Montreal, 15th November 1839

Rev A Brandram No 88

Montreal 15th November 1839

My Dear Friend,

The day before yesterday I arrived in this city from Quebec, and have now finished my tour for the season. This tour has lasted from the 25th of April to the 13th of November, a full six months and a half. My letters from Toronto, Sandwich, and the Falls of Niagara will have informed you of the most material of the occurring circumstances up to the 20th of September. The present letter will take up the narrative of these at the Falls, and come down to the closing of the tour the other day.

On the evening of the 21st of  September I reached Toronto, and on the same evening there was held a meeting of the Committee of the Toronto Bible Society. It was well attended like all the other meetings of the same body I had witnessed. The principal subjects of discussion at this committee meeting were, regarding the change of the name and field of their Society, the prices at which their books should be sold, and the employment of an agent who should be constantly occupied in visiting all the branch societies within their sphere, in forming new ones, and in making sure that the word of God did come into every home on the one hand, and that on the other something should be got from every house towards the grand general purpose of sending the Bible to all nations and tongues over the world. Our friends finally fixed and arranged regarding the new name and a new extent of their Society. It is to be, and now is, the Upper Canada Bible Society, and embraces all the Province, except some portions lying on the Eastern boundaries, and which may be more advantageously joined to the Montreal Society. In regard to what passed about the prices of the books, I shall write you at a future time, taking a range of the subject to embrace all the societies in this quarter. On the subject of an agent all the Committee were agreed as to its utility, but they were afraid lest its cost at the present time would be more than they were able to bear. I would suggest to you a mode of your helping them as to this matter at the commencement. At different times this Society has paid to the amount of £136:14:3 sterling for procuring and printing a translation of some portions of the Scripture into the Chippeway tongue. Now if you could place this sum to your general foreign translation account, and give credit to our Toronto friends for the same amount, it would probably set them in motion as to that agency, and when they were fairly set agoing most likely they would be able to move on afterwards by their own energies. Please think upon this, and do what you may judge best. An agency such as is in question would I think greatly conduce to hasten and forward our Bible work, in both its two parts in Upper Canada.

In Toronto on the present occasion I was so happy as to meet with the Rev. Mr. Evans, one of the Wesleyan missionaries, who had just come there on a visit from Lake Superior where he was stationed among the Chippeway Indians. Mr. Evans I met with in 1830 at Rice Lake among the same tribe of Indians. With this people he has been ever since, and is therefore well acquainted with them. We had a good deal of conversation together on the subject of these Indians, the most extensive tribe in this country, and principally as to the procuring for them a version of the major part of the Scriptures, or rather the whole if practicable. I ventured to say to Mr. Evans, that you would readily lend your aid to this, and extensively. New please to say whether I was right in thus speaking in your name, and if so, direct me to what extent might pledge you in the case.

On the afternoon of Monday, the 23rd of September I left Toronto, and at midnight reached Whitby. Here on the forenoon of Tuesday we should have had a meeting: but the notice had not been sent on in time from Toronto by a friend acquainted with the place and persons, which I was not. On the evening of the same day, at Darlington, and on the 25th at Port Hope, we failed of our projected meeting from the same cause. On the 27th I was in Peterboro where we had a good meeting in the midst of very bad weather, as it snowed the greater part of the day, and was very cold during remainder. The Bible Society atmosphere however in Peterboro was clear and warm. There is a fine committee here and fine people, all armed and marshalled, and waiting impatiently I may say, to hear the word – "March." In addition to their care for their own Township, they have formed a connexion with several others. Their object is in all these to do their Bible work faithfully and completely. They were anxious to know what little directions and suggestions I could give them for commencing in carrying forward their work of Bible visitation, etc. I found them met in Committee constituted, previous to the assembling of the people for the Public Meeting. I complied with their wishes, and addressed them by themselves, around the stove, on the subjects they desired to be informed on. On closing I expressed how much gratification it afforded to see them so well affected and zealous in this noble cause, and intimated that I would look with some interest for an account of their movements and the results following, and hoped that I should be able to urge others onward in other places by their example. I may say that this Committee and Society have done well hitherto, and we may reasonably expect therefore that their future proceedings will be like, and may perhaps surpass, their former good deeds. The Rev. Mr. Gilmour, the Agent of the New England Company here on behalf of the Indians settled in the neighbourhood is a warm and active friend of your cause. He kindly entertained, and afforded every help to your agent during his short stay in Peterboro.

In Cobourg I saw the Ministers of the different denominations, and found a good feeling prevailing in favour of our Society. Considering the lateness of the season, and what yet lay before me demanding my attention, I could not wait the necessary time for arrangements and sufficient notice for a public meeting. I was obliged to content myself therefore with preparing the way for a meeting at another time, whether I could return to attend it or not. – In Belleville I also saw the several Ministers who were all very favourably disposed towards us. I declined staying there as I had done at Cobourg, and for the same reason. – In Kingston I made but a short stay, intending to return to it from Brockville in a few days, if a public meeting could be held profitably. I saw the Rev. Mr. Machar who had but just returned to Canada from England. The shortness of his time since returning, prevented him, he said, from looking into the concerns of the Society. He considered therefore that we could hardly have a public meeting there at the time with proper advantage. The meeting therefore was put off, so that I gave up my intention of returning that in a few days as above intimated. In Kingston I saw also Mr. Hardy who likewise had just returned from the old country. He mentioned his having called that your Great House in Earl Street, where he delivered the note of introduction which I gave him to Mr. Jackson in the beginning of May when I passed through Kingston. Mr. Hardy spoke very warmly of Mr. Jackson's kind and very serviceable attentions to him. I have great pleasure in mentioning this circumstance, and beg you will notice it to our good friend as a little return for his kind services.

On  the 3rd of October I came to Brockville. How to get all things put in proper working train there was a matter of more than common thought and arrangement. After visiting several persons, I proposed a meeting of all those who had formerly been connected with the Committee of the Society. Notices were sent accordingly. The meeting took place, all was harmonious, and we came to the Resolution to form a new Society. On the evening of the 8th we held our public meeting for the formation of the same. It was pretty well attended, and most of those connected with the previous Society of both parties were present. We all agreed in our resolution to terminate the old Society and to form a new one, leaving the affairs of the former to be settled by the Secretaries with the Agent of the Parent Society. Mr. Smart, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Sabine, and Mr. Freeland were with us, and took part in the business of the meeting. The whole transactions of the meeting were gratifying to all present, as far as I could judge from what then to place, and from what I heard afterwards. I felt glad and thankful to see things brought to this pleasant close on the one hand, and to see also a new Society formed with goodly prospects, without involving either of the two parties in unpleasant compromises. Mr. Sherwood, the Sheriff of the District, is as before the President of the Society, Mr. Freeland is Vice-president, Mr. Glasford is Treasurer, the Rev. P C Campbell and Mr. William Hynes are Secretaries and Mr. Smart is a member of the Committee.

The only thing that yet remains as somewhat unsettled in this Brockville concern, is in respect of Mr. Campbell's letter. I am inclined to think that this also could be accommodated had I a copy of the letter in question. I would be glad therefore if you would let me have a copy of it, and if you do that I shall not make a bad use of it, if I can help it, but a good one. Please send it early, lest it should be too late for my opportunities of doing good with it.

Mr. Smart gave me the sum of £68:14:5 Upper Canada currency, being all the monies he had on hand for the Society. This sum I have paid in to the Treasurer of the Montreal Bible Society, together with some other sums I have received, as I do not wish these monies to pass into or through my own accounts with the Society. They will be taken notice of in due order in the Montreal Society Books and Accounts. Mr. Smart also gave me a note of some outstanding accounts with societies for books, and likewise a list of the books in his possession which he has placed at my disposal.

It would not be fair, just, or generous to close these Brockville notices without saying a word or two as immediately affecting the interests of Mr. Smart. By his interest I mean his character, and his general deportment as your Agent. I am glad to say that I can find nothing injurious to him on these scores. There was, I may say, one or two things that seemed to bear another aspect. But it happened in this case, as it does in many others, that a nearer contact and inspection made to disappear and pass away that which before seemed something and unseemly. Mr. Smart's error was in having applied to you for the Agency without previously consulting the Committee at Brockville. He must have known well that they wanted a foreign prophet, shall I say, and not one of and among themselves whose every relation and concern they knew. The disappointment and consequent dissatisfaction was felt as everybody would have anticipated; and I told Mr. Smart that he could not have expected anything else. Others besides the Brockville Society felt disappointed in a similar manner, and hence the fact of various communications to you on the subject, and from hence also their nature and colours. You, on your part, were, I do not say in error, but a misunderstanding regarding Mr. Smart on two points, as I suppose, when you made the appointment. You thought, and you could not well have thought otherwise, that Mr. Smart had not only communicated his proposition made to you to the Brockville Bible Society previously, but that he also had their full approbation. You considered therefore, I believe, that your appointment would be not only acceptable but gratifying to our Brockville friends. The other point is this. When inquiring concerning Mr. Smart's character and standing, as you mentioned in one of your letters to me about the time, some of your colleagues said that the fact that Mr. Smart was the Secretary to the Upper Canada Synod was testimonial ample on these scores. You supposed all of you, I believe, and probably still do, that this Synod was the general body of the Church of Scotland ministers of this country. It is not so, and has no connection with that body. It consists of about 20 ministers or under, some of whom were formerly connected with the Synod of Ulster. Had Mr. Smart been the Secretary of the large influential body here of the Church of Scotland, it would have gone far in his favour as a savour and advantage, and might greatly have contributed to acceptableness. – As to Mr. Smart's fitness for an Agent of your Society, I have not seen anything unfavourable; and if stealing or coveting were lawful, I should feel disposed to take from him something that I would be the better of, and you too perhaps. But we must both be contented with such things as we have, and turn them to the best advantage. – The poor foreigner now here as your Agent enjoys an advantage very extrinsic to his character. It is, just because he is a foreigner, and perhaps also, because he can tell some travellers' stories. I am glad however that my disadvantage is your advantage, and though I have no certain dwelling place now, I look for one to come. Forgive this sigh for want of, and for – a home. If an Apostle, and the highest one of them, felt the disadvantage in question, and if God has given the sigh a place in his Book, the same feeling is forgivable perhaps in your poor Western wanderer whether at Cape Horn or in Canada.

I have given you our Brockville notices together without interruption, although our Prescott business took place intermediate. On the 3rd of October, as I have said above, I arrived in Brockville. On the 4th at noon I set out for Prescott, 12 miles to the east, driven by our good friend Mr. Freeland in his own vehicle. When I arrived I called on the Secretary of the Prescott Bible Society, the Rev. Mr. Boyd, and the chief member of the Committee, and made arrangements for a public meeting on the 7th, the Monday following. We then returned to Brockville late on a very cold frosty night, for the winter was even then commencing. – On the 7th I set out for Prescott to the public meeting, accompanied and driven by our worthy coadjutor Mr. Campbell, in a vehicle which a Bible friend lent us. We held the meeting accordingly, and though it was not so numerously attended as we had reason to expect from the notices given, yet it was a gracious meeting, which those who were there felt according to their statements, as I have no doubt they did. They all seemed anxious to keep up and extend the Bible feeling which God had inspired him to us that evening. For this end therefore they appointed another day about a week onward for a second public meeting. Mr. Campbell and I passed the night at Mr. Boyd's, where we were both much gratified with his courtesy and his conversation. – I beg leave to anachronise a little here, in order to give you a favourable notice of the second the Bible meeting above-mentioned, and the good results of both, and a third. Mr. Boyd wrote me on the 25th October saying, "We have had two meetings of the Bible Society since you were here, and there seems to be a good deal of interest manifested. The Committee are to visit the town and country." This agreeable communication was accompanied by an order for supplies of  Books. I felt glad to see these good results at Prescott, for things were very dull there, as I indicated to you in my letter No 84 when mentioning my passing through the place in the end of April. Prescott had suffered in its Bible interests, and in all its interests, by the attack made upon it towards the end of last year by the Americaneers from the other side of the River. I hope as its Bible interest are again reviving, all its interests will revive with these; and in truth, all the real interests of every place rise and fall with the Bible interest.

