History of Presbyterianism

CHAPTER XIII.

WOOD ISLANDS.

The congregation of Wood Islands and Little Sands is partly in Queens and partly in Kings county, and lies along the south side of the island. The first settlers of this district came from the Is- land of Colonsa in the year 1800. Like most of the early settlers, they endured many hardships during the first few years of their settlement. These days have now happily passed away and this is now one of the most thriving and prosperous settlements in the province. Woodville, or Wood Islands, as the place was then called, being the nearest point to Pic- tou, the late Dr. McGregor frequently touched here on his tours to and from the island, and always preached to the people. In this way he gave them occasional supply from 1806 to 1819. In the last named year he preached twice in the house of Mr. Malcolm McMillan and once in the open air. On one of these occasions his text was, “0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help.” :On - another occasion he preached on Isa. lvii: 3, 4, and spoke strongly against sorcery, and as a result one man who professed to be skilled in magic at once renounced the practice. The Doctor, in making his tours through this place, Belfast, Three Rivers, etc, had to travel mostly on foof’ in fiéffow paths through the woods, or in a canoe, as there were no

98