Shore, where he established the Ebenezer Mission in the neighborhood of West Cape and Cape Wolfe. At this latter place, tradition says, that General Wolfe landed and took breakfast on the morning when he started up the Gulf to the conquest of Quebec. The Rev. George Webber, while writing in 1873 about the opening of this western work, stated, “The country was then very new, and but just beginning to be settled, the missionaries had not a few difficulties in opening up this field, but God blessed and prospered them, and we have a West Cape Mission today, that promises in a few years to become one of the circuits on the Island.” In regard to Mr. James Kinley, father of the Rev. William Kinley, Rev. George Webber wrote, “I could not pass from this field without referring to one of our number, to whom we owe much in the first opening, and in the subsequent consolidation of this part, Mr. James Kinley, a man of fine natural abilities, good judgment, and strong denominational attachment, who has shown for nearly forty years the most painstaking and praiseworthy devotion to our cause. It may in truth be said, his debtors we are.””

15. DIFFICULTIES 0F TRAVEL IN WESTERN PRINCE COUNTY

From 1837 through 1840, the two missionaries labored with little rest in their far—reaching circuits, which now stretched from Sturgeon in the east to Cascumpec and West Cape in the north and west. The difficult tasks they faced of seeking the widely scattered people, establishing new preaching stations, and continuing the local societies already formed, seemed never to end. With few visible signs of success, they must have faced many discouraging days, and the fact that they strug— gled on against increasing odds, is truly remarkable.

“It was no easy work fifty years ago (1883), to pass from one neighborhood to another, to say nothing of travelling from Vernon River to West Cape, With a few exceptions, the roads were only blazed tracks through the woods, and in many cases the only way to travel was to follow the shore when the tide was out; frequently the tide would catch the missionary, when he would be under the necessity of waiting for the next ebb. In addition to these difficulties, there are all around the Island numerous rivers or inlets of the sea; these had to be constantly crossed. Bridges and ferry boats for horses were few, the preachers therefore had to travel many miles, and cross at the head of the tide water or get a boat to carry themselves across, while their horses, if they had any, swam for themselves.”56

“One of the missionaries, travelling in the western part of the Island, set out on foot on the Western Road; there had been heavy rains, the roads very muddy, and now there had fallen some inches of wet snow on the soft deep mud. After walking eighteen miles, night came on; he was now in the midst of the woods, far from human habitation, and several miles from the end of his journey near

55 lbid., pp. 38, 39. 56 lbid., p. 42.

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