On the 9th I left Brockville before daylight for Perth. The distance is 42 miles, and a great portion of the road was as bad as you could well imagine. I wish you had been with me on the journey, by way of proving the famousness of some of our Canadian roads, and to have a trial of our corduroy macadamising. Had you been in our waggon, you would have had shaking exercise enough to counteract your sedentariness for a week or a month.

But all are bad roads were forgotten on our getting into Perth, or rather on coming near to it, for there on the road outside the town I found the Rev. Mr. Bell the Secretary of the Perth Bible Society waiting to receive your messenger, and to take him to his own house. We took up Mr. Bell into our stage, and drove on to his door, which opened as it were of its own accord, and I was introduced to Mr. Bell's family in which I passed very pleasantly my short stay in Perth.

From Brockville on the day of my arrival there, the 3rd, I wrote to Mr. Bell to give notice on the Sunday, and make all proper arrangements for our public meeting on the 10th. Our business postmaster however at Brockville thought it proper to keep the letter two days before he sent it off, in consequence of which it did not arrive in Perth on the Friday as it should, but on the Monday. The opportunity arranged for, of giving notice in the congregations, on the Sunday, was therefore lost. Mr. Bell however by extra exertions continued to give as wide notices possible of our meeting. On the 10th in his church it was held, and notwithstanding all the disadvantages the assembly was good, and good I trust was produced. I should not forget to notice one of our audience, a Mrs. Davidson, whom I knew in Edinburgh 22 years ago. This good lady walked in from the country to our meeting a distance of seven miles. This was no mean exertion, as you will know, when I tell you that in body she would weigh you and me both. I was glad to see this old friend, as you may suppose, and felt it as a mark of particular kindness her having walked so far to our meeting, from old acquaintanceship in part, as well as from Bible interest: and an interest she has in the grand subject of the Bible, she is an old disciple.

The Perth Bible Society has done well, and is going on still in a proper and prosperous manner. I endeavoured in my address to urge to worthy and noble exertions, in this great work of giving the Bible to all around us, and to the whole world; and pressed greater personal attention on the part of all to the word of God, in order that we might attain to our highest standing in the Christian life, and might the more advance the kingdom of God.

From Perth I went to Bytown along the Rideau Canal. Here on the 14th October we held a Bible meeting in the Scotch Church which was well attended. At the close of the meeting a good many persons given their names as subscribers, and several pounds were paid down. On the day following a meeting of the Committee was held, in which there was a full attendance. An order was made out at this meeting for 230 Bibles and 220 Testaments. This Society I think bids fair to do well. In general visitation is forth with to be begun, and a Ladies' Association formed. Bytown occupies a very important position at the junction of the Rideau Canal with the Ottawa River, and is likely to become a place of increasing note as our colonization extends. The Rev. Mr. Cruickshank the Scotch minister has taken up our cause there warmly, and will I think be able to render us very efficient services.

I fear at every step the extension of this letter, yet despite the same you shall have an extract from the Bytown Bible Society Report read at our public meeting there. It is as follows: – "The teachers of the Wesleyan Methodist Sabbath school found many of their scholars anxious to obtain a Bible of their own to take home to search, so that they might be able better to answer those questions on scriptural truths put to them every Sabbath by the conductors of that school. Your secretary was applied to to know if Bibles could be issued from your depository to these children who were willing to pay 2d.  weekly until they had paid the full amount, and the Sabbath School Society becoming responsible for the amount. The result is that 38 of those children have obtained Bibles, and several others Testaments at this easy rate, who did not have the comfort of such a treasure before; and Scripture knowledge of spreading in the same ratio."

To make amends for detaining you with this extract, I make a leap at once from Bytown to Quebec, a distance of 300 miles. Our public meeting there was held on the 7th instant. The weather was very unfavourable and yet we had a pretty good assembly. The report was interesting, and the effect produced by the various things spoken on the occasion was good and gratifying, as was to be gathered from the observations afterwards made by those who were present. All seem to agree in that the same meeting was the best of all the Bible meetings yet held in Quebec. This place may be considered as in and at the very centre of the French Catholic population of this country, and is far removed from the large Protestant and Bible population touching different parts of the circumference line. This peculiar situation makes it of course more difficult for the Bible Society work to move onward. As a counterpart to this there are many warm Bible friends in Quebec, consisting of clergy and laity of all the different Protestant denominations in the place. The Society has maintained its ground and advanced as well and better than could have been expected considering its disadvantages; and I trust that soon a new and nobler stand will be taken by it as a sort of second series in its operations. It has much yet to do, in the first work of a Bible Society, namely, the getting the word of God into every house over all the field embraced by the Society; and from the nature of the people around the work of the Quebec Bible Society must be hard, and of the considerable continuance. – At the meeting your long tried friend Mr. Hale read the Report, which he also wrote, and which will by and by be in your hands in a printed form. The Chief Justice, the Honourable Mr. Sewell, President of the Society, was to have been in the chair, but he was very ill at the time. In his illness however he took the trouble to write a letter to the meeting which was read, and in which he expressed his regret at not being able to be present with us as he had wished, and assured us of his continued affection for our institution. In a few days after, he breathed his last; and he is now therefore in a better position than any of us for forming the proper estimation in value of the Bible, and of Bible Societies. He died on the 13th instant, aged 74.

From the 9th to the 12th current, your agent was in Three Rivers, a town halfway between Quebec and Montreal, on the north bank of the St. Lawrence. This was the last place to be visited in his tour. It was not however the least interesting in the occurring incidents, but rather perhaps the most. The Catholic priest of this parish, and who is also the Vicar of the whole district, is very friendly to the circulation of the Scriptures among all his people from the Nun to the Ploughboy. I called on him soon after my arrival in the place, and made him also a second visit before I left it. On both occasions we talked freely on the subject on hand, namely, the circulation of the Scriptures among the people of the parish, and of his permission and encouragement of the same. His approval and encouragement extend only to the De Sacy's version. The New Testament is what he wishes his people to possess and use rather than the Old. His only obstacle in regard to the latter is, that he thinks the people in general are not enlightened sufficiently to perceive the proper connection of the Old Testament with the New. A free and general use of the New Testament is certainly a good preparation to qualify the people in this way, and towards this preparation he gives full encouragement. There is a Nunnery in the town, and in it is contained a large female school. Both the nuns and their scholars have received the New Testaments readily. There is also a large school in the place for Boys, having about 100 in it. Into this school also the Scriptures have been freely introduced. I paid a visit to it, and had a good deal of conversation with the two Masters on the use of the Scriptures by their pupils, and was much pleased with the views they expressed on the subject. I had a class read the 12th chapter of the Romans which I pointed out to them. I heard some other classes read also, and they likewise read from the Scriptures, in large sheet lessons, hung upon the walls, according to the Lancasterian plan on which the school is established. Both the Masters begged to have a couple of dozen of New Testaments, the one asking for them in the French and the other in the English language to suit the two departments of their school. But you will observe that though the children learn English as well as French, (the latter being their native tongue,) yet they are all of the Catholic religion, and the school is taught by, and is under the management of Catholics. I spoke to the Masters about reading aloud to all their scholars a chapter from the Bible at the commencement of the school, and at the close of it. Into this they both entered readily. To enable them to do so I engaged to send them two Bibles, one in French and the other in English. They are to begin at the first chapter of Genesis, and to read regularly through. – There is an English widow lady living there by the name of Buddon, formerly of Camberwell in your neighbourhood. She takes a lively interest in the circulation of the Scriptures around her. She has a list of petitioners for Testaments, partly from the Nunnery, and partly from the town, amounting to 58. They were waiting, and anxiously, the arrival of your De Sacy's Paris edition of the duodecimo.

Thus happily stand things, blessed be God at Three Rivers; and the circumstances are enhanced by the consideration that, after Montreal and Quebec, this is the largest town in the Province, and in its position, advantages, and influence, it is also I may say next in order to the two places mentioned. Add to this, the Priest under whose influence the Scriptures have thus so free course, is the Vicar of the district which is of considerable extent. It is true that he has not power over the Priests in the several parishes under his jurisdiction to make them think and act like himself and encouraging the use of the word of God; yet he will necessarily have much influence in this way, and that may be greatly beneficial to our cause. A pleasing case of this influence occurred not long ago. A Priest from a parish some 20 miles higher up the River on the same side, was on a visit at Three Rivers. When there the young woman showed him the New Testament which she had got, and asked him about it. He spoke much against her for having it and using it, and urged her to destroy it, or to give it back to the person from whom she had got it without delay. Next day this Priest was in company with the Vicar, and mentioned to him the case of the young woman and her Testament, and stating what advice he had given her. The Vicar told him the book in question was "The New Testament of Jesus Christ", and that it was profitable for all to have and use it there. On the first opportunity after this the Priest sent for the young woman, and told her he had seen the Vicar since he had spoken with her, and had learned the book she showed him was "The New Testament of Jesus Christ." He then said that he was very sorry for what he had said to her before on the subject, and counseled her to keep, and carefully to use, her New Testament.

You perceive what a happy opening this is for our operations. But that you may see it more distinctly, I shall set it out in relief by a contrast. Soon after I arrived in this country in the end of last year, we learned that a Priest in a large parish some 25 miles from Montreal down the River had taken some Bibles from the people and burned them. I went down to see him, accompanied by one of our Montreal Bible Committee, and to inquire into the truth and the circumstances of the case. We called on him and inquired about the matter, and he told us plainly that he had burned five Bibles and one New Testament. We tried to set out before him the evil of this in different lights, but probably without much effect. In this place are vender Mr. Hibbard had taken the precaution from fear what might occur to lend the books, not to make them over to the people as their own. We saw the people from whom the books had been taken, and they were ready to depose, that they stated to the priest when the books were taken away, that they were not their own property. We had thus a noose for the Priest, and we thought we would cast it over him, to teach him honesty, if not religion. We therefore got a lawyer friend of ours to write the Priest a letter about this our property which he had destroyed. Presently up came the Priest to Montreal, and sent his lawyer our lawyer about this concern. Our friend of course made himself big, as having all the law and the justice on his side, (and so he had,) and advised that the Priest should pay the price of the books, intimating that the sooner and quieter this was done the better. The lawyer went back to the Priest to tell him the result of his expedition, and presently after returned to our lawyer, and paid him for the five Bibles and one Testament which the Priest had burned. This movement of ours has had just effect we aimed up, for the Priest has never taken any more books from the people to burn, and further we learn, that he has never said a word in the Church or in the Confessional against our books. – I did not notice the subject to you at all before, because it was not terminated when I went to the Upper Province; but it now is, and in the manner above described: the whole sets out in relief, as I said, the conduct of the good Priest and Vicar at Three Rivers.

