served on a similar occasion, "I see clearly you are one of my converts, and not a convert of Jesus Christ."

After spending a very comfortable night in the ship, I res turned to shore early in the morning of the 9th, and proceeded on my journey. The next day we travelled nearly to the top of Mount Diable, of the precipices and romantic views of which I have spoken in a former page. The following night we lay at Spanish Town, and the next day arrived at our chapel in Kingston. The morning succeeding, I had two or three hours' refreshment in the public ordinances of God with our beloved society in that town. In the afternoon Mr. Fish, with many others of my friends, accompanied me to the packet, in which I sailed for England the next day, and was safely landed at Falmouth on the 6th of June, 1793.

On the 4th of June, early in the morning, as we were entering the mouth of the English Channel, the sailor at the mast-head gave notice of a sail in view. The captain instantly went to the mast-head, and, after remaining there a considerable time, came down, and informed us that we were then certainly chased by a privateer. For twenty-four hours the chase continued, till the privateer was within about a mile and a half of our packet. We had no force sufficient to make any resistance. All was despair among the crew and passengers; till, behold! appeared Lord Hood, with eleven sail of the line, and all their accompaniments, bound for the Mediterranean. Joyfully did we sail into the midst of our friends, while the privateer, pursued by one of our frigates, made the best of her way towards the coast of France. Thus did a most gracious Providence deliver us!

The succeeding accounts of the prosperous state of our soci ety's missionary establishment in different parts of the island, are comprised in letters from several of the preachers to the author; which are subjoined from copies faithfully taken from the originals, and given in regular order according to their dates.

CHAP. XIV.

HISTORY OF JAMAICA.

Progress of the mission-various obstacles which opposed the success of the gospel-account of the persecution in 1802—general state of religion.

THE events and circumstances which have occupied the concluding pages of the preceding chapter, have unavoidably carried our views forward, to a date which, with an eye to general narration, ought not to have been anticipated. The journal of the author led to the adoption of this measure. The period of its commencement pointed out the time for its introduction: and when once begun, it was impossible to suspend its progress, without breaking the thread of his personal observations. But this circumstance has necessarily obliged him to omit several interesting particulars, which are too important in themselves to be altogether neglected, and too closely connected with the subsequent parts of this history to be passed over in total silence. The dates of these events being prior to some which have been inserted, the author is compelled to survey, in retrospection, the transactions to which he adverts, and of which his journals have taken no account.

The removal of Mr. Brazier to the continent, on account of his declining health, and the subsequent death of Mr. Werrill, both of which events happened in the year 1791, placed the societies on the island in a solitary condition. For some time they were left without any missionary, though there was a sufficiency of employment for three or four. Montego Bay at this period held forth an inviting prospect. The seed which had been sown in that place seemed to have taken root; but it wanted to be watered with the dew of heaven, to mature it against the approaching harvest. Kingston was of far too much consequence to be neglected. A missionary was wanted for each place, but there was no one in the island to attend to either.

Such was the situation of the society in the island when Mr. Fish arrived, in 1792. On the whole, he found their affairs in a much better state than his fears had suggested. The number in society amounted to about 170, including those on three or four plantations in the mountains. The violence of per

secution had also abated; a few solitary stones were, indeed, thrown occasionally at the chapel, but personal interruption seldom happened. No attempt had, however, yet been made to establish preaching by candle-light; so that on the whole, the society rather enjoyed peace than prosperity.

The care of the whole island now devolved on this single missionary, aided by such internal helps as the societies could produce. The town of Kingston more particularly required his attention; the scattered sheep which were on the mountains demanded some assistance, and Port Royal was an object which called for care.

The time and attention of Mr. Fish being wholly engrossed by the necessary attentions to the infant churches in those places, he was under the necessity of abandoning Montego Bay. The distance between this place and Kingston was too great to admit of a division of his labours. His own sentiments of the progress of religion during this period are, that "the gospel was making a gradual progress among the people of colour; but that the white inhabitants were inattentive to its charms."

On the anniversary of that awful calamity which has been already described, the dreadful earthquake of 1692, which swallowed up Port Royal with its inhabitants and wealth, Mr. Fish observes as follows: "The day on which it happened, has been kept as a solemn fast by the appointment of the assembly. In the morning our congregation was small; but that in the evening was one of the largest and most attentive I have ever seen in the island; two young men excepted, who, being unwilling to hear the rod and Him that hath appointed it, went out soon after the text was mentioned." He then concludes the subject with this pointed and appropriate remark--" Should the judgments of the Lord again come upon this island, perhaps even the whites may learn righteousness."

