"It was in the spring of the year, 1835, when your grandfather undertook
a tour of visitation to the southern and western shores of Newfoundland,
for the purpose of ministering to the scattered families in the remote
settlements of that region. He left me at St. John's in the month of
March, as travelling over the snow in the island is considered less
difficult in that month than walking overland is at any other season of
the year. When we parted I knew that he was going on a laborious and
painful journey, but I had formed no idea of the dangers to which he
would be exposed, or my heart would indeed have sunk within me. He
took with him a guide to pilot him through the country; a man who was
reckoned very skilful and experienced, and who had lived some time with
the Micmac Indians, one of the aboriginal tribes. They had not advanced
far on their way when they missed the route, and could only ascertain
the points of the compass by observing the inclination of the topmost
branches of the juniper or larch trees."
"How could they know by that means, grandmamma?"
"Because the juniper or larch always points to the east, thus affording
them a secure indication, by means of which they regained the path some
time after night-fall.
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