I now terminate this long tour, and long letter, for your relief in one way, and for mine doubly. I would who however just at closing notice a tour I made within this tour. I began to read at the first chapter of Genesis when I set out, and during the tour have made a tour through the whole of Our Book closing with the end of Revelation. In this new reading I have received, as you may well suppose, new lessons, and I have tried to learn them, though I cannot say with what success, nor ought I perhaps to say if I could. I may say to you however, that at our public meetings I often try to show how greatly we are all in error, and how greatly we all suffer, by neglecting to read and study as we ought God's Blessed Book, which is profitable for all things, for the life that now is, and for that which is to come. God's Book, I say it often, publicly and privately, and with all and increasing confidence, God's Book can and will cure all our evils in church and state, and without it we cannot be cured. How blessed therefore, My Brother, is the employment, which God has graciously given to you and to me, to administer this panacea. May the Lord make us good and faithful servants, and at the close of our service admit us into heaven, through our Lord Jesus Christ: to whom be glory for ever: Amen.

I remain, affectionately,

Your Fellow Servant,

James Thomson.

P.S. Since the 20th September, I have received letters from Earl Street as follows: – Yours (in copies) of  the 20th of February and 5th March, both on the 17th October: – Yours of the 3rd July, on the 17th October: – and the Invoice per  Pr. George of  the 22nd of August, with Mr. Jackson's note of the 2nd September, on the 19th October.

We are very glad at the arrival of the 650 De Sacy's French Testaments by the Prince George. This supply will not however supersede the request in my letter No 87.

But what has become of the large order in my letter from Toronto of the 23rd May? For the supply we have been looking our eyes out these last two months: but we have seen or heard nothing of it, and the season is now far advanced, we see is closed.

P.S. 2nd  I advise a Bill drawn say the 25th instant, in favour of William Greig, for Fifty Pounds, at sixty days: – and to be charged to my Travelling Account. Please notify this to Mr. Hitchin. J.T.

Halifax, 3rd July 1840

Rev A Brandram No 94

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 3rd July 1840

My Dear Friend,

My last letter to you was written on the first of June, the day on which I arrived in New Brunswick from Canada, and was confined to objects previous and up to that day. The present letter will therefore be occupied with occurrences since that date.

Your agent has an occasion for many a place to write you of friendly reception and treatment he has met with, for your sake and in honour to your cause, but nowhere has he received as friendly a reception than that experienced on his entering the Province of New Brunswick. I had written from Quebec to the Secretary of the Bible Society in St. John, stating my intention of being with them on the 1st June by the Steam Boat from Boston. In a few minutes after we came to the wharf  I was introduced to Mr. Paterson the Secretary and to Members of the Committee, who informed me that at a late meeting they had been deputised to wait on me, to congratulate me on my arrival, and to direct me to a suitable lodging which been looked out for me. The Hon. Judge Parker the President of the Society came also on board a little after, and with the same kind intentions. One of the party forthwith conducted us to the lodging house, where as soon as we were at leisure we gave thanks to our God for our safe arrival and for these encouragements. If Paul thanked God and took courage when he met the Brethren at Appii Forum sent from Rome to receive him, you will not wonder that your poor agent should do the same, standing in need as he continually does of every help and strength. But I mention these things as indicating a high respect for your Society, and a great readiness to cooperate with you in your extensive work here and elsewhere.

Soon after we were got into our lodging were visited by the Rev. Mr. Paterson one of our West India friends whom we met with in Demerara, and afterwards my several others connected with the Society including the ministers of the different denominations in the place, all of whom seem lively in the Bible cause.

Arrangements had been made for a meeting of the Committee of the New Brunswick Bible Society on the 3rd and for a public meeting on the 4th. The committee meeting was held in Judge Parker's house, where 17 members assembled, and from 8 o'clock to 10:30 engaged in treating the various objects brought before. Several measures were arranged for in the way of increased exertion, and there seemed to be a lively desire in all towards advancement and extension in the Bible work. A resolution was passed a supply all the steam boats connected with the port, and all the wood boats on the River St. John, with the Scriptures, 3 for each of the former, (1 for each cabin and 1 for the steerage) and for the wood boats 1 Bible each. I urged the committee to use every effort with all speed to get the Scriptures into every house on the one hand, and on the other to get something out of every house for the Bible cause.

On the evening of the 4th our public meeting took place which was well attended, and we had the pleasure of seeing all the ministers of the place of the several denominations, all of whom are warm friends of the society. Judge Parker opened the meeting, and particularly expressed the gratitude and deep interest himself and the whole society felt towards you and your attentions in visiting them in the person of one of your agents. The rest of the speaking was led me, and I endeavoured to improve the occasion for the advancement of our sacred object.

After the public meeting I attended some subcommittees which met for special purposes, and had also many opportunities of conversing with several members of the society individually. I am glad to say that from these various opportunities of seeing our friends here publicly and privately, I judge very favourably of our cause in this place. The Lord enable them to carry into effect their benevolent intentions, and keep them from growing weary in well doing.

On the 5th the Books in the Neptune arrived, and I received a letter from Mr. Jackson of the 3rd April, with a duplicate of four invoices. – I send you a newspaper with some account of our public meeting.

I should not close these notices without stating that the Rev. Mr. Robinson one of the Baptist ministers here is very warm in your cause, and though not quite satisfied with your decision in the Baptist case, is resolved to adhere to you and to induce his brethren to do the same if he can. I explained matters to him, which made him see things more favourable than he had seen them before. He is about to attend the Conference of the Baptist ministers at Liverpool in Nova Scotia, and intends then to plead for you should anything be said about separation or another society. His colleague Mr. Harris in St. John is alike friendly. These views and feelings in these times are gratifying. And I may here state also on this head, and more particularly when I have before done perhaps, the Baptist ministers in the Canadas are with hardly an exception most friendly to us, and from several of them has your servant received much kindness.

On the 9th of June I went up the River St. John to Fredericton, distance about 80 miles. As soon as the steamboat arrived, Mr. Taylor the President of the Society there came on board, and kindly conducted Mrs. Thomson and myself to his own house where we were courteously entertained during the week we stopped there. On the day following a meeting of the Committee was held, which was attended and 15 members. At this meeting the field of the Society was surveyed, and arrangements were entered into for cultivating it better than it has yet been done. They say the soil, in many places at least, is good, and that a profitable return might be expected from Bible culture and seed. One part surveyed was the North East Coasts of the Province, where I learned the greater portion of the inhabitants are  French and of course Roman Catholics. It was agreed to write you for some 200 De Sacy French Testaments and a few Bibles. Respecting this you will be informed by the Secretary in his order for books which is soon to be sent. – I may mention however that as I intend to visit Miramichi in September, it would be well for you to send on some French De Sacy Testaments and Bibles there, unless the Society in that place has a supply already. You will know probably by your books whether it is likely they have a supply or not.  

On Thursday the 11th of June we held a public meeting in the Scotch Church, which was pretty well attended. I trust our assembling on this occasion will prove serviceable to the great cause. A resolution was passed pledging to new and greater exertions, which I hope will be duly realised. There is a good spirit in this Society, and it is probable that before long it will be considerably extended. The Governor is the Patron of the Society, and is very friendly towards it. I saw His Excellency at different times, and obtained from him some useful information respecting the Indians and the French settlers.

On the 15th June a meeting was held in the Scotch Church of ladies only, with one exception, for the purpose of forming a Bible Society among them, and it was accordingly formed. I give you the names of the office bearers that you may record them: Mrs. Parker, President; Mrs. Scott, Treasurer; Mrs. Smithers, Secretary. This Association is of course connected with the Fredericton Bible Society. I give you here also the names of the office bearers of the Fredericton Bible Society, as, for want of later information, they are stated incorrectly in your last report. They are His Excellency Sir John Harvey K.C.H. Patron; James Taylor Esq. M.P.P. President; C.Fisher M.P.P. Treasurer; H.Fisher and A.Smithers, Secretaries. Please also to make the following correction, in the column of patrons and presidents, for the N.B. Bible Society at St. John. Instead of John M.Wilmot Esq. put "His Excellency Sir John Harvey K.C.H." and the "Hon. Judge Parker."

In Fredericton, on the 11th June, I received your letter of the 5th of may, I bless God with all my heart that my ways have not been found contrary to your ways in the matter adjudicated. I observe your excellent observations about a thing that is here being blamed when an exactly similar thing that is old escapes censure. I would not, I assure you, have given my name to the F.C.M.S. had I for a moment thought it would be seen in Quebec as it turned out to be. And how could I imagine it would so appear there when several members of the Church of England were

its warmest supporters in Montreal, and with whom hand-in-hand I went, and who had said everything that was done in the matter. And further, as soon as ever I found there was a serious objection entertained about me and it in Quebec I offered frankly and fully to withdrawal. But they were not satisfied with this, but would record a resolution on it, and so onwards it passed until it came to you, at which I was very sorry, as you have plenty to trouble you besides. But I have gained instruction from this occurrence I hope in more ways than one.

[I might perhaps, in closing this subject, say a word about Mr. Wilkes's paragon agent, as I might perhaps lay claim to be just such a nonsuch: for in truth, I am not, I may say, and have not been for years, in connection with any particular section of the at the present divided church, but am and act as a Catholic in the ancient sense of the word. I go to, and occasionally commune with all gospel churches, and have preached in all pulpits except in that of the Church of England: but even there too at times I have held forth biblically at least from the altar and from the desk; and I may perhaps get one step higher some day, and of this you shall hear when it may take place.]

In regard to Mr. Lappelletrie's case I would state that we were unwilling to say to you anything about the matter till we should see more, for we were always in hope of things being better; and when I say we, I mean the Committee of the Montreal Bible Society and myself. His resignation took place in my absence. I did not forward to you a copy of my letter to Major Christie which I had prepared, as I was unwilling to give you additional trouble, and thought my letter was not perhaps necessary. I intended to blot out what I had said of sending it to you, but forgot at closing out the letter. I now send this copy which happens to be to hand.

Your letter to Mr. Wilkes, which you say I would see, I have of course not seen, as I had left Montreal before it reached that place. If it contains anything particular regarding me, please let me have a copy of. – I suppose I must have written you loosely about the Eastern Clerical Bible Society, but have not the copy at hand for examination. There is no other object combined with this Bible Society. The same persons are associated in our objects, yet the objects themselves are not conmingled but entirely distinct.

On the 17th June there was held in St. John a committee meeting of the Ladies Bible Association of that place. New arrangements were entered into which we thought improvements, and calculated to make this Bible Auxiliary more productive. We met in the house of the Treasurer who is a very worthy lady. Mrs. Ferguson is 81 years of age, but her activity and Bible animation would be indicated by transposing the digits into 18. Her husband is 86, and is full of the hope of what in all probability he will soon enjoy, namely, the blessings promised in the Bible to those who die in the Lord.

