Rev A Brandram - No 109
Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 2, 1841.
My dear Friend,
My letter No. 107 brought on the narrative of my journeyings as far as to Woodstock on my return down the River St. John from the French settlement of Madawaska. I stopped a few days at Woodstock, during which time we held a public meeting, and transformed the Woodstock branch of the Fredericton Bible Society into an Auxiliary, in immediate connexion with Earl Street. I then made excursions into the country around, where three branches were formed, which you will find marked No. 22, 23, 24 in my letter 108. These with Tobique branch, No. 21, make four branches for the Carlton County Auxiliary. Some preparations also were made for forming others, which I hope will be embodied in due time. I should not omit to mention that Mr. J. M. Connell, a worthy disciple, and a man of ample means, drove me to all the places I visited, in his own vehicle, and lent all his aid to further our work. He is a lively friend of our Bible Society, and promises to be very useful in sustaining and extending our cause in that place.
I here closed my operations in Woodstock; not because there was no more to do, or that no more could have been done, but because I could not spare more time for that quarter with justice to the other places lying before me in my summer tour. Could I have afforded two or three weeks more, I am persuaded it would have been very advantageous to our cause. An observation similar to this I might have made on finishing my tour from St. John to Fredericton. Two or three weeks more there would have given you in all probability several additional new societies, and might also have more strength and some of those already established.
I reached Fredericton on the evening of the 30th of July, and found the Committee all met in the President's house on my arrival, having written from Woodstock to prepare for this. Resolutions were entered into by the Committee at this meeting, for extending their operations in the adjacent country, which forms the sphere of their Society, and embraces two counties. I hope their endeavours will be attended with success, for I should like to see the Fredericton Society more powerful than it is.
I paid a visit here to Dr. Jacob who is at the head of the Fredericton College. He is expected soon to be the Bishop of New Brunswick, and I understand from good authority, that in his very first charge he will especially recommend the Bible Society to his clergy. This must be private in the meantime.
From Fredericton I went down to the mouth of the River Oromocto, and there formed a branch, which you will find marked No. 19. But from a strange oversight, I have given you a wrong name for it. I should have said that Burton and Lincoln Bible Society, they having chosen to give it that name as it embraces to parishes so called one on each side of the River. Please to make this alteration. Of this Society, J. M. Wilmot, Esq., is President; the same gentleman who was long, and at the first, President of the New Brunswick Bible Society. A few years ago he retired from St. John, and now resides on an old family property pleasantly situated on the River St. John, and within a couple of miles of the Oromocto.
The day after this Society was formed, I started from Fredericton in the stage, and went right across the country in a couple of days, to Miramichi. Here I had some communications with our Bible friends; and then went on to Bathurst, on the Bay of Chaleur. Two public meetings were held here; one of these was the Anniversary. This Society has been greatly hindered in its advancement by the want of Books. Not one had they then received. About a month before I was there they received Mr. Jackson's letter of the 20th April with the Halifax postmark: but where the Books were, of which this letter contained the invoice, they could not tell, and nothing had they heard of them after making many inquiries. If they were shipped by your agent in Liverpool, he should certainly have written a note to say to what port and consignee they were sent.
There were two or three places on the opposite side of the Bay of Chaleur, in Canada, which I wished to visit: but contrary winds hindered me from starting when I was ready, and afterwards when I did set out, a change of wind obliged me to return, after being out five hours, a sufficient time to have taken us across with a good breeze, the distance being about 30 miles.
I returned again to Miramichi, and in Chatham gave a public address on our Bible cause, at a meeting held in one of the churches. The anniversary of the Society could not be held, as the accounts had not been got in from the country parts, and were not due till a full month later. But this Society has also been much crippled in its operations during the year, as their Books likewise, as in the case of Bathurst, had not come to hand. They had been sent to Halifax, and there they were overlooked or mislaid, and there they lay up to that time. Several vessels yearly leave England for Miramichi and Bathurst both in the Spring and towards the Fall, and with these vessels if possible all books should be sent, and not to Halifax.
I felt the want of these books here and at Bathurst in my own case, as there are many French settlers in each of these places, whom I had intended to visit had I had French Testaments for them. In Gloucester County, of which Bathurst is the capital, two thirds of the whole population are French; and the same people are numerous all down the coast to the south of the Province. In one instance a Frenchman asked me of his own accord for a Book, and I had none to give him.
When we formed our Auxiliary in Miramichi last year, the Ladies were a little fearful that they and their Society would wane under the beams of the other. I ventured to assure them that their fears were groundless; and my prophesying has turned out right, for this year they have considerably increased their funds, which have reached to about £62 currency. Their funds, however, would have been greater still had they had Books for sale.
I had made my arrangements before I came to this quarter, to go from Miramichi to Prince Edward's Island. But when I came, I found the steam boat that ran last year had ceased. I was therefore obliged to alter my route, and resolved to go to Halifax without much delay; and from thence to move through those parts in Nova Scotia which last year I was not able to overtake.
From Miramichi I went to Richibucto; and on Sunday, the 22nd, I had the opportunity of addressing the audiences assembled in the Scotch Church, and in the Wesleyan Church, upon the great Bible cause, and our duty to forward it, and powerfully. The Richibucto Ladies are going on in efficient Bible operations.
After leaving Richibucto, I came on rapidly to this city; stopping a little at times to converse with the office-bearers of the Societies in the way. I reached this on the 28th; and have since been arranging with the Committee of the Nova Scotia Bible Society for holding their Anniversary Meeting, and also for an extensive tour in the province. I send you a slip from a newspaper which contains a notification of our arrangements. All the newspaper editors here kindly insert our notices free of expense.
I have had my eye on Newfoundland all this summer, and wished much to take it in. But business having increased upon me on my way, and as that is still in this quarter so much to be done, I have thought it right to give up Newfoundland, which I have done reluctantly. The tour you will see marked out on the slip, and some of the parts East of Pictou, and a visit to Cape Breton will occupy the season fully, and if I had more time it could be well spent in these quarters.
I remain, My dear Friend,
Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.