds, they can navigate to Grand Pond, from St. George's Bay, and from thence to the Bay of Islands ; while RIVERS. 46 it is evident that, with only a few short postages, the ^land can be crossed with a canoe, from the Humber Kiver to the Exploits. RIVERS. The largest river on the island is the Humber. The Humber takes its rise in ^ome gorges of the Long Range, ,n about the fiftieth degree of latitude, and sixty mdes from the Bay of Islands. Its course has been traced for one hundred and fourteen miles. Its first nil issues at no great distance from Cow Head, on the Gulf Shore It runs east, through a number of lakes, one of which is eight or ten miles lone It then curves to the south and south-west, and atlixty miles becomes quite a river, sufficiently deep for a small boat to glide on Its surface. Up to this point, Mr. Jukes made a personal survey of the river ; but here he met with a number of rapids, which prevented his further progress up the stream. A little below these rapids, IS volume is increased by a tributary quite as large as Brook. These confluent streams form the Humber River which^ rolls its waters through the Humber Sound and tho Bay of Islands, into the Gulf of St Lawrence. There is sufficient water in the Humbe; River, as also m both Deer Pond and Grand Pond, to floataschooner; still it cannot be navigated, because tl7t\ I"'- " °"^ ''^'^ ""'y "-^^ ■»''- from he mouth of the river : it is three quarters of a mile long. A second rapid, and more dangerous, although no so long, ,s found nearly a mile below Deer Pond and eleven miles from its embouchure; and that fine stream, Junction Brook, Mr. Jukes found to be so 0-4 46 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. impeded with rapids, at only one mile from the main river, as to render his further progress in a boat quite impracticable. EXPLOITS RIVER. This river is about sixty miles long. It commences in Red-Indian Pond, whence it flows east for thirty miles, when it receives sQveral tributaries, as Little Rattling Brook, the Three Brooks, Great Rat- tling Brook, and the Tilt Brook. These streams drain the country for fifty miles, and considerably en- large the Exploits, which rolls on about north-north- east, and dischai'ges its. waters into a bay bearing the same name. The Exploits abounds in salmon ; but, like the Humber, its navigation is much impeded by rapids. There are two considerable rivers near Cape Ray, called the Great Codroy and the Little Codroy, both of which originate in the south-west of the Long Range ; and, rushing down its gorges, discharge their waters into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, at the western extremity of the island. Mr. Jukes ascended the Great Codroy twelve miles, in a boat ; but how much further it is navigable, we have no information. The fresh-water streams are generally small ; hence the term brook is mostly applied to them. The .lack of navigable rivers is, however, in a measure, compensated for by the manner in which its splendid bays, and their numerous arms, pierce the land. But it may be stated, after all, that Nova Scotia has no rivers like the Hum- ber, or even the Exploits ; and, while those rivers will not bear a comparison with some rivers in New Bruns- wick, — ^s the Miramichi, or the majestic St. John, — yet they will compare favorably with the St. Croix, not MINERALOGY — cOAL. 47 wliile the St. Croix i, i, ^-^ ""'''"■• ^"' >« Peaces have they been" Tjll^l;:^ '" " '"'' of man. Spealiing generaJIv 1 ?• '^ '""'P"'^^ ^Hlderaess, save the nwlf^' T ?""'' " ''^^^<^ '" '''' the screech of the wM ^ ^^ '"'"'"" '" "^ ^'^^^ms, ing of the wolf t hs S" " "^ '''"' " *^ ''°^'- MINERALOGY an'^P^?; If : „:r i,''- ^- •>- on,y partia, "fie men that man/ v"! « """ •" """'^ "'"■ '^hich, in time, will Lol " '^ """' *"'■"• Wastrious inhlbitants '°"'' "^ ^"^^"^ 'o *« COAL. 1, .n ^t. Ueorge's Bay, \ f : t Is r. I 48 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ■J' f "■'"" N-f««"dland of peoplera, d pa'vi i'T^ employment to hundreds of capL: ^ ^ ^ '"''''= "'""^ f- *e investment SILVER. piat^drL";:" "^ '^'"^ ^°^'^^" - ^ -^« -le i„ COPPER. was aetuan^pe„e?'>Sht"B;; ■ 1^17 "'"« English minera. It, however Zl'! ' ^^ '""^ Penses, and was th;ref2 Iff ?^^ ^°*'"g «==- There is a rich Tm-neTf' '^ '"""' "^andoned. Nova mine, to theTo ,hwarTC H'f- '"? '''"' French Shore. ""'"''^ard, on what is called the IKON. these springs is 'lol ' -^"^'^"-^V' '™"- ^"« "^ " / -*' ■ 1 • ^^^^^1 ^^^^^^H I ;■ ■ ^^H ^^1 f ; ^^M ■J. ^^M ^pt ^H I*. 60 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. is a substance in the harbor of Catahna, which the people call '' Catalina Stone." It is sometimes called " horse gold ; " and was mistaken for gold by those who first saw it. It is iron pyrites, or sulphuret of iron. It is found in graywacke, or slate rock. Iron ore is found in Conception Bay, and particularly on the northern side of Belle Isle. LEAD. At La Manche, in Placentia Bay, there is a rich lead mine, of which Professor Shephard, in a recent report, says : " I saw three thousand five hundred pounds of clean, pure galena thrown from the vein by a single blast. From my explorations, made with great care and circumspection, I feel confident that you may safely calculate on one hundred feet of the vein in depth, above water level, extending twelve hundred feet inland, at least. I have estimated four inches of sohd galena as an average thickness therein ; but be- lieving it better to be under estimate, rather than ex- ceed, I will call the average thickness three inches, for twelve hundred feet from the landmark, and one hun- dred feet in depth above the sea level. This will give thirty thousand cubic feet of solid galena ; which is a little more than seven times as heavy as the same bulk of water ; which gives a product of upNvards of thir- teen millions of pounds, together with the additional chances of quadrupling that amount by sinking below the sea level, and extending inland. The mining is the easiest thing imaginable." He places it on a par with the greatest lead deposits in the United States; and adds, " This mine is accessible, not only by small boats, but even by the smaller class of ocean steam- ers." On analyzation, a sample was found to contain GEOLOGY. 61 83.64 of load l.^fi? ^r i i lime, and .„lica. Tl.is valuaW "^ ^ ""," '"'""'"« "^ tl.e Im„<:s of a New V„I ""'"^ ''"-^ '''"^■" ''"'o been discovered in the sine vidliir ^""'"" ''''" GEOLOGY. George's Bay sawT ^ " ^''"'''"" S»""'' '"St. ti.e hm, at fh'e Te ":;r;r'' ■''■ «™"''"^' -"' f™™ the island, he mentl ^^ '" """ "'^^'^""■« »f ^uenear tLlonXroAV? tS 1^"/™''- terpentine; henee he named a hill in thJ ^"'1 c' "'^ pentine Mountain, and a small ! , """' ^«'- Lake, he called Ser e„t ^'i ' "T,"^--"'' Bay of Despair and Jameson's Lat he ! ''" •''' granite, quartz, gneiss fine r\ 7? , "" '"'""<'• indications of eofl Ind' ir"„ ' '''''' '"'"" ^'"'' -"> ^SiLi!^°kt;tt;rr,°^'''^^- of Avalon is composed creflvoTv " ""f"""' coarse sandstone, and conSerl T^ l'^''^ land bet,veenPlacentia and F.rtunll """^ "^ of sienite, porphyry ^,™" *'"""« %'S « composed o. T.- t^^'P'iyry, and mica slate Tl.^ r i i n St. Pierre is sienite or porphyry Tl ^''^ ^^'''"'' «f western shore is o-r^nif. i 7' '^^ P"' "^ 'he neighborhood of ^aPo ^ 'Z 'T t '"""' ■" ">« mostly mica slate, with JranitT' n !i "^ ^"S'' "'' St. George's Bav ..i ,' ^" *'"= '»""' ^i^e of g« Bay are the coal formations ; also near 'See"BrUUhN„«hA»erica."b,A.M„„„,K,,.p.„,. 62 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. the Grand Pond. On the north side of St. George's Bay, the magnesian hmestone dips at a shght angle to north-north-west. At Grand Pond are chfFs of gneiss and mica slate. A calcareous formation stretches across the mouth of the Humber River, in hills of four or five hundred feet high. About three miles up that river are lofty precipices of pure white marble. Mr. Jukes says that mica slate, gneiss, and their associated rocks, with occasional patches of primitive limestone, extend along the whole west side of Newfoundland, and thinks from the Humber they form an unbroken ridge to Cape Quirpon. The strike throughout the island rarely varies from a north-north-east and south-south-west course : hence all the other prominent features of the country, as hills, valleys, lakes, and all the large bays, lie in nearly the same direction. Granite boulders, frequently very large, are found on the tops of hills four or five hundred feet high, com- posed of grit-stone, slate, or sienite ; and in positions so isolated that there is no rock like them within twenty or thirty miles. Drift, sometimes to the depth of sev- eral feet, is found over a great part of the island. Near the River Exploits was found a fine bed of unctuous clay, perfectly plastic, fifteen or twenty feet thick, and lying in thin layers, usually of a slate color, with a reddish band here and there ; and above the clay rests a bed of fine sand two or three feet thick. Thus it is evident that marble, limestone, with all kinds of building and roofing materials, can be obtained in New- foundland in great abundance. SOIL. r Around St. Johns, and along the east coast, the soil son. 63 _ « shallow, poor and hungry, formed of decomposed slate-rock mixed with silicious and luminous matter and reqmres much manure to make it prodXe' Ths d,st„ct .s but a poor specimen, and m'ust nc^ b" taken as a criterion wherewith to judge as to the gen- eral fertility of the island. It is probable that the per- son who wrote the article in Moi.e>s School Geo.rl- Phy on Newfoundland had seen only the eastern clT- for we are told. " the island itself is rugged and u" n^ ri'-'l^^-f"'^ 'r^^ ^« trees and slimbs. Now, while we admit that the sea-coast an- pears to the stranger, "rugged and uninviting 1 that It produces " little beside stunted ti-ees and sf mbl " IS manifestly incorrect. »"ruos, All over the country there is a thick coating of moss which Mr. Jukes calls the "curse of the conn L^' as' rt prevents the nature of the soil from being k^^wn Whe this moss is cleared away, as it has'been in many places, and particularly on the south side of &t. George s Bay, the soil is found to be fertile and often veiy rich. The wild grasses afford "x'dlent and abundant food for cattle and sheep. TWe are neh alluvia along the banks ,f rivers, and on the margins of the lakes; and although on he coa^ he orests are stunted, in the interior-the trees are argt >ated would amply repay the agriculturist. land'in 1844 T' "'"^ '^ ^'°^^™°^ "^ ^"-f"""-!- Inl fif' "I ^ '^"P*'"'' '" ^""^ S^^nley. gives his opinion of Newfoundland in the following w'lrds:- With respect to this island, hitherto undervalued as t appears to me to have been, there can be no do^t that the whole of those tracts designated .nd « with fine woods, and riLi:^"'^ ""T" wooded. Neither the ,«',", '^ '' "'" '«^^ near the shore t is '• if """ *' ^^P'" '« found . ^^^'^^ ^ " IS said, however thaf tho i^ i, • :re;":^yre"%i'^:;r'''- in di:meler and T ^ "" '"^ *" "S''^^^" »>^hes jne.. d,.LidingC:;iJtr:;:z:: ■pars of vanous aescriptions, planks, and hand-barrows. 66 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. A very large quantity is consumed for fuel. From the branches of the black spruce, that wholesome beverage, " spruce beer," is ma'de. The fir is used for the frame- work of buildings, as dwelling-houses and stores ; sawed into clap-boards ; also for oil hogsheads, salmon and herring barrels, casks for screwed fish, shingles, and firewood. The branches of the stunted spruce, on the verge of the barrens and savannas, are usually fringed with a yellow parasite, called in the island, molldoio. It is the alectoria subarta, or negro-hair, of botanists. This lichen is the chief food of the deer during the winter sea- son. The black, white, and yellow birch are found in great abundance, and occasionally birch trees are met with three feet in diameter. The Ostrya Virginica, iron or lever wood, is sometimes found. Varieties of the poplar called poj)el, particularly the aspen called apa, grow well. But the black larch, or juniper (jpinus penidula), is among the most useful trees of the New- foundland forest. It is sometimes called the oak of Newfoundland, as it is the hardest, the strongest, and the most durable of all its timber. It is used exten- sively in ship-building; also for making cart-wheels, and other purposes requiring great strength. The top of the larch, or juniper, when growing, generally bends toward the east, and has oftentimes directed the travel- ler in his course. Pslotwithstanding the extent of wood found in many parts of the island, it is remarkable that, until late years, the only means of preparing it for use was the " pit saw ; " but now there are saw-mills in different places. There are two or three saw-mills in Hall Bay, cutting up the splendid timber in the direc- tion of Red-Indian Pond. There are seven or eight ,d of Smith's and Randcn Sounds, m the neio-hborl WILD FLOWERS. 67 and two or three more are met with in other parts of the island, all of which are doing well ; and perhaps no country affords a greater number of excellent sites tor mills, and better opportunities for damming. With streams sufficiently large and convenient to float down the lumber, if good localities were selected, and science and capital employed as in New Brunswick, the lumber trade in Newfoundland would for many years be equally remunerative. WILD FLOWERS. ^ The wild rose, of which there are three species, grows la rich profusion ; and among them the rosa Manda, with its slender purple-red branches, flourishes beside the gentle, purling streams. " In the tribe of lilies," says Sir R. Bonnycastle, " Solomon in all his glory ex- ceeded not the beauty of those produced in this un- heeded wilderness." L. Pkiladephicum is almost the same m appearance as the common orange lily. L Sw- perhum ornaments some of the ponds, and in color is orange with dark blue spots. L. Canadense also grows in wet places, and has a collection of yellow or reddish flowers darkly maculated. Violets are common, but inodorous. The 7m, or wild flag, a superb flower, is very common ; and, in the flowering season, its rich blue petals dot every marsh The " pitcher plant," or " ladyV side-saddle," with its large, handsome, purple flowers is the natural produc- tion of the swamps. The moose wood, or heather wood, shrub produces yellow flowers, and looks gay, as does the mynnchium anceps, or the blue-eyed grass. Nat- ural red and white clover, and a great variety of other grasses, cover the plains and savannas ; and a beautiful lit- tle traihng-plant, called « maiden hair," is found in abun- ^i 68 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. danco. It bears a small white fruit, like the egg of an ant, which contains a saccharine matter, lusciously sweet. The reed tribe is numerous ; while the mosses, lichens, ferns, and fungi will furnish a wide field for the research of the skilful botanist. CULTIVATED FLOWERS. Roses are found in gardens in great variety. The moss rose, the damask rose, and the maiden's blush, thrive well. Dahlias grow in sheltered places ; the lily of the valley, Solomon's seal, the convolvulus, Jacob's ladder, the lupin, sweet-William, fox-glove, cowslip, columbine, honeysuckle, and most of the flowers which adorn the gardens of other parts of British North America, will also grow in the gardens of Newfound-* land. WILD FRUITS. Among the wild fruits, we mention the bak-apple, so called because its taste is something like a baked ap- ple. It is a compound berry, in form and size like the raspberry ; but when ripe, it is a deep yellow color. It is very rich, and makes a fine preserve. It is abun- dant. The wild raspberry is found in all parts of the island. Wild currants and gooseberries are plenty in some parts. The cranberry in several varieties is found in great quantities, and sometimes the marshes are red with this most delicious fruit. The wild strawberry is here ; and the whortleberry, called hurts, which is the blueberry in the other Provinces, grows in Newfound- land in quantities that seem fabulous. GARDEN FRUITS. Among the exotic fruits is the apple, which, al- though not abundant, is found in some gardens to grow QUADRUPEDS. 69 well. Some varieties of the plum, particularly the damson, ,s grown in Conception Bay and St. Johns • and the Kentish cherry flourishes in those locahties. 1 lie pear will grow, but does not come to great perfec- tion ; but cabbage, cauliflowers, broccoli, lettuce, spin- ach, cress, beets, parsnips, carrots, peas, Windsor beans, ^rench beans, celery, thyme, mint savory, and all the British culinary vegetables, arrive at great perfection. 1 otatoes yield abundantly, and are very farinaceous. ANIMAL KINGDOM- QUADRUPEDS. ' The deer of Newfoundland is the caribou, or rein- deer. The usual height of this species of deer is about fou. feet, and its length, from the head to the insertion of the tail, is nearly the same. The antlers ot the male are large, with numerous branches ; but those of the female are smaller, with fewer divisions. It IS gregarious, and roams the country in large herds In the summer, these herds are seen feeding on the plains and savannas far to the north. As the autumn comes on, they migrate to the south, when the open country is literally covered with their countless num- bers. In their journey, they swim the inland lakes and small bays, and seem regardless of their enemies. A hunter informed the writer that he once saw the great herd - heating " to the south, when the open country, as far as he could see, was one living, movinir • mass of deer. Numerous wolves were followinrr the lierd but seemed afraid to attack, because the deer would strike at them and kill them with their hoofs Another jnan in the same district, in company with three others, once fell in with the great southern herd, when the party killed ninety-six deer. Beside this, when the writer resided in Burin, he knew one hun- A GO NKWI'OIINDI.ANl) AND IIH MISHION A HI I'.S. clrod and (urtv furcnsstvs of tloci* to ho lu'oiiiilit into tliiit harl>or in ono day. Tluvso dcor wcro i\illi'd in tlicir prinus »iid wonid avi^nit^o, at loust, ono hnndrod and forty jMunuls oaoii carcass. A writer in tlio '* liritisli Colonics " jj;ivcs tho lolU)V\in«>; inlornuition : '' Fornau'- ly, tho herds that cuino to tho sonth coast ai'o" Htatcd to luivo been tMu»rnu)ns. Mr. Haotj;, of I,u I'oihs says lio luis seen * thonsands ; ' and has kiMcd seven at one sliot with heavy shijj;s from u hu'ir footmarks are hiri^er than tliose of a cow. 'IMieir food in sunnner is principally moss. In winter, it is the ne^ro-hair; hut sometimes they will break tho frozen snow with their liools, in order to get tho moss. Early in the spring, they " l>t'ut " to the north ; and in the sunnner, they sep- arate into pairs, and hido themselves in tho thick woods. HKAUS. The white or Polar bear occasionally lands on tho eastern coast from tho ice ; and one came ashore at Bonavista, walked to Bird-Island Cove, where he again took the ice. Ho did no damage, and was evi- dently chary of tlie habitations of man. The black bear is otlen seen. It is tho long-legged variety, and is very laroje. Tliev live mostly on berries ; but late in the fall have been known to enter the lone " winter tilt '' of the woodman, and devour all the pork and molasses they could find. They will run from man ; and are not savage except they are wounded, or have young. Their flesh is esteemed by tlie hunters. WOLVES. The wolves still roam in packs in the interior, and ai'e scon in the track of the deer ; but they will not ' British Colonics, article Nowtbimdland, chap. IV. QIMDRUPKlw. 61 atfack a „,.■„,, or appnmHi vvllhl,, .Min-sl.of A I . '"''"'•"•'<' •!'<' vvriK T that lu- in . '"^^*'" ^""1, riiai, ii(., Ill cotiipaiiy with anothor '",""• "■ ';.'■" "" ''"' "!«■" I«.r.v„.s 'l.„Ii„. , d » ™- at, a .l,sta„o,. tl.,,y ..,,i„, ,w »,/„,..:,•. ar.„ J : u •" ''^''d'A-brown marshes. ' """^ ''^ *^^ barrens and Of water birds, there are tli« n j goose, b]ue-win.ed teal Lvpll "^^ ""^ ^"°^- "orant, twe or baccalao bird, ph-tS d, \"" sea-pheasant, eider duck H»- '/'"*'"''"' <'"<'k or sea-dove jrooJlT . ,' T ''^^^ tern, ice-bird or n Z' ^'^"J}'^"'' "oddy, loon, puffin, and rn,„r-K.-]| ™""^'a„d goose is a large and elegant bi;!; 64 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. and very pli'nty in the interior. It is of a swan-like form, with ii hhiek rin ^i ,, t ... _. .jin ,->i!ij^o, iiic v^uiucu iiiiiu, ine *• Little 70 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Squirrel," and the " Delio;ht," for Sable Island, to scai'ch for swine and cattle, said to have been landed there some thirty years previous. The " Delight" was lost on a sand-Uiuk ; and no swine or cattle being found on the island, he determined to proceed to England, declaring that he " would fit out an expedition royally, iiud return next spring." The " Golden Hind " and the " Little Squirrel " left for England, Sir Humphrey taking passage in the smaller vessel. Repeatedly did his friends urge him to leave that nut-shell, and go on board the " Golden Hind." His reply was, " I will not forsake my little company, with whom I have passed so many storms and perils.?' The two vessels reached the Azores in safety, but there encountered a storm of so terrible a nature that made all hearts quail, except Sir Humphrey, who re- tained his courage and self-possession to the last. The " Golden Hind " kept ns near the *' Little Squirrel " as the mountain waves would permit. In the midst of the storm, the noble admiral was seen sitting calmly on the deck reading, and was heard to cheer the men on board of the " Golden Hind," as well as his own crew, with " Be of good cheer, for we are as near heaven by sea as on the land." But night came on ; it was fear- fully dark ; the lights of the " Little Squirrel " were seen for a time, but they suddenly disappeared : the *^ Little Squirrel," with all on board, foundered. Thus perished one of the bravest of the adventurers, who, in the glorious reign of Elizabeth, sought to ex- tend the dominion of England in the western world. ^ In 1585, two years after the death of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sii' Bernard Drake made a voyage to New- foundland, who now claimed the sovereignty of the - See Bonnj-castle's Newfoundland in 1842. island, an( Queen Eli laden wit lawful pri: A terril land was i " Invincibl shores, coi her heresy Protestant power frui heaven sea force ; Dn tured sever was humble God-honore all the pn\ minion was destined to j her counsel feared by ev The trout prevented h colony so di: It was, there Drake's visit under roval r Tlie island land from the than one hun passed since of the Britisl made to colon that visited it; HISTORY. island, and the sole rUAit of 71 r, T.,. , : ^'" "' ''" fisheries, in the name of Quee,. Elizabeth. He found several Portuguese "Z adc., wuh fish and oil and furs; these hi si 7a ' lavvfu pn.es, and with them returned to England A terrible war now raged with Spain ; and all En., and was ,„ terror and consternation, because of the Invincible Armada," that was to land upon 1 er sbores, conquer her armies, punish her soverci "n Z 1 rotestant from the face of the earth. But divine power frustrated this wicked design ; the winds "f orce , Drake, Hawkins, Frobislier, and Howard can « as humbled the haughty monarch of Spain, and the God honored Island of Britain was allowed'to tZ .ill the privileges of her reformed religion. Her d^^ ZuLr •'"""''!. '■" ■■'^ ''"'"^"'y •• -'"'« ^he wa^ lounseirL'", """"?' ''"P'"-"'"'^^' - '» -"- >^i counsels to be respected, and her power to be feared by every nation upon earth. pre!ent'e7w f" "'"' •"" P""'"' ^'="<' ^^ --'-d colon" i "^ P'^'^S much attention to a new lony so distant and unimportant as Newfoundland The island had been considered as belonging to Enc n , le to " ^ "'" ' y"' "° '^ff"'-' "'»'' '"Aerto been Sw-tSsir^'™-''-— ^''•-abbi: 72 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. In 1610, its colonization was first attempted ; for in that year James I. granted a patent to the Lord Chan- cellor Bacon, Lord Vernkm, the Earl of Northampton, Lord Chief Baron Tai* field, Sir John Doddridge, and forty other persons, under the designation of the " Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Plant- ers of the Cities of London and Bristol, for the Colony of Newfoundland." This patent granted the lands be- tween Capes St. Mary's and Bonavista, with the seas and islands lying witliin ten leagues of the coast, for the purpose of securing forever the tnide of fishing to British subjects. In virtue of this patent, the first party of English settlers came out under the direction of Mr. Guy, an intelligent and enterprisin:- mercluint of Bristol. Mr. Guy and his party settled in Conception Bay. His reports of the island and it5 capabilities were very fa- vorable ; and, after nearly two years' residence there, he returned to England, leaving the infant colony in charge of \v illiam Colston, whose views and reports of the island yere not so f ivorable. It is not improbable that Mr. Colston, at least in part, formed his opinion of the island, from the serious fact that twenty-five of the settlers were seized with scurvy, six of whom died. The nineteen who recovered are stated to have owed their lives to the use of turnips as an article of food. Had that^ powerful antiscorbutic, spruce beer, — now so generally used in Newfoundland, — been then known, possibly those cases of scurvy would not have happened. Mr. Guy went back to the island, in the summer of 1612, when he made a survey of the coast, and ex- erted himself in every way for the arrangement uf the colony. The aborigines, or Red Indians, were then lords of the soil. They kne^^ nothing of the white man's gun , course wit! In perfo of Red I] course." we are not tion Bay • : tliat bay, c says, the ai to paint the Little m* have reiatec the settlem guished. The first power of ar quencies ; a them ; and 1 Johns and c purpose of f To remedy t to order, in porary of S] Drake, — wh foundJand, wi admiralty, to complained oi grant dishon< ately on his ai of vessels subi I he endeavorei quented harbo I bourne exercis after, we find ] HISTORT. 73 Zl'Zt' "'^^f— «. -d Held friendly infer. ■ Z f \^ ^'^ ""'^'"^ "'""g their shores. ">«rse. In what part of the island this took place rc /"^r". '' ""■="'" ''^^'^ •'-" - Cone;: : ; he', i • " '"'''T^'" ^°™'" -f--' 'Edition hat'SuTi?.?-"'" "' "''^ "'^" *^" -•>^* - he ,1^ 1 . '. f ™PP°'''''' ^°°° «ft«^ abandoned ihed ' "'"'' " """^^'"^"^^ «i powers, for, two years atte., «.. fi.,a nnn^as chief of a body of Welch settlers, 74 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. sent out \)y Doctor Vauglian to form a settlement in a harbor iii Fortune Ray, wliujh was tlien called Cam- briot, now Harbor Britain, on land purchased from the patentees. In 1028, another party of settlers came out, under the direction of Sir George Calvert, afterward Lord Baltimore. This has been called the first settlement of New- foundland. There had been two attempts to colonize it before this time, as we have rehited : one in IGIO, under Guy, the other in 1G17, under Captain Whit- bourne ; and, altlumivh some of the settlers remained, yet in neither of these cases was the plan successful ; therefore the year 1023 is considered as the time when the island was settled. Sir George Calvert was an Irishman and a Roman Catiiolic. He obtained a large tract of land on the eastern coast, between Bay Bulls and Cape St. Mary's, where, with a number of his countrymen and co- religionists, he took up his residence, making Ferry- land his head-quarters. To his Newfoundland estate he crave the name of Avalon, from the ancient name of Glastonburg, the place where tradition says Christian- ity was first preached in England. " Lord Baltimore built a handsome residence in Ferry- land, erected a strong fort, formed salt-works, and trathered around him a prosperous settlement. He re- sided there about twenty years, when he returned to England ; when, through the favor of Charles I., he went out to colonize Maryland, from whence arose the fine city, in that state, which still bears his name. By the year 1040, fifteen or sixteen settlements had been formed in different parts of the coast, including about three hundred and fifty families. FISHING ADMIKAIJ. T6 In 1635, tlie ki „ granted permission to the French to cure and dry Bsh on the land, on condition of pay- ing hve per cent, of tlie produce. Encouraged by this, ^.eKreneh afterwards fbnned a settlement in I'lacentia Hay, which tliey long continued to occupy, and which was a source of trouble to the British settlers. In 1633, the king issued a document, directed to the i.ord Treasurer and others, commanding them « to erect a common fishery, as a nunery for seamen;" and, at the same time, exempting the British fisheries from tax or toll." In this same year the first laws were promulgated by royal authority, and called " re..u- ations for the governing of his majesty's subjects, 1n- luAitmg Newfoundland, or traffiokiny in bays" The purport of these laws was, first, that all persons who comniitted murder, or theft above forty shillings, should be taken to England for trial ; second, that no buildings, erected for prosecuting the fishery, should be destroyed at the end of the voyage; third, that the master of the first fishing-vessel, arriving at any port, shmld be admi- rat of the same during the season. The two first laws were good ; but the third, or eov- ernment by the fishing admirals, was perhaps the most monstrous law that ever disgraced any free colony of he British nation. These fishing admirals were arbi- trary men, and grossly ignorant. They were all either traders or common fishermen ; and, in time, they improved upon the law ; for the first captain of an En/- Iis>. vessel who arrived in port in the spring, would be admiral, the second rear-admiral, the third vice-admiral, and the fourth post-captain. These admirals were empowered to " settle all dis- putes among the fishermen, and enforce due attention to certain acts of parliament." I„ their judicial charac- 70 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ter, they would decide cases, according to their caprice, over a bottle of i-uiii ; and frequently would inflict sum- mary punishment, by flogging the culprit with a rope's end. This iniquitous system continued for nearly one hun- dred years. It began, indeed, to decline in the early part of the last century; but it A.r on;' ribout the time of the revolutionary war lluit it entirely ceased. In the year 1823, the writer made a voyage to the westward, in the ship Duck, Captain Nicholas, who was then about seventy years of age. He well re- membered the fishing admirals ; and he himself had once chanced to be a post-captain. N i CHAPTER IV. DISPLANTIXO THE INHABITANTS - ST. JOHNS CAPTURED - FRENCH IN PLACEMiA-ST. JOHNS '^APTURKD A SECOND TIME - GOVERNOR OSBORNE -8URR0OATK COUKTS - 8T. JOHNS CAPTURED A THIRD TIME - GREAT STOKM - ADMIRAL RICHERY - FIKST NEWSPAPER -ST. JOHNS BURNED -THE RALS - SIR THOMAS COCHRANE- FIRST PARLIAMENT - STEAMERS - VISIT OF THE PRINCE OF WALES — TABLES AND STATISTICS^ Q OON after the discovery of the island by Cabot, the kJ fishery gave employment to a numl of British ships ; and it was seen that those fisheries would prove beneficial not oidy to commerce, but would become a nursery for seamen, to man the royal navy. As far back as the year 1549, an act of parliament was passed -m- the " beti.T encouragement of the fisheries of New- foundland." 1:, the vei^^n of Queen Elizabeth there were vo hundred and sixty ships employed in the fishe'ies ; and it > mainly from the fishermen of these vessels that she aannc her fleets which defeated the powerful Spanish Armauu. Charles I., in a commission tor " well governino- his subje< ^sinNe foundland,".says: " The navigators'' and manners of the realm have been much creased by the Newfoundland fisheries." B 'leficial, however, as these fisheries were to the motiier country, yet they met with serious opposition m England; and, whac was worse, the crovernment gave its aid in the persecutior, of the people, and for the destruction of this important and rising rolmiv which It had employed so much effort, a^ d . xpe ,ded ^= 7* • ^ 78 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. much money on, to brlnj^ to its then prosperous condition. The cause of this opposition was tlie jealousy bet\v(Hm tlie two parties engaged respectively in the bank and in the shore fislieries. In the commencement, tlie fishery was mostly car- ried on by vessels which came from England in the spring, fished on the banks, and returned in the fall, visiting the land only to make or cure their fish. This was called the "bank-fishery.'* Lut when settlers came, and made the island their home, they built fish- ing-boats, and fished near the land. This was the "shore-fishery." There was really no conflicting in- terest here, for there was iidh enough for both parties. Nevertheless, a bad * feeling existed between them. Sir Josiah Child had vessels engaged in the bank-fishery, and, in the year 1670, he published a pani])hlet to prove that the bank-fishery, which employed those seamen who so often had manned the sliij s of war, was seri- ously injured by the boat or shore fishery, and that it had declined to a great extent ; for while, in the year 1605, it employed two hundred and fifty vessels, it at that time employed only eighty. He imputed this de- cline to the shore fishery carried on by the settlers; and said, if the shore-fishery were permitted to increase, it would in time " engross the whole business, and thus the nursery for seamen would be destroyed." He there- fore advised that no more emigration should take place to Newfoundland, and that those persons and families, who had already settled there, should he displanted. In our day no civilized government would pay any attention to such advice ; while a proposition like that offered by Sir Josiah Child would be universally de- nounced as absurd, unjust, and barbarous. It was not so regarded in those days. Three years before the above-r applied ow ners plicatioi applicat not onl Child w tations ; what w while er bank-fis! for all p tling on inhabita and tlia driven o\ This force ; ai with ord destructi of that 1 he sent \ and very much n burned, i persons \ adoption. Mr. Do^ from the secution < vented tl tained st take out foundlanc DISPLANTINO THE INHABITANTS. 79 above-namod pamplilet was issued, tlie settlers liad apjilied for a governor; but the merchants and sliip- Dwners engaged in tlie bank-fishery opposed tlie ap- ph'cation, and it was rejected. In the year 1074, tlie application for a governor was renewed, when it was not only again rejected, but the advice of Sir Josiali Child was adoi)ted by the " Boiird of Trade and Plan- tations;" and, at its instance, the government issued what was caned the '' Western Charter," by which, while encouragement is given to the fisheries, yet the bank-tisherics are only intended by that expression ; for all persons are in that charter prohibited from " set- tling on the shores or coasts of the island ; " and " no inhabitant allowed to live withm sh milea of the sea ; and that any person transgressing this law might be driven out of the country. This luolish and wicked law was actually put in forc(> ; and Sir John Berry was sent to Newfoundland, with orders for the d oortation of the inhabitants, the destruction of their .lOuses, and the entire uprooting of that thriving colony. Berry was a humane man"^ he sent home strong remonstrances against the law, and very reluctantly carried out his commission. Still much misery was occasioned : many houses were burned, man\' outrages committed, and a number of persons were innocently expelled from the land of their adoption. This persecution lasted for two years, when Mr. Downing, one of the residents, obtained an order from the king, Charles II., to prevent any further per- secution of the people. But this order, while it pre- vented the further deportation of the settlers, also con- tained strict injunctions, forbidding '» any vessel to take out emigrants, or any person to settle in New- foundland." This occurred in 1676. Hi 80 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. For twenty years did the prohibition of emigra- tion to Newfoundland continue, during which time, constant complaints were made to the government that the laws in this case were evaded ; Avhile counter representations were made by those who were favora- ble to the settlement of the country. It is satisfac!:<)ry to know that no further rigorous measures were taken ; and, in 1697, the " Board of Trade and Plantations" published a report, that " a number of inhabitants, not exceeding one thousand, might be usefully employed in constructing boats, stages for drying fish, and other matters connected with the fisheries." The permission that had been given to the French, " to cure and dry fish," and the connivance at their settlement in Placentia, caused the English much trouble in the reign of William III. One cause of war with France, at this time, was set forth in these words : " That of late the encroachments of the French upon Newfoundland and His Majesty's subjects' trade and fishery there, had been more like the invasions on an enemy than becoming friends, tvho enjoyed the ad- vantages of that trade only by permisaion.^^ During the war with France, which raged in this reign, Newfoundland was several times the scene of fearful conflicts between the contendino; hosts. The French, having had possession of Placentia for more than half a century, had strongly fortified it ; so that when it was attacked by a squadron under Commander Williams, it so far resisted the attack, that the British succeeded only in destroying the works on Point Vesti, at the entrance of the harbor. The garrison still remained in the hands of the French. This oc- curred in September, 1692. In 1696, four years later. Chevalier Nesmond ar- rived wit] on the is turned to othe% Fre: in concer again attfi tary stores to surrend burned, ar Ibbervil proceeded destroyed and Bona against his fairly let k both Engli the uttenr reached E fifteen huri cover the ignorance c commander from retries For two Newfoundk wick, in 16 matters in they were l By this deporting t discontinued Newfoundli Several acts the fisheries CAPTURE OF ST. JOHNS. 81 rived with a Frendi squadron, and, aided by the force on the island, attacked St. Johns, but failed, and re- turned to France. Before the close of the year, an- othei^Frerfbh squadron, under Brouillon, arrived, who m concert with Ibberville, the military commander,' agam attacked St. Johns, which being" short of mili- tary stores, and in a defenceless state, was compelled to surrender ; upon which the town and garrison were burned, and the troops sent to England on parole. Ibberville, having captured and destroyed St. Johns, proceeded along the coast, and with sword and fire hj destroyed all the British stations, except Carbonear and Bonavista, which were successfully defended against his attacks. '* The dogs of war " were now fairly let loose onthat unhappy island, to possess which, both England and France determined to contend to the uttermost. The news of this French invasion reached England, when a British squadron, with fifteen hundred men on board, was dispatched to re- cover the lost territory; but unfortunately, either Ignorance or cowardice, or both, prevented the British er>mmanders. Admiral Nevil and Sir John Gikon, from retrieving the honor of their country's flag. For two years did the homes of the persecuted Newfoundlanders lie waste, until the peace of Rys- wick, in 1697, put an end to hostilities, and placed matters in that country in a similar position to what they were before the war commenced. By this time, the government saw the folly of deporting the people from the island, and not "only discontinued all persecution in that wav, but declared Newfoundluid ^^free to all his maje;ty's subjects." Several acts of parliament were now passed, regulatincr the fisheries; and the importation of fish, taken by ..>3«J^2>' 82 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. foreigners in foreign vessels, was strictly prohibited. The preamble of the act lOtli and 11th William and Mary declares, that " the trade and fisheries of New- foundland is a beneficial trade to the kingdom, in^ the employing of a great number of seanien and ships, to the increase of her majesty's revenue, and the encour- agement of trade and navigation." Thus far, there was neither gospel nor law in New- foundland ; and the fishing admirals were the only executive then known. The money-loving merchants of that day were favorable to this system, because these admirals were their paid servants, or the captains of their own ships, and they could fee, or control their decisions, and thus govern the people at their will. In 1702, war again broke out between England and France, when Sir John Leake was dispatched by Queen Anne, with a British squadron, to take posses- sion of the whole island ; and although he did not fully succeed, yet he captured twenty-nine sail of French ships, and with this booty he returned to England in the autumn. In 1705, the French garrison of Placentia was rein- forced by five hundred men from Canada, when they destroyed several British settlements, and carried their devastation as far north as Bonavista. The following year, a British force under Captain Underdown de- stroyed a number of French ships, and drove the enemy from their recent conquests. The British parliament, now alive to the importance of Newfoundland as a colony, earnestly entreated the queen to " use her royal endeavors to recover and preserve the ancient possessions, trade, and fisheries of Newfoundland." But little attention v.as paid to this address of parlia- ment, and the French, aware of the inadequate British force, de island. mander aoainst tl beino; dis( attacked 1st of Jar almost e Carbonea their atta^ Newfoi the Frenc brilliant s of Europ( Treaty oi pelled to foundland reserving and dry f vista on tl ern ; also Miquelon, Both tl prospered, the peace, in the tra( but rivalle Spain anc ments also which the population island, wh administra from tliat province. THE FISHERIES. 83 force, determined to expel all the English from the island. Accordingly, St. Ovide, the French com- mander at Placentia, was despatched with a force against the British. He landed at Bay of Bulls without being discovered, marched over the frozen ground, and attacked and completely destroyed St. Johns on the 1st of January, 1708. After which, the French seized almost every English station on the island except Carbonear, which again nobly defended itself against their attack. Newfoundland was now virtually in the power of the French, and would have continued so but for the brilliant success of the British arms on the continent of Europe. This war termifiated with the celebrated Treaty of Utrecht, by which the French were com- pelled to concede the exclusive sovereignty of New- foundland ai'd the adjacent islands to Great Britain ; reserving only a right to the subjects of France to cure and dry fish on the coast, lying between Cape Bona- vista on the eastern side, and Point Rich on the west- ern ; also to occupy the small islands of St. Pierre f)"d Miquelon, with a police force of fifty men. Both the English and the French settlements now prospered, so that in the year 1721, eight years after the peace, the French employed four hundred vessels in the trade; and not only supplied France with fish, but rivalled the British in the fish-trade in the ports of Spain and the Mediterranean. The British settle- ments also, notwithstanding all the disadvantages under which they labored, continued rapidly to advance in population and in interest, so that in the year 1729, the island, which had hitherto been under the nominal administration of Nova Scotia, was now withdrawn from that position, and constituted into a separate province. 84 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION A UIL3. But the govormiient of this now province was a great ditliculty. In many i)arts, tlio pc()[)le were com- })letely lawless: they fought, (luarrelled, and coinniit- ted all kinds of crime without restraint ; and rule by the fishing admirals was anarchy itself. To remedy this, Ca})tain Henry Osborne, of her majesty's navy, was apiminted governor and connnander-in-chief ; but, by his commission, was required to obey the instruc- tions of Lord Vere Beauclerc, the naval commander stationed at Newfoundland. Governor Osborne divided the island into districts, appointed justices of the .peace and other officers in t!irP' r>ln;^pd nt nrnnpr -* •*' Sj T — » •■ : ~~ r- 'r — distances, chain was to the Pan bustibles, i placed in Regiment,' nier, was volunteer c ti-oops, wer claimed in arms, whetl or fisherme The French attacking, oi day, they fo Narrows. E commence ; within long shot was fire only not re whole fleet continued in the south, t( manner, the people into act, the fleet foreign en em During the 'olony suffere were well mu which were p Portugal, wer A career of ; rapidiv did shf FRENCH WAR. 89 distances, so as to command tlie Narrows ; the larrre Cham was stretched across, from the Cliain Rock to the Pancake ; and three schooners, filled with com- bustjbles, and intended to be used as fire-ships, were placed in readiness. "The Royal Newfoundland Regiment," which had been formed c^ ,,r.'ng the sum- mer, M'as then considered in an effici*^nt state- volunteer companies of artillery, besides the regular troops, were in the- garrison. Martial law was pro- claimed m the town ; and all the men fit to bear arms, whether merchants, clerks, store-keepers, sailors, or fishermen were mustered and ready for action. 1 he French fleet stood oif and on for three days, without attacking, or making any attempt to land. On the third day, they formed a line of battle, and stood in for the Narrows. Every one now expected a terrible conflict to commence ; but not so. The van ship of the enemy came within long range of the guns at Fort Amherst, and a shot was fired at her from Signal Hill, which was not only not replied to, but most unexj)ectedly did the whole fleet put about, and stood off to sea. They continued in sight for several days, then bore away to the south, to Bay Bulls, which, in a most cowardly manner, they burnt, and drove the poor, defenceless people into the woods. Shortly after this dastardly act, the fleet sailed entirely away, since which time no torein^n enemy has ever attempted to invade the island. During the remainder of this long French war the 'olony suffered but little from its effects, as her coasts were well guarded by British ships ; and her markets, which were principally the different ports of Spain and 1 ortugal, were generally kept open by the British nary, A career of steady prosperity now attended her, and rapidly did she inc-..ase in wealth and influence. In the 8* .WmB' 90 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. year 1814, at tlie close of the war, her exports are said to liave reached the large sum of jE 2,831,528 sterlmg. The first Dewspa[>er was issued in 1807. It was called " The Royal Gazette : " its publisher was Mr. John Ryan. This was the dawn of literature upon that dark and long-neg^>3cted island. It was a weekly publication, and continued to be published in the same family for near half a century. For thirteen years, " The Royal Gazette '' was the only issue from the Newfoundland press ; but in 1820, Mr. Henry Winton issued the " Public Ledger," a well conducted, and a very respectable paper. The third paper was '* The Newfoundlander ; " then " The Newfoundland Times; " and several others followed. The number of papers issued on the island in 1864 was eleven. In 1815, the prosperity of Newfoundland received a check, when, at the close of the American war, the great price of fish suddenly fell from five or six dollars to two : this, with a partial failure of the fisheries, which happened at the same tim^ caused the ruin of so oral commercial houses, and » volved many families in want and suffering. Bcsisles this, on the 12th of the following February (1816), a most fearful ccmflagration laid a great part of St. Johns in ashes. The property destroyed was estimated at more than .£100,000 sterling ; and 1,5U0 human beings were left homeless and penniless, in the midst of the frost and storms of a Newfoundland winter. To the honor of the citizens of Boston, let it be recorded, that, as soon as the news of this calamity reached them, they at once loaded a vessel with provisions, and clothing, sent her down to St. Johns, in that inclement season, and there gratuitously bestowed those provisions and neces- saries upon the suffering aid starving poor. But ther next year, 18 more destruc Upon this oc thirteen larm wi provisio] dred and for sumed. The at X 500,000 the 2lstoftli( besides wliarv These cala minds of the p the entire abai at no distant ] The win r 1817-18 — vva and in the diff^ people wanted open several ''ommitted oth food, and gen watch-word to this winter wj Bay, " The wh A few year commanded a a brighter day tern of jurispri floatincr-surrojia from all parts nient took up 1 Courts, and est; a chief justice ▼ m SCARCITY OF POOD. 91 But .-ther calam'^ies followod in succession. The next year, 1817, on the 7tli MfNovo.nber, a second and more destructive fire broke oiu , the same town. T pon this occasion, in the short space oi ine hours, thirteen large mercantile estabh's' nents, well shocked wu^> provisions for th. coming winter, with one Imn- dred and forty dwelling-houses were entirely con- sumed. The loss in property this time was estimated at £500,000 stc rhng. And a third fire occurred on tlH' 21.st of the same month, wlien fifty-six more houses, be ides wharves and res, were consumed. 'i hese calamities spread a deep gloom upon the mmds of the people ; and for a time it seemed as thouo-h til " entire abandonment of the Colony would take place at no distant per" )d. The win r aiat followed- ^hat is, the winter of 1817-18 — was a time of great . ess, both in St. Johns and m the different harbors of Conception Bay. The people wanted food, and in theif des|,eration broke open several stores and dwelling-houses; but they '^ommitted other depredations besides their search for ^ond, and generally would use the word Ral, as a watch-word to their companions in crime. Hence, this winter was called by the people of Conception Bay, " The winter of the Bahr A few years after, the fishery improved ; the fish commanded a higher price in the foreign markets, ar I a brighter day dawned upon the island. But the .s- tem of jurisprudence was defective, and against the floating-surrogate system loud complaints were heard from all parts of the island. The Imperial Parlia- ment took up the matter : it abolished the Surrogate Courts, and established a Supreme Court, consisting of a chief justice and two assistant judges. The ishnd IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. O {./ ^4^ 1.0 I.I 2.5 1.8 11-25 il.4 IIIIII.6 p% ^^ K :^ "4 o 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STkEET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 92 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. was divided into three " Circdits," Northern, Central, and Southern, in which three separate courts were held, each presided over by one of the three judges. The Supreme Court was empowered to admit qualified attorneys to practice in the different courts, and to grant letters of administration and probates of wills. An appeal is permitted from the Circuit Courts to the Supreme Court, and from the Supreme Court to the Queen in Council. Courts of Quarter Sessions were now also established, and a sheriff appointed from year to year. In 1825, Sir Thomas Cochrane, R.N., was appointed Governor. Newfoundland was then in a transition state, passing from lawlessness into order, and from ignorance, arising from an almost destitution of schools, to that of education and position among the I "ovinces of the British Empire. To promote this change, Sir Thomas ga\ all the weight of his influence and his constant personal atten- tion. He completed the first road in the country, which was from St. John to Portugal Cove, and the second, from Harbor Grace to Carbonear. He sailed along the shores, entered many of the harbors, and conversed with all sorts of people on the affairs of the island. He travelled miles in the country, through its bushes and bogs, to form for himself a judgment of its soil ; and he sent circulars into all the out-harbors to get the opinion of the people in reference to a Colonial Parliament. His most decided opinion was, that much of its soil was capable of a high state of cultivation ; that it had come to a state when it ought to have a local legislature ; that such a constitution would be greatly for the benefit of the people ; and that it ouglit at once to be granted by the Imperial Government. The opinion held up to ri in oppositioi both in the ( written in o "A Poole M " That the ( and is confirui iate as the begi frost was so int dening could i in December, i mometer often This writ( American wi of the soiL Prince Edw in Decembe: at about 15° 30° below. so that *' d( before the r seen the bea the producti rich uplands mate is unco Sir Thom His Majesty Constitution January, 18! ment was op In a very came apparei in the vicini FIRST PARLIAMENT. 93 The opinion of Sir Thomas was severely criticised and held up to ridicule ; and pamphlets, both in defence and in opposition to his judgment, issued from the press, both in the colony and in England. From a pamphlet written in opposition, by a wfiter who called himself "A Poole Merchant," we make the following extract : — " That the climate is uncongenial to cultivation is well known, and is confirmed by the fact, that in this present year (1828), so late as the beginning of May, the snow laid on the ground, and the frost was so intense, that the common operations of domestic gar- dening could not be commenced. The winter commenced early in December, and the frost was intense and continued, the ther- mometer often standing at 15° below zero." This writer showed his utter ignorance of a North- American winter, and its influence upon the cultivation of the soiL In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, the winter usually commences in December : the thermometer often stands for weeks at about 15° below zero, and sometimes falls more than 80° below. The snow also continu-^s on the ground, so that *' domestic gardening " is rarely commenced before the month of May. Yet who that has ever seen the beautiful corn-fields of Prince Edward Island, the productive orchards of Annapolis Valley, or the rich uplands on the St. John's River, will say the cli- mate is uncongenial for cultivation ? Sir Thomas was successful ; for, in the year 1832, His Majesty William IV. granted a Representative Constitution to Newfoundland ; and on the 1st day of January, 1833, the first session of the Colonial Parlia- ment was opened by Sir Thomas Cochrane in person. In a very few years, the benefit of this measure be- came apparent. At the time of its colonization, except in the vicinity of St. Johns, scarcely a house, a gar- 94 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ■J den, or a potato-field, was to be seen one mile from the shore. Now, good roads were opened in various direc- tions ; the land was cultivated ; carriages of every form rolled along the roads in the summer, and the jingle of the sleigh-bells was heard in winter. Education was promoted ; the arts and sciences were encouraged ; temperance societies and other philanthropic institu- tions were organized. In fact, all those adjuncts to civilized life were introduced, which are calculated to elevate the mind, and make the inhabitants of New- foundland an intelligent and an enlightened people. In 1840, on the 5th of November, the town of St. Johns was enlivened by the appearance of the first steamer that ever visited her harbor. It was H. M. Steamer Spitfire^ which had come with a detachment of men for the Royal Veteran Companies. The sight was novel, and many persons went on board to examine the machinery. In the same year, a company was incorporated by the Newfoundland Legislature, to run a steamboat between Halifax and St. Johns, toward the expenses of which, the Nova Scotia Legislature granted <£500 per annum for three years. Before the measure contemplated by this company was carried into effect, a second steamer came upon the coast. It was the John McAdam, which had pre- viously been employed between Cork and Liverpool, and was now offered for sale. She arrived at St. Johns on the 4th of August, 1842. Two or three days after her arrival, she made a trip to the north, with about fifty ladies and gentlemen on board. She passed Cape St. Francis, ran up the south .«»hore of Conception Bay nearly to Portugal Cove, then round the western end of Belle Isle to Brigus, in the • r \aSIT or PRINCE OF WALES. 95 Iiarbor, of which she made a sweep, and stopped her engines a few miniUes, so as to gratify tlie curiosity of the people. She then proceeded to Tort De Grave, and made a similar sweep. She passed next to Car- bonear, and, leaving that harbor, she entered the port of Harbor Grace, where she remained for the night. Very early the next morning, she weighed anchor, and, proceeding down the north shore, she passed be- tween the Island of Bacalieu and the main land ; then crossed the spacious Bay of Trinity, and entered the beautiful and picturesque Harbor of Trinity, where she remained for a time, then returned to St. Johns. This was the first opportunity the people of Newfoundland ever had of making a steamboat trip on their own shores. The first royal mail-steamer ever employed in Newfoundland was the North America, Captain R. Meagher. She arrived in St. Johns at eight o'clock on Monday morning, April 22d, 1844 ; since which time steamboat communication has been regular be- tween that harbor and Halifax. In the year 1860, on the occasion of the visit of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wale?,, to America, his first landing was at St. Johns, on the morning of July 4th. The city was handsomely decorated with tri- umphal arches, flags, and evergreens, and the mul- titude was so great, that it seemed as if the whole population of the island had gathered in that city to wel- come their future king. Amidst the thunder of can- non, the ringing of bells, and the cheers of thousands. His Royal Highness was received by Governor Ban- nerman, and a guard of honor, formed by the Newfound- land corps, and escorted to Government House by a long and splendid procession. After the presentation of addresses by different bodies, the Prince held a levee, .iiippil 96 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. 4 at which were introduced to His Royal Highness the principal gentlemen of the island. He then reviewed the Royal Newfoundland and Volunteer corps, visited Wateiford Bridge, Topsail Rood, and other points af- fording good views, and returned to a state dinner. In the evening, the city was brilliantly illuminated, and there was a fine display of fireworks. The next day, a noble Newfoundland dog was presented to the Prince, by Chief Justice Sir Francis Brady, on behalf of the people of the colony. The Prince accepted the dog, and called him Calot^ after the discoverer of the island. After a short visit, His Royal Highness embarked for the continent amidst the renewed cheers of the loyal and noble-hearted people of Newfoundland. We shall here close our historical sketch, and pre- sent the reader with the following statistics. * A Table showing the Civil Divisions, Population, and Repre- sentatives for each District. 1857. Names of Districts. No. of Inhabitauts. St. Johns, East , , . St. Johns, West . Harbor Main, Conception Bay Port-de-Grave, *' " Harbor Grace, " " Carbonear, " " Bay-de-Verds, " <» Trinity Bay .... Bonavista . . . . Twillingate and Fogo . Ferryland .... Placentia and St. Mary's Burin Fortune Bay Burgeo and La Poile Total . 17,352 13,124 6,386 6,489 10,067 6,233 6,220 10,736 8,850 9,717 6,228 8,334 5,529 3,492 3,545 No. of Rep- reseatatiTes. 1 19^304 3 3 2 1 1 1 S 8 2 2 3 2 1 1 To the po We must she Therefore Of this at Protesta Tot The Pro No. of CI A Tabular , NAM] Academy, Ej Bonavista Cc Academy, W Academy, G( Tot. 28 POPULATION .VD SCHOOLS. 97 To the population of the Elective Districts . . 1 1 q 0^4 We mus^t^add the population (British) on the French 3,334 Therefore, the total population of 1857 was . "7^^ Of this population, the Roman Catholics are estimated at Protestants . • • • • Total The Protestants are thus divided : — Episcopalians Wesleyans Presbyterians Congregationalists . Baptists Total . No. of Clergymen : Roman Catholics Episcopal Wesleyan Presbyterian. Congregational . Baptist Total 55,309 63,995 119,304 42,608 20,144 822 844 77 63,995 36 40 22 8 101 i?:?::iNoR^rn^fRel^^ f^^^ ^^^ j,^^^^^ Shore A Tabular Statement of Academical Instit land. utions in Newfound- NAME. Academy, Epis'palian Bonavista Coll., R. C. Academy, Wesleyan Academy, Gen. Prot Total. . , Situation. St. Johns No. of Profrs. 2 4 2 1 No. of Government Studts. aid. 44 79 69 30 $2,000 4,384 1,000 750 Voluntary aid. 222 8,134 $21 2,748 500 750 4,019 V 98 NEWFOUNDIiAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. In the year 1857 there were two hundred and fifty- seven Day Schools,- as shown m the following table: — Tabular View of Protestant Day Schools in 1861. Denomination. No. of Schools. Pupils. Cost. Church of England . 2 108 Wesleyan '. . . , 8 693 Presbyterian . . . . 1 61 OTHER SCHOOLS. Colonial Church Society . 24 2524 Elementary Schools . 108 4968 Commercial Schools 4 1.59 Total . . . * 147 8413 $26,500 Catholic Schools in 1861. ■ No. of Schools. Pupils. Cost. Commercial Schools . Convent Schools . Elementary . . . . 7 10 93 1360 • 110 5028 $20,495 Thus the total number of schools in the island, in 1861, was 257 ; of pupils, 13,441 ; and the total cost, $46,995. The teachers' salaries vary from twenty to sixty pounds sterling ; and are made up partly by govern- ment and partly by school fees. The government contributes one-half the cost of erecting school-houses. There are in the Province forty-one school-districts, twenty-five of which are under a Protestant Board of FISHERIES. 99 Education and Inspection, atid sixte/)n under the con- trol of a Catliolic Board and a Catholic Inspection. I he government appropriates annually £400 toward the training of Protestant teachers, who may be trained m either of the Protestant Academies; and £350 for Catholic teachers, who are trained in the Catholic Col- lege. TPIE FISHERIES. The Hsheries of Newfoundland are known as the ' bank-fishery," and the " shore-fishery." THE BANK-FISHERY. This is carried on in large vessels on the Banks of Newfoundland, a vast submarine elevation, lying in the Atlantic Ocean, and between five and six hundred mi es m length, with a breadth of about two hundred miles In the year 1775, about four hundred sail of vessels, of from eighty to one hundred and forty tons burthen, were engaged in the bank-fishery, of which about one hundred and forty were fitted out from St Johns, and the remainder from various out-harbors. Ihese employed from eight to ten thousand fishermen and shoremen. This fishery is now almost abandonee' by the British, but is carried on with great vigor by the French and Americans, who together are said to em- ploy one thousand vessels, with some thirty thousand men. SHORE-FISHERY. This is now the fishery in Newfoundland; it is carried on in small craft, as skiffs, jacks, punts, and gallop- ers, who fish near tho shore. In 1857, the number of boats employed was eleven thousand six hundred and eighty-three ;* the number of nets and seines, two thousand three hundred and fifty- tour ; the number of men, twenty-four thousand. i 100 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. We shall now present two tables : the first will show the quantity and value of codfish exported each year, for ten years ; the second table will show the quantity and value of all kinds of produce exported, each year, for four years. A Tabular Statement of the Quantity and Value of Codfish ex- ported from Newfoundland each year, for ten years. Years. Quintals. Value in Dollars. 1863 922,718 2,805,500 1854 774,118 2,589,090 1855 1,107,388 8,400,415 1856 1,268,334 3,945,620 1857 1,392,322 6,030,645 1858 1,038,089 3,825,505 * 1859 1,105,793 4,474,830 1860 1,138,544 4,231,190 1861 1,021,720 3,341,315 1862 1,074,289 3,760,010 Tabular Statement of all kinds of Produce exported from Newfound- land each year, for four years, with the total Value in British ster- ling. Produce. Codfish, dried, quintals, " pickled, tubs Salmon, tierces, . . Herring, barrels, . No. of Seal Skins, . No. of Furs, .... Seal and Cod Oil, tuns, Other Oils, gallons, . . Total value. £, . . . . 1836 Yeaes. 1845 1858 1861 860,354 1,847 1,534 384,321 2,959 41,872 807,829 1,000,233 442 8,645 20,903 352,702 2,037 8,408 907,112 1,058,059 1,688 2,726 82,155 507,626 2,004 323,241 1,280,343 1,021,720 cwt. 372 2,924 64,377 875,282 3,886 8,375 tuns 23 1,269,546 In the island, tl cost 88,0 The ii $5,858,6 $823,205 nage, 87, The m are likelv The re ture, |69( There notes in 1 cial Bank, in 1860, a $671,792. It has with its c bors, and ] pitable ish Such misi from shee sought the evident thj high state haustible si erals are li European i tains, or ii inhabitants respectful ; could be su BANKS. 101 I In the year 1862, there were 2G vessels built on the ^^^r^fiTr'')^'!; .