diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 6976.txt | 5468 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 6976.zip | bin | 0 -> 120842 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
5 files changed, 5484 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/6976.txt b/6976.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ada2eb --- /dev/null +++ b/6976.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5468 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Metlakahtla and the North Pacific Mission +by Eugene Stock + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Metlakahtla and the North Pacific Mission + +Author: Eugene Stock + +Release Date: November, 2004 [EBook #6976] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on February 19, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK METLAKAHTLA AND NORTH PACIFIC *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by Avinash Kothare, Tom Allen, Juliet Sutherland, +Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + +METLAKAHTLA + +THE NORTH PACIFIC MISSION + +OF THE + +CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY + +WITH A MAP + + + + +"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of +the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me and Thy right hand shall hold +me"--Ps. cxxxix 9, 10 + + Shores of the utmost West + Ye that have waited long + Unvisited noblest, + Break forth to swelling song + High raise the note that Jesus died + Yet lives and reigns the Crucified + + +NOTE + +The third, fourth, and fifth chapters of this little book are +substantially a reprint of parts of a pamphlet entitled, "Metlakahtla, +or Ten Years' Work among the Tsimshean Indians," published by the Church +Missionary Society in 1868. Almost all the rest, or three-fourths of the +whole, is new matter--new, that is, in a separate form, for the greater +part has appeared at various times in the Society's periodicals. One or +two facts are taken from the Rev. J. J. Halcombe's excellent book, +"Stranger than Fiction," which has done so much to make the Metlakahtla +Mission known. For much valuable information I am indebted to Admiral +Prevost. + +E. S. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +CHAP + +I. THE FIELD OF LABOUR + +II. THE CALL, AND THE MAN + +III. BEGINNING WORK + +IV. FIRST-FRUITS + +V. THE NEW SETTLEMENT + +VI. METLAKAHTLA--SPIRITUAL RESULTS + +VII. " MATERIAL PROGRESS AND MORAL INFLUENCE + +VIII. " TWO CHRISTMAS-SEASONS + +IX. OUTLYING MISSIONS--KINCOLITH. + +X. " QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S ISLANDS + +XI. " FORT RUPERT + +XII. LORD DUFFERIN AT METLAKAHTLA + +XII. ADMIRAL PREVOST AT METLAKAHTLA + +XIV. THE DIOCESE OF CALEDONIA + + + + +METLAKAHTLA + +AND + +THE NORTH PACIFIC MISSION. + + + + +I. + +THE FIELD OF LABOUR + + +British Columbia, now forming part of "The Dominion of Canada," +includes within its limits several islands, of which Vancouver's is the +principal, and that part of the continent of North America, west of the +Rocky Mountains and east of Alaska, which is included between the 49 deg. +and the 60 deg. parallels of north latitude. + +English connection with this part of the world may be said to date +from an exploratory voyage made by Captain Cook in 1776, when he landed +at Friendly Cove and Nootka Sound, and took possession of them in the +name of his sovereign. He supposed at the time that these places were +on the mainland, and it was not until Captain Vancouver, an officer in +the English Navy, was despatched in 1792 to the Pacific, that he +discovered that Nootka and Friendly Cove were on the west side of the +island which now bears his name, and which is sometimes spoken of as +the gem of the Pacific. + +In 1793, Alexander Mackenzie, one of the most enterprising pioneers in +the employment of the North-West Fur Company, who had already +discovered the mighty river since named after him, crossed the Rocky +Mountains, and pushed his way westward, until he stood on the shores of +the Pacific. Some years later, in 1806, Mr. Simon Frazer, another +_employe_ of the same Company, gave his name to the great river +that drains British Columbia, and established the first trading post in +those parts. After the amalgamation of this Company with the Hudson's +Bay Company, other posts were established, such as Fort Rupert, on +Vancouver's Island, and Fort Simpson, on the borders of Alaska, then +belonging to Russia, but subsequently sold by her to the United States. + +In 1858, the discovery of gold in the basin of the Fraser river, on +the mainland, attracted a large number of gold-diggers from California, +and among them a considerable body of Chinese. To maintain order among +a motley population of lawless habits, British Columbia was formed into +a colony, with its capital at Victoria, on Vancouver's Island. + +Official returns, made a few years ago, gave the number of Indians in +British Columbia as 31,520, distributed over the islands and mainland. +They belong to several distinct families or nations, speaking distinct +languages, subdivided into a multitude of tribes speaking different +dialects of their own. Thus the Hydahs of Queen Charlotte's Islands are +altogether distinct from the Indians of Vancouver's Island, where, +indeed, those on the east coast are distinct from those on the west. +Again, on the mainland, the Indians on the sea-board are distinct from +the Indians of the interior, from whom they are divided by the Cascade +range of mountains. These inland Indians are of more robust and +athletic frame, and are altogether a more vigorous race. + +Among the coast tribes, however, there are great differences, those to +the north being far superior to those in the south. Those who know the +Indians well declare that it would be impossible to find anywhere finer +looking men than the Hydahs, Tsimsheans, and some of the Alaskan +tribes. "They are," writes one, "a manly, tall, handsome people, and +comparatively fair in their complexion." + +The Indians on the sea-board of the mainland, and those on the east +coast of Vancouver's Island who have affinity with one another, have +been grouped into three principal families or nations. The first of +these is met with at Victoria and on the Fraser river, and may be +called the Chinook Indians, from the language which is principally in +use. In the second division may be comprised the tribes between Nanaimo +on the east coast, and Fort Rupert at the extreme north of Vancouver's +Island, and the Indians on the mainland between the same points. The +Tsimsheans, a third family, cluster round Fort Simpson, and occupy a +line of coast extending from the Skeena river to the borders of Alaska. + +On his arrival at Fort Simpson, on the 1st of October, 1857, Mr. +Duncan found located there, to quote his own words in a recent official +report, "Nine tribes, numbering (for I counted them) about 2,300 souls. +These proved to be just one-third of the tribes speaking the Tsimshean +language. Of the other eighteen tribes, five were scattered over 100 +miles of the coast south of Fort Simpson, other five occupied the Naas +river, and the remaining eight tribes lived on the Skeena river--the +whole of the twenty-seven tribes numbering then not over 8,000 souls, +though I at first set them down at 10,000. In addition to the Tsimshean +tribes which I have mentioned, I found that Indians of other two +distinct languages frequented the Fort for trade. These were the Alaska +Coast Indians, whose nearest village was only some fifteen miles north +of Fort Simpson, and the Hydahs from Queen Charlotte's Islands." + +The tribal arrangements among the Tsimsheans are very much the same as +among other Indian clans. Each tribe has from three to five chiefs, one +of whom is the acknowledged head. Among the head chiefs of the various +tribes one again takes preeminence. At feasts and in council the chiefs +are seated according to their rank. As an outward mark, to distinguish +the rank of a chief, a pole is erected in front of his house. The +greater the chief the higher the pole. The Indians are very jealous in +regard to this distinction. + +Every Indian family has a distinguishing crest, or "totem," as it is +called in some places. This crest is usually some bird, or fish, or +animal; particularly the eagle, the raven, the finback whale, the +grisly bear, the wolf, and the frog. Among the Tsimsheans and their +neighbours, the Hydahs, great importance is attached to this heraldry, +and their crests are often elaborately engraved on large copper plates +from three to five feet in length, and about two in breadth. These +plates are very highly valued, and are often heir-looms in families. No +Indian would think of killing the animal which had been taken for his +crest. While two members of the same tribe are allowed to intermarry, +those of the same crest are prohibited from doing so under any +circumstances. The child always takes the mother's crest: if she +belonged to a family whose crest was the eagle, thru all her children +take the eagle for their crest. + +The most influential men in a tribe--not excluding the chiefs--are the +medicine men. Captain Mayne, R.N., thus speaks of them:--[Footnote: +_Four Years in British Columbia, and Vancouver Island_, p. 260 +(Murray, 1862).] + +"Their initiation into the mysteries of their calling is one of the +most disgusting ceremonies imaginable. At a certain season, the Indian +who is selected for the office retires into the woods for several days, +and fasts, holding intercourse, it is supposed, with the spirits who +are to teach him the healing art. He then suddenly reappears in the +village, and, in a sort of religious frenzy, attacks the first person +he meets and bites a piece out of his arm or shoulder. He will then +rush at a dog, and tear him limb from limb, running about with a leg or +some part of the animal all bleeding in his hand, and tearing it with +his teeth. This mad fit lasts some time, usually during the whole day +of his reappearance. At its close he crawls into his tent, or falling +down exhausted is carried there by those who are watching him. A series +of ceremonials, observances, and long incantations follows, lasting for +two or three days, and he then assumes the functions and privileges of +his office. I have seen three or four medicine men made at a time among +the Indians near Victoria, while twenty or thirty others stood, with +loaded muskets, keeping guard all round the place to prevent them doing +any mischief. Although a clever medicine man becomes of great +importance in his tribe, his post is no sinecure either before or after +his initiation. If he should be seen by anyone while he is communing +with the spirits in the woods, he is killed or commits suicide, while +if he fails in the cure of any man he is liable to be put to death, on +the assumption that he did not wish to cure his patient. This penalty +is not always inflicted, but, if he fails in his first attempt, the +life of a medicine man is not, as a rule, worth much. The people who +are bitten by these maniacs when they come in from the woods consider +themselves highly favoured." + +Mr. Duncan, in 1857, gave the following painfully curious description +of the medicine men-- + +"The superstitions connected with this fearful system are deeply +rooted here, and it is the admitting and initiating of fresh pupils +into these arts that employ numbers, and excite and interest all, +during the winter months. This year I think there must have been eight +or ten parties of them, but each party seldom has more than one pupil +at once. In relating their proceedings I can give but a faint +conception of the system as a whole, but still a little will show the +dense darkness that rests on this place. + +"I may mention that each party has some characteristics peculiar to +itself, but, in a more general sense, their divisions are but three, +viz, those who eat human bodies, the dog eaters, and those who have no +custom of the kind. Early in the morning the pupils would be out on, +the beach, or on the rocks, in a state of nudity. Each had a place in +front of his own tribe, nor did intense cold interfere in the slightest +degree. After the poor creature had crept about, jerking his head and +screaming for some time, a party of men would rush out, and, after +surrounding him, would commence singing. The dog eating party +occasionally carried a dead dog to their pupil, who forthwith commenced +to tear it in the most dog like manner. The party of attendants kept up +a low growling noise, or a whoop, which was seconded by a screeching +noise made from an instrument which they believe to be the abode of a +spirit. In a little time the naked youth would start up again, and +proceed a few more yards in a crouching posture, with his arms pushed +out behind him, and tossing his flowing black hair. All the while he is +earnestly watched by the group about him, and when he pleases to sit +down they again surround him and commence singing. This kind of thing +goes on, with several different additions, for some time. Before the +prodigy finally retires, he takes a turn into every house belonging to +his tribe, and is followed by his train. When this is done, in some +cases he has a ramble on the tops of the same houses, during which he +is anxiously watched by his attendants, as if they expected his flight. +By-and-bye he condescends to come down, and they then follow him to his +den, which is marked by a rope made of red bark being hung over the +doorway, so as to prevent any person from ignorantly violating its +precincts. None are allowed to enter that house but those connected +with the art; all I know, therefore, of their further proceedings is, +that they keep up a furious hammering, singing, and screeching for +hours during the day. + +"Of all these parties, none are so much dreaded as the cannibals. One +morning I was called to witness a stir in the camp which had been +caused by this set. When I reached the gallery I saw hundreds of +Tsimsheans sitting in their canoes, which they had just pushed away +from the beach. I was told that the cannibal party were in search of a +body to devour, and if they failed to find a dead one, it was probable +they would seize the first living one that came in their way; so that +all the people living near to the cannibals' house had taken to their +canoes to escape being torn to pieces. It is the custom among these +Indians to burn their dead; but I suppose for these occasions they take +care to deposit a corpse somewhere, in order to satisfy these inhuman +wretches. + +"These, then, are some of the things and scenes which occur in the day +during the winter months, while the nights are taken up with amusements +--singing and dancing. Occasionally the medicine parties invite people +to their several houses, and exhibit tricks before them of various +kinds. Some of the actors appear as bears, while others wear masks, the +parts of which are moved by strings. The great feature in their +proceedings is to pretend to murder, and then to restore to life, and +so forth. The cannibal, on such occasions, is generally supplied with +two, three, or four human bodies, which he tears to pieces before his +audience. Several persons, either from bravado or as a charm, present +their arms for him to bite. I have seen several whom he has thus +bitten, and I hear two have died from the effects." + +One of the most curious and characteristic customs of the the Indians +of British Columbia is the _giving away of property_ at feasts. +Mr. Duncan gives the following account of it:-- + +"These feasts are generally connected with the giving away of +property. As an instance, I will relate the last occurrence of the +kind. The person who sent the aforementioned invitations is a chief who +has just completed building a house. After feasting, I heard he was to +give away property to the amount of four hundred and eighty blankets +(worth as many pounds to him), of which one hundred and eighty were his +own property and the three hundred were to be subscribed by his people. +On the first day of the feast, as much as possible of the property to +be given him was exhibited in the camp. Hundreds of yards of cotton +were flapping in the breeze, hung from house to house, or on lines put +up for the occasion. Furs, too, were nailed up on the fronts of houses. +Those who were going to give away blankets or elk-skins managed to get +a bearer for every one, and exhibited them by making the persons walk +in single file to the house of the chief. On the next day the cotton +which had been hung out was now brought on the beach, at a good +distance from the chief's house, and then run out at full length, and a +number of bearers, about three yards apart, bore it triumphantly away +from the giver to the receiver. I suppose that about six hundred to +eight hundred yards were thus disposed of. + +"After all the property the chief is to receive has thus been openly +handed to him, a day or two is taken up in apportioning it for fresh +owners. When this is done, all the chiefs and their families are called +together, and each receives according to his or her portion. Thus do +the chiefs and their people go on reducing themselves to poverty. In +the case of the chiefs, however, this poverty lasts but a short time; +they are soon replenished from the next giving away, but the people +only grow rich again according to their industry. One cannot but pity +them, while one laments their folly. + +"All the pleasure these poor Indians seem to have in their property is +in hoarding it up for such an occasion as I have described. They never +think of appropriating what they gather to enhance their comforts, but +are satisfied if they can make a display like this now and then; so +that the man possessing but one blanket seems to be as well off as the +one who possesses twenty; and thus it is that there is a vast amount of +dead stock accumulated in the camp doomed never to be used, but only +now and then to be transferred from hand to hand for the mere vanity of +the thing. + +"There is another way, however, in which property is disposed of even +more foolishly. If a person be insulted, or meet with an accident, or +in any way suffer an injury, real or supposed, either of mind or body, +property must at once be sacrificed to avoid disgrace. A number of +blankets, shirts, or cotton, according to the rank of the person, are +torn, into small pieces and carried off." + +The religion of the Tsimsheans is thus described:-- + +"The Tsimsheans, I find, believe in two states after death: the one +good, and the other, bad; the morally good are translated to the one, +and the morally bad are doomed to the other. The locality of the former +they think to be above, and that of the latter is somewhere beneath. +The enjoyment of heaven and the privations of hell they understand to +be carnal. They do not suppose the wicked to be destitute of food any +more than they were here, but they are treated as slaves and are badly +clothed. + +"The idea they entertain of God is that He is a great chief. They call +Him by the same term as they do their chiefs, only adding the word for +above--thus, 'shimanyet' is chief, and 'lakkah' above: and hence the +name of God with them is Shimanyet Lakkah. They believe that the +Supreme Being never dies: that He takes great notice of what is going +on amongst men, and is frequently angry, and punishes offenders. They +do not know who is the author of the universe, nor do they expect that +God is the author of their own being. They have no fixed ideas about +these things, I fully believe; still they frequently appeal to God in +trouble; they ask for pity and deliverance. In great extremities of +sickness they address God, saying it is not good for them to die. + +"Sometimes, when calamities are prolonged or thicken, they get enraged +against God, and vent their anger against Him, raising their eyes and +hands in savage anger to Heaven, and stamping their feet on the ground. +They will reiterate language which means 'You are a great slave!'" + +A very curious tradition respecting the first appearance of white men +on the coast was related some years ago to Mr. Duncan by an old chief:-- + +"A large canoe of Indians were busy catching halibut in one of these +channels. A thick mist enveloped them. Suddenly they heard a noise as +if a large animal was striking through the water. Immediately they +concluded that a monster from the deep was in pursuit of them. With all +speed they hauled up their fishing lines, seized the paddles, and +strained every nerve to reach the shore. Still the plunging noise came +nearer. Every minute they expected to be engulfed within the jaws of +some huge creature. However, they reached the land, jumped on shore, +and turned round in breathless anxiety to watch the approach of the +monster. Soon a boat, filled with strange-looking men, emerged from the +mist The pulling of the oars had caused the strange noise. Though +somewhat relieved of fear, the Indians stood spell bound with +amazement. The strangers landed, and beckoned the Indians to come to +them and bring them some fish. One of them had over his shoulder what +was supposed only to be a stick, presently he pointed it to a bird that +was flying