DESCRIPTION OF VINAL HAVEN—POPULATION AND PURSUIT OF THE PEOPLE—GREAT VARIETY OF FISH—THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GOSPEL.

The town of Vinal Haven includes both North and South Fox Islands, in lat. 44° north, and long. 69° 10' east. The population numbered, at the time of my visit, about 1,800. The inhabitants were intelligent and industrious, and hospitable to strangers. They got most of their wealth and living by fishing. The town fitted out over one hundred licensed sailing vessels, besides smaller craft.

North Fox Island is nine miles long by two miles in width and had a population of 800. They had a post office, one store, a Baptist church and meeting-house, four school-houses, and a tide grist mill.

The land was rather poor, yet there were some good farms. The products were wheat, barley, oats, potatoes and grass. The principal timber was fir, spruce, hemlock and birch. Raspberries and gooseberries grew in great abundance, and some up-land cranberries were raised. The principal stock of the island were sheep.

South Fox Island comes as near being without any definite form as any spot on earth I ever saw. It would be difficult for any person to describe it. It is about ten miles in length by five in width, and is one universal mass of rocks, formed into shelves, hills, and valleys, and cut up into necks and points to make room for the coves and harbors that run through and through the island.

The population was 1,000. The inhabitants got their living entirely by fishing. There is no chance for farming upon the island, and but a few garden patches, which are cultivated at great expense. Some few sheep are raised there.

Many of the inhabitants fish in the region of Newfoundland, and bring their fish home and cure them on flakes and prepare them for the market. They supply the market with great quantities of cod, mackerel and boxed herring.

Upon this island there were two stores, three tide saw mills, six school houses and a small branch of the Methodist church, presided over by a priest.

What timber there is upon this island, such as pine, fir, spruce, hemlock and birch, and the whortleberries, raspberries and gooseberries, mostly grows out of the cracks of the rocks.

Great quantities of fish, and in almost endless variety, inhabit the coves and harbors around the island. The whale, blackfish, shark, ground shark, pilot-fish, horse mackerel, sturgeon, salmon, halibut, cod, pollock, tom cod, hake, haddock, mackerel, shad bass, alewife, herring, pohagen, dolphin, whiting, frost-fish, flounders, smelt, skate, shrimp, skid, cusk, blueback, scollop, dogfish, muttonfish, lumpfish, squid, five-fingers, monkfish, horsefish, sunfish, swordfish, thresher, cat, scuppog, tootog, eyefish, cunner, ling, also the eel, lobster, clam, muscle, periwinkle, porpoise, seal, etc., are found there.

Thus I have given a brief description of Vinal Haven. It was quite dark when we landed there, without a farthing in money. We made our way over the rocks and through the cedars the best way we could, until we found a house, when we rapped at the door. A woman put her head out of the window and asked who was there and what was wanted.

I told her we were two strangers, and wanted a bed to lie down upon until morning.

She let us in and gave us a bed, and we slept until quite late, it being Sunday morning. When we came out and took breakfast it was nearly noon. I asked what she charged for our entertainment, and she replied that we were welcome.

I then asked her if there was any religion or minister or church on the island.

She informed me there was a Baptist minister, by the name of Newton, who had a congregation and a meeting-house about five miles from there.

We thanked her for her kindness, walked to the meeting-house and stepped inside the doorway. We stood there until a deacon came to the door, when I asked him to go and tell the minister in the pulpit that there were two servants of God at the door, who had a message to deliver to that people and wished the privilege of delivering it.

He sent for us to come to the pulpit, so we walked through the congregation with our valises under our arms, and took a seat by the side of the minister, who was about to speak as we came to the door.

He arose and delivered his discourse to the people, occupying about half an hour. When he closed he asked me what was my wish.

I told him we wished to speak to the people at any hour that would suit his or their convenience; so he gave notice that there were two strangers present who would speak to the people at five o'clock that evening.

We were quite a source of wonderment to the people, as they had no idea who we were.

Mr. Newton asked us to go home to tea with him, and we gladly accepted the invitation. When we arrived at his house I opened my valise and took out the Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, laid them upon the table, and took my seat.

Mr. Newton took up the books and looked at them, but said nothing. I then asked him if there were any school houses upon the island, and if so, whether they were free to preach in.

He answered that there were four, numbered respectively from one to four, and that they were free.

Mr. Newton and family accompanied us to the meeting-house, where we met a large congregation, none of whom knew who we were or anything about our profession, except the minister.

Elder Hale and I went to the stand, and I arose with peculiar feelings, and addressed the congregation for one hour, taking for my text Galatians i. 8-9.

This was the first time that I or any other Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had (to my knowledge) attempted to preach the fullness of the gospel and the Book of Mormon to the inhabitants of any island of the sea.

I had much liberty in speaking, and informed the people that the Lord had raised up a prophet and organized His Church as in the days of Christ and the ancient apostles, with prophets, apostles and the gifts as anciently, and that He had brought forth the Book of Mormon.

At the close of my remarks Elder Hale bore testimony.

I gave liberty for any one to speak that might wish to. As no one responded, I announced that we would hold meetings the next four evenings in the school-houses, beginning at No. 1.