PREPARATION 15

Perfect strangers in a new land, which was outside
of the Oblate religious jurisdiction, Brothers Coccola,
Chiappini and Morice did not tarry long on Vancouver
Island. They boarded another boat, the third since
leaving their native country, which took them over to
New Westminster, a small town with a long name,
where they were received with open arms by their new
superior, Bishop Louis Joseph D’Herbomez, O.M.I.,"*
who was ever to manifest real attachment to the
youngest, to-day Father Morice.

The city where he had his see was a place of two
thousand inhabitants at most, remarkable chiefly for
its steep streets, quite a number of which were still
studded with stern-looking cedar stumps, which
seemed to defy the efforts of man. It was, however,
the only place of any importance on the mainland. Of
course, Vancouver had then absolutely no existence,
its site being occupied by a saw-mill called Granville,
on the sea shore.

New Westminster was connected with Burrard
Inlet by a fine road, which looked like one of those
European avenues bordered by trees. Those which
were to be seen just north of the Fraser River town
were of the very finest, extremely tall and straight as
gigantic needles. Then a fourth boat, the Reliance,
which was little more than an old tub,” took them up
the Fraser to a point known to-day as Mission City,
where they were to complete their theological studies
preparatory to being ordained. They had at last
reached their new home.

18 The very first Bishop of continental British Columbia, to which
he had been appointed as early as the 10th of Dec., 1863. He was to
govern it, most wisely, until June 3, 1890.

19 Father Morice still remembers the shrill cry of distress her whistle
eae night she had been penetrated by a snag a little above the

ission.