THE SEEMON. 121 



or seven respectable-looking mechanics, was seen winding 

 his way along the shore toward us ; following close upon 

 them, were several gentlemen from the Hudson's Bay- 

 Company's post and a few Indians. They were all soon on 

 board, and having been received by the Commissioner, were 

 accommodated with seats in the main cabin at each side of 

 the dinner table, where also sat our crew and servants ; the 

 whole representing a very fair number of the various 

 religious denominations into which the inhabitants of the 

 province are divided, together with a goodly number of 

 the Church of England. 



At the head of the table, clad in a sober suit of black, 

 with a decent white choker, stood the gaunt and melan- 

 choly looking parson — melancholy looking I say, for the 

 man was not of a melancholy but of a sanguine and 

 cheerful disposition. Having read, in a plain and unaffected 

 voice, the morning service of the Church of England, with 

 the psalms and lessons for the day, he opened a volume 

 which lay beside him and spoke as follows. 



"In the 21st chapter of the gospel according to St. 

 John at the 3rd verse, it is thus written, 



' I go a fishing.' 



" Whose words were these, my Brethren ? By whom were 

 they spoken ? Were they uttered by some ignorant 

 heathen, some negligent disciple or some false Apostle ? 

 No ; they are the words of the ardent, the energetic, the 