^^^u r^^ ^^'035,410; exports, f »^d,^05. Number of vessels employed, 1,386 • ton- nage, 87,030. ' The mines and minerals, just now coming into notice, are likely to increase the exports. The revenue of 1862 was $581,638 ; the expendi- ture, $690,290. The public debt is stated at $720,000. BANKS. There are three banks : the Union Bank circulated notes m 1861 to the extent of $472,520; the Coinmer- cia Bank, |213,628. The assets of the Savings Bank, *"if,n.r""°'"'' '" '*^**'^*'^ ' ""<• 't^ ''"Mities were $671,792. It has been customary to speak of Newfoundland, with Its commanding position, its numerous fine har- bors, and Its salubrious climate, as a barren and inhos- pitable island, totally unfit for the habitation of man buch misrepresentations could only have been made from sheer ignorance, or by interested parties, who sought the monopoly of the entire trade. It is now evident that many parts of the island are camble of a high state of cultivation; and its fisheries a e an inex- haustible source of wealth ; while its mines and its min- erals are likely soon to attract at least a portion of the Ji^uropean immigfants, to seek their j>ile upon the moun- tains, or in the dells of its rock-bound shores. The mhabitants have always been loyal, brave, kind, and respectful ; and, if the charge of ignorance or rudeness could be sustained, it was because they had been nee- * 9* ° fl 102 NEWFOUNDLAND AND IT3 MISSIONARIES. lected, misgoverned and oppressed. A brighter day is dawning ; and that land will yet rise in wealth, intel- ligence, and influence, equal to any of her sister Prov- inces in the Western hemisphere. END OF PART I, OR, THE B HUNDRE] WITH Bl WESLEY^i LABOREI PART 11. THE CENTENARY; OR, THE HISTORY OF WE8LEYAN METHODISM DURING THE HUNDRED YEARS OF i£TS EXISTENCE IN NEWFOUNDLAND ; WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ALL THE DECEASED WE8LEYAN MISSIONARIES AND MINISTERS WHO HAVE LABORED IN THAT COUNTRY. (103) STATE OF ISM- ferb: Tun in] it is, the ence, ar by the '^ Thei the first sense pi general ( Head of The r on the ( dense clc system h latter co commenc ence of monarch^ protestan liturgy ; own lang Christian sentersfrc according CHAPTER I. STAT. OF BELIOIOH I» KNOI,*™ - MOUSH OLEROT _ «„. OF METnnn rpHIS year, 1865, is the centenary year of Methodism X. in Newfoundland. It was introduced there in 1765 • It IS, therefore, now in the hundredth year of its exist-' ence and was the first mission grom.d ever occupied by the Wesleyan Church. .^. ^« \"r,f Yf^^^ Methodism in Englauu, during the first half of the last century, was in a pre-eminent sense providential, and showed, in all its outlines and general operations, the constant presence of the Great Head of the Christian Church. The reformation from Popery had done much, both on the Continent and in England, to dissipate those dense clouds of moral darkness with which that corrupt system had cast all Europe in a deep gloom ; and in the latter country, in the eighteenth century, at its very commencement, it had nearly annihilated all the influ- ence of Romanism; it had established a Protestant monarchy on the throne; it had formed a national- protestant church, with a most admirable scriptural I'turgy ; it hod given the Bible to the people in their own language; it had required the observance of the Christen Sabbath bylaw; it had recently tolerated dis- senters from the established church, who worshipped God according to the dictates of their own conscience; and (105) 106 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. while the astronomical "and other discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton had filled the world with astonishment, philol- ogy, philosophy, and hellea lettres were cultivated to an extent that caused that period to be distinguished as the " Augustan age of English literature. ' Giant minds and champions for the truth lived in those days ; and among them we might name Archbishop Seeker, Bishops Burnet, Gibson, Butler, and a little later, that great expositor of Scripture prophecy, Bishop Newton ; also Dean Prideaux, Dr. John Guyse, Dr. Isaac Watts, Rev. John Hurrion, Rev. Abraham Taylor, and many others, who faithfully preached the gosj)el in their sever- al pulpits, and fearlessly assailed the carelessness, the infidelity, and the licentiousness of the age. But Eng- land was not evangelized : far from it. Infidel books were extensively circulated, and infidel principles were entertained by masses of the British people ; the wicked and blasphemous writings of Hobbes, Toland, Blount, Collins, Mandeville, Tindal, Morgan, Woolston, Chubb, and a little later appeared among the foes of Christianity, that keen philosopher and eloquent writer, Lord Bol- ingbroke ; and the moral poison these men scattered abroad had effected the minds of the upper classes of society to a great extent. Within the pale of the church, and acknowledged as its ministers, were Dean Swift and Lawrence Sterne, whose writings, so full of burlesque, ribaldry, and licentious humor, tended fearfully to cor- 'rupt the morals of the nation. Deadly heresy was also tolerated in the pulpits of the establishment. The very learned Dr. Samuel Clarke, rector of St. James, West- minster, was a decided Arian, and so was the erudite William Whiston ; and Bishop Hoadley is said to have given up all that is peculiar to Christianity, in compli- ment to the Deists, and to have espoused substantially the Soc his offic pulpit ( faith," ignoran structioi not thei a living' in the c almost a tlieir roi] such uns ity and c look for 1 iaity; h( churchm( monies ei yet gross moral an( fashion h literally v well ; " ] Lichfield thought tl That W( will admit ments, ma ops m the The firs Gilbert Bu toral Care,' edition of MORAL DEPRAVITY IN ENGLAND. 107 Sot?"", '"T' "'"■' "' *^ ^""^ ""« •>« retained his office and preferment. Little was heard from the laith, or gospel holmess. Ma„, of the clergy were .gnorant of the Scriptures, and setmed to think^hH^! tnic ,on of the people in the truths of Christianity was not the,r work ; that they held their position merely as m the chase at the card-table, at the ball-room, or in almost any otJier way, providing they could go through thejr round of official duties on the Sabbath day. WHh ity and"„r""' '"?'"« '° *^ P"'""^' ™<='' f--'" y and often .mmomhty in the clergy, it were vain to ook for true rehg,ous feeling, to any extent, among the dmrc men, and attended to all the services and cere- monies enjomed m the Book of Common Prayer, were yet grossly ,g„orant of the Holy Scriptures,^andTm moral and v.cous in the extreme. Men of rank a"d faslnon ,a„ghed at religion, and the common people Lcl fi . , T"'"'""" ^'^'" "" ""> *''^«« people in thotS .," '" ^? '''•""'' '''^ "'«'"' -<• --e °ot tliought the worse for it." ^ wiJi'lT T r ""' "J"*''^" ""^ P''='"e, the reader willadmit If he carefully peruses the following state- opsttreen'; /""""' '^'''''"^"' ^--"'^ ops n the estab hshment, who lived in those times. 1 he first evidence we shall give is from a work by Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, called " The pZ edifon of which was issued in 1713. I„ the preface * Boswell's Johnson, vi. p. 840. 108 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. to this edition, Bishop Burnet gives the following de- scription of the clergy of his own diocese : — " I am now in the seventieth year of my age, and, as I cannot speal^ long in the world in any sort, so I cannot hope for a more solemn occasion than this of speaking with all due freedom, both to the present and to the succeeding ages. Therefore I lay hold on it to give free vent to those sad thoughts that lie on my mind both day and night, and are the subject of many secret mournings. I dare appeal to that God, to whom the secrets of my heart are known, and to whom I am shortly to give an account of my min- istry, that I have the true interests of this church ever before my eyes, and that I pursue them with a sincere and fervent zeal. " If I am mistaken in the methods I follow, God, to whom the integrity of my heart is known, will not lay that to my charge. " I cannot look on without the deepest concern, when I see im- minent ruin hanging over this church, and by consequence, over the whole Reformation. The outward state of things is black enough, God knows ; but that which heightens my fears rises chiefly from the inward state into which we are unhappily fallen. I will confine myself to the clergy. " Our Ember weeks are the burden and grief of my life. The much greater part of those who come to be ordained are ignorant, to a degree not to be apprehended by those who are not obliged to know it. The easiest part of knowledge is that to which they are the greatest strangers : I mean the plainest part of the Scrip- tures, which, they say in excuse for their ignorance, that their Tu- tors in the Universities never mention the reading of to them ; so that they can give no account, or at least a very imperfect one, of the contents even of the Gospels. Those who have read some few books, yet never seem to have read the Scriptures. Many can- not give a tolerable account even of the Catechism itself, how short and plain soever. They cry, and think it a sad disgrace to be denied orders, though the ignorance of some is such that, in a well-regulated state of things, they would appear not knowing enough to he admitted to the holy sacrament. " This does often tear my heart. The case is not much better in many who, having got into orders, come for institution, and cannot make it appear that they have read the Scriptures or any one good book since they were ordained ; so that the small meas- ure of knowledge upon which they got into holy ora-ii not being improved, is in a way quite lost ; and they think it a great hard- ship if tb of divinit " Thes ' Oh, that and be al are we to or in anj great con fundanien who ough them the " Politic learning, I a true sens which the { are receive and labors. quent, it is thinking co the bare p( sures when in any suita If an J tion of th or had de make appj of the con" echism," a he admitte ordination, ignorance selves to n( oracles of ( as untrue a the great a time, and v ^e question* DESCRIPTION OF THE ENOUSH CLKKGY. 109 ' Oh, that I had Z^Zl dove ""f ":f '"'"' °"™ ""^ "'• and bo a. re... wL ^.^f e :'^::TV ^^""^ are we to deal with any adversary, Athel^ pll „ . ""^ - m a„y«>rt to p^^ote the ho,L oflti a'nd I "T great coocerns of the Bo,nel „!.„ ' " "*"'»' <"■ ">« fundamentals of relilTrJ; f-^T '° '^"'^'"^ '^ «>« who onght to tele T^,^^'Xle:!,;w"'■"'■''°"°"«''''- .hen. the fi.t prineip.e.of rot:,::' g:^""^ "■"""' '-" .earnC::ttt^;^^rthronrz;r •• °-^ "t -' a true sense of relicnon wif h . « ^, '' "'''''^ valuable, which the Son o;G:rb;>titx;Tie7d\rrtr''"'^' ardrhr'o:rLrr„dr~^^^^^ Ouen. it U truoZd Orhe" TnS t'ttfr ""' ^'^- thinking course of lifp w.'tK rf*i ' "* * ""^^^s, un- the ba; perfor^Li If r,' '^ ! °7° ?P'-«°- <» »t„dy, and «.res whei compla!„"ed of witi ?' """ ''°"'=' """'-^ ^^^ <=«- in any suitable deCe Soo /"" """""^ ""^ ^'^^^'^^^^ e„ree, is but too common as well as too evident" t.on of the Episcopal clergy of England at anytime or had declared that young men were accuZert ' make apphcation for holy orders, who were" "!„: elli "f:r;' '"^ ^"-^^^^"^-^ - even of tfeTt- echism and who appear as not " knowing enou<.h to be admttted to the holy sacrament;" and ttat after ordtnafon they continued in such a state of "f .gnorance ,n the fundamentals of rehVion "1 Z aTunlL r^ ''''""''"' ^""''J be considered th?:::^ "nd 'Zt-S-l- _^'--'"^ ^f- *e pen of be great and good Bishop Burnet, who lived , and wrote onlv whnf h^ i,„,_. ,-. , ., time, and wrote questioned. at the >nly what he knew, its truth cannot 10 110 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Of the morals of the people in the British metropo- lis, at that time, Bishop Gibson, in his " Pastoral Let- ters," published in 1728, gives the following account : — " They who live in these great cities (London and Westmin- ster), or have had frequent recourse to them, and have any con- cern for religion, must have observed, to their great grief, that profaneness and impiety are grown bold and open ; that a new sort of vice of a very horrible nature, and almost unknown before in these parts of the world, was springing up and gaining ground amongst us, if it had not been checked ijy the seasonable care of the civil administration ; that, in some late writings, public stews have [been openly vindicated, and public vices recommended to the protection of the govcrnme7it, as public benefits; and that great pains have been taken to make men easy in their vices, and deliver them from the restraints of conscience, by undermining all reli- gion, and promoting atheism and infidelity." Bishop Butler, the learned author of the " Analog}'-, ''^ in the advertisement to that work, published in 1736, speaks of the infidelity of his time, as follows : — " It is come, I know not how, to be taken for granted by many persons, that Christianity is not so much as a subject of inquiry; but that it is note, at length, discovered to be fictitious. And, ac- cordingly, they treat it as if, in the present age, this were an agreed point among all people of discernment, and nothing remained but to set it. up as a principal subject of mirth and ridicule, as it were by way of reprisals, for its having so long interrupted the pleasures of the world" Archbishop Seeker, in 1738, wrote the following sentence : — " We cannot be mistaken, that an open and professed disregard to religion is become, through a variety of unhappy causes, the distinguishing character of the present age ; that this evil is grown to a great height in the metropolis of the nation, is daily spread- ing through every part of it, and, bad in itself as any can be, must, of necessity, bring in all others after it. Indeed, it hath al- ready brought in such dissoluteness and contempt of principle in the higher part of the world, and such profligate intemperance and fearlessi rent of \ We from tl name ii the chu " Amo inquiry r . terest,' ai it. Soft formed, t places, th entering clension i and gene] lives of mi gospel ha and the r< the course " Nor i made onlj mournful heart; an( use all juj the world" Such church, in his pr( reform t\. ciousness delity of trines of jbe the n churches, ^ Preface t gion, edition, STATE OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH. HI fearlessness of committing crimes, in tl.e lorcer, as must, if this tor^ rent of impiety stop not, become absolutely fatal." We shall give one more quotation ; and it will be from the pen of an eminent dissenting minister, whose name IS known to every one, and whose praise is in all the churches. The writer is Dr. Isaac Watts, 1731 : — " Among the papers published last year, there hath been some mqmry made whether there be any decay of the 'dissenting in- . terest, and what may be supposed to have been the occasion of fL 1 t.' T u^'^" '"^"'^'^ ^"*' *^^' ™^"^''' I h^^« been in- formed that, whatsoever decrease may have appeared in some places, there have been sensible advances in others. And without entering mto any debate about the particular reasons of its de- clension m any town whatever, I am well satisfied that the great and general reason is the decay of vital religion in the hearts and /^r.*o/men, and the little success which the ministrations of the gospel have had of late for the conversion of sinners to holiness, and the recovery of them from the state of corrupt nature, and the course of this world, to the life of God by Jesus Christ. JVor IS the complaint of the declension of virtue and piety made only by the Protestant dissenters. It is a general matter c^ mournful observation amongst all that lay tlie cause of God to heart ; and therefore it cannot be thought amiss for every one to TerlrW'-^"^ ^'''^'' '^'''*' ^'' *^' "'"''''^ "-^^^'"^ "'^^^^'^^ ^'' Such was the state of England and the Enalish church, sinking into infidelity and ruin, when God, m his providence and mercy, raised up the Wesleys to reform the nation ; to rescue the masses from their vi- ciousness and moral degradation ; to confront the infi- delity of the times ; and by preaching the plain doc- trines of the New Testament, and of the Reformation, be the means of diffusing spiritual life through the churches, both of the Establishment and of the Ortho- ' » Preface to An Humble Attempt towards the Revival of Practical ReU- gion, edition, 1735. ■■■■'■■ ., " ■ I 112 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. dox Dissenters. Justification by faith, regeneration, the witness of the spirit, and gospel holiness were the great truths these men proclaimed. They were not new doctrines, though many thought they were. They were precisely what the apostles preached, what the Reformers preached, and are found in every article, in every homily, and on every page of the English Litur- gy ; yet such was the ignorance of many of the clergy that they closed their pulpits against those who preached these doctrines, denounced them as heretical, the preach- ers as heretics, " enemies to the church," " Papists in disguise," " rebels to the government," and men whom they might malign, ridicule, insult, and persecute at their pleasure. But the common people *' heard " them gladly. They were first astonished at what they heard ; then won- dered why tliey had not heard the same things from their own ministers. They pondered these doctrines m their minds ; they found they were scriptural : deep conviction of sin followed ; and men in multitudes were turned " from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God." " In the latter end of the year 1739 eight or ten persons came " to Mr. Wesley " in London, who appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and ear- nes.tly groaning for redemption. They desired (as did two or three more the next day) that I would spend some time with them in prayer, and advise them how to flee from the wrath to come, which they saw continu- ally hanging over their heads. That we might have more time for this great work, I appointed a day when they might sdl come together, which, from thencefor- ward, they did eveiy week, viz., on Thursday evening. To these, and as many as desired to join with them (for their number increased daily), I gave those advices from tim and we suited to This V the worl( years afti ism. Tl Church ( never ha persecutir church. What ^ by men ^ the means This was fixed opini an innova tian minisl wise and C overcame ' " The firs » who had bei Bristol, in J horted, and He was appc sence of the of this was fl with all spee London. Or turned preac plied: 'John, not suspect m care what yoi surely called been the frui h I.AY-rREACHINO. 113 fr.™ time to ilme wl.ic; . j.ulgoj most nedful for them • and we a ways concluded our meetings with prayer suited to their several necessities." This was the origin of the We'sleyan societies all over the workl. Ihe term eharch was not used for many years after to any association connected with Method- ism. 1 hey were simply >oeietie, connected with the Church of England, from which they possibly mi.ht never have been separated had it not been for the persecuting spirit evinced by the ministers of ,l,ac cliurch. What was called " lay-preaching," that is, preaching by men who had not been Episcopally ordained, was ^e means of extencKng Methodism in those early times. This was contrary to Mr. Wesley's early prejudices and fixed opmions ; and he at first set his face against such an mnovation upon the office and dignity of the Chris- tian ministry. But the force of circumstances, with the wise and Christian counsel of his most Christian mother, overcame his prejudices, and caused him to submit. " The first lay-preacher 'was Thomas Maxfleld, a youn" nian B^tol, ,„ May, 1789. He became deeply pious jpraved "ex horted, and expounded the Scriptures, wifh'nco™ pier. He was appomted to assist in the society in London, in the ab scnce of the Wesleys, and there he began to preach, 'comp a „t d this was forwarded ,o Mr. Wesley, who hLned to LoLTn with all speed, to stop this irregularity. His mother then lived in London. On his arrival, he said to her: • Thomas Maxfield h^ turned preacher, find.' She looked attentively at him, and Z plied : 'John, you know what my sentiments have been ; yon can- not suspect mo of favoring readily anything of this kind but take caro what you do with respect to that young man ; fo h. T^ ' surely called of God ,„ preach as you are! E..ami'„e what IZ been the fruits of his preaching, and hear him also yourseE' 114 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION ARIES. IIo took hor mlviee, auJ submitted to what he bolieved to bo the order of God." » Soon after, otlier persons were employed in the same way, as Thomas Richards, Thomas Westell, and John Nelson, the famous Yorkshire stone-mason. The employment of lay-preachers was soon sounded through the kingdom, was a high offence agumst high churchmen, and involved the Methodists almost every- where in persecution and danger. Every passing event was taken hold of that could in any way excite prejudice against the Methodists. The Pretender was raising a rebellion in the North, and England was threatened with an invasion from France and Spain. Reports the most absurd, and cal- umnies of all sorts, were now circulated against Mr. Wesley and the Methodists. It was said they were in collusion with the Pretender ; that John Wesley had been seen with the Pretender, in France ; he had been taken up for high-treason, and was in prison, awaiting his just doom ; that he was a Jesuit, an agent of Spair, and received large sums from that country, in order to raise a body of twenty thousand men to aid a Spanish invasion ; that he was an Anabaptist, a Quaker ; that he had been prosecuted for unlawfully selling gin ; and, to complete the whole, it was said that John Wesley had hanged himself, was dead and buried; that the present man was not the genuine John Wesley, but an impostor. Outrageous as these stories were, they v/ere believed ; and persecution of Methodist preachers and Methodist people was the consequence. Charles Wesley was actual!' because call hoi In g only in public down, a horrible furnitur person \ for fear In W mob assa Methodii glass, lej houses, I drawers,. and strev One pc ter; thej Wearincf and wom( several cc within a region wa These ( gentlemen persons tc again invi and they -^ the procee otherwise, 1 Moor's Life of Wesley, vol. i. p, 507. » Life Cha PERSECUTWN OF METllODISTa 'US actually mdictocl before tl,e masl.strates, i„ Yorkshire because, ,n p„ ,|ie. ,,e I,,.,, ,r.y,, ,.,, ,„ ^o^d " wLld call home hia banished ones " i In Staffordshire, the Me.hodists were assailed, not on y m the.r assemblies, but in their homes and in the pnbhe streets. I„ Dorlston, women were knoc.ked Me tl t:^:j'T"^' '''' '^-- Tt^' " '- lo oe related. Houses were broken into. furniture broken, and thrown into the street; and one person was denied shelter in his own father's dwellin" for fear the house would be torn down In Wedensbury, the disorders were frightful. The mob assaulted all the houses of those wh-fwere called Methodise. They broke the windows, sufferi g „eSer Slass, lead, or frame to remain. They entfred the houses, and dashed in pieces tables, chaL oh sts-of drawers,, and shop-goods. They c'ut up Lthe;^! and strewed the feathers about the room One poor woman was confined at the time. No mat- ter: they pulled away her bed, and cut it in pieces Wearmg apparel and valuables they took away me„ and women fled for their lives. The mob diWdedrto several companies, and marched from village to villa<.e withm a range of four or five miles, until the wMe region was in a state of tumult. These disgraceful proceedings were instigated by the mtlemen of the place, who drew up a paper, requiin ' persons to sign -it, importing that 'they 'won 7ne"f again mvite a Methodist preacher to their dweUrng and they were assured that if they signed that paper the proceedings of the mob should at ^nce be eheeted otherwise, they must take what might follow. This' ' Life Charle.<» 'W'paioir ..r^i ; _ «*„ ' Journal, 1745. IIG NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MlSiilONARIl 8. I. the porsecnttMl Metliodists rofnsod with iiidlnrnation, and rej>lie(I: " W< Im > . '• ady lost all our goods, and notiiiiio; n» .,-can t* II. ,ut the h^ss of our lives, which we will lose (ajma, rattier han wrong mjr consciences.'* At Dudlev, a lay preacher was cruelly ahiisod, at the insfj^ation of the pariah minister^ and would probably have been murdered, had not an honest Quaker enabU^i'I Utr] to escape, disguised ir his broad- brimmed hat and plain coat.^ At Wedensbury, none of the magistrates were willing to protect the Methodists : on the contrary, one of these functionaries declared that their treaUnent was just, and offered five pounds to have them driven out' of the town. Another refused to hear a Methodist who came to take oath that his life was in dancer : and a third delivered a member of the society up to the mob, and waving his hand over his head, shouted, " Huzza, bovs I Well done ! Stand up for the church." The torm raged in Cornwall ; and in St. Ives the chapel was nearly destroyed, Mr. Wesley went there, and on arriving at the house of one of the Methodists, where the society was waiting for him, he was received *' with' a loud though not a bitter cry ; but they soon recovered, and we poured out our souls together in praises and thanksgiving." As soon as the people w^ent out, they were saluted with huzzas, stones, and dirt. Mr. Wesley was surprised at the Christian meekness and patience with which these converted miners, once degraded and violent men themselves, now endured persecution ^' for righteousness sake." Some who had been the worst of the rabble had become the most ex- emplary sufferers. The Methodists of St. Just had 1 Jackson's Li^ o^ '"'mhs V- esley, chap. ii. l>een th '"^'i dr many o timiallv in sin, t< On a of tiie 1 Wesley in which the chun John ] sound pi( extensive cashire, ? day, and j he was se clergymai himself w giving tlu church ! " gave three them to p touch it ti broke the buildinsr. but the m which the to escape. 'U'^'n, and y^Hiichions the street, i furniture : persed. Bi again at his PERSECUTION OF METHODISTS. 117 '.oon tho chief of ,1,o wl„,le ,;,u.try f„r huHir. ,i^,,.t. :">"7 "' tiu. ii„„s i„.j w,„„„ ,„,„, ;;■ J-^' mm, to<.,me „,„I - ,„ag,.irv M,„ L„,,, ,,,„;,. "'" "tt,ciat,on against tlio threatened invasion Mr Wesley listened to a sermon in the Church of S I he was severe y perseciitofl Af r^ • i ^^''P^^tta, eW.yman ij. 'a ma:t\ef;\,t:5i':t; It t,r ht^'-^V''^""':?"^ "'^-"'- "™ ""'^^ Cluneal . When they came to Nelson's lod-in-^s thev gave three m^s, and their clerical leader cdedlt to oucli It till Nelson had done preaching, when thev :" ^Th r 'r'"« -" °"^ -'-'-.i^in '; « omiuing. Ihe people were assailed as they went out • but he mob began to fight one with tl ottr bV winch the preacher ^n^l i • i ' "^ e cape Soon the minister gathered the rioters .sonme„t in Bradford jail, she came°to see him She had two young children to provide for, and Z„ expected another. Addressing him through the ,o"e m the door "Fear not." she said, "the cans God s f„ whjch you are here, and he will pl„ad it him- self. Therefore, be not concerned about me and the eh.ldre„, for he that feeds the young ravens will be mn,dful of us. He will give you s^-ength for your what IS lacking m our souls, and bring us where the wicked cease from troubling and where the wea v are at rest." "I cannot fear," he responded; "I r:f^:;:f„rr"''-^'-»'-«^^^«nathe Nelson was compelled to go into the ranks as a sol- dier a„d, ,ft g.^^.,„ .^ ^^^^^^ ^^ :;S;H:Si:r->--^ '••-="'-''« influence r.tf "•'/'•? P'^'^'^"""" of Methodism in no way retarded its progress : it was the work of the Lord a»d It prospered against all opposition. Many thou- sands were converted from the error of their'^w ys . many societies were formed in different parts of (he ■ngdom; and many who had once been its oppose " P im ve Christianity. "So mightily grew the word ot trod, and prevailed." » ^ Se„ llistov of Me.h„di™, b;. Abel Steven,, LL.D., book ii. eh.p. vl. 120 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. If On Monday, June 25th, 1744, the first Methodist conference met at the Foundry, in Moorfields, London. This place was called the Foundry, because it had been used by the government for founding cannon. The building had been repaired, and altered into a place of worship, and was the first Methodist chapel in England. Its site was only a short distance from City Road Chapel, the present head -quarters of Methodism. The first conference consisted only of clergymen who had been especially ordained, and were six in number. Jackson says, in his life of Charles Wesley, vol. i. p. 387 : " No layman was present in that as- sembly."^ The six clergymen were, John Wesley, Charles Wesley ; John Hodges, Rector of Wenro ; Henry Piers, Vicar of Bexley ; Samuel Taylor, Vidar of Quinton ; and John Meriton. Mr. Hodges was the Rector of Wenro, in South Wales, whose heart and house were always open to re- ceive the Wesleys, when they visited the Principality. Mr. Piers, Vicar of Bexley, and his wife, were both brought to the linowledge of the truth by the instru- mentality of Charles Wesley. Mr. Samuel Taylor, Vicar of Quinton, near Evesham, in Worcestershire, is said to have been a descendant of the celebrated Rowland Taylor, who was burned alive for his Protestantism, in the reign of Queen Mary. Of Mr. John Meriton little is known, only he is spoken of as " a clergyman from the Isle of Man." 1 Dr. Stevens thinks this is an error, because a pamphlet has been found by Rev. J. Ilargreaves, entitled the " Disciplinary Minutes," which gives information not found in regular minutes of conference. It, however, is a fact, that all the official records only name six clergy- mm as connected with the first conference. Dr. Stevens thinks that Maxfield, Thomas Richards^ John Bennet, and John Downes. were also present. ' if.i ' FIBST CONFERENCE. Jgl This conference sat five days, during which time the dcct nnes of Methodism were thoroughly examined by the test of Holy Scriptures ; and a basis laid down^ upon wh,ch .ts whole disciplinary superstructure ha^ Since been raised. fj^^ 'i"w ''?"'' "*■ °"'^ '■'^ ""^' ^^' the nucleus of the great Wesleyan Church, which since, and in the space of a century and a quarter, has spread, not only through every part of the British Empire, but on the Continent of America, where it wields a mighty mfluence: ,ts missionaries are in all lands, and its ad^ wrought"' "" "' '^ '"'"""^- " ^''^' "-"h God " Saw ye not the cloud arise. Little as a human hand ? Now it spreads along the skies, Hangs o'er all the thirsty land/* 11 CHAPTER II. SUCCESS OF METHODISM — IRELAND — LAWRENCE COUGHLAN — PHILIP EMBURY — METHODISM IN NEWFOUNDLAND — IN NEW YORK — CONFERENCE OF 1767 — CAPTAIN WEBB — RICHARD BOARDMAN — JOSEPH PILMOOR. THE first Metliodist conference being over, three of the clergymen who composed it, namely, Messrs. Hodges, Piers, and Taylor, returned to their respective parishes, there to preach those soul-saving doctrines which, in conference, they had so thoroughly exami- ined ; while the Wesleys, now accompanied by the Rev. John Meriton, scattered the same heavenly seed broadcast, as they itinerated through every part of the United Kingdom. True, persecution raged fearfully ; many suffered in their property or in their persons; and some actually died through the violence of lawless mobs ; yet they bore insults and injuries patiently, or " took joyfully the spoiling of their goods," because God was honored by the preaching of his word. " And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great num- ber believed, and turned unto the Lord." The ra-pid success of Methodism, and the influence it has acquired, has astonished the world. The cause of that success is, under God, attributable to its doc- trines, its discipline, and the various agents it employs. Its doctrines are only those of the New Testament: tliey have often been assailed, but have never been dis- proved. Its discipline has preserved its institutions ; and its agents have been so diversified, as either directly (122) METHODISM IN AMERICA. 123 or indirectly, to act upon all classes of society. And as the rays of the sun, when they come in contact with our atmosphere, are reflected and refracted, until the whole earth is illuminated ; so with the early Metho- dist preachers, some were directly instructed by them, others indirectly ; but, in whatever way, light was thereby diffused abroad until it has permeated every evangehcal church in Christendom, and produced a great moral effect, unparalleled in the whole history of the church, since apostolical times. ^ In the year 1747, three years after the forma- tion of the first conference, Methodism found its way to, and took its stand in, Ireland. Sometime in the month of July, Thomas Williams, one of Mr. Wesley's lay-preachers, came to Ireland, and preached m Dublin. He was a zealous man, and both a useful and a popular preacher. His labors were blessed, and a small society was soon formed. Three weeks after, Mr. Wesley visited Dublin, personally examined the society, and pronounced them " strong in faith." He also said the Irish were the politest people he had ever seen. This was the first visit of the founder of Meth- odism to the sister isle. The first preachers there had great persecution to endure, but their labors were attended with much success. About five years from this time, two young men were awakened, and brought to a knowledge of the truth. Neither of them was particularly distinguished either for learning or talents in any way ; yet were they to be the means, in the hand of Divine Provi- dence, of giving birth to Methodism in the Western Hemisphere. These young men were Lawrence Coughlan and Pliihn Emlmrv The former ibury. planted 124 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. % Methodism in Newfoundland ; and the year following the latter did the same in the city of New York. Methodism was introduced into Newfoundland in the year 1765, and into New York in 1766. One year is the only difference ; but the seniority must be claimed for Newfoundland. In both cases, the agents were Irishmen. Although Methodism in New York was the second in order of time, yet we shall first give a synopsis of its early history there, to avoid interruption in our narrative of Newfoundland. In the reign of Queen Anne, a number of German Protestants left the Palatinate, their native home, with the view of settling in America, but were driven by stress of weather on the western coast of Ireland. Lord Southwell was there ; and, feeling for their distress, he offered them land on reasonable terms, if they would settle on his estates in the County of Limerick. They accepted his offer. Twenty families settled at Court- matris ; twenty more at Killeheen, a mile off; fifty at Balligarane, two miles eastward ; and twenty at PoUar, four miles farther, — all in the County of Limerick. These Germans had no minister of their own, and no religious ordinances among them ; and " they soon became eminent for drunkenness, cursing, swearing, and utter contempt for all religion." ^ For more than forty years did these people live in this state. " No man cared for their souls." But sometime in 1749, Thomas Williams preached in the street in the town of Limerick, when he showed that " Christ crucified " is the only foundation of the Christian's faith, and hope of eternal salvation. Several of the Palatines were 1 Wesley's works, vol. iii. p. 336. See also Methodist Magazine for 1825, p. 597. . there. I ''This is manyy visit thei: did that dells. 1 matris, wl ist chapel, and conve Amonor ter by tra( vear of hi bury bega: he continu Among \k. York in tl: who, in th mstrumenl States of A mishtv oro copal Chu It must, not commt America ; from God. but it was six years t( against sin, of God, wl Some fiv other Gern Heck and that relijTio Ireland tha ''"■¥^ PHILIP EMBURY, 125 there. After the sermon they said to each otlier, *'T/ti8 is like the preacldng ive med to hear in Ger- many:' The result was, they invited tlie preacher to visit their settlements. He 'did so, and so likewise did that distinguished and holy man, Robert Swin- dells. The next year Mr. Wesley visited Court- matris, when he found the people had built a Method- ist chapel, and that many of them had been awakened and converted to God. Among the converts was Philip Embury, a carpen- ter by trade, and a young man in the twenty-second year of his age. Soon after his conversion, Mr. Em- bury began to act as a local preacher, in which capacity he continued to exercise his talents for several years. Among those who emigrated from Ireland to New York in the year 1760 was this same Phihp Embury, who, in the land of his adoption, became the honored mstrument of introducing Methodism into the United States of America, and in laying the foundation of that mighty organization, now known as the Methodist Epis- copal Church. It must, however, be related, that Mr. Embury did not commence, preaching immediately on his arrival in America ; so far from it, that he was then a backslider from God. America was not only a strange land to him, but it was then morally a dark land ; and he allowed six years to roll over, ere he bore his public testimony against sin, or undertook to point sinners to the " Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Some five or six years after Mr. Embury arrived, two other German-Irish families came, of the names of Heck and Dean, who seem to have retained more of tliat religious influence which they had experienced in Ireland than any of their emigrant brethren who had 11* 126 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. proeeclod them. Some time in the year 1766, a party of tliese emigrants liad so far forgot the teaching tlicy had enjoyed under Jolm Wesley, Robert Swindells, and Thomas Williams, as to be found playing at cards ; and when they were so engaged, Mrs. Heck entered the house, and with holy indignation, she swept the cards into the fire, and warned her friends of their guilt and danger. She then went to Mr. Embury, and said to him, " Brother Embury, you must preach to us, or we shall go to hell, and God will require our blood at your hands." This reproof was effectual in arousing the latent zeal of this, at least partially, fallen man ; for, in a few days afterwards, he commenced preaching in his own house, to a congregation of only jive persons. This was the first Methodist sermon ever preached on the continent of America. The number of hearers soon increased ; some back- sliders were restored ; sinners were awakened and con- verted to God, and, before the close of the year 1766, a society was organized in New York, which was the first fruits of Methodism in the then " far West." Soon Embury's house was found too small, when a room was hired near the military barracks ; but this was also too small. A rigging-loft was next procured, which was still small for the constantly increasing con- gregation. The open fields were then taken, where to proclaim the words of life and salvation. About this time, Captain Webb arrived in New York. He was a British military officer, and had been in the campaign in Canada, in 1758 ; was at the conquest of Quebec with General Wolfe, where he received a wound in his arm, and lost his right eye. He returned to Eng- land with his regiment ; and, under the preaching of THE CONFERENCE IN DEBT. 127 Mr. Wesley in Bristol, he was converted, and shortly after he began to preach. He was sent to New York on military duty. He at once united himself with the little Methodist society there, and began to preach in his uniform. The cause now prospered, so that a reg- ular Methodist chapel was designed, — a building sixty feet by forty, with galleries on three sides. This chapel was opened for divine service, by Mr. Embury, on the thirtieth of October, 1768. This was the first house of worship the Methodists ever owned in Ameri- ca. It was called Wesley Chapel ; but afterwards it was named *'The John Street Methodist Church." Captain Webb and his friends now applied to Mr. Wesley, to " send them an able and experienced preach- er, a man of wisdom, of sound faith, a good disciplina- rian, and whose heart and soul were in the work." This strong appeal was followed by a second letter, in which occurs the following sentence : " With respect to money for the payment of the preacher'-^ passage over, if they could not procure it, we would sell our coats, and so procure it for them." At that time the conference was pressed down with a heavy debt, which crippled its energies, and induced much privation among the preachers. This debt was caused mostly by payments for building chapels and preachers' houses. In 1766, the total amount of debt was £ 11,383. It was at this conference, that Mr. Wesley said : " We shall be utterly ruined, if we go on thus. How may we prevent the increase of debt? *' Ans. 1. Let no other building be undertaken, till two thirds of the money are subscribed. " 2. We will allow nothing to any house which 'U ? 128 NKWFOUNDI.AND AND ITS MISSIONAllIES. sliiill 1)0 b(>(ruii after this diiy, till the debt is reduced to X nooo. " I]. Let every preaelier labor with all his nilnht, to inerease the eolleetion next year.'* By very strenuous ('ll'orts, the two followinn; years, the debt was considerably reduced ; yet^ at the conl'er- cnce of 17(51), the reniaiuiug debt was between five and six thou.^and pounds. Notwillistandiiii;' this linancial difHculty, the niagnuniiuous and ('hristian heart of John Wesley was moved by the j)o\ver{ul ajjpeals from America: ho knew the men, he knew their wants, l\o knew the country ; and he determined to send them help. He therefore brourrland ; and, taking the number of men and their means into account, it was perhaps never exceeded. . For, 1st. The Methodist preachers at that conference were poor men ; gr, if any of them had money, they would cheerfully give it to pay the enormous confer- ence debt. 2d. None were at the conference but the assistants, or, as they are now called, superintend- ents of circuits. 3d. The number of assistants that year was, according to the minutes, thirty-seven ; and supposing all the assistants in England were present at conference, which is not probable, the collection would average near eight dollars for each preacher. It is a remarkable feature in this transaction, that, while the English conference had a debt of their own of between five and six thousand pounds, they yet sent fifty pounds to pay the debt of their brethren in New York. Forty dollars to each of these missionaries was all that could be paid : a small amount, indeed, ^or an outfit » Minutes, 1769. 130 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. and a passage to Now York. Yet with this small sum did these intrei)id servaiits of the cross leave their native shore to preacli the gospel of Clirist in that distant land. Soon after the close of conference, the Brothers Boardnian and Pilmoor enihaiked for New York. They left on the 22d of August, and, after a tedious passage of nine weeks, landed at Gloucester Point, New Jersey, about six miles below Philadel- phia, on the 24th of October ; from whence they soon reached their place of destination, and immediately entered upon their missionary work. On the 31st of October, one week after their arrival, Joseph Pilmoor wrote to Mr. Wesley, from which letter we make the follovvino; extract : — \ " PuiLAUKLriiiA, Oct. 31, 1769, " Kev. Sir, — By the blessing of Cod, we are sale arrived here, after a tedious passage of nine weeks. " We were not a Tittle surprised to find Capt. Webb in town, and a society of about one hundred members, who desire to be in close communion with you. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." Two years these missionaries labored ; preaching alternately in New York and Philadelphia, when their hearts were cheered by the arrival of two more mis- sionaries sent over by Mr. Wesley. These were Fran- cis Ashbury, and Richard Wright. The Methodist itinerancy was now commenced in America. Mr. Pil- moor was appointed to travel south ; and Mr. Board- man formed his circuit eastward. lie introduced Meth- odism into the state of Massachusetts, and proceeded as far as the city of Boston,- where he remained for a short time, preached with success, and formed a small society ; when he returned to New York. Such was the origin of Methudism in America, which. RICHARD BOARDMAN. 181 notwithstandin rr tlic war of independence that soon followed, struck deep into the American heart, so as to influence its inhabitants to form thr Methodist Episco- pal Cimrch, — a body of Christians wliich lias spread itself in every part of the United States, which num- bers its ministers by thousands, its members by hundreds of thousands, and its adlierents by millions. It has its colleges and its halls of literature in every State; it has its several book-rooms, from whence issue its num- berless j)ublications to instruct the people in religion and general knowledge, as well as to confront the dan- gerous sentiments sent forth to the world by a licentious press ; it has its divines in its pulpits, its judges on the bench, and its statesmen in its senate. Moreover, it has become, like its parent, a great missionary church. It has its missions in almost every part of the earth, speaking in many tongues the wonderful works of God. It takes an important and very prominent part in the aftUirs of the Bible Society, in the circulation of tracts, in the temperance movement, and in every other Christian, benevolent, and philanthropic object. In fine, it seems one of the great organizations which our heavenly Father will employ for the illumination of the darkened minds of men, and for brinmn to ll>i' worship of AliniLihiy (Jod. Men wlio liiul comr IVom MulMmikI inwl ncvci' sim'II ii. minister since? tlicv li'lV tlirir UMtivi' sliort* ; and lhos(? wiio lind hciMV l)orn on llio island inid n«r scimi oik^ in liu^ir livos. 'V\\v Sal>ltalli was uidoiowu ; tlu-ro was noiio to culo- braU' niarriap', and iho inarrla^o vow was littK? ro- ^ardi'd. (>|)|>ri>ssion, violcnco, swcarinsi;, dchaiiclicry, prolimily, lici'Mliousiu'ss, and every cnnu" tluit can de- grade hmuan natuns sink civilized man to a. Hiiva;j;c, or evon reduce lnn» below the hrntis was practised with- out a cluH'k ; in u word, tl>(» peoph^ wiMV domorali/ed to «n oxtent that could scarcely have heiMi exceedeil l)y the ihunder-smittiMi iidiahitanls of Sodom's plain. Surt^ly there was no place that stood more in need of a UHs^ionary than did Newfoundland ; atid lew men were better adapttnl lor that work than tlu^ man now sent. In this tar distant land, without a Christia:; friend, ami surrounded by every vice, did this I'aithi'ul servant of (lod bear his testimony against sin, and proclaim, *• IV»hold the Lamb of (uul, which taketh away the sin of the workb" His style o\^ preachinn; was ]>lain and simple, yet faithful, atfet'tionate, and kind. Ftu'ty-fonr years ao;o, when the writer was lalH)rinii; on the .Island Cove and Perlican circuit, he knew a few aj2;ed persons who had sat luuler the ministry of Mr. Couohlan, and who knew him well. Particidarly, would he mention a venerable Christian woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Lock, of Lower Islanil Cove, then in the seventy-fifth year of her age. She always mentioned the name of Mr. Coughlan with respect. She would tell of his faithful preaehinjr, and of its eifect upon the hearers. " You -_- i *1.!„1. '» .,1 i..lil oov *t "'liof .> cfofp Nn\V SIS, * I 1 gation PTHHT MKTFIODIHT HOCIM'IY. 139 f^MindlMiid was in, when tliiit uv.iu of (},h] cnirKi ainonrr us. Im!i;iiii(^ any sin yon will, and yon cannot think of anytliin^r t,)„ Um\. If,, wonld sotnctinicH dcvscrilm tiic sins of tli(' land in lan^^nj.-i^ro that politer i)(3oi)l() would seem to h« shockod nt ; yet they know ho was spoakin^r „„|y th(! tnith. On(^ oxprossion lio would UHo, when (vaniostly (Miforcin^r th(? coininand oF God,— 'Ory aloud, sparo not, lift up thy voico liko a truin[)ot, and show my jx'oplo thoir trans^rrossions, and tho liouso of Jacol) thoir sins,' — was, ' You fishonnon, you N(!W- fotuidland fishonnon,' lu; would say wit!i ^rroat ompha- sis, * I toll you, if you ropont not, your sins will sink yo«i into holl.' " This was a kind of |)roaohin^ not ono of his conr^re- f^^'ition had ovor ]u«ard boforo. Thoy w(;re astonished. Homo laurjliod at it ; othors wore dis(rnstod totliink tliat tho parson sliould say suoh stron«T tinners, and intcrfore with thoir i)loasuros ; but some wore awakened and converted. Those persons were at once united in class. This was the first Motliodist society on the west of the Atlantic, and it was formed before the close of the year 1705. ^ The society increased, and the class was divided ; when the married men and the married women met apart, and the Methodist discipline was introduced among them. Our missionary now became a faithful l)ast()r, visiting the peoj)lo from house to house, and ex- l)ounding the word of God. He koi)t np a correspondence with Mr. Wesley, and received consolation and help from his replies. From a letter, written by Mr. Wesley to Mr. Coughlan while in Newfoundland, we make the following extract : — '■■F -''T " Dear Lawrence, — By a various train of providences, isUWiK^a you 140 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ■iS; .ii (I I have been led to the very place where God Intended you should be ; and you have reason to praise him that he has not suffered your la- bor there to be in vain. In a short time, how little will it signify whether we had lived in the summer islands or beneath ' the rage of Aretos and eternal frost ! ' *' How soon will this dream of life be at an end ! And when we are once landed in eternity, it will be all one whether we spent our time on earth in a palace, or had not where to lay our head." Persecution soon began. The English settlers, or their fathers, had mostly come from the neighborhood of Poole, or other parts of Dorsetshire, where the Methodists were then but little known, and were all churchmen ; and now in the land of their sojourn, as they had obtained a minister, they expected he would be like the ministers they had known in England, — read p;:ayers to them, and preach on Sunday, ?ind, if he did not join with them, he would at least let them alone in their " innocent amusements." What rio-ht had a church minister, in a distant dependency, to introduce heresy and schism into the church, or in any way con- nect himself with the hated John Wesley, who had been refused several pulpits for preaching salvation by faith, and who, by his preaching, had turned the " world upside down." He was opposed and insulted by some of his parish- oners, but he disregarded it ; then he was prosecuted in the chief court of the island, but his enemies were un- successful; next he was summoned to appear before the Governor, but His Excellency declared in his fa- vor, and made him a justice of the peace. Foiled in all their attempts thus far, they thought of another plan, which, if successful, would forever silence his warning voice against their sins. This plan was to poison him ; and they actually engaged a pliysician to poison i before j derous to God, sive an( with hi God Wi lence ; and aft commui edge of The] fined to miles, y The cht mission, underst( to Mr. ^ and pul ber, 171 FROM " Rev. attended to glory, 2 in the con " I am 1 at the end up and do gladly staj am not ab " I am, i hope I ev' followed a apart onc€ MR. COUGH LAN TO MR. WESSl.EY. 141 poison any medicine ho might administer to him ; hut, before any opportunity offered for carrying that mur- derous design into effeot^ tlie physician was converted to God, and revealed tha plot. Lastly, tiiey sent abu- sive and sUmderous letters to England, to injure him with his friends at home. 3ut all was in vain, for God was with him ; his enemies were reduced to si- lence ; the work prospered ; and, when he left the isl- and after seven years' labor, there were two hundred communicants, all awakened and brought to a knowl- edge of the truth through his instrumentality. The ministrations of Mr. Couglilan were mostly con- fined to Harbor Grace, or within the radius of a few miles, yet the benefit was felt all down the north shore. The character of his labors while on the Newfoundland mission, as well as his views and success, will be best understood by a perusal of the following letter, written to Mr. Wesley a few months before he left the island, and published in the Arminian Magazine for Septem- ber, 1785, page 490. FROM REV. L. COUGHLAN TO REV. JOHN WESLEY. " Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Nov. 4, 1772. " Rev. Sir, — I bless God, my poor labors in this laud have been attended with some little success: some precious souls are gone to glory, and a few more are walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. "I am now in the seventh year of my servitude as a missionary, at the end of which I hope to return to England. Could I travel up and down in this land, so as to be useful any longer, I would gladly stay; but, as I cannot, except by water, in small boats. I am not able to stand it. " I am, and do confess myself, aMethodist. The name I love, and hope I ever shall. The plan which you first taught me, I have followed as to doctrine .and discipline. Our married mpn meet- apart once a week; and the married women do the same. This .•a ':M 142 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. has given great offence, so that repeated complaints have been made to the governor. But truth is mighty, and will prevail. " In winter, I go from house to house, and expound some part of God'a word. This has also given great offence ; ' but God is above men, devils, and sin.' The society,^ I make no doubt, have many complaints against me ; but in this I shall commit all to God, for I am conscious to myself that what I do is for the glory of God, and the good of souls. We have the sacrament once a month, and have about two hundred communicants. This is more than all the other missionaries in the land have ; nor do I know of any who attend our sacrament, who have not the fear of God, and some are happy in his love. There are some also whose mouths God hath opened to give a word of exhortation. I hope he will raise up more. " About this time twelve months I hope to be on my passage to England. If I come by the way of Ireland, I should like to see my old friends there. I shall be glad to know if it will be agreea- ble to you for me to speak in your societies. I beg leave to ask you one thing more. Having served the society seven years, as their missionary, upon my return to England, with a strong testi- monial from my parish, is the society obliged to find me a living ? And if I could get a place in the church, would you advise me to accept of it ? If I know my own heart, I would be where I can be most useful. To be shut up in a litde parish-church, and to conform in every little thing for sixty or a hundred pounds a year, I would not ; no not even for a thousand. My talents, you very well know, sir, are but small ; so that to be shut up here any long- er will not do. I am sure that it is high time that I should be re- moved. Who God will provide for this people, I know not. But he opens, and none can shut. I have informed good Lady Hun- tingdon of my coming next year. Her plan is somewhat agreea- ble to me ; that is, in going from one place to another. Yet there is one thing wanting, viz., discipline ; which I look upon, under God, has been the preserving of my society. My preaching in this land would do but little good, were it not for our little meet- ings. A line from you next spring will be very acceptable to, Rev. and dear sir, Your dutiful son in the gospel, " L. COUGHLAN." ^ The Societv' for Propafatin"' Christian Enowledces Mr. ( after vv him. wander science found tl to Mr. I which tl and whi Methodi ing sent "The a blessed tears and went out Little SO much whom h beside t! the lane a large the resu little chu watched hers shoi should b( sliould si the preai " turned We h( upon the Islands a a rehVioi facts are METHODISM AMONG THE FRENCH. I I 148 Mr. Couglilan returned to Englmul the next sprinn;, after which we have but little information respecting him. It would seem, however, that in some way ho wandered from God, and brou^rht guilt upon his con- science ; yet it is satisfactory to know that he again found the favor and m -a-y of God. In a letter written to Mr. Stretton, of Harbor Grace, dated Feb. 25, 1785, which the writer saw in the hand-writing of Mr. Wesley, and which was afterwards published in the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine for 1824, p. 307, occurs the follow- ing sentence : — " The last time I saw Mr. Coughlan, he was ill in body, but in a blessed state of mind. He was utterly broken in pieces, full of tears and contrition for his past unfaithfulness. Not long after I went out of town, God removed him to a better place." Little did Mr. Coughlan think, when he expressed so much concern for his " two hundred communicants " whom he was about to leave in Harbor Grace, that, beside their conversion, he had also kindled a fire in the land that should never be extinguished ; that a large Wesleyan community should arise therein, as the result of the seed which he had sown ; that the little church which he had planted should be cared for, watched over, and edified ; that, in after years, its mem- bers should be counted by thousands ; that its influence should be felt in the government, and its representatives should sit in the councils of the country ; and that, by the preaching of his successors, multitudes should be " turned unto the Lord," and be saved forever. We here pause in our narrative, to make a remark upon the introduction of Methodism into the Norman Islands and into France, which can be traced back to a religious awakening first felt in Harbor Grace. The 1 i 144 NKWKOIJNDI.ANI) AND ITf> MHSION AIURB. Pierre l^(^ Sueur, a uiitive oF Jersey, aiul Hovcnil other persons Iroin tlu> smne island, were en^^n^ed in trailt! in Neulnundland, while Mr. Coui^hhiu was ox(M*eisin«:j liis niiiiistry tliere. Some of thi-se ju-rsons, and anionersoi of Guei at whosi and wai- yon no; 11 ministry M.J) the yeai tend wil and the after th prosper, was orn mornino; thy lianc either th good." 1 wo J J lis heart ton, a ]()( in Carbo writer w time, she was in th MR. JOHN HTKK'iiON. 146 / The littler Mrtliclist Clnnrl. in Jc-rsoy was kept to- gether hy M. Le Sueur for several years. The first e(»rii;reiieo appolutineiit to Jersey was in 17«(;,M'hen those two (li.srin^r.iished nieu, Kohert Carr Hraekenbury aud Adam Chu-ke, were sent to that then mission station. Mr. Hraekei.hury was a gentleman of fortnnc, but became a Methodist preaehi^r ; and the fame of Dr. Adam (/hirke has gone through the world. ]iy the laboi-s of M. I.e Smnir, as a local pn.aeher, a p.M-son by the na.ne of Peter Arrive, from tlie Jshmd of (Juernsey, was brought to a knowledge of the truth ; at whose instance, Mr. Hrackenbury went to that island] and was instrumental in the conversion of an excellent young man named John De Queteville, who entered the ministry in 1780, and labored more than fifty years. M. J)e Qu'teville carried Methodism into France in the year 1790 ; and although it had everything to con- tend with during the horrors of the F,-ench revolution, and the war that ensued, yet it still survived, and, after the peace, it was i osuscitated, and c ontinued to J.rosper, so that, in the year 1852, French Methodism was organized into a separate conference. « In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand ; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Two years before Mr. Coughlan returned to England, Ins heart was cheered by the arrival of Mr. John Stret- ton, a local preacher from Limerick, who at first settled m Carbonear. With tiie relict of this gentleman, t^e writer was very well acquainted ; and although, at the time, she was upwards of seventy years of age, yet she was m the full Mrength of her intellect, a woman of in 13 146 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. telUgence, a great reader, and for half a century had lived in the enjoyment of perfect love. Mr. Stretton was a respectable merchant ; had often, with his ex- cellent wife, sat under the ministry of the Rev. John Wesley. He was a truly pious man, and for many years exercised his talents as a local preacher, with great ac- ceptance to the people, both in Ireland and in New- foundland. He frequently corresponded with Mr. Wesley. Carbonear is four miles from Harbor Grace ; and, at the time of which we are writing, there was no road between these harbors, so that it was only when the ground was frozen that the Harbor-Grace missionary could visit Carbonear and the coves down the bay. Of these places, Mr. Stretton writes, Oct. 29th, 1770 : — " Religion is scarce to be found in this country ; a few profes- sors are scattered through the different bays, that were awakened by the labors of Mr. Coughlan, who still keeps up meetings among them in the winter "Season, — the only time they have to spare." Among those who had been brought to God by the ministry of Mr. Coughlan, was Mr. Arthur Tliomey, a respectable Irish merchant, of Harbor Grace, who became a local preacher. The relict of this gentleman was also known to the writer ; but only at the ti.Me when she was imbecile from age. She had been a mother in Israel. Mr. Stretton having removed from Carbonear to Harbor Grace, in 1771, he, with Mr. Thomey, took charge of the society when Mr. Coughlan left. The magistrates, who had been the enemies of Mr. Cough- lan, thought to neutralize the labors of the brethren Stretton and Tliomey, by opening the church on Sab- bath, and one of themselves reading the church prayers. Of this matter. Mi'. Stretton writes : — «Aft< upon tb their mi^ pure go those wl meet as would m with this oppose t loved th( who was up, and dowed w Wesley's number i For ] cause oi week, ii the busi meetin" they vis the Scr the who lyrood t cove, w whom 1: read, or with a tended 1 sixteen Trinity it says : being sc since felt These where, t( i'- MESSRS. STRETTON AND THOMEY. 147 « After Mr. Coun^hlan'H sailing for Europe, the justices took upon them to read prayers in the church, and labored with all the.r m.ght to introduce the dullest formality in the room of the pure gospel which he had preached. They partly succeeded: those who had received the truth under him had been wont to meet as a class on Sabbath evenings; but now their worships would not suffer it. Mr. Arthur Thomey and I, being disquieted with this mode of action on the part of the justices, resolved to oppose the torrent of iniquity. We gathered a few together who loved the Lord Jesus, and found among them a poor fisherman, who was not ashamed of his heavenly Master, but boldly stood up, and spoke in his name. Mr. Thomey also exhorts, and is en- dowed with both gifts and grace. We drew up rules as like Mr. Wesley s as we could, consistently with local circumstances. Our number is about thirty, who, I believe, are sincere in heart." For many years these faithful men labored in the cause of their Master. They preached three times a week, m private houses, during winter : in summer, the business of fishing prevented them from ha vino- any meetmgs except on Sabbath. They met the classes, they visited the sick, they pmyed with and expounded the Scriptures from house to house ; they travelled the whole length of Conception Bay on foot, from Ho- lyrood to Bay de Verd, preaching in every harbor and cove, wherever human beings were found, many of whom had never heard a sermon preached, a chapter read, or a prayer offered up to God ; and, not satisfied with a sixty-mile circuit in their own bay, they ex- tended their circuit, by crossing the dreary country, sixteen or twenty miles, over to Heart's Content, in Trinity Bay. Of his visit to this place Mr. Stretton says : " My labors seemed in vain ; the people there being scarcely removed from savages. Yet I have since felt as if God would bless the seed sown." These brethren travelled in company to St. Johns where, to their joy, they found a few pious men, wlui 148 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. were Congregatlonalists, and only eight in number ; " yet have they built a neat meeting-house," and Mr. Stretton adds : " They are Calvinists, but have ' the genuine mark of love,' and, wherever that is found, we joyfully give the right hand of fellowship." " Let names and sects and parties fall, And Josus Clu-ist be all in all." These eight poor men laid the foundation of the Con- gregational church in St. Johns, — a body of Chris- tians, who, in after years, numbered among its mem- bers, some of the most intelligent, the most respectable, and the most influential in the city. For about thirteen years did Messrs. Stretton and Thomey labor together, when Mr. Thomey, having to go to Portugal on business, landed at Oporto, retired to his lodgings, and was found dead in the morning.