of the River
St. John then was.[98]

[98] Major Studholme in 1783 states that John Kendrick was a good
subject, an old soldier and very deserving. He lived near
Gagetown with his wife and five children. He settled there
about the year 1768.

On Sunday the 9th of July Mr. Wood held service at Maugerville, where
he had a congregation of more than two hundred persons but, owing to
the fact that the people were chiefly "Dissenters from New England,"
he baptized only two infants. He thought, however, if a prudent
missionary were settled among them their prejudices against the Church
of England would speedily vanish. He speaks in his letter to the S. P.
G. of the rising townships of Gagetown, Burton and Maugerville as a
most desirable field for a missionary and commends the Indians to the
special consideration of the society. After making a call at
Morrisania, a little below Fredericton, where two children were
baptized, Mr. Wood and his companions proceeded to "Okpaak" which he
terms "the farthest settlement upon the River." He thus describes the
reception they met with on their arrival:

"The Chief of the Indians came down to the Landing place and
handed us out of our boat, and immediately several of the Indians,
who were drawn out on the occasion, discharged a volley of
Musketry turned from us, as a signal of receiving their friends.
The Chief then welcomed us and introduced us to the other Chiefs,
and after inviting us to their Council Chamber, viz. their largest
wigwam, conducted us thither, the rest of the Indians following.
Just before we arrived we were again saluted with their musketry
drawn up as before. After some discourse relative to Monsieur
Bailly, the French Priest that Government have thought proper to
allow them, finding them uneasy that they had no priest among them
for some time past, I told them that the Governor had employed him
to go to the Indians to the eastward of Halifax and had sent me to
officiate with them in his absence. They then seemed well enough
satisfied, and at their desire I began prayers with them in
Mickmack, they all kneeling down and behaving very devoutly. The
vice concluded with an anthem and the blessing."

Mr. Wood says that although there were then at Aukpaque Indians of
three different tribes, Micmacs, Maliseets and Caribous,[99] they all
understood the Micmac language, and he expresses regret that he had
not be