N ' .v. ? MISSION OF ST. PATRICK GRAND HI VSR WEST mission was first settled in 1790 "by twenty eight Highland families from Barra the or of Scotland . These men were tenants of McNeil of Barra a Colonist who after vainly endeavouring to inoculate, > his tenantry with the tenets of his new religion, becazie:eo arbitrary and despotic that he forbade their erecting a new church notwithstanding the fact that their old one was insufficient to accomodate the congregation. Four men who were delegated to choose a site for the proposed church, whilst proceeding with their duty met the laird going his rounds. An argument ensued which terminated in a decided quarrel, this was on the 9*h March 1790» a^d- on tne following day all McNeils Catholic tenants gave him notice that they had decided to give up their holdings and leave the country. They went to Tobermory in the Island of Mull and laid their case before Bishop McDonald who happened to be there at the time and v/ho gave them a letter to Colonel Frazer in Edinburgh. This officer was much inter¬ ested in promoting emigration to Nova Scotia and promised them a ship to convey them to that country if they could muster three hundred and fifty emigrants. The required number was made up by the addition of some families from Uist ' and from the Mainlands. They sailed from Tobermory in the "Q^ieen of Greenock" early in July 17 S ^« Their charter was for Louisburg, , but a violent storm overtaking them at , they were obliged to change their course. After being out eight weeks, the passengers became dishearted and, taking, counnel among themselves, drew up a petition which was signed by all the heads of families on board, begging the Captain to put them ashore on the first land he caught si^ht. This happened to be Pointe de Roche near Savage Harbour in Prince Edward Island opposite which the "Queen of Greenock" anchored. Alexander McXinnon of Barra who had been the man to do battle with the laird for the rights of his fellow countrymen, and who had taken a leading part in the imigration, was. almost the only man of the band who sooke English, he and