oman, and I attended her in
her frequent and regular attendance. She encouraged me to join the
choir as a boy in 1861 and taught me music, and my first position in
the church in connection with its musical services was as organ
blower. I afterwards took my seat with the adults, singing treble,
then alto and tenor, and I have now the treble score of several
anthems copied by myself at that time.

I shall now describe the church as I remember it in 1859 and 1862.
The inside was an oblong square. The entrance was at the south-west
corner, and there was a gallery across the west end, where the old
organ and the choir were then situated. Under this gallery were pews,
one of which was occupied by our family. The vestry was at the
south-west corner, and had entrance from under the gallery as well as
from outside. The inside of the building was lathed and plastered.
There was a low tower at the south-west corner, dovecote shaped,
where the pigeons made their nests and brought forth their young.
There were two bells in the tower, one larger than the other,
which when rung sounded ding-dong, ding-dong three times a day,
morning, afternoon and evening of Sunday, and also Wednesday
evenings. A plan shows a square contrivance opposite the entrance.
This was Governor Douglas' pew, and was occupied by the Governor and
his family regularly each Sunday morning. He walked down the aisle in
his uniform in the most dignified manner, and led the congregation in
the responses in an audible voice. By the plan an organ and choir are
shown in the gallery as well as one in the chancel, but the dates
1859 and 1862 explain that in 1862 there was a new organ, and the old
one removed, and the gallery done away with. It was in this gallery
my services commenced as organ blower, and the only one I can now
remember as singing in the choir at that early date was John Butts, a
young man lately from Australia. He had a nice tenor voice, and was
very regular in attendance for some time, until he fell from grace.
He was the town crier afterwards and a noted character. Mr. Higgins
speaks of him in the "Mystic Spring."

[Illustration: Victoria district church.]

One Sunday morning in 1862 or 1863, while Bishop Hills was preaching,
a man walked into the church and cried out, "My Lord, the church is
on fire!" Judge Pemberton, one of the officers of the church, with
others got on to the ceiling through a manhole above the gallery, and
walked on the rafters t