0n Prince Edward Island

Rev. Peter Gordon, Rev. John Keir, and Rev. James Pidgeon.

It was found to be impossible to get from the church in Scotland preachers to supply our rapidly increasing vacancies. Repeated applications had been made to the churches in Scotland, but for the most part they were made in vain. At length these early pioneers came to the conclusion that if they were to succeed in the work which they had under- taken they must depend to a large extent on their own resources and devise means to train up a native ministry to supply the increasing demand. Accord- ingly we find Rev. Thomas McCulloch of Pictou, an accomplished scholar, a born teacher, and an able defender of truth and righteousness, in the year 1805, two years after his arrival from Scotland, pro- jecting an institution for the purpose of giving to promising young men such a literary and classical educaton as would qualify them to enter upon the study of theology. At that period the country was only sparsely settled and the people generally were in straitened circumstances, so that such an undertaking required a large degree of faith and of Christian de- termination. But, encouraged and supported by his brethren, Messrs. McGregor and Ross, and by the sturdy Scottish immigrants who had settled in the country—men of indomitable pluck and energy, men who had unbounded faith in education, secular and religious, as lying at the foundation of all true prosperity—we find Dr. McCulloch firmly adhering to his fondly cherished project, and paving the way

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