At the close of the 18th June, at midnight, I left St. John, and on the morning of the 20th arrived in Halifax. A few hours after arrival I attended a meeting of the Committee of the Society here, when we arranged for a public meeting on the 29th. On the evening of that day we had a very full meeting, and many could not get admittance from want of room. His Excellency, Sir Colin Campbell the Governor was in the chair. It was the Annual Meeting of the Society which had been deferred in expectation of my coming. Our meeting was kept up till a latish hour, but nobody seemed tired. We had the great pleasure of having with us at this meeting no less than six clergyman of the Church of England, four of them residents, and two of them attached to other places. This was as it ought to be. The Church of England which honours the Scriptures so much in the public reading of them should always be the most prominent in the Bible cause. All the other ministers of the place were also with us. Everybody agreed that this was the best Bible meeting that had ever been held in Halifax. From what I have seen at this public meeting, and in different com. meetings, together with what has come before me in private intercourse, I feel disposed to augur well of our future operations here. I send you a newspaper in which you will see some account of our anniversary, and a schedule operations pointed out for me for one month.

I must not forget to say, that the first reception and the general treatment your agent has met with in Halifax had equalled and perhaps exceeded any former attentions paid you in him. Your letter No.2 arrived here from Montreal on the 23rd instant. On the 16th I received the Record newspaper of the 7th May.

Glory be to God for your prosperity.

                                                            James Thomson.

Halifax, 3rd August 1840

Rev A Brandram No 95

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 3rd August 1840

My Dear Friend,

Towards  the close of my last letter to you, dated the third ultimo, I referred to a newspaper I sent for a sketch of prospective operations for one month. These then prospective labours, are now past labours. I have just returned from my tour, and now proceed to give you some account of occurrences in it. You will see in the list that there are 14 places marked. Meetings have been held at all of them, and all of them what encouraging meetings and well attended, except in two or three cases where the notices have not been properly given out. At Horton, Cornwallis, Yarmouth, Liverpool, and Chester societies existed, though most of them had well nigh fallen off, or ceased to act altogether for some time. Cornwallis and Yarmouth were in action, and had not ceased their labours. Perhaps the existence of the Ladies Bible Association in Yarmouth, and its active labours headed by Mrs. Fletcher who is warm and zealous in our cause, has contributed not a little to keep things alive in that place. Mrs. Fletcher has now retired from the Society, as she is going to Boston to reside. Her place is supplied by Mrs. Kelly, in whose hands I trust the Association will flourish, and this judgment I form from conversations I have had with her, and with her coadjutors. When this office fell into Mrs. Kelly's hands several ladies sent messages to her, each saying, "Be sure you keep a district for me in your arrangements." This feeling, message, and expression indicate a good state of things in our Bible cause among the ladies of Yarmouth, and I mention it to their honour. Their further praises they must proclaim themselves by their further deeds. – At Windsor, Aylesford, Bridgetown, Annapolis, Digby, Weymouth, Barrington, Shelburne, and Lunenburg new societies were formed, and all of them in connexion with the Nova Scotia Bible Society at Halifax. The other societies that were dormant, have been reorganised, if not new formed.

In all the places visited there was a very strong expression and feelings towards you for sending a visitor among them, and they responded readily to the call made to them to cooperate earnestly with you in your great work. The ministers of the Scotch Church whom I met with, and also the Baptist and Wesleyan ministers gave us in every instance their warmest support. The ministers of the Church of England were also all of them friendly to us, but only a few of them gave us their active assistance, the major portion of them adhere closely to the Christian Knowledge Society, and see it to be their duty to give all the means they can afford, and all their active labours to that institution. In all cases however they attended our meetings, and were courteous to your agent, and wished us success in our great general purpose of diffusing the Scriptures over the entire world in all tongues. Opposition to us, or obstacles thrown in our way were not met with, but friendliness instead. This is a subject for our gratitude, and we may be encouraged by it to hope that the only remaining step in our favor will in due time be taken, and we shall yet see, I trust, all united in this divine operation of giving the Holy Scriptures to all everywhere.

The Society in Liverpool has ceased to act as an auxiliary, and has become a branch of the Nova Scotia Bible Society. The Society at Yarmouth still retains its position as an auxiliary.

Between Weymouth and Yarmouth there is a pretty large settlement of French. These people were found there at the conquest of this country by the English. They still speak the French language, are all Roman Catholics, and in most respects resemble the French Canadians. You may be sure that I would feel some interest in such a people, and that I would try to induce them to get and to use the Holy Scriptures. With these views I called on the Priest, the Abbé Sigogne, who is an old man of 76, a native of France, and who came here at the French Revolution. He received me with French courteousness, and was very frank in his communications. He told me that several copies of the Scriptures were in the hands of his people, and that one person at least in each house in the settlement was able to read. The number of families is about 600. Some time ago Mr. Dawson of Pictou sent him some French Bibles and Testaments, but he was not willing to distribute them among his people, because they were of a Protestant version. I mentioned to him that we had De Sacy's version which he could have. He was much pleased when I stated this, and at once signified his readiness to put copies of these into the hands of the people, and expressed a wish for some. I asked him how many he could wish me to send him, and he said 100 Testaments and 12 Bibles. All these, he thinks, he will be able to sell to his people at a fair price about equal to the cost. He expressed the same objections to the general use of the Old Testament that the French Canadian priests did; but is not unwilling to put copies of the whole Bible into the hands of such persons as are somewhat advanced in Scripture knowledge.

I am not sure whether there is in the depot here supply of the De Sacy version equal to meet this order, as I am only just returned from my tour, and have not time to make the proper inquiries as the packet sails today. But I rather think there is not a supply. I would therefore beg of you to make up this little order at Earl Street where you can do it more exactly as to the kinds I shall mention. Say then 100 De Sacy's French Testament 12mo ― 10 De Sacy's Bibles in 8vo and 10 ditto 12mo, and if you have them at hand 5 ditto 18mo. I think I have seen all these kinds of Bibles among our Montreal stock, though they are not mentioned in your Report. I would send this additional supply of Bibles and of the different kinds as an inducement to the Priest and the people in regard to their circulation. You might put in also been Testaments of a smaller size as a kind of attractive, and I think it would also tend to advantage if you would put in 10 Testaments in French and English. I am not aware of what version of the French your French and English Testament is. But it if it is not De Sacy's then a couple will be enough.

 These books you will please pack up in a small case, and address them to Abbé Sigogne, Clare, to the care of a Amos Baker Esq. Yarmouth. Mr. Baker is Treasurer to the Yarmouth Bible Society. If you can send them out to direct to Yarmouth it will be better, otherwise they can be sent through Halifax.

I should not omit saying that the Abbé Sigogne, who lived six years in London, was not at all satisfied with you London people for always saying that the Catholics are opposed to the reading of the Scriptures. In his father's house, he said, in France there had always been a Bible open to all in the house. As to himself, he noticed that he reads one whole Bible through every year, and the New Testament twice; and this he has done ever since he was a priest, a period of 55 years.

On the whole of this tour I have been accompanied by Mr. Richardson, Agent of the Colonial Church Society, who was ever ready to plead our Bible cause either in public or private. Our travelling together in most cases lessened the expense of conveyances by one half. But we had some difficulty at times in procuring conveyances; and through the misfortune of a restive horse we had one hot day to walk 10 miles, and from a similar cause on another occasion we had to make our way for some miles in a cart drawn by a couple of oxen.

                        I remain, My Dear Friend,

                                    Very Truly Yours,

                                                James Thomson.

P.S. On my return to Halifax I found your letter of the 20th of May, and am cheered by its cheering strain: and pleasing strains, I trust, will be our future eternal enjoyment in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore let us now run with patience and joy the race appointed for us in this world of sin and trouble.

Montreal, 22nd March 1841 - 1

Rev A Brandram No 100

Montreal,  22nd March 1841

My Dear Friend,

This is now the third Canadian winter which I am seeing and feeling; for winters here are visibly seen, and sensibly felt: they are seen wherever the eyes are turned, in the deep general covering of the ground with snow and the stern cold rules and reigns over all whilst both these are heightened from time to time by the wind raging storm. It is but a short time, I may say, since I left the sunny and evergreen regions of the middle world where I spent years of my poor life, and yet now they seem half forgotten, and I am become as familiar with cold, and snow, and deadness, as I formerly was with the never ceasing heat, and the everlasting vegetation and life of the brilliant torrid zone. These circumstances suggest to me the idea of reviewing the two or three years past in a sketch, both as respects my personal movements, and my general employment.

The sudden leap I took from the West Indies to this country, and the great change in employment I made within a few weeks, you already know. I dreaded the change, but ventured to make it, as it was duty to do so. Now that all is over I can look back with some composure upon the scenes and the thoughts of that time. When we arrived in Charleston being driven into that port in distress, the weather was wet and bad, and I felt the cold much. If I thus feel here said I to myself, when only about half way to Canada, and before the winter is set in, how shall I get on when there and during the depth of the season. I had in truth serious thoughts of writing home to you, to beg that you would let me stay by the fireside all the winter, for that it would be impossible for me to travel and to preach for you during the cold season: but adding, that when the sun got strong I should be able to leave the house, and journey and serve you from place to place as long as the warm season lasted. Things were not better on arriving at New York on the 24th November. I met with a cold reception indeed, for that night was a very coldness night ever known there at that date in the season. Again when I came near the northern border of the States, from the severity of the weather, I had to lay aside my hat and by a fur cap, fur is the only article capable of keeping the head in due warmth in northern regions. A day after, I passed the lines of the United States and entered Canada, where once I met the dread winter in full costume and character; for the ground was all covered with snow as I entered, and the snow and the storm were driving along when at a late hour I took up my first night's lodging in Canada; and as if the cold were determined at every step to make a bold and early onset, the thermometer fell that night to 5° below zero. We had now the mighty St. Lawrence to cross. But at the usual place it was impossible, being partly frozen and partly not, and hence it could not be crossed by ice nor by boat. We have to travel 11 miles up the bank, but it was about dark when we reached the place, and the ferrymen would not venture to take us over that night. We slept in the house of an Indian, for it was an Indian village where we stopped. Next morning early the Indians ferried us over, and the scene I shall never forget. We crossed just above one of the rapids, where the stream ran quick and by its rapidity prevented the frost from seizing upon it and turning it into a solid. As we sailed along a distance of 2 miles from side to side of the river, it was deeply interesting to observe the contest, as I imagined to myself, for the whole scene was like one of pure imagination, the contest between the elements or states of solidity and fluidity, each striving to have for its vassal this majestic river. The ice swam about in broad tables, and these again would join together in bands, as other combatants do, and thus by the individual and united strength they would essay to block up the whole river and take it prisoner. But on the other hand the powers of fluidity and the force of the rapid and whirling current, would break up these armed bands, disperse and put them to flight, hurling them over the rapids. The attacks were repeated, and the insurgents again dispersed, and thus on hour after hour and day after day the attack and the resistance were continued. But the besieged kept their ground, and held their fortress and possessions, for this is one of the spots of the river where the Fluidity holds sway all the season through and that in spite of the Giant cold who would take it captive, and in spite of the discouragement of seeing this fellow tyrant gradually and firmly seize and bind in icy chains, part by part almost the entire river in all its length, whilst this and a few other indomitable spots like itself stand out and enjoy that liberty and fluidity. The scene was grand, and he who has once seen it, will always see it.

The thus far I have treated you with cold, but I shall now treat you with heat. And to act in this manner is quite in keeping with our winter journeyings here; for when we have travelled some distance in an open sleigh till we are about half frozen we all get out of our vehicle, enter a house, and stand around the stove till we are thoroughly warmed, and thus furnished with heat we again set out on our journey. I shall now therefore in my Sketch bring you into a house, and take you to the stove, where if I mistake not, you will find yourself warmed and also cheered.