past, a violent poo went forth, down came the bird to the +ground. The Indians died. As they revived again they questioned each +other as to their state, whether they were dead, and what each had +felt. The whites then made signs for a fire to be lighted. The Indians +proceeded at once, according to their usual tedious fashion of rubbing +two sticks together. The strangers laughed, and one of them, snatching +up a handful of dry grass, struck a spark into a little powder placed +under it. Instantly flashed another poo and a blaze. The Indians died. +After this the new comers wanted some fish boiling. The Indians +therefore put the fish and water into one of their square wooden +buckets, and set some stones in the fire, intending when they were hot, +to cast them into the vessel, and thus boil the food The whites were +not satisfied with this way. One of them fetched a tin kettle out of +the boat, put the fish and the water into it, and then, strange to say, +set it on the fire. The Indians looked on with astonishment. However, +the kettle did not consume, the water did not run into the fire Then, +again, the Indians died. When the fish was eaten, the strangers put a +kettle of rice on the fire. The Indians looked at each other and +whispered, 'Akshahn, akshahn,' or 'Maggots, maggots.' The rice being +cooked, some molasses were produced and mixed with it. The Indians +stared, and said, 'Coutzee um tsakah ahket,' or 'The grease of dead +people.' The whites then tendered the rice and molasses to the Indians, +but they only shrank away in disgust. Seeing this, to prove their +integrity, they sat down and enjoyed it themselves. The sight stunned +the Indians, and again they all died. Some other similar wonders were +worked, and the profound stupor which the Indians felt each time come +over them they termed death. The Indians' turn had now come to make the +white strangers die. They dressed their heads and painted their faces A +nok nok, or wonder working spirit possessed them. They came slowly, and +solemnly seated themselves before the whites, then suddenly lifted up +their heads and stared. Their reddened eyes had the desired effect. The +whites died." + +Among the Indians of British, Columbia no Protestant Missionary had +laboured prior to 1857. Some Roman Catholic priests, however, had been +in the country, and of them Captain Mayne writes:--[Footnote: "_Four +Years in British Columbia_," p. 305.] + +"If the opinion of the Hudson's Bay people of the interior is to be +relied upon, the Roman Catholic priests effected no real change in the +condition of the natives. The sole result of their residence among them +was, that the Indians who had been brought under their influence had +imbibed some notions of the Deity, almost as vague as their own +traditions, and a superstitious respect for the priests themselves, +which they showed by crossing themselves devoutly whenever they met +one. Occasionally, too, might be seen in their lodges, pictures +purporting to represent the roads to Heaven and to Hell, in which there +was no single suggestion of the danger of vice and crime, but a great +deal of the peril of Protestantism. These coloured prints were +certainly curious in their way, and worth a passing notice. They were +large, and gave a pictorial history of the human race, from the time +when Adam and Eve wandered in the garden together, down to the +Reformation. Here the one broad road was split into two, whose courses +diverged more and more painfully. By one way the Roman Catholic portion +of the world were seen trooping to bliss; the other ended in a steep +bottomless precipice over which the Protestants might be seen falling. +[Footnote: A fac-simile of a similar picture appeared in the _Church +Missionary Gleaner_, of March, 1880.] Upon the more sensible and +advanced of the Indians, teaching such as this had little effect. I +remember the chief of the Shuswap tribe, at Kamloops, pointing out to +me such an illustration hanging on his wall, and laughingly saying, in +a tone that showed quite plainly how little credence he attached to it, +'There are you and your people,' putting his finger as he spoke on the +figures tumbling into the pit." + +"Of such kind was the only instruction that the Indiana had received +prior to 1857. Its influence was illustrated in that year at Victoria, +where a Roman Catholic Bishop and several priests had been resident for +some time, and were known to have exerted themselves among the Songhie +Indians who reside there. A cross had been raised in their village, and +some of them had been baptized; but when these were called before the +bishop for confirmation, they refused to come unless a greater present +of blankets was made to them than had been given at their baptism. The +bishop was said to have been very angry with the priests when this came +to his knowledge; he having very possibly been deceived by them as to +the condition of the Indians. I am informed that he had a large heart +painted upon canvas, through which be drew a blanket, and represented +it to the Indians as symbolical of their condition." + +How the Indians were brought to know the way of God more perfectly, +and to choose it for themselves, it will be the purpose of the +following chapters to show. + + + + +II. + +THE CALL, AND THE MAN. + + +The Red Indian is in a peculiar sense, the child of the Church +Missionary Society. More exclusively so, indeed, than even the Negro. +In those efforts for the evangelisation of Africa with which the +Society's name has, from the first, been so indissolubly associated, it +has but shared the field with other excellent societies. In the Far +North and Far West of British America, it has laboured almost alone. +Nearly sixty years have passed away since its missionaries penetrated +into the then remote regions of the Red River, and since that time, +nearly the whole of the vast territories, stretching northward to the +Arctic Sea, eastward to the borders of Labrador, and westward to the +Rocky Mountains, have been trodden by their untiring feet. It was +fitting, therefore, that when, in the providence of God, the day came +for the Gospel to reach beyond the Rocky Mountains to the tribes on the +shores of the Pacific, it should be carried thither by the Church +Missionary Society. + +But long before that time arrived, the eye of the Committee, passing +round the globe, had rested upon those distant shores. In their Annual +Report for 1819-20, the following interesting passage is to be found:-- + +_From the C. M. S. Report_, 1819-20. + +"It has been suggested to the Committee that the Western parts of +British America, lying between the high ridge called the Rocky +Mountains and the North Pacific Ocean, and extending from about the +42nd to the 57th degree of North Latitude, offer a more extensive, +promising, and practicable field for Missionary labours than any other +in that quarter of the globe. The climate is, in general, temperate, +the soil reasonably productive, and the surface of the country level. +[Footnote: Some of the information given to the Committee at that early +date was not very accurate. The surface of British Columbia is anything +but level and the soil is not too productive.] The people are not +savage, ferocious, and wandering but settled in villages and in several +respects somewhat civilized, though still in the hunter state, with few +arts, no letters, no general knowledge, but a great desire to be taught +by white men, whose superiority they clearly discern. Numbers of them +are scattered over this great range of country, and it has hitherto +been very little known that so great a portion of the North American +continent is covered with a stationary, aboriginal people, still, +however, very much in a state of nature. The North West Company trades +through all the great space which lies between Montreal and the North +Pacific, a longitudinal distance of not less than 4,000 miles, and +keeps up a direct communication, by sea, between London and the mouth +of the river Columbia, on the North West coast of America. A member of +that Company, who is a highly respectable merchant in Canada, informs +your Committee that he has been frequently among the Indians in +question, and thinks the prospect of the introduction of Christianity +very promising, while many of the principal persons in Upper Canada are +anxious for the promotion of that object." + +The Society's work, however, among the Red Indians, which was begun in +the following year, was concentrated on Red River, and thirty-six years +passed away before the attention of the Committee was again drawn to +the more remote field on the Pacific shore. + +In the spring of 1856, the late Rev. Joseph Ridgeway, Editorial +Secretary of the Society, attended, as a deputation, the anniversary +meeting of the Tunbridge Wells Church Missionary Association. There he +met a naval officer, Capt. J. C. Prevost, R.N., who had just returned +from Vancouver's Island. While in command of H.M.S. _Virago_, he +had been much impressed by the spiritual destitution of the Indians of +the Pacific coast of British North America and the adjacent islands. +They were "scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd," and he, like +his Divine Master, was "moved with compassion on them." No Protestant +missionary had ever yet gone forth into the wilderness after these lost +sheep; and in addition to their natural heathenism, with its degrading +superstitions and revolting cruelties, a new danger was approaching the +Indians in the shape of the "civilisation" of white traders and miners, +with its fire-water and its reckless immorality. Capt. Prevost +earnestly inquired of Mr. Ridgeway what prospect there was of the +Church Missionary Society undertaking a Mission on the coast. + +The reply was not encouraging. The Committee had just determined to +signalise the conclusion of the Crimean war by planting a Mission at +Constantinople, to extend their work in the Punjab by the occupation of +Multan; and to accept Sir Robert Montgomery's invitation to Lucknow; +and there was little hope of their having men or money to spare for the +"few sheep in the wilderness" to be found scattered over British +Columbia. The Editorial Secretary's sympathies, however, were touched, +and he, at least, did what he could. He invited Captain Prevost to +write a memorandum on the subject for the _Church Missionary +Intelligencer_. The offer was thankfully accepted; and in the number +of that periodical for July, 1856, appeared an article entitled +"Vancouver's Island," in which Mr. Ridgeway briefly stated the case, +and introduced Capt. Prevost's contribution. After an interval of +twenty-four years, and remembering what wonderful and blessed fruit has +sprung from the seed thus quietly sown, it will be interesting to +reproduce here the Christian officer's own words:-- + +_Captain Prevost's Memorandum, July, 1856._ + +"The country within which the proposed Mission is designed to operate +extends from about the 48 deg. of north latitude to 56 deg., and from the +Rocky Mountains on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west. It includes +several beautiful and fertile islands adjoining the mainland, of which +the largest, most important, and most populous, is Vancouver's, being +about 290 miles in length and 55 miles in its average breadth. + +"The Government, impressed with a sense of its great commercial, and +its growing political, importance, combining also great advantages as a +naval station, erected it into a colony in 1838, and gave to the +Hudson's Bay Company a charter, conferring on them certain privileges +on condition of their carrying into effect the intentions of the +Government. The climate of this island is more genial than that of +England, its soil is more productive, and its coasts abound with the +finest fish. It contains, too, the only safe harbours between the 49 deg. +north latitude and San Francisco, and there have been discovered lately +fields of fine coal of immense extent, from which the entire coast of +the Pacific, and the steamers trading there, can be supplied. What has +been stated with regard to these natural advantages of Vancouver's +Island applies generally to the mainland." + +"The seat of the Colonial Government is at Fort Victoria, where there +is a chaplain, the only Protestant minister within the limits of the +above mentioned territories. About three years since a Roman Catholic +Bishop, a British subject, arrived at the same place, accompanied by a +staff of Jesuit priests, and purchased a site for a cathedral there. +Hitherto their success has been very doubtful." + +"It is difficult to ascertain, with any degree of accuracy, the total +amount of the native population, a mean, however, between the highest +and lowest estimates gives 60,000, [Footnote: Since 1856 many thousands +have died of disease and from vicious habits (see p. 2).] a result +probably not far from the truth. It 13 a fact well calculated to arrest +the attention, and to enlist in behalf of the proposed Mission the +active sympathies of every sincere Christian, that this vast number of +our fellow subjects have remained in a state of heathen darkness and +complete barbarism ever since the discovery and partial surveys of +their coasts by Vancouver in 1792 1794, and that no effort has yet been +made for their moral or spiritual improvement, although, during the +last forty years a most lucrative trade has been carried on with them +by our fellow-countrymen. We would most earnestly call upon all who +have themselves learned to value the blessings of the Gospel, to assist +'in rolling away' this reproach. The field is a most promising one. +Some naval officers, who, in the discharge of their professional +duties, have lately visited these regions, have been most favourably +impressed with the highly intelligent character of the Natives, and, +struck by their manly bearing, and a physical appearance fully equal to +that of the English, whom they also resemble in the fairness of their +complexion, and having their compassion excited by their total +destitution of Christian and moral instruction, they feel it to be +their duty to endeavour to introduce among them the knowledge of the +Gospel of Christ, under the conviction that it would prove the surest +and most fruitful source of social improvement and civilization, as +well as of spiritual blessings infinitely more valuable, and would be +found the only effectual antidote to the contaminating vices which a +rapidly-increasing trade, especially with California and Oregon, is +bringing in its train. + +"There is much in the character of the Natives to encourage missionary +effort. They are not idolaters: they believe in the existence of two +great Spirits--the one benevolent, and the other malignant; and in two +separate places of reward and punishment in another world. They are by +no means bigoted. They manifest a great desire and aptitude to acquire +the knowledge and arts of civilized life; and, although they are +addicted to some of the vices generally prevalent amongst savages, they +yet possess some virtues rarely displayed by them. Some of the servants +of the Hudson's Bay Company, who have married Native women, bear the +highest testimony to their characters as wives and mothers, and to the +manner in which they fulfil all their domestic relationships. +Drunkenness was almost wholly unknown, until lately introduced by +increasing intercourse with Europeans; but it is now spreading with +rapid and destructive effect among the tribes. Loss of chastity in +females was considered an indelible disgrace to the family in which it +occurred, and was consequently uncommon. But here, again, European +influence has made itself felt, and this is now far from being the +case. Persons who are acquainted both with this people and with the New +Zealanders, are of opinion that the former are mentally and physically +equal, if not superior, to the latter; and that, were like measures +taken to convert and civilize them, they would be attended by similarly +happy results. As to the medium of communication, although the number +and variety of languages is very great, yet the necessities of trade +have given rise to a _patois_ generally understood, and easily +acquired, which might be made available for missionary purposes, at +least as far as oral teaching is concerned. + +"The expense of establishing and supporting a Mission would not, it is +hoped, prove large. Fish and game are extremely cheap. Fuel, both coal +and wood, is cheap and abundant. It is proposed that the first +missionary station should be at Fort Simpson, on the mainland, as it +offers many advantages for prosecuting the objects of the Mission. +There the Missionaries would enjoy the protection, and, it is hoped, +the cordial co-operation, of the Hudson's Bay Company; and, in return, +the Company's servants would receive the benefit of the ministrations +of the members of the Mission. The position is central to all the most +populous villages; and here, in the spring of each year, a kind of +great national fair is held, where the tribes from the most distant +parts of the coast and interior assemble, to the number of about +15,000, and receive the commodities of the Company in exchange for the +skins collected during the preceding season. On these occasions +valuable opportunities would be afforded to the missionaries of +conversing with the natives, and giving them religions instruction. +Here, too, a school might be opened for the Native children, where they +would receive an industrial as well as religious and secular education, +and be secluded from the prejudicial influence of their adult +relatives." + +This earnest appeal was not long in eliciting a response. Shortly +afterwards, in the list of contributions published monthly by the +Society, appeared the following entry:-- + +Two Friends, for Vancouver's Island, L500. + +Still the Committee hesitated; but two or three months afterwards, +Capt. Prevost came to them again with the news that he was re-appointed +to the same naval station, and was to proceed thither immediately in +command of H.M.S. Satellite; and, with the sanction of the Admiralty, +he offered a free passage by her to any missionary the Society could +send out. + +Here was the opening, here were the means; but where was the man to +go? There did not seem to be anyone available; but, at length, only ten +days before the "Satellite" was to sail, a student, then under +training, was thought of. Who was this? + +A few years before, one of the Society's Missionaries had addressed a +village meeting in the Midland Counties. It was a very wet night, and +but a handful of people attended. The Vicar proposed to postpone the +meeting; but the missionary urged that the few who had come were +entitled to hear the information they were expecting, and proceeded to +deliver a long and earnest speech. Among the listeners were three young +men, and the heart of one of these was deeply touched that night. He +subsequently offered himself to the Society, and was sent to the (then +existing) Highbury Training College to be trained as a school master, +under the Rev. C. R. Alford, afterwards Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong. +That young man's name was WILLIAM DUNCAN, and it was he to whom now +came the call of the Committee to start in ten days for British +Columbia. + +William Duncan was ready. On December 19th, 1856, he took leave of the +Committee, and on the 23rd, he sailed with Capt. Prevost from Plymouth +in the Satellite. [Footnote: An interesting notice of Captain Prevost's +offer, and of the valedictory dismissal of Mr. Duncan, appears in the +recently published "Memoir of Henry Venn" p. 137.] + +The voyage to Vancouver's Island took nearly six months. It was on +June 13th, 1857, that the Satellite cast anchor in Esquimault Harbour, +Victoria. But Mr. Duncan had still five hundred miles to go. His +mission was to the Tsimsheans, and for them Fort Simpson was the point +to aim at. Unable, however, to obtain a passage thither at once, he +remained at Victoria three months, patiently preparing for future work +by studying the language. Meanwhile the officers of the Hudson's Bay +Company raised some objections to his settling at Fort Simpson. The +Indians, they said, could not be allowed to come into the fort to him, +and it would be quite unsafe for him to venture outside; and they +recommended him to turn his attention to the tribes of Vancouver's +Island, who, having been brought more into contact with white men, were +presumed to be on that account more accessible to Christian influence. +Mr. Duncan, however, justly felt that the advantage was rather the +other way; besides which to Fort Simpson he was appointed, and to Fort +Simpson he would go. The Governor of the Colony warmly entered into his +views, and gave him letters to the officer in charge, directing that +accommodation was to be found for him, and all facilities given him for +the prosecution of his work. + + + + +III. + +BEGINNING WORK. + + +On the night of October 1st Mr. Duncan landed at the Fort. Like other +Hudson's Bay Company trading posts, this "Fort" consisted of a few +houses, stores, and workshops, surrounded by a palisade twenty feet +high, formed of trunks of trees. Close by was the Tsimshean village, +comprising some two hundred and fifty wooden houses, well-built, and +several of them of considerable size. A day or two after his arrival, +Mr. Duncan had a significant glimpse of the kind of savages to whom he +was presently to proclaim the Gospel of Peace:-- + +"The other day we were called upon to witness a terrible scene: An old +chief, in cool blood, ordered a slave to be dragged to the beach, +murdered, and thrown into the water. His orders were quickly obeyed. +The victim was a poor woman. Two or three reasons are assigned for this +foul act: one is, that it is to take away the disgrace attached to his +daughter, who has been suffering some time from a ball wound in the +arm. Another report is, that he does not expect his daughter to +recover, so he has killed this slave in order that she may prepare for +the coming of his daughter into the unseen world. I think the former +reason is the most probable. I did not see the murder, but, immediately +after, I saw crowds of people running out of those houses near to where +the corpse was thrown, and forming themselves into groups at a good +distance away. This, I learnt, was from fear of what was to follow. +Presently two bands of furious wretches appeared, each headed by a man +in a state of nudity. They gave vent to the most unearthly sounds, and +the two naked men made themselves look as unearthly as possible, +proceeding in a creeping kind of stoop, and stepping like two proud +horses, at the same time shooting forward each arm alternately, which +they held out at full length for a little time in the most defiant +manner. Besides this, the continual jerking of their heads back, +causing their long black hair to twist about, added much to their +savage appearance. For some time they pretended to be seeking the body, +and the instant they came where it lay they commenced screaming and +rushing round it like so many angry wolves. Finally they seized it, +dragged it out of the water, and laid it on the beach, where I was told +the naked men would commence tearing it to pieces with their teeth. The +two bands of men immediately surrounded them, and so hid their horrid +work. In a few minutes the crowd broke again in two, when each of the +naked cannibals appeared with half of the body in his hands. Separating +a few yards, they commenced, amid horrid yells, their still more horrid +feast. The sight was too terrible to behold." + +Just at the same time another feature in the character of the Indians +was painfully illustrated. On October 7th he wrote:-- + +"Immediately after dinner the second officer of the Fort, who had not +been absent more than a minute, came rushing back, to report that an +Indian had just been murdered close to the Fort gates. On repairing to +the gallery, I saw this shocking sight. Several Indians, with muskets +in their bands, were hovering about the dying man, and one or two +ventured to go near and assist him. He was shot in the right breast, +and apparently dying, but seemingly conscious of what had happened. In +a few minutes two Indians, looking as fierce as tigers, carrying +muskets, came bounding to the spot, and, after ordering all away, one +of them immediately fired at the poor fellow as he lay on the ground, +and shot him in the arm. They then as quickly bounded away. The head +chief was the murderer. Being irritated by some other chiefs while +partly intoxicated, he vented his rage upon the first stranger that +came in his way, and, after shooting him, ordered two of his men to +finish the horrible deed." + +But the young missionary, though saddened, was not discouraged. The +more barbarous and degraded he found the Indians to be, the more vivid +was his sense of their need of the Gospel; and was anything too hard +for the Lord? So he continued vigorously his study of the language, +assisted by an Indian named Clah. Taking an English dictionary, he +succeeded, by unwearied industry, in ascertaining the Tsimshean +equivalents for fifteen hundred of the most necessary words. At the +same time he set about making friends with the people. During the +winter, when the severe cold and the deep snow kept them much indoors, +he visited every house in turn, and on Jan. 14th he wrote:-- + +"To-day we have finished our calls. I have been inside 140 houses, all +large and strong buildings. The largest would measure, I imagine, about +sixty by forty feet. One house I was not permitted to enter, as they +had not finished their sorceries for the season. However they sent me +out an account of their family. In all, I counted 2,156 souls, namely, +637 men, 756 women, and 763 children; and, making an addition for those +away procuring fuel, and those at the Fort, I estimate the sum-total of +residents to be 2,325, which is rather over than under the true number. +The total number rendered by themselves, which of course includes all +that belongs to them, whether married into other tribes or living +south, is 2,567. These are divided into nine tribes, but all speak the +same language, and have one general name--Tsimshean, So far as I am at +present able to make out, I calculate that there are seventeen other +tribes, all living within fifty miles of this place, which either speak +Tsimshean or something very near to it. + +"It would be impossible for me to give a full description of this my first +general visit, for the scenes were too exciting and too crowded to admit +of it. I confess that cluster after cluster of these half-naked and +painted savages round their fires was, to my unaccustomed eyes, very +alarming. But the reception I met with was truly wonderful and +encouraging. On entering a house I was saluted by one, two, or three of +the principal persons with 'Clah-how-yah,' which is the complimentary term +used in the trading jargon. This would be repeated several times. Then a +general movement and a squatting ensued, followed by a breathless silence, +during which every eye was fixed upon me. After a time several would begin +nodding and smiling, at the same time reiterating, in a low tone, 'Ahm, +ahm ah ket, Ahm Shimauyet' ('Good, kind person, good chief'). My +interpreter would then ask them to let us know how many they had in their +family, which was instantly followed by a deafening clamour. Sometimes the +vociferation was so general that it was really bewildering to hear it. +Everybody was talking and trying to outdo the rest, and nobody was +listening. This storm, would be abruptly succeeded by a general hush, when +I was again pleasantly but rigidly scrutinized. Of course the attempt of +everybody to count was a failure, and so the business at last was taken up +by one of the leading persons, who generally succeeded to the satisfaction +of all. While this was going on, I managed to count and class the inmates +of the house, and look at the sick. In some houses they would not be +content until I took the chief place near the fire, and they always placed +a mat upon a box for me to sit upon. My enquiries after the sick were +always followed by anxious looks and deep sighs. A kind of solemn awe +would spread itself at once." + +At length, after eight months' patient preparation, Mr. Duncan was +able to make his first attempt to convey to the Indians, in their own +tongue, the message of salvation through a crucified Saviour, by means +of a written address, which he had composed with infinite pains, and +which he proceeded to deliver at the houses of the different chiefs:-- + +"_June_ 13, 1858: _Lord's day_.--Bless the Lord, O my soul, +and let all creation join in chorus to bless His holy name. True to His +word, 'He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might. He +increaseth strength.' Bless for ever His holy name! + +"Last week I finished translating my first address for the Indians. +Although it was not entirely to my satisfaction, I felt it would be +wrong to withhold the message any longer. Accordingly I sent word last +night (not being ready before) to the chiefs, desiring to use their +houses to-day to address their people in. This morning I set off, +accompanied by the young Indian (Clah), whom I have had occasionally to +assist me in the language. In a few minutes we arrived at the first +chief's house, which I found all prepared, and we mustered about one +hundred souls. This was the first assembly of Indians I had met. My +heart quailed greatly before the work--a people for the first time come +to hear the Gospel tidings, and I the poor instrument to address them +in a tongue so new and difficult to me. Oh, those moments! I began to +think that, after all, I should be obliged to get Clah to speak to +them, while I read to them from a paper in my hand. Blessed be God, +this lame resolution was not carried. My Indian was so unnerved at my +proposal, that I quickly saw I must do the best I could by myself, or +worse would come of it. I then told them to shut the door. The Lord +strengthened me. I knelt down to crave God's blessing, and afterwards I +gave them the address. They were all remarkably attentive. At the +conclusion I desired them to kneel down. They immediately complied, and +I offered up prayer for them in English. They preserved great +stillness. All being done, I bade them good-bye. They all responded +with seeming thankfulness. On leaving, I asked my Indian if they +understood me, and one of the chief women very seriously replied, 'Nee, +nee' ('yes'); and he assured me that from their looks he knew that they +understood and felt it to be good. + +"We then went to the next chief's house, where we found all, ready, a +canoe-sail spread for me to stand on, and a mat placed on a box for me +to sit upon. About 150 souls assembled, and as there were a few of the +Fort people present, I first gave them a short address in English, and +then the one in Tsimshean. All knelt at prayer, and were very +attentive, as at the other place. This is the head chief's house. He is +a very wicked man, but he was present, and admonished the people to +behave themselves during my stay. + +"After this I went in succession to the other seven tribes, and +addressed them in the chiefs' houses. In each case I found the chief +very kind and attentive in preparing his house and assembling his +people. The smallest company I addressed was about fifty souls, and the +largest about 200. Their obedience to my request about kneeling was +universal, but in the house where there were over 200 some confusion +took place, as they were sitting so close. However, when they heard me +begin to pray, they were instantly silent. Thus the Lord helped me +through. About 800 or 900 souls in all have heard me speak; and a great +number of them, I feel certain, have understood the message. May the +Lord make it the beginning of great good for this pitiable and long-lost +people." + +Mr. Duncan was now beginning to feel his way among the Indians, and +the head chief, Legaic, having offered him the use of his house for a +schoolroom, he opened school on June 28th. Twenty-six children attended +in the morning, and fourteen or fifteen adults in the afternoon. The +head chief and his wife took great interest, and assisted in every way +they could. Their house was made clean, and a seat was placed upon a +mat for Mr. Duncan. The children also came neat and clean; one boy only +had nothing but a blanket to cover him, and in his case it was not +poverty, but superstition, that prevented him from having a shirt on +like the rest. This poor lad had been initiated into the mysteries of +medicine in the previous winter, and so was forbidden by law to wear +any thing over him except a blanket or a skin for one year. If he had +put on a shirt, death would have been expected to ensue. + +On Sunday, July 11th, God enabled him a second time to proclaim the +Gospel in another carefully-written address. He went, as on the first +occasion, to each of the nine tribes separately, and began and +concluded with prayer. At the concluding prayer almost all knelt, or +the exceptions were rare. One man, however, sullenly refused. It was +Quthray, the chief of the cannibal gang, of whom we shall hear again. + +After a few weeks the school was suspended, in consequence of the +absence of the chief in whose house it was held. It had been used +sufficiently long, however, to show that it was appreciated by both +parents and children, and thus encouraged, Mr. Duncan determined to +commence to build a school-house. The wood had arrived in a raft, and a +number of Indians were engaged to assist in the building; but scarcely +had they begun to carry the wood up the hill, when one of the Indians +dropped dead. The news ran through the camp, and great alarm spread on +all sides. Mr. Duncan at first feared that owing to the superstition of +the Indians with regard to such events, the confidence which he had +secured among the people would be greatly shaken, and his work amongst +them retarded. But, through God's mercy, his fears were not realized. +He deemed it prudent to suspend the work for a time, but, after +repeated invitations from the Indians, he resumed it on Sept. 17th:-- + +"Yesterday I spoke to a few on the subject, and all seemed heartily +glad. One old chief said to me, 'Cease being angry now,' thinking, I +suppose, my delay was occasioned by anger. He assured me he would send +his men to help. It was quite encouraging to see how earnestly they +expressed their desire for me to proceed with the work, and I may +safely say the feeling was universal. This morning I went to the raft +at six a.m., but only one old man was there. In a little time came +other two or three, then a few more, then two chiefs. By about half +past six we mustered seven or eight workers on the raft, though several +more came out and sat at their doors, Indian like, as though they +wished only to look on. This seemed greatly in contrast with their +expressions to me yesterday; but such is the Indian. I knew it was of +no use to push, so I patiently waited. About half-past six one of the +Indians on the raft sprang to his feet, gave the word of starting, +which is a peculiar kind of whoop, and he, with the few so inadequate +to the work, determined to begin. At this I proceeded up the beach to +the place for building upon, but what was my surprise when, on +returning, I met upwards of forty Indians carrying wood. They all +seemed to have moved in an instant, and sprung to the work with one +heart. The enthusiasm they manifested was truly gladdening, and almost +alarming. Amongst the number were several old men, who were doing more +with their spirited looks and words than with their muscles. The whole +camp seemed now excited. Encouraging words and pleasant looks greeted +me on every side. Every one seemed in earnest, and the heavy blocks and +beams began to move up the hill with amazing rapidity. When the Fort +bell rang for breakfast they proposed to keep on. One old man said he +would not eat till the work was done. However, I did not think it good +to sanction this enthusiasm thus far, but sent them off to their +houses. By three o'clock p.m. all was over, for which I was very glad, +for the constant whooping, groaning, and bawling of the Indians, +together with the difficulties of the work, from the great weight of +the pieces and the bad road, kept me in constant fear." + +But no sooner had Mr. Duncan set up his school, and commenced work in +it, than the opposition of the medicine men began. They saw that if the +work progressed, "their craft was in danger of being set at nought." +The chiefs of three tribes had already declared that they had made up +their minds to abandon their sorceries. + +On November 19th the new school was opened, and it was soon attended +by one hundred and forty children and fifty adults; but on December 1st +Mr. Duncan was told by the manager of the Fort that the head chief, +Legaic, was going to ask him to give up the school for about a month +during the medicine season. Shortly afterwards he was told that they +would be content if he would stay school for a fortnight, and after +that they would all come to be taught; but if he did not comply, they +intended stopping him by force, and had determined to shoot at the +pupils as they came to the school. Mr. Duncan had a long talk to two of +the officers about the matter, giving them plainly to understand that +he did not intend in the least degree to heed the threats of the +Indians. "Go on with my work I would, in spite of all. I told them +Satan had reigned long enough here; it was high time his rule should be +disturbed (as it is)." On December 20th he wrote:-- + +"This day has been a great day here. I have heartily to thank that all +-seeing Father who has covered me and supported me to-day. The devil and +wicked men leagued to overthrow me this day, but the Lord would not +have it so. I am still alive. This morning the medicine party, who are +carrying on their work near to the school, broke out with renewed fury. +On going to school, I observed a crowd of these wretched men in a house +that I was approaching. As soon as I got into the school, the wife of +the head chief came to beg me to give up school for a little time. She +was certainly very modest in her manner and request, but altogether +unsuccessful. I spoke to her a little, and then she said (what I knew +to be false) that neither she nor her husband desired to go on with the +medicine-work, for, they often cried to see the state of things, but it +was the tribe that urged them to do what they were doing. When she saw +she could prevail nothing, not even so much as to prevent striking the +steel (used as a bell), which they have a peculiar hatred for, she left +me. I then went up the ladder and struck the steel myself, as I did not +like to send a boy up. Very soon about eighty pupils were in the +school, and we went on as usual. + +"This afternoon a boy ran to strike the steel, and not many seconds +elapsed before I saw the head chief (Legaic) approaching, and a whole +gang of medicine men after him, dressed up in their usual charms. The +chief looked very angry, and bade the boy cease. I waited at the door +until he came up. His first effort was to rid the school of the few +pupils that had just come in. He shouted at the top of his voice, and +bade them he off. I immediately accosted him, and demanded to know what +he intended or expected to do. His gang stood about the door, and I +think seven came in. I saw their point: it was to intimidate me by +their strength and frightful appearance; and I perceived the chief, +too, was somewhat under the influence of rum. But the Lord enabled me +to stand calm, and, without the slightest fear, to address them with +far more fluency, in their tongue, than I could have imagined possible +--to tell them of their sin faithfully--to vindicate my conduct--to +exhort them to leave their bad ways, and also to tell them they must +not think to make me afraid. I told them that God was my Master, and I +must obey Him rather than them, and that the devil had taught their +fathers what they were practising, and it was bad, but what I was +teaching now was God's way, and it was good. Our meeting lasted for +more than an hour. I saw a great many people at a distance looking +anxiously at our proceedings, the school door being open. The chief +expressed himself very passionately, now and then breaking out into +furious language, and showing off his savage nature by his gestures. +Towards the close of the scene, two of the confederates, vile-looking +fellows, went and whispered something to him, upon which he got up from +a seat he had just sat down upon, stamped his feet on the floor, raised +his voice as high as he could, and exhibited all the rage and defiance +and boldness that he could. This was all done, I knew, to intimidate +me, but, blessed be God, he did not succeed. Finding his efforts +unavailing, he went off. + +"The leading topics of the chiefs angry conversation were as follows-- +He requested four days' suspension of the school, he promised that, if +I complied, he and his people would then come to school, but threatened +if my pupils continued to come on the following days, he would shoot at +them, lastly, he pleaded, that if the school went on during the time he +specified, then some medicine men, whom he expected on a visit shortly +from a distant tribe, would shame, and, perhaps, kill him. Some of his +sayings during his fits of rage were, that he understood how to kill +people, occasionally drawing his hand across his throat to show me what +he meant, that when he died he knew he should go down, he could not +change, he could not be good, or, if I made him good, why, then, he +supposed he should go to a different place from his forefathers, this +he did not desire to do. On one occasion, whilst he was talking, he +looked at two men, one of them a regular pupil of mine, and the other a +medicine-man, and said, 'I am a murderer, and so are you, and you' +(pointing to each of these men), 'and what good is it for us to come to +school?' Here I broke in, and blessed be God, it gave me an opportunity +of telling the three murderers that pardon was now offered to them if +they would repent, and amend, and go to Jesus our Saviour." + +It was afterwards found out that