"On the 7th of October [1802] I set off, in
company with Joseph Jewell, the presiding elder, for the Bay
of Quinte circuit. We had a terrible road to travel from the
head of Lake Ontario to Little York, as it was then called,
now Toronto, over hills and creeks, through mud and water,
but at last arrived in safety. We had an appointment for
preaching on Yonge-street in the evening of the next day.
After the sermon by Mr. Jewell, I gave an exhortation. The
people requested that I might be left for a few days to
preach in the neighborhood. I accordingly staid behind, with
the understanding that I should go on in a short time. At
the time appointed I set off, but was taken sick with
influenza on the way. Being tenderly nursed in the house
where I stopped, I soon recovered, mounted my horse, and
rode some miles, when my faithful animal was taken sick and
the next day died. Here, then, I was alone in a strange
place, without money, without a horse, and, as far as I
knew, without friends. I trusted in God alone, and he
provided for me. In about half an hour, during which I
hardly knew which way to turn, a gentleman came along and
offered to lend me a horse on condition that I would defer
my journey to the Bay of Quinte, and agree to remain in
those parts preaching for some time. I thankfully accepted
his offer, mounted the horse, and went on my way rejoicing
up to Little York. The settlements in this part of the
country were all new, the roads extremely bad, and the
people generally poor and demoralized. Our occasional
preachers were exposed to many privations and often to much
suffering from poor fare and violent opposition. Seth
Crowell, a zealous and godly itinerant, had traveled along
the lake shore before me, and had been instrumental in the
awakening and conversion of many of the settlers, so that
some small societies had been formed; but they were far
apart, and I found them in a dwindled condition. On Yonge-street,
which was a settlement extending westward from Little York
in a direct line for about thirty miles, there were no
societies, but all the field was new and uncultivated, with
the exception of some Quaker neighborhoods.