On the evening of the very day I crossed the river, as above described, and entered Montreal, there was held a meeting of the Committee of your Auxiliary in this place. Here I was introduced to our Bible friends at once, and was immediately informed of all they had done in the Bible cause, of all they were doing, and of all the purposed, through strength divine, to perform, and with all possible haste. This proved a heating stove to me, and I soon forgot all the cold that preceded.

The Society I found had been doing well several years, proving a valuable help to you in the general distribution of the Scriptures over this country, and of raising means to meet expenditures as far as they well could. But latterly they had taken a new and more powerful view of things in respect to the value of the Bible for all, and in respect to the well-known lack of it in the country, and the desirableness of bringing it, and speedily within the reach of all the surrounding population. They forthwith entered into a specific resolution in reference to these views, and nobly purposed with all convenient rapidity to get a copy of the Scriptures into every family within the province. Having done this, some of the more active members of the Committee went round among the citizens here and procured a considerable sum for carrying into effect this specific purpose. After this, one individual in the Committee undertook to visit personally some country districts, going from house to house, to inquire of every family whether they possessed a copy of the Scriptures, and where the holy book was wanting, to stir up the people to purchase it if they had means sufficient, and if they have not, the price was reduced, or taken off altogether according to circumstances. But the object was to get the Bible fairly into the house, and in this manner into all the houses of each district. Of course the Committee could not personally carry this object into effect to any great extent. The work however was not neglected or delayed on this account, for they aroused their friends in several quarters of the country to undertake these from house-to-house visitations; and further, where gratuitous labours could not be obtained they employed others and remunerated them for their services.

When you heard of our friends here having entered on this benevolent career you liberally gave them 2000 copies of the Scriptures to aid them in their work, and the American Bible Society generously contributed 1000 copies. These two grants were of much service, and enable the Society to pursue its object to a greater extent than their own supplies could enable them, liberal as these had been.

The Society at the time I arrived had been engaged in this work of special general distribution of the Scriptures nearly two years, and the accounts they furnished of the good effects attending their labours were very cheering, and I rejoiced in their joy from the work of their hands. In the course of the many visitations made in various parts of the country during this time many facts have been brought to light respecting the want of the Scriptures among the people generally, and these fully justify the Society in the labour they had undertaken. On the other hand the extensive supplies which the Society's agents had afforded to many destitute families and individuals and the gratitude which not a few of these manifested for this visitation, of mercy and the means of procuring the word of God, were exceedingly gratifying and encouraging. But for this arrangement of the Society, and the efficiency with which it was carried forward, multitudes now in possession of the Holy Scriptures would in all probability have remained without them for years, or during their entire life. The good therefore which has been done in this case is beyond our calculation, and has its important bearings both on time and on eternity.

As it is an established rule in God's providence, that good done to others procures good for ourselves in return, so it has happened fully in this instance. By the means adopted and the happy effects produced the Society has been kept alive and animated, and the meetings of the Committee have been interesting and gratifying. These things were the reward of benevolence, and they stirred up to further benevolence. In consequence of these things I found our Bible friends here fully resolved to pursue their work steadily, and to carry it forward to a blissful close. Such were the things that came before me at my immediate entrance on my work in this country, and he produced a cheering and salutary effect, and warmed me, as I before said, after the cold I had recently endured from place to place on my journey. I found that the Bible is highly valued in both cold and hot regions, in Canada and the West Indies, proof of the latter I had recently seen, and proof of the former here lay before me.

Thus animated I set out on my first journey, but not till I had furnished myself with coat upon coat and fur upon fur, all being necessary and fully required for the degrees of cold that lay before me were greater than any before felt. I gave you formerly some account of my first tour, and described the cold predicament in which I found myself, and my feelings of regret for leaving the sunny regions of the West Indies for this inhospitable clime. I shall not therefore now repeat that description. My other journeyings also during that winter reminded me of the ever green lands I had left. The thermometer stood on different occasions at 10, 12, 17, 22, 24, and 31 under zero, and oftimes the snow storm raged. But God mercifully and graciously preserved me, and though I was thus much exposed by day and more at times by night, in this inclement quarter, yet I suffered no harm in my general health and strength, and was enabled to attend to your work in a manner that a different from the fears I entertained under the first onsets of the northern cold. Blessed be God for these and all his former mercies to me in all my wanderings and dangers.

In the cold movements above described, it was sensibly warming, and truly cheering, to get into the log house of a Bible friend, and to receive the reception of a Bible messenger. On many occasions I was thus treated, and experienced a warm hospitality. The larger and more noble mansion also opened its doors, of its own accord I may say, to receive your messenger, and to bestow on him the ample conveniences which they contained. I feel much indebted to these good friends who entertained me, and shall long remember their kindnesses, hospitalities and courtesies: and I pray the Lord to reward them.

But though I thus found a "son of peace" ready to receive me every where, the country all the while was full of the sons of war, and military exercises and operations seem to be the only business going forward. By some of these sons of war I was treated less kindly than above described. On one occasion soldiers full armed sprang in before me and my traveling companions, and have been totally ordered us to turn back, and appear before his officers. We got out of this scrape with our whole shin. But afterwards we were hotly pursued a distance of seven miles by the head officer himself accompanied by a dragoon. But we got the victory over them both, for we were furnished with passports, which we had taken the precaution to provide before setting out owing to the very warlike state of the whole country.

The Public Bible Meetings which we held were always cheering and often truly animating. Cold and bad as the weather might be, out of doors, yet within we were assembled around the Bible, and the light, tranquility, and heat which afforded made us for a while forget all else, and led us to anticipate the time when the Bible would banish all evil out of this hitherto unfortunate world, and fill it with light divine, holiness, and blessedness, for surely it is established as the sun, that the will of God is yet to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and when this is the case we may be sure that the happenings of earth will resemble that of heaven. All what I blessed book is the Bible, which is through the power of God given to it, to work such wonders. God is himself in his word, and great and blessed must be its effects. All then let us haste and to place it in every house around us, and let us diligently send it to all nations, in all tongues, that it's wonders may be wrought in the sight of all, and speedily!

But an early promise of the Bible is not unfulfilled in Canada as well as elsewhere, and notwithstanding all I have said of cold, you must not think it is always cold here. We have our summer too, because the Bible says, that somewhere shall continued in its turn, "while the earth remaineth." During the whole of the summer following the winter above described, I was employed in one continued tour in Bible visitations over upper Canada. The same kind reception and treatment, as before noticed, I experienced during all this period, and over a vast tract of country. Our Bible meetings were many and were cheering, and our numerous friends, scattered over these widely extended regions, now thinly, but soon to be densely people, took a lively interest in the great Bible cause.

You know that our Society is of no denomination, alias, of all denominations. So, in this measure, your humble servant pretends to be, personally and officially, and so is he everywhere received. In traveling over Upper Canada during the summer mentioned, I was struck more than common with the circumstances here referred to. One night, or two or three together, if privileged to rest so long in one place, I found myself lodged, and receiving every kind attention as a member of the same fraternity and family, in the house of a clergyman of the Church of England. My next lodging place, and where I would be treated precisely in the same friendly manner, would be with a clergyman of the Church of Scotland. The third caravansary that would receive me would be the house of the Wesleyan Minister. The fourth place where I would lay my head would be in the dwelling of a Baptist minister: and my tired body in the fifth instance, would be rested and nourished in the abode of the Minister of the Congregational denomination. That is no fancy or colouring in this statement. It is literally true: nor did it occur only once, but often, and so frequently were these alternations made that I was, as I may say, amused with them, as well as gratified and thankful. On one occasion, and I shall never forget it, when calling on a clergyman of the Church of England, and our subject of conversation and regret at the time being in reference to the unhappy divisions and unhappier alienations among Christian ministers and people, he said to me with evident deep interest and feeling, "Mr. Thomson you have fine opportunities of promoting peace, union, and goodwill among different parties." I instantly replied, "I have, and thus I employ these opportunities."

Not unfrequently whilst thus domiciled under various roofs, I have heard in course of our conversations something like complaints of the evil speaking or evil acting of some other denomination against the parties stating them to me. These complaints I have any frequently found to be grounded on misunderstanding and I have explained and apologized for these complaints and the parties concerned in them, endeavouring to induce to peace and good feeling. My familiarity with all parties enables me often to see through these misunderstandings better than the parties affected by them, and this accidental knowledge which my opportunities give me I endeavour to use in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for promoting brotherly feelings among all who love Him who loved them and gave himself a ransom for our sins, that we might be delivered from all iniquity, and be blameless and harmless, peaceful and loving, as the children of God. There is a fine petition bearing on the subject, in the Moravian liturgy, which may we all put up, and act upon. It is this, "Lord diminish misapprehensions."

My travellings during the second winter I pass over in this sketch, remarking only that whenever I went I met with the same friendliness from various parties in politics and in religion, and our Bible meetings were good and encouraging.

On the opening of the following season, in the spring of last year I set out for Nova Scotia and New Bruns­wick. In the latter place I arrived first, and in the city of St. John's, which, though not the political, is the commercial capital and ruling city of the province. Immediately on arriving there, and before I left the steam-boat, I was greeted by a deputation from the New Brunswick Bible Society, at the head of which was Judge Parker, the President, a man of high and deserved standing in the community. A public meeting of the Bible Society there was held within a few days after, which was nume­rously attended. I must not omit in my haste to mention a circumstance of some moment, as I conceive, in our Bible cause. It was this, that all the ministers of the several denominations of the place were present. This was gratifying in many ways, and I long to see the time when we shall always be able to calculate on the presence of all the ministers within reach at all our Bible meetings. This should be the case, and it) will be the case, whether within the time of our individual pilgrimage or beyond it. I attended some Committee meetings of the Society in St. John's, and had a good deal of intercourse otherwise with several of the leading members of the Society ; and through these opportunities I learned that there is a deep feeling in favour of your cause in that place. Several months subsequently I attended the anniversary of the Society, which consisted of a large assembly; and which, through what was laid before them, kept together unmoved till a late hour. The Ladies' Society deserves also to be mentioned with all due approbation, as administering essentially to the general cause in that city.

In Fredericton, the government head of the province, we held a large meeting of the Bible Society; and there, and at Committee meet­ings, I found the same interest in our blessed work as I had seen exhibited in St. John's. His Excellency, Sir John Harvey, treated your Agent very courteously. He patronizes the Bible Society there; and Lady Harvey is the patroness of the Ladies' Branch.

In reviewing my movements in New Brunswick, I shall take you next to Bathurst, on the south-side of the Bay of Chaleur,—though I did not go direct from Fredericton to that place, but visited Nova Scotia in the interval, and also Prince Edward's Island. Bathurst is in sight of Canada; and here was formed a new Auxiliary to your institution. Our meeting was held in the Episcopal church, and the incumbent became the President, whilst all the other, ministers rallied around him.

I next notice Miramichi:—this is a populous quarter, and a great shipping place,—the most so of any port in these two provinces, after St. John's. A Ladies' Bible Society has existed here about twenty years, and has done much good. We succeeded in forming a new Society, besides this, and under the title of an Auxiliary, embracing the general population on the banks of this fine river. Here again we had several ministers of different denominations, but I regret to say that one was wanting. I visited a good many other places in this province, but must not stay to enumerate them, though I cannot pass over Richibucto, where there is a very flourishing Ladies' Bible Society.

