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.