^ Mr. Stretton survived his friend several years. He built a Methodist chapel at his own expense, and gave it to the connection ; and he lived to see the object of his prayers and his labors, as well as the great deside- ratum of his heart, which was, that Newfoundland should be permanently occupied as a mission-station, and appear regularly on the minutes of the conference. After Mr. Cough Ian, no man in Newfoundland was ever more useful among, or more beloved by, the Meth- odist society, or more respected by the general public, than was John Stretton, of Harbor Grace. * Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, 1852, p. 872. being: CHAPTER IV. METHODISM IN OLD PERLICAN - JOHN HOSKINS ARRIVES - WHITES TO MR. WESLEY - PREACHES — PERSECUTION IN TRINITY — JIR. STRET- TON WRITES TO MR. WESLEY, REQUESTING A PREACHER — HIS REPLY — ARRIVAL'oF JOHN MCQEARY — EAKLY METHODIST PREACHERS — JOHN WESLEY — CHARLES WESLEY —JOHN FLETCHER— MINUTES OP 1770 — EXPULSION OF SIX OXFORD STUDENTS — REV. WALTER SHIR- LEY'S CIRCULAR— CALVINISTIC CONTROVERSY— JOSEPH BENSON- ROBERT SWINDELLS — THOMAS WALSH - THOMAS OLIVERS - SAM- UEL BRADBURN — DR. COKE. OLD PERLICAN is on the south shore of Trinity Bay, and about twenty-four miles from Trinity Harbor. It had be, settled mostly by Englishmen, from rural districts, ; - ew of whom could read. They were poor men, and had left their native land to better their circumstances, in collecting wealth by the fishery on the wild but far-famed coasts of Newfoundland. Only a few of them realized the object for which they crossed the ocean. Their circumstances were not much bettered. They indeed obtained a living, but for that they toiled incessantly, both night and day, for six months of the year, and then, after an unsuccessful voyage, would often, during the winter, suffer severely from the pinching hand of poverty. In both a mental and a moral sense their case was wretched. Having no books, their children were brought up in ignorance^ being situated many miles from any mercantile estab- lishment, their families could not profit by mixing with better informed .eople ; they had no place of public worship, and the name of God was not heard amon^^ II.' jii ^ 1^* . (149; m '^'•1 150 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. i- them, except in an oath : but drunkenness and profligacy of every form was there ; and society in that place was fast verging to a state of downright savageism. They called themselves churchmen, because their forefathers had attended the Episcopal Church in England ; and, however depraved the parents had been, the children made it their boast ; "^ I am of the religion of my father." Nothing could better the condition of .these people but the gospel. This, and this alone, could raise them fi'om their fallen state ; and, in the providence of God, this gospel, which is " A sovereign balm for every wound," was carried to them by John Hoskins, a private indi- vidual, a poor man, and who, like the people among whom he labored, had left the shores of Britain to im- prove his temporal circumstances. He purposed to go to New England, and keep a school for a livelihood, but called on his way at Newfoundland, where he remained, became the instrument in the conversion of many, and was the founder of Methodism in Old Perlican and Island Cove. John Hoskins was brought to God when about four- teen years of age. and joined the Methodist society in the city of Bristol, England, in the year 1746, which was only two years after the meeting of the first Methodist Conference. He was personally acquainted with Mr. Wesley and the first Methodist preachers ; he had seen them mobbed and persecuted ; but he believed Methodism was of God. It had saved him, and therefore he loved it ; and when, in the order of Divine Providence, he was led to seek a home in the New World, he brought his Methodism with him, which was made an incalculable blessing to the community among whom he came to reside, their vi( hence tl try upoi or talen persecut Bay. Mr. J 1774: ] Newfoui The c land, is dated 01 " Rev. I till I got nn I intended and to sper with the p( the salvatic After ] the Harb uncultiva into her 1: and bread house affc hospitality recommer which pla menced hi There \ there was religious s never seen MR. IIOSKINS. 151 reside. Wicked men hate religion, because it opposes their vices, and lays restraint upon their evil passions ; hence the first preachers of gospel truth, in every coun- try upon earth, no matter what may be the character or talent of the preachers themselves, are sure to suffer persecution. It was so with John Hoskins, in Trinity Bay. Mr. Hoskins left London in the month of March, 1774: he went down to Poole, and embarked for Newfoundland. The object of this good man, in leaving his native land, is clearly expressed in a letter to Mr. Wesley, dated Old Perhcan, Newfoundland, October 15, 178l! Rev. Sir, — My design was to work there (in Newfoundland), till I got money enough to pay my passage to New England, where I mtended to keep a school for a living, to work out my salvation, and to spend my little remains of life (being in my fifty-sixth year) with the people of God, and, as far as I was able, to help forward the salvation of others." ^ After five weeks' passage from Poole, he landed in the Harbor of Trinity, which he called a " barren and uncultivated country." A poor woman received him into her house ; and he says : " She gave me some seal and bread to eat, and some coffee to drink, the best the house afforded." After partaking of this poor woman's hospitality, he went in quest of employment, and was recommended to cross the bay to Old Perlican, to which place he now directed his way, and there com- menced his career of usefulness. There were then about fifty families in Perlican ; but there was no school for the children, and no kind of religious service whatever. Many of the people had never seen a church or minister ; but their fathers had » Arminian Magazine, 1785, p. 25. 152 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. I come from Eniiland, and had called themselves church- men, and now they had got a school-master iVi their midst, they thought he might become a parson as well, and do for them what they had been told ])arsons did in England. This was just what Mr. Hoskins wished. He therefore says : '' I accepted the invitation to read prayers, as a call from God, knowing it was my duty to 'do all the eood I could to the souls as well as the bodies of my fellow-creatures." His congregation was grossly ignorant, so that they did not know how to con- duct themselves : they would neither join in singing nor kneel with him in prayer, but stand and gaze at him as thouiih he were some other being than a mortal man. On this he says : " My congregation did not know how to behave in divine service, no, not to kneel in prayer, or sing at all ; but would stand at a distance, and look at me, as if I had been a monster ; and yet they call themselves of the Church of England." In conductino; divine service, he read the Church of England prayers, he sang Mr. Wesley's hymns, and he read Mr. Wesley's sermons. After a time, he began to explain some parts of the Prayer-Book, then to speak to the peo])le about experimental religion, as re- pentance, remission of sins, and holiness, and insisted on the necessity of conversion. Some were soon awak- ened, began to kneel in prayer, and lielp him to sing, and evinced " a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and be saved from their sins ; " and with sixteen such persons, did Mr. Hoskins form the first Methodist soci- ety in that part of Newfoundland. In the year 1778-9, a great revival commenced In Old Perlican, when many were awakened, many were bronsht into the favor of God, and a religious influence was felt through the whole population. The r ext year, 1780, tl what ha came to awakenc friends i done foi tlie Lore Cove, c Mienced i came per In Isli Thomey, and came ing, whil a party c they wou up to Mr missed tl friends n them out they folio his friendi In Perl firm of L( but this w from his the montl: with an ir chants the would not in. He, 1 them, and now call tl ing in Tri MR. HOSKINS. 153 1780, the work spread over to Island Cove. ......„„ vvl.at had taken place in Perllcan, five or six persons came to see for themselves. While there, they were avvakened, found religion, and went home to tell their friends in Island Cove what great things the Loi-d had done for them. Many listened to them, and sought the Lord ; so that a society was formed, also, in Isla'iid Cove, consisting of thirty members, who soon com- Mienced the erection of a Methodist church. But now came persecution. In Island Cove, our .society sent up the bay for Mr Thomey, who cheerfully complied with the invitation,' and came down to preach to the people. But one even- ing, while he was preaching in our unfinished church, a party c: men, armed with clubs, entered, and swore they would kill him. One of the party went directly up to Mr. Thomey, and made a blow at his head ; he missed the man, but struck the candlestick. The friends now got between him and his enemies, and put them out of the building. After the meeting was over, they followed him, and again attempted his life ; but his friends again interfered, and he escaped unhurt. In Perlican, a young man in the employment of the firm of Lester, of Trinity, found "peace with God ; " but this was a crime, and his superior dismissed him from his employment, and sent him to England. In the month of August, Mr. Hoskins went tt Trinity, with an intent to preach to the people ; but the mer- chants there, all of whom called themselves churchmen, would not allow a house to be opened for him to preach in. He, however, visited several families, prayed with them, and gave them some little books. Tracts, as we now call them, were not then known. After remain- ing in Trinity some days, and not being allowed to I'A NEWFOUNDLAND AND IT8 MISSIONARIES. preach tliorc, he i)rei)Mr('(l to return, and went to ask one of the merchants tor a passajre in one of his boats to PerHcan. Tlie ck»rk toKl him that his cmi)h)yer was on board one of the ships. Mr. lloskins went to tlie vessel, and, as soon as lie jrotupon tlie deck, one of the8aih)rs said to liini, sarcastically, '' Will you preach us a sernu)n ? " atul innni'diately daubed his face with a tar- brush full of tar. Some more sailors laid hold, and held him, while others almost covered him with tar. The captain of the vessel aiul the honorable Trinity merchant were in the cabin at the time, and the only notice they took of it was a remark from the Trinity nabob to this ert'ect : " If they had asked iwe, I would have given them feathers to have feathered him all over," — a memorable saying for a Newfoundland mer- chant. Thank Ood, there are no such merchants there now. When Mr. lloskins lefb the vessel, one of the men threw a stick of wood after him, which missed him ; but it was accompanied with an oath, " When we see you ashore, we will make an end of you." The next day some of the sailors went asliore to look for him, one of whom had a knotted rope in his hand to beat the preacher or any of his converts. The man with the knotted rope, probably under the effects of liq- uor, hiy down and fell asleep, and, while he was in that state, Mv. lloskins passed him unhurt. Not so with an individual, who, to the man on his awaking, was pointed out as one of the Hoskinites. The drunken sailor took hold of the poor man, and beat him severely, althouiih he assured him that he was not a convert, nor was he frcnn Old Perlican, but from English Har- bor ; and as though they wished to destroy his life, the merchants interdicted their skippers of boats from taking Mr. lloskins out of the place. A friend, however, from Old Perl the bay l\ lint on into silen again. A but no cl etyfbr tlu who was I bath afteri from iujusi a notice, t would pre eleven o'cl and about read prayc hymn, the came and t( " By wlia He took 01 ty." The him from j in the hai spoke kind for there w proposed tc ished the r lodged you opened for ])rotected fi places visit( '' profit the] in that harl ence that i means of sa I *, MR. IIOSKINS. 01(1 PcM'l l( ail, carno, as by stealth, and took him 155 over MS persecutors. the hny iioin tlie hands of I But our Clhristian hero was not thus to bo terrified into silence ; for the next summer ho visited Trinity again. At tliat time there was a church in Trinity, but no chv^yunm. One of the r.'adcrs of the Soci- ety for the Tropauation of the G()sj)el in Foreign Parts, who was a fisherman, sometimes read prayers^on Sab- bath afternoon. Mr. Hoskins now visited the people, from house to house, and on Saturday afternoon i)ut up a notice, that, if there were no service in the church, he would preach in the church-yard on the Sabbath at eleven o'clock. To annoy hiui, the flag was hauled up, and about six persons came, but there was no one to read prayers. He went outside, gave out and sung a hymn, then kneeled down to pray, when a constable came and took him before the magistrate, who demanded, " By what authority do you go about preaching ? " He took out his Bible, and said, " That is my authori- ty." The magistrate said he did not wish to hinder him from preaching on Rider's Hill, or anywhere else in the harbor, providing there were no riots. He spoke kindly to him, told him to take care of himself, for there were some sailors and other rude fellows, who proposed to abuse him ; and added " I would have pun- ished the men who abused you last year, if you had lodged your complaint to me." A "house was now opened for him to preach in, and he was henceforth l)rotected from lawless mobs. In Trinity, as in other places visited by John Hoskins, did the word preached 1^ profit them that heard it ; " and while we admit that in that harbor it has not had the same leavening influ- ence that it had in Old Perlican, yet it has been the means of salvation to many in that place, and, by the I '/a 156 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. grace of God, Methodism still lives there and prospers. Mrs. Elizabeth Lock, whose name we have mentioned before, well remembered when Mr. Hoskins arrived: she heard his first sermon, and was present at his first class-meeting. Several other persons were known to the writer, who were acquainted with Mr. Hoskins ; and among them we might name those then aged dis- ciples, Messrs. Gooby, Snelgrove, and Green. Mr. Green possessed some poetical genius. He had been converteTl under the preaching of John Hoskins : he cherished his memory, and would often speak of his •labors, his persecutions, his success, and his peaceful end. To his spiritual father he would apply the fol- lowing lines : — " From softest boyhood to extreme old age, Pursued the way that led to endless rest ; And, ripening to his exit, Left in peace." The society which Mr. Hoskins formed in Old Per- lican was called Hoskinites by their enemies ; and sometimes the cognomen Swaddler, imported from Ire- land, was shouted, as the members went or returned from their religious meetings. Although Mr. Hoskins was very careful to read all the prayers appointed in the Rubric, yet singing hymns, reading Wesley's sermons, and talking to the people about ** repentance and faith and pardon and holi- ness, were, they understood, subjects that the parsons in England seldom or never named! This man, therefore, could not be a churchman ; and hence they would curse him as an enemy to the religion of their fathers. But God continued to bless his labors, and many sinners were converted, both in Perlican and in Island Cove. In the former place, in particular, the con| was sii^ Methodi buildino ship Go( chapel 1 on the c Hoskins when h( him sove Thus ent part{ the care other in kins. T about fift The ei with eve of Methc every W which ha! only a pa times nai Hoskins, and local Old Peril pel to the Trinity E torians an( But the honor whi ferred upo ing as etei PIONEERS or MlffHODISM. fbcreased, so thi 157 lat no house in the harbor wa« su^iently large to contain the people. A small Methodist chapel was therefore erected,-a plain, rough building, in which the congregation continued to wiTr- ship God for nearly fifty years. The ruins of this old chapel the writer well remembers to have seen when on the circuit in 1821. At that time, the son of Mr. Hosknis was living, who was about fifteen years old when he came with his father to Perlican ; 'and from him several particulars in this narrative were obtained. Thus there were two bodies of Methodists in differ- ent parts of the island, — one in Harbor Grace, under the care of John Stretton and Arthur Thomey ; the other in Old Perlican, under the care of John Hos- kins. The distance of these places from each other is about fifty miles. The emigration of Philip Embury to New York, with every particular connected with the introduction of Methodism into the United States, is detailed in every Vv'esleyan history extant ; but Newfoundland, which has a prior claim as Methodist ground, r-ceives only a passing notice. Lawrence Coughlan is some- times named ; John Stretton, very seldom ; but John Hoskins, the humble, pious, and faithful school-master and local preacher, who first taught the children in Old Perlican to read, and who first preached the gos- pel to the destitute fishermen on the rough shores' of Trinity Bay, seems to have been unknown to our his- torians and annalists. But these were the pioneers of Methodism ; and the honor which the Great Head of the Church thus con- ferred upon them sh-dl not pass away : it shall be last- ing as eternity ; for, " they that be wise shall shine as 14 I 158 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. the brightness of the firmament, aiul thcv that turn many to rio-liteousness as the stars forever anil ever." Mr. Stretton was en(iai2:e d in his mercantile atfairs. which required his whole attention during the week; and Mr. Hoskins could not leave his school to itiner- ate beyond the village. Beside which, Popery was establish in t]j itself in Harbor Grace and other parts of Corception Bay ; and there was great danger of the Protestants I ;ing drawn away by its mummeries. After thinking, and doubtless praying, over these mat- ters for some time, Mr. Stretton determined to put himself in correspondence with Mr. Wesley, and, if possible, get a regular preacher sent out as a missionary to Newfoundland. In this letter, he said : *' The work is at a stand here, and superstition and protaneness increasing ; we want one given wholly to the work. A preacher should not be entangled with the affairs of this life. It has not been the desire of getting rich that has kept me here ; but I have been waiting to see the motion of the incumbent cloud, and dare not desert my post until lawfully discharged. Single and alone, the Lord has enabled me to withstand the whole place where I dwell ; and I am st'll preserved by the power of God." Again he says : " Whoever seeks ease or comfort is not likely to meet much of it in this island. Blessed be God, who has so wonderfully kept and supported me for many years in this dreary region ! When I have been weak, then was I strong." ^ The above was partly written to Mr. Wesley direct, and partly to a friend who seems to have made known the contents of the letter to him. • '-- ^ Wesleyan Meihodist Magazine, 1851, p. 872. A r( which shown 1826. "Myi needless heard frc for souio They tru lower of "If thi upon you to preven from Enr ince of A to which as by one such past through tl in Nova !; who will 1 and desiri brethren a likewise, heavenly '. provide. Your pre Lord, and ance that " To Mr. , Dr. C( to Englai at the c promise 1 on the II well wer LETTER FROM MR. WESLEY. 159 A reply was sent by Mr. Wesley, tli . ^ - autograph of which the writer had tlie pleasure of reading. It was shown to him by Mrs. Stretton, in Harbor^Grace, in 182G. It reads thus : — " LoNiM)N, Fob. 25, 1785. " My dkar Brother, -You did well in breaking, throufr], that needless .lididence : if yon had wrote soouer, you would have heard from me sooner. Although I have not been at Limerick for some yea.-s, yet I remember your father and mother well. They truly feared God when I conversed with them. Ba a fol- lower of them, as they of Christ. " If that deadly enemy of true religion, f opery, is breaking in upon you, there is indeed no time to be lost ; for it is far easier to prevent the plague than stop it. Last autumn, Dr. Coke sailed from England, and is now visiting the floek in ricliiK'ss of ovanf^dlcal Hontiinont, in (Ici'j) rclioions t>.\'|H>ric'noo, as well as in varioty of nictrcs and in tlio ^vnoral construction of verso, he nnist yield to Charles Wesley. Tliat this is the view of tlio Christian j)ubHc is evident, from the fact, that scarcely a collection of liymns is used by aiiv evan«j;elical church wlierever the EnHisli lan2ua<^o is spoken, but a considerable number of his compositions are embodied, and are admired by the spiritually minded. Every important doctrine of Holy Scripture, every decree of sj)iritual experience, almost every shade of religious thought and feeling, and nearly every ordi- nary 'relation and incident of human lite, are treated in his abundant and twer-varying verse. No poet sur- passes him in the variety of his themes. Rarely can any man open his volumes without finding something apposite to his own moods and wants. " The soul of Charles Wesley was imbued with poetic genius. His thoughts seemed to bask and revel in rhythm. The variety of his metres (said to be unequalled by any English writer wliatever) shows how impulsive were his pathetic emotions, and how wonderful his facility in their spontaneous utterance. There are twenty-six different metres in the Wesleyan Hymn-Book. They march, at times, like lengthened processions, with solemn grandeur; they sweep, at other times, like chariots of fire through the heavens : they are broken, like tlu sobs of grief at the grave- side ; play like the joyful affections of childhood at the hearth, or shout like victors in the fray of the battle-field. No man ever surpassed Charles Wesley in harmonies of languaije. tt TT iiC i lever seems to labor in his poetic compositions. CHARLES WESLEY. 163 The reader fools tlmt tliey were iiocessary utterances of a heart [)ali)itating with emotion and music. No words seem to be put in for effect ; but effective phrases, brief, 8urprisinn state- ment to the conference. It was the receipts and dig- biirsements of six years, from August, 1787, to August, 179;i. The largest amount in any one of these yeariTwas ^1,167 12«. 1^7. ; and the smallest was only £ ^B9 168. ; this was in the year 1790. When the ace was presented, a balance ^^as due to the doctoi <£2,1GT 17s. 2d.; when, with his noble Christia nevolencc he said, " The large balance due to me will neve again be brought ' to account; it is my subscrip- tion to his great work.''^ On the reading of tins report, the folio ng question was asked in conference : — " Quest. 36. The fund for the support of the missions .'n the West Indies being exhausted, yea, considerably in debt, what can be done for its relief ? " Ans. a general collection shall be made for the missions, in our congregations, for this year." During eight years, mostly by the unwearied efforts of the doctor, our mission stations w^ere inn-eas( from 1 " Among the pious and benevolent, the names of Wliitbren-i vVilberforce and the Thorntons are invariably found, together with Riirht Hon' the Earl of Dartmouth, Lord Elliot, Earl of Belvidero, Ladv Ma- •^■ Fitz- gerald, Lady Maxwell, Sir Charles Middleton, afterward Lord Barham Sir Richard Hil!, Sir John Cart. , , Sir AVilliam Forbes, Ladv Smythe, Hon! Mrs. Carteret, and the Hon. Mrs. Bouverie. Of the clerg^ wlio aided the doctor, were Rev. Mr. Dodwell of Lincolnshire, Melville Horne of Madeley Berridge of Everton, Abdy of Horsleydoun, Dr. Gillis of Glasgow Simp- son of Macclesfield, Pentycross of Wallingford, Easterbrook of Bristo'l, Ke.i- nedy of Teston, &c." - Methodist Magazine, 1844, p. 222. 16 * 'iu e>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) / O ^>"% ^"^ ^,^ «.^'' A t/i & ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 ■-0 Ui i;^ IIM 2.0 |ll 1.4 mil 1.6 % V] // '^1 -c'. w f ■rf Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. M580 (716) 872-4503 MA m 186 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. three to thirteen, our missionaries from four to twenty- two, and our missionary membership fi-om 1,408 to 7,840. At the conference of 1797, the foreign missions were again directed to be brought to the notice of our people, by one of its miscellaneous regulations. " V. Concerning the West Indies. " 1. Let a collection be made in the course of thin year, for the support of the missionaries, in every congregation where it is practicable. " 2. The district committees, in the month of May, are to in- quire, whether any preacher is willing to go to the West Indies ; and the chairmen of those districts, in which any preacher offers himself, are to inform Dr. Coke of it before the meeting of the Irish Conference." There is no published statement of the amc mt of missionary collections as the result of these special applications ; but the appeal for missionaries was nobly responded to ; for our men in the West Indies were increased next year from fourteen to twenty-two. These were times of great trouble and suffering ' throughout both England and Ireland. The French war then raged fearfully ; commerce was seriously af- fected by the war ; a short harvest caused a faming to a great extent ; England was threatened with a French invasion ; and Ireland was in a state of rebellion- But in the midst of all, the mission cause was not for- gotten ; for at the conference of 1798 it was asked : — " Quest. What can be done for the support of our foreign missions ? " Ans. Dr. Coke is desired to make private collections, as far as possible, among our societies and among strangers, for the mis- sions, and the preachers are to assist him in this business ; and in those societies which the doctor cannot visit, the preachers are to do what they can by private applications for this purpose. And WEST INDIA MISSIONS. 187 this is to be considered as a substitute for a public collection, on account of the temporal circumstances of our connection." The next year, 1799, recourse was again had to pubHc collections ; and the mission work, which had hitherto been solely under the control of Dr. Coke, the conference now took under its own direction, and appointed the doctor its agent. We quote the min- utes on this subject: — " Quest. 44. Are there any further directions or regulations in respect to the West India missions ? " Ans. 1. We, in the fullest manner, take those missions under our own care, and consider Dr. Coke as our a^ent. " 2. We agree, that a general collection be made, as soon as possible, in all our Sunday congregations in Great Britain, for that blessed work. " N. B. The collections are to be sent up to London, and lodged in the hands of Brother Whitefield." George Whitefield, our book steward for that year, was the first missionary treasurer in the connection. In 1802, the first general instructions were issued to the West Indian missionaries, by which were arrancred their time and service in that Archipelago, which was as follows : — " 1. That preachers who had been previously in full connec- tion should remain four years. " 2. Preachers who had travelled on trial in Europe should remain five years. " 3. Preachers who had not travelled at all in Europe should remain six years." In 1804, Dr. Coke was " re-appointed to the office of general superintendent of all our missions." 2. "A committee of finance and advice is appointed, con- sisting of all the preachers stationed in London." 3. " Dr. Coke is appointed president of this com- mittee, Mr. Entwirie the secretary, and Mr. Lomas 188 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. the treasurer.'^ This was the first missionary com- mittee. Tlius fur missionary collections were only occasion- ally taken ; and donations only occasionally solicited ; but in 1805, a more systematic method was rdopted to raise pecuniary means. At this conference it was " Resolved, Let annual subscriptions be taken in by the gene- ral superintendent of the missions, or the superintendents of the circuits. " 2. Let the collection, which has been frequently made for their support in our congregations, in town and country, be an- nual." This was the first movement to raise a regular in- come for missionary purposes. A few more entries in reference to foreign missions are found on the pages of our minutes ; but nothing is recorded there calculated to awaken a dormant spirit of the connection to its duty, as to the important part it was designed to take in giving the gospel of salva- tion to the world, until the year 1813. At that time our number of mission stations, exclusive of Ireland, was twenty-two. We had twenty-seven missionaries in the West Indies and Bermuda, thirteen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and three in Newfoundland, ~ total number of missionaries forty-three ; and our missionary membersliips sixteen thousand seven hun- dred and forty-two. So that our increase from 1791, the time Mr. Wesley died, a period of twenty-two years, was only twenty-three missionaries and ten thousand two hundred and seventeen members. The year 1813 will be famous in all time to come, in all Wesleyan annals, by whomsoever written : — 1. As the time when the important mission to India was inaugurated. 2. Because the Wesleyan church then became missionary in earnest. METHODISM IN INDIA. 189 As early as tlie year 1781, Dr. Coke had looked up- on India with deep interest, and desired to occupy it as a mighty field for missionary enterprise. But In- dia was then hermetically sealed against all efforts to Christianize her teeming millions. Great Britain seems, in the order of Divine Provi- dence, raised to her present high position among the nations, to destroy slavery everywhere, and to carry liberty, knowledge, civilization, and evangelical truth to every nation under heaven. But in India, for many years, she was recreant to her trust. After a series of brilliant conquests, on the twenty- third of June, 1757, occurred the battle of Plassy, by which the whole Peninsula of India was placed under British control, and the standard of our empire waved over every fortress of that vast country. But, strange, we assumed the government there as a nation of Atheists I We ignored Christianity, and professed no religion at all. We dallied with and we fondled and nursed every system of idolatry and crime, by which the people had been enslaved and cursed for three thousand years. And so determined were the East India Company, who then held the reins of gov- ernment, that Christianity should not be known there, that when Robert and James Haldane, two Scotch gentlemen of fortune, offered to establish a mission at Benares, which is the " Maynboth " of India, at a cost of <£ 10,000 sterling, the offer was insultingly refused ; and one of the directors of the East India Company is reported to have said : " I would rather see a band of devils land in India than a band of missionaries." The doctor's plan for the conversion of India, there- fore, of necessity stood for several years in abeyance. But he never lost sight of this great object. He con- 190 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. fr'a stantly mentioned it to liis friends ; and year after year he earnestly sought the sanction of tlie conference for this philanthropic measure. In the year 1813, he was president of tlie Irish Conference. He brought his plan before that conference, and asked for its offi- cial sanction. It was voted with enthusiasm. He next appeared before the British Conference, to plead for India. Some of the brethren opposed his plan, when he burst into tears, and exclaimed : "If you will not let me go to India you will break my heart." The brethren now withdrew their opposition, and six missionaries were appointed to accompany him to India, and one was to be left at the Cape of Good Hope. The doctor and his missionary band left the British shores in the month of January, 1814 ; but he died in his cabin, on the night of May 2d, when the ship was within eighteen days' sail of Bombay, where she was bound. The brother of the writer was on board the ship Cabalva atj;he time, and assisted in lowerincr the body of the doctor into the sea. ^ WlJle Dr. Coke lived, the responsibility of the mis- sions mostly rested on him. The great part of the missionary subscriptions and collections was raised by his effort, and he suj^plied large sums, sometimes to the extent of <£ 1,800 or £ 2,000, from his own pri- vate purse. Now that, he was taken away, many thought the missionary work w^ould soon come to an end. But not so ; " God can bury his workmen and still carry on his work." Thus it was in this instance. FORMATION OF THE WESLEYAN METHODIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. As soon as the conference of 1813 was over, and a. WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 191 fter year mfereiice 1813, he brousht L' its offi- m. He to plead lis plan, " If you ' heart." and six him to of Good 3 British i died in ;he ship here she n board owerins the mis- t of the lised by :imes to wn pri- , many le to an len and istance. lONARY er, and some months before the doctor left England, some of its members began to feel that the responsibility of pro- viding the means, as well as the men, must be thrown upon the church ; and that some new and more pro- ductive plan for raising funds for missionaiy purposes must be adopted. That year Jabez Bunting was chair- man of the Leeds District, and there were associated with him in that field of labor, besides several eminent men, George Morley, James Buckley, and Richard Watson. The Rev. George Morley was the Superintendent of the Leeds Circuit; and when he returned from confer- ence, the stewards waited upon him, to mention a fact that had occurred during his absence, and to ask his judo-- ment respecting it. The fact was this : some of the agents of the London Missionary Society had adopted a weekly subscription, like our class money, to raise funds for their missionary society, and had requested several of our class-leaders to accept collecting-books for that pui-pose. Mr. Morley pondered over this cir- cumstance. It struck him, " this is the very thing that is wanted in the Methodist connection ; and such weekly contributions would form a valuable source of mcome to our mission fund." He thought, however, that the raising of such contributions should not be confined to members of the church, but that missionary collectors should be employed to solicit from benevolent persons subscriptions either weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual ; and that public meetings should be held] at which missionary information should be given, and the claims of the missionary enterprise set forth both by ministers and laymen. He consulted his chairman and colleague, the Rev. Jabez Bunting, whose comprehensive mind at once saw I;' l! 192 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. tlie immense advantage of such a measure. After fur- tlier consultation with tlie ministers and several intelli- gent laymen, it was determined to call a public meeting, in order to carry the plan into effect. The meeting was appointed for half past two o'clock, on the 6th of October, in the old chapel at Leeds. A preparatory missionary sermon was preached on Tuesday evenincr, Oct. 5th, at Armley, in the Bramley Circuit, by the Rev. James Buckley, from Isaiah Iv. 10, 11, and the services of that important day, Oct. 6th, 1813, were commenced by a most solemn prayer-meeting, held at six o'clock in the morning, in the old chapel. At half past ten o'clock in the forenoon, the Rev. Richard Wat- son preached his memorable and never to be forgotten sermon on the " dry bones," Ezek., chap, xxxvii. 9, " Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon the slain, that they may live." The sermon was delivered with great power, with much pathos, and with a persuasive eloquence that deeply affected his whole audience. Of the heathen in general, he re- marked : — " The heathen have turned the truth of God into a lie. Their religious opinions are absurd fables ; and the principles of morali- ty being left without support, have all been borne down by the tide of sensual appetite and ungoverned passion. Ignorance the most profound, imaginations the most extravagant, and crimes the most daring, have ever characterized the world which lies in the power of the wicked one." Of Asia, where Dr. Coke was now going, he said: — " If we turn to the East, there the peopled valleys of Asia stretch before us ; but peopled with whom ? With the dead. That quar- ter of the earth alone presents five hundred millions of soirls, with but few exceptions, without a God, save gods that sanction vice; without a sacrifice, save sacrifices of folly and blood ; without a «^;..=+ exceDt a race of jugglers, imnostors. 'feS' I murderers : without WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 193 holy days, except such as debase by their levity, corrupt by their sensuality, or harden by their cruelty." At the time mentioned, half past two o'clock, the public meeting was held. The meeting was large, and the gallery was wholly occupied with ladies. The res- olutions passed at that meeting were the basis upon which " TheWesIeyan Methodist Missionary Society" was aftex ward formed ; a society which, during fifty years of its existence, has sent many hundreds of mis- sionaries to labor in distant lands ; has collected and ex- pended many hundreds of thousands of pounds in spreading the gospel ; has been instnimental in saving hundreds of thousands of souls ; and, at this day, is one of the most important and most extensive mission- ary organizations upon the face of the earth. The benefit of this organization was soon felt, both at home and abroad ; at home, by the increase of the true missionary spirit and the augmentation of funds ; abroad, by the addition to our missionary staff, and the extension and influence of our missionary churches In Newfoundland, down to this time, our missionaries were without any fixed abode, or fixed salary. T. - itinerated up and down the north shore of Conception Bay, receiving what the people thought proper to give them, and drawing for their remaining necessities upon Dr. Coke, or upon their kind friends in England, who deeply and constantly fit for the long neglected inhab- itants of that rock-bound island. But this irregularity was now soon terminated by organizing the missions into a district, forming circuits p that district, and originat- ing a plan of finance and expenditure. We shall, there- fore, from this time, have to speak of the missions in Newfoundland by the Methodist phrase, « The New- foundland District/' 1 TW 1 ' i 17 '* 11 * CHAPTER VI. NKWFOUNIJ^AND DISTRICT — PLAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THB MISSIONS — BAY CIRCUITS — GREAT FIRE — BOSTON CITIZENS — BONA VISTA CIRCUIT — PERSECUTION — THE FISHERY — THE WINTER SEASON. BY the conference of 1815, the missions of New- foundland were formed into a district, and stand thus on the minutes : — Carbonear, — Sampson Busby, * Blackhead, — William Ellis, Port de Grave, — John Pickavant, Island Cove, — John Lewis, Sen., St. Johns, — Thomas Hickson, Bona VISTA, — James Hickson, "William Ellis, Chairman of the District. This year the conference gave a plan for the man- agement of our missions, the substance of which was : — *' That the missions and missionaries shall be superintended, dur- ing the intervals of the sittings of the conference, by an " Execu- tive Committee. " The spiritual concerns of the missions shall be under the ex- clusive superintendence of the conference. " A general report of the state of our missions shall be annually- prepared by the Executive Committee, and, if approved, shall be published and circulated." In the year 1818 this plan was fully matured ; our missionary society was organized ; and the " Laws and regulations of the General Wesleyan Methodist Mis- sionary Society," as they appear in our " Annual Mis- sionary Report," were enacted by the conference. (194) . K NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT. 196 Carbonear, Blackhead, Port De Grave, and Island Cove are situated on the north shore of Conception Bay, and are the places where our earlicist missionaries labored, and where the inhabitants generally had never heard any other than Methodist preaching ; so that they almost considered Methodism the "established reli- gion ; " and, whether they were " born again " or not, would often say, " I was born a Methodist." The only opposition our missionaries met with here was the de- pravity of the human heart, which, by the grace of God, was frequently overcome, for very many went to heaven who had been converted on the north shore. These circuits had all to be travelled on foot, as there were few horses, and no roads ; and the houses being all built by the sea-shore, and around the different coves and harbors, the paths were of necessity rugged, diffi- cult, and laborious. And how dexterously he ascended the "sculpin liighlands," climbed up Job's Cove Droke, toiled through the sands at Northern Bay, waded the Northern Gut, or plodded through Short's' Marsh, would furnish a theme for conversation to the weary traveller, as he sat by the cheerful evening fire, and partook of the kind hospitalities of these proverbi- ally hospitable people. St. Johns now, for the first time, appears on our list of stations. For several years after •: • mission was commenced in the bay, we had but little interest in the capital, and the missionaries could only pay it an occa- sional visit. But some of our peojDle, who had resided in Harbor Grace, removed to St. Johns, and among them we might mention Messrs. Jonathan Parsons'] William Freeman, and James Lilly ; also Mr. Mark Coxen, who had been in the army, and had heard Methodist preaching in different places, and Mr. James 196 NEWFOUNDLAND AND IT3 MISSIONARIES. fli mi Bailey, who had been a member of our society in Encr- land. The only two Protestant places of worship were the Episcopal church, where no pretensions were made to teach experimental religion, and a Congregational church, where the teaching was ultra Calvinistic. Such theology did not suit the little Wesleyan band there. They, therefore, invited the preachers from the bay, who, on coming to St. Johns, were received with much kindness, and preached with much success. St. Johns is the fifth place on this station sheet, be- cause that was its Methodistic " status " at that time. Our people this year put up a neat, substantial chapel, and our cause seemed likely to prosper in the metropo- lis. In the town, during the autumn, everything ap- peared encouraging; trade was brisk, money was plenty, provisions in abundance, and all anticipated a pleasant winter. Ho\/ vain are our hopes of happi- ness when built on earthly things I In the month of February a fire broke out, which speedily laid two-thirds of the town in ashes. It racred from River Head, which is the upper part of the harbor, to Magotty Cove, destroying private build- ings, shops, merchants' stores filled with provisions, wharves, some ships, the custom-house and court- house, and our own chapel, not yet completely fin- ished. By this dreadful conflagration hundreds of peo- ple were turned into the street, houseless and penniless, where they erected sheds, or raised canvas tents, and dwelt there for the remainder of that severe winter, until the sun's return toward the summer solstice sliould enable the ships from Britain to bring their ** sjpring supplies," and cause the fish to return to the shore to give employment and food to the starving mul- titude. We h HOSTON CITIZENS. ith 197 s mention with very great pleasure nevolence and crreat Cln-i^tinn kindness of our Ameri- can friends in ti.e city of ]J(,ston, in affbrdinrr projnpt relief to the sufferers in St. Joluis, but for which relief many persons must have died. In those days there were not only no steamers, but there was no post-office or regular mail from St. Johns to any part of the worlu. Letters were sent by private conveyance, or given to captains of vessels, who charged " a postage," and sometimes a lieavy one. The writer has often paid 3.V. 6d. sterling — 82i cents — for a letter from Eng- land. " To let their distress be known, and to bring a little relief, the merchants of St. Johns despatched a private vessel to Boston ; and as soon as the news of this awful calamity had spread in that city, a public meeting was called, a vessel was chartered and loaded with provis- ions and clothing, a crew of men nobly volunteered to navigate the vessel, at that dangerous season, to the rocky shores of the sea-girt island, to carry this splen- did donation to those who were perishing from hunger and from cold. A kind Providence safely brought the ship into the harbor, where her entire cargo of provis- ions, clothing and blankets, were distributed gratui- tously. Many of the citizens of Boston, who gave their con- tributions to the sufferers by fire in St. Johns, in Feb- ruary, 1816, aro now gone the " way of all the earth ; " yet their kindness is not forgotten, and we would say, all honor be to their memory. There were two other severe fires in St. Johns, which followed this great conflagration, by which the town was almost ruined, and it was several years before it recovered its former prosperity. 17* '"is 198 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION AKIES. PMhii In til El summer of 1816, Mr. PIckavant went ^ land to beg for means to rebuild our chapel in St. Johns, which the losses our people had sustained by the fires rendered impossible for them to accomplish unassisted. Near the time of the " great fire " in St. Johns, a new chapel, nearly finished in Carbonear, was also accidentally destroyed by fire. Mr. Pickavant, there- fore, included both cases in his appeals to the British public. When he arrived in England, the Rev. George Smith, who, as we have seen, was formerly a missionary in Newfoundland, rendered great assistance to Mr. Pickavant in soliciting subscriptions for this important object. Our Missionary Committee, in their first annual report (1816), which is entitled, " The Report of the Executive Committee for the Management of the Mis- sions," thus speaks of this matter : — " The destruction of the newly erected chapel at St. Johns, by fire, in February last, was an event which not only left the con- gregation without a place of worship, but the trustees charged with a debt of £500, which remained on the premises, after a very liberal subscription among the inhabitants had been made. This calamity excited the compassion of many persons in this country to contribute toward the re-erection of the chapel, and as the sum already obtained is still greatly inadequate, should any benev- olent persons wish to assist a poor but pious people to rebuild their chapel, the committee will gladly receive any sums for that spe- cific purpose." The result of this appeal was a noble subscription from the English people of £ 2,017 Ss. 7^. The committee, in their report for 1819, make this statement : — " The chapels iii St. Johns and Carbonear, formerly burnt down, have been rebuilt, chiefly by the kind sympathy and exer- BON AVISTA CIRCUIT. 199 to Eng- 1 in St. ined by omplish Fohns, a vas also t, tliere- ) British le Rev. merlv a ;sistanfe for this annual 't of the the Mis- Johna, by the con- 3 charged ler a very de. This s country id as the ny benev- mild their that spe- jcription ake this rly burnt and exer- tions of the friends in England, who, in collections made for this purpose by Mr. Piekavant and Mr. G. Smith, contributed the sum of S.2,017 5s. Id." A portion of this sum was paid to Carbonear, but the greater portion was paid to St. Johns ; and by the help of these moneys the friends in both these towns were^ enabled to rebuild their sanctuaries, and also to erect substantial residences for the ministers who from time to time should be stationed amongst them. Since those times, God has blessed our people with much temporal prosperity, by which they have been enabled for many years to pay their ministers handsomely and contribute to the missionary cause, and to all other Christian and benevolent objects to which they are invited. Bonavista is last on this list of stati* .. The dis- tance of this place from St. Johns is about one hundred miles. In consequence of the distance of Bonavista from Conception Bay, and the paucity of mission- aries, it was impossible to visit it, except occasionally. Our little church there, however, had been kept together by the faithful labors of two local brethren, Messrs. Saint and Cole, who in turn preached every Sabbath, and met the classes ; but the appointment of a regular missionary to the Harbor was hailed by our people with great delight. The population of Bonavista was estimated at about fifteen hundred souls, of whom three-fourths were Prot- estants; and the Episcopalians and Wesleyans were the only religious bodies among the Protestants. The Episcopalians at that time never had a minister stationed among them ; but they had a layman, who had formerly been a fisherman, authorized to read prayers on the Sabbath. He also baptized the children, and married the people. 200 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION aKIES. As all the Protestants had been Churchmen, the in- troduction of Methodism was first looked upon with contempt ; then it was opposed, and afterward perse- cuted as far as the parties^lad the means. Opposition began most undisguisedly to show itself when a Wes- leyan church was about to be erected, and a Wesleyan riiissionarj stationed in the placeu Our people, intent upon their object, braved all opposition, and put up their church, when the first open act of persecution occurred. It was in reference to the flag-staff placed in front of the building. The reader must be informed that, as there were no bells in the out-harbors, the si\ hat do you want of a flag-staff there And. •' To hoist a flag as a signal for divine service." ?' \h III PERSECUTION. 201 Mag. " What, directly opposite the church V " Ans. " We are not aware that " are doing any wrong." Mag. «' I tell you it shall not b. ad I forbid it." Ans. « We think you have no right to interfere with us, and we shall not regard your prohibition.' Mag. « Well, I will allow you to hoist your flag on any day but Sunday." . ' Ans. " That is the day on which we intend to hoist our flag." Mag. "If you dare to hoist your flag on next Sunday, I will certainly cut it down." The Sabbath came, and, regardless of his worship, the flag was raised at the appointed hour. As soon as our justice heard that the Methodist flag was up, he came in great wrath to punish such manifest contumacy. He was accompanied by his son Jared, who was con- stable, and who brought an axe to cut down the obnox- ious flag-staff: Considerably excited, and a little out of breath, he said to the people who were now assem- bling for worship ; — " Did I not forbid your hoisting your flag on Sunday ? " Ans. " You did ; but we have not regarded your order, in this case, as we thought you had no right to interfere with us." Mag. " I will let you Methodists know that I have power, and I will cut down the pole." Calling to his son, he said, "Jared, cut down that flag-staff"." The axe was raised, but ere the blow impinged the wood, Mr. Saint said, " Sir, take care what you do, for I have taken advice, and find we have done nothing wrong, it you will 'fi?are ' to cut down the pole, I will give five pounds." At the sound of the word " advice," his worship was startled, and in- stantly called to his son to "stop ;" and then addressing the peo- ple who were now assembled in considerable numbers, he said, " I will not cut down your flag to-day ; but mind you never raise it again on Sunday." His* worship retired amidst the jeers of the peojjle, and himself afterward taking " advice," he ascertained that he had gone too far, and therefore left the Method- ists to hoist their flag whenever they thought proper. 17* 202 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. The strange conduct and persecuting spirit of this Bona vista magist ate were afterwards satirized in a piece of poetry, from which we extract the following : — " Some few years ago, to our harbor there came Some preachers from England ; they're Methodists by name; They opposed our whole conduct, and said, ' Ye are wrong ; * Repent, or yo'll perish,' was the theme of their song. A chapel and flag-staff they soon did erect, Though 'gainst Bonavist law it was levelled direct j ' I'll cut down your flag-staff,' said one then in power, ' If you raise up your flag at the specified hour." This petty persecution did Methodism no hari. . and tlie labors of Brother James Hickson were gi atly blessed. Our church was quickened and consolidated, and it has continued to prosper ever since. Other per- secution, however, our people afterward had to experi- ence, which shall be related in proper time. As the Cod Fishery was almost the only occupa- tion in which the people of Newfoundland were en- gaged at the time of which we are now writing, the reader will not be displeased with the following ac- count of the manner in which that important business was conducted : — Arable spots are found all round the shores of New- foundland, which, when cleared of stone and cultivated, produce luxuriant grass and culinary vegetables, the latter unsurpassed for richness of taste by the produc- tions of the best cultivated gardens in Europe. Whole districts may be found to compensate the agriculturist for his toil and expense ; yet sterility is the chargj:!ter, and not the exception of the country at large ; but this sterility of soil is more than counterbalanced by its sub- marine wealth, gathered and brought « land by the skill and ceaseless industry of her hardy fishermen. THE FISHERY. 203 As soon as stern winter has passed away, and the pow- erful influence of Sol's rays has loosened the icy fetters by which the streams were bound and the land \/as covered, prodigious shoals of fish come upon the coast to give food to the hungry, and replete the exhausted stores of the now anxious inhabitants. It was the large quantities of fish that excited the astonishment of the discoverers of the island. There is still extant a document published by Captain Hayes (the second in command to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who made a voyage to Newfoundland in the year 1583, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth), relating to the fish with which its waters abounded. I will give an extract from this curious document, or report, in the antique language and orthography in which it was written ; — " Touching the commodities of this countrie, serving (answering) either for sustentation of inhabitants, or for maintenance of traf- fique, there may be diuers: so and it seemeth nature hath recom- pensed that only defect and incommoditie of some sharpe cold, by many benefits : viz., with incredible quantitie, and no less varietie of kinds of fish in the sea and fresh waters, as Trouts, Salmons, other fish to us unknown : Also Cod which alone draweth many nations thither, and is become the most famous fishing of the world. AbundancejDf whales, for which also is a very great trade in the bayes of Placentia, and the Grand Bay, where is made trane oils of the whale. Herring, the largest that have been heard of, exceeding the Alstrond herring of Norway : but hitherto was neuer benefit taken of the herring fishing. There are other fish very delicate, namely the Bonito, Lobsters, Turburt, with others infinite not sought after : Oysters hauing pearle, but not orient in colour : I took it by reason they were not gathered in season." The above was written near three hundred years ago, and with the exception of the " oysters having pearle," nearly the whole can still be predicated of the fish and fishery, on the coast and m the streams of 204 NKWl'onNDLAND AND ITS MiaHIONARlES. Novvfoundliind. Whales are often very numerous, but tlie whale iishery is not now ])rosec'uted. In some parts herring, sahnon, antl mackerel fishing is carried on to a considerable extent ; but cod-fish is the staple of the country, and its fishery occupies almost the entire la- bor of the people. The systematic and universal prac- tice of the cod-fishery has necessarily produced three classes in society, — merchants, planters, and fishermen. The merchants of Newfoundland are a respectable and wealthy class of men. There are a number of small nierchants, but the principals of the largo firtns mostly reside in England or Scotland, and have agents in one, sometimes in several parts of the island. Agen- cies of these large firms are also in different parts of the continent of Europe, as Hamburg, Oporto, Lisbon, Malaga, and other ports up the Mediterranean. The merchants' premises are called merchants' rooms, and are always by the watei'-side. Spacious wharves for landing goods extend sufficiently far for ships to lie alongside. On their wharves are fish stores, salt stores, antl provision stores ; and at the head of wharves are dry gootls' stores, all of which are generally well sup- plied. Connected with the merchants' room is a staff of clerks and mechanics, as coopers, carpenters, and blacksmiths, for very few of these reside at the fishing stations. The second class is the planters. The word planter at once conveys to the mind the idea of cultivation, and would lead the reader to suppose that planters were farmers, or were in some way engaged in agricultural pui-suits. But this is not the meaning of the word in tliis country. The word was applied, when America was discovered, to all settlements west of the Atlantic, which were called " pluRtations." The terra ** plant- THE FISHERY. 205 and er," in the Newfoundland vocabulary, means the owner of the fishing-room, wlio is himself a fisherman, and not a farmer. A fow potatoes, but seldom sufficient for the use of his family during the year, was the whole amount of his plantation. The planters were not an educated body of men, in the times of which we are speaking ; there were bu few schools, and their constant employment in reference to the fisliery rendered education very difficult for them to acquire, liu^ their kindness cannot be excelled by any people upon the face of the earth. By the word fishing-room is meant the planter's premises, where the fish is made or cured. On the flshing-room is the fishing-stage. This is a long shed, built out sufficiently far in the water for the fish- ing-boats to lie at the stage-head. The stage is sup- ported by posts fixed in crevices of the rocks, against which the sea often beats, and sometimes with suffi- cient violence to throw down the building. These stage-posts are of different lengths, but usually from ten to fifteen feet, and are braced with shorter posts or shores, which rest against the perpendiculars, at an an- gle of about forty-five degrees. Upon these posts are nailed the stage-poles horizontally, which are the only floor of the building. The sides are rough-boarded, and covered with rinds, or the bark of the spruce-tree, procured as afterwards described. The length of the stage is sometimes fifty feet ; but it is shorter or longer according to circumstances. Five or six feet of the building near the water is left uncovered as a place to throw the fish from the boat. This space is called the stage-head. Entering the stage from the stage-head, we first see the splitting-table. This is usually on the right hand, as being most convenient for handling the h'l i' ■ 18 206 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. !|i| '' lull" fish. The splitting-table is that whereon the fish is split and prepared for salting. It has a trunk-hole for dropping the heads and offal of the fish into the sea ; and a gully through which to drop the liver, which forms the cod-oil, into a barrel placed under the table. Neiir the middle of the stage is a large vat for washing the fish after it has been sufficiently long in salt. At the upper end of the stage is the green fish, or fish under salt. Near this end of the stage is, also, *' the water- horse," that is, the fish after it has been washed from the salt in the vat, and left to drain, preparatory to its being taken out of the stage to dry. We now leave the stage, and, passing an oil-house and a fish-house, a small house to keep the dry fish, we come to the fish-flake. This is a scaffolding more or Jess extensive, according to "^^he business of the planter. The fishing-stages along the north shore are always re- moved in the fall, unless, perchance, the sea knocks them down and carries them away ; but the fish-flake remains durincj winter. The flake is from eight to ten feet high, built like the stage, with perpendicular posts and shores. Upon these posts are laid the longers, which are slight poles at a few inches' distance from each other, and these longers are covered with spruce boughs, upon which the fish are laid to dry. The fish- ing-boats and all the apparatus for the fishery, as nets, hooks, lines, &c., are also the property of the planter. The third class are the fishermen. These are prop- eily the laborers, and their ranks are supplied from the youngsters brought from Europe by the merchants. The merchants were accustomed, early in the spring, to bring a number of young men from England or Ire- land, who are engaged, or shipped in their native land for the fishery ; and the time for which they are shipped THE FISHERY. 207 is two summers aiKi one winter. These young men, wlien they arrive, as are all strangers when they first land, are called youngsters. When they have spent one summer and one winter, they receive the title of white nose; hut when their full time of service is ex- pired, they receive the honorahle appellation of oldsters. As soon as the frost is out of the ground in the spring, the planter does all his planting, which consists simply of putting a few potatoes in the ground. The manure used is mostly kelp, gathered from the sea- shore, and brought on men's backs, in bags. The pota- toes are planted in long beds, about four feet wide. They are put into the ground with a narrow spade ; trenches are dug on each side of the bed, and the earth thrown upon the seed. The remainder of cultivation, both of potatoes and the kitchen garden, is left to the women. This done, the planter, very early in the month of May, proceeds to ship both his boat's crew and his shore crew. He generally commands the boat himself, and his title is skipper. He requires two men with him. One is called midshipman, because his station is the middle of the boat ; the other man is called the fore-shipman, because his station is forward. The fore- shipman is sometimes called captain ; but the captain of a fishing-boat is the cook. The captain is frequently a youngster. The shore crew are mostly females. The planter's wife is general!y skipper of the shore crew. If she has no daughters sufficient for the work, she hires or ships (for the same word is used) what help she may require. In the case of the girls, as well as the men, a written agreement is made which defines the work each person is to perform. This agreement is called n 208 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. the shipping-paper. Thus, one is shipped to tend table and cut tlu'oats ; which means to put the fish on the fishing-table from the stage-head, and cut the throats of fish. Another female is shipped as splitter, and a third as Salter. These shipping-papers, afler stating the work to be performed, usually close with this sen<-ence, " And I am to do anything else for the good of the voyage." The crew shipped, tho first thing is to " come in col- lar," that is, to commence the spring work. It takes its name from part of the mooring of the boat, in the form of a horse-collar, which is passed over the stem of the boat^ and holds her without an anchor. On com- ing in collar, the boat's crew go rinding. The warm sun in the month of May causes the sap of trees to flow, and forms a large quantity of cambium under the bark, by which it is easily removed from the tree. About the tenth of May, the rinding parties go into the woods and strip the rind or bark from the spruce-trees for about four feet of their height, tie it in bundles, and brmg it ou-t on their backs (their only means of transport) to the fishing-room, where it is used for covering the fish when nearly dry, and also for covering their stages and small houses. Rinding being over, they next rebuild their fishing- stages, and repair their flakes ; then go to the mer- chant's store for their spring supply. For the boat, is wanted canvas, cordage, hooks, lines, and small an- chors ; for the general purposes of the fishery, salt, nets, lines, twines, knives, pues, provisions, bread, which always means sea-biscuit, flour, pork, butter, tea, and molasses. Thus prepared, the fishery commences about the middle of May. The first bait used is her- ring. These are taken in herring-nets ; but the cod has not yet struck m for the shore, and is therefore THE FISHERY. 209 »> only taken in small ([nantities. About the first of June, the caplin strikes in, an'' then is the New found I and harvest. This small fish, about the size of a smelt, comes to the shore to spawn, followed by tno lar"g» »nd is the best buff »rt*>r I ^u t ,plin. With the departure of the squid, ihf It^hery be^i i§ to lag ; but aiiotlier small fish, call»'(i thsi lance, supplies bait for a short turio longer. L«t us now look at the I 'bor of the "shore-crew," and we fball see that the labor of thf* females is quite as incessant, and «ven more exhausting than the labor of the men. When the men liave thrown the fish ^ upon the stage-head, it is put upon the splitting-table, by one of the females, with a pue. The pue is an in- strument having a long handle like a hay-fork, with on- ly one prong, which is fixed in the centre of the stick. This prong is stuck in the head of the fish, and thus, with great ease and rapidity, it is thrown from the boat to the stage-head, and from thence to the table. The throat is now cut, and the fish passed to another female, who pu''H off the head and the offal, drops it through the tru ilk-hole into the water ; takes out the liver, and di .ps that into the gully ; then pushes the fish across the table to the splitter, who, with one stroke of her knife, takes out the sound-bone, and drops it into the water, and slides the fish into a drudge-barrow. The women at the splitting-table have each a leather apron, called a barvel, which fits to the neck and covers the dress. When the drudge-barrow is full, it is dragged to the upper ena of the stage, where the fish is taken out and salted. Tho mistress is generally the Salter. The stage-work commences in the evening, as soon as the fishing-boat arrives, and if the put of fish is large, will occupy the whole night. As soon as the sun is up next morning, 1>< , females have to carry the last water- horse from the s... ; - o tho flake, a distance of some fif^y yards, in a iuu l-^arrow. The hand-barrow is a 1 ''''^ t fi THE USHERY. 