INTRODUCTION.
Some forty-seven years ago, leading men among the laity of Scotland realised their obligation to follow with the means of grace the increasing numbers of their fellow-comitrymen who were leaving every year for the colonies, animated with the passion
"To rear an independent shed,
And get the lips they loved unborrowed bread."
This conviction was widely prevalent in the Free Church of Scotland, and found expression in the labours of her Colonial Committee. Some years ago the Committee wrote asking to be furnished with memoirs of our congregations as a valuable contribution to the Church history of the future; and with the view of furthering the project I put myself in communication with ministers and others in the colony, but, I regret to say, with indifferent success. In prospect of the opening of New Knox Church the subject was brought under consideration, with the result that in 1876 Dr Hislop, one of the elders, undertook at the request of the office-bearers to write a memoir of Knox Church—a work which he performed most satisfactorily.
The prospect of the extinction of the debt on the church at the close of 1891—now happily effected, largely through the labours of Mr Andrew Cameron, one of the elders—being properly regarded as an event of great importance in our congregational history, the office-bearers asked Dr Hislop to recast his memoir and continue it to the present time.
I need scarcely say that Dr Hislop is known to the membership of Knox Church by services stretching over many years, and by his intimate connection with education. His training at the Normal School and the University of Edinburgh and the practical knowledge he acquired as a parish schoolmaster I regard
