ch in 1864 conferred on me
the undesired and undeserved honor, the highest which they could
confer--the honor of being the Moderator of their Supreme Court. No one
can understand how much I shrank from all this; but, in hope of the
Lord's using it and me to promote His work amongst the Heathen, I
accepted the Chair, though, I fear, only to occupy it most unworthily,
for Tanna gave me little training for work like that!

I have ever regarded it as a privilege and honor that I was born and
trained within the old covenanting Reformed Presbyterian Church of
Scotland. As a separate Communion, that Church was small amongst the
thousands of Israel; but the principles of Civil and Religious Liberty
for which her founders suffered and died are, at this moment, the heart
and soul of all that is best and divinest in the Constitution of our
British Empire. I am more proud that the blood of Martyrs is in my
veins, and their truths in my heart, than other men can be of noble
pedigree or royal names.

CHAPTER LII.
TOUR THROUGH THE OLD COUNTRY.

My tour through Scotland brought me into contact with every Minister,
Congregation, and Sabbath School in the Church of my fathers. They were
never at any time a rich people, but they were always liberal. At this
time they contributed beyond all previous experience, both in money and
in boxes of useful articles for the Islanders.

Unfortunately, my visit to the far North, to our Congregations at Wick
and Stromness, had been arranged for the month of January; and thereby a
sore trial befell me in my pilgrimages. The roads were covered with snow
and ice. I reached Aberdeen and Wick by steamer from Edinburgh, and had
to find my way thence to Thurso. The inside seats on the mail coach
being all occupied, I had to take my place outside. The cold was
intense, and one of my feet got bitten by the frost. The storm detained
me nearly a week at Thurso, but feeling did not return to the foot.

We started, in a lull, by steamer for Stromness; but the storm burst
again, all were ordered below, and hatches and doors made fast. The
passengers were mostly very rough, the place was foul with whisky and
tobacco. I appealed to the Captain to let me crouch somewhere on deck
and hold on as best I could. He shouted, "I dare not! You'll be washed
overboard."

On seeing my appealing look, he relented, directed his men to fasten a
tarpaulin over me, and lash it and me to the mast, and there I lay till
we re