211 mado by nailing a few short i)ieces of board on two small poles, about eitrht feet long ; and 's carried be- tween two persons. The quantity of fish in tlio w.iter- lioi-se is indefinite ; it simply means one put or trip of fibh, that liad been washed from the salt ^he day L fore, and left to drain ; sometimes it is not more than two or three quintals, sometimes it is ten or twelve; bwt each quintal of fish, in this green state, is calculated to weigh two hundred and forty pounds. Breakfast over, all hands away into tho stage, to prepare another water- horse for tlir next uuy. A put of fish, sufficiently salted, is thrown into the vat ; water is then drawn up with a n.pe and block, put in the vat, and the salt is washed off; the fish is taken out of the vat and left to drain. This is the water-horse. The water- horse being thus prepared, the fish spread in the morn- ing has to be turned ; after which, perhaps an hour is taken to trench the potatoes or weed the garden. In the afternoon the dry fish has to be put in piles or large round heaps, and covered with rinds. And as evening approaches, the fish spread in the morning has to be taken up and put in fagot, or little heaps, and left on the flake until next day, when it is again spread. The sun is nearly down by the time the fish is in fagot, when the out-door work necessarily ceases. But the poor, exhausted females have scarcely sat down in the dusk of the summer evening to take a little refresh- ment, before tlie voice of one of the boat's crew is heard : ' Oorae, missis, a fine put of fish." The re- sponse to this is, « Come girls, finish your tea, and let us get to work." There is then the same work the second night as the first, and the same routine of labor the next day as has been already described ; and thus it continues during the week, uiitil Saturday night ; so 212 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. r»l ^*^;- that the women, no more than the men, jide, or catamaran, can only be used on the snow. If wood be wanted before the snow fall, it must be " spelled out," that is, carried on men's shoulders ; and when some snow has fallen, but not sufficient to make a good path, the stick of wood is nobbled out. To nob- ble is to drag on the ground. When the snow has fallen sufHciently deep, the snow path is formed. This is done by a number of men walking with pot-lid rackets. The word racket means a snow-shoe, but the racket of the Newfoundland woods- man is made by nailing strips of board on a small hoop about eight inches in diameter. The pot-lid rackets are fastened to the feet, and, by using these several times, the snow is pressed solid, and a smooth path is thus formed. The preacher, some time during winter, would have a " haul of wood," when all the men in the villal>"— -""jJ 1— -■'■I- ^ IIS THE WINTER SEASON. 217 upon the head of the unfortunate operator. A rough door, a few shelves, and a swinging-table fastened to the side of the building, exhausts nearly all the boards usually allowed for such structures. In a tilt like the above^ with the only addition of a rough, boarded floor, and two windows, brought from the mission-house, did the writer, with his family, spend the winter of 1827-1828. In the mission-tilt, however, we had three apartments, two sleeping apartments, and one large room, nearly twenty feet square, which was our kitchen, our parlor, my study, and also our chapel where we held public service and class-meet- ings during the winter. The carpets from the mission- house we put to a new use, for, instead of wearing them under our feet, we tacked them overhead, to keep away the dust and the cold. This event occurred in the Burin Circuit. Our tilt was erected upon the bank of a large lake, called Fresh-water Pond, and, as we were surrounded by some twenty Wesleyan fami- lies who had migrated there from Burin Harbor, we called the locality of our winter residence Wesley Vale. |i ill CHAPTER VII. SABBATH-BREAKING — ANKCDOTK OF MRS. LOCK — THE CARBONEAR CAPTAIN — JOHN PICKAVANT — JOHN LEWIS — METHODISM IN BURIN — THOMAS H1CK80N — JAMES IIICKSON — STATION FOB 1817 — NEW CIRCUITS —HARBOR GRACE — TRINITY — WESTERN BAY — FORTUNE BAY — HANTS HARBOR — CAPTAIN VICARS — HEDLEY VICARS — SABBATH-SCHOOLS. t I^HE great sin with which the early missionaries . had to contend was Sabbath-breaking. Hauling caplin and jigging squids for bait were generally prac- tised on that sacred day. Catching fish, sometimes ; but taking seals and making fish on the Sabbath were universally practised. The seal-hunter would say, " If the seals come near my vessel on the Sabbath day, it is Providence sends them, and it would be tempting Prov- idence not to take them." The skipper of the boats would say, " I must get bait on Sabbath, in order to be early on tjjie ground on Monday morning, or I shall miss the scull ; " and the skipper of the shore crew, " I must spread my fish, or it will spoil, if the weather be fine." And this constant breach of the holy day would be justified in the estimation of the parties by quoting Luke xiv. 5, " Which of you shall have an ass^or an ox fallen into a pit and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day ? " Such were the force of habit and the influence of bad example that many persons, after they professed religion, seemed to think that some of these things might be done guiltlessly. One of the first, if not the very first person in New- (218; ANECDOTE OF MRS. LOCK. 219 J, foundland, who made a stand against spreading fish on the Sabbath day, was Mrs. EHzabeth Lock, of Lower Island Cove, whose name has probably now become somewhat familiar to the reader. She was skipper of the shore crew. She had re- monstrated with her husband on the evil of workin^r on the Sabbath ; but he insisted upon it that fish should be spread if the weather was fine ; and such an act would be no violation of the fourth commandment. She thought differently, and determined, by the grace of God, come what would, she would not spread her fish on the Sabbath day. A time came when her faith was to be put to the test. Her husband was from home, and the responsibility of the voyage rested upon her. The weather had been foggy for several days, but it cleared up on the Sabbath morning. All hands were on the flakes except Mrs. Lock and her crew. As soon as the neighbors had spread their own fish, they went to inquire for the absentees, when the fol- lowing conversation took place : — Neighbor. "Mrs. Lock, are you unwell, that you have not spread your fish, this fine morning ? " Mrs. Lock. " I am not unwell, thank God ; and I have not spread my fish, because it would be breaking the Sabbath." Neighbor. " But you have always done so before, and so has every one else." Mrs. Lock. " True, but we have all done wrong ; and it is time that we repented of our sins, and lived differently." Neighbor. " But you will lose your voyage ; for this hot day will certainly spoil every fish that is left in fagot ." * Mrs. Lock. " I would rather lose my voyage than lose my soul, which certainly will be the case if 1 live in sin." Neighbor. " We will spread your fish for you." / Mrs. Lock. " The sin would be the same. If I do not go on the flake myself, I will not allow any one else to go there." 1 "Fagot" is a small pile of fish left on the flake at night, or during rainy weather. n1 4 4)1 "'SI ■y 'J I It? m\ 220 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Neighbor. •* But your husband, what will he say ? He will be very angry, and justly so ; for you will cause his ruin." When this neighbor had left, our Cliristian heroine was, for a time, much agitated, and thought she must yield ; but determined she would first lay the case before the Lord in prayer. She retired to her chamber and prayed that wisdom might be given to her to do the thing that was right ; and that if she was to suffer for doing right, she might have strength and grace for the trial She arose from her knees, and resolved, *' Come what will, I will never again spread fish on the holy Sabbath." The day was very fine, and sun scorching. In the evening some of her friends came and upbraided her for her neglect ; and, among other unkind things, they said, " We have saved our voyage, but all your fish will be lost." Some outside called her a Methodist fool. That night she slept but little, so great was her anxiety. As soon as daylight came, she went on the flake, to see what had happened to her fish. " I trembled," said she " as I went from the house ; for I expected nothing else but that every fish then on the flake would have to be thrown away. But I looked at one fagot, then at another, and so all over the flake, when, to my utter surprise, I found my fish were not injured. My neigh- bors also were soon on their flakes, and they went there with a smile at me. But that smile was soon changed into a deep seriousness ; for it was evident at once that every fish which had been spread on the Sabbath was scorched and destroyed by the very pow- erful rays of the sun. It was sunburnt, but my fish were not exposed, and, with the exception of a few on the top of the fagot, none were injured, and my voy- age-turned out well.^ ' The above particulars were detailed to the writer by Mrs. Lock, in a conversation on the evil of Sabbath-breaking. THE CARBONEAR CAPTAIN. 221 This was a great triumph for religion, and the effect was soon seen in Island Cove and along the North Shore ; and while it is now an admitted principle that the Lord's da^ should be kept holy, yet it is to be feared that many persons, contrary to their convictions, do still violate the sanctity of the Sabbath by doing work connected with the fishery. A few years later, a similar case occurred at the ico to one of our Methodist captains from Carbonear. A young man, master of an ice-hunter, had lately found the pardoning love of God, when duty called him to go on a sealing-voyage. He resolved he would not take seals on the Sabbath, and told his men so before he left the harbor. One very fine Sabbath, a floe came near his vessel, on which was a great number of seals. The men, notwithstanding what he had told them, prepared to take the seals. He forbade them ; st'll they persisted. He however stood in the gangway and declared, " Not a seal shall be put on board my schooner this day." Pres- ently another schooner saw the floe, bore down upon it, and immediately commenced taking the seals on board ; and by night she had taken about five hundred. The day was very fine, and the reflection of the sun's rays, from the snow and ice, greatly affected the eyes of the men. The Monday morning came, the floe was still there, and more seals upon it than were seen on the Sabbath. Our Methodist captain now directed his men to go to work, which they did with a good will, and in three days they captured sixteen hundred seals; while the men on board the other schooner were all ice-blind, and, after the Sabbath, they never took another seal for the season. The first Newfoundland district had only six mem- 19* fl ' ! i 1: « II 222 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. bers. Of William Ellis and Sampson Busliby, the two first names on tlie list, we have given some ac- count in our brief'biographical sketches. A tew notices of the other brethren we shall now lay before the reader. John Pickavant was a native of Lancashire, born in 1792. He was brought to God when in his sixteenth year, and when quite young, he began to exercise his talents as a local preacher. In the year 1814, he was called into the regular work, and appointed to New- foundland. He filled the office of chairman of the dis- trict for many years, and labored on the island for about thirty years. He was a good preacher ; his address was easy, engaging, and dignified ; and his views of evangelical truth were clear and comprehensive. His health was not generally good. In the year 1843, he returned to England, with his health greatly impaired. He, however, so far recovered as to take some impor- tant circuits in his native land. He died, while Super- intendent of the Third Leeds Circuit, on the 27th of March, 1848, in the fifty-sixth year of his age, and the thirty-fourth of his ministry. John Lewis, Sen., was a native of Wales. He was called out into the ministry by the conference of 1814, and appointed to Newfoundland, where he labored for six years. He was one of the first missionaries to the westward of St. Johns. In the autumn of 1817, an opening for Methodism occurred in the harbor of Bu- rin, in Placentia Bay. The brethren sent him there ; a place where a Methodist preacher had never set his foot, far away from any communication with his breth- ren, and where he had not one Christian friend with whom he could converse. Moreover, the leading mer- chants were opposed to Methodism, and the wickedness 1 •*!' I . 11 , THOMAS AND JAMES HlCKSON. 228 I » iby, the OHIO ac- V notices rore the born in lixteenth rcise his , he was to New- *the dis- m about address riews of i. His L843, he upaired. e impor- 3 Super- 27th of and the He was )f 1814, lored for js to the L817, an • of Bu- 1 there; r set his is breth- nd witli ng mer- ?kedne?s of the people was proverbial. He went, however, in the true spirit of a Clu'istian missionary, firmly trusting tiiat tiie Great Head of the clmrch would open his way, and give him success in his work. He was not disappointed. The people received him with all con- ceivable kindness; they opened their houses to him; tliey built a church, and contributed largely to his sup- port. God blessed his preaching, so that many were turned from their evil ways. A society was formed, and Methodism took firm hold of the people, which hold it still retains. For many years, the name of John Lewis was remembered with much affection and esteem ; and his removi.i from the circuit was deeply regretted. In the spring of 1820, brother Lewis left Newfound- land, and labored in England two years, when he was appointed to Yell, one of the Shetland Islands, where he remained three years, and then returned to England. In the minutes of 1863, his name is still recorded as living. He is down as supernumerary for Nottingham North Circuit. Thomas Hickson, an Englishman, entered the itin- erant work at the conference of 1815. His first ap- pointment was St. Johns, Newfoundland. He labored in different circuits on the island for nine years, with very great acceptance and usefulness ; and in every cir- cuit, God honored him in the conversion of souls. The summer before he left, he went on a mission to the Labrador Indians, of which notice will be taken in the proper place. He returned to England in 1824. In the minutes of 1863, his name is down as supernu- merary on the Northampton Circuit. James Hickson, brother of Thomas Hickson, was born in the year 1791. In his sixteenth year, he was wrought to an experirneutal acquaintance with the " truth i^i' •\' M n Ill ■i i 224 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. as it is in Jesus," and soon aftorward ho employed his talents as a local preacher with much acceptance. Af- ter being so employed for several years, he believed it to be his duty to give himself wlioUy to the ministry ; and althuugh he had a widowed mother, whose soul seemed bound in his, yet the cause of Christ was, in his estimation, paramount to all human affections and ties. He therefore, painful as it was, broke off from her embraces, and offered himself as a missionary at the conference of 1815. He was sent to Newfoundland, where he labored with great zeal and faithfulness for nine years. He was not what people call a great preacher, but he was a sound theologian, and preached with much earnestness and solemnity. His voice was clear, but of a low bass pitch ; so that, in singing, he could sound double C with ease. His walk before the people was always uniform and circumspect ; and in the circuits where he labored, particularly in Island Cove and Perlican, Bonavista and Trinity, he was made very useful, and many were converted to God through his instrumentality. Every one spoke of James Hick- son with reverence. He returned to Enffland in 1824, where he continued to be eminently successful, both in the conversion of sinners and in the edification of be- lievers. He died in peace, on the 3d of September, 1837, in the forty-sixth year of his age, and the twenty-third of liis ministry. The conference of 1815 resolved to send two addi- tional missionaries to Newfoundland ; but the mission- ary committee increased those two to six; and, before the conference of 1816, the following six additional missionaries were sent out : Ninian Barr, George Cubit, Richard Knight, John Walsh, John Bell, John l-l rt 1 r»l-» STATIONS. 225 The station-sheet for 1816 reads thus: — NEWFOUNDLAND. St. Johns — John Pickuvant, Ninian Barr. Cakuonkar — George Cubit, Richard Knight. Blackiikad — John Walsh, Thomas llicksoa. PoKT DK Grave — John Lewis. Island Cove and Perlican — John Bell, John Haigh. BoNAViSTA — James Hickson. John Bell, Chairman of the District. N. B. William Ellis was omitted by mistake, so that the number of missionaries was now eleven, and our membership five hundred. The above is the list of stations as thoy appear on the printed minutes ; but the committee gave a discre- tionary power to the district to make any aheration in the appointments that they might deem necessary. The following were the stations for that year, as altered by the district meeting, and as they appear in the minutes of 1817 : — St. Johns — George Cubit. Carbonear — John Walsh. Harbor Grace — Ninian Barr. Blackhead — John Pickavant. Western Bay — John Haigh. Island Cove and Perlican — John Bell. Port de Grave — James Hickson. Bona VISTA — Thomas Hickson. Trinity Harbor — William Ellis. Fortune Bay — Richard Knight. Hants Harbor — John Lewis. The additional circuits are Harbor Grace, Western Bay, Trinity Harbor, Fortune Bay, and Hants Harbor. Harbor Grace, the scene of Lawrence Couirhlan's labors, and where Methodism was first planted on this side the ocean, had for a number of years been less fre- quently visited than some other places on the shore, because of the determined opposition made against us H \ ! 1 i I if i 226 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. i' jrwiMr' there ; yet the mission'aries had never abandoned the ground, and there was always " a faithful few " in tlip.t interesting town, some of whom had been converted under the p caching of Mr. Cbuprlikn ; and now, in their old age, were enabled to rejoice that at length their prayers were heard, and the desire of their hearts realized by the permanent appointment of a Methodist preacher to their circuit. Western Bay. — This place is on the north shore, and about three miles from Bhckhead. It has often formed a part of the Blackhead Circuit. It contains a considerable population, and was a place often visited bj'- our first missionaries, as they peregrinated up and down the shore. TRINITY CIRCUIT. John Haigh was the first Wesleyan missionary sta- tioned here, which was in 1816. He remained one year, and was succeeded, in 1817, by William Ellis. These brethren were very kindly received by the people ; and the court house was opened for them, as a place of worship on the Sabbath. There was, however, much gayety in the town, and the court-house was used, when wanted, as a ballroom. Our people were but few in number, yet they soon comuienced a church, which was carried to its completion chiefly by the ex- ertion of our firm friend, Dr. George Skelton, to whose means, influence, and talent Methodism owes its origin in Trinity. We have had much to contend with here, and we are yet but few ; nevertheless, bv the blessinc^ of God, after half a century, our cause still lives and prospers, and has been the means of salvation to many, both in Trinity Harbor, and also in English Harbor, a part of the circuit distant six miles. iHi 3. oned the " in tlmt on verted now, in t length ir hearts [ethodist h shore, las often •ntains a n visited up and TRINITY CIRCUIT. 227 lary sta- )ne year, These pie ; and place of er, mucli as used, veref but church, ;■ the ex- to whose its origin ith here, blessino; ives and ;o many, [arbor, a Fortune Bay is next on our station-sheet. The entrance of Fortune Bay is two hundred forty miles west from St. Johns ; it is about thirty-five miles wide, and eighty in length. It contains a number of harbors, and a considerable population. Information reached Fortune Bay that several Meth- odist missionaries had arrived from England, and a ves- sel going from thence to St. Johns, application was made for one, for Grand Bank and Fortune Bay ; and Richard Knight, afterward so well known in these Provinces, was the first Protestant minister, of any de- nomination, stationed in that part of the island. Mr. Knight remained two years on the station, during which time he collected congregations in Grand Bank and Fortune Bay, formed the first class, and was instru- mental of much good among that interesting people. Hickman, Forsey, Evans, and Chilcot, are names well known as among the first fruits of Methodism in that remote part of the Newfoundland mission. The head of the circuit is Grand Bank, a small harbor, only fit for fishing-boats and small schooners. It is dry at low water. The land is level, the place is pleasant, the inhabitants are not very numerous, but a more kind and affectionate people are not to be found. They have always highly esteemed their min- isters, and have exerted themselves at all times to make them and their famihes comfortable. God has blessed them, both with temporal and with spiritual prosperity. Fortune, from whence the bay derives its name, is a small harbor four miles east from Grand Bank. The traveller, after leaving Grand Bank, first had to ford a stream, sometimes only to the knees ; at other times it would be breast high ; about one mile of land he next passed, but the remainder of the journey was over loose 1 I r t i 1 i I I 228 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Stones by the sea-side. Through the whole of this ex- tensive region, there was no Protestant church, or any religious service whatever, except by a man who lived some thirty miles up the bay, and who sometimes read the church service on Sabbath day. This man was in the employment of the " Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." He was grossly ignorant, and, like most other persons in the employment of that society, he was most determinately opposed to Method- ism. It is difficult to determine which was the most glaring, the impudence or the ignorance of this man, — this then only Protestant teacher in all Fortune Bay. One day, this " Reader," who was sometimes digni- fied with the cognomen of " Parson," met one of our missionaries in the house of our aged friend, Mr. Blake, in the harbor of Fortune, when he thought it a good opportunity to offer an insult to the Methodist preacher, as Well as to exhibit his own wisdom^ before the preach- er's friends. He therefore most unceremoniously com- menced : — Teacher. " Aint you a Methodist preacher ? " Missionary. " I am." Teacher. " And you call yourself a missionary, don't you ? " Miss. "I do." Teacher. " But you aint ' a missionary ; ' our ministers are mis- sionaries ; but Methodist preachers aint missionaries." Miss. " What should Methodist preachers be called, if they are not missionaries ? Pray what is a missionary V " Teacher, " Why, you are only mis-shine-aries ; that is what you oiight to be called, a ' mmhineari/.* " Miss. " Pardon me, sir ; I never heard the word before ; will you please tell me what the word means ? " Teacher. " A ' misshineary ' means, a man who is inferior to a missionary." Miss. " f trhaps you will also bo kind enough to say, in what re- spect Methodist preachers are inferior to Episcopal clcrf^ymen." It HANTS HARBOR. 229 if this ex- h, or any kvlio lived mes read an was in gation of ignorant, nt of that Method- the most 5 man, — une Bay. les digni- tie of our [r. Blake, it a good preacher, le preach- iisly com- you ? " jrs are mis- if thev are • a what you lefore; will inferior to In what re- rg^aieu." Teacher. « Why, you are not college-bred; you don't wear a gown, and you don't observe the laws of the Church and the Bible." Miss. "With regard to not being 'college-bred,' not wearing a gown, and not observing the laws of the Church, are all matters of small moment; but it is a matter of serious charge, not to ob- serve the laws of God. In what respect do we not observe the laws of God ? " Teacher. " You eat pork on Friday.' Miss. " Does the Bible forbid eating pork on Friday ? " Teacher. « To be sure it does." Miss. " I do not remember to have read such a prohibition in the Bible. Will you please to tell me in what part of the holy book It is to be found ? " Taking up the Bible, and turning over a number of leaves, he looked confused; and, after a little while, said, " I do not think it is in the Bible, either ; but I am sure it is in the Prayer Book." Miss. " I do not remember to have seen anything in the Prayer Book about eating ' pork on Friday.' " Teacher. » But I am sure it is there. Taking up a Prayer Book, he read the Rubric : « Observe all the Fridays in the year, except Chnstmas-day, as days of fasting or abstinence.' " Miss. " What is that to the purpose V " Ten-^her. " Does it not say ' Observe all the Fridays as days of abstinence ? ' and what does abstinence mean but pork ? " Such was the intelligence of the only Protestant teacher in the bay, when the providence of God led the first Newfoundland district to send one of their number for the instruction of the people. Hants Harbor is the least on the list of stations. It IS situated on the south shore of Trinity Bay, about eighteen miles from Old Perlican. Some of the first settlers came from Old Perlican ; and several of the aged people knew the first Methodist preachers that visited that place. Methodism was the only religious syst^em with which they were acquainted ; they loved its doctrines ; and brother Lewis was received bv them 20 i i ! \ i Ih 230 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. with much thankfulness and pleasure. Seal Cove, three miles below, and Scilly Cove, six miles above Hants Harbor, constitute the several parts of the cir- cuit. Above Scilly Cove, three miles, is NeW Perlican ; and about the same distance above New Perlican is Heart's Content. These places were occasionally vis- ited by our ministers. The aj)pointment of Mr. Cubit to St. Johns was a great benefit to our rising cause in that important town. Mr. Cubit had been in his circuit but a short time before his learnin2 and abilities were known to the public, and attracted large congregations to our church. The numbers who flocked to hear him were not disap- pointed ; for few preachers, in their public capacity, were more " apt to teach," than Mr. Cubit His store of information was inexhaustible, his manner was strik- ing and simple, his reasoning was cogent, his exposi- tions of Scripture were rich, and his arguments in de- fence of revealed truth convincing and unanswerable. Among other fruits of his ministry was a young gen- tleman attached to the army, — Lieutenant, afterwards Captain Vicars, of the Royal Engineers, who came to St. Johns lio;ht and volatile in his manners, and in his mind strongly imbued with deistical principles. Hear- ing of the learning and fame of this newly arrived Methodist preacher, he thought he would go and hear him, and see if he could prove tliat the Bible was the word of God. The preaching and private conversa- tion of Mr. Cubit discovered to him his error, and he soon became convinced of his guilty state by nature, and he sought and found the pardoning mercy of God. SL rtly af.erward was seen in St. Johns the great moral phenomenon of a military officer, in his uniform, preaching the gospel of Jesus, in a Methodist chapel, HEDLEY VICARS. [ Cove, s above the cir- erlican ; :lican is ally vis- 3 was a it town. )rt time I to the church. )t disap- apacity, is store as strik- exposi- s in de- kverable. mg gen- erwards came to d in his Hear- arrived nd hear was the onversa- , and he nature, of God. le great aniform, chapel, to the public, to his comrades in arms, and to his quon- dam companions in vice. Captain Vicars married in St. Johns, and the lady of his choice was also a Wesleyan. The regiment to which he belonged removed from Newfoundland about two years after his conversion ; but he and his excel- lent lady carried their religion and their Methodism with them ; and when God gave them a family, they endeavored to bring them up in his fear. Hedley Vicars was the son of this gentleman. He received a military education, obtained a commission in the army, and was attached to the ninety-seventh regi- ment of foot. During the fearful struggle with Rus- sia, the ninety-seventh was ordered to the scene of conflict. The religious instruction that vouno- Vicars had received, while under the paternal roof, was blessed to him ; and in early life he became a subject of con- verting grace. Like his father, he was not ashamed of the cross, but whether on the sea-girt Island of Malta, surrounded by the mummeries of Popery, on the mountains, in the dells, or before the crumbling ruins of classic Greece ; whether advancino- to the front, where the booming of distant artillery showed the position of Sebastopol and its deadly heights, or doing dangerous duty in the trenches, he instructed his men in his Bible-classes, he boldly bore the gibes of his brother officers, and, in return, made known to them and to all others who would listen, the unsearch- able riches of Christ. This noble youth fell in the trenches, when .repelling a night attack by the Rus- sians, on the twenty-second of March, 1855. Amontr his last words were, " This way, ninety-seventh," in- tended to direct his men as to their advance, and show- ing that he was a military hero, being himself in the '! Si I ^ 232 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. place of danger ; and words which were expressive, also, of his religious state, and directing those for whose salvation he had labored, the way to life and immor- tahty. An interesting life of Hedley -Vicars has been published ; but all reference to his Methodism, or the Methodism of his pious father, has been studiously avoided. SABBATH SCHOOLS. In those days, there was but little education in New- foundland. Very many large communities were with- out any kind of school ; so that only a few persons could read, less^ were able to write, and to see a young mar- ried couple sign the marriage register was no ordinary event. To meet this want as much as possible, our brethren established Sabbath schools in every circuit ; but the lack of persons competent to teach rendered it necessary for the preachers and their families to take the principal part in instructing the children, from the enunciation of the letters of the alphabet to that of reading the Scriptures of truth. There were no Wes- leyan Catechisms then in existence ; so that instruction in gospel doctrines and Bible history had all to be given verbally, which was a great additional labor for the preachers. But they were compensated in the readi- ness which the children showed in acquiring the art of reading, and the knowledge of those subjects to which their attention was directed. Hundreds of persons in Newfoundland obtained all their knowledge in our Sab- bath schools ; and the religious impressions made upon their minds, while in those schools, were never forgot- ten ; but in many instances, in after life, were the means of their conversion. As eVfirv nprson. both mn]p anrl farnolo •wrao ««„ gag fish the getl harl mee mee ing prea half all \ pres oft. thei] I i/,^i ^ I SABBATH SCHOOLS. 233 jressive, 1' whose immor- las been , or the adiously n New- :e with- 18 could ig mar- n'dinary ble, our circuit ; endered to take [•om the that of o Wes- Tuction )e given for the i readi- 3 art of ) which 'sons in iir Sab- le upon forgot- jre the as OR' gaged in the fishery, either in catching or curing the fish, we could have no meetings on week days during the summer, but all our meetings were crowded to- gether on the Lord's day. Thus in most of the out harbors at six o'clock in the morning, a prayer- meeting would be held in the chapel ; at seven, a class- meeting ; at nine, the Sabbath school ; at eleven, preach- ing ; at two, the Sabbath school again ; at three, preaching; after preaching, a female class; and at half-past six either preaching or prayer-meeting. At all these meetings the missionary was expected to be present ; so that to him the Sabbath was indeed a day of toil. But God gave the missionaries strength for their day, and blessed them in their work. 20 « i i « i 11 f :i'>^ CHAPTER VIII. NEWFOUNDLAND MISSIONARY SOCIETY — NOVA SCOTIA MISSIONARY SO- CIETY — JOHN BELL— OEOKOK CUBIT — JOHN WALSH — JOHN HAIGH — RICHARD KNIGHT— WESLEYAN MISSIONS — I'ROPAGATION SOCIE- TY—PERSECUTION IN BONAVISTA — ARRIVAL OF THE WRITER — STATE OF THE COUNTRY. m^ \ THE number of missionaries at the first district meeting, which was in 1816, was eleven; and the district contained the same number for twenty-four years. The number was increased to Uvelve in 1840. The missionary committee, in tlieir report for 1816, p. 25, say, — "In Newfoundland there are not less than twenty thousand persons without religious in- struction ; and the old people among the settlers, who remember this ' land of Bibles and ordinances,' often weep that the year now rolls over them without Sab- baths, without public worship and the ministry of the word ! " In this same year, our missionary income was X 12,5^5 08. 9i(?., which paid all the expenses of the year, and left a balance in hand of .£2,705 18^. The total number of missionaries was ninety, and of our missionary membership twenty-one thousand and ninety-seven. Here let it be ^recorded that as Newfoundland was the first spot in our moral world cultivated by Metho- dist missionary enterprise, so it was the very first place, out of England and Scotland, that contributed to our mission fund. Even Ireland, with ail her magnanira- (234) NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT. 235 ity, and althounrli slie lias friven so many missionaries to this and other countries, and long has had a Confer- ence of her own, yet 1 ar name does^ot appear in the Report of 1817 as a contributor to our mission fund; but Newfoundland stands out in bold relief, as the first contributor in the sum of £30 188. Qd. sterlincr. There was no Missionary Auxiliary Society then formed ; but the preachers mentioned the matter to particular friends, who promptly poured their moneys into the treasury of the Lord. The subscriptions were taken in the autumn of 1816, and paid at the district meeting held in May, 1817. For the honor of the names, and the satisfaction it may give to the children or families whose eye may catch this narrative, I will transcribe the missionary list from the Report of 1817, which now lies before me. NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT Cawley, James, Esq., , , Chancy, L., Esq., Cowan, Mr. James, . Cowan, Mrs., . , , , Gosse, J., Esq., Henderson, Mr. J., , , , Henderson, Mr. B., . Johnson, Mr., . , . , Lilly, W., Esq., . , \ McCartney, Mr., .... St. John, Mr., . . , , Thistle, Mrs., .... Small sums under 20s., £6 10 2 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 5 1 10 15 7 18 6 £30 18 6 Such w^as the first missionary list, out of Great Britain. While Newfoundland was the first foreign contrib- utor to our mission fund, Nova Scotia has the honor of having formed the first foreign auxiliary missionary society. 236 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ; ii On the tliird of June, 1817, and only a few weeks after tlie above money was reuiittecl to En«r|and, " the Methodist Misskmary Society for the district of Nova Scotia, including New Brunswick and Prince Edward's Island," was formed in Argyle Street Chapel, Halifax. During the year, branches were formed in Halifax, Liverpool, Shelburne, St. Johns, Fredericton, Annapj- olis, Cumberland, Horton, Newport, and Lunenburg ; and the total net amount remitted was .£323 la. dd. sterling. The first annual meeting of this society was held in Halifax, June 2, 1818, when ten resolutions were passed, and twenty speakers addressed the meeting besides the chairman. The above amount was iZ ported at this meeting. From the report published by the Nova Scotia Mis- sionary Society, in 1818, we make the following ex- tract : — " In Newfoundland, where so much distress has lately prevailed, and still continues to exist; where there have been such de- structive fires; where so many pecuniary embarrassments have been felt; and where there are so many things to discourage and depress the minds of missionaries, — your committee are happy to mform you, that Methodist missionaries are employed in blow- mg the gospel trumpet, and are wandering along its barren shores to scatter the word of life. There they have necessarily to endure many trials, to labor under peculiar disadvantages ; and havmg lately had two of their best chapels destroyed by fire, they continue undaunted and undismayed; and, relying upon the' Lord God of Elijah, cheerfully prosecute their labors; and by the latest accounts from them, we learn that a gracious work is pro- gressmg in several of their stations and circuits." The circuits to which reference is here made were Island Cove and Perlican, under Thomas Hickson; Harbor Grace, under James Hickson ; Trinity, under William Ellis; and Buren, under John Lewis; in all which places, at that time, the Spirit was poured out mg. }. JOHN BELL. 237 \v weeks itl, " the of Nova Cclward's Halifax. Halifax, Annap- eiiburg ; 5 78. M. iety was solutions meotiti^ was rc- >tia Mis- sing ex- prevailed, such de- ints have iscourage ire happy in blow- 3 barren 8cessarily iges ; and i by fire, upon the id by the 'k is pro- le were ickson ; , under ; in all -ed out from on high ; and our societies received a character and a pennaneiicy which they still retain. A biographical sketch of the preachers connected with the first district meeting, which have not been so noticed, will now be given. John Bell was a native of Hull, in Yorkshire, bom October 19, 1788. His parents were Episcopalians, but he was awakened to a sense of his lost state by nature when in the fourteenth year of his age, and joined the Wesleyan church. When in his twenty- first year, he began to use his talents as a local preacher ; and in the year 1811 he was received as a probationer in our ministry. He travelled five years in England, when he came to Newfoundland as a mission- ary in 1816, and was appointed chairman of the dis- trict. He was the second man who filled that office, and he retained that position until the year 1823, when he returned to his native land. He continued to labor in his high vocation until the year 1851, when he became a supernumerary. He was very neat and precise in his person. His preaching abilities were not of a high order ; still, as a preacher, he was distinguished b^ his perspicuity and great simplicity. He was an excellent pastor, and in the sick-chamber and by the bed of the dying his affectionate manner was often made a bless- ing. He died in peace, October 26, 1855, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, and the forty-fiflh of his ministry. George Cubit was born in the city of Norwich, in the year 1791. His father's family removed to Shef- field, while he was yet a boy, when he attended Carver- Street Chapel. He joined the Wesleyan church in 1808, and soon after became a subject of pardon, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He now be- 238 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. gun to employ himsolf for the benefit of otliers, and it is believed that ho originated the plan of tract dis- tribution by loan. He also commenced to act aa a local preacher, when the great powers of his mind became developed, and it was seen that he was no ordinary man, but gave promise of superior abilities. He was received on trial for the itinerancy, at the con- ference of 1813, and labored three years in England. He came to Newfoundland in 181G, and removed from thence in 1819, spending three years of his useful life as a missionary on that important island. Of the man- ner of his preaching, and the success of his labors as a Newfoundland missionary, we have already spoken ; and we shall now follow him to his native land. For sixteen years, he filled some of our most impor- tant circuits, commanding large congregations of highly cultivated and intelligent hearers. In 1836, he was called to fill the editorial chair, first as assistant, and afterward as principal editor of our English Magazine, and the various other literary and religious works that constantly flow from that important establishment, the Wesley an Book -Room, City Road, London. For many years, he presided over the literature of the connection with great judgment. It is said, however, that in his latter years he became quite a recluse, seldom mixing with society, which was a great grief to his friends, whom he had so often instructed and delighted with his boundless stores of religious, scientific, and miscel- laneous knowledge. He died, October 13, 1850, in the fifty-ninth year of his age, and the thirty-seventh of his ministry. John Walsh was born at Ormskirk, Lancashire, in the year 1795. His parents were Roman Catholics, and he ■was brnno'ht nn in that reli^'ion. His father nme REVS. JOHN WAI^H AND NINIAN BARR. 239 I, and it •act Jis- ict as a is mind was no abilities, the con- Cn<:;land. /ed from setul life ;he man- abors as spoken ; [. it impor- )f highly , he was ant, and [agazine, )rks that lent, the 'or many nnection lat in his 1 mixing: friends, ited with I miscel- L850, in -seventh shire, in Catholics, [is father Intended that he shonld bo a priest, and his early education was all in reference to that object. Ke- nioving from Onnskirk to Liverpool, ho was led to visit the Methodist Chapel, where, under the ministry of the Kev. Joseph Entwisle, he was brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. To the grief and di8a|)pointment of his popish friends, but to the honor of our Protestantism, he renounced the Pa[)acy, and became a Wesleyan Methotlist. In the year 1814, he was received on trial as a Wesleyan minister, and stationed in Lancaster, under the superintendency of the Rev. John Beaumont. After laboring two years in the Lancaster Circuit, he came, in 1814, to New- foundland, and was apj)ointed to Carbonear. He s])ent nine years on the Newfoundland mission, and returned to England in the year 1825. His manner, by some, was thought to be stiff and priestly ; but, as a preacher, he was faithful and laborious ; and his sermons were rich in evangelical truth, and always delivered with earnestness and power. He was called to liis reward on the 19th of Decemb-r, in the year 1857, in the sixty-third year of his age, and the forty-fourth of his ministry. Before he died, his spccc a having failed, his sorrowing wife exclaimed, "Victory ! " He moved his head in token of assent, and then fell asleep in Jesus. Ninian Barr, a Scotchman by birth. He was called into the itinerant work by the conference of 1816, and appointed as a missionary to Newfoundland. His man- ner was cheerful ; he was a man of talent, and a good preacher. He labored on the island ten years, then returned to England. He filled several important cir- cuits, but was compelled to retire from the active work, "•-• "-yj d;; i.iio Cuiiiciciica or loo^. ills name 13 240 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. the supernumerary Ahroath minutes as Montrose Circuit, John Haigh was born in Leeds, in 1795, and was brought to God under a sermon preached by the late Mr. William Dawson. In 1816, he was received into the Wesleyan ministry, and sent to Newfoundland, where he labored twenty-one years. He occupied some of the best circuits in the district, with great acceptance to the people ; and in nearly all the circuits he witnessed a revival of religion. In 1837, he was nominated chairman of the Bahama District, but his constitution would not endure a tropical clime ; he therefore re- turned to England, and labored eighteen years in his native land. He was a man of clear perception, a good theologian, an earnest, faithful, and practical preacher. He was attacked with paralysis ; and, after remaining speechless for two days, he died May 2, 1859, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, and the forty-third of his ministry. Richard Knight, D. D., was bom in Devonshire, in the year 1788. We have no information of the time and circumstances connected with his conversion to God ; but we know that he was one of the young men sent to Newfoundland in 1816. His first appohitment was Fortune Bay, and, as we have seen, he was the first Protestant minister of any name that resided among that people. His next appointment was Bonavista and Catalina, on the way to which the fishing-boat in which he sailed put into the harbor of Trinity. While there, he preached fi-om Jeremiah xxii. 29, " O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the. Lord." A lady was pres- ent, then one of the gayest of the gay. She had been brought up a strict Church-of-Eugland woman ; and while she in heai't despised Methodism, yet she thouglit she ^1 3. oath and and was late Mr. into the i, where some of :)tance to witnessed >minated stitution sfore re- 's in his 1, a good >reacher. jmaining ), in the rd of his ishire, in the time srsion to mg men )intment the first I among dsta and in which le there, ti, earth, ^as pres- lad been in ; and thougiit REV. MR. KNIGHT. 241 she would go, for once, to the Methodist chapel ; it might afford her some amusement. But her mind, that night, was powerfully wrought upon by the Holy Spirit. She became a penitent ; she sought and found mercy ; she united herself with our church ; boldly bore the cross ; became an humble follower of the Lord Jesus, employing her time and her ample means in visiting the sick and the poor; and to the utmost did she spread abroad the knowledge of religion. She was not ashamed to call herself a Wesleyan, and sustained the cause of Methodism by all means in her power. This lady was 6he wife of William Kelson, Esq., who also became a member of our church, and who, with Dr. George Skelton, were for many years the principal supporters of our cause in the Trinity Circuit. Mr. Knight labored in Newfoundland for sixteen years, and in several circuits was he made eminently useful. In Carbonear and Blackhead, extensive re- vivals took place under him, and many persons attrib- uted their conversion to his instrumentality. He was secretary of the district most of the time that he was on that mission. In the year 1833, he came to Nova Scotia, and was elevated to the chair of the district. He continued to occupy the chair of the Nova Scotia, then of the New Brunswick, district, and, after the formation of the Eastern British American Conference, of the several districts where he resided, until he was called to his reward. For the last three years of his hfe, he filled the office of co-delegate, and certainly would have been elected president had his life been spared. He made no pretensions to extensive hterary attainments; nevertheless he received the honorary title of D. D. He was a good preacher, an excellent pastor, a man of firm integrity, a kind father, and, as a 21 ! I I! t . \ t 242 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Methodist preacher, was highly respected and useful in the various circuits in which he labored. He was the senior effective Methodist missionary in the world. He was a firm believer in the doctrine of Christian perfec- tion ; and, for years before his death, he professed to live in the enjoyment of the perfect love of God. His frame was athletic, a man of strong muscular powers, and through his whole life almost a stranger to sickness. He continued to labor until within a few days of his end. On Sabbath, May 14th, he preached in Sack- ville ; on Monday and Tuesday, he attended the aca- demic exercises, but was taken very ill on Tuesday even- ing, and, on the twenty-third of the same month, he exchanged mortality for life. He died at Sackville, on the 23d of May, 1860, in the seventy-second year of his age, and the forty-fourth of his ministry. A few days before his death, he called his family around him, and charged them all to meet him in heaven. Just before he expired, he exclaimed, " I see his glory, hallelujah ! " Such were the men who constituted the first Wes- leyan District in Newfoundland, — men who, while they preached the truth to others, themselves lived under its influence, and in death triumphed in its saving power. Over a large portion of the island had these heralds of the cross carried the standard of their Great Captain, and many had they enlisted into his service. In every circuit, classes had been formed. Sabbath schools organ- ized, and souls converted to God. Our membership in Newfoundland was then 670. The Wesleyan Church had now begun to assume large proportions, and to appear before the world in its true lijiht, as a missionary church. Its missions were now planted in many different and distant lands ; and wliile the exEiIted talents of Ricliard Watson, Jabez (I RETURN OF MR. CUBITT. 248 3ns were Bunting, Adam Clarke, Robert Newton, George Mor- ley, and a host of otiier gigantic minds, were arousing the churclies in England to their duty in reference to the world's conversion, at least one hundred mission- aries, sent out through their influence, were proclaiming, in various languages, the solemn verities of the ever- lasting gospel. In 1818, we had four misionaries in France ; we had missions on the Island of Ceylon, and Continental In- dia ; in New South Wales and Africa ; at Sierre Leone and Little Namacqualand ; in the West Indies, in the Canadas, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. The total mis- sionary membership was 23,573. The balance-sheet for the same year presented a missionary income of ^20,599 17s. lid. sterling. This was a large sum for our exchequer, c( IJering that the society had only been organized fi e Y':ars. The Christianity of our world is like the orbs of the solar system, which, while they all receive light from the sun, do reciprocally illuminate each other ; so every evangelical church, receivhig its light from the Sun of Righteousness, must and will reflect that light to the *' regions beyond," and then farther into the deep re- cesses of moral darkness, until that darkness is entirely dissipated, and every land enjoys the light and the bless- ings of pure, Protestant Christianity. To the church is the injunction given, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." The missionary band in the Newfoundland District continued unbroken until about the month of January, 1820, when Mr. Cubitt, on account of ill health, had to return to h* native land. His brethren, however, continued to labor in their ditterent circuits under I 1' ' I 'ism*^'- iln" i v fj'j 244 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. many privations, but with much zeal and success. God was with them ; the people everywhere received them with kindness, and attentively listened to their instructions. Tlie fruit of their labors, in many in- stances, has already been apparent ; but the entire result thereof will only be known when tiie Great Head of the Church shall appear in the clouds of heaven to "■judge the world in righteousness." In the year 1818, the population of the island was estimated at 90,000 souls, of whom about 40,000 were Protestants. The Protestant population were scattered over a hne of coast, which, including the deep indents of the large bays, extended more than eight hundred miles. For the religious instruction of this large and scattered body of people, the agents of three missionary societies, and no more, were employed. Of these, the Wesleyans were the earliest in the field, and by far the most numerous. We had eleven missionaries, and oc- cupied different positions in five, out of the eio-ht, lar^e bays of the island. The second was the Congregationalists. These had a respectable church in St. Johns, with the Rev. Mr. Sabine «is pastor. There were also a few members of this church residing in the harbor of Twilliniiate. The third was the " Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." This society had five missionaries, viz.: St. Johns, Rev. Messrs. Rowland and Grantham ; Harbor Grace, Rev. Mr. Carrington ; Trinity, Rev. Mr. Clinch ; and at Twillingate, Rev. Mr. Leigh. Messrs. Rowland and Grantham soon after removed from the island, and Mr. Leigh went to England for a time ; so that in 1820 there were only two Episcopal clergymen, Rev. Mr. Carrington, who was now in St. Johns, and Rev. Mr. Ciinchj in Trinity. OPPOSITION FROM EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 245 success, received to their lany i fi- re result [lead of aven to md was 30 were cattered indents lundred I'ge and jsionary ese, the far the and oc- it, large ese had 3V. Mr. ibers of -»• ition of lad five owland ngton ; !, Rev. 1 soon vent to e only 1, who /rinity. Beside these two ministers, they had eleven persons called school-masters, some of whom were respectable men. These school-masters received from £10 to X20 per annum for reading prayers on the Sabbath. This was the whole establishment of the Episcopal Church in the year 1820. From the Roman Catholics of Newfoundland we have never met with any formal opposition ; but we re- gret to say, it has been otherwise with the ministers of the E})iscopal Church. The Wesleyans have never placed themselves in antagonism to the Church of Eno-- land, and particularly did they in Newfoundland re- spect the ministers of the Church. But that respect was returned with contempt and ridicule, and even perse- cution when in their power. Did not the official pub- lications of the " Propagation Society " tend to this ? We give, as an example, an extract from the Report of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts," for the year 1818, published in Lon- don. In that report, at page 46, when speaking of Trinity Bay, we have the following paragraph : — " The whole population of the bay is estimated at one thousand Bouls, and within a few years they were almost exclusively mem- bers of the Church of England; but lately some fanatic preachers have made considerable progress there, as well as in other parts." The compilers of that report ought to have informed themselves better, ere they made such a statement. Before Methodist preachers went to Old Perlican, the people of Trinily Bay were neither " members of the Church of England," nor of any other church ; but were " without God," literally Atheists in the world ; nor did Methodist preachers obtrude upon Episcopal ground, as the above statement would show. We CQuId ivtibrd to smile at the expression " fanatic 246 iif: NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. i* preachers," when appHed to such men as George Cu- bit, Richard Knight, and others of our brethren whose powers of intellect were no way inferior to those who wrote that sentence, — only it was a sort of watchword for the persecution of the people. The Committee of the Society denounced their seniors in this field of labor as " fanatics ; " and their agents must put down such fanaticism, whatever means they employ to ac- complish their purpose. Thus one clerical gentleman, in that same Trinity Bay, would show his superiority, by occasionally wearing his surplice among the fisher- men in the public path, and, with a portion of it gath- ered in his hand, would say, " See, I can wear a gown, but Methodist preachers are not authorized so to do." Another said to one of our friends, " How is it that you can give the preference to that Mr. Hickson (Brother James Hickson) who is ' so much my inferior ' ? " While a third called upon the father of two young ladies who had lately joined our church, and said to him, " It is your duty to prevent your daughters from going to the Methodist chapel, and make them come to the church." The kind father rephed, " Sir, I will do no such thing ; my daughters are old enough to think for themselves ; and, if they wish to go to the Method- ist chapel, I will not interfere with them." But the most serious persecution occurred, a little later than this, in the Harbor of Bona vista. The auto- graph written at the time, and containing the details of this painful matter, now lies before me ;,and, suppressing the names, I will give a condensed statement of the case. V A certain clerical gentleman came to Bonavista to reside only for a time ; but his zeal was great against the fanatics, which zeal had been greatly excited by OPPOSITION FROM EPISCOPAL CHUKCH. 247 ' 2 " reading an article in an English Methodist magazine which chanced to fall into his hands. Just then, God had been pleased to bless us with a revival of religion, and among many others who were awakened was a married woman who had been an attendant at the Episcopal Church. The event excited the surprise of her friends, who said she was out of her senses. The doctor was called in, who said there was nothing the matter with her ; yet he thought that bleeding would do her good, so he cupped her in the back of the neck. The clergyman was s,ant for, and she told him she felt herself a sinner, and wished to learn the way to heaven. He said she was hypochondriacal; and if her friends would try and amuse her, or even take her out, and 'pelt net a little with snow-balls^ it would perhaps drive away her melancholy. The Wesleyan minister went to see her, and to him she spoke freely. She said she felt herself to be a guilty sinner, and wished to learn the way to heaven. As soon as his reverence heard that the Methodist preacher had been to see the woman, he wrote rather a singular note, from which we make the following extracts : — " I have been told you have been to visit . I beg to be informed if it be true, and by whom you were sent for. Had I visited one of your flock when she was hypochondriacal, I should have considered myself guilty of impertinent interference. " With Mr. Wesley, I cannot ascribe these things hastily to God. I do not suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions, or revelations to come from God: they may be from him; they may be from na- ture; they may be from the devD. " Your obedient "John ." The missionary, on the evening of the same day that he received the above note, met the doctor, and asked him, '' Does Mrs. P labor under any bodily dis- 248 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. 9" ease r ' He replied, " No ; there is nothing the matter with her body : it is all mental, and arises from mistaken notions of religion ; and, if she was my wife, I would flog her well.^* After this, her head was shaved and blistered ; her hands were tied ; and her cruel father actually flogged her. Still it was stated that nothincj was the matter with her, but " mistaken notions of relisrion." The Wesleyan minister was now peremptorily ex- cluded from the house ; but some of our female members contrived for a short time longer to see her. One of these ladies happened to go to the house just after her father had beaten Ler. She was standing at the door, and addressed our friend as she entered, " Oh, how happy I am to see you ; see how I am treated, 'and there is nothing the matter with me, only I feel myself to be a sinner, and I want some one to tell me the way of salvation." Here the conversation was interrupted by her brother, who began to swear at her, and call her father to come again and flog her. Upon another occasion, three of our female members went in company to see her ; and the doctor was at the door, who reluctantly consented to their admission ; but gave them them this caution, ** I have one thing to say, and that is, you must not speak to her on religious subjects." When they entered the room, she had a strait-jacket on, and a blister on her head. While they conversed on common topics, all went on well ; but, the moment they introduced religious conversation, they were interrupted, and she was threatened with confinement in a dark room. With much difficulty, they succeeded in getting permission to pray with her. This was the last time they could do so ; for, in the :s. OPPOSITION FROM EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 249 he matter mistaken , / would red ; her y flogged le matter » torily ex- ir female ■r to see a to the She was friend as ^ou ; see e matter r, and I Ivation." • brother, : to come members '^as at the sion ; but thing to rehgious le had a . While on well ; rersation, tied with lifficulty, with her. >r, in the evening of the same day, the Rev. Mr. came in great wrath, and absolutely forbade that any " more Methodists should be permitted to see her." The following Sabbath, one of our local preachers determined to make an effort to see her, as he was a distant relation. He went in the afternoon, while most of the family were at church ; but her father was at home, who admitted our friend with very great re- luctance. He stated that she was quite gentle, and had no appearance of gloom or melancholy ; but she still had on the strait-jacket, and a blister on her head. He inquired as to the state of her mind. She replied, " I am a poor ignorant creature ; I feel I am a sinner, and nothing but the blood of Christ can do me good.'' Her father overheard the conversation, and came into the room, when our friend asked permission to pray with her. The abrupt reply was, '* No ! " He re- monstrated, " Not pray with your daughter in her present state of mind ; that is cruel ! " The father re- plied, " I have a minister of my own, and I do not wish to offend him." Our friend answered, "Re- member, while you are trying to avoid giving offence to your minister, you are sinning against God : the salvation of your daughter is at stake." " Well, said " lie, "you should pray with her with all my heart; but the Rev. Mr. was here last night, and he for- bids any person praying with her; beside, they are now praying for her in the church." The poor woman m the end was compelled to yield, and was never after- ward permitted to enter a Methodist chapel. I will make no comment on the above ; only would assure the reader, that the statement was not compiled from a series of flying reports, but was taken down from the lips of the parties, on the respective days when the event occurred. w 2'50 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. / / I ' I In the year 1819, the Rev. Georgo Cubit returned to EntT-land, and thus r'^duced tlie number of our mis- sionaries to ten. But, in the spring of 1820, the writer was sent to make up the number to eleven. He came from the London West Circuit, then under the super- intendency of the Rev. George Morley. He was ordained in Chelsea Chapel, London, April 5, 1820 ; left Liverpool on the 21st of the same month, and landed at Harbor Grace on Sabbath, May 21st. The district meeting commenced June 1st ; and his appoint- ment was St. Johns, under the superintendency of the Rev. John Pickavant. Newfoundland was still without any roads ; and, ex- cept in the vicinity of St. Johns, there was not a house anywhere one mile from the water-side. Three calamitous fires had reduced the town of S*;. Johns to great distress, from the effects of which it was now slowly recovering. The first fire has been noticed in this narrative. It occurred on the 12th of February, 1816, and desolated a great part of the town. The property destroyed was said to exceed £100,000 sterling ; beside which, some fifteen hun- dred human beings were left houseless and penniless amid the snow and storms of a Newfoundland winter. The second fire broke out on the night of November 7th, 1817, which, in the short space of nine hours, destroyed thirteen mercantile establishments, well stocked with provisions, one hundred and forty dwelling-houses, and property to the amount of £500,000 sterling. This was succeeded by a third fire, which happened on the 21st of the same month, when several other wharves and stores, with fifty-six other dwelling-houses, were entirely consumed. These repeated fires produced great distress, and returned our mis- le writer ^e came IB super- He was 5, 1820 ; ntli, and it. The appoint- iency of and, ex- was not iter-side. n of St. f which fire has i on the t part of exceed sen hun- penniless d winter, fovember le hours, iits, well nd forty ount of J a third e month, 1 fifty-six d. ress, and ARRIVAL OF REV. WTIUam WII50N. 251 previMM t)br merchants from ordering supplies from Eiiro^ to tfi« extent to which they had been ac- customed. Many of the inhabitants were in great want, and became desperate ; provision stores and private houses were broken open, both in St. Johns and Carbonear. The people of Conception Bay called the winter of 1817 the " winter of the rals," from a sort of watch-word which was used in these gatherings. When the writer of this arrived in his circuit, the town was being rebuilt. A new chapel and mission- house had been erected, by the kind contributions of the friends of missions in various parts of Great Britain. St. Johns Circuit then comprised Portugal Cove, Torbay, and* Petty Harbor. In the town, beside our usual services in the chapel, we, durino- summer, preached in the open air once a week at River Head and Magotty Cove. Portugal Cove is nine i^iles from St. Johns. There is now a good road to tl is place ; but then, for more than half way, it was a complete bog. Here we had a small society, and an excellent local preacher, Mr. Curtis, so that we visited this place but occasionally. The next place was Torbay, which is north from St. Johns, about seven miles. The path is mostly bog ; but we thought little of the walk, as we were always rewarded with every kindness from the people, and had the whole Protestant population as our regular hearers. Pettj-- Harbor is nine miles south from St. Johns. For three fourths of the way, the path was over a series of high hills, many of them having an inclination of more than forty-five degrees, with large rocks and caverns al- most every step ; ^o that locomotion was necessarily very slow, and the labor very great to the wearied pedes- trian. The winter path was not so exhausting, as it 252 NEWFOUNDI-AND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. . t, lay mostly over ponds and level marshes. This was truly mission ground, where we both had to toil and suffer. Newfoundland is justly proverbial for its hos- pitality ; and, in the out-harbors, every house is, or may be, the stranger's home. Petty Harbor was an ex- ception. The people would come to hear us preach, but none would invite us to their tablo. We were accustomed to walk this terrible path on Sabbath morning - irly, preach twice, and teach a small sabbath school, remain without dinner, unless wo took it witii us, and return the same nine miles in the evening. Often has the writer been compelled to satisfy the cravings of hunger with a few berries ])lucked by the way-side. One Sabbath, Brother Pickavant walked this laborious eighteen miles, preached twice, and, having taken no food since the morning, he fainted as soon as he entered the Mission House. How merciful was the Redeemer, when he justified his disciples, who, Ibeing " an hungred " on the " Sabbath day," began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. When the winter came on, it was not possible to return on Sabbath evening : we therefore went on Saturday, and remained generally until Tues- day morning. The writer had to sleep two, and some- times three, nights every fortnight, during the severe winter of 1820-1821, in an open loft, on a bed of shavings, with two horse-rugs for his covering. These labors were not in vain ; great good was done both in Torbay and Petty Harbor ; and, could those places have been attended in after years, we certainly should have seen much fruit : but the paucity of missionaries rendered it necessary for the district meeting, at its next meeting, to remove the second preacher from the ut. ircuit. when they xiad to be aoauuoiiQd. ^his was toil and ■ its hos- , or may \ an ex- prcach, Vii were Sabbath a small less wo miles in •mpelled berries Brother miles, nee the Mission i^hen he •ed " on of corn was not herefore ;il Tues- id some- i severe bed of These both in 5 places r should iionaries y, at its Tom the icd. CHAPTER IX. FinST MtS8I.,NAI,Y RKPOHT8 - U8AOKE OF TIIK PhKACIIKKS - MI88IOS. ARY 8KCKKTAKIE8-CI1 HoYD. I^HE first two reports were made up to February . 