Legaic, at the moment of his most +violent fury, had caught sight of Clah (who, unknown to Mr. Duncan, was +watching over him with a revolver), and knew that, if he touched the +missionary, it would be at the risk of his life. So it ever is: "in +some way or other, the Lord will provide!" + +This conduct on the part of Legaic was the more discouraging, inasmuch +as he had, in the first instance, as we have seen, given up his own +house for the school. So persistent, however, was his hostility at this +time, and so great were the difficulties in the way of attending +school, that Mr. Duncan was at length obliged to close the new +building, and another chief having offered him the use of his house for +a school, where the children and others would not be afraid to come, he +readily availed himself of his kindness, and was soon able to report +the steady progress of the work. On Christmas Day he wrote:-- + +"Yesterday I told my scholars to bring their friends and relatives to +school to-day, as I wanted to tell them something new. We numbered over +200 souls. I tried to make them understand why we distinguished this +day from others. After this I questioned the children a little, and +then we sang two hymns, which we also translated. While the hymns were +being sung, I felt I must try to do something more, although the +language seemed to defy me. I never experienced such an inward burning +to speak before, and therefore I determined to try an extemporaneous +address in Tsimshean. The Lord helped me: a great stillness prevailed, +and, I think, a great deal was understood of what I said. I told them +of our condition, the pity and love of God, the death of the Son of God +on our account, and the benefits arising to us therefrom; and exhorted +them to leave their sins and pray to Jesus. On my enumerating the sins +of which they are guilty, I saw some look at each other with those +significant looks which betokened their assent to what I said. I tried +to impress upon them the certain ruin which awaits them if they proceed +in their present vices. Very remarkably, an illustration corroborating +what I said was before their eyes. A poor woman was taken sick, not +four yards from where I stood, and right before the eyes of my +audience. She was groaning under a frightful affliction, the effect of +her vices." + + + + +IV. + +FIRST FRUITS. + + +From the extract last given we can gather that, notwithstanding the +opposition of some, and the frightful depravity of all, Mr. Duncan +seemed to be gaining the ear of the people just in proportion as he +advanced in fluency of speech in their mother tongue. And during the +following year, 1859, not a few tokens for good were granted him. In +some parts of the camp open drunkenness and profligacy were +diminishing, and the comparative quiet and decorum consequent on this +made a great impression on the rest. In March a meeting of chiefs was +held at Legaic's house, at which Mr. Duncan's arguments against many of +their most degrading customs were discussed, and generally approved; +and a message was sent to him that they wished him to "speak strong" +against the "bad ways" of their people. On April 6th, Legaic himself +appeared at the school, not now to intimidate the missionary, but to +sit at his feet as a learner. Others followed his example; and when, in +August, one notoriously bad character, named Cushwaht, broke into the +school with a hatchet, intending to shoot Mr. Duncan, and, not finding +him there, smashed all the windows, the greatest indignation was +expressed on every side, and Mr. Duncan had to implore the people not +to shed the offender's blood. + +Nor were only outward changes visible. It was soon manifest that the +Spirit of God was at work in the hearts of some. On October 10th a most +encouraging incident occurred:-- + +"I was informed, on coming out of the school this afternoon, that a +young man, who has been a long time suffering in consumption (brought +on by a severe cold), and whom I have visited several times, was dying; +so, after a little reflection, some misgiving, and prayer, I started +off to see him. I found him, as his wife had said, dying. Over twenty +people were about him; some were crying, and two, I am sorry to say, +were partly intoxicated. I looked on for some time in silent sorrow. +When I wished to speak, silence immediately ensued. I rebuked the noise +and tumult, and directed the dying man to fix his heart on the Saviour +Jesus, to forget the things about him, and spend his little remaining +time in praying in his heart to God to save him. His reply was, 'O yes, +sir; O yes, sir;' and for some moments he would close his eyes, and +seemed absorbed in prayer. He begged me, with much earnestness, to +continue to teach his little girl. He wanted her to be good. This +little girl is about seven years old: her name is Cathi. She has been +very regular at school since I commenced, and has made nice progress. +Much to my comfort, a young woman sat by his side, who has been one of +my most regular pupils. She is in the first class, and can read +portions of the Bible. Her intelligence is remarkable, and I have +observed her to be always listening to religious instruction. Thus, +here was one sitting close to the dying man who could tell him, much +more accurately than I, the few directions I desired to utter. What a +remarkable providence it seemed to me! With tears in her eyes, she +begged him to give his heart to God and to pray to Him. I longed to +pray with him, and watched anxiously a long time for the opportunity. +The opportunity came, and the strength came with it. I knelt down by +his side. All was hushed, and I prayed from a full heart to the Lord +our God to have mercy upon the poor soul about to come into His +presence, for the sake of His dear Son Jesus. I felt sure that the Lord +heard my prayer, and I can indulge a hope for this poor man's +salvation." + +There was much in the case of this young man which encouraged Mr. +Duncan in the hope that he was a true believer in Christ. He understood +the main and leading truths of the Gospel, and he frequently prayed +much to God. Daring his sickness, he never permitted the medicine folks +to operate upon him; and this of itself showed a wonderful change in +him. He died the following night, having reassured the people around +him of his safety, and had a very solemn parting from his little girl. + +Thus, just two years after the solitary Missionary had landed on the +coast as a stranger, the first fully ripened fruit of his labours was +gathered into the heavenly garner. + +In January, 1860, the first Bishop of Columbia, Dr. Hills, arrived at +Victoria. Observing the deplorable condition into which the Indians +fell who flocked thither, and thus came into contact with the vices of +an outlying colonial settlement, the Bishop invited Mr. Duncan to come +down and organise some Christian work amongst them. He accordingly +spent two or three months in the summer there, holding Tsimshean +services, and opening a school. A good work was thus set on foot, which +has since been successfully carried on by others. + +At this time Captain Prevost returned to England, and as a specimen of +the results so far of the Mission which his own loving zeal had +originated, brought home with him a little journal kept, during Mr. +Duncan's absence at Victoria, by one of the Tsimshean boys at Fort +Simpson. Here are some fragments of it:-- + +"_Tuesday, April_ 4_th_, 1860.--If will die my father, then +will very poor my heart 4 my brother all die; only one Shooquanahts +save, and two my uncle save. I will try to make all things. I want to +be good, and I want to much work hard. When we have done work, then +will please, Sir, Mr. Duncan, will you give me a little any thing when +you come back." + +"_April_ 17: _School, Fort Simpson_.--Shooquanahts not two +hearts--always one my heart. Some boys always two hearts. Only one +Shooquanahts--not two heart, no. If I steal any thing then God will +see. Bad people no care about Son of God: when will come troubled +hearts, foolish people. Then he will very much cry. What good cry? +Nothing. No care about our Saviour; always forget. By and by will +understand about the Son of God." + +"_May_ 17.--I do not understand some prayers, only few prayers I +understand; not all I understand, no. I wish to understand all prayers. +When I understand all prayers, then I always prayer our Saviour Jesus +Christ. I want to learn to prayer to Jesus Christ our Saviour: by and +by I understand all about our Saviour Christ: when I understand all +what about our Saviour, then I will happy when I die. If I do not learn +about our Saviour Jesus, then I will very troubled my heart when I die. +It is good for us when we learn about our Saviour Jesus. When I +understand about our Saviour Jesus, then I will very happy when I die." + +Another encouraging case is that of an old man, of whom Mr. Duncan +wrote:-- + +"One night, when I was encamping out, after a weary day, the supper +and the little instruction being over, my crew of Indians, excepting +one old man, quickly spread their mats near the fire, and lay down to +sleep in pairs, each sharing his fellow's blanket. The one old man sat +near the fire smoking his pipe. I crept into my little tent, but, after +some time, came out again to see that all was right. The old man was +just making his bed (a thin bark mat on the ground, a little box of +grease, and a few dry salmon for his pillow--a shirt on, and a blanket +round him--another bark mat over all, his head too, formed his bed in +the open air, during a cold, dark night in April). When everything was +adjusted, he put his pipe down, and offered up, in his own tongue, this +simple little prayer, 'Be merciful to me, Jesus.' Then he drew up his +feet, and was soon lost to view." + +Mr. Duncan had now the joy of welcoming a fellow-labourer. The Rev. L. +S. Tugwell, who had been allotted by the Society to a Mission which +looked so hopeful, arrived with Mrs. Tugwell in August, and at once +threw himself with the utmost earnestness into the work of preparation +for future usefulness. But to his keen disappointment the health of +both entirely broke down in the damp climate, where sometimes the rain +falls for ten months out of the twelve, and he was obliged to return to +England after fourteen months' residence on the coast. + +Before leaving, however, Mr. Tugwell had the high privilege of +admitting into the visible Church its first Tsimshean members. On July +26th, 1861, fourteen men, five women, and four children were baptized. +Others were deterred by heathen relatives. Some candidates were not +passed. But of these, Mr. Duncan wrote, "We truly hope they are indeed +children of God." + +But other fruit, though not so ripe, was now plainly visible, and had +begun to attract public attention. In January, 1860, Mr. Duncan +received a letter from the Rev. E. Cridge, the English chaplain at +Victoria, conveying a message from the Governor, Sir James Douglas:-- + +"I am requested by his Excellency the Governor to express to you the +great gratification he has received from conversing with several of the +Indians who have been under your instruction at Fort Simpson, and who +are now at Victoria; and his pleasure at witnessing the great +improvement in manners, bearing, and religion which you have succeeded +in effecting in their condition. His Excellency trusts you will +continue to show the same energy, perseverance, and zeal which he is +sure you must already have applied to the work, and that your labour +will be rewarded by a still larger measure of success. His Excellency +also wishes me to say that he would feel obliged by your reporting to +him from time to time on the progress of your Mission. Any suggestions +you may make with regard to measures which may occur to you as likely +to prove beneficial to the Indians under your care, such as settling +them in any particular locality, or setting apart a reserve of land for +their use, will receive his Excellency's best attention; who will also, +if necessary, represent any such measures, with his favourable +recommendation to her Majesty's Government." + +Commander Mayne, R.N., mentions in his interesting book, _Four Years +in British Columbia_ (p. 212), that Captain G. Y. H. Richards, of H. +M. S. _Hecate_, who was in command on the coast at this time, was +so much struck by Mr. Duncan's success, that he said to him, "Why do +not more men come out? Or, if the missionary societies cannot afford +them, why does not Government send out fifty, and place them up the +coast at once? Surely it would not be difficult to find fifty good men +in England willing to engage in such a work; and their expenses would +be almost nothing compared with the cost which the country must sustain +to subdue the Indians by force of arms. And such," adds Commander +Mayne, "are the sentiments of myself--in common, I believe, with all my +brother officers--after nearly five years' constant and close +intercourse with the Natives of Vancouver's Island and the coast." + + + + +V. + +THE NEW SETTLEMENT. + + +As early as July, 1859, Mr. Duncan had foreseen the necessity, if the +Mission were not only to save individual souls from sin, but to +exercise a wholesome influence upon the Indian tribes generally, of +fixing its head-quarters at some place removed from the contamination +of ungodly white men. "What," he wrote, "is to become of children and +young people under instruction when temporal need compels them to leave +school? If they are permitted to slip away from me into the gulf of +vice and misery which everywhere surrounds them, then the fate of these +tribes is sealed." What that fate would be may be gathered from one of +Bishop Hills' first letters in 1860. He found that of one tribe more +than half had been cut off in a dozen years by drink and dissolute +habits; and the traffic in Indian females for immoral purposes was +openly carried on, from L40 to L60 per head being paid for them. +"Victoria," wrote Mr. Duncan, "although it is 500 miles from Fort +Simpson, will always prove the place of attraction to these tribes, and +to many even further away. There they become demoralised and filled +with disease; and from thence they return, laden with rum, to spread +scenes of horror too awful to describe." + +The Tsimsheans who had come under Mr. Duncan's influence, themselves +implored him to devise some way of escape from the ruin they saw +impending on their nation. And he laid before the Society a plan for +establishing a colony, where well-disposed Indians might be gathered +together. His objects are thus succinctly stated in an official report +presented by him to the Canadian Government some years afterwards:-- + +"1st. To place all the Indians, when they became wishful to be taught +Christianity, out of the miasma of heathen life, and away from the +deadening and enthralling influence of heathen customs. + +"2nd. To establish the Mission where we could effectively shut out +intoxicating liquors, and keep liquor vendors at bay. + +"3rd. To enable us to raise a barrier against the Indians visiting +Victoria, excepting on lawful business. + +"4th. That we might be able to assist the people thus gathered out to +develop into a model community, and raise a Christian village, from +which the native evangelist might go forth, and Christian truth radiate +to every tribe around. + +"5th. That we might gather such a community around us, whose moral and +religious training and bent of life might render it safe and proper to +impart secular instruction. + +"6th. That we might be able to break up all tribal distinctions and +animosities, and cement all who came to us, from whatever tribe, into +one common brotherhood. + +"7th. That we might place ourselves in a position to set up and +establish the supremacy of the law, teach loyalty to the Queen, +conserve the peace of the country around, and ultimately develope our +settlement into a municipality with its native corporation." + +The Indians themselves pointed out the locality for such a settlement, +a place called METLAKAHTLA, [Footnote: Metlakahtla = the inlet of Kahtla, +Kahtla was the name of the tribe formerly settled there.] occupying a +beautiful situation on the coast, seventeen miles from Fort Simpson. It +had formerly been their own home; but they had removed their tents to +Fort Simpson twenty years before for convenience of trade. Here they +would be free from the influences of the Fort, which were decidedly +adverse to the well-being of the Mission; they would have more +opportunity of social improvement; they would have plenty of beach room +for their canoes; and they would have plenty of land suitable for +gardens, which they did not possess at their present station, and a +channel always smooth, and abounding with salmon and shell-fish, while +its beauty formed a striking contrast to the dreary country around. + +The project met with the entire approval of the Governor, and the +winter was occupied in preparing wood for the buildings, in the +expectation that the removal would be effected in the spring. But the +departure of Mr. Tugwell delayed the accomplishment of the scheme, and +it was not until the summer of 1862 that Mr. Duncan found himself able +to carry it out. + +On May 18th, 1862, he began taking down the large temporary school +which had been put up at Fort Simpson, and three days later its +materials were rafted, and were on their way to the new site. Just then +a message from God of a most solemn kind came to the coast tribes. Only +two days after the raft had gone away, canoes from Victoria arrived +with the news that the smallpox had broken out among the Indians there; +and, worse still, it immediately became evident that the canoes had +brought the fell disease with them. "It was," wrote Mr. Duncan, +"evidently my duty immediately to see and warn the Indians. I had +previously determined to do this in a farewell visit to each tribe +before my departure from Fort Simpson, but I now felt doubly pressed to +call upon all quickly to surrender themselves to God. I therefore spent +the next few days in assembling and addressing each tribe (nine in all) +separately. Thus all in the camp again heard a warning voice; many, +alas! for the last time, as it proved. Sad to relate, hundreds of those +who heard me were soon and suddenly swept into eternity." + +Even at that moment of alarm very few of the Indians could make up +their minds, when the time for departure came, to throw in their lot +with the new colony. Nor can we be surprised at this, when we read the +rules Mr. Duncan had framed for its guidance, admirable in themselves, +and now abundantly justified by their signal success, but still +involving a radical change in the habits of the Indians, and the +abandonment of some of their most cherished practices. They were +fifteen in number:-- + + 1. To give up their "Ahhed," or Indian devilry; + 2. To cease calling in conjurors when sick; + 3. To cease gambling; + 4. To cease giving away their property for display; + 5. To cease painting their faces; + 6. To cease drinking intoxicating drink; + 7. To rest on the Sabbath; + 8. To attend religious instruction; + 9. To send their children to school; + 10. To be clean; + 11. To be industrious; + 12. To be peaceful; + 13. To be liberal and honest in trade; + 14. To build neat houses; + 15. To pay the village tax. + +Nevertheless, when the day of removal came, fifty Indians accompanied +Mr. Duncan to Metlakahtla:-- + +"On the 27th May, in the afternoon, we started off. All that were +ready to go with me occupied six canoes, and we numbered about fifty +souls--men, women, and children. Many Indians were seated on the beach, +watching our departure with solemn and anxious faces; and some promised +to follow us in a few days. The party with me seemed filled with solemn +joy as we pushed off, feeling that their long-looked-for flit had +actually commenced. I felt we were beginning an eventful page in the +history of this poor people, and earnestly sighed to God for His help +and blessing. + +"The next day, the 28th May, we arrived at our new home about two p.m. +The Indians I had sent on before me with the raft I found hard at work, +clearing ground and sawing plank. They had carried all the raft up from +the beach, excepting a few heavy beams; erected two temporary houses; +and had planted about four bushels of potatoes for me. + +"Every night we assembled, a happy family, for singing and prayer. I +gave an address on each occasion from one portion of Scriptural truth +suggested to me by the events of the day." + +And a much larger number were not long in following. On June 6th a +fleet of thirty canoes arrived from Fort Simpson, bringing nearly three +hundred souls; in fact nearly the whole of one tribe, the Keetlahn, +with two chiefs. Not many days, however, elapsed before the dreaded +cloud overshadowed the coast. Small-pox broke out at Fort Simpson, and +seized upon the Indians; and although for awhile they were content to +ward it off, as they thought, by incessant conjuring, yet when some of +the leading medicine men themselves fell victims to the disease, a +great fear fell upon all, and they fled in all directions, but only +spread the fatal scourge more widely by so