The greatest inconvenience I feel here is there being no school for my boys, but we are now applying to the Legislature for assistance to erect an Academy & have great reason to expect success; if I succeed in this I shall die here contented." In the concluding part of this letter he adds, ''notwithstanding all my philosophy and Christian resignation to my fate I must express that even writing to a friend in that quarter of the world recalls ideas to my mind not the most pleasing. But I must banish them and make a virtue of necessity. Perhaps I could not live so happily, even in Philadelphia as at Cata. raqui. Ill endeavor to persuade myself to it."2
In May, 1786, he opened an academy at Kingston, and in the summer of 1788, he went round his " parish" which was, then,
1 Abstract of 1785; Letters of Aug. 8, 1784 and June 27, 1785. 2 Letter of Nov. 2, 1785.
518 MEMOIR OF THE
'above 200 miles long. He thus describes his voyage on this occasion, and some other incidents :--
''T embarked in a Battoe with six indians commanded by Capt, Brant and coasted along the north side of Lake Ontario about 200 miles; and from the Head of the Lake we went 25 miles, by land, to [New Oswego] the Mohawk village in the Grand river which empties into Lake Erie. These people were my former charge, & the Society still stiles me their Missionary. I found them conveniently situated on a beautiful river, where the soil is equal in fertility to. any I ever saw ;--Their village contains about 700 souls and consists of a great number of good houses with an elegant church in the centre it has a handsome steeple & Bell, and is well finished within.