1st ; the next four, to June 24th ; out, 'nee the year 1820, our balance-sheet was not nude up »v:til the 31st of December. The amounts for tlic,; yea; „ wore as follows : — 1814, amount of income to February 1, 1815, " " u 1«16, •' a to June 24, 1817, 1818, 1811), 182U, u it (( (( (( t( (( « II (( « « a « i( u to December 31, £ 6,820 y.'554 12,565 19,933 s. d. 2 5 4 4^ dl 7 7J 20,599 17 7^ 25,087 9 8 37,221 15 9 The number of our missionaries at the conference of 1821 was one hundred and thirty-two ; and our missionary membership, 28,699. The early missionary reports contain a mass of interesting matter, at which we need not be surprised, when we know that they arc the production of the giant mind of Richard Watson, a nmn who seemed to scan the world at a glance, and thoroughly to under- stand its state and its wants ; who knew the talent, tact, and the necessities of every missionary in the 2a (253) 254 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. field ; whose pulpit oratory, unsurpassed in a century, was always employed on behalf of missions ; whose pen put their enemies to silence; whose theological productions will continue to benefit mankind to the latest period of time ; who did more, and with greater effect, toward the emancipation of slaves in the West Indies, than any other man in England, not in the Legislature ; whose life was a pattern of kindness, dili- gence, and piety ; whose end was peace ; and whose name will go down, with unblemished reputation, to unborn generations. Such was the character of one of the first secreta- ries of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society ; and his coadjutors, Jabez Bunting and Joseph Taylor, were truly kindred spirits with 1 is own. \ The missionary committee, and especially the secre- taries, as soon as they entered office, found that they not only had to raise money for missionary purposes, but also that it was incumbent upon them to see that the moneys so raised should be properly expended. There were three usages among our first missionaries, which would now appear extremely strange. The first was, that every missionary had a separate and in- dividual right to draw bills for his own support, without any limit as to the amount of the bill. The confer- ence of 1815 put its veto upon this practice, by the following minute : — ♦' No missionary in the West Indie", Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada, or Bcrmnda, shall be permitted to draw a bill for more than fifty pounds at one tinie, without pre- vious advice and explanation of the extraordinary nature and circumstance of the case. No missionary, stationed in the East, shall be permitted to draw a bill for more than one hundred and fifty pounds at one time, without similar advice." century, ; whose eolocrical 1 to the 1 greater the West >t in the less, dih- nd whose ;atiou, to : secreta- Society ; 1 Taylor, the secre- that they purposes, D see that sxpended. isionaries, e. The ;e and in- t, without le confer- e, by the Tcva Scotia, ermitted to without pre- nature and in the East, lundred and MISSIONARY USAGES. 255 The second usage was, the appropriation of moneys from the sale of books, sent by the book-steward, to the personal use of the missionaries. Tlie conference also put this right in 1816, by the following minute : — " That all our missionaries shall be personally responsible to the book-steward for all books which they may order from him for the purpose of sale at their respective stations. But they shall be left at liberty, at their several district-meetings, to apply the pro- duce of such sales, if they deem it expedient, to the payment of their ordinary deficiencies as missionaries, so far as it will go ; and shall pay the book-steward what they owe him, by sending him an order on the missionary treasurer in London, to the amount of those ordinary deficiencies, which they have received out of the book-money." The third usage was, they drew bills upon ot^er persons beside the treasurers for their support. The conference of 1817 regulated this matter by the folio w- infj resolution : — " That the missionaries shall be peremptorily prohibited from drawing bills, for missionary expenses, upon any other person than the general treasurers ; and that, in order to prevent any such irregularities, printed forms of bills shall be forwarded to each missionary station ; of which forms, and no others, the missiona- ries shall be required to mal e use, when they have occasion." Beside the above irregularities, the missionaries had no fixed allowance for either board or quarterage ; and it was truly amusing, at the district meeting, to hear the brethren read their circuit accounts, and name each article of food and clothing that was made use of during the year. There was always something in the account which must be struck out. This we called rasping. No matter what the brother himself thought of his account, it was sure to be rasped at the district meet- ing. One man would have had too much beef ; another 256 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. '!# tii was rather too expensive in sugar; a third had a new coat when his old one would have lasted a little longer ; another wore out too many shoes ; and such a brother could not want so many pocket handkerchiefs as appeared on his bill. This matter engaged the early attention of the secretaries and missionary committee, who issued their first circular on March 31, 1819. This circular now lies before me, from which I will extract the second paragraph : — *' It is highly desirable that a regular and proper scale of allow- ances of income should be established for the various missionaries in every part of the world, so as to provide them with what is sufficient for food, clothing, &c., in those places where they reside, according to the necessary expense of living in each place. We are of opinion, also, that the allowance ought to be such as will render the missionaries and their families sufficiently comfortable, while engaged in their great and important work." The circular bears the signature of "Charles At- more, Chairman." The substance of .this circular engaged the attention of the brethren in Newfoundland for some two years before they could agree as to the scale of allowance they would request the committee to make for their district. Brother John Walsh took an active part in this matter. He carefully ascertained the expenses of each circuit in the district ; calculated what clothes each brother would require ; and, making allowances for mis- cellaneous and incidental expenses, he drew up a scale of allowance, and presented it at the district of 1822, which, being sanctioned by the missionary committee, formed the scale of allowance which, with some trifling alteration, has been observed to the present time. Beside the above circular, the secretaries were ac- customed, a few days after the close of conference, to 23. SECRETARIES. 257 rd had a id a little lid such a dkerchiefs the early ommittee, 51, 1819. ich I will lie of allow- missionaries nth what is they reside, place. We such as •will comfortable, larles At- 3 attention two years allowance ) for their ve part in cpenses of lothes each les for mis- up a scale t of 1822, ?ommittee, me trifling ime. i were ac- ference, to send '* an annual circular " to each missionary, giving a condensed view of the proceedings of the conference, the state of the connection, the state of the different funds, with instructions to the missionaries on particu- lar topics, and other information of great value and im- portance to the missionaries at that time, as neither the " Wesleyan " nor the " Watchman " then existed ; and particularly were these circulars valued in the distant stations of this mission, where, for six months of the year, we never saw a newspaper, or received a letter. The substance of these circulars was, in the year 1832, put in the form of a small volume, called " An Appendix to the General Instructions of the Missionary Committee, for the private use of the Missionaries." From this little volume, we shall make one extract, because it will always be of importance to the right working of our itinerancy. The heading is, " Solitary Stations : " — " Several of the districts, and especially those in British Norti America and Newfoundland, are divided almost entirely in solitary stations, in consequence of which many circuits are unavoidably intrusted* to the superintendence of young men, with little experi- ence in the discipline of Methodism, to the great detriment of the societies, and to the hinderance of the work of God. We would recommend to the chairmen and brethren of districts so circum- stanced, to turn their attention to a union or re-arrangement of their circuits, so that two preachers may, as far as practicable, be stationed together ; and the young men be thus placed, as long as needful, under the direction of the senior brethren." We shall here give a biographical sketch of our mis- sionary secretaries, that the reader may form a judg- ment of the men who guided our missionary eoncerns in their first movements, and by whose judicious man- agement, at that early time, is, under God, mainly 22* a ■ iiiM IfK P ■■ 258 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. owiiK^ the present reputation and wide-spread influence of the Wesley an Methodist Missionary/ Society.'^ The secretaries were Jabez Bunting, Joseph Taylor, and Ricliard Watson. Jabez Bunting, d. d., was senior secretary. He was a man of deep piety, of singularly quick apprehension of mind ; while his judgment was acute, discriminating, comprehensive, and far seeing. At the first missionary meetintr, which was held in Leeds, October 6, 1813, lie was only of fourteen years' Methodistic standing ; but, from that period, he held a prominent position in all the institutions of Metliodism, — defending those institutions when attacked by their enemies, and sustaining the connection itself by liis wisdom and humility, when, by some of its unfinthful members, it was threatened with division and annihilation. The " British and Foreign Bible Society," the " Anti-slavery Society," and the "Evangelical Auiance," all had the benefit of his wise counsel and advocacy. As a preacher, his ser- mons always overflowed with rich evangelical senti- ments ; his exposition of Scripture was clear and in- structive ; his statement of doctrine was preeminently scriptural, striking, and simple, and delivered with an eloquence, a pathos, and an effect that attracted multi- tudes to every place where he officiated. On the mis- sionary platform, his speeches told upon the listening multitudes, who were thereby led cheerfully to give of their substance, in order to send the gospel of salvation to the " ends of the earth." Upon one occasion, when our income was only mod- erate, he gave it as his decided opinion, that the re- sources of Methodism were sufficiently ample to raise fifty thousand pounds annually for missionary purposes. Some of his best friends were sceptical on this ; whi.e to ka REV. JOSEPH TAYLOR. 259 nfluence >) Taylor, He was ehension linating, issionary 1813, he ig; but, in all the ititutions ling the A^hen, by ned with Foreign and the it of his , his ser- cal senti- :• and in- imlnently with an 3d multi- the mis- listening o give of salvation mly mod- it the re- e to raise pm'poees. ; Vv'hile to those outside, the idea of the Weslovan Church raisin o- fifty thousand per annum for the mission fund was treated with ridicule, or considered as only the raving of a fanat- ic or a madman. But time proved that his opinion was correct, and that, from his knowledge of the means and minds of our people, he reasoned, a priori, what they could and would do, when the wants of the world were made known to them, and their duty in the case made plain and clear. There was indeed a " massive gran- deur " in Jabez B unting, such as does not ordinarily per- tain to mortals : he was a " Prince in our Israel." He died in "perfect peace," crying "Victory, victory, through the blood of the Lamb." Joseph Taylor was the first resident secretary at the Mission House, Hatton Garden, London ; to which office he was appointed by the conference of 1818. He had been a missionary, and spent eight years of his life in missionary toil among the negroes of the West Indies. His talents were not so splendid as those of his col- leagues in the secretariat ; but he was a kind, a wise, and holy man. To him pertained the duty of class- leader to the missionaries in London, before they left for their respective destinations. For the space of four months, the writer had the privilege of meeting in his missionary class, before he left for his station in New- foundland. Mr. Taylor was most diligent and laborious in his office, and acted as a kind father to the mission- aries, who loved him sincerely. Afler six years of faithful service in the secretaryship, he -went out again in the regular work, and continued to labor until the year 1845, when, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, he was called to his reward. Just before he died, he exclaimed, " I am on the rock, and all is right : I have fought my way through, and the Saviour is with me." 260 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION AKTF.S. 7 Richard Watson was one of the brightest ornaments that ever adorned tlie Wesleyan, or any other church in Christendom- He possessed a range and brilliancy of thought, with a grasp of intellectual powers, that sel- dom fall to the lot of mortals. *' To his understanding belonged a capacity which tlus greatness of a subjec' could not exceed ; a strength and clearness which num- ber and complexity of its parts could not confuse ; and a vigor which the difficulty and length of an inquiry could not^weary." It was the high privilege of the writer to sit under the ministry of this distingui.lied man for three years ; and although it is now more thaii fort;, years aero, yet the recollection of him is still clear and vivid. His persau was tall, his countenance pale, und his general appear ah:e t^.at of a man in ill health. When he entered tie yxuipit, there was a solemnity in his manner that afflv ted the whole congregation. In reading the Scriptures, he was very impressive ; his style of reading our hymns was peculiarly poetic ; and his fine musical ear required that the tune should be always de- votional, and suited to the sentiment of the hymn. Upon one occasion, in Lambeth Chapel, London, he gave out the hymn on page 251 : — " A thousand oracles divine, Their common beams unite, Tiiat sinners may with angels join, To worship God aright." The choir struck up the tune called, " Acton," in Rippon's collection. Mr. Watson thought that tune so unsuitable to the hymn, that, at the end of the first verse, he addressed the choir in these words, " I never did, and I never will, suffer a Christian congregatioYi to be thus insulted." He closed the hymn-book, enga-ro hi prayer, and dismisses -lie congregation. s. REV. RICHARD WATSON. 261 rnainenta !r church brilHancy , that sel- rstanding a subject lich nuir," fuse ; an(! liry could writer to man for han fbrt\ cleur and pale, und 11 health, emnity in ition. In ; his st vie id his fine ilways de- he hymn, ondon, he ») Icton, ' in that tune of the first , " I never recatioh to k, enga;;red In the pulpit, he stood erect, almost like a statue: his action seldom went beyond a slight motion of the rio-ht hand, or a significant shake of the head. The subjects on which he delighted to dwell were the depravity of man, the divinity of Christ, the great atonement, vvith the extent and freedom of the gospel salvation. To the explanation and elucidation of these great subjects, would he bring all the vast powers of his master mind. Having given the sense of his text with his usual criti- cal acumen, by which the most familiar topics of theol- ogy would often appear in a new light, or be clothed with fresh interest, in the pure emanation of his soul, he would soar to themes lofty and sublime ; grasp in the range of his thought the whole scheme of human re- demption ; scan the attributes of Deity vvith a mind al- most superhuman ; or seem to fatliom the joys of the hymning multitude before the throne of God. As a writer, no man since the days of John Wesley has done the Wesleyan Church greater service than Richard Watson. In the infancy of our missionary ex- istence, 1816, Mr. Barham, M. P. for Stockbridge, in the House of Commons, attacked the Methodist mis- sionaries in the West Indies, and said, that, " under a mask of religion, they inculcated principles of sedition." This produced from the pen of Mr. Watson, " A De- fence OF THE Wesleyan Methodist Missions in the West Indies." This silenced the slanderer, and brought a compliment from his Majestj^'s Government, through Lord Castlereagh, to the effect, " That there lay no charge whatever against the missionaries who had been slandered so harshly by name." In 1819, Mr. Watson wrote " The Instructions to the Wesleyan Missionaries," a copy of which now lies before the, writer, which he received at his ordination, and which iiBii il I, '1 262 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. bears the autograph signatures of Jabez Bunting, Jo- seph Taylor, and Richard Watson. These Instructions did the writer often peruse with much profit while on the Newfoundland mission. In 1820, Mr. Watson published his " Observations on Southey's Life of Wesley." The Wesleyan Catechisms are the production of his pen, by which our children are in early years taught the principles of a sound theology, and are made thor- oughly acquainted with all the leading facts of the Bible. His " Conversations for the Young " amuse and instruct our youth ; while his Theological Institutes and his Theological Dictionary supply our church with a body of divinity, which, for scriptural accuracy, distinctness of thought, and elevation of style, is unsurpassed by any theological writings the Christian Church has ever pro- duced since the days of the apostles. We shall close this sketch by the following quota- tion from the minutes of the British Conference for 1833 : — " In his last affliction, he was greatly honored of God ; and per- haps the closing scene of no saint's life ever furnished lessons of richer instruction. On the approach of death, he viewed it as a foe, and felt it to be an evil ; he was humbled that a man should be 'stricken and trampled into the grave by the last enemy, and when, as in his own case, his faculties were in their pnme, and his mind meditating and revolving plans of usefulness to the world. It was the glorious hope and Christian assurance of perfect bliss af- ter death and beyond the grave that enabled him to tnumph; and his triumph was complete. Through the grace of his Divine Saviour, with his characteristic strength of mind, he grasped and applied his Christian principles ; and they sustained his faith in his walk through ' the valley of the shadow of death.' ' I am a poor vile worm,' said he ; ' but then the worm is permitted to crawl out of the earth into the garden of the Lord.' REV. GEORGE MORLEY. 268 'I shall behold his face, I shall his power adore ; And sing the wonders of his grace For evermore.' " Thus confident, he waited until his Master's call spoke him up to heaven. As a man, he was of a noble mind, superior throujrh life to everything mean and little ; he was magnanimous, disi"!- terested, generous. .His form was dignified, and his countenance bore striking expressions of his intellectual greatness. His ele- vated views, and the majesty of his character, impressed a dignity on his manners which the kindness of his temper, and his general readiness to oblige, rendered particularly easy and graceful. As a friend, he extorted no servile homage as the price of his friend- ship. If there were times when he was too much engaged in thought to exhibit more than common fervor of afTection^ there were others, which occurred far more frequently, when he gave himself freely to his friends, and then his conversation never failed to instruct and charm. This bright luminary of the church and of his circle set in death, to rise in glory, January 8th, 1833. He died in the fifty-second year of his age." In the year 1824, a change took place in our mission- ary secretaries. Mr. Bunting removed to the Man- chester South Circuit, and Mr. Taylor, having served his term, also retired from his onerous position of resi- dent secretary. Our missionary secretaries now were George Morley, Ricliard Watson, and John Mason. All these excellent men are now recorded on our death- roll. While they lived, they not only performed the various duties incumbent upon them as Christian ministers with great faithfulness and zeal, but they also, in other ways, labored hard for the benefit of their fellow-men, and particularly for the spread of Scriptural knowledge, and the extension of missions over every part of the world. ^ - George Morley. The name of this excellent min- ister will be recorded in the annals of Methodism, as long as time shall last, as the originator of a movement which led to the formation of the present financial plan 1 264 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. of our missions, by which they have become so wide- spread in their influence, and so vastly beneficial in their resuhs. He liad been on terms of intimacy with Dr. Coke, and had seen how that apostohc man had la- bored and bejiged from door to door to obtain m^^ans for the support of missionaries i'^ foreign hinds; but in the year 1813, the doctor ftn'l i .■' l''''e" missionary band were appointed to India ; vhen Mr. Morley saw tlmt something more must be done by the connection for the mission cause than had yet been done, or it would dwindle and die. He was then superint'^-- ' • ' of the Leeds Circuit; and his colleagues were Jabez Bunting and Robert Filter, In Wakefield, an adjacent circuit, were found two kindred spirits, in James Buckley and Richard Watson. These brethren, after much con- sultation and p ayer, appointed Mr. Buckley to preach the first missionary sermon in the" village of Armley ; and Mr. Bunting having prepared the plan, the first public Methodist missionary meeting was held in the old chapel at Leeds, in the afternoon of October 6th, 1813. Thomas Thompson, Esq., M. P., a most ac- ceptable local preacher, presided upon the occasion. Though the plan was matured by Mr. Bunting, yet it was Mr. Morley that sug;j;ested the idea of emplo_, sg collectors to raise weekly, monthly, quarterly, and an- nual subscriptions, in aid c" Methodist r ssions. Five years after the formation ot the Leeds IVlissionary Soci- ety, which was the year 1818, Mr. Morley was ap- pointed to the London West Circuit, when rhe writer of this article had the pleasure of having him as his super- intendent; and he records with thankfuiness, that to the judicious counsels and fatherly i tr' tions of tlu Rev. George Moi ley, he owes his pr« nt |>«j8ition in the Wesleya;: connection. He was resident secretary for our mission, six years; and those of us who had the REV. JOHN MASON. 265 honor of his correspondence were alway encoiirao-ed by his letters and instructed by his adv He ex- changed mortah'ty for life on the 10th ot September, 1843. A little while before he died, lie said, with great emphasis, " I gave myself to God and to God's people threescore years ago, and he has never left mo. He is with me now, and he will never leave nor forsake me." The minutes of conference say of him, " His life was one of perp 3tual sunshine. He was emphati- cally a happy man; and his end perfectly accorded with the tenor of his life." John Mason was the junior missionary secretary, which situation he filled with kindness to the missiona- ries for three years, when he wa^ called to the impor- tant and responsible office of book-st' ard. He con- tinued in that office for thirty-seven years, during which time ho circulutod an immense amount of Chris° tian literature, from whence large profits were derived ; wliich profits were appropriated to the support of aged and worn-uit ministers, and ministers' widows. From SIX to ten tons of books would sometimes be sent from th. book-room in one month. Mr. Mason died in peace on the ^-.t of March, 1864, in the eighty-second year of his .^e, an^ ^ty- hird of his ministry. The first official cncul-, bearing the signatures of the before-naired secretaries, reached the writer in the m nth of October, 1824. He was then stationed in Portde Grnve. We shall quote e last paragraph from this circular, which shows the Jeep anxiety the committee felt that their missionaries aould all be i.ble ministers of the New Testament. It reads : — - ' Study to be ' workmen who need not to be ashamed.' By careful reading, increase your knowledge of the Scrlptur. : dis- I 266 NEWrOITNDT-AND AND ITS MISSION ARIES. m tribute the truths they contain with plainness of speech, with cat- nestncsH, and aflectionate leflinf?. lie who makes preachinp a mere dechiniation from a text of Scripture will often be barren in himself, and unprofitable to others; but ho who feels that it is his business to display the truth of (iod in his discourses, and who confirms and illustrates what he advocates by well-chosen and clearly-explained texts, will find his preachiiij? salutary to his own heart, and it will give spirit and life to others. ' Let the word of God then dwell in you richly ; and from that fulness you will bo able to minister to the wants of oth^ 's.'" The kind and style of preaching recommended by our secretaries can never fail of doing good ; and it may be inferred, as a general thing, that Methodist mission- aries in different i.e. t, and are more difficult to catch. hi the commencement of the seal-fishery, large boats were used, which did not sail until about the middle of Apnl. But the whelping ice had passed many weeks before this, so that no young seals could be found: their catch was therefore necessarily small, and mostly con- fined to the stray seals, called " rangers," whicli were shot in the water. The boat-sealing continued down as mfft He flip TT/io.. 1 TOC U-- ->! i i . - . ,,tj ^(.«i ii jc, vviifcsn tue wnoie catch of seals its' Ik iM 1 276 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. for the island was 4,900 ; not as many as is now taken sometimes by a single vessel. In the commencement of the present century, the sealing-boats gave way to small schooners of some thir- ty to fifty tons' burden ; and they sailed about the twen- ty-first of March. They sailed thus late to avoid the equinoctial gales, or, as the saying was, " We wait until after Saint Patrick's brush ; " or until "Saint Patrick takes the cold stone out of the water." But this was too late to get the young seals ; yet, as they would meet with some ice at that time, the catch was greatly increased. Thus, in the year 1820, the catch was increased to 221,334. The seal-fishery was destined to be one great source of wealth to the country, and to assume proportions which the most sanguine could never have anticipated ; for its humble sealing-boats were to give place to vessels of from fiftv to one hundred and fifty tons, and to be manned with crews of from twenty-five to forty men ; while the interest of every individual to the north of St. Johns, from the richest to the poorest, was to be so interwoven with it, that its prosecution and results should cause more speculation, more anxiety, more ex- citement and solicitude, than perhaps does any other sino-le branch of business in any part of the world. The length of time spent in sealing-voyages is from three to eight weeks. The medium length is five weeks. The owner ot the vessel supplies her with provisions, and all other necessaries, for which he claims one half the catch of seals. He also receives a certain amount from each man for his berth in the vessel. The price of the berth varies from ten shillings to two pounds. A man's share is likewise claimed foi the " . , . • i.«- »»^/%;irAo ffrkm fnurnence vessel, iiie caiptam or uiU3i,ci icv^wirv. . -i SEAL-FISHERY. 277 to Sixpence per seal as his wages ; and the balance of the voyage is equally divided among the crew. The monotony of a Newfoundland winter is broken during the Christmas holidays, when the young men on the North Shore go up the bay to secure a berth to the ice; which having been eif , ed, they return to finish their winter's work. Early in February, the women prepare tlie requisite supply of clothing for their husbands and sons, particu- larly their coarse jackets, with cuffs and buskins. About the Jast week in February each man goes to his doctor (for they pay the doctor by the year, whether they want his services or not), for a little medicine for the voyage. And a little it is, consisting mostly of a little salve, in case of a cut, a little friar's balsam, in case of a sprain, and, above all, a phial containing a solution of the sulphate of zinc, in case of ice-blindness. They are now ready to take their departure. But, on all the Wesleyan stations, it is customary to have a special sermon preached, and a special prayer-meeting held, for and on behalf of those about to be engaged in the per- ilous seal-fishery. On the part of our youno- men who profess religion, this is of great importance, to prepare, or rather to fortify, their minds against the temptations to which they are soon to be exposed. The swearing, Sabbath-breaking, drinking, and general pro- fanity, m the sealing-vessels are truly fearful. They have sometimes been called floating hells. True, there are noble exceptions, and particularly in those vessels which «iil from Conception Bay, where not a few pious men, and some pious captains, are to be found who set them- selves to worship the God of heaven, and present a bold front to that torrent of iniquity which so constantly rolls against them. But these need much of the grace of 24 ^ 278 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. God ; and the prayers of the church should be ron- stantly offered up for them, that they may be kept faith- fill in the trying liour. Our valedictory services were always interesting; particularly so \vas the evening prayer-meeting, when the big tear could be seen dropping from the eye of manyli hardy mariner ; while the hearty Amen, that would ever and anon fall upon the listening ear, from the male part of the congregation, and the silent sobs of mothers, daughters, and sisters, would indicate the divine presence, and involuntarily induce the exclama- tion : " This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." The Sabbath being over, the sealers prepare for departure. The men themselves do not call the ani- mal they now go to seek, a seal, but a swale, or a soil, and the occupation, swaling, or soiling. About the last of February, hundreds of ice-hunters might be seen toiling up the sculping highlands, with their gaffs, and long swaling guT.s - came a proverb : " Wherever you are, steer north-west for Bacalieu." But, in so doing, our skippers would sometimes miss the whole island, and bring up on some other land. An amusing incident, connected with this steering north-west, was related to the writer by a friend in Grand Bank. Our friend was fishing off' the Island cf St. Peters, early in the month of M;i ', when a sealing-schooner bore down upon hih>, ana, hailing him, asked, "Is that land Bacalieu Island ? " The stran- ger was some three hundred miles oui of his way. Our friend replied, " There is no such place as Bacalieu on this coast: tlie laud on which the fog hangs is the French island of St. Peters." The man stood aghast I He had never heard of St. Petei's, any more than our inenci nad heard of Bacalieu ; but catching the words. ■,%. .«< ^^'^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I If IM IIIIIM •^ 1^ 1112.2 '2.0 H^ 1^ 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 -m 6" — ► V] ^ /2 ^l ^^ -i op. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 S.*. -t . » J 280 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. " tl.c French Island," he seemed to think he had got somewhere on the coast of France. Pausing a moment, he said, " I do allow I am out of reckoning ! The French island ! which is the way to Bacalieu ? " Our friend said, " I do not know." '' Well, then," said the stran- ger, " what is the course to St. Johns ? " "I never was at St. Johns," said our friend ; " but you must steer north-east seven leagues to Cape Chapeau Rouge, then east half south twenty-three leagues to Cape St. Mary, then south-east about twenty-two leagues, and you will come to Cape Race, and St. Johns is on that shore." The stranger, after a sigh, shaped his course for Cape Chapeau Rouge, with a shout of " Good-by, a fair wind to you, and a good time of it," from the crew of the fishing-boat, and he was so' n lost in the distance. A day or two sail from the Island of Bacalieu will bring the vessel to the ice, which presents to the eye a boundless waste ; the ocean swell of the great Atlantic now asitates the floating mass, and heaves it in heaps of every form, which comes craunching against both sides of the vessel, as though she were between the jaws of some aquatic monster ; while the myriads of huge ice-islands from the Arctic seas sluggishly roll their ponderous weight along, threatening destruction to any craft that might chance to be in their way. It not unfrequently happens that the vessel — notwith- standing her false beams, her sheathed bows, and every other precaution that has been used, to render her in- vulnerable — is crushed to pieces, and her hapless crew left to wander in quest of another vessel, or perish on the ice. But by the kind providence of that Great Being who controls all nature, and whose eyehds never slum- 13. KILLING THE SEAL. 281 i s had got moment, le French •ur friend he stran- lever was lust steer acre, then 3t. Mary, and you ( on that his course Good-by, from the ost in the !alieu will the eye a t Atlantic ill heaps linst both ;ween the yriads of nshlv roll estruction way. It - notwith- and every ler her in- pless crew perish on eat Being 3ver slum- ber, the men being preserved from these dangers, com- mence the work which hrd brought them from then* homes. In the second or third week in March, the white coats are in their prime, and the barking of the dams and the weaker cry of their young unmistakably point out the direction the hunter must go, to find the object of his pursuit. His implements are a sealinjr-o-aff, a hauiing-rope, and a knife. The gaff is a bat of wood, about seven feet long, with a hook in one end. This is the instrument with which the seal is killed ; it is struck on the nose, and one blow will kill a youno- seal. The knife is to take off the pelt, and the rope is to haul the load to the vessel. By the word pelt is meant the skin and the fat ; for the fat of the seal adheres to the skin, as does the fat to the back of the hos : wh*^n, therefore, it is said such a vessel brought home so many seals, the reader must understand, those were only seals* pelts, for the carcass, which scarcely con- tains a particle of fat, is left upon the ice. "When the man approaches the young &eal, the mother, with a howl and a bound, will leave her off- spring, and, darting through a crevice in the ice, will seek refuge in the water beneath. The young white- coat will now cry like a young lamb , — some say like a child; and the tear can be seen in the eye. But compassion for the young seal is out of the questioii on the part of the man who has labored so much and braved so many dangers, for the sole purpose of taking its life and seizing its skin : the gaff is raised, the stroke falls with fatal effect, the knife is plunged into the belly of the animal ; when a few dexterous cuts will take off the pelt, and the carcass, still quivering with life, is left on tiie spot in a pool of its own blood. 24« 282 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. E"' i - M ~M-§ The pelt of tlie white-coat will wein-h about fifty pounds ; and when tlie hunter has taken three pelts, it is a load ; which he ties in his hauling-rope, and then returns to the vessel, where, having left his prize, he again goes to the scene of carnage, to repeat the same act of slaughter, which is thus continued from early dawn to evening shade, by all the crews of all the ves- sels in the vicinity of the seal-meadow, until acres of ice are stained with the blood, and strewed with the carcasses, of these unoffending victims. In this manner, when the seals are ])lenty, the vessel can be loaded in a few days ; when she carries her cargo into port, and returns to the ice to make a second trip, ere the season shall have passed away. But the seals are not always so plenty : sometimes the voyage is a failure ; and then the consequences, in a pecuniary view, are serious, both to the owner and to the crew. When the seals are found, they are not always close to the vessel, but have to be brought a distance of some miles, when hauling a turn of soils over the big hum- mocks, or ice-hillocks, makes the labor exceedingly toilsome. Sometimes chasms occur, over which the men must leap, or move pans of ice with their gaffs so as to form a bridge ; sometimes slob, or small loose ice covered with snow, intervenes between the larger ice, on which, if the hunter should chance to step, he must be extricated by the gaff of his friend, or he is in- gulfed and perishes in the water ; not unfrequently, when a distance fVom the vessel, a dense fog arises, or a snow-storm comes on, when the himter is speedily lost, horns are blown, and guns are fired, but they are inaudible by the roaring of the wind, and the pitiless pelting of the storm. Lights are shown at night, but they are invisible in the snow-drift ; deep anxiety is OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH. 283 felt by the cre>v for their missing sliipmate, and every exertion is made to find liim : but the vessel has drifted far away, or he has wandered in an opposite direction, or fallen through the ice ; or overcome with fatigue,' cold, or hunger, he lies down, and is frozen to delth! Seldom does a sealing-voyage terminate without some such calamity, or the month of May arrive without the bitter intelligence being conveyed to some expectant family, that the wife is a widow, and the children are orphans. Taking seals on the Sabbath used to be practised by all hunters ; and it must be admitted, that when, on the Sabbath morning, the ice would be alive with seals, and there was a possibility, and perhaps a prob- ability, that by the next day they would all disappear, a powerful motive was presented to the mind to violate the sanctity of that holy day. When some raembers of the Wesleyan Church first made a stand against taking seals on Sunday, and insisted that that day was the Sabbath of the Lord as well at the ice as on the shore, and that its hours should be as sacred, and his worship performed with as much reverence, on board 'the schooner as in the stately temple in the crowded city, they were laughed at as enthusiasts, or considered as taking leave of their senses. And although it is a painful fact, that of the many hundreds of vessels that now go to the ice every spring, far the greater part of the crews of those vessels still constantly disregard the injunction of Jehovah in regard to the Sabbath ; yet there are now many noble exceptions. Many captains will not now allow a seal to be brought on board their ships ; there are many individuals, and whole crews, who will not catch a seal ; and, in some instances, not only is the Bible read, and prayer-meetings held, but a regular MW 11 ! 4 284 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ■■Be - M ^^^^Br ,f~m ^B .:k)-W ^^E ->■ i \.ati. public service is performed on board by the master, or some one of the crew, during the hours of God's lioly day. As to the loss of seals by keeping the " Sabbath day holy," that is only in imagination ; for the Sabbath- keeping captains are just as successful, and often more so, than the Sabbath-breaking captains. But, even were it not so, earthly gain must not be placed in juxtaposition with the mandate of Heaven ; but, in all cases, is that divine law to be considered of para- mount importance, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of seals being thrown together with a portion of the blood, and the heat of the April sun melting the fat, and changing it into oil, causes a most unpleasant effluvia, and produces a state of filth which is more easily conceived than described. The flesh of the seal is eaten largely by the hunters, and the heart is considered by some as a dainty. On shore, the seal is eaten when young and fresh. Boiled, it has the appearance of mutton ; but the general way of cooking seal-flesh on land is to soak it in water, and bake it, and bring it on the table with berry-sauce or preserved fruit. The writer has often partaken of seal- flesh ; but, to his taste, it was not very savory. Early in April, the sealers think of returning home, and reach there about the middle of the month. If they have been unsuccessful, or any calamity has hap- pened, they enter the harbor as silently as possible ; but if t\iey have had a prosperous voyage, the flags fly at the masts, and a gun is fired for every hundred seals that has been taken on board. Formerly, when the vessel arrived, the pelts would be counted, and sold so much for eacli, according to its RETURN OF THE SEALERS. 285 size ; but some of the hunters were guilty of fraud, by leaving a portion of fat on tlie carcass, that the load might be lighter to haul. The seals are therefore now all purchased by weight. The number of seals brought into the different ports in one spring often exceeds half l^VoT 7^'^ """'^^' *^^"" ^" *^^« y^^^ 1840 was bdM85, which would average something over one dol- lar for each seal. When the seal-pelts are landed, the skinners scrape the fat from the skin, and put it into large vats, where the heat of the sun during the earlier months of summer melts it, and it becomes the pale seal-oil, which is drawn off in casks, and mostly ex- ported to Europe. The skins are slightly salted, and exported to the same countries. Sometimes the drift-ice will come into the harbors with thousands of seals, when men, women, and chil- dren will go to get a haul. It is said that, in the sprino- of 1843, near 20,000 seals were thus taken by the pe(^ pie from the shore. While our members are away to the ice, they are never forgotten at home. They are always remem- bered m public and family prayer, and prayer-meetincrs are specially held to supplicate a throne of grace on their behalf. It was truly delightful, on the arrival of the young men from the dangers of the ice, to hear the female portions of the family relate to them from mem- . ory the sermons that had been preached, the exhorta- tions that had been given, the prayers that had been offered up for them, and the hymns that had been sung at public worship and at the prayer-meetings, during their absence. ^ A few days after the return of the ice-hunters, the preparation for the summer cod-fishery commences, when the labor, fatigue, and anxiety connected ther&. ™ffl f^Smm^ ■ 1 i li 'i' 1 1 1 u 1 1' 286 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. with, as already described, liave again to be endurea ; and thus, in summer and winter, in spring and autumn, has the Newfoundlander a life of constant toil and of danger. We will now present a table, by which the reader will see the progress of the seal-fishery since the year 1795. The years in the table are not regularly con- secutive, but are given simply as examples. No. Reals taken Years. each year. 1795 4,9C0 1814 . 156,000 1815 . . . 141,370 1820 i . 221,334 1825 . 221,510 1830 . 300,681 1831 . 559,342 1832 . 442,003 1833 . 384,699 1834 . 360,155 1835 . 557,490 1836 , 384,321 1838 . 375,361 1840 » . 631,385 1841 . 417,115 1842 . 344,683 1847 . 455,180 Number of vessels engaged in the seal-fisliery in 1847. Dietriots. Vessels. Tonnage. 9,353 Men. St. Johns, 95 3,215 Brigus, 66 5,010 2,111 Carbcnear, 64 4,634 1,672 Harbor Grace, j 51 5,084 1,684 Ports to North'd, 74 5,803 2,123 Total, 1 O O 40 29,884 I 10,805 SEALING-VESSEM. 287 iBs Tlie capture of the seal for its pelt, — that is, the skin, and fat which produce the seal-oil, — has been the practice of the inhabitants from the first settlement of the island. In the commencement of the seal-fishery seal-nets were used ; and the seal-fishery, by means of seal-nets, was extensively carried on all along the north- eastern coast. Venturesome men next went to the ice in boats, when it came near the shore ; and the number of seals thus taken, they considered an ample reward for their daring and danger. The success of the seal- ing-boats encouraged parties to fit out decked vessels, as they could go to a greater distance, and could better stand the roughs connected with a sealing-voyage. The boats that used to be employed in this hazardous voyage were open fishing-boats ; but, in 1793, two smdl schooners, of about forty-five tons each, were fitted out for the ice, and sailed from St. Johns on the first week in April. They were very successful, one of them re- turning with eight hundred seals. In 1796, four ves- sels, of a similar size, sailed from St. Johns, and a few from Conception Bay, some of which were equally suc- cessful. Still, for many years, there was a prejudice against employing vessels at the ice of ove '5fty or sixty tons. But in the year 1825, two vessels (thought at the time too monstrous for such a purpose), of 120 tons each, were built in Conception Bay," expressly for the seal-fishery. They were both very fortunate : one returned in the sr^ring of 1826, with 6,666 seals, and the other with 5,828. This set the question at rest as to the size of the vessels ; and the ice-hunters now are- usually well-built craft, of from 120 to 140 tons. As seen in the above table, the number of men employed in 1847 was near 11,000, and the estimated value of the seals taken that spr m« rnc J* O TOO i»j a 14,175 sterlin i£. CHAPTER XI. MISSION TO THE LABnAPOB INDIANS — MORAVIAN MISSION — AT>AM CLARK AVARD— NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT — THOMAS HICKSON'S MISSION — RICHARD KNIOHT'S MISSION — GEORGE KLLIDGE'S MIS- SION— CHARLES BATES— WITHDRAWAL OF THE MISSION. MISSION TO THE LABRADOR INDIANS. THE Moravians have the honor of several important mission stations on the frigid coast of Lahrador, wliich were established only by the most indomitable Christian courage and perseverance. The first attempt of this noble object was in the year 1752, when four Moravian ministers sailed from London for the Labrador in a trading vessel, determined, by the grace of God, that, while the captain should transact secular business with the Indians, they would take the opportunity of speaking to them about spiritual things, and of making known to them the gospel of salvation. Two of the ship's crew were murdered by the natives, in consequence of which the missionaries had to return, to enable the cap- tain to bring the ship back to Europe, and the mission, for a time, was abandoned.^ Twelve years afterward, or in the year 1764, Jens Haven, who had been for some years a missionary in Greenland, and who spoke the Greenland language, sailed from England in a Danish ship, with the design of again attempting to establish a mission on the Labra- dor coast. Whenever he landed the Indians fled, so 1 Crantz's History of United Brethren, p. 404. (288) ESQUIMAUX. 289 that he could not get an opportunity of making known to them his object. After a time, the ship had occasion to touch at Quirpon Island, on the north-east point of Newfoundland, where he met with a number of the Esquimaux, with whom he conversed freely, and taught them the worship of the true God, and the way to heaven. The year following, accompanied by another Danish missionary from Greenland, he, with two lay-brethren, in a Danish ship of war, again visited the coast. They now met with some hundreds of the Exquimaux, and spoke to them in the Greenland language, ** of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." There is an affinity between the Greenland and the Esquimau languages ; but that affinity is not so great as to enable the Indians to understand the verities of Christianity from the Danish missionaries, who could only speak in Greenlandic. The Esquimaux thought themselves very good peo- ple ; that the Greenlanders were wicked people ; but that the foreigners, and particularly^the Europeans who traded with them, and generally cheated them, were real Kahlunats. A Kablunat means a very wicked man, or a villain. When, therefore, the missionary Drachart spoke to them about their depravitv, and of the depravity of mankind, they saM, " That may be true of the Kablunats ; but, as frr us, we are good people." When they told them of the Greenlanders, who had been washed in the blood of Christ, they replied, " Then they must have been very bad peo- ple." When they spoke about the Redeemer, they imagmed he was some great personage, who would save them from the Kablunats, and assist them ao-ainst then- enemies in the north. The missionaries had a f.if 25 fchlj ^ Ji 200 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION ARIES, letter of fricndsliip to tlicm from tlio Governor of New- ibundlaiul, vvlncli, wliile tliey listenengregations ition. Great ture printed missionaries at blessings m the peru- HANTS HARBOR. 293 sal; for they value the Scriptures above every other gift, and always carry the books with them, as their choicest treasure, when- ever they go from us to any distance, that they may read in them every morning and evening.'"- Wesleyan Mission to Labrador. Such was the state of the Moravian mission at Lab- rador wlien the Wesleyan Missionary Committee re- solved also to establish a mission on the southern part of that dreary land, so that the Esquimaux, from Hud- son's Bay to the St. Lawrence, might all be rescued trom heathen darkness, and enjoy the light and privileges of Christian truth. From Hopedale, the most southern of the Moravian settlement, to the mouth of the St. Lawrence, or the btrait of Belle Isle, there are some three hundred miles of coast, over which still roams the ^^squimaux, in his heathen state and savage wildness. It was to this tract of country that our noble missionary secretaries, the Rev. Messrs. Bunting, Taylor, and Watson, con- templated sending a Wesleyan missionary, in order to reclaim the nomads of the south, as their brethren, the Moravians, had so successfully done with the same tribes m a more hyperborean district. A young man of talent, of sterling piety, and in every way qualified for such a work, was already in the mission field, -Adam C. Avard, then stationed at i^redericton. This young missionary enjoyed the full confidence of the committee, and v^ould have gone to Labrador the next year, but his Master called him home. He sickened and died. In the Missionary Re- port for 1821, page 106, the committee make a note on this as follows : "An excellent young man, Mr. Avard, has been called away irom this mission (Nova Scotia and ISTftw Rr"n-vi»^^ V- -^^-^h >vho had given great promise of usefulness. He was appointed 294 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. to establish a mission among the Indians on the Labrador coast, but was taken sick before the commencement of his voyage. That enterprise has been confided to the brethren in Newfomidland ; and the instructions sent out by Mr. Avard have been transferred to the missionary who may be appointed by the chairman of that district." About two years before this, considerable excitement had been produced by the baptism of six Labrador Indians by our missionary, Mr. Ellis, at Bearneed, in the Port de Grave Circuit. They were all of one fam- ily, and consisted of a mother, her daughter, her son, her son's wife, and two grand-children. Of their cos- tume, Mr. Ellis gives the following description : — " Their dress is of the skin of deer and seals, and there is no difFerence in the manner of wearing it, except that the coats of the women have long tails hanging down to the ground. Both men and women wear pantaloons made by the latter, and to the coat of the women is fixed a hood, in which they carry their young children. Their face is rather broad, eyes a deep black, and their.color approaching that of mahogany, their teeth white and weU set, hands small, and of fine symmetry. They are an interesting-looking people." * The first instructions that the Newfoundland District received was in the year 1820 ; and are referred to in the Missionary Report for that year, p. 86. In this re- port, both the aboriginal inhabitants of the island, and the Esquimaux, are brought to the notice of the breth- ren and the public, as objects of missionary enterprise. The paragraph reads : — »Newfouni;land District. The accounts from this island are favorable. The attention of the public has lately been turned to the aboriginal inhabitants in the interior, and should any open- ing to these insulated tribes occur, the brethren are directed to avail themselves of it to attempt their instruction. They have been » Methodist Magazine, 1820, p. 637. i. THOMAS HICKSON. 295 idor coast, age. That bundland ; ;ransferred tan of that :citement Labrador rneed, in one fam- her son, their cos- there is no he coats of and. Both and to the carry their ieep black, teeth white ?hey are an id District jrred to in In this ren sland, and the breth- enterpriso. n this island been turned Id any open- ected to avail y have been also directed to make inquiries as to the establishment of a mission on the opposite coast of LabraUr % with which there is an intercourse in the fishing-season." Although the brethren received instructions about the Esquimau Mission in 1820, yet they did not see their way to move in the case until the year 1824, be- cause they had not a man to spare from any of their circuits. But in this year, Thomas Hickson was about to return to England, and offered, before he left, to go on a mission of exploration to the Labrador, and report the result to the committee. Mr. Hickson sailed from St. Johns, June 18th, 1824, and reached the coast on the 23d. He sailed along the coast, visiting different harbors, and arrived at the place of his destination, which was the Great Bay of Esquimau, on the 8th of July. The geographical position of Esquimau Bay is laid down as in lat. 51° 25' 10"; Ion. 57° 32' west. The journal of Mr. Hickson is published in the mis- sionary notices and Wesleyan Methodist Magazine for 1825. He opened his mission in Tub Harbor, on the 11th of July, 1824. He says, " I had the unspeakable satisfaction of preaching the word of life for the first time in the Great Bay of Esquimau. The poor In- dians were very serious, though they could not under- stand much of what was spoken." Mr. Hickson spoke in English at this time, but a few days later he found a native female who could act as an interpreter. He now collected forty Indians, and preached to them with great satisfaction. Of this sermon he says : " I spoke through the means of the above mentioned person as an interpreter, who, when she had made them to understand any truth of the gospel, manifested very pleasing tokens of gratitude. The interpreter was at loss to find a word M!M»it;'!tf4««« ' 296 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. in the Esquimau for prayer ; and the reason she as- signed was, tl it prayer was not known among them; they had, therefore, no word for it." Mr. Hickson continued at the Labrador about one month, and had to leave Esquimau Bay on the 10th of August. He spent most of his time among the In- dians, in their wigwams, or in some way instructing them in the knowledge of the truth. He met with some who had been with the Moravian missionaries in the north, who frequently expressed a grateful and af- fectionate remembrance of their former teachers, and sometimes while Mr. H. was preaching, would aloud inform their brethren that they had heard the same truths spoken by the Moravian missionaries. Of the population of Esquimau Bay, Mr. Hickson, as the result of his inquiries, sets down the following figures : — Real Esquimaux adults, 100 Real Esquimaux children, 60 Half' Esquimaux children, . . . . . 60 European settlers, . . . . • . .90 Canadian settlers, 16 Total number, exclusive of any other part of the coast, 326 Of their ideas and practices we are furnished with the following statement : " The Esquimaux have very confused notions of a Supreme Being, but they have an idea of the devil, whom they suppose to be the author of all pain. In the case of dangerous illness, the oldest person in the place hangs all the pot-crooks or old hoops about him, and, taking a stick in his hand, he turns over all the skins in the wigwam in order to drive the devil away. If his satanic majesty ' not terrified by this rumpus, they have recourse to sacrifice, which is \:h THOMAS HICKSON. 297 she as- them ; )out one ;he 10th f the In- jtructing net with naries in I and af- lers, and Id aloud he same Hickson, following 100 . 60 60 . 90 16 it, 326 ;hed with lave very have an le author the oldest old hoops he turns drive the ■rifled by which is by killing their best dog.'» But human sacrifice was not then unknown. Mr. Hickson mentions a case which occurred about three years before he visited the bay. An Indian, supposing himself To be in dying circumstances, and having a notion that the devil would spare his life if he could accomplish the death of another person, fixed upon a neighbor's wife as his victim, and ordered his own wife to do the bloody deed. She was reluctant, but he seized a hatchet, and threatened her life if she refused obedience to his mandate ; when, prevailing upon another female to assist her, they to^ gether murdered the poor woman by hanging. But the man died, and the wife became frantic. When an Esquimau dies, his body is wrapped in skins, and laid upon the surface of the ground, and a large pile of stones is raised over it. The canoe, darts, kettles, and other utensils are buried \5'ith him, supposing he will need them in another 'world. Mr. Hickson was fully impressed with the importance and duty of sending a missionary among them. Before he left he intimated that a missionary would be sent among them, and said it was necessary that they should live as near to him as possible, in order to enjoy the ben- efit of his labors. To this they replied, " Wherever the missionary may be, we will not be far from him.'* As Mr. Hickson was leaving, the Indians stood upon the shore, and with tears in their eyes, they waved their liands and cried out " Tava, tava:" farewell, farewell. With Mr. Hickson's Journal the missionary com- mittee were well pleased, and their view of the matter is given in the Missionary Report for 1825, p. 133 : — " Labrador Mission. -Mr. Thomas Hickson visited the Esqui- mau -ndians, xrom Newfoundland, in the course of last summer. He found there a people truly ♦ prepared of the Lord ; ' and from 298 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. m his favorable report, the committee have resolved on the appoint- ment of a missionary to that poor people in the neighborhood of Esquimau Bay." At the district meeting, in the spring of 1825, the Labrador Mission was discussed at great length, when some of the brethren thought that Mr. Hickson was too sanguine, and the success of a mission therd was very problematical. To satisfy such brethren, and .to meet the views of the committee on this point, Richard Knight was appointed to visit the same coast that Mr. Hickson had visited the previous summer. Mr. Knight was stationed in Brigus, but the following entry is found in the minutes of conference for 1825 : — «' Mission of Rev. Richard Knight to the Esquimau In- dians. — 7nts pai^onage. They have fine gardens and plenty of and all the children of suflicient age go to school. The men still hunt and fish, but some of Ihem have learned to be carpenters or blacksmiths ; and the women have been taught by the tedies of the mission to sew aiid do household work. The writer has eaten a piece of bread vC ;v baked on the Labrador Mission. Our Moravian breth- ^ ren have labored ong and hard among those Indians, but they are amply rewarded for their toil. A vesse from Europe annually visits the coast, to bring supplies to a,e missionaries and trade with the natives. While Mr. Cozens was getting information from the III ' II I I II 5,71 II 800 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. German missionaries, which hereafter might he of great use to the English missionaries, Mr. Knight was faithfully preaching to the heathen Esquimaux m the south, and making every observation and inquiry on all matters bearing upon the then contemplated Wesleyan Mission, to be established in their midst. The Indians heard him with attention as he preached to them, through the same female interpreter, and were in the same ec- stasy when he spoke about a missionary being sent to reside among them, as they were when the first intima- tion thereof had been given to them in the previous summer by Mr. Hickson. Additional interest was im- parted to the case by the arrival of several Christian Esquimaux from the Moravian establishments m the north, who told their brethren of the benefits which Christianity would confer upon them in this world, be- sides the hope of eternal life in the world that is to come. These Christian Esquimaux had learned to sing at the mission stations, and Mr. Knight, who understood music, and had a good musical taste, said of their performance : " I have heard good ringmg, and I have heard good music scientifically performed ; but such a perfect chorus, and such a melody of voices, never before fell upon my auricular nerves. I gazed and wept." Mr. Knight was cheered with the prospect, and, with Mr. Hickson, was decided in his opinion that a mission to the Esquimaux should at once be established. By that opinion the committee for a time were gmded. Hence the following entry in their report for 1826, p. 97 : — *' Labrador. - The Esquimaux on this coast were again visited last summer. Mr. Knight, who was appointed to that service, re- ports favorably of the prospect of doing good, and. measures wiU be taken to establish a regular mission." LABRADOR MISSION, 801 The Labra. : , Mission now began to excite consider- able interest in England, and the committee, with their wonted Hberality and kindness, sent out articles for build- ing and furnishing a mission-house, to a large amount. Had there been no more exploring for a mission, and could we have patiently waited until the committee had found a Tolunteer missionary who would have taken up a permanent residence among the Esquimaux, the British Conference of near forty years ago would have had Esquimau Bay in their long list of '^ missions to the heathen ; " but such is not the fact. At the dis- trict meeting of 1826, George Ellidge was selected for the Labrador Mission. It was an untoward selection. Mr. Ellidge objected to the appointment and said : " I will not offer for the Labrador; if I go, you send me." From that moment a cloud began to gather over the Esquimau Indian Mission, which continued to spread until the mission was obscured in its density. Of the appointm'^nt of Mr. Ellidge, the committee have the following entry in their Report for 1827 p. 110: — ' "Labrador Mission - Esquimau Bay -Mr. Ellidge. - The visit of Mr. Knight, during several months of the last summer, to the Eiquimau tribes of the Labrador coast was equally satisfactory with that of Mr. Hickson, the preceding summer. The natives of these rude shores present to the labors of the self-deny- ing servants of Christ, who may take up their residence amonc them, a docility and susceptibility of feeling on subjects of religion highly encouraging, and the committee therefore directed one of the brethren in Newfoundland to take steps to establish a per- manent mission among them during the present summer. Mr. Ji^llidge was m consequence sent by the chairman of the New- lound and district, and the committee have reason to be satisfied with the person chosen for this arduous work, and with his pros- pecte. At the last account, he was building a house for a winter residence, to the great satisfaction of the natives." 