I now notice my visitations in Nova Scotia.—It was towards the latter end of June when I arrived in Halifax. A few days after my arrival, the anniversary meeting of the Nova Scotia Bible Society was held. A great multitude hastened to this meeting; the place of assembly was 'speedily filled, and many were unable to gain admittance. His Excellency Sir Colin Campbell, the Lieutenant-governor, was in the chair ; and he was well supported by numbers of the best rank of Society, and particularly by the various ministers of the city, among whom were five of the Church of England. This was a gratifying meeting, and con­tributed, it was thought, a good deal for the advancement of the Bible Society's interests in that place.

After this public meeting, and after attending some meetings of the Committee, I travelled over the south-western parts of the province, visit­ing all the places of note. The meetings held during this tour exhibited a good state of feeling in favour of the general circulation of the Scrip­tures at home and abroad; and it was pleasing to see the large numbers that came together in several thinly peopled districts.

Soon after returning to Halifax, I set out again, in another direction, and went over the north-eastern parts of the province. In moving through these parts I was gladdened with the same favourable manifestations I had elsewhere perceived in regard to that most desirable object in which we are all, in our measure, engaged and interested, namely, that of getting the word of God into every family, and into the possession of each individual in these provinces; and of seeing the whole world benefited in this way equally with ourselves. On this tour, I met with more than common favour in the way of free conveyances ; and it is both a duty and a pleasure for me to make this statement. One gentleman, in addi­tion to forwarding me some distance, put a doubloon into my hands as we parted, saying, "That is to help you in your journeying expenses."

Returning from the eastern parts just mentioned to Pictou, I went over to Prince Edward's Island. Upwards of a year ago an Auxiliary Bible Society was formed there under favourable auspices. A public meeting of this Society was held in the Scotch church, Charlotte Town, which was opened by prayer by the rector of the place. His Excellency Sir Charles Fitzroy, the Lieutenant-governor of the island, was in the chair. His lady also was present; and the assemblage was numerous, embracing all classes of Society. After this, I visited several places in the interior of the island, where meetings were held, and arrangements made for extending and quickening the sacred work of the Bible Society.

I was much gratified here in learning that the governor's lady not only patronizes the Ladies' Bible Society of the island by her name, but is herself also the chief and most active personal labourer in making collec­tions and in distributing the Scriptures around. This is truly praiseworthy, and ought to be set forth, as I now do it, in order to encourage others in the high ranks of Society, to take that stand and that active employment in God's work for which he has qualified them by their ample means and abundant leisure. May all of them hear- God's voice,  which says, "To whom much is given, of them much shall be required." It so happens that this lady is the first lady in rank, as I understand, in these British North American provinces. She enjoys by her birth the title of Right Honourable ; and in our Bible field she has, I may say, justified her title by the right honourable course she is pursuing, by actively labouring in person to promote the circulation of God's holy word. Oh that we all, male and female, could duly understand how right and honourable this work is! If we did, we would unquestionably act better in it than we do. For, alas! how inadequately, I may say, do we all labour in this cause! and our defective operations are greatly owing to the defective nature of our thoughts, our judgments, and our feelings, respecting the superlative value of the word of God.

Besides the lady mentioned above, and her associates, there are many other honourable and right honourable ladies in these British provinces, who have ennobled themselves by their labours in the Bible field. Many Ladies' Bible Societies are in full operation in different places throughout these extensive and interesting countries ; and their services are a great benefit to the general cause of spreading widely at home and abroad the word of truth and salvation. The chief of these in Nova Scotia is the one at Yarmouth, and that at Guysborough, both of which are of long standing and have done well. In the latter place, at the close of the public meeting, the ladies were pleased to deliver an address in the person of their worthy Secretary, complimentary to your Society, to yourself, and to somebody else. I enclose the address for your perusal, as your name is in it, and it is due you should see it.

The Baptist body in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is numerous. They are very friendly to our Society; and their various ministers have cordially aided our work at the public meetings and otherwise.

In the neighbourhood of Yarmouth, in the south-west portion of Nova Scotia, there is a French settlement, consisting of about 3,000 per­sons,—a people similar in many respects to the French Canadians. I visited this settlement; at the head of which is the Abbé Sigogne, an aged priest, a native of France, who left that country at the revolution. I was happy to find that the Abbé was well inclined to the use of the Holy Scriptures among his flock. He gave me an order for 100 De Sacy's Testaments, and some Bibles. In Antigonish, in the north-east of Nova Scotia, I met with the Roman Catholic Bishop of that province, with whom I had a good deal of conversation ; and he also expressed him­self favourably In regard to the circulation of the Scriptures among his people, and cheerfully consented to an appointment being made by the Antigonish Bible Society, that one of his flock in that place should act as one of the depositaries for the general sale of the Scriptures. In Prince Edward's Island I saw and conversed with the Roman Catholic Bishop of New Brunswick, who also made favourable statements regard­ing the general use of the Scriptures.

In closing this sketch of Bible Society operations in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, during last summer, I am happy to notice the friendly reception I everywhere met with, as an advocate of the Bible cause. I also received much hospitality and general courtesy, and nowhere more than in the city of Halifax, which will long remain prominent before me, of the many places among my own countrymen, and among foreigners, where, through the favour of God, I have been treated with kindness: and may the Lord reward all those kind friends at home and abroad!

On returning to Montreal and communicating with our Bible friends at their Committee meetings and otherwise, I have been gratified to find the progress of things since I left this place. Their general supply of families with a Bible to each, according to their resolution previously mentioned, has advanced to a kind of termination within the limits of the Society, and they are about to pass beyond this boundary, and in conjunction with the Quebec Bible Society to extend down the river, and on to the easternmost parts of the province where it joins with New Brunswick.

But gratifying as is this state of things it is, I may say, exceeded in interest by the Bible operations among the French population of the country, all of whom as you are aware, are Roman Catholics. The agent or colporteur whom you support here, and whose labours are almost exclusively devoted to the French, has had unusual success during last year in distributing the Scriptures among the people. The openings are wonderful considering all the circumstances of this long neglected portion of our fellow subjects. Several of the priests openly befriend the distribution of the Scriptures among their flocks, and the New Testament has in a good many places be, schoolbook with the goodwill of the schoolmasters, and with the sanction and encouragement of the priests. The journals of Mr. Hibbard, which are sent you from time to time, will show you the extent to which the work is reached, and will cheer you with their many interesting particulars. Your generosity and your wisdom in supporting this agent among this people are now meeting with their reward, and better things will no doubt follow these encouraging beginnings. May the Lord prosper this work, there are half a million of people to act on, and this is the first movement among these dry bones, "and lo! They are very dry."

In my first letter from this place, written during the disordered state of things here, I said, "the present political state of the country is unfavourable and may retard our operations; but we see, though somewhat darkly, that even these civil commotions will in effect, be attended or followed with good effects, as respects the kingdom of Christ and also as respects the Empire to which these colonies belong." Both these hoped-for, and "dimly seen" results have followed, and are evident to all. The proofs of this I cannot enter into except so far as concerns our own cause. The general changes produced have no doubt materially contributed to the circulation of the Scriptures among the French as here mentioned. You recollect the priest who burned some of our Bibles, and whom we noosed for his own good and the good of the public? The plan we took with him had exactly the effectively desired and arrived at. We made him pay the Bibles, and frightened him into the bargain, and since that time he has burned no Bibles, nor taken any away from the people, nor forbid their reading of them, but is as quiet as the lamb.

On the 27th January the Montreal Bible Society held their anniversary meeting. It was well attended, the speeches were all of a superior kind, (my own excepted), and a very general gratification was expressed by all present: and interesting and gratifying as were former anniversaries, yet this the latest, not the last, was classed by all, as superior to its predecessors. And this is, I may say, as it ought to be, for every additional year should witness in our Bible movements something new and in advance. So I trust it will in general be in future years will unquestionably witness greater things than any of us can now anticipate, however sanguine may be our hopes.

The meeting was held in one of the Scotch churches, and all the trees Scotch ministers were present, and all officiated. One of them commenced the meeting by reading a portion of Scripture and prayer, and the other two delivered truly biblical addresses which gave general satisfaction. This was a step in advance, for we never had had the three with us on any former occasion. Another visible step in advance of the anniversary was the presence on our platform of two ministers of the Church of England. Other denominations among us were also represented; and the Catholicity of the Bible Society was fully held forth.

In Upper Canada I learn that our Bible cause is going on with new vigour. Last summer an agent was appointed to travel over the country, to encourage and extend old societies and to form new ones. This is an important measure for the carrying this work out to its proper extent, particularly in so wide a field as that embraced by the Society. And arrangement has also been entered into for the general supply of every family within the province with a copy of the Scriptures, in accordance with the plan adopted in this province, as before described, and which has been attended with such happy effects in different ways. The same beneficial results will no doubt follow the measure in that as has followed in this province. The issues of the Scriptures since this plan was entered on have greatly increased, and probably they will continue to increase, and with an increasing ratio for some years to come. I apprehend you will have a very large order to fulfill for that Society by the spring vessels. In the eight months ending at the close of December last they had issued 6447 copies, whilst the total number of copies issued during the 12 months preceding these eight was 2819. This you see is more than the trebling of their operations.

I have thus given you a sketch of the operations of your agent in these British American Provinces during the two past years. This is about the time you allowed him for going over them. He has not however been able to bring things quite to a close. There remains yet sufficient labour in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for the ensuing summer and you have acceded to his remaining in this quarter until the unvisited parts are gone over. I hope it will be found not altogether in vain that you have thus paid a visit to these interesting provinces. Your kind remembrance of your Bible associates over these countries, in sending an envoy to them, has been fully responded to on their part, by an increased attachment to you as a parent, and a firmer purpose to co­operate with you locally and generally. Many new societies have been formed in all these provinces during this visitation. Old ones, on the other hand, have been revived and strengthened. Your single and noble object of giving the Bible to all mankind, in all languages, and your success hitherto in this enterprise, have become better known over these provinces by the many statements of the same, publicly and privately, of your Agent. A deeper feeling about the value of the Bible itself has also, it is hoped, been produced; and an increased attention has been awakened, perhaps, and strengthened, in respect to the individual read­ing of the Bible, and in the closet, with earnest prayer for Divine guidance in the study of this blessed volume; for your Agent does not consider himself as acting out of place or character in repeatedly bring­ing before his audiences the high value of the Bible, and the especial duty of all to read it most closely and prayerfully. And he argues that, just in proportion as men read, and thus read the Bible, will they be disposed to contribute to the giving of it to others and to all. Might I add also, that perhaps a better British feeling has been produced from this inter-communion with you. It is the Bible that has made the British what they are, though, alas! there are many who enjoy the benefit  who do not know this. The Bible is undoubtedly the basis and the ladder of our prosperity. This subject has been alluded to by various speakers at our meetings; and the gentleman presiding on one occasion made happy use of the phrase The British Family, of which we here claim to be a part.

I urge everywhere two things: first, that we ought diligently to labour to get the Bible into every house, and further, into the individual possession of all who can read; and, secondly, that we ought, if possi­ble, to get a contribution annually from every house, and from every individual in possession of the Bible. I press strongly the duty and obligation of every one who has the Bible to contribute from year to year, as a tribute of thanksgiving for the boon he has and enjoys, in order that by these contributions the boon may be bestowed upon all our fellow-creatures everywhere.

