crops for several years prior to the time to which we refer, that one family after another had left, and sought a home in a more genial climate, till the society was not only much reduced in numbers, but very few homes were left to shelter the hapless itinerant in a place which had always been considered head quarters' on the circuit; and the occupant of the principal one of the few remaining lodging places for wayfaring men,' 'Father Waldron,' as he was called by his friends, had also resolved to leave. The two preachers were spending a night under his hospitable roof; but the intention of their host to leave, communicated to them, had made them sad; they did their utmost to persuade him to stay, setting before him the evil that would result to the cause if he left, and the consequent good he would be the means of doing if he remained. When the hour of devotion arrived, both of the preachers engaged in prayer, one after the other, and made the subject which lay near their hearts a ground of earnest supplication. Ferguson prayed first, and earnestly besought the Lord to prevent brother Waldron from going away. To each petition, Peal subjoined the expressive response, 'Hedge him up, mighty God!' And when his time came to plead in prayer, he told the Lord they could not afford to part with bro. Waldron-besought him to induce him to stay-and to reward him by so doing with an abundant crop. He enumerated every kind of produce he could think of by name; and prayed that brother W.'s hay and potoes, and wheat, and rye, and oats and peas, and barley, &c., might be abundant. Mr. W. was induced to stay another year; and by a very remarkable co-incidence, with Mr. Peal's request, he had an abundant crop the following season, of everything, both in field and garden, excepting onions, When this fact was mentioned to the preacher, 'Oh,' said Peal, 'I forgot the ONIONS!'"

The prayer was offered probably in the growing month of June, just as Ferguson was leaving the Ottawa circuit, and Peal was come upon it. Even so late as 1834, Mr. Waldron was still talking of leaving the neighbourhood, and the prospect of a kind and hospitable family leaving even then made the preachers sad. But the Lord's servants have always found a hospitable home in the settlement of La Chute, for if one kind family went, another came. Another little relation may here be given of Peal, by the same pen, and further shewing the man on his first circuit:

"He sported with privation, Recounting to a pious old lady in the Ottawa country, the adventurous incidents of a pioneering tour up the river, and describing the salt junk of formidable texture, on which he had dined on one occasion, he was asked by her, 'Had you no sass, (sauce) brother Peal?' 'Yes, plenty,' was his

cheerful response. Why, what was it?'-Elevating his voice to make her hear,-'The love of God, grandmam.' 'Brother Peal's good sass,' became quite proverbial with her ever after.”

While on the Perth circuit, hunger obliged him, at times, to pluck ears of wheat, when on a journey; and once in walking to an appointment, having torn his boots, he put bark at the sole, and tied it to his feet, and so he appeared among the people.

1823. Much distress prevailing in Ireland, brought a large number of emigrants to Canada. Several new townships were now surveyed within or near the boundaries of the Ottawa circuit, and in the precincts of the Ottawa river,— some on the Lower Canada side, and some on the Upper Canada. Free lands were offered in these townships; and thither most of the Irish emigration resorted.

The Clergy Reserves now attracted the attention of the Presbyterian ministers in Canada. In Upper Canada, there were now three presbyteries, with 18 ministers, and about 30 congregations. In Lower Canada, there were eight congregations, viz: Quebec, two in Montreal, St. Andrews, Lachine, River du Chene, Terrebonne, and Chambly. Thus the Scotch church as well as the English was increasing in the country. The Legislature voted an Address to the Imperial Parliament, for the Presbyterians to participate in the emolument of the Clergy Reserves.

A bill was now introduced for the first time, to allow the Methodist ministers to solemnize matrimony in Upper Canada. It passed in the Assembly, but was rejected by the Legislative Council. Strange that the right of the largest body of Christians in the Province, should be withheld. Other Christians,— Roman Catholic, Episcopalians, Presbyterians,--had their own ministers to marry the youth and other members of their congregations. Why should not the Methodists? But the few members of the Upper House did not like the Methodist preachers, and would not grant the request.

A project for uniting Lower with Upper Canada was proposed by the Imperial Government, and much discussed in the lower province. It was approved of by the British, and denounced by the French, part of the inhabitants. Petitions for and against had been forwarded to the Imperial Government; which, seeing such a want of unanimity, announced this year that the proposal was postponed until a more favourable juncture.