26 802 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. By a letter from Mr. ElUdge, we find that he has fixed upon Snook's Cove, on the Labrador coast, as the place for commencing a permanent mission ; and that he left St. Johns, Newfoundland, to winter there, liav- ing made preparations for building a house, and obtain- ing stores for the winter. This place is considered to afford most conventent access to the Tiiuians. Mr. Ellidge remained at the Labrador during the winter, and returned to Newfoundland "in the autumn of 1827. The writer was then on the Burin Station. Of the views of Mr. Ellidge in reference to the Labra- dor Mission, he knew nothing, but tlie Esquimau Mis- sion had for years occupied his thoughts ; and, on the 23d of November, 1827, he wrote to the committee, and offered his serviees permanently to reside among the Indians as a Wesleyan missionary. This offer is noticed in the Report for 1828, p. 107. The offer was accepted ; and in the conference minutes of 1828, in the list of stations, is the following appointment : " In- dian Mission, Esquimau Bay, on the Labrador Coast, William Wilson." He now began to make irrange- ments to enter upon his Indian Mission. He engaged a man to go with him, who had been several years among the Esquimaux, and who understood something of their language. From this man he obtained a num- ber of Esquimau words, which he intended as the basis of a grammar, and an Esquimau-English Lexicon. But all was in vain. Mr. Ellidge, who had been sent, reported unfavorably. The chairman and brethren whom he consulted were astonished at the incongruity between the reports of Messrs. Hickson and Knight, and the report of Mr. Ellidge. They therefore sent another brother, Mr. Bate, to occupy the station until the pleasure of the committee be known. LTpon the t he liaa }t, as the and that ere, liav- \ obtain- idered to [ring the autumn Station. 16 Labra- nau Mis- d, on the immittee, e among IS offer is offer was 1828, in It: "/w- hr Coasty .irrange- ! engaged ral years omething d a num- d as the Lexicon. 3een sent, brethren congruity 1 Knight, efore sent tion until Upon the LABIIADOR MISSION. 308 report of tlie brethren EUidge and Bate, the commit- ee came to the conchision that the mission must be abandoned. The ^.riter, ahhough appointed there by tlie committee and conference, never sa^. tiie Labrador He will copy the last two notice, of the Esquimau M ss.on, as found m the reports for 1828 and 1829. Ihe former report on p. 10, reads: — "Labrador Mission - Esquimau Bav-Chas. Bate -The M,s.,o„ ,o .he E«,„i,„a„ tribe, of the Labrador eo "t h^ been „„pedoU by diffieultie,, which, tho„gh partially CJen could not be known in their full extent, be Je the mi^on hrf teen co„„„enced. Mr. EUidge. agreeably to the appointment^ the committee, proceeded to £«,„i„,a„ Bay. anS for sev r^ montta labored with diligence and zeal, and nder g^at privt Uons amongst both the native, and the settlers ; but. being doub" ful of success, from the scattered state of the differei^t tribes the^ migratory mode of life, and the paucity of their nnmblr, he r^ urned to Newfoundland. The brethren on that island, nl^lZ to abandon the mission, immediately resolved to send Mr. Bate to occupy the station until the pleasure of the committee be known hmce then, letters have been received from Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, olTering. in the true spirit of Christian enterprise, to leave tr.^^ present station, and proceed to the Labrador eoa^t. if appointed by the coniiiiitteo. This decision they are now expect bfr,^ eeive; and there is ground to hope that, under the bleslin, rf God. their patient and persevering labors may yet cause the •barren wilderness to smile, by the illuminating and cheerin, in! fluenees of the gospel light and truth.'" "o "> In the Report for 1859, p. 132, we have the follow- ing notice : — " The Labrador Mission is for the present suspended, principally m consequence o. the removal of the Esquunau tribes from the ^a^tmto the interior of the country, and their general dispe,. m k\. 804 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. I Thns ter-in«tea the British Esquimau Indian Mis- sion, at'tef V hac cost some hundreds of pounds ; and had m}iP^^ ' til attention of the Christian public for some tcight or ten ^ i-ars. Th« Conference of " Eastern BriUth America " has itnipsd " I.abrador " on the Hst of stations, but its missu/P is only to the British settlers and fishermen from Newtb.iivUand. We hope, hv vever, a mission to the Indians wiii yet be commenced on the coast, or, if need be, in the interior ; that we may assist our Mora- vian brethren in rescuing the savages on British soil, and within our own boundaries, from their darkness and heathenism. s. lian Mis- ids ; and mblic for ica " has , but its ishermen nission to ist, or, if ur Mora- itish soil, darkness CHAPTER Xri. THE KKD INDIANS -THEia HABITS - KILLED BY WHITE s EN - ATTACK A PARTY OF WHITE MEN -CAPTAIN BUCHAM - WARX MAHOH - THREE LOST INDIANS SEEN — 8HANANDITH1T. THE RED INDIANS OR ABORIGINES OF NEWFOUNDLAND. WHA7T.VER continent or large island the mod- ern navigator may visit, he always finds human beings there ; beings who, like hiiHself, were created in the image of God, and bought with the " precious blood of Christ." Sometimes he finds these men in a state of civilization that excites his astonishment, as in the case of the inhabitants of Central America, of China and Japan, and sometimes in a state of complete bar- barism, as the natives of South Africa, Polynesia, the Indians of the North American forests, and the original owners and proprietors of the Island of Newfoundknd. He wonders by what educational process the one people became so elevated ; and why it was that the other people should have been left in their native state. This is a mistaken view ; for man did not, in early times, rise from barbarism to civilization, but he sank from civilization to barbarism. When for the wicked attempt of (h(^ people, on the " plain in the land of Shinah," to build " a city and a tower whose top might reach unto heaven," " the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth," it is certain those people were a civilized people, and must have been acquainted with all tiie science of those times. Those of them 26* (305) M: 306 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS -MISSIONARIES. who colonized lands abounding in the necessaries of life, could remain in large bodies, build cities, and employ their leisure in instructing their children in such branches of knowledge as had engaged their Qwn attention and study. But those who wandered into distant lands, where the soil was rocky or sandy ; where the forests were inpenetrable, or the morass impassable ; where the earth yielded but a scanty supply of food ; where man was dependent upon the chase for a living ; or where a large portion of his time was engaged in prep- aration for the coming months of a northern winter ; where the inhabitants were but few in number, and the families isolated ; and where science was not needed, — it would, as a consequence, follow, that their children would be instructed in little else than what was re- quired to gain a living; and thus future generations would drop into that state of barbarism in which we find them in the present day. The aboriginal inhabitants of Newfoundland belong to this class. They are of American origin, and seem to be of the mountaineer type, from the interior of Labrador. But after they had crossed the " Straits of Belle Isle " to their island home, they assumed a na- tional character, and in time became diflFerent, both in habit and person, from their supposed ancestors. They called themselves " Boeothicks ;" but the set- tlers called them " Red Indians ;" from the fact of their painting their bodies and their wigwams with red ochre. Red ochre is found on the north shore of Conception Bay, and there is a small village on that shore called Ochre-pit Cove; from a tradition that the Boeothicks of that region used to get their red ochre from that place. There is something fearful, and truly humiliating, in the thought, wherever civilized and Christian people, so no. THE RED INDIANS. 307 called, come in contact with savage tribes, those tribes melt away, and in time become extinct. The reason is obvious : we plunder those tribes, and we give them our vices, but we withhold from them our Christianity which only can elevate, bless, and save them. Thus it was with the Red Indian race. When John Cabot, in the year 1497, first sighted Cape Bonavista, the Red Indians possessed the entire island ; their canoes glided on its streams, or fished on Its shores, while they had no fear of molestation on their huTiting-grounds, or apprehension of the white man's bullet, as they passed through the woods to their humble wigwam beside the placid waters of the inland lake. But the Indians had large quantities of what the Europeans called wealth : it consisted in beautiful furs, the skms of animals taken in the chase. Newfoundland is one of the best hunting-grounds upon the earth. Its surface contains 57,000 square miles. Over this extensive range of country, not one foot was cultivated, or a building of any kind stood, save the wigwams of its Indian lords. Here was abundance of game of all kinds peculiar to northern latitudes, — as the black bear, the otter, the wolf, the beaver, the red, the black, and the silver fox ; the ponds were the home of the wild goose, for that bird breeds there; while the barrens and open plains were ulive with the caribou or reindeer. With the skins of animals taken in their extensive hunting-grounds were the Indians clothed ; and upon the same rich furs did they repose at night. This in- flamed the cupidity of the European furriers. Tliey might have carried on a lucrative trade with them ; but no, they must have their rich furs without aiiv compen- sation ! They therefore shot them down in cold blood. \ ' Li-." N ■ 308 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION ARIES. and took possession of their property. The Indians defended themselves as best thejr could, but the dart and the bow and arrow were their only weapons, which ■w^ere useless against the fire-arms of the whites. They were driven from the coast, and sought refuge on the margin of, or on the islands in, the great ponds in the interior. Thither they followed them, or employed the Micmacs to follow them, until the whole race was al- most annihilated. No one thought any more of shoot- ing a Red Indian than of Idlling the animal with the skin of which the Indian was clothed. It was about the commencement of the present cen- tury that the government avowed itself on the side of this oppressed race, declared the Red Indians to be British subjects, and placed them under the protection of British law. But it was too late for any practical good ; most of the tribe were destroyed, and it was impossible to inspire confidence in any white man, on the part of those that yet remained. A place called Bloody Bay, on the north side of Bonavista Bay, has often been named to the writer as a place where frequent encounters had occurred with the Red Indians. When the fishermen would be look- ing for bait, or getting wood fi-om the shore, they would be assailed by a shower of arrows, and be obliged either to defend themselves with their fire-arms, or escape in their boats. In a place called Cat Harbor, some Indians came one night, and took all the sails from a fishing- boat. The next day they were pursued, and when seen, were on a distant hill, with the sails cut into a kind of cloak, and daubed all over with red ochre. Two men belonging to the party, who had gone in pur- suit of the Indians, were rowing along shore, when they saw a goose swimming in the iiarbor. It was a .#1^ e Indians t the dart ons, which 3S. They ere on the nds in the ployed the ce was al- } of shoot- 1 with the •esent cen- :he side of ians to be protection y practical ind it was te man, on th side of 3 writer as urred with Id be look- they would iged either r escape in me Indians 1 a fishing- and when cut into a red ochre, one in pur- lore, when It was a THE RED INDIANS. 309 decoy, for, while their attention was arrested with the goose, two Indians rose up from concealment, and discharged their arrows at them, but without effect. The government, however, now determined to defend the property, as well as the lives, of these people. In 1810, an instance of this occurred in Green Bay, at the head of Notre Dame Bay. A man named Wilt- shear, and his crew, were returning from the fishing- ground, when, rounding a point of land, they came close upon a canoe where there were five Red Indians, — four men and one woman. The Indians were alarmed, pulled toward the shore, jumped on the beach, and ran to the woods. The men took the canoe and carried it home. In the fall of the year, they went to St. Johns with a boat-load of fish, and took the canoe with them a& u present to the governor, but they were taken into custody, and put in prison, charged with murdering the Indians and stealing their canoe. After being in prison ten days, and no evidence being produced against them, they were acquitted. The imprisonment of Wilt- shear had a good effect, for we never after heard of any depredations being committed upon the Indians. A few years later, a lieutenant, afterward Captain Buchan, of H. M. schooner Pike, the same person who went in quest of the north-west passage, was commis- sioned by the governor. Sir John Thomas Duckworth, to discover, and, if possible, bring about a friendly inter- course with the Red Indians. He cruised up the Bay of Exploits, Notre Dame Bay, and at length came up with an encampment. He prevailed upon two Indians to come on board his vessel, but to effect this, he had to leave two marines with the Indians as hostages. He removed the vessel to another place with the Indians on board ; and when he returned to the encampment, ill 810 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. he found his two marines with their heads severed from their bodies, and all the Indians had fled. The two Indians that were on board the Pike also escaped, and were never seen afterward. In the winter of 1819, in the month of March, ten armed men at the head of White Bay went into the country, came up with an encampment, and brought away the only person they found, who was a female. She was brought to St. Johns, for the government had offered a reward to bring a Red Indian to them, hoping by such means to commence a friendly intercourse with the tribe. But it was a mistake. This Indian woman, having been taken in the month of March, was called Mary March, when she came to St. Johns. While there, she was treated with every kindness, loaded with presents, and then taken back to the place from whence she came. Red Indian Pond, at the head of the River Exploits, was the home of Mary March. On its beach had she played in her childhood ; over its waters had she paddled in her canoe ; she had fished in its streams, and when she became a wife, it was on its margin ; she had been compelled to leave her husband, and her hapless infant, her only child, to die, which rumor says, it did, two days after the ruffian armed band of white men had taken her captive, and carried her, her friends knew not where. To take a savage woman captive, and bring her away by force, in order to open a friendly intercourse with her tribe, was a clear absurdity. It therefore failed. It were wild to say, she was better off while in St. Johns than in her own country. She could not think so. The husband and child of Mary March were as dear to her as can be the partner and child of the titled lady ; the rough wigwam as much a lES. vered from The two leaped, and March, ten at into the [id brought J a female, rnment had lem, hoping course with ian woman, , was called ns. While loaded with :om whence er Exploits, ich had she she paddled 3, and when lie had been pless infant, it did, two te men had fiends knew captive, and 1 a friendly surdity. It 3 was better antry. She lild of Mary partner and n as much a THE RED INDIANS. 811 home to her as a palace is to the prince ; her deer-skin dress as much admired as the costly costume of the fashionable belle ; and the wood-bound banks of the Red Indian Lake were as beautiful, in her eyes, as the rich landscape and the decorated pleasure-park are to the refined taste of the courtly lord. The manners of Mary March, while in St, Johns, were very pleasing, and there was a dignity about her which led to the conviction that she was the wife of a Boeothick chief. How long she lived after her return, we have no means of knowing. But some years after, an explor- ing party visited the Red Indian Lake, and at its east- ern extremity, while they saw no people, they saw evi- dence that the shores of that lake had long been the central and undisturbed rendezvous of the Boeothick tribe. They f6und a number of their wigwams, a building for drying and smoking venison, and a log storehouse. They found wooden huts which were used as repositories for the dead. One of these huts was in size ten feet by eight, and four feet high in the centre. It was floored with squared sticks, and roofed with rinds, -- well secured against the weather, and the intrusion of wild beasts. Two full-grown persons, wrapped in skins, were laid on the floor. It was com- puted that these persons had been dead not more than five or six years. But what excited our travellers most was the discovery of a white deal coffin, contain- ing a skeleton neatly shrouded in white muslin. This, it would seem, was the remains of Mary March. If so, the white muslin must have been among the presents she received when in St. Johns. Beside her were two small wooden images of a mai^ and woman, supposed to represent Mary March and her husband ; 11 N '? 812 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION AEIES. and a small doll supposed to represent her child. In the same building were models of boats and canoes, also a bow and a quiver full of arrows, with two fire- stones, or radiated iron pyrites, with which the Boeo- thicks produce fire by striking them together. There were also a number of culinary utensils, neatly made of birch bark, and ornamented. It was the arrival of Mary March in St. Johns that induced the Wesleyan missionary committee to make the following entry in their Report for the year 1820, in reference to the Newfoundland District : — « The attention of the public has lately been turned to the abo- riginal inhabitants of the interior, and, should any opening to these long isolated tribes occur, the brethren are directed to avail themselves of it to attempt their instruction." Four years after Mary March was brought to St. Johns, three others of the tribe were captured and brou-ht to the same place. These were the last of the Red'indians ever seen. As the writer himself saw these persons, shook hands with them, and tried to con- verse with them, he will give the account from his own " St. Johns, Newfoundland, June 23, 1823. "Last week there were brought tx) this town, three Red In- dians, so called, who are the aboriginal inhabitants of th.s island They are all females, and their capture was accomphshed m the following manner. ^ ^r. ^-^v, «In the month of March last, a party of men from the neigh- borhood of Twillingate were in the country huntmg for fur. ihe party went two and two in different directions. After a while one of these small parties saw, on a distant hill, a man coming toward them. Supposing him, while at a distance, ^ ^e one o their own party, they fired a powder gun to let their friend know their whereabouts. The Red Indian generally runs at the lepo of a musket : not so in the present instance. This man cpuckened his pa".e toward them. They now, from his gait and di-ess, Ui^- child. In id canoes, 1 two fire- the Boeo- r. There atly made Johns that B to make year 1820, sd to the abo- y opening to i directed to ight to St. ptured and e last of the himself saw tried to con- •om his own ne 23, 1823. three Red In- of this island. nplished in the rom the neigh- iT for fur. The After a while a man coming ;e, to be one of eir friend know ns at the report man q^iiickened ; and dress, dis- THE RED INDIANS. 813 covered that he was an Indian, but thought he was a Micmac and therefore still felt no anxiety. Soon they found their" -' t ke an, ,,,,,, ,j„^, that the stranger was one of the R d In. itr if- T ?PP'r^-S in a threatening attitude, with a large club m h.s hand. They now put themselves in a posture of defence, and beckoned the Indian to surrender. Til wTof no use; became on with double fury, and when nearly Tthe muzzle of tl.eir guns, one of the men fired, and the Indian M dead at h,s feet. As they had killed a man without any" leave the huntmg-ground and return home. In passing through a droke of woods they came up with a wigwam, which they en ered and took three Indian females, which have since been found brought rT- 'r '"'^ '^"»'^^"- '^^-^ « they brought to their own home, where they kept them until they could carry them to St. Johns, and receive the government Z ward fo bnngmg a Red captive Indian. The parties were brought o tnal for shooting a man, but as there was „o evidlnce agamst them they were acquitted. eviaence der JA' '''"''i? ^""\^"'' '^^''' *" government house, and, by or- der of bs excellency the governor, a comfortable room in th^ court- house was assigned to them as a place of residence, where they were trea ed with every possible kindness. The mother is far advanced m life, but seems in good health. Beds w^e p o ided or them, but they did not understand their use, and they'Con he. deer-skms m the corner of the room One of the daU- TlZ M T:"" "°"^' *^'^ "° "^^^^^"^- Tbe doctor recom- mended phlebotomy, and a gentleman allowed a vein to be opened in h,s arm, to show her that there was no intention to kiU her ; bu this was to no purpose; for when she saw the lancet brough near her own arm both she and her companions got into a stL h ir V '""^^T' '^' '' ^''^''' «- -^- -as in good health. She seemed about twenty-two years of age. If she had ever used red ochre about her person, there wa's then no ^n Millo T T: "" ««™P^^^J«- -a« -arthy, not unlike the Micmacs; her features were handsome ; she was a tall, fine figure, and stood nearly six feet high; and such a beautiful set of teeth I do not know that I ever saw in a human head. In her man- ners she was bland, affable, and affectionate. I showed her my watch: she put it to her ear, and was amusPd with its tick A gentleman put a looking-glass before her, and her grimaces were ^7 (f * 814 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. most extraordinary ; but when a black-lead pencil was put into her hand, and a piece of white paper laid upon the table, she was in raptures. She made a few marks on the paper, apparently to try the pencil ; then in one flourish she drew a deer perfectly ; and, what is most surprising, she began at the tip of the tail. One person pointed to his fingers and counted ten, which she repeated in (rood English ; but when she had numbered all her fingers, her English was exhausted, and her numeration, if numeration it were, was in the Boeothick tongue. This person, whose Indian name is Shanandithit, is thought to be the wife of the man who was shot. The old woman was morose, and had the look and action of a savage. She would sit all day on the floor with a deer-skin shawl on, and looked with dread or hatred upon every one that entered the court-house. " When we came away Shanandithit kissed all the company, shook hands with us, and distinctly repeated ' good-by.' " June 24. Saw the three Indian women in the street. The ladies had dressed them in English garb, but over their dress they all had on their, to them indispensable, deer-skin shawl ; and Sha- nandithit, thinking the long front of her bonnet an unnecessary appendage, had torn it off", and in its place had decorated her forehead and her arms with tinsel and colored paper. " They took a few trinkets, and a quantity of the fancy paper that is usually wrapped round pieces of linen ; but their great selection was pots, kettles, hatchets, hammers, nails, and other articles of ironmongery, with which they were loaded so that they could scarcely walk. It was painful to see the sick woman, who, notwithstanding her debility, was determined to have her share in these valuable treasures." After a few weeks, a vessel was sent to take the women to the place from whence they came. The ship's boat took all their things ashore; then the women went, with great reluctance ; but when they were landed, and the boat was about to leave them, they cried, they screamed, and rushed into the water after the boat ; they would not be left. The captain was at a loss what to do. His orders were to put them ashore, and leave them. He felt that this would THE RED INDIANS. 315 1 put into e, she was arently to perfectly ; tail. One i repeated ngers, her leration it )se Indian ! man who look and lor with a pon evex'y company, reet. The dress they ; and Sha- nnecessary orated her ancy paper their great and other !0 that they oman, who, her share take the ne. The then the hen they ive them, the water le captain •e to put bhis would be cruel ; he, therefore, determined to leave them in charge of the person who brought them away, until the pleasure of the government was known. The or- ders were not repeated, so the women remained. Tiie sick daughter soon died, and the mother did not live long with civilized people ; but Shanandithit survived hjr about two years, during which time she learned Ji^nghsh, and became very useful as a house-servant. From her it was understood that her tribe was re- duced to a very small number ; and the reason she and her relations would not be left on the beach was thai they would have been killed by their own people as traitors, as they had been among the white people whom they considered as their deadly enemies. ' The writer is not aware that any Boeothicks have since been seen. Some suppose that the whole race is extinct; others that they have escaped across the Strait of Belle Isle to the main land of Labrador. But when It is remembered that there are thousands of square miles of land in the interior, on which no foot of any civil- ized man has ever trod ; that there are numerous large " ponds," some of which might almost be called inland seas ; that there are large islands in those lakes, and immense forests on their margins, that we have never seen, — it may be that some sequestered spot yet con- tains a few of this persecuted and injured race, who may hereafter make their appearance ; which, should it be so, they assuredly will be treated differently, and with greater kindness than was ever shown toward their an^ cestors. What a fearful thought tliat we, who have Christianity and the Bible, and who boast of our high state of civilization, should have destroyed a whole peo- ple, who did us no harm, until we commenced to mur- der them and take their property I • 816 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Tlicj labor the Red Indians performed, in order to catcli deer for tlieir subsistence, was very great, as is evident from tbe remains of the deer-fences, which were standing only a few years ago. The deer is gre- garious, and the herds in Newfoundland sometimes are said to contain numbers that a|)j)ear fabulous. During tlie summer they feed on the mountains of the north, and may be found in large numbers on the highlands near White Bay, or about the latitude of 50° or 51° ; but in the autumn, or near winter, they migrate, or, as the hunters say, they " beat to the south," and go near Ca})e Kay or the Bay of St. George. To catch the deer in their southern migration, and to provide food for themselves during winter, seems to have been the motive of the Red Indians in putting up their deer-fences. Inland from Notre Dame Bay, and far to the north-west of Red Indian Pond, a doublei line of strong fence was put up, which at its commence- ment diverged many miles. The southern fence ran down to the lake, so that the deer should tliui come near their own encampments, and the northern line of fence was to prevent their escape near the shore. This northern fence ran down to the River Exploits, along the bank of which another fence was raised, with open- ings at particular places for the deer to go to the river and swim across it. These openings were called passes. A number of men now got within the fence, and from the wider enclosure they drove them to the narrower part, or to passes of the river where others were sta- tioned, and thus killed the deer at their leisure. These deer-lences extend thirty miles on the River Exploits, and how far in the interior no white man can tell. The present state of the Boeothick tribe, if, indeed, any of that tribe is in existence, is calculated to teach ;s. order to eat, us is )S, wiiifh er is gru- itimc'S are ntains of rs on the ,de of 50° { migrate, nth," and ition, and ;er, seems in putting ime Bay, , a doubU^ onnnence- fenee ran hui come rn line of )re. This oits, along vith open- ) the river led passes, and from narrower were sta- .'e. These L' Exploits, I tell, if, indeed, 3d to teach THE RED INDIANS. 817 us hat c'lv.hzation an.I education, abstracted from the Bible ami pure Christianity, can never rai«e a sava<.e people tron, their de;.rarophet in rness and the desert CHAPTER Xlil. ■TATION8 FOIl 1825— CONKKUKNCE DEATII-HOLL — WILLIAM CKOSCOMBR — SIMEON NOALL — CHAUI.EH BATE — JOHN COKLKTr — MKKCIKUt. PREHUKVATION OK THE WHITKH — bTATIONS FOK 18'28 — JOHN TOMP- KINS — JOHN HMITIIIKH — JOSEPH UUTTBKWUKTH — DK. TOWNLKT •— MISSIUMAUY INCOME rolt 1828, THE following is the list of stations as appears in the minutes for 1825 : — St. Johns — William Croscombe, Ninian Barr. Carbonkau — John Pickavant. Harbou Grack — John Corlett. Black Head and Western Bay — John Haigh. Island Covk and Perlican— Simeon Noall. Port de Grave— William Wilson. Brious — Richard Knight. Trinity Bay — Adam Nightingale, Charles Bate. BoNAVisTA AND Catalina — John Boyd. Grand Bank and Fortune Bay — George Ellidge. Burin — William Ellis. Indian Mission, Esquimau Bay, on the Labrador Coast. — Richard Knight is to spend the summer months on this station. William Croscombe, Chairman. Wesleyan missions now began to excite considera- ble interest throughout the Christian world ; and many wealthy persons contributed largely for their support and extension. In the year 1818, died that extraordinary, that saintly man, Robert Carr Brackenbury, Esq., of Raithby Hall, Lincolnshire. This gentleman gave up the pleasures of a splendid mansion for the life of a Methodist preacher. He, with Dr. Clark, became mis- (319) ■t , ^ ■rJ 320 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. sionaries in the Island of Jersey. He gave liberally of his wealth, while he lived, to the cause of God ; and at his death, he bequeathed the sum of XIOOO to the Mis- sionary Society. The same year, a lady died in Ireland, Miss Houston, who gave a legacy of £2000 to the same cause. But the most princely sum the committee had hitherto received was a benefaction of X 10,000 from the Rev. T. Dodwell, Vicar of Welby, in Lin- colnshire. This gentleman had been a personal friend of Mr. Wesley, and a warm friend to our missions. While the missions were under the direction of Dr. Coke, he contributed liberally to their support ; and after the death of the doctor, he sent his contributions to the anniversary meetings of the different missionary societies held in his neighborhood. The committee, in their circular for 1822, gave +^ is instruction to their missionaries : '" We again call the attention of the brethren to the necessity of forming missionary societies, in aid of our funds, on every foreign station where practicable ; and, where that is not prac- ticable, at least to make a public collection annually, for this purpose, in all the congregations ; taking that oc- casion to inform the people of the extent, state, and prospects of our missions, and to interest them in the universal establishment of the kingdom of Christ in all the earth." This important instruction was soon observed ; for in the year 1824, contributions flowed into the missionary exchequer from nearly all the foreign districts. The report for this year credits the Newfoundland District with X59 5s. 7cZ., and the Nova Scotia District with j£250 15s. 2d. The latter was a much larger sum than was raised that year in any foreign district within the range of Methodism. BS. berally of >d ; and at 3 the Mis- in Ireland, 00 to the committee £10,000 y, in Lin- •nal friend ■ missions, ion of Dr. port ; and itributions missionary gave t' is n call the )f forming jry foreign 3 not prac- nually, for g that oc- state, and lem in the hrist in all ed ; for in missionary icts. The id District strict with 'sum than within the THE DEATH-ROLL. 321 THE CONFERENCE DEATH-ROLL. The fourth question asked at every conference is " What ministers have died since the last conference ? " Immediately all business ceases, and the most solemn attention is paid while a sketch of the life of each .ninister, whose death has occurred since the last conference, is read. This is called "the death-roll." Sometimes this roll is short; at other times it is very long. The greatest number of deaths which the East- ern British American Conference has had to record in one year was four; but the British Conference, in 1860, had thirty-one deaths in Great Britain, four in Ireland, and three on the foreign stations, — making a total of thirty-eight ministers, belonging to the British and Irish conferences, who were called away in one year. As the roll is read, while every preacher endeavors to acquiesce in the divine will, yet they are but men, and feel as men ; therefore, as each name is announced, the brethren will be more or less affected as the de- ceased had filled his position in the conference. To one he was a spiritual father ; to another a special friend, a companion, and more than a brother : to one he was a kind superintendent; to another he was a zealous, faithful, and devoted colleague. In years past he might have instructed the conference by the pro- fundity of his thought ; directed it by the wisdom of his counsels ; defended it from its enemies by the pow- er of his pen ; or charmed it with liis eloquence. He might have been a president, — when the junior breth- ren would think, with deep gratitude, of the important advice he gave to them in his ordinary charge. Every one feels the loss ; but all believe the departed was a man of God. Many eyes will overflow with tears of w 822 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. gratitude at the statement that the departed successfully combated " man's last, man's latest foe ; " that he felt the supporthig power of that rehgion which he had preached to others ; and that he died in peace ; then with hearts oppressed with sorrow, the brethren rise, and with lips still quivering, and voice still faltering, unite and sing those beautiful words of Charles Wesley, found on page 399 : — " Oh, may I triumph so, Wlieu all my warfare's past, And dyin}?, find my ktost foo. Under my feet at last 1 " In addition to those already named, the death-roll records the following honored brethren : — 1. William Croscombe, who was a native of Tiver- ton, in Devonshire, England, and was born on the 19th of February, 1789. In the eighteenth year of his age, he became acquainted with the Wesleyans, was deeply convinced of his guilty state, and at a Sabbath morning prayer-meeting was enabled to rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. A few months after his conversion, he becran to exhort others " to flee from the wrath to come ; " and, having exercised his talents for a short time as a local preacher, he was received into the reg- ular work, at the conference of 1810, and as the junior preacher, was appointed to the Shepton-Mallet Circuit, in the Bristol District. The next year he offered for the foreign work, and was'a})pointed to what was then called the Nova Sco- tia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland District, of which William Black was chairman. Mr. Croscombe arrived at Halifax on the 12th of April, 1812. On the way, the vessel put into St. Johns, Newfound- land. St. Johns was not then a Wesleyan Circuit, ES. uccessfully hut he t'tilt ch he had thun lace tlireu rise, 1 faltering, es Wesley, ! death-roll ! of Tiver- m the 19th of his age, was deeply ,th morning e liberty of conversion, lie wrath to for a short ito the reg- and as tlic ipton-Mallet I work, and Nova Sco- District, of , Croscombe 1812. Oil Newfound- rau Circuit, WILLIAM CROSCOMBE. 323 but he brethren Ellis and Mc' ouell occasionally preached there, and Mr. Croscon.be, during his brief sojourn, also preaclied to that people the words of life and salvation He was then in his twenty-third year: us hair was light, and his appearance very youthful he preached with considerable effect, and his style and maffner so arrested public attention, that they called him the eloquent white-headed boy." He labored seven years in the lower provinces, when, his health faduig, he returned to England, and travelled in Not- ^ngham two years ; af4er which he was appointed to Gibraltar, where his labors were greatly blessed both to the army and also among civilians. His next ap- pointment was St. Johns, Newfoundland. The remi- niscences of the friends in that place called to mind the "white-headed boy," who had, twelve years before, mentt tb "'* '" T'^ '""'P''"'^- His appoint: ment as their minister, therefore, was hailed with pleas- ure, and a crowded house greeted him on his arrival. He remained in St. Johns three years, during which time he filled the office of chairman of the district t'l t "°'r""Py ""y o'her circuit in Newfoundland Jan St. Johns. In 1828, he came a second time to Nova Scotia ; and after seven years, he removed to Canada, where five more years of his useful life were spent m the same delightful employment of calling sin- ners to repentance. In the year 1838, he came again to Nova Scotia and continued to labor until the year 18S1, when infirmity compelled him to retire from ac- tive work and take a supernumerary position. After he became a supernumerary he preached occasionally as his strength enabled him. The last sermon he ever preached was on Sabbath, December 31st, 1851, from — _ !,, i^,_ J, or what IS your life? It is even 11 i i! 824 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. i 11. a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then van- isheth away." Shortly after returning from the house of God he was seized with paralysis, which seemed to keep him on the verge of eternity for several months. From the severity of this attack, however, he rallied, but his feebleness was very great. He bore his suffer- ings with much patience and serenity of mind ; he %lt abiding peace ; praise dwelt upon his lips, and his con- versation invariably turned upon the things of God ; the salvation of God was his only theme, and the blood of Christ his only hope. On the night of the 20th of August, 1859, he fell asleep in Jesus, in the seventy- first year of his age and the fiftieth of his ministry. Mr. Croscombe successively occupied the chairman- ship of the Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Canada districts ; and while his prudence and integrity secured for him the full confidence of the missionary com- mittee, his gentlemanly deportment and his Christian kindness gained for him the love of all his brethren, and the esteem of the people. He v/as a faithful and kind friend, cheerful in his manner; his piety was simple and ardent, and he conscientiously endeavored to enjoy all those blessings and that fiiU salvation which he preached to others. He labored much to make his pulpit duties accept- able to his congregation, and he seldom failed in his ob- ject. His preaching was plain, scriptural, and earnest. Pastoral visitation was his delight, and by it he en- deared himself to all classes who attended his ministry. He was more or less successful in every circuit where he travelled, and in several places extensive revivals were the result of his faithful and zealous labors. 2. Simeon Noall was a native of Cornwall, entered the Weslevan m.inistrv at the conference of 1824, and ES. then van- the house seemed to a,l months, he rallied, his sufFer- d; he^elt id his con- is of God; I the blood he 20th of le seventy- inistry. chairman- id Canada ity secured nary com- s Christian s brethren, aithful and piety was endeavored 1 salvation Lties accept- d in his ob- md earnest. y it he en- ds ministry, rcuit where live revivals ibors. ^all, entered f 1824, and CHARLES BATE. 325 came out a missionary to Newfoundland. He labored on the island for five years with very great acceptance. He was kmd and affectionate in his manner, faithful zealous, and successful in his pastoral duties; he was a good platform speaker; his preaching was plain, yet eloquent, earnest, and highly scriptural ; his sermons were rich in evangelical truth, often delivered with telling power, and in prayer he was truly mighty. In the youth of our church he felt deep interest, and was incessant m his efforts to instruct them and lead them to God. Many were the seals to his ministry in dif- ferent parts of the island ; but his constitution was too feeble to endure the hardships attendant upon a missionary life ; he therefore returned to England in the year 1829. By breathing his native air, his health was much improved ; so that he labored in different circuits for nineteen years with the same esteem and success that he had in Newfoundland. He became a supernumerary in 1848, in the Hayle Circuit. He contmued to employ his remaining strength, until he was suddenly called away from suffering to rest, on the 4th of August, 1850, in the fifty-sixth year of his age, and the 26th of his ministry. 3. Charles Bate was received on trial a Weslevan minister at the conference of 1824, and came to New- foundland in the autumn of that year. He labored on the island for nine years, and in 1833, he removed to St. Kitts^ one of the West India Islands, and in the Antigua District. He labored in the West Indies eight years, and died in great peace at Tortola on the 16th of December, 1841. In the above list of stations there are thirteen names, but the reader must understand there were not thirteen preacliers then on the Newfoundland District. Mr 28 ■■MiiBH 326 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Barr was removing, and his English appointment was not then fixed ; and one man was retained in order to supply the Labrador. The number of our men and the number of our stations were eleven ; the same in 1825 as they were in 1817. Of the preachers who constituted the Newfoundland District in 1825, the death-roll records seven ; two are laid aside by infirmity, and four only are now (1864) in the active work. The men who are still spared to labor in their Master's vineyard are John Boyd, John Corlett, George Ellidge,* and the writer. We have previously spoken of John Boyd, and of the two other brethren we give the following infor- mation : — George Ellidge was received on trial as a Wes- leyan minister in the year 1822; he travelled two years in England when he was appointed to labor in Newfoundland. He continued on that mission for twenty-four years, and returned to England in the year 1848 ; since which time he has .continued to la- bor in his native land. In 1863, his name stands as superintendent of the Attleborough and New Bucken- ham Circuit in the Norwich and Lynn District. John Corlett commenced the itinerant in 1824, and was stationed at Kendal, in the Carlisle District. He came to Newfoundland in 1825, and labored there with much acceptance for five years. In the summer of 1826, Mr. Corle t made a mission tour to the north, and visited Green's Pond, which lies some forty miles to the north of Bonavista, and was then our most northern station. That region of country was then in a fearful state of demoralization. * Since writing the above, notice has been received of the death of the Bev. George Ellidge. ;s. merit was I order to men and ! same in x)undland ; two are .V (1864) spared to )yd, John d, and of ing infor- s a Wes- elled two » labor in ission for id in the led to la- stands as r Bucken- ct. in 1824, i District. >red there a mission id, which ,vista, and region of •ralization. death of the JOHN CORLETT. 827 There was indeed an Episcopal Church, and one of the readers belonging to the Society for the Propagation of the GosiK. in Foreign Parts ; but swearing, drunken- ness. Sabbath-breaking, and gross immorality were carried to such an extent that Green's Pond was often called the Sodom of the North. Mr. Corlett in the journal of his visit says, — Sunday, July 2, 1826,— "We landed this morning at Green's Pond, about four o'clock; after lymg down to rest for an hour and a half, I was quite re- freshed, and went to inform the principal inhabitants of Green's Pond what were my intentions in visiting them. I walked through the harbor to see what the people were doing, and found as I had previously heard that the merchant's stores were all open I saw some purchasing shoes, others, fishing-materials, provisions,' &c. In a word, I found that Sunday is what may emphatically be called the market day at Green's Pond. The people are not, however, S^K^^u ? ^\ ""'^^ '"' '"''''''' ^ P''^^^^"^^ the fishery on the babbath day ; although tl^ere are individuals who send their boats out on Sunday, as they say, to be ready on Monday. I was in- formed by the most respectable persons residing in Pond, that during the winter season it is a very common and almost general thmg to go shooting seals and birds on the Sabbath day The people who were not employed were standing or lying on the rocks, rehearsing the news, and the children in groups playing _ in truth and reality, without any person to care ibr Their Lis. I resolved, as I could not preach in the church, that I would preach at the church-door as the people came out. But there was no church service. I presume the person who read the prayers had been counselled to dispense with praying on that day. The weather proving unfavorable, I therefore preached in one of Mr Garlands stores. A more tumultuous company I never saw assembled together. I almost despaired of arresting their atten- tion ; but after singing a few verses, I prayed and received no further interruption except from a few sons of Bacchus, who were within; and a few of the 'baser sort,' who stood without blaspheming. When retiring, a few who knew not what spirit they were of reviled and swore, and said I should be thrown into the water=" 828 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. I Mr. Corlett closes his interesting journal with the following observations : — " Green's Pond is in great want of a missionary. There are about five hundred Protestants, and one hundred Catholics ; be- sides there are Protestants at the following places, which may be early visited, with the happiest effects, several times a year, as most of them are contiguous to the Pond, and all have intercourse with it: Middle-Bill Cove, Pinchard's Island, Swain's Island, Fool's Island, Gooseberry Island, and Pouch Island, — on most of which many Protestant families reside who rarely hear the glad tidings of salvation." Of the state of public feeling he says : — " I plainly perceive that, owing to various circumstances, they are greatly prejudiced against us. Those who have formed illicit connections are against us, and those who enrich themselves by the ignorance of the poor are against us. The poor themselves are against us, because, say they, * they do not allow of killing birds, hunting seals, or going fishing on Sabbath days ; neither do they approve of having dances, singing songs,' &c. ; and, besides, they say, ' we are no Christians, though we were christened long since.' The Prince of Darkness, whose empire this is at present, will, I have no doubt, take the field against us ; but yet, were the door providentially opened to us, none of these things need move us." After a lapse of thirty-six years, Mr. Corlett's hopes in reference to Green's Pond have been realized. In our minutes for 1861, we read, " Green's Pond to be supplied." The next year it received an appointment ; for in the station-sheet we read, " Green's Pond, John S. Allen ; " and in the minutes for last year (1863), Green's Pond returns twenty members in society, and twenty-four on trial, and four dollars as its first contri- bution toward the mission fund. In the year 1824, Mr. Corlett left Newfoundland, and has ever since been laboring very successfully in different islands of the West Indies. i« RIES. al with the y. There are Catholics ; be- !9, which may mes a year, as ive intercourse wain's Island, ,— on most of hear the glad mstances, they e formed illicit themselves by loor themselves How of killing days; neither igs,' &c. ; and, vere christened ipire this is at MERCIFUL PRESERVATION. 829 ist us ; but yet, of these things )rlett's hopes realized. In 3 Pond to be ippointment ; Pond, John year (1863), . society, and s first contri- 3wfoundland, accessfully in _ In the minutes for 1863, liis name is down as super- mtendent of the Spanish-town and Linstead Circuit, in the Jamaica Di^*"ict. Before proceeding with our narrative, we may be al- lowed here to give a short account of the merciful preservation of the writer from perisliing on the ice during a journey in Trinity Bay, Saturday, Feb. 9, loZ2. From my journal : — "Wednesday last was the day for me to have left this place (Old Perlican) for Hants' Harbor, but was prevented by a snow- storm. Toward night, the storm increased, and the thermometer fell to about 16° below zero. On Thursday morning, the storm was at Its height; severe was the cold, fearf.Ily howled the wind and the snow was raised in such suffocating clouds that it was dangerous to go out of the house. Toward night, however, the weather had considerably moderated. Friday was calm ; the sun rose with great brilliancy, and the day throughout was fine. In the evening, a man called upon me to say that several persons were going up the bay in the morning, and I had better hold my- self in readiness to accompany them ; for, although we could not get along on the land because of the heavy snow-drifts, yet we could get up the bay on the ice. We left Perlican, at day- light, m three companies, thirteen persons in all, one of whom wasa female We struck off directly for the headland near Hants' Harbor The morning was clear and calm, and there was every probaoihty of getting to our journey's end early in the afternoon. About nine o clock, a light breeze of wind sprung up from the west, and a haze came on the land, but not sufficient to hide it from our view. As we were passing a deep indent in the land, I chanced to look toward a point of land that we had parsed an hour before, and were then only just abreast of it, and called the at- tention of my company to the fact. We halted, and immediately saw that the whole mass of ice was moving down the Bay, at about the same rate that we were walking up ; and that we must reach the shore, or be carried into the open ocean and perish. Our company, consisting of four persons, was nearest the land • we fired a gun as a signal to the next company, and they repeated tbe signal to the outernnmnanv wi+i, tvK:^}, ^- -.__ ^ ^ , ^„.i . , ., U.1 A ui^n comuaay was the female. 28* 330 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. We made for a prominent point of land, but soon found we had formed a very large anjijlo to the eastward and could not fetch it, and must strike the land a long way below the point. As we got near the shore, the ice began to separate into small pans, and, as it consisted of but little more than the frozen snow, formed during the late storm, it often gave way under our feet, and but for our gaffs M-e must have been drowned. The ice did not reach the shore, so that, with our gaffs, we had each to get a pan of ice for him- self and push himself, toward the land. But no pan of ice would bear a second person. It always broke under him. Our party reached the shore safely, although very wet ; and we watched, with deep anxiety, the arrival of our companions. The second party reached the shore with but little more difficulty than we had experienced ; but, by the time the third party had arrived, the ice was quite gone from the shore, and they had to go down the shore a considerable distance before they dared attempt to land. The poor woman, exhausted and much alarmed, fell into the wa- ter repeatedly, but was rescued, and all reached the shore through the kind providence of our heavenly Father. We now kindled a fire by the seaside, and endeavored to dry ourselves ; but the west wind was cold, .and our clothes froze on us, not- withstanding our fire. The day was fast advancing, and we had to leave our encampment, and proceed on our journey. We reached Hants' Harbor a little after dark, very cold and ex- cessively fatigued, but thankful that we had thus been saved from drowning, or perishing on the ice." All our winter journeys were not like the above, for ofttimes they were very pleasant : it was so with my return from Hants' Harbor. My journal contains the following entry, Wednesday, February 15th : — " Lefl Hants' Harbor for Island Cove, distance eighteen miles, at nine o'clock. The day was calm, the weather beautiful, and the walking excellent. Passing through the Hants' Harbor woods, we came to a lake seven miles long, called Pitten's Pond, crossed it, and a few miles further, we came to high table-land, from whence we had a most conmianding view of the whole surrounding coun- try. Our course was east-north-east, the sun was a little past his meridian altitude, and therefore on our right hand, in looking NEWFOUNDLAND STATION. 831 along the ridnre of the land, it was an extended barren covered with its mantle of snow ; numerous ponds were to be seen in every direction, with here and there a • droke ' of woods; and the thick forest skirting the seashore. To the south were the waters of Conception Bay, calm and placid, with the high lands on the shore reflecting iho sun's rays from their snow-capped summits; to the north-west the waters of Trinity Bay, and the whole margin of Its northern shore presented a similar appearance, although th ^ re- flecting of light was less brilliant, owing to the different position of the sun ; while directly in our front the rocky and desolate island of Bacalieu, dividing the waters of these two great bays, was dis- tinctly visible ; and far in the distant horizon were the waters of the great western ocean, without a billow or breeze to agitate its glassy surface. We untied our 'nunny-bags' and took'' our re- past on this elevated land, and, after enjoying the scenery for Bome two or three hours, began to descend toward the shore of Conception Bay, when this beautiful panorama view vanished, leaving us the only pleasure of a retrospect and telling to other people the scenery we had beheld, and the pleasant journey we had had." J J' « In the minutes fir 1828, the Newfoundland station- sheet reads thus : — St. John's — John Pickavi nt. Carboneab — John Haigh. Harbor Grace — John Corlett. Black-head and Western Bay — Richard Knight. Island Cove, and Perlican — Charles Bates. Port de Grave — William Ellis. Brigus — John Boyd. Trinity Bay— Simeon Noall. Bona VISTA and Catalina — John Tomkins. Grand Bank and Fortune Bay— A. Nightingale. Burin — George Ellidge. Hants' Harbor- John Smithies. Indian Mission, Mission Esquimaux Bay, on the Labrador Coast — William Wilson. Of the Esquimau Mission we have already given a full account, and there is no need of any repetition on that subject. 832 NEWIOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Two names occur in the above list, to which the at- tention of tlie reader has not been before (hrected. 1. John Toinkins commenced to travel in tlie year 1827, and his first appointment was Hants' Harbor. He continued to hibor in diHierent circuits on the island until the year 1833 ; when he removed to Canada and was appointed to Quebec. Canada then was all included in one district, with only ten preach- ers, and 2,094 members. Brother Tomkins still lives and labors in Canada, and he has witnessed its prog- ress for thirty years, during which time, from the above small " foreign district," it has become a mighty independent connection, with twenty-five districts, five hundred and thirteen ministers, a membership of near sixty thousand, and carrying the light of the glorious gospel as far west as the shores of the Pacific Ocean. John Smithies commenced to travel at the confer- ence of 1828 ; and also was first appointed to Hants' Harbor. He labored on the island nine years, when in 1837 he removed to Abaco, in the West Indies ; and after two years he was appointed to Swan River, Western Australia. He labored in Australia for twenty-four years. During that time our cause in Australia and Van Dieman's has increased, from three districts with thirty-five ministers and a membership of 1,878, until it, like Canada, h^s also become a great, independent conference, with seven districts, one hundred and seventy-two ministers and preachers on trial, and with a membership of more than 30,000. Besides it has seven local preachers ; it has also its academic and collegiate institutions, a book-room, two official journals, and a missionary ship. In 1859, John Smithies stood on the minutes, for Lang- lord, in Xa^iiianm. 41 ins. JOSEPH BUTTER WORTH. 833 ich the at- ected. n tlie year s' Harbor, its on tlie emovecl to anacla tlien ;en preach- ; still lives d its prog- , from the e a mighty stricts, five hip of near he glorious ic Ocean, the confer- l to Hants' rs, when in ndies ; and ran River, stralia for r cause in from three [lembership lie a great, tricts, one eachers on an 30,000. as also its book-room, ship. In for Lang- Thc missionary income for this year v/n" £43,235 78. 9d. Our total missionary membership was 34,892. Two years before this, the British conference, and almost the whole connection, had to mourn the loss of one of its noblest and best laymen, in the death of Joseph Butterworth, Esq., of London. Mr. Butter- worth had long served his country as member of Parliament. For thirty years ho had been a class leader, and a great promoter of Sabbath schools; he was treasurer of our missionary society, and connected with all the great religious and philan- thropic movements of the day. At the time of his funeral, which took place in London, the city of Dover, which he had represented in Parliament, and which is seventy miles distant, closed all its shops as on the Sabbath, and tolled its bells the chief part of the day. In the minutes of the con- ference for 1826, when speaking of the death of Mr. Butterworth, we read the followincr; " Nor was there a -ything which related to the stabih'ty, exten- sion, or success of the Wesleyan missious, uuo which he did not enter with an affectionate and tant interest. Great is the loss which our missionary soek,y has sustained by this bereave- ment. But it becomes us to bow with submission f ^ the dispen- sations of Almighty God, and to commit his great cause, in all its departments, by a rene vcd a-t of faith, to his special care ; trust- ing in his promises, anc lemembering, that while the strong; are not efficient without him tha weak, in his hand, shall become as the ' angel of the Lord.' ' A few years before the death of Mr. Butterworth, the Episcopal clergy of Newfoundland tried to get an imperial act of Parliament that should ex- clude the Wesleyan ministers from the right to celebite marriage, and it was by the influence of Ijli I ! 834 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. il'! I'r III' that gentleman in the House of Commons, that this design was frustrated. In the autumn of 1827, the official circular of the committee reached Newfoundland ; a copy of which now lies before me, and bears the signatures, — " George Morley, James Townley, John James." Two of these names occur here for the first time in our narrative. James Townley, d. d., was educated by the Rev. David Simpson, author of the "Plea for Religion." He commenced his labor as an itinerant preacher in 1796, and travelled for thirty-six years. He was missionary secretary five years, and filled the office of president at the conference of 1829. He was a most amiable and learned man. His literary character was very respectable. He was master of several lan- guages, and was noted as a great biblical scholar. His literary attainments gained for him the title of d. d. He died in peace, and in the full triumph of faith, on the 12th December, 1833. John James filled the office of secretary also for five years. The minutes of conference say of him : " He was distinguished through life by steady and fervent piety and inflexible integrity, united t > great affability, cheerfulness, and generosity. As a preacher he was at once eloquent, sound, ardent, and exceedingly useful. He died suddenly on the 6th of November, 1832, in the 47th year of his age, and the 26th of his ministry. The year 1832 was a year of great mortality among the advocates and managers of our missionary society. The committee in the conclusion of their report for this year say : " Two of the general secretaires, and two other members of the committee, have been removed in the short space of a few months from the scene of their labors to their everlasting reward." First on the list MISSION FUND. 835 stands the name of the Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke ; he died on the 30th of Sept., aged seventy-two years. The second was the Rev. Thomas Stanley. " In him," says the report, " the society has lost a steady friend, while the church has been deprived of a faithful minis- ter and pastor. His attention to business, his judicious counsel, and his affable manners secured for him the esteem and affection of the committee." He died on the 9th of October. The third was the Rev. John James, who died as already stated on the 6th of No- vember. The fourth was the Rev. Richard Watson, who died Jan; 8th, 1833. As the funeral knell of these servants of the Lord, these supporters of our missionary cause, sounded across the Atlantic Ocean, and along our rock-bound shores of Newfoundland, deep sorrow took possession of the minds of the missionaries, as they remembered the kindness they had each received from those departed saints, and the Christian and fatherly advice contained in those annual circulars which from year to year were sent by them for our guidance ; as well as for the inter- est they took in our concerns, and for the manner in which they regarded our requests and supplied our necessities. These provinces at that time began to feel their duty in reference to the mission fund. The report made up to December 31st, credits Nova Scotia with <£305 13«. Sd. ; New Brunswick with ^329 135. M. ; Newfouni- land with .£103 65. Id, missionary money. T'lese moneys were raised in these provinces mostly by sub- scription, although the public collections were '.ncluded. In Newfoundland there were only seven subscribers besides the missionaries. Of the X103 13s. M., X74 16s. U, were raised in five public colle^aions, as^ollows : / \i ^' I 336 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. St. John's, £24 13o. Harbor Grace, <£15 9«. Carbon- ear, £15 11«. 4c?. Port de Grave, £8 148; Brigus, £13 98. These were noble collections, and now that subscriptions are taken up over the district, as well as collections, the missionary income of Newfoundland is more than four times as much in 1863 as in 1828. And it will yet increase. \ \ \ \ \ \ CHAPTER XIV. INSTRUCTIONS TO MISSIONARIES ^ TRAVELLTW« t» « REMOVALS - SUMMER XRAVE^INO IT-KR tZ^^^^^^ JOURNEY OVER THE CorTNT«^ WINTER TRAVELLING — A TN the instrucftions to the Wesleyan missionaries, X given to them at their ordination, and published in every annual missionary report down totte present day, 13 found the following : — ^ conversions. Only we recommend to you, not to allow yourselvP, f:^^::uZ7-f "'r ^ ^'^^' ^° ^^^ -^ ^-^^ "^^^^^ lacts, but always write such accounts as you would not disHlcP t^ rr; ■" ""■"' '" *^ "'-^ "■>- "■«^" "»por.r ,^*hav: stnl'l' '""'"'i f " /"""'"'^ ""^'"'^'y '"'»"<' to this in- truetion, and he therefore commenced his journal with the very commencement of his missionary life. That journal now lies before him, and from its pages, as wel as from Ins remembrance of past even.., h^ now be." t.o give the reader some miscellaneous information S. reference to Newfoundland. T .AVELLINO IN NEWFOUNDLAND. In a country where all the inhabitants were engaged (337; 838 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. lip, ■|i' in maritime pursuits, where agriculture as a business was not followed, whero a horse was but seldom seen, and where roads had never been made, the Christian missionary, like the people, would have a life of great exposure and toil. Such was the case when the writer, in 1821, received his first appointment to an out-harbor circuit. In removing to our stations, our conveyance was a fishinoi-boat, our luo;nT - DRI.NK.NO HABITS - „OU8F8 - OAR- PKN«_ WKm.KNOS - KtNEKAL8_ MTEHATUHE - KDUrATIO.., - C " ALLI.O.N-BACKVILLE ACADEMY- ST. JOHNS ACADEMY. "EVERYTHING was brought to the " stage-head '' XJ 111 boats, and as there Avere no carts andl^ut veiy few horses, human muscular pow^i v-ould have to do the trucking. The dry fish wou'd be curried down from the fish-house in the hand-barrov ; ,nd i\v. oil-casks filled in the od-house were rolled to tht sfo-^.