doing. Many came to +Metlakahtla, and though Mr. Duncan refused to receive some, he could +not refuse all. "For the temporal and spiritual welfare of my own +people," he wrote, "who now clung to me like timid children, I was kept +in constant labour and pressing anxiety. Death stared us in the face on +every hand. But God remembered us in the day of our calamity;" and of +the original settlers only five were cut off. One of these was Stephen +Ryan, one of the first group baptized by Mr. Tugwell in the preceding +year. A touching account is given of his end: + +"He died in a most distressing condition, so far as the body is +concerned. A way from everyone whom he loved, in a little bark hut on a +rocky beach just beyond the reach of the tide, which no one of his +relatives or friends dared to approach except the one who nursed him; +in this damp, lowly, distressing state, suffering from the malignant +disease of small-pox, how cheering to receive such words as the +following from him: 'I am quite happy. I find my Saviour very near to +me. I am not afraid to die; heaven is open to receive me. Give my +thanks to Mr. Duncan: he told me of Jesus. I have hold of the ladder +that reaches to heaven. All Mr. Duncan taught me I now feel to be +true.' Then, saying that he wished to be carried to his relatives, his +words were, 'Do not weep for me. You are poor, being left; I am not +poor: I am going to heaven. My Saviour is very near to me: do all of +you follow me to heaven. Let not one of you be wanting. Tell my mother +more clearly the way of life: I am afraid she does not yet understand +the way. Tell her not to weep for me, but to get ready to die. Be all +of one heart and live in peace.'" + +Notwithstanding this heavy trial, the infant settlement grew and +prospered; and in the following March, 1863, Mr. Duncan, in a letter to +the Society, summed up the results of the Mission so far in these +remarkable words:-- + +"The Lord has sustained His work, and given marked evidence of His +presence and blessing. Above one-fourth of the Tsimsheans from Fort +Simpson, a few Tongass, Nishkah, Keethrathla, and Keetsahlass Indians +(which tribes occupy a circle of about seventy miles round Fort +Simpson), have been gathered out from the heathen, and have gone +through much labour, trial, and persecution, to come on the Lord's +side. About 400 to 600 souls attend Divine service on Sundays, and are +being governed by Christian and civilized laws. About seventy adults +and twenty children are already baptized, or are only waiting for a +minister to come and baptize them. About 100 children are attending the +day schools, and 100 adults the evening school. About forty of the +young men have formed themselves into two classes, and meet for prayer +and exhorting each other. The instruments of the medicine-men, which +have spell-bound their nation for ages, have found their way into my +house, and are most willingly and cheerfully given up. The dark and +cruel mantle of heathenism has been rent so that it cannot be healed. +Numbers are escaping from under its deadly embrace. Customs, which form +the very foundation of Indian government, and lie nearest the Indian's +heart, have been given up, because they have an evil tendency. Feasts +are now characterized by order and good will, and begin and end with +the offering of thanks to the Giver of all good. Thus the surrounding +tribes have now a model village before them, acting as a powerful +witness for the truth of the Gospel, shaming and correcting, yet still +captivating them; for in it they see those good things which they and +their forefathers have sought and laboured for in vain, viz., peace, +security, order, honesty, and progress. To God be all the praise and +glory! Amen and amen." + +To this may be added some extracts from a formal report which he sent +to the Governor at the same time, and which gives a most interesting +account of the material prospects of the settlement:-- + +"_Metlahkatlah, 6th March, 1863._, + +"Sir,--The Tsimshean Indians, who have lately removed from Fort +Simpson under my superintendence and settled here, are very anxious to +tender your Excellency their warmest thanks for the liberal and timely +aid which you have rendered them in building their new village. The 150 +window-sashes and 600lbs. of nails, which came of your bounty of L50, +arrived quite safely in September last by the Hudson Bay Company's +steamer 'Labouchere,' and have been duly distributed and appropriated +as follows:--To thirty-five houses (averaging about 34 feet by 18) four +window-sashes and 13lbs. of nails each; and to two smaller houses two +window-sashes and 6lbs. of nails each. Five window-sashes and about +130lbs. of nails remain. + +"In obedience to your Excellency's kind wish, I will proceed to lay +before you a few particulars respecting our new Indian Mission +settlement. + +"Your Excellency is aware of the dreadful plague of the small-pox with +which it pleased Almighty God to visit the Indians of this coast last +year, and by which many thousands of them were swept away. Though no +fewer than 500, or one-fifth of the Tsimsheans at Fort Simpson, have +fallen, I have gratefully to acknowledge God's sparing mercy to us as a +village. We had only five fatal cases amongst those who originally left +Fort Simpson with me, and three of these deaths were caused by +attending to sick relatives who came to us after taking the disease. +Yet so fearful was the amount of death and desolation on every side of +us till about the end of September, that the Indians had but little +spirit left for building, or even for the gathering necessary food for +the winter. Thus it was that they found inclement weather upon them +long before they were properly housed. In addition to the great amount +of labour and trouble attendant upon moving and building new houses, we +have had to encounter great opposition from many of the Indians from +Fort Simpson, who, in spite of the great warnings they have had, +continue still to be steeped in drunkenness and heathenism. Nor has the +conflict been one wholly outward, if indeed mainly so. For to many who +have joined me, the surrendering their national and heathen customs +performed over the sick--ceasing to give away, tear up, or receive +blankets, etc., for display, dropping precipitately their demoniacal +rites, which have hitherto and for ages filled up their time and +engrossed all their care during the months of winter--laying aside +gambling, and ceasing to paint their faces--had been like cutting off +the right hand and plucking out the right eye. Yet I am thankful to +tell you that these sacrifices have been made; and had your Excellency +heard the speeches made by the chiefs and some of the principal men at +our Christmas evening meeting, alluding to these and other matters, you +would, I am sure, have rejoiced. + +"On New Year's Day the male adult settlers came cheerfully forward to +pay the village tax, which I had previously proposed to levy yearly, +viz., one blanket, or two and a half dollars of such as have attained +manhood, and one shirt or one dollar of such as are approaching +manhood. Out of 130 amenable we had only ten defaulters, and these were +excused on account of poverty. Our revenue for this year, thus +gathered, amounts to 1 green, 1 blue, and 94 white blankets, 1 pair of +white trousers, 1 dressed elk skin, 17 shirts, and 7 dollars. The half +of this property I propose to divide among the three chiefs who are +with us, in recognition of stated services which they will he required +to render to the settlement and the other half to spend on public works. + +"As to our government, all disputes and difficulties are settled by +myself and ten constables, but I occasionally call in the chiefs, and +intend to do so more and more, and when they become sufficiently +instructed, trustworthy and influential, I shall leave civil matters in +their hands. I find the Indians very obedient, and comparatively easy +to manage, since I allow no intoxicating drinks to come into our +village. Though we are continually hearing of the drunken festivals of +the surrounding tribes, I am happy to tell you that Metlahkatlah has +not yet witnessed a case of drunkenness since we have settled here--a +period of ten months. Still, not all with me are true men. Some few, on +their visits to Fort Simpson, have fallen, and two, whose cases were +clearly proved and admitted of no extenuation, I have banished from our +midst. + +"On Sabbath days labour is laid aside, a solemn quiet presides, and +the best clothing is in use. Scarcely a soul remains away from Divine +Service, excepting the sick and their nurses. Evening family devotions +are common to almost every house, and, better than all, I have a hope +that many have experienced a real change of heart. To God be all the +praise and glory! + +"We have succeeded in erecting a strong and useful building, capable +of containing at least 600 people, which we use as church and school. +We held our first meeting in this building on the night it was +finished, the 20th December last. I have about 100 children, who attend +morning and afternoon, and about 100 adults (often more) in the +evening. I occupy the principal part of the time in the adult school, +in giving simple lectures on geography, astronomy, natural history, and +morals. These lectures the Indians greatly prize. + +"On the 6th February we commenced our first works, viz., making a road +round the village. This will take us some time to complete, as the +ground is very uneven, and much of it wooded. I propose, after the road +is conveniently finished, to set about building, out of our public +fund, two good sized houses for the accommodation of strange Indians +when they come to trade with us, and thus prevent the interference to +domestic comfort and improvement arising to the villagers from these +visits under the old system. I have other public works in view, such as +fixing proper rests for canoes when unemployed, laying slides for +moving canoes on the beach and into the water at low tides, also +sinking wells and procuring pumps for public use, etc., etc. + +"I feel, also, that it is of vast importance to seek out profitable +employment for those with me, and thus keep them away from those labour +markets which exhibit temptations too strong and vices too fascinating +for the Indian, in his present morally infantile condition, to +withstand. Hence, I have already measured out and registered over 100 +plots of ground for gardens, situated in various parts of the channel +in which we are settled. These, the Indians are anxious to cultivate. I +have also desired them to prepare salt and smoked fish, fish grease and +dried berries, which, with furs, will form our first articles of +exportation. Other branches of labour will arise in due course. But in +order to set about thus much, we need seed (especially the potato), +salt, direct means of communication with Victoria, and an agent there. + +"I am anxious that even the trading vessel should be in our own hands, +first, because the Indians would, on that account, feel a deeper +interest in her, and exert themselves the more to keep her well and +profitably employed, secondly, the profits of the vessel would redound +to the village, and, thirdly, it is necessary to avoid having +intercourse with that barbarous class of men who are employed in running +the small vessels up the coast, which, by trading in intoxicating drink, +are all doing a work not easily described, and not readily believed by +those who do not witness it. Their visits to the Indian camps are +invariably marked by murder, and the very maddest riots. To purchase the +vessel we need, I suppose from L100 to L150 will be required. I +therefore propose that 100 Indians shall subscribe L1 or L1 10s, or the +equivalent in furs. The Indians are willing to do their utmost, and I +expect to have to render them little help, beyond seeking out the +vessel, and I do not intend to give them any pecuniary aid, except to +procure such things as, through ignorance or inexperience, they despise, +but such as are, nevertheless, essential to their well-being and +prosperity. + +"Trusting, by God's blessing upon us, we shall go on improving, and +continue to merit your Excellency's favour and good-will, + +"I have the honour to remain, with warmest gratitude, + +"Your Excellency's humble and obedient Servant, + +"W. DUNCAN. + +_"To His Excellency, James Douglas, Esq., C. B, + +"Governor of Vancouver's Island and British Columbia."_ + + + + +VI. + +METLAKAHTLA--SPIRITUAL RESULTS. + + +While the work at Metlakahtla was thus prospering materially, and +increasing in general moral influence, under the blessing of Him +without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, higher spiritual +blessings were not withheld. Fresh classes of candidates for baptism +had been formed during the last winter at Fort Simpson, and were +continued diligently at the new settlement; and in April, 1862, the +Bishop of Columbia, at Mr. Duncan's request, took the journey to +Metlakahtla to baptize as many as might be found ready. But before +this, one of the most interesting converts, a miracle of grace indeed, +had been baptized, in the urgency of his special case, by Mr. Duncan +himself. This was Quthray, a cannibal chief, one of the two men whose +horrible orgies had met the eye of the newly-arrived missionary, at +Fort Simpson, four years and a half before, and who has also been +already mentioned as the one man who sullenly refused to kneel at Mr. +Duncan's second service. He had, however, become one of the most +regular and earnest attendants at the services and classes, and gave +unmistakable evidence that Divine grace had indeed changed his heart. +He joined the Metlakahtla party, but had not been there long before he +fell ill. In October he passed away, a ransomed soul, to be a jewel in +His crown who came to seek and to save the lost:-- + +"_Saturday, 18th October, 1862_.--Just as I was rising this +morning I received intelligence that poor Quthray, the young cannibal +chief, was dying. I have frequently visited him during his illness, and +was with him for a long time a few nights ago. As he has long and +earnestly desired baptism, and expressed in such clear terms his +repentance for his sins, and his faith in the Saviour of sinners, I +told him that I would myself baptize him before he died, unless a +minister from Victoria arrived in time to do it. He always appeared +most thankful for my visits, and, with the greatest force he could +command, thanked me for my promise. Accordingly this morning I +proceeded to the solemn work of admitting a brand plucked from the +burning into the visible Church of Christ by baptism. Though I was not +sent here to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, yet I had no fear but +that I was doing what was pleasing to God in administering that sacred +rite to the poor dying man, as an officially appointed person was not +within several hundred miles of him. I found the sufferer apparently on +the very verge of eternity, but quite sensible, supported by his wife +on one side, and another woman on the other, in a sitting posture on +his lowly couch spread upon the ground. I addressed him at once, +reminding him of the promise I had made to him, and why I also spoke +some words of advice to him, to which he paid most earnest attention, +though his cough would scarcely permit him to have a moment's rest. A +person near expressed a fear that he did not understand what I said, +being so weak and near death, but he quickly, and with great emphasis, +exclaimed, '_I hear, I understand_' While I was praying his +expression of countenance was most lovely. With his face turned upward, +he seemed to be deeply engaged in prayer. I baptized him, and gave him +the name of Philip Atkinson. I earnestly besought the Lord to ratify in +heaven what He had permitted me to do in His name, and to receive the +soul of the poor dying penitent before Him. He had the same resignation +and peace which he has evinced throughout his sickness, weeping for his +sins, depending all upon the Saviour, confident of pardon, and +rejoicing in hope. + +"This is the man of whom I have had to write more than once to the +Society. Oh the dreadful and revolting things I have witnessed him do! +He was one of the two principal actors in the first horrid scene I saw +at Fort Simpson about four and a half years ago, an account of which I +sent home, namely, that of a poor slave woman being murdered in cold +blood, thrown on the beach, and then torn to pieces and eaten by two +naked savages, who were supported by a crew of singers and the noise of +drums. This man was one of those naked cannibals. Glorious change! See +him clothed and in his right mind, weeping--weeping sore for his sins-- +expressing to all around his firm belief in the Saviour, and dying in +peace. Bless the Lord for all His goodness." + +It was on April 21st, 1863, that the Bishop baptized at Metlakahtla +fifty-nine adults and some children. On the 19th, Sunday, he landed +from the "Devastation;" and for two days he was incessantly occupied in +examining the candidates. His account is deeply interesting:-- + +"We were met by the whole village, who stood on the bank, in a long +line--as fine a set of men and as well-dressed as could anywhere be +seen where men live by their daily toil--certainly no country village +in England would turn out so well-clad an assemblage. + +"At three the bell was rung, and almost instantly the whole population +were wending their way to church. There were hymns and prayers in +Tsimshean. They repeated the answers to a catechism in Tsimshean. I +addressed them, and offered prayers in English, which were interpreted +by Mr. Duncan. There was much earnest response. The service lasted one +hour and three quarters. There was an evidence of devotion. Mr. Duncan +plays the accordion. + +"Monday, April 20th.--Got to the Mission-house at eight to breakfast. +Afterwards engaged the whole day seeing catechumens till one o'clock +next morning. One after another the poor Indians pressed on to be +examined. They had been under training for periods varying from eight +months to three years. They had long been looking for a minister to +admit them to baptism. It was a strange yet intensely interesting sight +in that log cabin, by the dim glimmer of a small lamp, to see just the +countenance of the Indian, sometimes with uplifted eyes, as he spoke of +the blessedness of prayer--at other times, with downcast melancholy, as +he smote upon his breast in the recital of his penitence. The tawny +face, the high cheek-bone, the glossy jet-black flowing hair, the dark, +glassy eye, the manly brow, were a picture worthy the pencil of the +artist. The night was cold--I had occasionally to rise and walk about +for warmth--yet there were more. The Indian usually retires as he +rises, with the sun, but now he would turn night into day if he might +only be allowed to 'have the sign,' and be fixed in the good ways of +God. + +"Tuesday, April 21st.--Immediately after breakfast, having had prayer, +the work again began. Catechumens came in, and, one by one, were +sifted; some, to their grief, were deferred. One man came and begged he +might be passed, for he might not live till the next visit of a +clergyman. Another brought a friend, and said, if I would only admit +his wife to baptism, they would promise for her she should persevere +and live to God. Another, a fine child of fourteen, I had thought too +young to answer for herself--one who had always shown remarkable love +for instruction, and had stood by the school when the many were its +foes. She came with tears of entreaty which were irresistible and +beautiful, and lovely was the sensitive intelligence which beamed upon +her devotional features when afterwards she received the waters of +baptism. Till four o'clock was I thus engaged, an hour after the time +appointed for the baptisms. + +"The peculiar suitableness of the questions in the Baptismal Service +to the case of converts from heathenism was very remarkably illustrated +throughout the examination. Converts from heathenism can fully realize +renunciation of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Amongst these +Indians, pomp of display, the lying craft of malicious magic, as well +as all sins of the flesh, are particularly glaring, and closely +connected with heathenism. To them these things are part and parcel of +heathenism. So are the truths of the Creed in strongest contrast to the +dark and miserable fables of their forefathers; and heartily can they +pledge themselves to keep the holy will of God all the days of their +life, seeing in Him a loving and true Father, of whom now so lately, +but so gladly, they have learnt to know. + +"I first drew forth their views of the necessity of repentance, its +details, and their own personal acquaintance with it. I then questioned +them as to the Three Persons of the Trinity, and the special work of +each, with allusion to the Judgment, and the state of the soul +hereafter, inquiring into their private devotion, to learn their +personal application of repentance and faith, I questioned their +anxiety for baptism, and demanded proof of their resolution to keep the +will of God for their guide, to speak for God, and to labour for God's +way all their life long. I sought to find out the circumstances under +which they first became seriously inclined, and to trace their steps of +trial and grace. Admitting them to the promise of baptism, I exhorted +them to earnest prayer and devotion, as a special preparation, until +the time came. + +"The examination concluded, the candidates, to the number of fifty-six, +were assembled in the church, and ranged in a large circle, in the midst +of which the ceremony was to take place. + +"The impressiveness of the occasion was manifest in the devout and +reverent manner of all present. There were no external aids, sometimes +thought necessary for the savage mind, to produce or increase the +solemnity of the scene. The building is a bare and unfinished octagon +of logs and spars--a mere barn--sixty feet by sixty, capable of +containing 700 persons. The roof was partly open at the top; and, +though the weather was still cold, there was no fire, A simple table, +covered with a white cloth, upon which stood three hand-basins of +water, served for the font, and I officiated in a surplice. Thus there +was nothing to impress the senses, no colour, or ornament, or church +decoration, or music. The solemnity of the scene--was produced by the +earnest sincerity and serious purpose with which these children of the +Far West were prepared to offer themselves to God, and to renounce for +eer the hateful sins and cruel deeds of their heathenism; and the +solemn stillness was broken only by the breath of prayer. The responses +were made with earnestness and decision. Not an individual was there +whose lips did not utter in their own expressive tongue their hearty +readiness to believe and to serve God." + +The following are some of the Bishop's notes of the examination:-- + +"Legaic (principal chief), aged 40.