The circulation of the Scriptures in these provinces is perhaps more important, in some respects, than with you at home. Our popu­lation is rapidly increasing; and it is very desirable to have the whole country Bibled as early as possible, as a basis for the advantage of our rapidly increasing numbers. I am sure you will be most willing to give all aid towards this early Bibling of the country. You may not meet with your full pay soon, but it will be sure.

You see I have made a verb of the Bible. Grammarians tell us that the verb is the principal part of speech: and surely To Bible the world should be the principal part of our speech and our action, even of us who, by God's grace, have the Bible. Such is the sacred and honoured employment of yourself and your Society, and such also, blessed be God, is mine.

I have hardly left room for the Indians, who, you know, have joined your ranks. They will deserve a full page of attention; and if I cannot now give it in length, I will try to give it in strength. They have done nobly: they have surpassed all others among us. The proofs of this I cannot now give: I gave them to you on former occasions. I have repeatedly held forth the Bible feeling and action of the Indians as an example. "Liberal as you know I wish you all to be towards the Bible cause," (I have said that several meetings), "I shall yet be amply contented, if you give as the Indians have given, weighing your means and theirs." You know from my former communications how readily and amply the Squaws contributed to our cause at Moravian Town both for themselves, and also for their children, and that too often their husbands had subscribed. Please tell this at all your meetings until the husband, wife, and children in each house shall have subscribed. Will not your coffers be better filled when you thus all become Indians, or like them? I would not wish to change your fair ladies into red Squaws, nor your men into Indians, but would like to see you and ourselves all Indians, in the way here noticed. The sums subscribed by the Indians compared with their incomes are wonderful, and the imitation of them which change our copper into silver and our silver into gold. Again your recollect what I told you of the Indians at Rice Lake. At the close of our meeting there, when the person who wrote down the names of subscribers, (himself an Indian), was asked how many he had got, he replied, as "I have got the name of every person at the meeting, man, woman, and child." Now tell this also at all your meetings if you please, and say that in other two places the same happened, until at the close of your overflowing assemblages it can be said, that all present, then, women, and children subscribed to the Bible cause; and till this takes place, let the Indians hold the station in which by their deeds they have placed themselves. That is no respect of persons with God: and to whom much is given, of them much is required.

In summer before last when I made my extended tour over Upper Canada, I reached as far as Lake Huron. Just at the entrance of the Lake from the River there is a lighthouse. I had the curiosity to ascend to the top of this beacon: and when there, what a glorious view lay before me, the splendid Lake, the splendid River, and the splendid expanse of a rich, fertile though wooded country, each lost to view only in the horizon. There thus lay before me a kind of emblem or representation of your Society. There, to this place were gathered the entire waters of the Great Lakes, Superior, Michigan, and Huron. To this spot all their waters flow, and from this they have their main entrance upon usefulness. The outlet of the Lake, or in other words, the commencement of the great River is a narrow and rapid stream, not half a mile wide, and running at the rate of about six or seven miles an hour. The water is deep, as you may well suppose, and it is so thoroughly clear and transparent that you can distinctly see to the bottom. Your Bible House in Earl Street, London, is this narrow, deep, rapid, and chrystaline stream. Into this house flow the means of your great waters, or many peoples spread over the British Isles. There you purify the muddy money that your receive, as the muddy waters are by the Lake, and thus purified and transformed into Bibles, into the pure river of the water of life, you send the fertilizing stream, deep and rapid, over the wide world. Great are the advantages of our mighty St. Lawrence, but what are the in kind or degree compared with the Grand Bible River that flows out of your House? Your river now reaches, I may say, to the ankles, and Oh may God open the windows of heaven and send a plentiful rain to raise the river, that it may soon reach to the knees, and then to the loins, and then become a river that cannot be passed because of its greatness. And well may we thus wish, and pray for the fulfillment of our wish, for by the faithful word of promise contained in our Book, "Everything shall live whither the river cometh."

This world in which we dwell is a parched wilderness, a dry and thirsty land, that eateth up, we may say, the inhabitants thereof, and much does it need the River of God to make it glad. And it shall be made glad, and by the River of God. The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. But now alas! we see it not so. We know however for our consolation the leaven is in the mass, and that it is effectively, though slowly, working its way, and with a certain issue. The Bibling of the world goes on apace. The work done in the circulation of the Scriptures, and in the translations of them during these 36 years in which you and others have been at work is wonderful, is passing wonderful, all things considered. If the two witnesses have not yet ascended up to heaven in a cloud, they are at least no longer dead bodies lying contemned in the street, they now stand up on their feet, and soon shall they hear from on high the joyful voice, "Come up hither."

Be not discouraged then, but be thankful that you have done so much or rather that God has done so much by you. The waters issuing from your House, already reach, as I have said, the world's ankles. You see them steadily rising before your eyes with the increase of God, and you know for a certainty that they shall and must rise to the prevail upon the earth exceedingly, like Noah's flood, until all the high hills under the whole heaven be covered. Fear not then because of the vast expanse of earth which yet remains to be Bibled, fear not because of the high hills, nor say where shall waters be found to cover them? No, the windows of heaven are already opened, the fountains of the great deep are breaking up, and the world shall, and soon, be flooded with the Bible. Rejoice then in God and in his work, walk humbly, put on new strength, act in all wisdom, for the victory is sure. Darkness and clouds, troubles, impediments, and difficulties, we may expect at present and in our onward way. But let us look forward even to the glorious light that is to follow, and which advances upon us in no mean degree. Thus the Saviour did in his day, and much more may we do it in ours which is so far in advance, for the night is far spent and the day is at hand. The Saviour, though a man of sorrows, at times rejoiced in spirit, when he looked forward and saw Satan fall in like lightning to the ground, when he beheld the glorious latter days, and saw finally his Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Let us all then, for our animation, look forward to the day, when the glory of God shall cover the earth, and let us look still further forward, and see this glory fill the heavens above, and all eternity.

I remain, My Dear Brother, and

            all my Dear Brethren.

                        Truly and Affectionately Yours,

                                    James Thomson.

Woodstock, 24th July 1841

Rev A Brandram No 107

Woodstock, New Brunswick, 24th July 1841.

In my letter to you, dated Fredericton, the 5th instant, I mentioned that I was about to go northward, up the  River St. John, but could not say to what extent. My object was twofold: first, to visit Woodstock and other places in that same county; to encourage such societies as I should find formed; and to form new ones, as opportunities offered. My second object was, to visit the French Roman Catholic settlement high up the river, called Madawaska, consisting of a people resembling, in many respects, the French Canadians.

On the day after I wrote you, I started for Woodstock; and there, on the following day, held a public meeting of the Woodstock Bible Society—previous arrangements having been made, and notices given. Our meeting was good; and it was agreed that another public meeting should be held when I returned down the river. The Society existing here was first formed in 1836, and was re-formed in 1839. It has con­tributed a fair sum these last two years, as a branch of the Fredericton Auxiliary. But as Woodstock is the centre or head of a county, and a place of note as to the surrounding country, the subject was considered, whether it would not be better to extend its name and character; that it might take its stand as an Auxiliary, and raise up branches around it, in the various parishes of the county. This was to be more fully con­sidered on my return.

On the 9th, I started for Tobique, and arrived there the following day. Two public meetings were held here; and a new Society was formed. This place is still well immersed in the forest, and not much, perhaps, may be expected from this new accession to our numbers. But something, and not little, I think, is always gained by the formation of a Bible Society in any place. Many are the blessings flowing from Bible Institutions, both direct and indirect; and some of these are always enjoyed, where anything at all is done. We are therefore never to be discouraged with smallness in results; for that is better than what is smaller still; and much better than nothing, which latter would be the state of things where no effort is made.

After leaving Tobique, I came to the Grand Falls, a noted waterfall in the River St. John, and coming nearer perhaps to the splendid Niagara Falls than anything I have seen. This fall is the only interruption to the navigation of the river to its mouth, a distance of more than 200 miles. The mouth of the St. John is singular. There is a fall at its mouth of full twenty-four feet; and yet large vessels pass up and down through this fall in full sail. I explain, and further illustrate this beau­tiful circumstance, in the following words from Dr. Gesner, the offi­cial geologist of the province:—"The accumulated waters," he says, "of this extensive and deep river, with all its lakes and tributary branches, are here dashed through a narrow gorge, and over a rapidly-inclined plane, into the sea. Interrupted by small islands above, and compelled to pass over huge masses of rocks obstructing the narrow passage, the river, foaming and spouting with tremendous fury, assumes, at making its exit, a most tragical character, threatening with instant death any who may venture upon its troubled bosom. But on the flood-tide the scene is changed; the ocean spreads its mantle over the thun­dering cataract, and, flowing inwards through the narrow chasm, stills the noisy rapid;—the tide-lock of the falls is shut, and, apparently to oblige the inhabitants, allows them to pass in safety, even with large vessels."

There is in all this a fine exhibition and combination of the majestic and benevolent character of the great Creator and arranger of this world. Surely the earth showeth forth His handy-work, while the hea­vens declare His glory!—You will please excuse my touching upon this subject, for though it appears extraneous to my objects, yet it is not so altogether; for the Bible frequently draws our attention to these matters, whilst most men, and most Christians, too, sadly overlook them. In my humble estimation, God is about to be more worshipped in His works, in the midst of which we are, than He has been. I do not allude to the Naturalist's worship, but to the Christian's. We dwell in His temple; and scarcely any one says, "See what manner of stones and building are here!" But, as the Bible spreads and is read, our attention will be drawn to these things as they should be; and then shall men be said, with more propriety than now, "to worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Living in the midst of these fountains of waters, I think it a duty at times, in connexion with the Gospel, to draw the attention of an audience to such matters, when I occasionally and unofficially expound—what I always officially give—­the word of God. In this province of New Brunswick is very remarkable in this point of view, as the navigation of its various rivers in various directions nearly reach each another. And so it may be said of a great part of this continent. God's benevolence therefore in making these noble highways, this lengthened means of conveyance, calls us here more especially to praise and glorify his name in them.

