Cornelia. For a considerable time he had; but he received much assistance from Mr. Williams and Dr. Pride. The latter gentleman went to reside at Mayhew not long after the removal of Mr. Kingsbury's family from Elliot.

Miranda. Had not the reinforcement arrived, which you mentioned as having been detained by sickness and other calamities?

Cornelia. No; they did not reach Elliot till March, 1821, full six months after they set out from New England.

Sarah. I should like to hear the history of their long journey.

Cornelia. You must wait till we meet again, for it is a long and melancholy story.

Before the meeting was closed, the following hymn was sung:

With my substance, I will honor.

My Redeemer and my Lord;
Were ten thousand worlds my manor,
All were nothing to his word.

While the heralds of salvation
His abounding grace proclaim;
Let his friends of every station,
Gladly join to spread his fame.

May his kingdom be promoted,

May the world the Saviour know; Be my all to him devoted,

To my Lord my all I owe.

Praise the Saviour, all ye nations,
Praise him all ye hosts above;
Shout with joyful acclamations,
His divine-victorious love.

CHAPTER IV.

ALMOST as soon as the society met the next time, Miranda requested Miss McEllroy to give the history of the missionary travellers to the Choctaw country.

Katharine. The reinforcement of whom you inquired consisted of Mr. Cushman, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Bardwell, with their families, from Goshen, Mass., Mr. Hooper from Maine, Miss Frisselle from Peru, Mass., and Miss Thacher from Pennsylvania, and Mr. Byington, a licensed preacher, who received his theological education at Andover. They travelled in company over land to Pittsburg, Penn., and were advised by the committee to proceed the whole journey by land; but growing weary of a land carriage, they were advised to descend the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi, as far as the Walnut Hills. Being ignorant of the danger as well as the dif ficulty of a journey in the winter from the Walnut Hills to Elliot, they embarked at Pittsburg on board a large flat bottomed boat called an

Ark, on the fourth of November, but did not reach the hills till the last of December. There they were obliged to divide the company, and Mr. Cushman, with his family, and Mr. Hooper, took a waggon, and at the end of eighteen days found themselves at Mayhew. Mr. Bardwell, his family, and Miss Frisselle, remained at the hill to protect the property of the Board, which had been deposited there to a large amount, waiting for the arrival of the Choctaw packet to carry it to Elliot and Mayhew. After waiting some time, and finding the rivers rise so as to render it unsafe to go by water, Mr. Bardwell secured the property in the best manner he was able, procured horses, and pursued his journey on horseback through the wilderness to Elliot.

Jerome. What became of Mr. Byington, and Mr. Smith?

Cornelia. Mr. Byington hearing that Dr. Worcester, the Corresponding Secretary of the American Board of Missions, was expected at Natchez in feeble health, on his way to the missionary stations, went to Natchez to his assistance and to accompany him in his journey. Mr. Smith, his family, Miss Thacher, and Mr. Dyer, who had come from Elliot to meet them, took a

boat and attempted to ascend the Yazoo river; at that time the water was low, and it was thought the whole number of hands might row as far as Elliot in less than three weeks.

Jerome. Who were in the company to row, except Mr. Smith and Mr. Dyer?

Cornelia. Mr. Smith's two oldest sons, one a lad of fourteen, the other fifteen, and his daughter, nearly as old, besides Miss Thacher, who willingly assisted.

Jerome. How large was the boat?

Cornelia. It was thirty feet long, and capable of carrying three or four tons; it had a little deck. They embarked on the second of February, 1821; but did not make much progress the first two days, and the third being the Sabbath, they erected seats on the banks of the river, and spent the day in religious conversation, reading, singing, and prayer. The next day they were disappointed of a man they had expected to obtain to help at the oars, and it was agreed that Miss Thacher and the eldest daughter of Mr. Smith should steer the boat by turns, which they continued to do till they reached Elliot. On their route were many lakes and small rivers, which at some seasons of the year were swollen