--_Answers_:--We must put away +all our evil ways. I want to take hold of God. I believe in God the +Father, who made all things, and in Jesus Christ. I constantly cry for +my sins when I remember them. I believe the good will sit near to God +after death. Am anxious to walk in God's ways all my life. If I turn +back it will be more bitter for me than before. I pray God to wipe out +my sins; strengthen me to do right; pity me. My prayers are from my +heart. I think sometimes God does not hear me, because I do not give up +all my sins. My sins are too heavy. I think we have not strength of +ourselves. + +"Neeash-lakah-noosh (called 'the Lame Chief'; he is blind also of an +eye; fine old man), aged 70--_Answers_:--When asked if he wished +to become a Christian, said--For that object I came here with my +people. I have put away all lying ways, which I have long followed. I +have trusted in God. We want the Spirit of God. Jesus came to save us. +He compensated for our sins. Our Father made us, and loved us because +we are His work. He wishes to see us with Him because He loves as. When +asked about the judgment, said, The blood of Jesus will free those who +believe from condemnation. _Remarks_--Under regular instruction +for a year, and before that for some time by his daughter. Is most +consistent, trying to do simply what is right. The other day was +benighted on Saturday, on his way to spend the Sunday at Metlakahtla, +seven miles off. Would not come on, nor let his people gather herring +spawn, close under their feet, he rested the Lord's Day, according to +the commandment. + +"Lappigh Kumlee, aged 30--_Answers_--I have given up the lucrative +position of sorcerer. Been offered bribes to practise my art secretly. I +have left all my mistaken ways. My eyes have been bored (enlightened). I +cry every night when I remember my sins. The great Father Almighty sees +everything. If I go up to the mountains He sees me. Jesus died for our +sins upon the cross to carry our sins away. _Remarks_--Dates his +change from seeing a convert reading a book, and he felt ashamed that he +knew nothing, and he determined to learn, and soon he found his own +system false. In one case, when his spirit said there would be recovery, +death came; in another, when he foretold death, life remained. + +"Thrak sha kawn (sorcerer), aged 50--_Answers_--I wish to give up +all wicked ways. Have been a medicine-man, and know the lies of +heathenism. I believe in the great Father who made us, in Jesus who +died on the cross that God would pity us. I want the Spirit of God to +touch my heart. We must all stand before God. God will measure our +ways. No one to be his master but God. I will not keep my eyes on the +ground any more but will look up to heaven all my life. _Remarks_ +--He has had to bear much scorn, and to go through much struggle. + +"Wahthl (wife of Legaic), aged 40--_Answers_--I wish to put away +evil and have a clean heart. Feel the pain of the remembrance of sin so +bad I would sometimes like to die. I want to seek God's face, but feel +little hope, still I determine to persevere, though miserable. Loss of +relatives, and finding no peace and rest, and feeling in darkness led +me to look to God. I know that God sent His Son Jesus to die for our +sins. _Remarks_--About nine months under regular instruction. She +is evidently anxious for her soul, knows the truth, but her sins are +such a burden that she has not found peace. She has been anxious her +husband should go forward in good. + +"Loosl (widow of the cannibal chief who died penitent), aged 25-- +_Answers_--I know how blind I have been. Was first turned to God +by the news of the Saviour. Was struck that He came down amongst us. +God is a spirit full of love. Christ came to carry away our sins. We +must pray for the Spirit to help us. I confess my sins to God and cry +for pity. I pray for my friends. After death the judgment. We must +stand before God. Jesus will answer for those who trust in Him. +_Remarks_.--Upheld her husband in his wickedness. Was turned by +his turning at his death. + +"Nishah-kigh (chieftainess of the Nishkahs), aged 45--_Answers_:--I +must leave all evil ways. I feel myself a sinner in God's sight. I +believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, who died for +our sins. God sends down His Spirit to make us good. Jesus is in heaven, +and is writing our names in God's book. I feel God's Word is truth. Have +been for some time accustomed regularly to pray. _Remarks_.--Two +years ago she was found giving Christian instruction to a sick and dying +person. Her husband tells me she passed much time in devotion. When she +first heard the Word of God her sorrow was great, and her penitence more +than she could bear. Some five years she has been earnestly seeking God. + +"Nayahk (wife of Lappligheumlee, a sorcerer), aged 25.--_Answers_: +--Answers well and clearly upon the separate work of each Person of the +Trinity. Prays for pardon--for the Holy Spirit. _Remarks_.--Suffered +much from the mockery of her husband. At her earnest demand he gave up +devilry. Been consistent in the midst of opposition; adhered to the +Mission when many were against. Has been a blessing to her family, all +of whom have renounced heathenism. Her husband, the sorcerer, laments +his past life, and would be the first to put his foot upon the evil +system. + +"Ad-dah-kippi (wife of a Christian Indian), aged 25.--_Answers_:--I +must put away sin. I know I have been making God angry, but must put +away all my old ways, lies, and the evil of my fathers. God gave us +commandments. God would not hear us till we put away our sins, Jesus +would make peace for us and add His Spirit. Am resolved to endeavour to +live to God all my life. Was much moved last fishing at my sinfulness, +and then repented strongly, and resolved to walk with God. I pray +morning, noon, and night for pardon and God's Spirit. _Remarks_. +--Had opposed her husband, who is a Christian." + +One of those baptized, it will be seen, was the famous head-chief +himself, Legaic, the same who had threatened Mr. Duncan's life four +years before. He had been a ferocious savage, and had committed every +kind of crime. After he first began to attend the school, he twice fell +back; but the Spirit of God was at work in his heart, and when the +removal to Metlakahtla took place, he deliberately gave up his position +as head-chief of the Tsimshean tribes in order to join the colony. +Constant inducements were held out to him to return; and on one +occasion he actually gave way. He gathered the Indians together, on the +Metlakahtla beach, told them he could hold out no longer, and was going +back to his old life--that he could not help it, for he was being +pulied away--that he knew it was wrong, and perhaps he should perish +for ever, but still he must go. In tears he shook the hand of each in +turn, and then stepping alone into his canoe, paddled rapidly away from +his weeping friends. He went a few miles along the coast, and then, as +darkness came on, put the canoe ashore. The night was one of such +misery, he afterwards said, as no words could describe. "A hundred +deaths would not equal the sufferings of that night." On his knees he +wept and prayed for pardon, and for strength to return; and next day he +again appeared at Metlakahtla, to the joy of all. + +Legaic, who before was "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious," +was baptized by the name of Paul. In him indeed did "Jesus Christ show +forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who shall hereafter +believe on Him to life everlasting." + +The Rev. R. J. Dundas, who visited Metlakahtla six months later, and +baptized thirty-nine more adults and thirteen children, thus wrote of +Paul Legaic and his daughter Sarah:-- + +"I paid a visit to the wife of the chief Paul Legaic. He it was who +nearly took Mr. Duncan's life at the head of the medicine-band +attacking the school. They were both baptized by the Bishop last April. +Legaic was the wealthiest chief of the Tsimsheans at Fort Simpson. He +has lost everything--has had to give up everything by his conversion to +Christianity. It was with many of them literally a 'forsaking of all +things to follow Christ.'--His house is the nicest and best situated in +the village. A very little labour and expense in way of internal +fittings would make it quite comfortable. He and his wife have one +child only, a young girl of fourteen. She was a modest-looking, +pleasing child--very intelligent--one of the first class in the school. +She did not look like one who had ever been 'possessed with a devil;' +and yet this is the child whom, three years ago, her teacher saw naked +in the midst of a howling band, tearing and devouring the bleeding dog. +How changed! She who 'had the unclean spirit' sits now at the feet of +Jesus, clothed, and in her right mind." + +On the occasion of a visit paid soon after this by Mr. Duncan to Fort +Simpson, Legaic, again like his great namesake, boldly preached the +faith which once he destroyed. Mr. Duncan wrote:-- + +"Feb. 6, 1864.--I have just returned from a visit to Fort Simpson. I +went to proclaim the Gospel once more to the poor unfeeling heathen +there. I laid the Gospel again distinctly before them, and they seemed +much affected. The most pleasing circumstance of all, and which I was +not prepared to expect, was, that Paul Legaic and Clah (the one in +times past a formidable enemy and opposer, and the other one among the +first to hear and greet the Gospel) sat by me, one on either side. +After I had finished my address on each occasion they got up and spoke, +and spoke well. + +"Legaic completely shamed and confounded an old man, who, in replying +to my address, had said that I had come too late to do him and other +old people good; that, had I come when the first white traders came, +the Tsimsheans had long since been good; but they had been allowed to +grow up in sin; they had seen nothing among the first whites who came +amongst them to unsettle them in their old habits, but these had rather +added to them fresh sins, and now their sins were deep laid, they (he +and the other old people) could not change. Legaic interrupted him, and +said, 'I am a chief, a Tsimshean chief. You know I have been bad, very +bad, as bad as any one here. I have grown up and grown old in sin, but +God has changed my heart, and He can change yours. Think not to excuse +yourselves in your sins by saying you are too old and too bad to mend. +Nothing is impossible with God. Come to God; try His way; He can save +you.' He then exhorted all to taste God's way, to give their hearts to +Him, and to leave all their sins; and then endeavoured to show them +what they had to expect if they did so--_not_ temporal good, not +health, long life, or ease or wealth, but God's favour here and +happiness with God after death." + +Legaic had been well known to the traders and others on the coast, and +the change in him caused the greatest astonishment among them. "Mr. +Duncan's Grand Vizier" they called him. One visitor wrote in the +Victoria paper:-- + +"Take a walk near the church, and you may see the mighty chief of Fort +Simpson (Legaic) standing under the porch of his well-built house, +ornamented with fancy casing around where the gutters should be, but +are not, and also around the windows. Legaic! why, I remember him +myself, some ten years ago, the terrifying murderer of women as well as +men, now lamb-led by the temperate hand of Christianity--a Church-going +example--an able ally of the Temperance Society, though not having +signed the pledge." + +For seven years this once dreaded savage led a quiet and consistent +Christian life at Metlakahtla as a carpenter. In 1869, he was taken ill +at Fort Simpson, on his way home, after a journey to Nass River. He at +once sent this short note to Mr. Duncan:-- + +"Dear Sir,--I want to see you. I always remember you in my mind. I +shall be very sorry if I shall not see you before I go away, because +you showed me the ladder that reaches to heaven, and I am on that +ladder now. I have nothing to trouble me, I only want to see you." + +But Mr. Duncan, to his great sorrow, was quite unable to get away from +his incessant duties at Metlakahtla. A second and third summons +followed in quick succession, and presently came the news of his death, +accompanied by a few unfinished lines:-- + +"My dear Sir,--This is my last letter, to say I am very happy. I am +going to rest from trouble, trial, and temptation. I do not feel afraid +to meet my God. In my painful body I always remember the words of our +Lord Jesus Christ." + +Well may we say, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" + +Reverting to the history of the Mission, we find that in 1866 the +Bishop of Columbia paid a second visit to Metlakahtla, and after +careful examination, baptized sixty-five adult converts on Whit Sunday +in that year. "I truly believe," he wrote, "that most of these are +sincere and intelligent believers in Christ, as worthy converts from +heathenism as have ever been known in the history of the Church." And +in the autumn of the following year Mr. Cridge, then Dean of Victoria, +who had from the first manifested the deepest interest in the Mission, +stayed for some weeks at the settlement, and on September 8th baptized +ninety-six adult Indians and eighteen children. + +Dean Cridge was struck by the advanced age of the candidates presented +to him. Twenty-six were over fifty; and one man, who was sixty-five, +said, "I feel like an infant, not able to say much; but I know that my +heart is turned to God, and that He has given His Son to wash away my +sins in His blood." + +"When he entered the room to be examined, he knelt down and offered a +silent prayer. While speaking of his sins he showed emotion, and +covered his face. Amongst other answers, these are some of his words: +'I repent very much of my past sins before Jesus.' I asked why +Christians were not afraid to die; he said, 'Faith in God will make us +not afraid to die,' I baptized him Jeremiah; he is about forty years of +age. His wife was not less satisfactory in the testimony she gave of a +true conversion to God, and was added by baptism at the same time with +her husband to the fold of Christ." + +What can we say to such tokens of true knowledge and faith as these, +but that the words of our Lord to Peter are still applicable to many +even of the most degraded heathen in our own day?--"Blessed art thou, +Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but +my Father which is it Heaven!" + + + + +VII. + +METLAKAHTLA--MATERIAL PROGRESS AND MORAL INFLUENCE. + + +Metlakahtla is no hermit's cell in the wilderness, removed faraway +from the haunts of men, and exerting no influence upon them. Rather is +it a harbour of refuge, whose lights radiate forth into the darkness, +inviting the bark in distress to seek its friendly shelter, and guiding +even the passing vessel in its course. Very rapidly it acquired a +recognized position of importance and influence as the centre--one +might almost say the official centre--of all good work of every kind +among the coast Indians. + +The growth of the settlement naturally added greatly to the heavy +burden of accumulated responsibilities which Mr. Duncan found himself +compelled to undertake. He was lay pastor and missionary, treasurer, +chief trader, clerk of the works, head schoolmaster, and the father and +friend of the people. In addition to this the Colonial Government +appointed him a magistrate, in order that he might have legal power to +dispense justice, not only at the Christian settlement, but along the +whole coast, wherever his influence extended. Thee village council and +constables referred to in the report already quoted (p. 4) were a great +assistance at Metlakahtla itself. But outside the settlement +magisterial duties brought sometimes a heavy burden of anxiety and +responsibility upon Mr. Duncan. In 1864, for instance, the authorities +desired him to arrest a smuggling vessel, from which some of the tribes +on the coast were obtaining spirits contrary to the law. He sent five +of his Indians to arrest the smuggler, but they failed in the attempt; +and not only so, but one of them was shot, and three others wounded. In +the following year a shocking incident occurred. The Indian camps at +that time were "deluged with fire-water," and Metlakahtla, because it +stood alone against "the universal tide of disorder," was threatened +with the vengeance of its heathen neighbours. A quantity of liquor was +landed there by a party of Kitahmaht Indians for sale. It was at once +seized. In revenge for this, they stole a little boy belonging to the +village while he was on a fishing expedition with his parents. +"Horrible to write, the poor little fellow was literally worried to +death, being torn to pieces by the mouths of a set of cannibals at a +great feast." + +Nevertheless, Mr. Duncan's influence grew continually. In this very +case its power was, exhibited in his successfully interposing to allay +the exasperation of his people, and to prevent a war of extermination. +Even the white traders in fire-water themselves were sometimes touched. +The captain of one smuggling vessel, who was fined four hundred dollars +by Mr. Duncan in virtue of his magisterial authority, "afterwards +became one of his most active friends--a result partly due to the +impression created by what he saw at Metlakahtla, and partly to the +fact of Mr. Duncan having obtained restitution for him from the Indians +at Fort Simpson for injuries done to his vessel." + +The moral influence exercised by the Mission is most strikingly +illustrated by an incident related by the Bishop of Columbia. In 1862, +H.M.S. "Devastation" sailed up the coast seeking the three Indian +murderers of the two white men: The Indians gave up two, but would not +surrender the third. Two lives for two lives was their notion of equal +justice. But as soon as the ship was out of sight, the murderer left +his tribe, went to Metlakahtla, and gave himself up to Mr. Duncan. +"Whatever you tell me to do," he said, "I will do. If you say I am to +go on board the gun-ship when she comes again, I will go." Six months +afterwards the "Devastation" again came up to Metlakahtla, and fired a +gun to announce her arrival. The murderer heard it. Had his resolution +broken down after so long an interval? He went straight to Mr. Duncan, +and said, "What am I to do?" "You must come with me a prisoner." He +went on board with the missionary, and delivered himself to the +captain. "Thus," justly observed Bishop Hills, "what the ship of war +with its guns and threats could not do for civilization, for protection +of life, for justice, the simple character and influence of one +missionary availed to accomplish." In due course this man was brought +to trial for his crime, when it came out that he had been an unwilling +participator, and he was pardoned. On his release he went back to +Metlakahtla, and was baptized by the Bishop in 1866. + +A similar and very interesting case occurred in 1872. Some years +before, an Indian from a tribe living thirty miles off had come to Mr. +Duncan, and with great emotion confessed himself a murderer, saying +that having frequently attended the services, the burden of sin had +become "too heavy for him to carry," and some Christian relatives