The Bishop had appointed but one preacher to York and the new settlements, but the Presiding Elder found a pious young man to help. The two preachers formed a four weeks' circuit, and thus laboured throughout the year. Mr. Smith, in his report of the mission, thus writes:

"I left the Conference in much peace of mind, a divine sweetness seemed to overspread my soul during most of my journey, to my station, which I reached, poor in health, the 13th August. Here I was received and welcomed by the kind friends in their usual hospitality. By these manifestations, the Lord seems to have been preparing me for the affliction which followed. I had laboured but a week, when I was attacked by an intermittent fever, which brought me quite low, and I was not able to resume my labours again for about eight weeks. My fever was violent, and the pain extreme; but I was never more happy in my mind. Blessed be the Lord, the consolations were better than I had experienced for several years. If my illness was protracted, it was probably for want of timely aid, which could not be procured short of twenty miles. On my recovery, brother G., [probably Wm, Griffis,] who had come to my assistance, had been in the circuit about four weeks. We now formed our plans, so as to extend our labours into several neighbourhoods not before visited; and we enlarged our circuit so as to visit the new settlements of Albion and Nelson. In addition to our regular circuit, we have penetrated

into a small settlement thirty miles north, but have not been able to repeat our visit, nor to take in Caledon and Eramosa, on account of the snow, which has been, much of the winter, the unusual depth of three feet.

"Throughout the year, the congregations have been large, and the Divine blessing has been manifested pretty generally. To most of the societies, additions have been made ; and three new societies haye been formed. The increase is thirty-five, mostly young converts. In addition to the houses of worship erected last year, another is commenced, 28 by 30 feet In these efforts, to obtain conveniences for the worship of God, the friends have shewn a laudable zeal. A decent house, 24 by 30 feet was erected principally at the expense of two brothers. Indeed, there is a spirit of enterprise for the service of God and religion, such as I have not always seen in older settlements. Industry, economy, and religion are marching hand in hand in the improvement of these new settlements generally.”

He also mentioned that ardent spirits were but little used,— that English, Irish, Scotch, and American settlers dwelt together in harmony,—that the Sabbath schools were doing well,-that Bibles and Testaments sent by the American Bible Society were thankfully received, and that (says he) "I have much reason to bless God for my appointment to the new settlements of Upper Canada."

The other mission, on the Grand River, had an encouraging beginning. The missionary, Mr. Torry, thus describes his labours:

"Having received my appointment, by the bishop, to labour among the scattered and destitute inhabitants on the Grand river, I set off for my appointment, and reached it by the last of August. I commenced my labours among the whites at the mouth of the river, trusting in Him who by his Spirit had impressed my mind to visit these insulated settlements. From this place, I pursued my route up the river- now passing an Indian town, then preaching to a few white families, till I reached the uppermost settlement (of the lower part of the Reservation) of the whites, about 25 miles from the mouth of the river. Thence west into the townships of Rainham and Walpole, forming a route of about 140 miles, and ten appointments, to be performed once in two weeks. In every place, I found the inhabitants well disposed towards the Gospel, and doors were opened for preaching in every neighbourhood I visited."

The term Reservation applied to a tract of country, reserved for ever for the use of the Indians, called the Six Nations, by

the British Government. The tract was a fine block of land, mostly in woods, sixty miles from north to south, and twelve miles from east to west. It was given to the Iroquois, or Six Nations, at the termination of the revolutionary war, because they had assisted the British forces, under their celebrated chief, Capt. Joseph Brant (or Tyendenaga), on the frontier, diffusing terror among the settlers, and to compensate the loss of the hunting grounds in the Mohawk valley. The reservation was equal to six townships. The Cayugas settled nearest the mouth of the river; next the Oneidas on the west, and the Senecas on the east of the river; then the Tuscaroras on the west and the Onondagas on the east; and lastly, the Mohawks occupied the north. There were also other Indians, besides whites and negroes, who had been allowed by the Six Nations to settle on the lands. The Indians on the Grand River,-so called, as it was the largest stream in Upper Canada, except the Rideau and the Trent,— -now numbered about 2000 persons. All the Indians were pagans but the Mohawks, who professed to belong to the Church of England. Fifty miles from the mouth of the river was the village of the Mohawks, in which was an old church, the oldest in the Province; in which the minister from Ancaster would cccasionally perform religious services; and at other times, the catechist, as he was called, Henry Aaron Hill, one of the chiefs, would read in the Mohawk tongue the prayers of the church. But the Christian Indians were no better, but rather worse, than the heathen tribes for dancing, drunkenness, quarreling, and fighting. The Cayugas and Onondagas were the most moral and orderly of all the Indians.

The missionary did not confine his labours to the whites, but sought for opportunities to preach to the Indians. Several times he held meetings among the Delawares at the mouth of the river. Twenty attended the first time; afterwards, more. They understood English, and tears shewed they felt the truth. He gave them two Testaments and some religious tracts. The Cayugas and Onondagas were very unfriendly to the Gospel, on the ground that the Mohawks were no better for it; but their principal men laboured greatly to prevent polygamy and drunkenness. In the case of a drunken member of the tribe, the chief men would summon him to a coun