-head and par- buckled into the boat. The parbuckle is a double rope passed round a cask, one end of which is made fast, and the other end is hauled upon, by which the cask IS made to roll either up or down the stage-head, bait IS hauled up with a block and tackle and carried m a hand-barrow. Molasses is parbuckled up the stage-head then rolled to the store. Coals are hauled and earned „, a covel, - that is, a barrel with a stron. stake passed through or near the upper hoops. Flour IS parbuckled up, and then slung upon a stake and ear- ned between two men. Lumber and wood are handed up and carried upon men's shoulders. DRINKING HABITS. Fifty years ago spirituous Jiquor, particularly rum, was considered almost a necessary of life. The" fisher- man could not do without it. How could he stand tiie pitiless Dek'r»(» r^P *iv« -^ " f - :» ^ci....g „, ^,,^ aturm, witiiout a iittlo (347) i! i iiij 348 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. drop of rum to keep the cold out? When he went off to the fishing-ground, he must have a little for good luck ; when he came in with a good '- put of fish," he must take a horn for joy. If it were a warm day, he could not take a drink of water, be- cause it would make *him sick, and to avoid such a ca- tastrophe in the fishing season, he must put a little rum in the water, or take a drink of calebogus, which is rum and spruce beer. This was his favorite drink. If he were about to take a journey in the winter, he must take a little before he left, to keep the cold out, and a pocket jnstol (a small bottle) he must take with him, lest he should be overtaken in a snow-storm and per- ish ; and if he got frozen, there was nothing like rum to wash the part with. If a tradesman were employed, he must have three drinks a day ; or what he called his morning^ his eleven^ and his evening. If there was a house-raising, or even a church-raising, there must be rum. If a friend called, he must take a drink ; and if he called upon his friend, the act was reciprocated. Rum was plentifully supplied at weddings, and almost equally so at funerals. Wines and spirits were in every house, and in many of the merchants' houses they were used in great proflision. One man, an agent in a northern harbor, used to say, that he al- lowed a puncheon of rum a year for the use of his own household. To the west, the merchants and agents would sometimes, as they were wont to express it, *' give each other a benellt : " that meant, to invite a number of gentlemen to the house, and try which could drink most before he was drunk. One of these dissi- pated men once told the writer, " what a benefit he had given his friends recently." "I would drink," said he, " go out, be sick, return, drink again, so that DRINKING HABITS. 849 I soon laid them under table, while I could do mv busi- ness as usual." But let it be recorded, that this man died m the prime of life from the effects of his dissi- pated habits. Vessels from Newfoundland traded with most of the countries where inebriating drinks were manufactured, and brought them to the island in large quantities. Kich wmes were brought from Madeira and Oporto • sweet wine from Malaga ; cordials from Hamburcr ; rum' from the West Indies ; French brandy from St. Pe- ter's; besides all that was imported from Great Britain and Ireland. Such importation had a fearful hold upon the community. Moderate drinking no one thouo-ht wrong at that time ; absolute drunkenness was indeed condemned, but it was always palliated witL the ex- pression, " He has got a little drop too much, — never mind him." Twice was the writer in danger from the use of rum on the part of drunken skippers. The following en- tries appear on his journal : " Nov. 11, 1820. Left Harbor Grace at 8 o'clock for Portugal Cove ; It blew a gale of wind from the S. W. Our skipper was much under the influence of strong drink, when he came on boanl When about half passage he took more rum, which total- ly unfitted him for managing the boat. We arrived off the east- ern end of Belle Isle, when it blew a perfect hurricane. Portu^^al Cove was full in view, but our skipper swore it was Belle Isle and he put the helm up to go round it. Our danger was now immment; the men refused to obey their skipper, the sea was beatmg over us and filling our boat, and we were rapidly driving out toward the ocean. A young man, a passenger, ran aft, and pretended to jom in opinion with the skipper, when he adroitly pushed h.s hand from the tiller ; he rolled to ' leeward ; ' and, be- mg helpless, was unable to rise. In the mean time we « hauled our wind, and 'fetched the Cove.' Thus, by the kind providence 01 our heavenly lather, were we ail saved from a watery arave \ I i .* i !l 850 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. " August 14th, 1826. Left Burin for the Flat Islands at six o'clock. The boat's crew consisted of only two men, both Romaa Catholics. There were a bottle of rum on board and a kes of spruce beer. When we got out into the bay, the men began to mix the rum and spruce beer, and drink freely of this cale- bogus. The wind began to freshen, and we were running among the reefs. One of the men said to me, ' Parson, you don't drink with us ; you had better take a drop of calebogus to keep out the cold.' In an instant the thought struck me what to do. I replied, ' Thank you ; have you any rum in the bottle ? * ' Oh, yes, there is plenty for your reverence.' I stooped down and emptied the bottle into the bilge-water ; pouied some spruce beer into the basin, stood up, and with the usual, ' Here is a good time to usj* boldly took my drink of spruce beer. Soon my companions were either cold or thirsty again, but the rum was all gone, so they had to drink the spruce beer alone. But they could not think of that. Presently one of the men, arousing from a sort of revery, said : * Pat, the merchants in Burin are great rogues ; they sell their rum too high, so that we could only get one bottle for our trip. I think one or two of us had better join and get a puncheon of rum, and then we should have plenty. But it is no use talking ; here is a terrible night coming on, and we have not a drop of rum on board ; let us haul our wind, and get into Paradise ; we will get some rum there.' I remonstrated ; besides, I added, ' Paradise is a rather singular place to look for rum ; ' but remonstrance was useless ; my companions could not think of perishing for a drop of rum, when they might get their wants supplied in Paradise, which we could reach with but little effort. We made the effort, but just as we got to the entrance of the harbor, the wind blew so violently, that we were obliged to bear up, and run into the Flat Islands' Harbor in the night, whore we struck upon a sand-bank, and the ebb tide left us dry. The next flood took us off, and through mercy we landed in safety." The use of exhilarating drink was then a universal practice ; and fond parents often unthinkingly taught their children the habit, by giving them a little drop in a teaspoon when they were in their infancy. Cowper f rqiiolat': Ur \£\**'ci I I m ^1 * |-» « ^K 1^ J-J J\.f^ .^^ ••• l-k r ;i. 3 xiiau, vTiiiv;u ucsv;i.iuco .^Mi^m^K DRINKING HABITS. 351 this custom exactly. Phoenix is represented as address- mg Achilles in the following words : — " Nor wouldst thou taste thy food at home, till first I placed thee on my knees, with mv own hand Thy viands carved, and fed thee, and the wine Held to thy lips; and many a time in fits Of- infant frowardness, the purple juice Rejecting, thou hast deluged all my vest And filled my bosom." The evil was a shocking enormity. We have seen the fond parent present the wine or diluted spirits to the infant lips, which, as in the case of Achilles, was at first rejected, but afterwards was drunk with avidity We have seen the parent himself, only a moderate drinker, teach his youthful son to take a little in mod- eration, and we have seen that youth, when arrived at manhood, become a confirmed drunkard, and when reproved by his father, now heartbroken because of his son's delinquencies, would reply: « It is vour fault; you taught me the habit of drinkincr, a, \e guilt IS yours." We have seen the young man of education and promise,— onewho had already employed his talent in public speaking, and seemed likely, at no great distance of time,, to fill a high judicial position in his native land ; but his once temperate habit gave way to excess, and while yet a youth he was broucrht to a drunkard's grave. We have seen the talented medi- cal man, who was well acquainted with the chemical properties of alcoholic drinks ; who would forbid their use to his parents ; but he took a little to stimulate him when under fatigue, the habit grew upon him, until taken with delirum tremens, when he died in ao-ony and despair. And we have known the Christian min- ister of acknowledged piety, and commanding talent; he at first took a simple glass with a friend ; the habit i 352 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ! I- gained upon lilm, until at last he forfeited his station in the ministry, brought disgrace upon the cause of religion, became a stumbling-block to many, was ex- pelled from the church of which he had once been the revered pastor, with no prospect before him, but wretchedness, ruin, misery, and death. With this gigantic evil Wesleyan ministers had to * contend in all parts of Newfoundland. In thousands of instances the victory was on the part of religion and truth. We are thankful that a different state of things now exists, and different views are entertained by large portions of the population in Newfoundland ; that our hardv fishermen there now see that rum is not good either to keep the cold out, or the heat out ; that it is an evil as a beverage, and injurious as a simulant ; that more work can be done without it than with it ; that its use at funerals is a cruelty, and at weddings an absurdity ; and that the drinking habits of society are an unmitigated evil, and ought universally to be abandoned. We congratulate our friends in New- foundland upon the change in public opinion as to the . supposed utility of inebriating stimulants. Moderate drinking often leads to drunkenness, which has brought more poverty into helpless families, been the fruitful source of more crimes, hurled down more men from rank and influence, has filled more jails and lunatic asylums, brought more dishonor upon Christian ministers and Christian churches, has brought more human beings to a premature grave, sunk more men and women into the gulf of fire, than has any other single crime of which human nature has ever been guilty. HOUSES. The houses in the out-harbor were all built of ■I HOUSES. 853 s ever been all built of wood ; the better sort were neatly sliingled ; the com- mon liouses, or tilts, were covered with boards, or spruce rinds. In entering tlie liouse, on the one liand was a neat parlor, and on the otlier hand a kitchen witli^ a very large fireplace called the " chimney-cor- ner." A neat carpet would cover the parlor, but the kitchen-floor would be covered with a blue sand taken from the sea-shore, and prettily drawn into diagonal ines, with a broom, by the skill of the industrious housewife. One or two sleeping-rooms would be found on the ground floor ; but the dormitories for the family would generally be upstairs. The furniture was plain, and the beds always clean and comfortable. The merchants' houses were good buildings, well finished and well furnished. Cooking-stoves were then unknown. The fire .was made upon the hearth, and the wood supported by doa- n-ons. If the fire required a second tier of wood. It was supported upon the lower tier, by small sticks called triggers, which were placed crossways. A larae stick was placed against the back, a smaller one Tn front, and a lesser one still in the middle. The wood was sometimes quite green, and hence makinc a fire was quite an art, and required back-junks, forejunks, middle-junks, triggers, splits, and brands*; and the fish- ermen would sometimes say whoever can build a good fire with green fir can build a boat. Across the chimney, some seven or eight feet from the hearth, was a bar of wood or iron, called the pot- bar. On this pot-bar was hung the cotterall and pot- hooks, which sustained the vessels med for culinary purposes. Nobody had an oven, but baking was all clone m the bake-pot. The food would not always sat- Ls.y the appetite of the epicure, but it was eenerallv 80* fe J i Mi i 354 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. substantial and good. In the winter we would get fresh beef, but in the summer season, salt meat was generally used. Bread, tlifit is, sea biscuit, was always on the tabl. , and soft bread, or the raised loaf, was used when the mistress had time to bake it. Fish, cooked in some v/ay, was nsed at almost every meal, but the toasted fish was traly delicious. Spruce beer was in every house, and was freely used by the pec^ple. The absence of scurvy in tlie country may })erhaps,, in part, be attributed to the free use of the black-spruce beer. Here let me bear my sincere and unreserved testi- mony to the universal kindness and hospitality of tlje Newfoundlanders. I never heard of a lS'e\?founu- lander closing 'cs liloor to the stranger, refusing the contents of his lartler to tlie hungry, or tying his purse- strings when the cvilis of religion and humanity were made upon him. He is liberal according to his means, and I have seen in a case of famine, which I shall hereafter mention, a poor man and a poor widow shar- ing their last morsel with their necessitous and starving neighbors. To their ministers they were always kind. If any httle nicety came into their possession, it was sure to be kej^t until the preacher came ; and for the fourteen years that I travelled there, I never paid a cent for travelling expenses, except in the packet across Conception Bay. GARDENS. Near the house is the garden, enclosed either with a picket or a wattle fence. The garden seldom con- tains much variety ; potatoes and other culinary veoreta- bles, with a few currants and gooseberries, wouhi - n- erally fill the catalogiiO. The women do aiost of the IIES. I would get t meat was was always id loaf, was 3 it. Fish, 3 very meal, Spruce beer the people. })erhaps, in )lack-spruce served resti- ality of the l^ewfound- efusing the g his purse- lanity were » his means, lich I shall vidow shar- ,nd starving Iways kind, ion, it was and for the ever paid a acket across WEDDINGS— FUNERALS. or '■ ither with a eldom con- lary veo;eta- wouhi '■■ n- iiiiost it the were some few persons who kept a cow or cows and n.deaj.le tuner. ,.,„ats-™nk was „se;\:1 WEDDING5. A wedding in an out-harbor was quite an affair Neither a hcense nor the publication of banns was rl! qmred for the performance of marriage ; and frequTnl^ arnved at the m.ssion.house. The ceremony was usua% performed in the church, when the fla" wolld would assemble to see the "couple made happy." As soon as the party came out of church, a numW of guns would be fired over the heads of th; bride and bndegroom, and also over the head of the parson as a ih'7 f r" '' --o-»y -peateT „ ;;;: reached the house. Here the invitation would be given to dmner, which would sometimes be so generd as to .nclude all hands. At the dinner there wer! gre^ profusion and drinking, as was then the custom ; but kutf "t "T f ^ """'<= P-- -- ""t to inTi. "'' ""' ""^ '"''''' "^ *« Newfoundlanders to msult or annoy any person; much less would they do so m the presence of their minister. FDNEKAIS Were always attended by large bodies of people ; and particularly was this the case if the deceased were an aged person, or much respected in the community. bpTits ana sweet-cake were given at the house The corpse w.is ah • • \K\ i\ Iways taken into the church, wher e two 356 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION AKIKS. lessons and the whole funeral service were read, and the entire matter made as ceremonious and as imposing as possible. A funeral sermon must always be preached ; and however the person might have lived and died, it was expected the preacher would preach him into heaven. Aad, in order to secure this, sonje one would go to the preacher just before he entered the church, and tell him, what perhaps neither he nor any one else ever knew before, about the goodness of the deceased, what he did and what he said while sick, and expect all this and a great deal more in praise of the dead would be repeated from the pulpit. Sometimes the party calling upon the preacher would have very low views of experimental religion, or what was compre- hended in " dying in the Lord."* Once the writer was called upon by a man to attend the obsequies of his wife, and he wished a very good character to be given of the deceased ; but all the information he gave was she had been a good wife, had diligently attended to her domestic concerns, and had taken care of his property. Not feeling much disposed to repeat this in the pulpit, because he doubted its truth, the bereaved husband in the exuberance of his conjugal affection, repeatedly and very audibly exclaimed while the service was going on, "Oh, she was a good wife, she never robbed me, nor plundered me, and besides she was such a fine hand for the garden ! " Funeral sermons are preached all over these prov- inces, as well as in Newfoundland ; and the practice seems to have originated when the population was sparse, and when the preacher's visits were like angels' visits, ." few and far Ijetween." When the scattered inhabitants were collected at the funeral of a friend, it was certainly both a wise and good arrangement to FUNERALS. 857 preach to them the words of hTe and salvation. But in places where ministers are reguhirly stationed, the same necessity does not now exist ; yet tlie same prac- tice IS still followed. If the deceased had been emi- nent^ pious, or died very happy, it is a deligiitful duty for the minister to tell the congregation how that soul was saved, and went triumphant home to God ; but if the individual had notoriously lived without religion, had died in sin, or had given no satisfactory evidence of having experimental converting grace, what can the preacher say ? To tell the people he believes the de- ceased had gone to heaven would be contrary to his conscientious conviction ; and to point thereto as a warning to others, would be to offer an insult to the whole family connection. When the minister does say anything about the dead, it sometimes happens that one party will complain, " The preacher did not say as much about my friend as he might have said; " while another party would tauntingly reply, " If the preacher had known as much as I know, he would not have said what he did. ' Would it not be better, as a general thing, to call preaching, at such times, sermons at funerals, rather than funeral sermons ? In the year 1786, -the very year John McGeary was appointed missionary to Newfoundland, - Mr Wesley gave the following advice to the preachers,* which, having been sanctioned by the conference, is our Methodistic law ; — "Never preach a funeral sermon, but for an eminently holy tor hire. Beware of panegyric, particularly in London." » * Minutes of Conference for 1786. I I 858 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. f s. LITERATURE. Of this we cannot say much in referenf^e to the times of which we are writing. The adult population in the out-harbors had not in their youth the educational ad- vantages whicfi are expoilenced by children in the present day. They Imd cnrr;' froir the rural popula- tion of England, In^Iaud, and Scotland, and the Chan- nel Islands ; and, vvliile those countries were then, as now, the land of light and knowledge to the wealthy, yet they presented but few opport..' .. ;.<•• the poor to acquire even the commonest branches of education. It were folly to expect anything else than that those uneducated liritish emigrants would bring with them their national peculiarities, and their provincial dialects, which notninff but education could remove. But it is questionable, after all, whether their ignorance \yas more palpable than was the ignorance of the peasantry in the districts from whence they en Igrated ; and cer- tain it is, the pronunciation of the English languag bv the fi^^hermen is no way inferior to the pronunciation as heard in many country places in their father-land. There was a fault somewhere. That fault was not in the people. They could not educate themselves ; and, when by their hard labor and industr they had acquired means to pay for the 'ucH''on of heir cl Idren, the teachers were not within their reach. Neitlier religion nor learning is innate *li the humrn mind. Every child born into our world is both ignorant and wickerl ; so that both learning and religion are to be acquired. And, as Newfoundland then \v ' no ^eachers of her own, they must be found elsev* r' yea, they nust come from the very country froixi whence the people themselves had emigrated. IE3. LITERATURE. 859 tlie times ition in the ational ad- •en in the nil popul.i- 1 the Chan- ire then, as lie wealthy, ,v tlie poor ' education. that tliose with them •ial dialects, . But it is orance >yas e peasantry I ; and cer- ih lan^uao;"^ enunciation father-land. t was not in lelves ; and, lad acquired liiidren, the her religion nd. Every .nd wicked ; »e acquired. Iiers of her they nust the peonlo In the early Instory of the cor ^ry, one cause of fanit was m the E„glish morcha,. who, whUo they ga.no( ahn,« boundless wealth tl.rough their New- ioundland trade, yet would not pay one penny for the moral or .ntelleetnal improvement of the people, but whose niaNun seems to have been, " Keep the fisher- men unlettered and i„ ignorance, then we can rule the n, and proht by our trade." The other cause of hm t was the supineness of the Christian church in Bntam who, while the children of their land had through necessity been compelled to seek the means of gannng a hvmg by the toils of a Newfoundland fisherv, had totally neglected to supply them with the benefim of an evangelical n.inistry, or send them teachers for tiie education of their children. The Newfoundland mind is' the English mind; and many of the so,, , of our hardy fishermen, if tl^.; had the opportunity, would master the whole curriculum of university study, and matriculate with as much honor as any roeluse of Oxford or Cambrid^ion, connected with a persua- sion of my accountability to that gracious Being, whom I Avould ever recogni;;e as the source of all the good that is done in the earth, that I now propose through you to the British Conference, and to the Wesleyan missionaries in the Provinces of New Bruns- wick and Nova Scotia, to purchase an eligible site, and erect suita- ble buildings in Sa(;kville, in the County of Westmoreland, for the establishment of a school of the description mentioned, in which not only the elementary but the higher branches of educa- tion may be taught ; and to ba altogether under the management and control of the British Conference, in connection with the Wesleyan missionaries in these provinces. If my proposal should be approved of, and the offer I now make, accepted, I will pro- ceed at once to make preparation, so that the buildings may be erected in thf course of the next year ; and I will as a further inducement, by the hlessinc of (iod, give toward the support of the school, one hundred pounds per annum for t(?n years. EDUCATION. 363 « I Shall be gla.! to hear that my offer is accepted, and to Lave the earhest information of your decision on the subject. " I am, Rev. and dear Sir, u T, ,.r rw, " Yours sincerely, The above letter was laid before the New Bruns- wick District Meeting, held in St. John in May, 1839 • and Mr. Allison appeared personally before the Neva Scotia District and made the same proposition. Both districts thankfully accepted the gift. Several months passed before all the preliminaries were arranged, and the plan of the buildincr deter- mined. But on the 17th, of January, 1840, all these matters were decided, and a plan of a neat buildino- one hundred and fifty feet in length, forty-five Tn breadth, and, including the basement stpry, four stories high, was laid before the building committee, and fully adopted. "^ On the 9th day of June, 1840, a very large con- course of people assembled at Sackville to witness the ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the Wesleyan Academy. The religious service was commenced by the Rev. William Temple, Chairman of the Dist-ict by giving out the 526th hymn : » Except the Lord conduct the plan ; " after which prayer was offered by the Rev. Richard Knight. Mr. Temple then delivered the mtroductory address, when the congregation joined in singing the 737th hymn: -Thou, who hast in ^.lon laid. The stone was now i)laced in its proi.er position, when Charles F. Allison spoke as follows :- ^ ''The foundation-stone of this builrli„g I now jjroceed to lav m the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and may the education ever to be furnished by the institution be conducted on Wesleyan principles, to the glory of God. and the extension of his cause. Amen ! " 864 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. I « iniii' mm 'If w ' 1 The excellent lady of Mr. Allison, then a bride, gave her approval of her husband's act, by giving the stone a final blow with the workman's hammer. Hymn 736 was given out, and prayer offered by the Rev. W. Cros- combe ; after which, short addresses were given by Rev. Samson Busby, William Croscombe, George Miller, and WilHam Wilson ; and tliis most delightful service closed with the Doxology. On the 19th of January, 1843, Sackville Academy was first opened, and its career of usefulness com- menced. It was the day of small things. One of the class-rooms held the whole company. There were five ministers present, as "" follows : Riclinrd Williams, William Wilson, Richard Shepherd, Samuel D. Rice, and Humphrey Pickard, also C. F. Allison and lady. These, with a Very few other persons as visitors, con- stituted the entire assembly. An hour was spent in religious exercises, when special prayer was offered for the prosperity of the institution. After the close of these services, the names of the students were taken down, when only seven persons recorded their names. With seven students did the Rev. Humphrey Pickard commence his academical toil as Principal of the Institution, which by his constant and indefatigable attention, and judicious management, for more than twenty-one years, has been raised to its present emi- nence. But the number of students rapidly increased, so that by the month of April thirty names were found upon the list of the institution. Another and a more formal opening of the academy was determined upon, which took place on the 29tli of June following. Upon this occasion, the company assembled in the spacious lecture-room, which was nearly filled. Besides EDUCATION. 365 the noble founder, C. F. Allison, M^ere also present, the Hon. Messrs. Botsford, Crane, and Chandler of New Brunswick, the Hon. Mr. Prescott, of Nova Scotia, with a large number of ladies and gentlemen who now began to feel an interest in the prosperity of the institution. At ten o'clock, the Rev. Albert Desbrisav, the gov- ernor, and chaplain, and the Rev. H. Pickard the prmcpal, entered, followed by the English master, the J^rench tutor, and the students. After singinc, and prayer by Rev. R. Knight, the inaugural address was dehvered by the prii>cipal, - an address characterized by the snnplicity of its language, the elegance of its style and its Christian spirit, _ and at once convinced the public that a master-mind was at the head of the Sackyille Academy, and that, under the guidance of It', principal, it must and it would prosper. Addresses were also delivered bv Rev. C. Churchill of Yarmouth, Rev. A. McNutt, of Sackville, Rev w' Croscombe, of Halifax, Rev. R. Knight, chairman of the Nova Scotia 4)istrict, Rev. S. Bush- of Point de Bute, and Rev. W. Wilson, of Wallace. The tide of prosperity for Sackville Academy began to flow at the close of Its first term, in the year 1843, and it has had no ebb down to the present time, 1864, but has contin- ued each year to give full satisfaction to its patrons and constantly to gain favor in the estimation of the intelligent of all the lower provinces. Its generous founder, C. F. Allison, besides his original gift, and his continued pecuniary aid, also assisted its board of trustees with his wise counsels, and employed a large portion of his time in promoting the objects of the institution, until the year 1859, when it pleased our heavenly Father to call him to l.i« r^wa^fi 31* 366 . NEWFOUNDLAND AND IT3 MISSIONARIES. in great peace, and the benefit he lias confen'od upon these provinces will never die, but his name will be cherished, and his generous act will be kept in grateful remembrance by unborn generations. The wise man has said, " The memory of the just is blessed ; " and a " voice from heaven," has proclaimed, *' Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth : yea saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors ; and their works do follow them." It is due to the learned principal, to say, that from the very commencement of the institution, he has had the charge, and has toiled through s\\ the years of its existence ; he has been constantly at his post ; has plodded on under many difficulties and discourage- ments ; he has justly merited for himself the honora- ble title of D. D. ; he has educated and trained the minds of hundreds of our youths many of whom are now filling highly important and re stable positions in society. Several are in the Chrisoan ministry, and several have died happy, whose minds were first relig- iously impressed while under his care, and Dr. Pickard still lives and labors in the same position. May his life be long spared, and his efforts to diffuse sound education and correct moral principles be yet more abundantly owned of God. In literary matters Sackville has progressed to aston- ishment. After the male academy had been in suc- cessful operation for a few years, the friends contem- plated a like institution for the young ladies, toward which large subscriptions were raised and the desired object was soon attained. At this present time there is in the beautiful village of Sackville, beside the male academy, and nearly opposite to it, a female academy. The l)uilding is spaci'/us, the rooms are high and well- EDUCATION. 367 fiimished and where a hundred young ladies can be comfortably accommodated with board and lodcn'na Near the female academy is an elegant buiklin^; called Lingley Hall. Here is a rich and well-tonS organ, on each side of which hangs a full-length por- trait -one of Dr. Beecham, the first president of the Eastern British American Conference, the other of C. h Allison, Esq., the founder of these institutions. In the rear of these buildings, stands Mount Allison C^ollege, a more recent eR^^ction, where its faculty have power to confer degrees, and the curriculum of which will in no way be inferior to that of any other colle- giate institution in the i)rovinces. Beside this, there IS a theological professor to train the minds of those young men who may hereafter be employed in the im- portant work of the Christian ministry. Thus has our youthful connection ihe apparatus and appliances for imparting a thorough education to our ' youth of both sexes, and of giving to our church in future years an enlightened as well as a converted ministry, certainly not inferior to that possessed by any affiliated conference within the whole range of Methodism. ^ In the benefits of the Sackville institution, many of the Newfoundland youth have participated, as they received their education there. Now, however, they have academic institutions in their own country, so that their youth will not need so generally to leave their native land to acquire the elements of a sound and thorough education. Thus Newfoundland is rapidly rising in her literary reputation, and although there is still much of ignorance r-naining, yet she has made a great step in the right direction. She now has her academics QnrT «r.« *-^aln T ~. i 1. , „„., ._„n -.lam ucv own teachers; she has 868 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. her day schools established in very many places. She has her native legislators, her native lawyers, and is beginning to supply a native ministry ; and we hope the time is not far distant when every inhabited cove shall have its church and its school-house, and when every child shall be instructed and educated. In St. Johns there is a very excellent and prosper- ous Wesleyan Academy ; a public examination of which took pkce in the month of Jun^ last, — and with very great pleasure we transfer to our pages, from the " Pro- vincial Wesleyan," an account of that examination as given by a visitor who signs his name Veritas. *' On Friday last, the 1 7th inst., we were favored with another opportunity of witnessing the advancement and prosperity of the Wesleyan Academy in this town, that day being set apart for the annual examination of the classes ; and, when it is taken into consideration that, although the academy has been in existence but four and a half years, one hundred and sixty-one pupils have been educated wholly or in part within it, — the attendance for the past year sixty-eight, — nearly one hundred of whom are scattered in different parts of the colony, some filling positions in mercantile establishments, others engaged in the onerous and equally important duty of teaching, surely it is a cause of great encouragement. With respect to the examination, I take the fol- lowing from our local papers : — " ' The annual examination of the pupils of the Wesleyan Academy was held yesterday, in presence of the Revs. P. Prest- wood and C. Ladner, the directors, and a number of the parents and lelatives of tha pupils, and other friends of education. About sixty pupils were present, and their orderly and attentive de- meanor, and the intelligent interest they manifested in the pro- ceedings of the day, indicated the character of the institution as one in which the training is intellectual throughout, and not merely mechanical, as was the case in too many schools of a former gen- eration. Classes were examined in Arithmetic, Geography, Latin, French, and Spanish. " ' At the close of the examinations, both forenoon and after- lES. ices. She ers, and is d we hope ibited cove and when nd prosper- in of which I with very the " Pro- ni nation as PAS. with another iperity of the apart for the s taken into in existence e pupils have tendance for if whom are ; positions in onerous and luse of great take the fol- he Wesleyan jvs. P. Prest- the parents ition. About attentive de- i in the pro- institution as id not merely former gen- raphy, Latin, n and after- EDUCATION. 369 noon several pieces, original and selected, were reelted with good effect, ,u accordance with the subjoined programme : - *' ' FORENOON. — ORIGINAL PIKCK8. Sc iate?" ^^'^'''" '' "^"^ "^ *'' ^-^^^"^^^ ^^^'•^^' % David H. ersl"^^' ^'"'''''' '' '•" ^"^•^'^"^ ^«"^^-' % James C. Rog- wlitt ^'f ^^"f/^„«^«'=^«'i) % John H. LeMessurier, Richard White Ldward G. Hunter, and Thomas N. Gaden. Examples of Illustrious Men.' By Stephen R. March. mrd ri 'f ^p'i^''"'"''-^ ^^'^«''" '^- Bi'kett, Jonathan Shep- pard, Thomas P. Pme, and Edwin B. Woods "' Rich and Poor.' By Miss Jessie S. Winter " ' What are We ? ' By Miss Mary E. Woods. "'AFTKRNOON. — ORIGINAL PIECES. •"Thoughts on Leaving School.' By Thomas C. Duder " ' f^^^T'^':^. '^""^' '^- ""^'^y^ P"P'^ Teacher. A i^rench Dialogue.' (Selected.) Bv Stonhon P TU. i, ^ John H. Stuart, and HuH. J. Forneanx ' "'Nltart'C'r"'^"'"" ''^«-f-"yM. Smith. Alice MM ™' '°""" ""»* ^-P'-'--' By Mi. , ;; ; f "•■A^Battlefield..' By Mis. Maria S. Peaoh. Moral Superior to Pliysical Triumpir w, A Vai, di,-. orv Ad dresses; By Miss Hannah L. Bemister ^^ " • We are glad to state that it is the intenUun of the dire<.tor. o. the academy to ,„sti.ute, with the commeneement of Z,Z'f aoadenue term, an English or elementary departmenr tlbe e o^' d>.«e,, m the lower room of the building 'by a eorpet t tet " and to be under the control and super,,io„\f the'pr ipa M .' Ke.d; the fees, to be u.ade much lower than those o the a^^' Jcmtc branches, will place withinthe reac^h of ail cW of We %a„s the means of obtaining for their children a so nd thoro! h" ^:::t:s^ --' '^^' -" ^ -'-■- '^^ -»-■"' -Government votes annuaily viie sum of £750 stei-lin O' or 870 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. about $3462, for training 'Pupil Teachers,' — each receiving £25 sterling, or about $115. Several have been trained in the Wesleyan Academy, and have gone forth to their respective spheres of labor. Five were present at the examination, one of whom has since taken charge of a school in the vicinity of Car- bonear. What influence these trained teachers will yet wield in the moral and intellectual training of our youth, time only can develop ! The annual government grant for the encouragement of education in this colony is about $62,885, — one seventh of the revenue in ordinary years. — and it may not be uninteresting to your readers to know that provision is made for the support of four academies in this place ; two grammar schools or academies in Harbor Grace and Carbonear; twenty-seven commercial schools in the pnincipal outports, and two hundred and thirty board or elementary schools ; beside an annual appropriation of $306f- for schools under the control and direction of the Roman Catholic Bishops, $2808 to the Church School Society, and $1404 to the Wesleyan School Society, for their schools. In the town of Car- bonear, the Wesleyan portion of the population, not having confi- dence in the principal of the Government Grammar School, or satisfied with its working, have sustained, at their own expense, an academy, second to none out of St. Johns, under the careful su- perintendence of a gentleman from your province. Our govern- ment officials, the speaker of the House of Assembly, and ablest men within it, our leading barristers (and we hope to say yet our judges and magistrates), are natives of this land. Veritas. ♦' St. Johns, Newfoundland, June 22, 1864." » 1 Provincial Wesleyaa, July 10, 1864. .Ml^tt "^^^ it'h receivins CHAPTER XVI. CHURCHES. QUR churches were plain wooden buildings, and bors th! wLl P ^ ^" ™""y "f 'he out-har- Ia.ee • Id t ^K ^ "" '""'g''«g«f<'ns would be Methodist el urch ' faveT T 7'^ ''"^"'''"' "'« a,.c K , ^^® mentioned the Episconalf- hem an'd'the wT "" '"'''' ^™'-*''- •^*" * slaTd t 1 ; '^'"' '" ""y »"*-''«^l'» in the sland Several of our churches were without stoves so that ,n very severe weather we would be oblild To have a very short service, or disoen^e w,,!, altogether dispense with our service hev arrr. ' ""' '^^'^ '^ "''" '" "^ 0-.'Poi"ted f hand Lt I " T'"'""^' '■' '^ "<~y, on the one and, that the preacher should read much, pray much the Bible to h,s hearers, that they mav at the «»„,. (371) 372 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Jl 1 m mM ■ 1 \ 1 ( time rightly influence their judgment, duly affect their hearts, and lead them to Christ. On the other hand, those who lear should remember that it is the word of God ; and, while iheir ideas may be expanded by the erudition of the ; peuker, or they may be charmed by his eloquence, let them never forget that for t.iei • reception or rejection of the solenni verities of the gos- pel, they must give an account at that " day in which he will judge the world in righteousness." One of our m.ore intelligent Newfoundland friends would often, when going to the huuso of God on the Sabbath day, quote with much accuracy and earnest- ness, the following veiy apposite lines from the poet Cowper : — " The pulpit, therefore (and I name it filled With solemn awe, that bids me well beware With whafintent I touch that holy thing), — The pulpit (when the satirist has at last, Strutting and vaporing in an empty school, Spent all his force, and made no proselyte), — I say the puljiit (in the sober use Of its legitirjjstr, peculiar powers). Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand, The mo&r }mpor?i»nt and effectual guard, Support, and ornament of virtue's cause. There stands the messenger of truth : there stands The legate of the skies ! — his theme divine. His office sacred, his credentials clear ; By liim the violated law speaks out Its thunders ; and by him, in strains as sweet As angels use, the gospel whispers peace." The Newfoundlanders were generally a church-going people, so that in the different stations occupied by our missionaries you would rarely find a person absent from church on Sabbath, unless he were unwell. It used to be a matter of regret that some people outside the church would occasionally, on Sabbath morning, IIES. affect their other hand, is the word e expanded be charj'ied lat for their of the go8- ly in which and friends God on the nd earnest- m the poet SINGIXO. 873 1 stand, nda lurch-going pied by our rson absent unwell. It )ple outside b morning, discuss the affairs of the fishery; but when they en- ^erecl the church, they were always orderly ' well- oehayed. Tliey Io^ .^d their ministers and tlu > n j w.th gladness the ord o( '^fe from their lips. They at all times heard with attcntici, and althoug, as a genera thing, they had not learning so as to examine the B.ble for thomselyes, yet they had good memories,, andwere not forgetful hearers, but carefully treasured up m their minds the truths they heara from the pulpit. SINGING Has formerl nn important part of divine ip from time immenionuj, aud, wheneyer practicab that sincr. ing has been accompanied with musical i.strumentl J lit in old time music was all melody, and it is said aarmony has i ^ yet been known in the world three hundred years. . he writer has in his possession an English Bible in black letter, p. lished in ir.25, with which IS coimected the Book of Common Pra> i and a number of examples of church-music as used in those times. Among those examples is the song of " The Ihree Children," '^ The Song of Zacharias," the Creed of Athanasius, the Lord's Prayer, and several other pieces set to music ; and the music also is arranged for several of the psalms. This music is all one part*! it 1. only melody. There is no ma.^. for lie time or the mood ; there are no bars, the C cleft .nly is used, and the notes are all square. ^ A very excellent paper, entitled " Thoughts on Mu- sic, was publi 'led by Mr. Wesley in the " Arminian Magazine for 1781, froir which we beg to note the toilowing extracts : — .hLT'V^^ the ancient Greek musicians in particular were * aoie to excite wiiaiuver passions they pleased; to inspire love or 32 lAAAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4 '^O /. < %' v.. 1.0 I.I 11.25 •^ IM 112.2 i 1^ 12.0 t. ^ 1.8 U III 1.6 ^1 c^l ^ > ^. //a o 7 6. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 874 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. i ■i ii hp.te, joy or sorow, hope or fear, courage, fury, or despair ; yea, to raise tliese one after another, and to vary the passion just according to the variation of the music. Nay, we read of an instance, even in modern history, of the power of music not inferior to this. A musician being brought to the king of Denmark, and asked wheth- er he could excite any passion, answered in the affirmative, and was commanded to make the trial on the king himself Presently the monarch was all in tears; and, upon the musician's changing his mood, he was quickly roused into such fury, that, snatching a aword from one of his assistants' hands, he immediately killed him, and would have killed all in the room, had he not been forcibly withheld. But why is it that modern music in general has no such effect upon the hearers ? The grand reason seems co be no other than this : the whole nature and design of music is altered. The ancient composers studied melody alone, — the due arrange- ment of single notes, — and it was by melody alone that they wrought such wonderful effects. In this respect laodern n^ asic has no connection with common sense, any more than with ;,he passions. In another it is glaringly, undeniably contrary to rcm- mon sense; namely, in allowing, yea, appointing different >../rd3 to be sung by different persons at the same time ! What can be more shocking to a man of understanding than this? Pray which of those sentences am I to attend to ? I can attend to only one sentence at once ; and I hear three or four at one and the same instant ! And, to complete the matter, this astonishing jargon has found a place even in the worship of God ! It runs through (O pity ! O shame !) the greatest part of our church music ! It is found even in the finest of our anthems, and in the most solemn parts of our public worship ! Let any impartial, any unprejudiced person say whether there can be a more direct mock- ery of Qod." John Wesley had a fine musical ear, as well as a truly devotional heart; and he used his utmost efforts to make the church, over which in the order of Divine Providence he was called to preside, a mu- sical as well as a devotional people. As early as the year 1742, which was two years before the forming of the nrst conference, ne issued a collection of tunes as SINGING. 375 Sling at the foundry. He enjoined his preachers to learn the science of music, and to preach frequently on sniging ; not to suffer the people to sing too slow, and let the women sing their parts alone ; lei no man sing with them, unless he understands the notes and singt the bass. Again he says, " Exhort every one to sing ; and in every large society let them learn to sing. Rec- ommend our tune-book everywhere." The Methodists soon became, as might be expected, a musical people ; and their hymns and music or sing- ing took a high stand, and was heard with emotion all over the united kingdom. Handel found in the Meth- dist hymns a poetry worthy of his own grand genius, and he set to music those hymns beginning, " Sinners, obey the gospel word ; » " O Love Divine, how sweet thou art ; " and " Rejoice ! the Lord is King." i The Wesleyan singing was a source of great power to our societies in those early times, Mr. Wesley, as he tra-elled in Ireland, heard his own hymns or tunes sung or whistled by Catholic children ; and hundreds of people, who cared nothing about preaching, were charmed to Methodist assemblies by the music. In the autobiography of Duncan Wright, a sergeant m the tenth regiment of foot, as pubhshed in the " Ar- minian Magazine " for 1785, we have an amusing in- stance of the effect of old Methodist music upon the Irish mind. In the county of Wexford the society was much annoyed by popish mobs, and had to hold their meetings in a barn with closed doors. Tlie mob wished to know what was done at the private meetings of the Methodists. To accompUsh this thev put one of their party into a sack and laid him quietly behind the door, with instructions to come out of the sack at i Stevens' History of Methodism, vol. ii. p. 503. 876 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. it of ihe church, or even sounding the key-note, a tune was at once struck in every way suitable both in style and accent. In some places, as St. Johns, Carbonear, and Brigus, the singing was most superior and highly scientific ; which for correctness of time, propriety of accent, and mellifluence of sound, could not be exceeded. Beside the singing was everywhere congregational, every one thought it his duty and privilege to join publicly in singing the praises of God. With all this, there were none of those nocturnal meetings called " singing schools ; " nor was any one employed in the capacity of a " singing-master," — many of whom care very little about what kind of singing there is in the church, and who never use our music-books, or habit- uate our youth to the use of the Methodist Hymn Book. There were generally a few persons m each place who knew the notes, and these taught the rest, who learned to sing by ear. Our own hymns were always used at practice meetings, «!0 that in learning a tune, they also learned a hymn ; hence, when the hymn was named from the pulpit, at the class-meeting or prayer-meeting, a tune was ready, in which all could and generally did unite. At those times we had no organ in any church on the island ; and the melodeon, that fine imitator of the organ, had not been invented. Our church instruments were the violin and a bass- viol. In some places we had two violins and a bass- viol, and occasionally a flute would accompany these instruments. It is to be regretted that in these lower provinces, where singing-masters abound, and every village has its singing-school, our ministers can seldom give out 32 ♦ 378 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. any hymn except long, common, short metre, or six lines eights, witliout being told, " Sir, we cannot sing that hymn : we have no tune for it ; " and an organist will sometimes send a message to the pulpit, requesting the preachc- to give out some other hymn than the one he had selected in his study, it might have been on his knees, "because we have got no tune for it." Thus many, very many of our best hymns are never sung by us ; and our people lose the benefit which our forefathers enjoyed as they mentally luxuriated in their heavenly strains, which they sang to those Christ- honoring and soul-comforting verses. It is a disgrace to us that we as Wesleyans cannot sing every hymn i . the Wesleyan hymn-book. SABBATH SCHOOLS. The minutes of the Newfoundland Sabbath schools for 1825, reported 1200 children, and a number of adults, who were receiving instruction in tliese institu- tions. In these schools, many children obtained all the learning they ever had, and had there learned to read and to a considerable extent understand the Scriptures of truth. In Bonavista, five boys and three girls learned, and repeated before the congregation with great accuracy, the whole of our Lord's sermon on the Mount ; and fifteen of the children had become the subjects of converting grace, and regularly met in class. Our Sabbath schools in Newfoundland, as well as in most of our country circuits in these provinces, were discontinued during the winter season, because of the severity of the weather ; but, during the summer sea- son, they were well attended, and orderly. In the year 1824, Newfoundland received its first importation of Conference Catechisms. The whole \ SABDATH SCHOOLS. 3J9 series of these invaluable compilations nf < - . was o„e "r ™2r;t::::i -•'- "- Scripture doeti^a Zj'! 1° J^f "» »" young children, the second 7 ' . f . °'' "''""^ able to read the Bible In thlT T "''" "■'-'™ "marlp -.f .1. ^ . "'^^' considerab e use is lanJ tull'ft"'""" "' "'« Church of E„l iand, _ that of the assembly of Westmm;.. j- ^ was entitled " A Pafo i.- ^ , "^^^^ ^®"er itiuea, A Catechism of the Evidences of Ch^;. tianity, and the Truth of the Holy Scrip "e '' Th meets in a masterlv mnr,„ .u ^'^^''^^^ religion, and rU. r.f n , y '"^"^^^ the arguments which infi dels of all grades have brought agdnst the Bibll Th; senes was submitted to the careful ..7 . committee of ih. r. f examination of a by tTa bodv 'Tt"''""' 'PP^^^^^ ^"^ ^-"-tioned ^7 that body and hence designated the Weslevan Catechisms. Thp«?P Pof^^i • i , esieyan thus have been saved from the withering blasts of 880 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. heterodoxy, or the soul-deceiving fallacies of covert or open infidelity. , , . xt /• ;i The children in our Sabbath schools in Newfound- land have these Catechisms ; large portions of which have been committed to memory, and the children there are not behind the children in our, Sabbath schools elsewhere in their knowledge o^ the Bible his- tory, of evangelical doctrine, and the arguments tor the truth of revealed religion. Prayer-meetings were well attended, and were often very lively. In 1823, in Grand Bank we had several interesting young men, who, when they had to cruise for fish, as they sometimes did to the distance of sixty or seventy leagues, were accustomed so to arrange their matters as to meet together on Sabbath days in harbors, where there were no places of worship, and hold prayer- meetings ashore, read the Scriptures, and (hstnbute tracts, to the great delight of the people of those destitute places Thus our fishermen themselves became mis- sionaries, and were instrumental of doing much good. The relicrious state of our societies was satisfactory and encouraging. Revivals had taken place in several circuits; our prayer-meetings, class-meetings, love- feasts, and sacraments were times of - refreshing from the presence of the Lord." The brethren often had wearisome journeys by land, and dangerous voyages by sea • but they found comfort and pleasure in their work, in that they saw and felt that the soil they were endeay- oring to cultivate would in time yield abundant frmt, and that their labor was not in vain m the Lord. Newfoundland, while it had its toils, and its disadvan- tages, also had its advantages and its pleasures. Many of our wealthy planters, and a good sprinkling of our princely merchants, had become favorable to .viethod- aiES. 3s of covert I Newfound- ns of which the children dxiv. Sabbath le Bible his- guments for id were often e had several had to cruise ance of sixty- arrange their lys in harbors, I hold prayer- ind distribute those destitute became mis- much good. as satisfactory- lace in several eetings, love- efreshing from ren often had )us voyages by ! in their work, f were endeav- ibundant fruit, ;he Lord. nd its disadvan- lasures. Many rinkling of our ible to Method- REVIVALS. 381 ism, and some of them had become members of the Wesleyan church ; the connection had gained a large influence in the community, and was the most nuine*'r- ous Protestant body in the island. Methodist preachers were everywhere received with kindness, treated with great respect ; they had a home in every house, a seat at every table, and a place in the affections of every heart. In several of our circuits there had been revivals of religion particularly at St. Johns, Harbor Grace, Island Cove, and Bonavista. The English " Wesleyan Magazine " for 1827, in its obituary department, records the death of three persons in one place, who went triumphantly "home to God," within a few weeks of each other. In English Harbor, in the Trinity Cir- cuit, was a family of the name of Ivamy, nearly all the adult members of which, were the subjects of con- /erting grace. In the year 1826, three members of this interesting family were called away by death. They were all young persons. Ann Burns, whose maiden name was Ivamy, was brought to God under the ministry of Mr. Ellis, in 1817, and for ten yc-^^-s lived in the enjoyment of the favor of God, and when dying said to her weeping friends, " I feel a solid peace;" "I feel peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." She died Feb. 23, 1826, aged 27 years. Martin Ivamy, aged 21 y^ars. He was brought to God also under the preaching of Mr. Ellis. When on his death-bed, he said to his mother, " My pain is severe, but I shall soon be where there is no more sick- ness or pain; where tears are wiped from all faces." To his class-leader he said, "In my fishing-boat I have many times sung those words : ■%t ■jil a ' l„ : 1 ! ^■^ r ■\' 882 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. " ' Tlicy sin^r the Lninh in hymns nhovo, And wo in hymns below.' ** Now I am goin^ to join tlio heavenly clioir, to sing the song of Moses and the Uiinb forever. Oh, tlie good- ness of God I His works pruiso him, and his saints bless him." Thus he continued until his happy sj)irit took its flight to the land of rest. George Ivamy, aged 22 years. He also was brought to God under the ministry of Mr. Ellis. He was an exemplary young man through his whole Christian course, and his last affliction, which was consumption, and very protracted, he bore with true Christian forti- tude. He had a good voice, which he employed in singing the praises of God. Once, afler a severe paroxysm of suffering, and feeling a little recovered, he broke forth singing : — " Be it weariness and pain To slothful flesh nnd blood ; Yet wo will tho cross sustain And bless tho welcome loud." To his mother he said, *' Oh, my dear mother, rejoice on my account. Death is gain to me. I am going to Jesus, and you will soon follow." He died in per- fect peace. In 1830 our membership in Newfoundland was 1,287 ; the missionary membership through the world was 41,186 ; the number of our missionaries, 189, and our missionary income, .£51,299 18«. 3d Our stations were as follows : — St. John — John Haigh. Hakbok Grace — John Pickavant. Carronear — Richard Knight. Blackhead — John Boyd. Western Bay — Adam Nightingale. ARIES. clioir, to sing 31i, tlio good- und his suinta 8 lmi)py spirit ) was brouglit He was an ole Christian consumption, hristian f'orti- einph)yed in ^er a severe recovered, he lother, rejoice I am going e died in per- undland was igh the world ries, 189, and STATIONS. 88d Isi-ANr) CovK AM, PKRLrcAx-John Smithioi. Pour DK (iitA VK — William Kllia. BuKum — (Jeorge Kllid^o. TiiiNiiY Hay — John TomklnB, BoNAviHTA AND Catalina - William Wilson. GitAN,. Uank ANi. Fou, UNK HAV-Uichard Shepherd. Hants IIaiiiu.u— William Fanlkner. William Kaulknor was admitted on trial in IS'^O and c^„.e to St. Johns. He labored with acceptance m- different circuits for twenty years, when he left the island, and returned to his native land. In the minutes of 18G3, his name stands for '' Ashton-under- Lyno" Circuit, in the Manchester and Bolton District. At this time several parts of iVewfoundland suffered severely from the failure of the fishery. Island Cove, Old I erhcan, and Bonavista all suffered from this cause. In the last-named place the catch of fish durmg the summer was estimated at not more than lialf sufficient to pay the expense of the voyacre • therefore, as the fall came on, poverty was felt in ahnost every flmuly, and a deep gloon sat upon every counte- nance In a population of two thousand, it was ascer- tained that there were eight hundred and eighty-seven individuals, who had no means of subsistence whatever except the potatoes produced in their own gardens, and these It was evident would fail before the next spring Application was therefore made to his excellency Sir Thomas Cochran, the governor, who promptly sent seven hundred and fifty barrels of potatoes for the relief of the suffering poor. These potatoes, with a number of seals that were taken during the winter and spring, saved many from starvation. In the midst of this poverty, a fearful epidemic broke out in Bonavista and Bird Island Cove. It was the ulcerated sore throat, Cynanche maligna, which ! ** • '', f [.^■1 4'" ^Hi T',A ^ '■'• ■ im l| y HI 884 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSTONARIES. seems to have been identical with what is now known as Di}>htheria. Many fell victims to this dire disease. The journal of the writer supplic§ the following particulars in reference to the family of Mr. George Crew, one of our leaders in Bird Island Cove, who lost three members of his family by this disease in twenty-one days : — •'July 8, 1830. This afternoon I interred two children; both died on the same day of the prevailing epidemic, one little boy, four years of age, was the sou of Mr. George Crew, one of our leaders. "July 17. Saturday, Mary Minty, a married claughtor of brother Crew, was taken alarmingly ill with sore throat. ♦'July 19. Susannah, a girl of twelve years of age, second daughter of brother Crew, was taken with the same complaint. " July 24. Saturday, Joseph, a son of the same person ; a young man, 18 years of age, was seized with the sore throat. "July 27. The girl Susannah died on Sabbath morning, and was interred to-«n her m,nd, and the Spirit of G^od w^as g ven o her ■ an s e was enabled to cry, "Abba, Fatl.;:" She arol^ to tel the congregat,on what God had done for her; but It was an mdecorum there. " Woman " ealled tl,„ captain, " sit down." At firs^he did not' obst ^ remark ; and .t was the least of her thoughts to disturb he congregation ; but the mandate was repeated, and was promptly observed by her, for she sat down With- out a word But, strange, our captain-parson thought h.s reproof was not yet suffleient ; he therefore, the next day sent a note to this good woman, in which he «.reatened to " bind her over to keep the king's peace, .f she ever agam so disturbed him while he was per- formmg divme worship." In relating this matter to the wnter she said, "Thus was I driven from the church, and compelled to be a Methodist ; and, oh if I can keep the peace I have, I shall be happy." We will mention one more incident connected with t.ie revival in Bird Island Cove. /' 33 our friend the II ! Ill; '2 '1 S"ai I ! In 390 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. captain could not sing, and all the choir had joined the Wesleyan Churcli, he deemed it necessary to take some one with him from Bonavista who could repeat the responses and sing a psalm. He found such a person, who repeatedly accompanied him on his mission to re- claim the Methodists from the error of their ways. But one dark night this new clerk stepped between two stones, on his way home, and very seriously sprained his ankle ; his companion could render him but little help, and while help was coming to him, he lay on the ground in agonies ; and when at length assistance came to him, and a little rum was given to him, — which was at that time the universal panacea, — he began to curse the Methodists, and amongst other strange things, Frank exclaimed, "If these Methodists will perish they must, for I will not go any more to save them." After this, Methodism met with but little opposition in Bird Island Cove. Many have been brought to God in that place, and our cause there still continues to prosper. THE FAMINE. We must again return to the temporal circumstances of the people in Bonavista and Bird Island Cove at this very trying time. No sooner did that terrible epi- demic subside, which had raged for so many months, and had made such gaps in family circles, than great want and pinching poverty began to stare the people in the face, which continued with increasing severity until absolute famine was the result. At that time the seal-fishery was only very partially prosecuted in Bonavista, as three schooners, employing about seventy men, constituted their entire spring fleet. There were then no farms, no manufactories, no public works uf any kind ; the people had to depend upon THE FAMINE. 391 the cod-fishery as the only means of obtaining a sub- sistence. In that northern and exposed station the cod- fishery does not commence until May, and closes early in October, so that five months was all the time the men could be employed in earning a livelihood for themselves and families for the whole year. If, how- ever, the fishery were good, and the price of the fish at a medium rate, these five months' labor would supply ample means for this purpose. But the summers of 1830 and 1831 had been remarkable for the failure of the cod-fishery in these parts, and particularly was this the case in the latter year, as, at the close of the season, the catch of fish was only one half the average, and the price had fallen, at rates ranging from twenty to forty shillings per quintal, to twelve. The winter set in with unusual severity early in November, and for weeks together the thermometer ranged from 15° to 18° below zero. Moreover, the great northern jam of ice did not leave the coast until the nineteenth day of June ; so that the spring supplies, which are usually received in April, did not arrive till near the last of June. One of the severest snow-storms during the season was on the fifth of May ; and the ground con- tinued frozen until near the month of June. A number of cattle died for want of food, and, during the night of the third of June, nine horses died from the same cause. After the' usual time for obtaining supplies had passed, the most appalling distress began to be felt among the inhabitants, and particularly was this the case during the latter part of the month of May and June. There were no provisions in the merchants' stores, and no amount of money could purchase a bar- rel of flour or a bag of bread. Men of wealth had to dole out food to their families with most parsimonious 'i; 392 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. I. :'■-! m care, and the writer with his family was restricted to two meals a day for three weeks. The ice on the coast prevented the arrival of vessels ; the seals liad gone ; and the heavy ice, large masses of which grounded in deep water, kept the cod-fish from coming near the shore. A severe famine was felt among the inhabitants ; sev- eral famiUes subsisted on nothing but potatoes and salt. Early in June nearly all the flour and bread (sea bis- cuit) was exhausted, and the cry for bread ceased be- cause it was not to be had ; but the mournful cry, " For God's sake give me a few potatoes to save my children from starvation," continued to be uttered with the most heart-rending vehemence. Individuals have passed the whole day without tasting food, and strong men were seen staggering through the streets, as if inebri- ated, as the effect of starvation. On the 4th of June, some of the crew of a schooner which had been jammed in the ice for a long time, in sight of the harbor, came on shore, and reported that their companions on board were almost perishing from cold and hunger. On the 11th of June a party of men came over the ice from Keels, a place about fifteen miles' distant, and reported that one woman and three' children had died through hunger. The following is an extract from the journal of the writer : — "June 11, 1832. — I this morning called upo» a poor widow with six children, who were known to be in a state bordering upon starvation ; when, after communicating to her the painful informa- tion, that no further help could be rendered to her, whatever might be the result, I desited her to tell me plainly what food she had, and what were her prospects of living through the famine. ♦ I will do so,' she replied. She then uncovered a barrel contain- ing two or three buckets of potatoes. ' This is all the food I have, and all I ever expect to have, unless the Lord in mercy should see fit to give us a change of wind, so as to take the ice from our IE3. »stricted to m the coast . gone ; and ied in deep the shore, itants ; sev- es and salt, id (sea bis- ceased be- THE FAMINE. 