The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

REV. JOHN STUART7 D. D. 517
some more Mohawks had settled, who were busy building houses
and laying the foundations of their new village "named Tyonderoga."1
Though Mr Stuart had now received from the Society, whose
missionary he continued to. be, discretionary power to settle in
any part of Canada, he remained another year in Montreal, as
assistant to the Rev. Mr Delisle, episcopal clergyman of.that
town. He finally removed in August 1785. His share of the
public land was situate partly at Cataraqui and partly at a place
which, in memory of the dear old village on the Mohawk river,
was called Jew Johnstown. In a letter written soon after
he thus describes his new home:" I have 200 acres within half a mnile of the garrison, a beautiful situation and
tolerable good land. The town increases fast; There are already above 50 houses
built in it & some of them very elegant; it is now the Port of transport, from
Canada to Niagara, having a good harbor to contain vessels of large burden —w
have now just at the door a ship a scow and a sloop besides a number of small
craft. And, if the communication lately discovered from this place, by water, to
Lake Huron & Michilmackinac, proves as safe and short, as we are taught tobelieve, this will shortly be a place of considerable trade & consequently an eligible
situation. I have been fortunate in my locations of land, having.1400 acres
at different places, in good situations, & of an excellent quality, three farms
of which I am improving and have sowed this fall thirty bushels in them. The
Shore is occupied by loyalists forty miles above this town and the lands appropriated forty miles higher up. The number of souls to the westward of us is more
than 5000 and we gain daily new recruits from the States. —we are poor, happy
people, industrious beyond example. Our gracious King gives us land gratis and
furnishes provision and clothing, farming utensils &c. until next September; after
which, the generality of people will be able to live without his bounty. So much
for our new settlements. The greatest inconvenience I feel here is there being
no school for my boys, but we are now applying to the Legislature for assistance
to erect an Academy & have great reason to expect success; if I succeed in this
I shall die here contented." In the concluding part of this letter he adds, "not.
withstanding all my philosophy and Christian resignation to my fate I must ex.
press that even writing to a friend in that quarter of the world recalls ideas to
my mind not the most pleasing. But I must banish them and make a virtue of
necessity. Perhaps I could not live so happily, even in Philadelphia as at Cata.
raqui. I'll endeavor to persuade myself to it."a
In May, 1786, he opened an academy at Kingston, and in the
summer of 1788, he went round his "parish" which was, then,
1 Abstract of 1785; Letters of Aug. 8, 1784 and June 27, 1785.
2 Letter of Nov. 2, 1785.