that
Sacrament, and again after the prayers, in their obligations as baptized.
After this service, Mr. Johnson married the two couples, and I
examined the children in their prayers and belief, which I found most of
them could repeat more or less correctly, but not one knew a letter of
the alphabet. It was considerably after nine o'clock before we could
dismiss our visitors, and sorry they seemed to be dismissed as I was to
dismiss them. Poor people! the fair faces of the children would have
moved the admiration of a Gregory; and the destitute, forsaken
condition of all would move the compassion of any one who believed
they have souls to be saved; how much more if those souls in any sense
were committed to his charge. But what can I do more for them, and,
alas! for many others almost equally destitute and forsaken. It is but too
probable that never again, either myself, or by others, shall I be able to
minister to their wants. To-morrow with the first dawn, the men and
boys will be all out on their fishing-grounds, the women busy in their
houses, the elder girls nursing the younger children; and I must be on
the move to perform a like perfunctory service to others in the same
state of ignorance, of whom I believe there are more than two hundred
in this bay.
Tuesday, July 12th. At Bear Cove, at sea, at Jackson's Arm, and at
Sop's Island.--We warped out of Bear Cove, there being then no wind,
at five o'clock A.M., and stood over to Jackson's Cove, on the opposite
side of the bay (about nine miles), which we reached by 8.30. It is a
capacious and beautiful harbour, easy of approach and entrance. On
coming to anchor, I sent on shore immediately, and found that all the
men were gone to Sop's Island (about five miles off), except one poor
fellow with a diseased hip, to whom I sent some wine and medicine. I
proposed to take the only woman left behind, with her children, on
board the Church-ship, to join her friends and relations at Sop's Island,
to which she gladly assented, and they came on board accordingly. We
then weighed anchor again at 12.30, to beat to Sop's Island, which we
reached between three and four o'clock. We landed immediately with
our poor fisherman's wife, who appeared an intelligent,
seriously-disposed person, and she could read. Her children were very
wild, hair uncut and uncombed, without shoes and stockings. She had
come from the Barred Islands (in the Fogo Mission), and lamented the
separation from her Church and clergy. She guided us to the residences
and fishing rooms of the different residents and others in Sop's Island,
and we appointed a service for them at five o'clock, not, however,
expecting to get them together before six o'clock. We commenced at
6.15; seventeen children were received into the Church, and two
couples married. We found that the parties whom we had missed at
Coney's Arm (as well as those from Jackson's Arm) were in this island,
and we sent word to them of our intention to hold service again
to-morrow. Here was a repetition of the same melancholy anomalies
and irregularities as those of yesterday, except that two or three of the
women could read; and a Mr. M----, from St. John's, a small dealer or
merchant, who has resided here for several years, has kept up some
remembrance of God and his service by reading the Church prayers at a
funeral. He resides, however, in the house of a planter, who has brought
and lives with a woman from England, in the very neighbourhood of
his wife, whom he deserted after she had borne him three children. She
(his wife) is still living at Twillingate, and supports herself as a nurse
and servant. By the woman he now lives with he has had seven children,
most of whom are grown up, and several married. When he saw my
vessel with a female on board, he thought his wife was come from
Twillingate, and went and hid himself in the woods. Some of his
children and grandchildren were among those admitted this day into the
Church. After the prayers and two addresses from myself, one in
connexion with the baptismal service, and one in place of a sermon,
two couples were married. These services were not finished till nearly
nine o'clock.
Wednesday, July 13th. Sop's Island, at sea, and at Gold Cove.--I had
appointed the service at nine o'clock, being anxious to get forward, if
possible, in the afternoon; but it was not till after twelve o'clock that the
poor people could arrange their little (to them great) matters, and come
with their children properly attired. Some had to go on
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