next morning we had the consolation of offering the sacrifice of mass in the cathedral, and my companions all received holy communion, to thank the Almighty and our Lady for having saved us amid so many perils, and especially shipwreck, where our life was in danger. Such circumstances are well suited to convince us that we are in the hands of the Lord, who protects us and preserves our life, or calls us, as he wills, before his tribunal.
Halifax numbers about 25,000 souls, one-third of whom are Catholics, and contains three Catholic churches, two convents, and four schools.
On the 8th of December, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, after the celebration of mass, we heard that the steamship Niagara, of the Liverpool and Boston line, was in sight. At each trip she stops at Halifax, remaining two hours. All the passengers of the Humboldt, including those that we took in from England, went on board, making the total of passengers more than 400.
Among those already on the Niagara, was a little man, with an ape-like face and a goatish beard, who called himself Francis Tapon, a self-nominated apostle, and self-commissioned to teach a new religion to the universe. Francis declared himself an enemy of all existing creeds, but above all to the Pope and the Jesuits. When quitting Liverpool, he declared openly and aloud that he would kill the first Jesuit that he might meet on American soil! In fact, he was so violent that the captain prudently took from him his gun, pistols and poniards. The moment I set foot on the Niagara, I was informed of these interesting particulars. I advised my young friends to avoid Mr. Francis Tapon, and pay no sort of attention to his words or movements. He proclaimed from the deck the program of his new gospel, that " was to succeed all religions." Those who heard him shrugged their shoulders, saying, " The man is crazy." On arriving at Boston, he made several ablutions, to the great amusement of the passengers, saying that he " was wash