had +advised him to confess his crime and take the consequences. Mr. Duncan +sent word to the Government at Victoria, but they thought it best not +to prosecute the man for a crime which was not recent, and which had +been done under the orders of a powerful chief who was still at large. +No further steps, therefore, were taken. But at the beginning of 1872, +a magistrate who was visiting at Fort Simpson detected two men who had +been concerned in another murder, and the excitement caused by this led +to further inquiry about the Metlakahtla man's crime, and to the arrest +of both himself and his chief. The four Indians thus in custody made +severally a full confession of both crimes to Mr. Duncan and the other +magistrate, and they were sent to Victoria for trial. They were found +guilty, and, on being called upon to reply, made most affecting +speeches in court, acknowledging the sin, and their just liability to +punishment. Sentence of death was ordered to be recorded, but on the +recommendation of the judges, it was commuted to five years' +imprisonment (not confinement) at Metlakahtla. + +"So," wrote Mr. Duncan six months afterwards, "they are now with us, +and all behaving very well. The proud chief has become very docile and +happy, and he and all declare it their intention to remain at +Metlakahtla till death. Several of the foremost Christians make it +their duty occasionally to visit them, and instruct and encourage them. +Thus can God bring good out of evil." + +The charge of the Chief Justice, Sir Matthew Begbie, at this trial is +a most remarkable document, and must be printed here _in extenso_. +Had the white man always treated the red man in such a spirit, what +results might we not have seen. [Footnote: Admiral Prevost writes to us +respecting another judge in the colony--'Some time ago a right minded +judge, beloved and respected, both by Indians and white men, had to +settle a dispute between two persons--as to the equal division of some +land. In the presence of both he selected one to go and measure the +land, so as to divide it into two equal portions, at the same time +telling him (the one sent) the other would have the first choice when +he had made the division Of course, the division was made as fairly as +it could be.'] + +_Charge of the Chief Justice._ + +REGINA v SEBASSA AND THRACKET + +REGINA v NEESKA AND SIMON JOHNSON + +"Many years ago there were some poor white men on the sea. Men on the +sea are always in danger from the wind and the waves, but these men +trusted in God, who rules the winds and waves, and they were not +afraid. Neither were they afraid of the men whom they might meet, for +they did not intend to hurt anybody, and they were ready to do good. +And, indeed, if the white men intended to do harm to the Indians, the +whites could destroy them off the face of the earth. The whites could +send up one man-of-war, which could easily, and without landing a man, +destroy all their houses and canoes and property, and drive them naked +and helpless into the woods to starve. No canoe could venture to go +fishing. In one year the white men could destroy all the Indians on the +coast without losing a man. One of our cannon could swallow up all the +muskets of your tribe. + +"Now these poor white men on the sea met with some Indians. The +Indians said they were hungry, and the white men gave them bread. Was +that the act of a friend or an enemy? Then, when the Indians saw that +the white men were good and confiding, and saw a little bread, and a +saw and some tools, and a musket and a pistol, the devil came to them +and said, 'Kill these white men, do not stop because they gave you +bread when you were hungry; kill them, and take the saw and the musket +and the bread.' These things the devil put on his hook with which he +was fishing for the souls of the Indians, as men put a small fish on a +hook to catch salmon and halibut. And the Indians listened to the voice +of the devil, and slew these men, who were not fighting, nor had either +they or the Indians declared war or anger at all. They slew these men +while the bread of charity was still in their mouths. This is treachery +and murder. All people hate murder, all people seek to have revenge for +murder. This is the law among Indians also. If a white man kill an +Indian, the Indians desire that white man to be put to death. Now my +people come to me and ask for satisfaction. The law among the whites is +that they cannot have revenge unless I permit it. Now my people come +and ask me for revenge. But many snows have fallen upon this blood, and +they hide it from my sight. Many snows have fallen also on my head; my +head is very white, and I have seen many things. When the head is +white, the heart ought to be prudent and moderate. I will not therefore +take the lives of these Indians now before me, though they are all in +my hand, and if I close it, it will strangle them all. My head is +white, but my hand is strong, and my heart is not weak. If I punish +them less than by killing them, it is not because I am weak, nor +because I am afraid. But I want to do good to these Indians. What good +would their lives do me! Their lives are of no use to me to take at +present. But I wish to preserve their lives, and to change their lives. +I wish to change their hearts, and to let them see that our laws are +good and our hearts are good, and that we do not kill, even when we +have a right to kill, and when we have the power to kill. There is a +rock at Metlakatlah, and a rock at Victoria, upon which their old canoe +has split. Now I offer them a new canoe. When men are sailing in an old +broken canoe, and have with difficulty got to shore, and made a small +camp, if anybody offer them a fine new canoe with which to continue the +voyage of life, they should accept the offer gladly. Now there is a +much better canoe, as they may see, at Metlakatlah. I wish them to sail +in such a canoe for the future, and to adopt a better rule of life, and +a better law of religion. They must at present go back to prison until +I speak with the other great chiefs of my people, and see what is best +for them to be done. I shall try and persuade the other chiefs to send +them away to Metlakatlah, to do what Mr. Duncan shall tell them, and to +live as they shall direct. And so long as they live well and quietly, +and learn and labour truly to get their own living, I shall not +remember the blood which they have spilt. + +"The prisoners themselves may see that our law is a better law than +theirs. For two whole days I have been sitting here listening to the +voice of my people, complaining of murders and of violence, and of +robbery and oppression. Whoever has suffered, he comes freely and +complains to me. Now the prisoners have been in court all this time, +and they have seen Indians accused, and Chinamen, but they have seen no +white man accused. + +"Yet there are some bad white men, who would, perhaps, steal or commit +violence, if they were not afraid. They are afraid of our law, which +fills me and gives me strength, so that if I fall on a man I break him +to pieces. But even bad white men, through fear, are restrained. Now, +therefore, I think that it will much more restrain Indians who are +inclined to do evil, and support and guide those who are inclined to do +well. + +"If the other chiefs listen to my voice, and the prisoners behave well +at Metlakatlah, it shall be well. But if they do that which is wrong, +my anger will burn up again very fiercely, and it will melt the snows +which cover the blood of the men whom they have killed, and I shall see +the blood and be very angry, and will burn them all up in my anger. + +"Let them cease to believe in sorcerers, who have now no strength +since Christianity is established. Let them become Christians, and so +their hearts will be made really and permanently good." + +A touching illustration of the reputation of Metlakahtla, as a refuge +for the suffering and oppressed, occurs in a letter of Mr. Duncan's, +dated March, 1876:-- + +"A poor slave woman, still young in years, who had been stolen away +when a child, and carried to distant tribes in Alaska territory, where +she had suffered many cruelties, fled from her oppressors last summer, +and, though ill at the time, took to the sea in a canoe all alone, and +determined to reached Metlakahtla or perish in the attempt. On her way +(and she had upwards of one hundred and fifty miles to travel), she was +seen and taken by a party of Port Simpson Indians, who would no doubt +have been glad to hand her back to her pursuers for gain, but on +hearing of her case, I demanded her freedom, and finally she was +received into a Christian family here, and tenderly cared for. Both the +man and his wife who received her into their home had themselves been +slaves years ago. They understood her language, sympathised deeply with +her, and laboured hard to impart to her the knowledge of the Saviour of +sinners. After about three months her cruel master with his party came +here to recapture her, but they had to return home unsuccessful. In +three months more her strength succumbed to the disease which had been +brought on her by cruelty and hardship. She was a great sufferer during +the last few weeks of her life, but she died expressing her faith in +the Saviour, and rejoicing that she had been led here to end her days." + +Once during the twenty-three years which have passed away since the +North Pacific Mission, as it is now called, was begun, has Mr. Duncan +come back to his mother country; and this visit may most conveniently +be noticed now. He was only absent a year. He left Metlakahtla, took +the long journey home, stayed six months, and went all the way back +again to Victoria, within the year 1870. During his brief stay in +England, he chiefly occupied his time in learning various trades, and +purchasing machinery, etc., for the settlement. He went to Yarmouth +purposely to learn rope-making and twine-spinning; at another place he +acquired the art of weaving: at a third, that of brush-making; at a +fourth, "the gamut of each instrument in a band of twenty-one +instruments." On his way back he stayed two or three months at +Victoria, arranging with the Government for the allotment of reserve +lands to the Indians of the settlement, which they might clear, +enclose, and cultivate for themselves. The Governor entered warmly into +his plans, and presented $500 himself to the Mission, to be laid out in +village improvements. At length he set sail again, and on February +27th, 1871, landed once more at Metlakahtla. His reception must be +related in his own words.-- + +"The steamer in which I was conveyed over the last 600 miles of my +journey had on board a crowd of miners, bound for the newly-discovered +gold-fields of Omineca, in the interior of British Columbia. These had +to be landed at the mouth of the Skeena River, about ten miles before +we came to Metlakahtla. It was Sunday afternoon when we arrived at the +landing, and though the weather was very stormy--snowing and blowing +hard--yet I could scarcely restrain myself from attempting to finish +the remaining ten miles of my voyage in a canoe, and thus take my +people by surprise, and be able to join them in their evening service. +After due reflection, however, I decided to remain in the steamer, and +go in her to Metlakahtla on the morrow. In the meantime, the news of my +arrival travelled to Metlakahtla, and on the following morning a large +canoe arrived from thence to fetch me home. The happy crew, whose +hearts seemed brim full of joy at seeing me back, gave me a very warm +welcome. I at once decided to leave my luggage and the steamer, and +proceed at once to Metlakahtla with my Indian friends, who assured me +that the village was in a great state of excitement at the prospect of +my return. We were favoured with a strong, fair wind, and with two +sails up we dashed along merrily through a boiling sea. I now felt I +was indeed homeward bound. My happy friends, having nothing to do but +to watch the sails and sit still, could give free vent to their long +pent-up feelings, and so they poured out one piece of news after +another in rapid succession, and without any regard to order, or the +changes their reports produced upon my feelings: thus we had good and +bad, solemn and frivolous news, all mixed indiscriminately. + +"On sighting the village, in accordance with a preconcerted +arrangement, a flag was hoisted over our canoe, as a signal to the +villagers that I was on board. Very soon we could discern quite a +number of flags flying over the village, and the Indians hurrying +towards the place of landing. Before we reached the beach large crowds +had assembled to greet me. On my stepping out of the canoe, bang went a +cannon, and when fairly on my feet bang went another. Then some of the +principal people stepped away from the groups, and came forward, hats +off, and saluted me very warmly. On my advancing, the corps of +constables discharged their muskets, then all hats were doffed, and a +general rush to seize my hand ensued. I was now hemmed in with the +crowds of solemn faces, many exhibiting intense emotion, and eyes +glistening with tears of joy. In struggling my way to the Mission +house, I had nearly overlooked the schoolchildren. The dear little ones +had been posted in order on one side, and were all standing in mute +expectation of a recognition. I patted a few on the head, and then with +feelings almost overcome, I pressed my way to my house. How sweet it +was to find myself again in my own little room, and sweeter still to +thank God for all His preserving care over me. As numbers of the people +were pressing into and crowding my house, I ordered the church bell to +be rung. At once they hurried to the church, and when I entered it was +full. Such a sight! After a few minutes silence we joined in +thanksgiving to God, after which I addressed the assembly for about +twenty minutes. This concluded, I set off, accompanied by several +leading Christian men to visit the sick and the very aged, whom I was +told were anxiously begging to see me. The scenes that followed were +very affecting. Many assured me that they had constantly prayed to God +to be spared to see me once again, and God had answered their prayers +and revived their hearts, after much weeping. On finishing my visit I +made up doses of medicine for several of the sick, and then sat down +for a little refreshment. Again my house becoming crowded, I sat down +with about fifty for a general talk. I gave them the special messages +from Christian friends which I had down in my note book, told them how +much we were prayed for by many Christians in England, and scanned over +the principal events of my voyage and doings in England. We sat till +midnight, but even then the village was lighted up, and the people all +waiting to hear from the favoured fifty what I had communicated. Many +did not go to bed at all, but sat up all night talking over what they +had heard. + +"Such is a brief account of my reception at Metlakahtla. I could not +but reflect how different this to the reception I had among the same +people in 1857. Then they were all superstitiously afraid of me, and +regarded with dread suspicion my every act It was with feelings of fear +or contempt they approached me to hear God's word, and when I prayed +amongst them I prayed alone, none understood, none responded. Now how +things have changed! Love has taken the place of fear, and light the +place of darkness, and hundreds are intelligently able and devoutly +willing to join me in prayer and praise to Almighty God. To God be +_all_ the praise and glory. Amen" + +The troubles and difficulties on the coast, which so often added to +Mr. Duncan's burdens, were not always the fault of the Indians. As +often as not they were due to the recklessness of unscrupulous and +drunken white men. In 1872, a party going up to the gold mines on the +Skeena River burned an Indian village. This brought the Governor of +British Columbia, J. W. Trutch, Esq., up the coast with two ships of +war, the "Scout" and the "Boxer." A deputation of Tsimsheans Christians +was sent to propitiate the injured tribe, and invite them to meet the +Governor at Metlakahtla; and there, as on common ground which both +parties could trust, peace was solemnly made, the Government paying six +hundred dollars as compensation. + +On this occasion the Governor laid the first stone of a new church, +upon which Mr. Duncan and the Indians alike had set their hearts, as a +visible crown of the work. The ceremony took place on August 6th, in +the presence of the whole community and of the officers of the ships. +But laying the stone was one thing; building the church was another. +The Governor and Captain Cator saw lying on the ground huge timbers to +be used in its erection, but how these were to be reared up was not +apparent. Very kindly they gave Mr. Duncan a quantity of ropes, blocks, +etc., but even then they sailed away in considerable scepticism as to +the possibility of unskilled red men raising a large and lofty church. +In January, 1874, Mr. Duncan wrote:-- + +"The massive timbers for framing, which Governor Trutch and Captain +Cator, of H. M. S. 'Scout,' saw on the ground last year, and doubted of +our ability to raise, are, I am happy to say, now fixed, and fixed +well, in their places, and all by Indian labour. Especially am I +thankful to report that, though the work is attended with no little +danger, particularly to inexperienced hands, as we all are, yet have we +hitherto been graciously preserved from all accidents. + +"The Indians are delighted with the appearance the building has +already assumed, and you may gather from the amount of their +contributions (L176) how much they appreciate the work. They propose +again subscribing during the coming spring, and I only wish our +Christian friends in England could witness the exciting scene of a +contributing day, with how much joy the poor people come forward and +cast down their blanket or blankets, gun, shirt, or elk skin, upon the +general pile 'to help in building the house of God.'" + +By the end of that year the church was finished, and on Christmas Day +it was opened for the service of God. "We had indeed," wrote Mr. +Duncan, "a great struggle to finish it by that time--the tower and +spire presenting very difficult and dangerous work for our unskilled +hands--yet, by God's protecting care, we completed the work without a +single accident. Over seven hundred Indians were present at our opening +services. Could it be that this concourse of well-dressed people, in +their new and beautiful church, but a few years ago made up the +fiendish assemblies at Fort Simpson! Could it be that those voices, now +engaged in solemn prayer and thrilling songs of praise to Almighty God, +are the very voices I once heard yelling and whooping at heathen orgies +on dismal winter nights!" + +The progress in building operations and the secular affairs of the +settlement generally at this time are succinctly described in an +official Report, prepared by Mr. Duncan, and presented to the Minister +of the Interior of the Dominion of Canada, in May, 1875. The occasion +of this important document being drawn up was the occurrence of some +conflict of opinion between the Provincial Government of British +Columbia at Victoria and the Dominion Government of Ottawa, respecting +the Indian Land Question. The same thorny problems that have so often +given trouble in South Africa and New Zealand had presented themselves, +and the local authorities at Victoria were anxious that the liberal +treatment of the Indians on the coast, which had marked their own +dealings with them while the Colony was independent of Canada, should +be still pursued now that British Columbia was incorporated in the +Dominion Confederation. But even the liberal plans of the Victoria +Government had, to a large extent, failed in their object of +ameliorating the Indians, and Metlakahtla still remained almost the +only example of success upon the coast. To us it is, of course, obvious +that the cause of this success was simply its being based on the +foundation of Christian teaching and Christian life; and Mr. Duncan +made no secret of this in his Report. He gave a description of the +Indians as he found them, and a full narrative of the Mission from the +first. That part of the Report, however, it is needless to print here. +It only recapitulates what we have already told in greater detail. The +opening and closing paragraphs we subjoin:-- + +_Report presented by Mr. W. Duncan to the Government of Canada._ + +"From a copy of statutes which I lately received from the Indian +Commissioner, British Columbia, I learn that changes in the management +of Indian affairs are about to be inaugurated in that province. It is +in anticipation of these changes that I feel prompted to address to you +this present letter, my object being to place before you the origin and +growth of the Indian settlement at Metlakahtla, and from these facts +thus brought out to deduce a policy, or at least certain principles of +action, which I am anxious to commend to the Government in the +treatment of all the Indian tribes in that part of the Dominion." + +_[Here follows a history of the Mission.]