, 1913-02-19
WITH THE BISHOP TO BARBUDA.
(Amtigua Churchman, Jamuary 1881

1t isn't often tnat one mas an opportunity
to accompany a Bishop on his tour, and as
that chance presented itself to me, l availed
myself of it, and with his Lordship and
Archdeacon Branch set sail on Saturday
morning, 14th instant, for Barbuda. The
wind on the previous day had been all that
the most exacting sailor could have desired,
and so we started with little provision for
the Journey and with high hope of reaching
our destination at the latest in the afternoon
of the same day. But alas for the hopes
of men. How soon and how often are they
shattered! Be that as it may, / know ours
was, and very soon too, for it took us one
blessed hour to crawl out of st. Johns
Harbour. We then began to realize in some
little way-by no means yet to the full ex-
tent, as we discovered in the, not sweet, but
in the by and by,-that we were III for @ long
passage, and, what was almost q staggering
blow, that we had provisions for about W.
square meals
How shall I describe our narrowed feel
ings az hour after hour crept by, and Anti
qua looked as big and as near as ever-never
a bit smaller, and, use our imagination to
the utmost never a hit farther Then we
began to realize what we had done. We
had undertaken o voyage on o SAILING yes
sel-rather tub, a thousand apologies to SO
good a name as vessel-with three digni-
taries on board q Bishop, whose dignity
would alone account for a days delay, an
Archdeacon for half q day, and q Canon
we'll, as he is the heaviest piece of ordnance,
for the lying to of the tub all night-kept
back the unfortunate thing, that's what we
did, and the sailors looked at us with eyes
which cleaned with suspicion and amuse-
ment. Talk about light winds, head winds,
bosh, it wasn't the wind or the lack OF it.
They knew better. What could be expected
even from the fastest vessel when there
was such q mass of theology on board!
Let us draw a veil, just as thick as you
please over that journey. No, don't pull
1t aside or you'll see.-No, be m~erciful, blot
it out.
Well, after 80 hours of it we arrived at
Burbuda, and were met Immediately by such
q diabolical smell as I did not believe could
be experienced outside of China. But [
think that even the Chinese stink-pots are
not in it with that smell. We discovered
that it proceeded from q great mass OF de-
caying seaweed on the shore, and comforted
ourselves that it was nothing worse than
that. We landed, or rather were hoisted
out of the boat and carried to the shore,
ana, as J06 RlV0r (Iu0 lduuluS pldC6J 10
about 3 miles from the Codrington Village
we had to send one of the boatmen to ask
that the American spring cart should be
sent for us. That was 2 o'clock, and re-
member we we're starving but starving as
we we're we soon became ourselves the food
for the vilest and most malicious little brutes
of mosquitoes and sandtlies that have ever
had the painful lot to make the acquaint-
ance of.
After a weary wait, and when we were
nearly skeletons from want of tea and from
mosquito bites, at 4:15 Mr.. G. Sutherland,
the courteous and hospitable Manager of
the Island, rode down to us with hot tea
and bread and butter. Hot as that tea was
it aoon disappeared to the great comfort of
our weary bodies. From that moment our
miseries ceased, for with the advent of Mr..
Sutherland life took a more rosy hue, md
when the cart came bringing Rev. Mr.. Hum
phreys and Mr.. Drinkwater to welcome us
we were ready for our drive. And here let
me say at once that it is impossible to de-
scribe, even in small measure, the thought
full kindness which was lavished upon us by
our kind host, Mr.. Sutherland. We felt at
once at home in his house as he wished us
to feel, aud when the time came for us to
leave we did so with regret.
A word here about the village. 1t was
6ret huilt in the same position, when Gener-