After this digression, I return to the Grand Falls.—Above these falls the river is navigable, as far perhaps as below them. Below them there are roads on the banks for carriages to go;  but above them there are none, and with difficulty a horse can  get along. The usual mode of travelling, therefore, is by water, in small canoes, either hollowed out of a tree, or made of the bark of the birch.  In going up the river, these canoes are  pushed along by a ten-feet pole, in the shallow water close by the river-side; whilst in coming down they take the middle of the river, availing themselves of the stream, and helping it by the paddle. In poling up the margin of the St. John in this way for 38 miles, I had a fine opportunity—and much  better than  the Welshman had in going along the road—of seeing every larger and smaller stream, and every little brook and rill, pour in their contributions to the great stream. In seeing   these, and in marking  every one of them as we moved slowly onward, I thought, and  often  thought, of your  great stream, and the Welshman's beautiful figure, and of all your auxiliaries and contributaries. May God give a plentiful rain from heaven, to increase the rills, and the brooks, and the rivers, that flow into your main stream; and also to increase these contributaries in number as well as in magnitude, in order to augment—and greatly and rapidly to aug­ment—your glorious stream; which, though glorious, is still small, yea very small, so that one can wade it easily, with the waters not above the ankles! But such a stream, though it well fertilizes where it goes, only ran benefit, here and there, spots of the large Field—the world—which God intends it to water. Soon may your river reach the loins! soon may it be impassable for man or horse; and become like the great La Plata and Amazon, with their grand outflowing streams of 150 miles wide! Through the latter I have waded, where it did not pass the ankles, on its descent from Chimborazo; and into the grand mouth of the other and out of it once and again I have sailed, where from its centre, for more than 100 miles, neither of its banks could be perceived from its great width. Even at Buenos Ayres, which is 200 miles from the sea, the river is 30 miles in breadth. Shall I live to see your stream 30 miles broad, and grow as familiar with it as I am with the La Plata at Buenos Ayres? At present, though you roll along deep and majestic, yet still one could shoot an arrow across you. We have seen great things in the Bible cause, from year one of your Bible Society age, to year 37. And we have reason, I think, to hope that things will yet take place—and soon—which, from their magnitude in extent and effects, will greatly surprise and delight us all. The Bible Society is still but poorly supported. The great body of Christians are yet in the dark as to its claims.  When the mists that envelope them on the subject are dispelled, we shall see a noble company burst forth in the Christian body, to send abroad, among the Heathen, in all their millions and many tongues, the word of light, life, and salvation. Then will your funds rise rapidly, and your issues multiply greatly. At present, you have not, even up to this day, sent forth so much as one entire million to all the Heathen nations together, in all their 600 millions and upwards. You should send to the Heathen yearly one million—two, three, and more. But your funds do not allow it;—and that is the only hindrance, for the Heathen are ready to receive the word of God on almost every hand; and more ready--to our shame!--are they to receive, than we to give. You did well at your last Anniversary the other month to draw attention of the public to the want of attention to the Bible cause.

Your bringing forward the missionary efforts in juxtaposition with Bible efforts was instructive, and I hope it will be impressive upon many. £400,000 for the missionary cause, raised in Britain in one year is glorious, and to God be the glory; but that there should have been in the same time only £50,000 for the Bible cause is inglorious, and to us all be the shame. The truth is, we have all been, as already said, much in the dark on the subject, and not aware of what we should do, or what we actually were doing in these matters. I have often are urged in my little addresses the duty of sending the Bible onwards in company at least with the missionary, and that it ought never to lag behind him, but rather if there is any difference made, that it should be in advance of him, as the Bible can penetrate where the missionary either cannot or dare not, and of this your Extracts for June, just come to hand, afford one of several good illustrations. But through your visible tangible mode of setting the subject forth by figures and sums, you have led me to make calculations by which I see that I am myself, in my little contribution, exactly in the error you describe, and in which there also is the general Christian body. But how shall it be corrected? Shall I withdraw from the missionary societies the annual mites that stand at my name? God forbid that I should! I must then add to you in order to bring things into sorts and due proportions. Please then to desire Mr. Hitchin to change my annual Bible Society subscription to two guineas into five. When I can make the five ten I shall even things better: but in the meantime please receive the error tribute now mentioned.

That is another digression and along one: forgive me; but you see it has cost me something as well as you. I now return into my canoe in the St. John, poling and poling slowly up its pleasant banks. Soon after leaving the Grand Falls we got into the French settlement, and also into the famous disputed territory. But that is no disputed territory for the Bible Society, for all the world is ours, or will soon become so. About 15 miles up we came to the first French chapel, beside which a priest lives. Here then commenced my operations. I had brought from Fredericton 50 French Testaments; and these I had in the canoe with me. I landed, and after some conversation with the priest had my little case of Testaments brought from the canoe to his house. When it was opened and a Testament taken out, I found for I had not seen them before, that the edition was printed for the French and Foreign Bible Society, and that there was no mention of its being printed from a certain authorized addition. The lack of this statement was a good deal objected to by the priest, for he had broken-up one of your publishing in which it is mentioned. However he bought one and paid me for it the price I asked which was a quarter dollar, and this he considered very reasonable or low. I then made him a present of one for the schoolmaster, for there is only one French school in his parish, but it has been so recently established, he said, that none of the children were yet able to use the Testament. This was his excuse for not taking more copies for the school, but I plainly saw he did not like the edition. I think it would be well for you to hit to your friends of the F. & F.B.S. that it would be useful to put in the statement in question, and also to drop the notification should that the book is printed for them, which I should think could be no recommendation of it to the Catholics, for whom of course chiefly it is being De Sacy's version. The priest gave me some tea, which was very acceptable, as it was cold on the River with a strong breeze ahead. Before I parted from the priest I got a useful lesson from him. I happened to mention that it had been in several Catholic countries, and named some of my movements. "Oh!" he said with evident interest, "could I travel about as you do, I should be a happy man." This little envy, so to speak, of my moving life was calculated in a certain way to encourage me in it, or at least to keep me from discouragement in my never ending move; but nevertheless there is a wide difference between never traveling at all, and never resting at all, some happy medium that for the present belongs not to me. But there is rest for the people of God, and if I do not long for it, I look for it, and hope for it.

We now returned to the river, and took our case with us; though, as you have seen, but very little emptied or lightened. However, I was pleased with my interview with the priest; and to have one or two copies well received, was a mighty difference from a stern rejection of the word of God altogether; as is the case, you know, in many places, on the part of the Roman Catholic priests.

We poled till the afternoon, and coming to the house of a Captain Thibideau, whom I traveled with in the stage a short distance some days before, I landed, and went up to his house. After some conversation the Testaments were produced. His wife was much pleased with the Book, and bought one. We again embarked, and I landed next at what is called the  Upper Chapel, where I found the priest reading his Breviary under the shade of a tree, for the day had grown hot. This was my main place of hope and of fear. On my mentioning my New Testaments, at first the priest did not seem to feel much interest in regard to them. I told him of the order Father Sigogne gave me last year; and told him of some priests in Canada, personally known to him, whom I had visited, and found very friendly to the use of the Testament among their people and in the schools. He now expressed a wish to see the books. I sent for them : they came, and I gave him one. He was much pleased with it, and the price seemed to him more than reasonable. "I'll take a couple of dozen," he said. I began count­ing them, whilst he was reading in the one I first gave him. Before I had done, "I'll take another dozen," he said. When the three dozen were all out, I said, "There's only one dozen left; you had better take that too, case and all." He did so: and thus terminated my sales, and my further journeying in that direction. He paid me a quarter-dollar for each copy. Fifty copies were thus sold, besides the one given away; for it seems they had put up for me fifty-one, instead of the fifty, which was a favourable mistake. After some general conversation with the priest, I parted from him, rejoicing and praising God for the success of this little mission. It seemed to as if I had hand about the precise number disposable, for I could not well have disposed of more. I trust this handful of seed will spring up in due time, and be crowned with a yellow waving harvest, to the glory of God, and to the salvation of souls in that place. I may state to you, that in another view, though certainly a secondary one, I was glad of the result of this little enterprise. Some of our good Bible friends below thought I had rather undertaken a wild goose chase on this occasion. However as I thus caught the geese, the account is settled in my favour, and I determine justified.

I ascended to St. John after this a few miles as far as the River Madawaska. On Sunday the 18th I held the service with the British soldiers stationed at the mouth of the river, and particularly recommended to them the duty of taking a share in the great work of distributing God's word over the world.

Having now finished my business in this quarter, I made arrangements for returning. As far down as the Grand Falls, I must of necessity go by water, but on the whole I thought it would be better to go down by water all the way to Woodstock. Accordingly I agreed for a canoe to take me down to that place, a distance of about 120 miles. Early in the morning of the 20th I embarked in my canoe. It was of the kind made of the birch bark, and so small and light as to be easily carried by one man for a considerable distance; and this lightness is one of the advantages of these bark canoes, which facilitates their removal from one navigable stream to another. This smallness however and lightness are as you may suppose, disadvantageous in regard to safety and comfort in sailing in them. The centre of gravity is here a very practical subject, and the having it a little higher than it ought to be would overturn the canoe. Accordingly the passenger has to sit down low in the bottom of the canoe, and then to keep himself prim without much movement to this side or that, and thus and so to sit till the voyage is ended, with the upper half of the body vertical, and the lower half horizontal. There is more penance than pleasure in this posture for 10 or 12 hours, as may be easily understood. To this discomfort must be added the dangers of this little bark in the midst of the stream of a great river, and more particularly in passing through the rapids, several of which are to be encountered. Once and again I had to be admonished, by an exclamation from my boatman, "Take care! You will upset the canoe." Thus prim and then bandaged set out your poor pilgrim, consoling himself with the hope that he had not come to this place in vain. The first part of the voyage was cheered also by reading the abstract of your Report for this year, which came into my hands the evening before at the Madawaska post office. How extensive, and glorious is this work! I could not but say, again and again, as I read and read this your 37th voyage round the world.

In my descent I called on the priest at the Lower Chapel to whom I had sold one Testament, and given another. My object was, to give him a little indirect reproof, which might perhaps be useful to him, and serviceable to our cause, on a future occasion. I wished to tell him how much and how well the other priest, greatly his senior, had done, and thereby to lead him at some other time to do better, by giving the word of God I readier reception and circulation. I accordingly did as I intended, and have good hopes, from what I have perceived, that my purpose would be in some degree accomplished. On parting the priest gave me a bottle of milk, to use with our dry dinner on board. This was very acceptable; and if you will consider the tea I got before, and a bottle of milk now, you will find that we were not badly paid for the gratis Testament bestowed when ascending the River.

Our next place of landing, and from necessity, was at the Grand Falls 38 miles below the Madawaska River. Here our boatman mounted his canoe on his head and shoulders, and so walked with it for a quarter of a mile until we came again to the navigable waters of the River below the falls. Near to this we had several rapids to pass, which was not very pleasant in our nutshell bark. But my canoe-man was well acquainted with them all, and the best way to take them: and through his guidance, and the ever-guidance of God, we got safely through them all.

At the close of the first night we came to the mouth of the Aroostook River, and I felt tired enough with the long painful position in the canoe, and the heat of the weather. Early next morning we started again, having first received the kindness from Mr. Hopkins, the Keeper of the Inn, of no charge either for myself or the canoe-man. This act lightened, I may say, our morning voyage. When the day got up it grew hot, but we glided along in hopes of terminating our voyage in the evening. I called at two places on the way, to speak with individuals interested in our Bible cause, and which I hope will be afterwards useful. About dusk I reached Woodstock, glad and thankful that my voyage of 120 miles in this bark bark had thus closed in safety.

My canoe-man on this occasion, as well as when I ascended from the Grand Falls to the Madawaska River, were both Frenchmen of the Madawaska settlement, and of course Roman Catholics. I preached to them the Bible, as we sailed along, and its grand substance the Lord Jesus Christ. From the manner in which they received what was said, and from their freedom of speaking of, and questioning both the conduct of the priests and their doctrines at several points, it is plain that there is an openness a working on their minds in these matters that indicates a preparedness for a better state of things when those who should shall use better means for the same. In the meantime we prepare the way by circulating among them the word of God. This settlement contains nearly 4000 people. It is divided into three French parishes, with as many chapels and priests: one of the chapels is at present vacant. The French language prevails, but many can speak some English. May God give his blessing with the Holy Scriptures now brought among them, and early, may there be a great awakening here to the Gospel of Christ, for to bring men to the Gospel is the grand end and object of all our Bible circulation.

I now relieve you, and myself, of the toil of this journey, and narrative, and the miscellanea intermixed.

                        James Thomson.

P.S. and N.B. -- The overlength of this letter is to be compensated for by the shortness of the next. -- Also please to bracket of all extraneous matter.