393 cry, t( For ny children I with the have passed strong men 18 if inebri- a schooner mg time, in ported that *ishing from arty of men bout fifteen I and three' following is a, poor widow ordering upon linful informa- her, whatever what food she ;h the famine. )arrel contain- le food I have, rcy should see e ice from our shores.' She had been a stout, healthy woman, but is reduced almost to a skeleton for want of food ; but now with tremulous hand, with totteiin^r li,„b, and sunken eye she sfood before me, and said, • When my children get up in the n)orninrr, I send them round to beg a potato from the neighbors ; .f the)' succeed I am thankful, and it saves my own stock; if they do not succeed, I roast two or three potatoes' for each of mv children, both morn- ing and evening. I fear to boil them, because of waste; and I find by this means the lives of my children can be saved until my potatoes are all exhausted ; when my heavenly Father may yet smile upon us and send us deliverance. But I am resigned to his blessed will. Ho knows what is best for me. I am happy in his love; and if he is about to take me away by famine. I know he will take me to heaven. I will praise him for all his mercies.' " Two days after the above was written, when a deep gloom sat ui)on every countenance, and nothing but starvation seemed to be the fate of the people, sud- denly a messenger arrived bringing the joyfid news that forty bags of bread, twenty quintals of dry fish, and fifty gallons of molasses, were already in Catalina, ten miles off, for the relief of the poor. Had it rained bread from heaven, it could not have come more unex- pectedly. Food in Catalina I how did it come there ? The mystery was soon explained. The news of dis- tress had reached St. Johns, — when the government promptly sent an officer round the head of both Con- ception and Trinity Bay, to Trinity Harbor, to the magistrates there, with orders to send supplies to Bona- vista. Just then a light north-west wind slacked the ice from the north shore of Trinity B^, by which a boat got from Trinity to Catalina, with the above sup- phes, and in less than half an hour after the arrival of the boat, the ice again came in and stopped all navi- gation for ten days more. The next morning, more than one hundred men walked over to Catahna to re- € m !i| m I 894 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ceive rations, — when the above articles of provisions were divided according to their respective families. One hundred and seventy-six families, comprising nine hundred and fourteen individuals, were thus relieved. At length a south-west wind sprung up, which in- creased to a gale, by which* the coast was cleared of ice, and supplies were brought for the relief of the inhabitants. REVIVALS. About this time several of the circuits were visited with gracious revivals of religion. In Carbonear the Lord poured out his Spirit upon the people, and in the year 1829, our church received an increase of one hundred and eighty-five members. In the month ot October, 1839, Mr. Smithies wrote the committee from Harbor Grace, in which letter he says : " The good work of God is prospering in an astonishing manner in this bay. The fire of heavenly love is burning rapidly and brightly throughout the whole of our stations. More than five hundred souls have been brought out of the world into the church since the district meeting, most of whom are savingly converted to God." In the month of April, 1831, Mr. Nightingale from Western Bay wrote r''*' Since last July, one hundred and sixty-four persons have been added to our society, one hundred of whom have found ' redemption in the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins.' The greater part of these are young persons, some of whom are considerably gifted, and manifest a deep interest in the welfare of their fellow-creatures. In our prayer- meetings during the last winter they have rendered us considerable service." The following letter from the pen of Dr. Knight, will be read with deep interest : — 1 limi "I!' ■Ill ' ill REVIVAI5. 395 "Bi-ACKHEAD, June 25, 1830. TI,o Blatkhoad station is in many r«,p„ot, an important ^ Ne„f„„„dla„, » well k„o,vn in general to be, U eonsicleralte I.oo„.a,n, not le., than 2000 ,„„U, three fourths of Jhoma™ Protectants, who have received their religious instruetiore le^ from our m.ss.onanes. They are almost without exeep b„ *.l,ghtlu field for missionary exertion, -extendinf! over a line of twelve iiules of the sea-coast of Conception Bay. i. has twoLi places of wo«hip,a„d is dissected into seven'harboiTorco'™, in which the services of the sanctuary are regularly perform' The geographical extent of this station may appear very limited anc consequently the perfonnance of its required d Jies may appear to be easy. The revei^e of this, holever, is ,e o"sT The extreme difficulty of walking, the necessity of t^ve II 1 i" frequently, the absence of assistance from any local prefc 1^ and almost the whole of official exertion devolving upon the n^I.' sionary, render it in truth a most laborious circuit^ Often ha e ■ I gone as far as strength and. time would admit, and have yet fallen short m the accomplishment of what hi been ftrthe' sTetT ir '""' 'T' ''"'*'^'' •""=" "=""«'» -' ' ■» »'^ by that of those who have from time to time succeeded them, and are now labor- ing m the parent country, and in other parts of the mission-field. church to pour do^n upon us the plenitude of his grace, in a more remarkable manner than ever was previously witnessed.- In this revival, which was very extensive, several old members were quickened, many backsliders were 1 u Methodist Magazine," 1634 61. 396 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. restored ; and one hundred and thirty persons were added to the society. Tlic centre of the revival was the north shore of Conception Bay, yet every circuit in the district, from Bonavista to Grand Bank, felt its influence. In the minutes of Conference for 1829, our returns show an increase of 99 members ; in 183^ an increase of 128 ; and in 1831, our increase was 661. In 1829, our number was 1133, and in 1831, we returned 1848 members ; showing an increase in our membership in three years, of 715 persons. The history of Metho- dism in previous times can supply no such returns for the Newfoundland District. The blessed effects of this revival were felt for many years, and some arc still livinc who were broutjht to God at the time of which we are now writing. mi i! ii k II ' 1 1 iiii; I iii CHAPTER XVII. REMOVAL OF THE WRITER - STATIONS, 1835 - WILLIAM MUHRAY - DR. WARREN —KXTKN8ION OF THE NEWFOUNDLAND MISSION — VISITING MISSIONARIES- WESTERN SIK.UE-ORKEN BAY- STATIONS F«.R 1845 — JAHEZ INGHAM— JAMES NORRIS — JOHN SNOWBALL — WILLIAM MARSHALL — RICHARD WILLIAMS — LABRADOR — CANADA CONFER- ENCE - NEWFOUNDiAnD BIHLE SOCIETY -FLY-SIlkKT AOITA J ION — MISSIONARY INCOME FOR 1862 — FRENCH CONFERENCE — AUNTKA- LA8IAN CONFERENCE— CONFERENCE OF EASTERN BRITISH AMERICA — JOHN BEECHAM, D. D«— STATIONS OF NEWFOUNDLAND DISTRICT, IN the year 1834, the writer removed to Prince Edward Island ; and on the 28th of June, the following entry was made in his journal ; " I have this day left Newfoundland for another sphere of labor. On that island I spent fourteen years, one month, and seven days. I have walked many hundreds of miles on its rough shores, sailed along its rock-bound coasts at almost all seasons of the vear ; have been extensively acquainted with its inhabitants ; hare seen many souls converted to God, and witnessed the piety of hundreds ; have experienced the kindness and partaken of the hospitality for which the Newfoundlanders are so characteristic, from For- tune Bay to Bonavista ; have labored in eight of its circuits. I leave hundreds of affectionate friends and fellow-travellers to Zion, with whom my soul is united, and with whom I could live and die. Farewell, Newfoundland, farewell, dear friends, — we shall not again meet on earth, but let us resolve to meet in heaven. " There all the ship's company meet, Who sailed with the Saviour beneath ; With shouting each other they greet, And triumph o'er trouble and death. " The voyage of life 's at an end, The mortal affliction is past; (397) 898 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. The nge that in heaven they spend, Forex an scribers, and assist the parent body in their noble effort to supply every human being with a copy of the word NEWFOUNDLAND BIBLE SOCIETY. 407 of God Accordingly, in the month of March, 1846, a few individuals met together to talk the matter over and to make ar.-angements for the formation of an auxiliary Bible Society for the Island of Newfound- land. In the month of May following, a public meeting was held in the Commercial Room, when the Bib e Society was organized, of which the Honorable Wiiham Thomas was chosen the first president. The friends of the Bible Society now began zealously to solicit subscriptions in order to promote the objects of the society, when their efforts received a severe check by a great fire, which occurred on the 9tli of June and which laid a great part of the town in ashes! Befoi-e the people had recovered from the shock and suffering occasioned by this conflagration, another fear- ful catastrophe happened; it was a violent hurricane with which the eastern coast was visited on the 19th of September. The wind was from the north-east, and blew directly upon the shore ; many fishing-boats, and several larger vessels were driven ashore, and near twenty persons were known to have found a watery grave. Fishing-nets and fishing-stages were destroyed by the undertow ; fishing-flakes were blown down "the fish scattered on the ground, and the means the poor fishermen had of purchasing their winter's supplies were thus taken away. In the forest many trees were torn up by the roots. In the town of St. Johns, the new Episcopal Church, although not thrown down, was moved from its foundation; a large hall, which had afforded shelter to many whose houses were destroyed m the late fire, was blown down, and several persons buned m the ruins ; two were killed on the spot, and others were seriously injured ; many houses were injured and some were destroyed. Added to this, the 408 NEWFOUNDLAND AND IT8 MISSIONARIES. li M potato crop failed, and starvation drove many persons from the out-harbor to tlie metropoHs to seek for assist- ance to enabk; them to pass the coming winter. In tlie midst of all this suffering, the friends of the Bible Society in St. Johns, while they gave am[)ly of their means to support the poor, also gave liberally to the funds of the society. The first anniversary of the Newfoundland Auxiliary Bible Society was held on Wednesday, March 24, 1847, at which were present all the ministers of the non-conforming bodies, and many of the most pious and most respectable laymen on the island. The parent society in their published report for that year, acknowledge the receipt from St. Johns, Newfoundland, of the sum of £125 sterling, as a free contribution ; besides which Bibles and testa- ments were ordered for sale, to the amount of £121 16«. 1(^. sterling. In the year 1849, commenced what was called the *' Fly-Sheet " agitation ; by which the connection in various parts of England was seriously disturbed. These " fly-sheets " were anonymous publications, issued either by certain ministers of the conference, Gv with their connivance and knowledge. No. 1 of these hostile publications came from the press in either 1844, or 1845. No. 2 was published in 1846; and No. 3, in 1847. These papers were characterized by intense bitterness of feeling in reference to certain ex- cellent ministers who were their brethren, and whom they described as "indolent," "selfish," "artful," " ambitious," and " tyrannical ; " and also by other personalities so grossly offensive and libellous, that the parties issuing them did not dare to affix the name of either the printer or publisher. And further: "they declared that the resources of the connection were per- FLY-SHEET AGITATION. 409 verted to uphold a system of favoritism, oppression, and extra vacrunco ; tluit many of the public acts of the conference proceeded from corrupt motives, or were of a mischievous tendency; and while suggesting exten- 8ive changes in its system of proceeding, and represent- ing the members of the conference as enslaved, and longing for emancipation, they exhorted them to vigorous and united efforts to sliake off the unhallowed yoke." 1 No well regulated body could long exist if its mem- bers were thus allowed to insult and assail each other ; hence it became a matter of justice as well as of necessity to bring the discipline of the body to bear against the offending parties. The result was that three ministers were expelled from the connection, and three others were formally censured. But the agita- tion continued, and although the minutes of 1850 report an increase in Great Britain of 10,000 members • yet the minutes of 1851 show a decrease of 46 068 • and the minutes of 1852 show a further decrease of -0,946; in 1853, the decrease was 10,298; in 1854 1^5,797; in 1855, 3,310. The total loss of members during these five years was 97,858 ; so that while our ZZ^To '"J^^^ ''''' ^^^'2^^' ^" 1855, they were only ^t>0,858. Here the ebb ceased, and there has been con- stant increase of members to our church in Great Britain every year since. Many of our people after a time re- turned ; many thousands never returned ; but great numbers returned to the world and to their former evil ways. Terrible as were these trials, they had their benefits, for they removed from us the contentious and disaffected, and the connection has had peace ever since. Another benefit was, they led to a full ex- ^ Minutes of Conference for 1 85 p. 166. 410 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. planation of some of our rules, which many persons considered as not sufficiently explicit. Thus the agita- tion of Dr. Warren led to a clear and explicit view of Methodistic law as to tlie trial of private members and their right of appeal. This is explained in the minutes of 1835. The "fly-sheet" agitation led to a clear " definition of Quarterly Meetings," aa to their com- position, " regulations concerning memorials to the conference," and the mode of " trial of a trustee." This is found in the minutes of 1852. While the Methodist Church in England was passing throuiih this great ordeal, and their numbers were de- creased by nearly one hundred thousand members, the malcontents tried to " stop the supplies," and in par- ticular the missionary " supplies ; " yet, God blessed and pn)spered the missionary work to an extent that excited the astonishment and gratitude of the whole connection. The income of the society for 1852 was £102,730 19«. 9c?.; the number of missionaries, 476; and our missionary membership, 108,078. This same year a second affiliated conference wad formed. It was the French Conference. It was in- deed small ; its circuits were only nine in number ; its ministers, nineteen ; and its members, eight hundred and nineteen. Our membership in Newfoundland was now two thousand four hundred and forty- two. The year 1855 will be noticed by Wesleyan histori- ans in future time as the year when two affiliated con- ferences were organized : — I. The Australasian Wesleyan Methodist Con- ference. The first session of this conference was held in Sid- CONFERENCES. 411 5TH0DIST CON- as held in Sid- ney ; it commenced on tl.e 18th of January, under the presidency of tlie Rev. Willia.n Hinnington Boyce. it began under aus],icious circumstances. It had one Jmndred and sixteen ministers, besides a number of native assistant missionaries, nearly eight hundred chaiv- els and other preacliing places, nineteen thousand eicrht hundred and ninety-seven church members, with one .^thousand nine hundred and fifty-six on trial. II. The Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, or Church of Eastern British America. « „ The first .. .3sion of tl.is conference commenced in Halifax Nova Scotia, July 17, 1855, under the presi- dency of the Rev. John Beecham, D. D. Co-Delegate, Rev. Matthew Riehey, D. D. Secretary, Rev. William 1 ample. This conference embraces the Provinces of Nova fecotia. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, New- foundland, and Bermuda. Our statistics will be un- derstood by the following table : — Tabular view of the Wesleyan Church of E. D. A., at its first conferer.ce. The Newfoundland membership was two thousand five hundred and eighty-six ; and of Jie sixteen day school.^ under the care of the conference, fifteen of I ' If, 412 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION ARIES. them, containing nine Inindrcd and twenty-two scliol- ars, were in Newfoundland. Tlie formation of the districts in the lower prov- inces into a distinct and independent conference, liad been expected for several years ; and by most of the ministers was much desired, as in their judgment it woukl tend to consohdate and extend the work among our widely scattered and rapidly increasing population. Perhaps there was not a man in the British confer- ence more fit to arrange, and carry out this important measure, than the now sainted John Beecham, who presided upon that occasion. Thoroughly acquainted with all the minutiae of Methodism, he could promptly reply to every inquiry ; and while with us his labors were untiring, and in his official position he evinced the wisdom of the sage, the firmness of the judge, the accuracy of the mathematician, the urbanity of the gentleman, and, above all, the kindness of a Christian brother. But his work was almost done ; he reached Enffland a little before the close of conference, and early in the ensuing spring he was called to his reward. From the death-roll of the British Conference we make the following extract : — "John Beecham, D. D., was born at Bartholdy-le-Beck, Lincolnshire, in 1787, and entered the ministry in 1815. In early lite he accjuired a good store of theological knowledge, and of useful and diversified information, and he was habitually a diligent and humble student of the sacred oracles ; so that, both by public and private labors, he fed the people of his charge ' with knowledge and understanding.' The purity of his character, together with his assiduous and punctual discharge of every duty, and fidelity to every obligation, gave weight to his utterances, and won the confidence and respect of all who were actiuainted with him ; while the habitual kindness of his heart endeared him to the and the afflicted, to whom, as a pastor, he was constantly )oor pastor, STATIONS. 418 ttl" ' ' ' '" ^'' "^^""*«^' '"^^ '^^ ^»>" ^'- ••••^' --e- fi u V ". "I'T"""'^' """^"^- *'"•• ^^'•^ '""ff «»"-« «»• twenty, four yearj,. ho labored incessantly anu devoutly ; . ...a omoe to ,>.-on.ote the work of (iod ; and h. had the gratiLtion of w t iT- n^^ .t.s gradual advancen.ent to a state of prosperity far beyond h.s ant.c,.at.ons. In the latter years of his life, he "a a' u! occup.ed .n the constituting of afhl! :,ted conferences, with a view vo r. ZTl :"' ''' ""•'' ^*' ^^" '" '''"--t'parts of Z France, Australasia, and Canada, he undertook to visit the Eastern I rovnu-es of British An.erica, and. having presi.led over a new oc,..ference held in Nova Scotia, returned to Lee.ls. just before the close of the last British Conference. His account of that rn..ss,on displayed a peculiar aptitude for such an undertaking, and led many who heard it once more to glorify God in hi.n. II.S last days were eminently peaceful. Finding his health fail, he sought to recruit it by a month's quiet at the sea-side; hul having taken cold there, he returned home much worse, and in six days after his return passed to an eternal rest. No vain regrets or harassing anxieties disturbed his last hours. All was quietness and assurance. ' Do you know that you are dying sir ? ' said one to lum a few moments before he passed away. 'No.' said he, 'but all IS well.' To another he said, • There are the shinin^ ones. They are waiting for me. 1 shall soon be with them! There is a sharp, thorny bridge to pass, but it will soon be over.' He died on the 22d of April, 1856, in the sixty-ninth ^ear of his age The stations for the Newfoundland District, at the first conference, were as follows : St. Johns - Thomas Angwin, Samuel W. Sprague. Harbok Grace — one to be sent. Carsonear _ William E. Shenston. Brigus — John E. Phinney. Port de Grave — Adam Nightingale. BLACKHEAn — John S. Addy. Island Cove — One to be sent. Perlican — One to be sent. Hants' Harbok — Paul Prestwood. 35 * 414 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. Trinity — Vacant. Bona VISTA — Thomas Smith. Gkeen Bay — Under the care of the chairman. Burin — Elias Brettle. Grand B/ :k — John S. Peach. Thomas Angwin, Chairman of the District CHAPTER XVIII. ROBERT A. CHESLEY-NEW CHAPEL IN ST. JOHNS — GREEN BAY CIR- CUIT—MISSIONS OP CONFERENCE — MR. COMBENS MISSION TO LABRADOR — MR. FOX — MR. GOODISON — PRESIDENT BOYCE — THOMAS GAETZ-W. S. SHENSTONE —JUBILEE OF THE WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY — JUBILEE MOVEMENT IN E. B. A. CONFER- ENCE—JUBILEE MEETING IN ST. JOHNS, NEWFOUNDLAND — PRES- IDENT THORNTON — REV. ROBINSON SCOTT— STATIONS FOR 1864 — MEMBERS IN NEWFOUNDLAND — CONCLUSION. THE total population, within the bounds of the " Eastern British American Conference," is com- puted at seven hundred and fifty thousand souls ; about one-tenth of whom are under the direct teaching and influence of the Wesleyan ministry. During the first year of our conference the missionary com- mittee showed great kindness by sending out two additional missionaries to Newfoundland. These were Charles Comben and James Dove. This same year, Robert A. Chesley was appointed to St. Johns ; but he was in his new station little more than three months, before he was called to his reward. The death-roll of conference for 1857, contains the following obituary- notice : — " Robert AinsHe Chesley was born at Granville, Nova Scotia, in the year 1816, and died at St. Johns, Newfoundland, on Thursday, November 27, 1856, in the fortieth year of his age, and the fourteenth of his ministry. At the age of twenty-three, he was brought to an experimental knowledfre of the truth and became * a new creature in Christ Jesus.' From the time of his (41u) II 416 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. conversion fte felt an ardent love for souls, and sought to render liinisc'lf useful and to glorify God by assisting to hold prayer- meetings, and afterwards exercised his talents as a local preacher. Believing he had a divine call to the sacred office of the ministry, he offered himself for the great work with much fear and trem- bling; and being approved and received, entered upon the duties of the Christian ministry in the year 1843. As a Christian, he was eminently devoted and exemplary, and sought to adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour in all things. He was an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile. lie walked with God, and his path shone brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. In the discharge of his sacred functions, he was faithful, zealous, and un- wearied. Whatsoever his hand found to do, he did it with his might As a preacher of the gospel, he afiectionately, clearly, and successfully propounded its saving truths, giving prominence in his public ministrations to the all-important doctrine of holiness and entire consecration to Christ. His labors were abundantly owned and blessed. Many were the seals to his ministry in the various circuits upon which he labored as an ambassador for Christ. To pastoral visitation he paid strict and constant atten- tion, and his amiability, benevolence, sympathy, and solicitude for the good of others, endeared him to the flocks over which he watched with pastoral care. At the last conference he was appointed to the superintendency of the St. Johns' circuit. He went to his new sphere of labor with enlarged expectations, and entered upon his duties with assiduity and earnestness. During his brief sojourn in St. Johns, he gained the afi'ections of all with whom he became acquainted, and was rendered very useful in his work of faith and labor of love. The illness which terminated in his death was caused by exposure and excessive toil during the prosecution of his sacred duties. The disease, which so speedily resulted in his unexpected and lamented decease, was of that nature which prevented him from conversing much upon divine subjects; but his mind was kept in peace, and with resignation he was enabled to commit the keeping of his body and soul to God, knowing in whom he had believed. Those holy truths which he had so long proclaimed were his comfort and sup- port during his last hours. Afler only seven days' sickness he de- parted this life in possession of a sure and certain hope of immortal blessedness. Great, indeed, is the loss of the church of NEW CHAPEL IN ST. JOHNS. 417 Christ and his afflicted family and friends, by the sudden and mysterious removal of one so talented and eminently qualified for extensive usefulness. But their loss is his eternal gain." In the summer of 1857, James A. Duke was sent out by the committee as a missionary for the shores of Labrador, and a free passage was given him from England to St. Johns, in a vessel belonging to the Hon. Mr. Rogerson. Mr. Duke, however, did not arrive in time to proceed to Labrador that sum- mer, in consequence of which, he was stationed in Carbonear, under the superintendency of Christopher Lockhart. In the month of January, 1858, the new chapel in St. Johns was opened, and on the sixth of that month, Henry Daniel, the chairman of the district, wrote to the committee in which he says ; "At present nearly all the sittings are engaged. Our congregations are large and the spiritual state of our society is encouraging. We need your sympathy and prayers. Popery has an awful grasp on this com- munity, and Puseyism, a second edition of it, spreads a deadly blight over the largest portion. Methodism has a great mission to this island. The Lord make us faithful and zealous." An interesting account of the Green Bay Circuit was given at this time by Mr. Preslwood, from which we make the following ex- tract : — " This circuit is extensive and important; nearly two thousand people, according to the census taken this year, belong to us either as members or hearers; they are scattered almost all round the shores of this large bay, and many more would gladly attend our ministry had they the privilege. Of these some do not heai a sermon preached more than once or twice a year. They are anxious to obtain another preacher in this circuit, and intend to apply for one. For some time past a gracious revival of religion 418 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. I IW i' I ^ baa been experienced in different parts of the circuit, especially during the last winter. At Twillingate, last spring, many were converted to God, and, we are thankful to say, hold fast tho profession of their faith, and prove the reality of their conversion by a consistent walk and conduct. The state of the society is en- couraging; the members are sincere, and anxious for the salvation of their souls. Most heartily do they thank God for the gospel, and for the appointment of the Wesleyan missionaries, whom they term ' men after God's own heart.' " it: ' I!; mv4' In the year 1859, the first missions of conference of Eastern British America are mentioned in the minutes. They were three in number, and all stood connected with the Newfoundland District. They stand thus : — MISSIONS OF CONFERENCE. Labrador — Supplied during the summer months by Charles Comben. Petites AND Western Shore — To be supplied by the Chairman. Exploits and Little Bay Islands — James A. Duke. The niinisters of the conference were so impressed with the importance of the Labrador Mission, that they unanimously passed the following resolution : — MISSION TO LABRADOR. " Resolved, That the conference recognizes its obligation to sus- tain the mission to Labrador to the utmost extent of its ability, and the brethren are directed that when the collection for the ' Home Mission and Contingent Fund ' is taken up, the claims of this mission be urged upon the attention of our friends, and that they be requested to contribute hberally to the fund, in order that this important mission may be well sustained." Mr. Comben went to Labrador in June, and an- ch red in Red Bay on the 30th of the month. Here he found eighty persons resident, and about forty more who were there during the summer. Most of these were ¥/e3- MR. COMBEN. 419 lonths by Charles leyans from Newfoundland. These people brought their religion with them, and in consequence held relig- ious services as prayer-meetings and class-meetings, and also held a Sabbath school. He met a class of thirteen persons, six of whom were from Carbonear. Thirty miles from Red Bay are Henly Harbor and Cha- teaux. In the former place he found some friends resi- dent, and about eighty persons who were there for the summer ; in the latter about fifty Wesleyan residents, and near a hundred summer visitors, all from New- foundland, besides a number of persons from Nova Scotia. A class-meeting was regularly held in one of these places, and pra}%Br-meetings were held in both. He next visited Cape Charles Harbor, in the 52d de- gree of north latitude. There he found one hundred and forty Wesleyans from Newfoundland, besides a number of Episcopalians, and hkewise a number of persons from Nova Scotia. Here he had a congregation of two hundred persons. He visited about twelve or fourteen harbors, in most of which he found some Wes- leyans, and in all he was received with great kindness ; and the universal wish was, that as business called them to those shores, they would not be left as sheep without a shepherd, but that our ministers would year- ly visit them in their distant wanderings, and preach to them the words of life and salvation. ' The brethren of the Newfoundland district deserve all honor for carrying out so fully the resolution of the conference in reference to the Labrador Mission ; and the missionary committee in London were so well sat- isfied with the measure, that they published the journal of Mr. Comben's visit in extemo in their large report for the year 1860. . In the summer of 1860, the Rev. Thomas Fox vis- 420 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. ited Labrador. He arrived at Cape Cliarles Harbor on the 17th of June, and laid oat, as his missionary tour, an extent of coast of from two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles, for all that distance is consid- ered as within the bounds of the mission. He visited twenty-four harbors and coves, and preached to congre- gations composed of Newfoundlanders, Nova Scotians, Englishmen, Americans, and Indians, including both the Esquimaux and Mountaineers. The next year Mr. Fox went again to Labrador, and at Cape Charles he says : " Here I met with a wel- come at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Hayward Taylor of Carbonear. Stayed nearly a week, held services and visited the people." It was not surprising that Mr. Fox should be received with a welcome by Mr. Taylor and his kind lady, for the house of Mr. Taylor, of Carbonear, has been a home for Wesleyan ministers for more than half a century. During this mission tour, Mr. Fox sailed over four hundred miles along the coast, visited between twenty and thirty harbors, preached about sixty times, held a number of prayer- meetings and class-meetings, read the Scriptures and prayed from house to house, baptized a number of children, and called the attention of the people to the erection of six chapels. He was everywhere received with kindness, heard with attention, and his visits were made a blessing to the people. The Labrador mission is a very important one, and it is to be desired that one or more ministers will soon be sent to reside on the coast, particularly as we have between forty and fifty Wesleyan families already resident there. MR. GOODISOn's mission. In 1862, John Goodison was sent to Labrador by NAR1E3. harles Harbor Ills missionary indred to two iiice is consid- n. He visited hed to congre- *fova Scotians, including both to Labrador, net with a wel- yward Taylor held services lurprising that Icome by Mr. of Mr. Taylor, eyan ministers ; this mission id miles along hirty harbors, her of prayer- Scriptures and a number of people to the here received his visits were rtant one, and sters will soon ly as we have nllies already WILLIAM B. BOYCE. 421 Labrador by the brethren of the Newfoundland District. He sailed in the government cutter Duck. Owing to rou^h weather, the great quantity of field-ice, and the nu^- ero«, .cebergs he did not reach Labrador until the 5 h of Jul;.. He coasted in a whale-boat, and during the summer s.ded over three hundred miles, visited some h a,„d, „f f^,„.,.^^ .^ ^,^^ ^.^^^^^^ preached many t.mes, got several Sabbath schools in operafon and distributed some thousands of books and .u2 ^'''''^ .^^«"*™a"y souls converted to God, some few back- shders reclamed and believers in Christ filled ;ith div^e love One chapel has been erected, the frames of two others are read v* The Labrador Mission continues to engacre the at- rorenl'"^ '^^''^™ °^ NewfoundlandVnd ot-t^l In 1861, the conference of Eastern British America was honored m having, as its president, the Rev. Wil- Methodist Missionary Society. Before the conference, Mr. Boyce visited Nova Seotia, Prmce Edward Island, Cape Breton, and r! id "f ,, °' ''' '^^' -"^"''0-'' '^'-<1 he reported as follows : mated. Here we do battk with popery i„ the verylfeway hat^rrH-?- f '^ "'*"" '"' " '' ' -"-k-We fact that „> the districts where our first missiowries labored the people remain Protectant; elsewhere they are mainly Papit «..■ When the question was asked " What ministers have died- since the last conference?" four names were feld"- _ '^'" "'"' ^'' ^''™''°"^- The minute "William Samuel Shenstone, who was born at Three Rivers, 424 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSION ARIES. i^?:i Canada East, in the year 1838. He feared the Lord from his youth. Amiability of disposition, dutifuliuiss to his parents, frater- nal affection, intense love of study, and apt'iess to accumulate mental stores, were marked elements in his character. At the age of sixteen, he was convinced of the need of divine forgive- ness, and a change of heart, and sought, by humble confession of sin and trust in the atonement of Christ, the great salvation ; and in hun was fulfilled the promise, then shall they find me, ' when they search for me with their whole heart.' " He obtained peace through believing. At the conference of 1858, he was accepted as a candidate for our ministryj and was appointed to the Bonavista Circuit, where he labored with groat acceptance and success. He was subseriuently ap[)oinfcd to t' o Carbonear Circuit, where his Divine Master blessed him, and made him a blessing. He received such a baptism of the Holy Spirit, as to lead him to a closer walk with God. At the conference of 1861, he was appointed to the Hants' Harbor Circuit, where he entered upon his labors with much prayer, a deep sense of re- sponsibiUty, and a holy resolution to consecrate his energies to the great work of seeking the salvation of souls, and the edification of the church. But he had only labored about a week when he was stricken down by affliction which baffled medical skill ; and, after about three weeks of severe suffering, during wliich his trust in Christ was firm aud unshaken, God took him to an early rest in heaven. His last words were ' The best of it is God is with us.' He died in peace, August 31st, 1861, in the 25th year of bis age, and the fourth of his ministry." The year 1863 was a time of great rejoicing to the whole Wesleyan connection. It was the jubilee of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. That society, as we have seen, was formed in 1813 ; and, during these fifty years of its existence, God has prospered it to an extent that was never anticipated by its most san- guine friends. In 1813, our missionary sphere was limited: we had twenty-six missionaries in the West Indies, one in Bermuda, thirteen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and three in Newfoundland; making a total of forty-three missionaries. Our mis- THE JUDTI.EE. 425 sionary membership was then only 17,025. In 18G3 our ministers and assistant missionaries numhered 889' and onr m.snK.„ary membership was 142,789, besides lo,804 on trial. a/" ^!!f' ''''' '''"'^ ""^ missionaries in France, Italy, Africa, Cliina, Australasia, Polynesia or Canada ; nor had we a printing-pre.s out of the United Kin^rdorn. iiut m 186.3, we had ministers in all the above places with eight printincr.presses, four affiliated conferences aiid 140,457 children in our different Sabbath schools! The annual income for missionary purposes, down to 1»1J, was seldom much more than £4000. but the balance sheet of the society, for 1863, shows an in- come of X 141,638 lOs. Sd. In gratitude for this great success, the friends of missions in England determined to hold a jubilee, and by an extra exertion, to raise a fund to be called the Ju- bilee Fund ; the objc ot being to assist the general missionai^^ fund, by providing a college for training missionary candidates ; to provide for disabled mist sionaries, and for widows and orphans of deceased missionaries ; also to assist the work in France, Italy, India, China, and in various ways to promote the ex- tension of missionary operations, and the conversion of the world from sin to God. The first blast of the jubilee-trumpet was heard in Leeds, where, fifty years before, the missionary soci- ety had been formed. But oh, the ravages of death I but few were present at the jubilee that witnessed the forma- tion of the society. Those pious and zealous ministers, George Morley and James Buckley, have long gone to their reward ; the erudite Richard Watson and the profoundly eloquent Jabez Bunting are now with the " hymning multitude," receiving the reward of 36 * 420 NKWFOUNin.AND AND ITS MISSIONAKIKH. ! 'mm their faithful hihors while on earth. Thomas Thomp- 8on, the chairman and Mothodist local prcaclscr, who was neitlicr afraid nor aslianied to advocate the cause of ri;'hteousnes8 and reli^^ion before tlie Britisli senate, lias realized the promise, " Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me l)efore men, him will 1 confess also be- fore my Father which is in heaven." But we must not recJ'ct, for he who took those men from the church miilitant is still with us, and we have received the fulfilment of that assurance, which he gave by the mouth of his servant David, " Instead of tliy fathers, shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth." The missionary spirit of 1813 luia fallen on the church, in 1803, to an extent that waS never before seen ; the benefit of which unknown na- tions shall realize, and by which unborn generations shall be blessed. The public jubilee meeting was preceded by numerous religious exercises, as special sermons, special prayer-meetings, and special love- feasts, besides the many petitions that ascended to the throne of grace from the closet, and from the family altar for success in the enterprise. Prayer was heard, and a spirit of liberality was evinced by the Wesle^^an church that has surprised the whole Christian world. The money subscribed in one week was .£35,000, The jubilee movement thus inaugurated at Leeds, in the month of October, was speedily followed by corresponding action in every district and in every circuit throughout the United Kingdom ; it extended to all the affiliated conferences, and to all the mission- stations ; in fact, a similar spirit to that which in- fluenced the meeting in Loeds seems to have perme- ated every heart through the entire range of British Methodism. The financial result is not vet known. UtIKH. mas '^rii()in|)- rt'iu'lier, who ate the cause ritisli senate, leretbre, sluill fes.s also be- 15 lit we must n the cliurch received tlie gave by the f tliy fatliers, make princes of 1813 hius tent tliat waS mknown na- i generations meeting was s, as special special love- iended to the n the family ir was heard, he Wesleyan ristian world. ;35,000. ed at Leeds, followed by md in every t extended to the mission- it which in- have perme- ge of British et known. THE JUHII.EE. 427 The jubilee movement did not commence in the conference of Eastern British America until the month of July, 18G4. Newfoundland, which is never behind in any good thing, lias taken an imi)()rtant part. To that country the time was most inauspicicms. Both the seal-H..hery in the si)ring, and the cod-fishery in the summer, had faded, and pinching poverty stared multitudes directly m the face. Some thought it unwise and impolitic to attempt any sj^ecial effort for pecuniary purposes and that a postponement would be the better plan. Amidst many discounigements a public meeting was held in St. Johns and the noble sum of $1000 or ^£400 was subscribed. The following sums were also ex- pected to be raised : from Carbonear, $240, Harbor Grace, $400, and Brigus, $300 ; making a total for the island, of $ 2540 ; and this in a season of almost unparalleled failure and distress. The Lord will surely bless that people. Our conference of 1864 was again honored with a representative from the British Cor.r.rence, in the person of the Rev. William L. , aornton, M. A., ac- companied by the Rev. Robinson Scott, a representative from the Irish Conference. The wise counsels < f these excellent brethren, their ardent zeal, their earnest prayers, their Christian courtesy, their pulpit ser- vices,— and to mention one case, the address of Mr. Thornton to the young men who were received into full connection, — were of a character that will en i ar their names to them while life shall last, and can never be erased from the minds and memories of those who had the privilege of being present. At this conference the Newfoundland District num- I........ ,^,, ^^^n uiuuiu^i, uigut mission stations, and twenty-two ministers. 428 NEWFOUNDLAND AND i TS MISSIONARIES. The following are the stations for the present year, 1864-5. St. Johns — P. Prestwood, A. W. Turner, Joseph Gaetz, Adam Nightingale, Supernumerary. Harbor Grace — James Dove. Carbonear — J. Winterbotham, John Allen. Brigus — Thomas Harris. Port de Grave — Joseph Pascoe. Blackhead — John Waterhouse. Island Cove — W. E. Shenstone. Old Perlican — John S. Peach. Hants' Harbor — One to be sent Trinity — Charles Ladner. Bona VISTA — Charles Comben, J. Goodison. TwiLLiNGATE — James A. Duko. Burin — S. T. Teed. \ Grand Bank — John S. Phinney. MISSIONS. Labrador — John Allen, for the summer months. Petites — John M. Pike. Channel — Isaac Howie. Exploits — J. A. Rogers. FoGO and Change Islands — Thomas Fox. Little Bay Islands — To be supplied by the chairman. Green's Pond — One wanted. Spencer's Pond — One wanted. John S. Peach, Chairman. James Dove, Fin. Sec. From the following table it will be seen that, by the mercy of God, we have a total member- ship of four thousand persons on the island of New- foundland and its dependencies. Its contributions to the mission fund, for the last year, were $2,243,64, and the adherents to Methodism upwards of twenty be chairman. MEMBERSHIP. Our membership stands thus : — 429 St, Johns Harbor Grace Carbonear . Brigus I'ort de Grave Blackhead Island Cove . Old Perlican Hants' Harbor Trinity Bonavista Twillingate Burin . Grand Bank Petites . Channel . Exploits Togo Green's Pond Members. 304 102 501 126 50 435 128 280 150 90 302 225 250 197 55 11 95 33 30 3364 On Trial. 248 17 10 20 2 30 36 6 25 20 131 47 20 50 47 26 735 Total. 552 102 5>8 136 70 437 128 310 186 96 327 245 381 244 75 11 145 80 56 4099 ^ Such is the State of our church in Newfoundland, m this the eentenaiy year of its existence. We have reached at least one-third of the Protestant population, and one-sixth of the entire population of the isl- and. And if the labors of the few agents, which Methodism had for a large part of the last century, have been so much blessed, what may we not expect m future, with her greatly increased agency, and the appliances she now has at command ? We truly have cause to thank God, and take courage, and will heartily join in the prayer of Moses, the man of God: — II m 430 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. *' Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us ; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it." IM,- COMLUSIOBT. TOURING the past century, the Methodist minis. t"V. r ", "', ''''""^ '" Newfoundland have o.led through many difficulties, and suffered many priva! ^ons ; but tl,ose difficulties mostly arose from the p ;t it l"T^' "'■ ^""" ■"«" -ho were fnflu- enced by a morb.d theology ; never from the opposi- ■on of the people. A Newfoundlander scarcely Ws how to be mhospitable or unkind to st^nge,^ ; T^ for Ohr.t,a„ minister, he feels a deep respect. £ Congregatzonal chu ;„ St. Johns, which for many years was the only non-conforming body beside ou^ and the Presbytermns, whose churches have been comparatively recently formed, do the same to this day Roman Cathohcs, however they may hate heretic^ have offered but little opposition to Methodism i^a direct way The opposition we have been called to meet was from men who called themselves Protes- tants; who pompously claim to be the church; who denounce other ministers as " unauthori^d guides " and deny their right, either to preach the gfspel ;r administer the sacraments, because they have not re- ceived ordination from the hands of a diocesan bishop. We can indeed afford to smile at these ostentatious that but for Meu,od.st preachers and the.r labors be- e.. Claimants lur - apostolical succession " came (431) i ¥• ill mm" TS^ 432 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. to the island, many places where themselves now labor would have been uncheered with the light and truths of the gospel, or have been brought under the power and direct influence of the Church of Rome. "We hope and pray that these men may see and act differently ; but whether so or not, it is the fixed purpose of Wesle^ an ministers to labor on with dili- gence in their Master's work, give themselves to the " ministry of the word and to prayer," knowing that in ** due season we shall reap, if we faint not." The progress of our mission in Newfoundland has never been rapid ; still, from its commencement, it has been gradual and continuous. For a time it was located in and near Harbor Grace ; then it com- menced in Old Perlican ; from Harbor Grace it ex- tended down the North Shore, and from Perlican it was carried to Island Cove and across the bay to Trinity. Next it commenced in St. Johns, and, not long after, it went as far north as Bonavista. After several years, it took a long stretch to the west, and planted itself in Burin and Fortune Bay. Another stationary period came, after Avhich it rolled on north to Green's Pond and Tvvilhngate, and in another direction went to the Western Shore ; and, finally, it extended to the coast of Labrador, and as far north on that coast as our hardy fishermen, in the prosecution of their wearisome and dangerous toil, deem it prudent to proceed. There is no one place that the missionaries have labored, in which they have not had success. In several places they are the only Protestant ministers ; and in others they have an influence over the larger portion of the community. Thousands have gone to heaven from Newfoundland, who never sat under any other than )NARIE3. hemselves now ti the light and brought under hurch of Rome. lay see and act it is the fixed r on with diH- lemselves to the " knowing that aint not." wfoundland has nmencement, it T a time it was then it corn- er Grace it ex- :om PerHcan it 'OSS the bay to Johns, and, not mavista. After the west, and Bay. Another rolled on north and in another J ; and, finally, lor, and as far shermen, in the dangerous toil, lissionaries have cess. In several inisters ; and in le larger portion gone to heaven jr any other than CONCLUSION. 433 the Wesleyan ministry ; and thousands are now living In the enjoyment of religion, who, but for Methodism, would be Ignorant of God and walking in the ways of sin The physical difficulties of the country have to a great extent been overcome. When Lawrence Coughlan landed at Harbor Grace, and for sixty years after, there was not a road to travel on, or a horse to ride ; the plough was unknown ; the land was uncultivated except what was done with the narrow Irish spade. Now in many places they have good roads and bridges, horses, carriages, packets, steam- boats, ploughs, and various other agricultural imple- ments. Hence travelling can now be performed with comfort and the land cultivated with comparative ease. Moreover, many thousands of acres of rich arable land have been discovered in a country denounced as universally barren, and mines and minerals have also been found of sufficient richness and in localities of such convenience as will repay the capitalist and emp oy laborers to a great extent ; which, with the mexhaustible shoals of fish on its shores, the count- less multitude of seals that annually come on its coast, and the rich furs of its interior, will raise Newfound- land, at no great distance of time, to great wealth and prosperity. In arriving at its present civil position, and acquir- mg Its present political constitution, Newfoundland has had many a struggle, and has sometimes been placed m a position that was humiliating and op- pressive. For many years she was without any govern- ment whatever ; and what in that country was first called a government, which was the « fishing-admiral " system, was only another name for anarchy. The aLmmistration of law, by either floating or resident 4 I t I I 434 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. surrogates, was incongruous to every principle which an Englishman would consider as righteous and equi- table ; and when the question of self-government by a provincial house of assembly was mooted, the measure was stoutly opposed, — the idea was ridiculed. It was said the barren character of the country would not warrant such measure ; the ignorance that prevailed in the out-harbors was so great that the people could not be made to understand it ; and that there were not men enough of sufficient intelligence to occupy those official positions which, as members in a colonial parlia- ment, they would of necessity be required to fill. When the charter was granted and the constitutional government formed, instead of being a great boon, it for several years was a great bane ; for there were not sufficient guards in reference either to the elective suffrage, or the qualification of members. The gov- ernment, therefore, was soon thrown into the power of the Roman priesthood, and, although nominally a civil government, was practically a hierarchy. For eight years did the Protestants of Newfoundland groan under this oppressive tyranny ; but this difficulty was in time overcome, for on the 26th of April, 1841, Capt'ain Prescott, the then governor of the island, dis- missed the assembly, and dissolved the charter. A new charter was afterwards granted, more adapted to the wants and circumstances of the people. Under this charter they are now governed. These op- pressive acts the Newfoundlanders bore with great patience. There was nothing rebellious in them ; they are firmly attached to the British Crown, and they have never sought redress for their grievances, except in a constitutional manner. The papal power still strives to govern the island, as in fact, it does every- COXCLUSION. 435 where; yet, the increasing intelligence of the Protes- tant population, their numbers, and their wealth, are siich, that while they will readily concede to Roman Catholics their religious privileges in their full extent, and their just share in the government of the country, they will never again allow the priesthood to rule, or from thlm ^"'^'^'^''' "'"'^ "' ''^^^^°^'' '° ^' *^^^" In the preceding pages it is shown, that the laborincr people often suffer extreme poverty, arising from the failure of the fishery, or the small number of seals which come on the coast in the spring. This is deeply to be deplored. The cause is, tb.se people follow no business but the fishery; they do not cultivate the land to the extent it must be done before this state of thin) A reproach like this will soon cease to be heard. For Newfoundland now has her academies of learning, her training-schools for teachers, and her elementary schools scattered over the whole island. She has also her institutions for science, literature, her public libra- ries, botanic gardens, and other means of improve- ment. She has her public lecturers, her orators, and her divines ; and another generation will not pass away ere her fishermen will be quite as well educated as are the peasantry of any province in this hemis- phere. In the Sabbath schools the children are taught the facts of the Bible, and instructed in its doctrines, while every effort is made to lead them to an experimental acquaintance with the religion of Jesus. The teach- ers in these Sabbath schools have been rewarded for their past labors, in seeing the benefit the children have received ; while the instances are not few where little children have died happy, through and by means of the iHstructions received in the Sabbath school. The ministers of the Wesleyan Church have great cause for thankfulness for the manner and the extent to which their labors have been blessed to this people. I \\^ i N ARIES. )ugh the influ- lie a demon, or smile, and ex- sailor." So it rom lack of ed- matical, his ac- id use terms or J time, are now ard him would snorant fisher- e to he heard, ies of learning, tier elementary She has also er public libra- is of improve- ;, her orators, n will not pass J well educated in this hemis- are taught the doctrines, while m experimental s. The teacli- n rewarded for le children have few where little by means of the ool. rch have great and the extent i to this people. CONCLUS:ON. 487 Newfoundland was the first missionary ground ever occupied by the Methodist Church ; and Methodism was the first evangelical teaching the people of that island ever enjoyed. For one entire century have they toiled along its shores and preached amono- its people the words of life and salvation. Their labor has not been in vain. They have been instrumental m the conversion of many. For this the^ are thankful. But Newfoundland is not yet evangelized ; there are many coves and harbors where as yet we have no es- tablishments. Popery still governs nearly one half of the population, and the little less withering influence of Puseyism guides thousands who boast of being called Protestants ; while in our Wesleyan communities and congregations there are many who are yet unsaved and in their sins. Consistent with its character and mission, Methodism cannot remain an idle spectator of the moral evil that is in the world. Her business is to enlighten the minds of men and pluck poor sinners as brands from the burning. For tliis she was called into existence, and by a chain of providential interpositions, has been placed in her present commanding position ; and were she now recreant to her trust, sh« would lose her glory, be laid aside, and another or others would take her place. With all evangelical churches she cherishes the most fraternal feeling ; but with Popery and her young sister Puseyism she is in antagonism, and will never retire from the conflict until those systems are no more. The circulation of the Holy Scriptures, the right train- ing of children, the faithful preaching of Christ cruci- fied, with prayer and faith, are the weapons we employ, and by these shall error be overthrown and the whole be won to Christ. 438 NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITS MISSIONARIES. r i1 Let us then labor on until not only every part of the island of NevvfouiuMand be truly evangelized, but until the light of divine truth shines in every land and among every people upon earth. In the word of God we are assured that such shall be the case ; for it is therein written, " The earth shall be full of the knowl- edo-e of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'* N ARIES. ' every part of vangelized, but every land and le word of God case ; for it is il of the knowl- le sea. >> CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE AND INDEX. I I iff I CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. A. D. 1497. 1500. 1502. 1617. 1534. 1536. 1649. 1583. 1610. 1612. 1615. 1623. 1633. (( 1635. 1675. 1676. 1696. Newfoundland discovered by John Cubot, June 24th. Gasper Corteral visited the coast and landed at Portugal Cove. Portuguese commenced fishing on the coast. British, French, Spaniards, and Portuguese, collectively, had forty vessels engaged in *; u .istr.nes. Jacques Cartier landed in Catal' *a ITarlK r. British attempted to colonize tl.o ,' lanrl,, ander " Master Robert Hore," a merchant of 1 r-ndoit, but failed, and the colonists nearly perished. An Act of Parliament passed for the bettor encourage- ment of the fisheries of Newfoundland. Sir Humphrey Gilbert took formal possession of New- foundland, on Monday, August 5th, in the name of Queen Elizabeth. First settlers came out to Conception Bay, under Mr. Guy, a merchant, of Bristol. Guy partially surveyed the coast, and held friendly inter- course with the Red Indians. Captain Whitbourne sent out to correct abuses. Second party of English settlers came, under Lord Balti- more, and settled in Ferriland. First laws promulgated in reference to Newfoundland. Fishing Admiral System commenced. Permission granted to the French to cure fish on the land. Colonists displanted by royal authority, when many houses were destroyed and much suffering caused among the people. The order revoked. St. Johns captured by the French, under Admiral Brou- iiien. (441) 442 CHROXOLOGICAL TABLE. I ' i ! 1705. 1708. 1713. 1729. 1741. 1751. 1762. 1763. 1764. 1765. 1770. 1772. 1774. 1775. it 1786. 1789. 1791. 1796. 1807. 1815. 1816. 1817. (( 1819. French destroy a number of British settlements on the coast. St. Johns captured a second time by the French, under St. Ovide. Treaty of Utrecht. Newfoundland separated from the government of Nova Scotia. Captain Henry Osborne, R. N., the first governor. He erected the first court-house and jail, instituted surrogate courts, and appointed magis- trates. Court of Vice Admiralty established. Captain Drake established a court of oyer and terminer. St. Johns captured a third time by the French Admiral de Tern ay. Labrador annexed to the gvovernment of Newfoundland. Treaty of Paris. Custom-house established ' jy Sir Hugh Pelliser, and navi- gation laws extended to Newfoundland. Rev. Lawrence Coughlan arrives in Harbor Grace, and introduces Methodism. John Stretton arrives in Harbor Grace. Lawrence Coughlan returns to England. John Haskins arrives in Newfoundland. Year of the great storm. Copper mine opened in Shoal Bay, near St. Johns. John M'Geary arrives in Newfoundland. Court of Common Pleas established by Admiral Mil- banke. Rev. William Black visits Newfoundland. A large French fleet appeared off St. Johns, and burnt Bay Bulls. First newspaper issued in St. Johr^. Mission stations in Newfoundland organized into a dis- trict. Great fire in St. Johns, Feb. 12. Property destroyed to the amount of £100,000. A second great £re, Nov. 7; thirteen mercantile estab- lishments and one hundred and forty houses destroyed. The winter of the " Rals." Mary MarclK a red Indian woman brought to St. Johns. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 443 ins, and burnt 1823. (( 1826. 1833. 1839. 1840. 1846. 1855. 1859. 1860. 1865. Mr. Cormach crossed the island from Random Sound to St. George's J3ay, Three Indian females brought to St. Johns, — the last red Indians that have been seen. Surrogate Court abolished, and Supreme Court estab- lished. • First session of the legislature opened Jan. 1, by Sir Thomas Cochran. Geological survey of the island, by J. B. Jukes, Esq., M.A.F.; G.S. First steamer arrives in St. Johns St. Johns again nearly destroyed by fire. The Wesley an districts in the lower provinces unite.?, and formed in*© distinct connection, called The Confeb- ENCK OF Eastern British America. First missions of the Conference formed. The Prince of Wales visits Newfoundland. The centenary year of Methodism in British America. to St. Johns. i INDEX. A. PAOE Aborigines 72 Acadeinie.<<, Newfoundland . . 67 Academy, St Johns . . . 209 Academy, Sacliville . . . 207 Admiralty, Vice Court of . . 85 Admirals Fisliing . . .75, 82 Allison, C. F. Esq., his Gift . . 207 Angwin, Rev. Thomas . . 224 Animal Kingdom .... 69 Armada, Spanish .... 71 Assembly, First in Newfoundland . 93 B. Baltimore, Lord .... 74 Barr, Rev. Ninian .... 239 Bate, Rev. Charles, Memoir of . 196 Beecham Dr., Memoir of . . . 233 Bell, Rev. John, Memoir of . 237 Benson, Rev. Joseph, Memoir of . 169 Bible Society, Newfoundland . 228 Birds 63 Black, Rev. William ... 176 Boardman, Rev. Richard . . 131 Bonavista resists the French . 82 " Circuit, . . . .199 Boyce, President .... 240 Boyd, Rev. John . . . .178 Brackenbury, R. C, Esq., his Be- quest 194 Bradburn, Rev. Samuel . . . 172 Buckley, Rev. James . . . 192 Bunting, Rev Jabez, Memoir of . 258 Busby, Rev. Sampson . . . 182 " ■« Memoir of . 182 Butterworth, Joseph, Esq., Memoir of . , . , . IfiR c. Caplin Scull .... Carbonear .... " Resists the French " Captain, Anecdote of Catalina .... Chesley, Rev. Robert, Memoir of Circulars .... Clarke, Dr. Adam, Memoir of Climate .... Coast, Sea .... Churches, Newfoundland Church, Congregational Cochran, Sir Thomas Colonization Conference, First British " of 1769 . " Canada . " French " Australasian " E^^tern British ica . Catechisms Coke, Dr, PAOX 209 14 64 166 12 235 172 199 31 14,15 211 47,48 86 93 228 231 231 Amer- Mission to India " Death of . Coughlan, Rev. Lawrence 123, 134, 141 Crab's River 26 Corbett, Rev. John ... 196 Court of the Fishing Admirals . 75 " Surrogate Established 84 " of Vice-Admiralty . 85 " Oyer and Terminer . 86 " Common Pleas . . 87 " Supreme ... 91 Crew, George . . . • . 215 (445) 232 213 129, 137 141 142. 'iJ- 446 INDEX. D. Deer 59 Discovery of Newfoundland . . 66 Distances of the principal Towns . 16 Displanting the luhabitants . . 77 District, First Newfoundland, formed .... 193,164 Dodwell, KcT. T. his Bequest . 144 Dove, ReT. James .... 235 Drawing Bills . . 245 Drinking Habits . . - . .203 Dulce, Kev. James A. . • . 237 E. Eastern Coast .... 20 Editor Winton, his Ears cut oO! . 206 Ellidge, Rev. George . . . 188 Ellis, Ilev. William, Memoir of . 181 Embury, Philip . . . .134 England, Religious State of . . 103 Esquimaux, Moravian 3Iission to . 184 " Wesleyan " 185 F. Famine in Bonavista . . . 217 Faulkner, Kev. William . . . 215 Flowers 57, 58 Fly-Sheet Agitation ... 229 Forests of Newfoundland . . 35 Fish, Captain Hayes' Report of . 203 Fislieries, Laws respecting the . 18 Fishery commenced ... 67 " Mode of Prosecuting . 205 French Shore .... 22 " Aggression ... 80 '* not allowed to erect Build- ings 81 French Capture St. Johns . . 23 second Time . . 83 third Time . 85 (I G. Gaetz, Rev. Thomas, Memoir of . 242 Garden Fruits .... 58 Gardens ^5 Geology 61 Gilbert. Sir Humphrey takes posses- sion of the Islan d ... 68 Gilbert is lost at the Azores . 69 Green Bay Mission . . 223 H. Haigh, Rev. John, Memoir of . 240 Ilaibor Grace .... 82 Circuit . . 226 Hickson, James .... 225 " his Journey 202 " Memoir of 223 Hickson, Thomas , . 223 " Mission to Labrador 186 Iloskins, John 150 Houses . . . . 204 Huntingdon, Lady .... 168 Houston, Miss, her Bequest 194 I. Ibberville French Admiral India . . . . , Indies, West . , . Ingornachoix Bay Interior of the Island Ingham, Rev. Jabez . J. 11 (( (1 " in Perlican and Island Govt; " in Blackhead " in Bird Island Cove Bichery, Admiral . . , 8S Rivers and Streaicis ... 45, 46 s. Babbvth Schools . . , 213,232 Sabbath-breaking .... 218 Schools, .'aucity of School Socioiy, Newfoundland Scott, Rev. 'vobinson . Seals, Varieties of . " Mode of Takmg " Numbers Taken Sealing Vessels Number of . Se",ker, Archbishop Shanandithit, Red Indian Female 191 Shenstone, Rev. W. S., Memoir of . 243 Shirley, Rev. Walter, his Cinjular 134 Singing 211 Smith, Rev. George, Memoir of . 178 Smithies, Rev. John . . . 198 Snowball, Rev. John . . . 224 Soil of Newfoundland ... 62 Squid Scull . . . . « 209 . 175 . 175 246 . 179 180 . 182 182, 183 . 110 Stations 178, 194, 198, 214, 220, 224 225, 234, 248. Stanley, lU:^. Thomas, Memoir of 199 Statistics, Ifvbles of . . . 96 Stretton, John . 148, 145, 148, 178 Steamers 94, 95 Storms, Great .... 87, 229 Students Expelled from Oxford . 166 Swindell, Robert . . . .169 T. 146 TLomey, Arthur Thoresby, R»:t'. William, Memoir of Thornton, Piusident . Townley, Rev. JameB, ». B., Memoir of Tides Tompkins, Rev. John . . 198, 9.0i\ Travelling in Newfot'idland . 'AtO Trea:.. of Utrecht . ... 212 '• Paris .... 23 " Versailles ... 24 24^ 199 34 I 7tg£Rable Kingdom ... 65 Vicaiis, Captain .... 230 Vicars, Captain Hedley . . 231 Vice-Admiralty Court ... 86 w. Warren, Dr., Agitates the Connec- tion 221 Walsh, Rev. John, Memoir of . 238 Walsh, Thomaa .... 169 Ward, William . . . .182 Watson, Rev. Richard, his Sermon 192 " " " Memoir of . 260 Wesley, Rev. John, h. a., liis Labors and Death .... 160 Wesley, Rev. Charles, bis Poetry . 161 " " " his Letter to John Stretton . . . 159 Webb, Captain . . . .126 Western Bay Circuit ... 226 Wild Flowers . . . - 67 Winter Tilts .... 216 William, Rev. Richard, Memoir of . 225 I /03 8590 4 )8, 214, 220, 224 Memoir of 199 • 96 148, 145, 148, 178 . 94,96 . . 87 229 a Oxford . 166 • • • 169 t • • IW 1, Memoir of 179 • • • 246 9. »., Memoir • M • 199 1 1 * 34 . . 198 ,m Hand 'A\0 • • • .'J2 1 • • li3 • • • • 24 • • 65 • • • 230 r 231 • • • 86 the Conncc- • . 221 noir of 2;j8 • 169 . 182 his Sermon 192 Memoir of . 260 L., Iiis Labors • • 160 lis Poetry . 161 tiis Letter to I • > 159 • ■ • 126 • • 226 • • - 67 . . 216 Memoir of . 225