Mr. Fish thus continued his solitary labours till the arrival of another missionary, about the end of July 1794. During this period he enjoyed that peace to which his predecessors had long been strangers, and the work of God prospered much. His endeavours were made a blessing to many; a considerable number was added to the society; and some others were at least so far humanized, that they were broken "from fierce barbarians into men."

Even "returning justice had again lifted aloft her scale." The magistrates had set their faces against riotous behaviour; and applications for redress were not always made in vain. "We obtained," observes Mr. Fish in one of his letters, "a warrant against those who disturbed us at the prayer-meeting; but as the persecutors were very willing to pay costs and

damages, we dropped the prosecution, and have not been disturbed since."

That the labours of Mr. Fish were crowned with some suc cess, we may plainly perceive from the following comparative estimates. On his arrival in 1792, the whole of the societies contained 170 members; but on the arrival of his colleague in July 1794, during which interval he had laboured alone, the number amounted to 280. Here then, by the active exertions of this pious missionary, was an actual increase of 110 members, who gave reason to hope that they were not only united to our society, but also united to God.*

On the arrival of the other missionary at Kingston, Mr. Fish gave up the society to his care, and immediately repaired to Montego Bay, which had been almost wholly neglected from the time it was last visited by the author of these pages in the month of April 1793. On his arrival he immediately waited on the ma gistrates, and made them acquainted with the design of his coming thither. A short consultation was held between them, and consent was at last given that he should preach. The assemblyroom, of which we have already spoken, was again obtained, and service was regularly performed therein during the first six months of his residence in this place. The congregation was by no means contemptible; many of the principal inhabitants attended, and all behaved with becoming decency.

It was on the 6th of June 1795 (a day which ought to be remembered with the deepest humiliation by all the inhabitants of that place), about two o'clock in the afternoon, that a dreadful fire broke out near the centre of the town. The origin of this conflagration was never clearly ascertained: by some it has been ascribed to accident, and by others to design. But, what cause soever might have called it into being, certain it is that it raged with almost unexampled violence; and, in the short space of five hours, laid a great part of the town in ashes. The flames for some time spread only in one direction, and threatened all

It may be proper to give our readers, once for all, an accurate idea concerning the religious influence of our societies. In the general, the regular congregations are five or six times as large as the societies, and even much larger in proportion on the plantations in the West Indies. In the societies are frequently several local preachers and exhorters, who are constantly employed on Sundays in the ministry of the word. In all the societies there are class-leaders, who have the oversight of a small number, from 12 to 20, of the members. These class-leaders also hold prayer-meetings in different houses in the towns and villages where they reside: and indeed we endeavour, under divine grace, to make even every private member of the society, as the apostle expresses it," a king and priest unto God and the Father." 3 I

VOL. L.

before them with impending desolation. But on a sudden, in a manner as unaccountable as their origin, they took an unexpected turn, without any visible cause, and immediately burst out in a contrary way.

The damage which was done by this awful visitation of God, was very considerable; and the confusion and disorder that immediately followed, and associated with the astonishing event, will submit to no description. It is a fact, however, which none can deny or disprove, that not a single house belonging to any one member in the Methodist society was injured, though the flames occasionally came near them. An Infidel may attribute this to chance; but a Christian will see and acknowledge in it the hand of God.

A pious young woman had removed out of that part which was destroyed, only a few days before, and by that means preserved her property from destruction. Had she been in the place of her former residence, not a single article would probably have escaped. On this occasion also, the Infidel and the Christian are fairly at issue: the latter ascribes it to providence, and the former to chance.

The following little circumstance may not be unworthy of notice, however trifling it may appear in itself. In the height of that confusion which the fire occasioned, a gentleman (so called) was swearing most horribly; on which a negro, who had heard him, accosted him as follows: "Ah massa, no use curse and swear now; cursing and swearing do all dis."

The assembly-room in which Mr. Fish preached, and in which a grand ball had been given the night preceding the fire, was consumed; and the houses which had escaped, were so crowded with those inhabitants whose dwellings had been destroyed, that no place could be procured which would contain the congregation.

To add to that calamity which we have mentioned, another disaster almost instantly followed the fire, more serious in its nature, and more destructive in the consequences which it threatened; the commencement of the Maroon War. Montego Bay was at no great distance from the haunts of the Maroons, and on that account lay exposed to dangers of the most alarming kind. Neither night nor day could promise safety. The restless activity of the savages bade defiance to calculation; they committed devastations both with sword and fire; and generally found means to elude the vigilance of every guard which was set to watch their movements, and to prevent their in

cursions.

All these events were unfriendly to the interests of the gospel. The attention of the inhabitants was entirely engrossed