In January 1841 our Missionary Presbytery met at Coco Walk, in Manchester parish, near the southern extremity of the island. Our brother, Mr. Patterson, after leaving Montego Bay, had settled there, in a wide district previously unoccupied, and commenced operations of the highest character, founding a noble church and school, and several important stations. His church had received the name of New Broughton. The journey thither from our place was long, nearly eighty miles the shortest way one could go, and much longer by the best way. But the value of our temperance, or rather total abstinence principles, had been proved before then on long journeys, and the old limit, of forty miles a day or thereabouts, was no longer adhered to. I was unavoidably detained a day beyond my time in leaving home, and resolved to take the shortest way over the mountains. It would require me to make out above sixty miles over rough roads the first day; but would enable me to join the brethren early on the second. An incident of the journey cannot be forgotten.

I had two horses, one of which carried our changes of raiment and provender, and ran loose the fore part of the day, being thereby fresh to carry myself the latter part. My servant, a deacon in the church, rode a strong mule. For some hours in the noontide we rested, and fed ourselves and horses in the forest shade, beside a cool stream, and thus refreshed got through the mountains early in the evening.