_ + +"We number now about 750 souls, and, according to the testimony of +several medical men, who have had opportunities of judging, form the +healthiest and strongest Indian community on the coast. + +"Next, as to our progress in law and order. It is in this aspect to +the outward observer, perhaps more than in any other, that our +advancement appears both real and striking. From a great number of +lawless and hostile hordes has been gathered out and established one of +the most law-abiding and peace-loving communities in the province. What +to the most sanguine minds seemed at least a generation of time distant +has been brought about in a few years. The isolated germ of a Christian +community gathered strength year by year, while every opposing force in +the vicinity gradually weakened and at last succumbed. The law has +triumphed. The liquor-selling vessels have long since ceased their +traffic. The Indians who took up the trade with their canoes have also +been stopped. Drunkenness, or even liquor-drinking, over a very large +district are now things of the past. The rushing to Victoria has +subsided into rare and legitimate visits, and peace, order, and +security reign in all the country round. + +"The local means which have been instrumental in bringing about these +salutary changes were--First, we called out a corps of Native +constables, and afterwards selected, irrespective of rank, twelve older +men of good character to act as Native Council, and with these we have +deliberated upon every matter affecting the welfare of our settlement. +The Council has no pay, but only a badge of office, worn on stated +occasions. The constables, in addition to a simple uniform, receive a +small remuneration when on duty. + +"As our settlement increased, and our work in the interests of peace +became more extended, I have increased the two Native forces year by +year until they now number over sixty men, and include several chiefs. +And further, in order to utilize these forces, and have every settler +under proper surveillance, I have divided all the male community into +ten companies, each company having an equal number of constables and +councilmen, who act as guides and monitors. + +"Again, in order to enlist the energies of our younger men for the +public weal, I have organized a fire brigade of six companies and ten +to each company. These, I trust, will prove of real service to the new +town which is about to be built. And here I would acknowledge with +thankfulness the prompt help which has occasionally reached us from the +Provincial Government, and without which, of course, our local +machinery would have proved altogether inadequate for all emergencies. + +"Lastly, as to our material and social progress. This, too, is already +encouraging, but by no means so complete as we hope to see it. The slow +progress of the Indians in this cause cannot be matter for wonder when +we consider--first, Their ignorance and inaptitude to find out for +themselves any fresh and permanent modes of industry; secondly, Their +want of capital, owing to which civilization may tend to the +impoverishment of the Indians by calling for an increased outlay in +their expenses without augmenting their income. Having these facts +before me, I have endeavoured to help and guide the males under my +influence to fresh modes of industry, and though our success has not +been very great, it is at least encouraging. + +"Our first work of a secular kind was to establish a village store; +for, having left Fort Simpson, we soon felt the want of supplies. I may +here explain the Hudson's Bay Company refused to establish a shop in +our midst, and I feared to encourage the trading schooners to come to +us, as they invariably carried intoxicating liquor for sale, so we +determined to keep the village trade in our own hands and appropriate +the profits to the public works of our settlement. + +"To this end we first purchased a schooner, one-third of the money +being given by the Governor, Sir James Douglas. The schooner took down +the products of our industry to Victoria, and returned laden with goods +for our store, proving a pecuniary success and a capital training for +the Indians who were employed. + +"After some years the Hudson's Bay Company were willing to carry our +freight on their steamer, so we sold the schooner, and I refunded to +the Government account a proportionate part of the sale money. + +"The managing of our village trade, principally by Indians, has given +me much anxiety, and exposed me to much slander and abuse from white +traders; but seeing the good results from my efforts in this way to our +settlement I have kept on, and feel loath to give it up till I can hand +it over entirely into the hands of the Natives. + +"The first profits of our trade I spent in building a large market-house +and court-house. The market-house was to shelter and accommodate all +those visiting us from other tribes, and for this purpose we found it to +be of great advantage. We were thus enabled to keep strange Indians from +impeding our social progress, having them under better surveillance +during their stay, and rendering them more accessible to Christian +instruction. The other works for public advantage to which we have +severally applied the monies resulting from our village trade, along +with the contributions of friends of the Mission, are road-making, +building a saw-mill, blacksmith's shop, soap-house, and large +carpenters' shops and work-sheds. For the last two years we have been +engaged erecting entirely by Indian labour a new church capable of +holding 1,200 people. This we completed so far as to be able to use it +about five months ago. + +"The finishing we hope to do this summer, and when complete we expect +we shall have spent altogether about 8,000 dollars. Of this sum the +Indians of the settlement contributed over 800 dollars. We have now +going up a school-house, 60 by 27, which will be paid for out of the +trade profits, with the exception of 200 dollars sent us by the Indian +Commissioner. + +"Our latest undertaking is the building of a massive sea-wall round +the village. The Indians contribute the material, and I pay for the +labour of putting it up. + +"This brings me to mention a few particulars relative to the greatest +of all our undertakings in building, viz., that of a new town of some +200 houses. It was hardly to be expected that the plan of our village +and the first houses erected at Metlakahtla would prove satisfactory to +us as we advanced in civilization. The people were then in a transition +state, and I had to be content to see houses go up only a little +improvement upon their old style of building; but about five years ago +they began to be dissatisfied with their houses, and I then succeeded +in persuading them to cease putting up fresh buildings until we should +all agree upon the right model for a dwelling-house and a better plan +of a town site. It has taken all this time to educate them up to a +really substantial plan for both, but-I am happy to say that after much +discussion we are now agreed. The old village is to be pulled down and +a new town built up. I have already surveyed the land, and drawn out a +map showing town lots, which the Indians highly approve. The lots are +60 by 120, and on each will be erected a double house. One hundred such +lots are already taken, and builders have begun to work. As the new +houses are to be substantial and commodious buildings, and beyond their +means to build without aid, I have pledged myself to assist them to the +amount of 50 dollars each single house, which will, I anticipate, be +sufficient to purchase nails, windows, and whatever else they must +import, as well as pay the workmen at the saw-mill for sawing their +lumber. Thus the Indians will only be required to bring their own logs +to the mill and find the labour to erect their houses. + +"As our mill is small, and our means limited, we do not expect to +complete all our buildings in less than three years, but when completed +we trust to show to the Natives around a real model town, and hope it +will stimulate them to follow in our steps. + +"Having thus very briefly sketched an outline of the history of +Metlakahtla, it remains for me to say that whatever of moral or +material progress the Indians there have made, they owe it all to the +hold which religious truth has obtained over their hearts and +consciences. It is only because they have felt the inspiring influence +of the Gospel that they have aspired to a higher degree of social life, +and are exerting themselves to obtain it. + +"Our church and schools (both Sunday and day schools) are well and +eagerly attended. The appearance of our large Native congregation in +their new church is a thrilling and heart-gladdening sight. + +"Quite a number of intelligent Natives are devoting themselves +gratuitously to evangelistic work among their brethren, and with much +success. We have two Native teachers in the day-school and one Native +evangelist, also over twenty Sunday-school teachers employed in the +Mission, and thus this little settlement, under God's blessing, bids +fair to become at no very distant day a happy and thriving Christian +home." + +Accompanying this Report, there was a paper of practical suggestions +for the provision and administration of Reserve Lands for the several +tribes. These were embodied in an official Memorandum, drawn up by the +Attorney General of the Province, which concluded with these words:-- + +"The undersigned has the honour to recommend that the above +suggestions be adopted, and that if this Memorandum be approved, His +Honour the Lieutenant-Governor be respectfully requested to forward a +copy thereof, and of the Minute of Council referring thereto, to the +Dominion Government, for their consideration and assent; and he further +recommends that another copy be sent to the Dominion Government, for +transmission to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the +Colonies. + +"GEO. A. WALKEM, + +_"Attorney-General. + +"Victoria, 17th August, 1875."_ + +The Lieutenant-Governor in Council adopted the following Minute:-- + +"_Copy of a Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Executive +Council, approved by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, on the 18th +day of August, 1875._ + +"The Committee of Council concur with the statements and +recommendations contained in the Memorandum of the Honourable the +Attorney-General, on the subject of Indian affairs, dated 17th August, +1875, and advise that it be adopted as the expression of the views of +this Government as to the best method of bringing about a settlement of +the Indian Land Question. + +"(Certified) W. J. ARMSTRONG, _Clerk of the Executive Council._" + +The next thing was to secure the adoption of the scheme by the +Government of Canada; and with this view Mr. Duncan undertook the long +journey across the continent to Ottawa. The Hon. D. Laird, Minister of +the Interior, gave the most attentive hearing to his representations, +and also made him a donation of 1,000 dollars towards the work at +Metlakahtla; and on May 10th, 1876, Mr. Duncan wrote, "I am glad to +inform you that the terms set forth in the Report have been adopted +(with a small modification or two) by the Dominion Government, and so +the dead-lock about the land question seems in a fair way of being +removed." + +Mr. Duncan's well-timed interposition in this matter was not the least +of the many services God has enabled him to render to the Indian +population of British Columbia. + +About the same time, the Provincial Government gave another proof of +its confidence in the Mission, by appointing one of the Christian +Tsimsheans of Metlakahtla head constable of the district, with a salary +of 350 dollars per annum. + +Year by year the Metlakahtla community has continued to increase, by +the admission to its privileges of new settlers. New Year's-day is +especially the time for enrolling them. A general meeting of the adult +males of the village is held, and before them all each applicant for +leave to join their body has to stand up and declare his adhesion to +the rules. He thus cuts himself off from all heathen customs, and +"places himself under Christian instruction" (to use the Tinnevelly +term [Footnote: In Tinnevelly, the progress of Christianity has been +mainly due to the adhesion of whole villages at a time to the Christian +community. These adherents cannot be called "converts," and the phrase +used of them is that they "place themselves under Christian +instruction." Subsequently they become candidates for baptism, and many +of them ultimately prove to be true converts.]). He probably knows +something of the Gospel from Christian Indians he has met at the +fisheries or elsewhere, and thus is already, to some extent, prepared +for the teaching he will now regularly receive. In course of time--such +is the frequent experience at Metlakahtla--his conduct and demeanour +give evidence of a work of grace in his heart; he becomes a catechumen, +and, after a due period of probation, is admitted by baptism, not only +into the community, but into the Church. On the New Year's-day of 1875, +no less than one hundred new comers were registered, and the number has +frequently been not much short of that. + + + + +VIII. + +METLAKAHTLA--TWO CHRISTMAS SEASONS. + + +Christmas is a joyous time at Metlakahtla, and the accounts we have of +its services and festivities help not a little to bring the settlement +before the eyes of our imagination. Two such accounts are subjoined. +The first is from Mr. Duncan's Report for 1873. Christmas-day in that +year is memorable for a visit paid to Metlakahtla by the Indians who +still remained in the neighbourhood of Fort Simpson. These tribes had +not been forgotten by their Christian fellow-countrymen. Bands of +evangelists from the settlement frequently went up the coast in canoes +to the Fort on Saturday to hold services on the Sunday, and their +efforts received a manifest blessing. This work has since then been +interrupted by the establishment of a Canadian Methodist Mission at the +Fort. + +The second account was sent home by Bishop Bompas, of Athabasca, after +his visit to the coast in 1877-8. + +CHRISTMAS, 1873. + +_From Mr. Duncan's Report._ + +"This is the first season that the heathen customs at Fort Simpson +have been generally disregarded, and hence we thought it well to +encourage Christian customs in their place. To this end we decided to +invite all the congregation at Fort Simpson to spend the festival of +Christmas with us at Metlakahtla, that they might receive the benefit +of a series of special services, and he preserved from falling into +those excesses which we had reason to fear would follow should they +spend the Christmas by themselves. About two hundred and fifty availed +themselves of our invitation, and they arrived at Metlakahtla the day +before Christmas in twenty-one canoes, which indeed presented a +pleasing picture as they approached us with flags flying. + +"According to a previous arrangement they all clustered to the market +-house, which we at present use for our church, and which had been very +appropriately decorated. On our guests being seated I gave them a short +address, and after prayer, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Collison, shook +hands with them all. They then were quartered round the village, and a +very exciting scene ensued, all the villagers literally scrambling for +the guests. After the scramble, several came running to me to complain +that they had not succeeded in securing a single guest, while others +had got more than their share. To settle matters amicably, I had to +send two constables round the village to readjust the distribution of +our new friends. + +"Our Christmas-eve was spent in practising, with a band of twenty +young men, a new Christmas hymn in Tsimshean, which I managed to +prepare for the occasion. About 1.30 on Christmas morning we +reassembled, when Mr. Collison and myself accompanied the twenty waits +to sing round the village, carrying the harmonium and concertina with +us. We sang in seven different places, and three hymns in each place. +The village was illuminated, and the singing was hearty and solemn. +This was the first attempt of the Indians at part-singing in their own +tongue. + +"Christmas-day was a great day, houses decorated with evergreens, +flags flying, constables and council passing from house to house in +their uniforms, and greeting the inmates. Now a string of young men, +then another of young women, might be seen going into this house, then +into that; friends meeting on the road, shaking hands everywhere; +everybody greeting everybody; hours occupied with hand-shaking and +interchanging good wishes; nobody thinking of anything else but +scattering smiles and greetings, till the church bell rings, and all +wend their way to meet and worship God. The crowd seemed so great that +fears were entertained that our meeting-house could not accommodate +them. I at once decided that the children should assemble in the school +-house and have a separate service. Samuel Marsden kindly volunteered to +conduct it. Even with this arrangement our meeting-house was crowded to +excess. There could not have been less than seven hundred present. What +a sight! Had any one accompanied me to the Christmas-day services I +held twelve or fourteen years ago at Fort Simpson, and again on this +occasion, methinks, if an infidel, he would have been confused and +puzzled to account for the change; but, if a Christian, his heart must +have leaped for joy. The Tsimsheans might well sing on this day, 'Glory +to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.' + +"After service all the Indians collected near the Mission-house to +greet us. In order to take advantage of the occasion I had them let in +by about fifties at a time, the Fort Simpson Indians preceding. After +giving each company a short address, we again shook hands with all. It +was three p.m. before we had gone through with them all in this way. + +"The following day the young men engaged in the healthy game of +football, and all the people turned out to witness the sport. Mr. and +Mrs. Collison and myself were present to encourage them. After football +a marriage took place. A young woman, formerly trained in the Mission +-house, was married to a chief. A marriage feast was given, to which +between four and five hundred people were invited. During the day a +Fort Simpson young man came to see me and confess a crime of theft he +committed about a year and a half ago, and for which, when the proper +time arrives, he will have to go to gaol. In the evening the church +bell was rung, and all assembled for divine service. Some little time +after service the bugle was sounded 'Go to bed.' + +"I held special services every night while the Fort Simpson people +were here with us. The subjects upon which I addressed them were as +follows, viz.:--'Thou shalt call His name Jesus,' 'Thy Word is a Lamp' +etc.; 'Understandst thou what thou readest?' 'Ye must be born again,' +'Can the Ethiopian change his skin?' 'What shall a man give in exchange +for his soul?' 'One thing is needful,' 'Give me thy hand,' 'Quit ye +like men.' In addition we had a midnight service on New Year's-eve. The +people attended the services regularly, and seemed to drink in the +Word. May God give the increase. On one of the evenings before the +service I exhibited the magic lantern to the Fort Simpson people, +showing them some Scriptural views and the sufferings of martyrs. + +"On New Year's-day, as heretofore, we held a general meeting for the +business of the village, at which all the males are expected to attend. +Only some three or four were absent. The male portion of our guests +from Fort Simpson also attended to witness the proceedings. The ten +companies, into which all males here are divided, were first examined, +after which I gave an address bearing upon matters of the past year, +and introduced the new settlers, who were already seated in the middle +of the room. This finished, each of the latter came forward in the +presence of the assembly, made his declaration to be a faithful member +of our community, and was registered. Speeches were then made by +several of the council, followed by about twenty speeches from the Fort +Simpson Indians, which were very interesting, being expressive of the +new feelings which animated them, and the line of conduct they meant to +pursue in the future, God being their helper. I concluded the meeting +with another address. We then adjourned to the open ground in front of +the Mission-house, stood in companies, two cannons were fired, then, +with hats off (though it snowed very hard), we sang 'God save the +Queen,' and dismissed. + +"On Friday, the 2nd of January, our guests departed home. When ready +to start, the church bell rang, and they paddled their canoes to our +meeting-house, which is built upon the beach. Leaving their canoes, +they reassembled for a short address and a concluding prayer. This +over, again entering their canoes, they pushed a little from the beach, +a cannon was fired, and amid the ringing cheers of hundreds of voices +they dashed off paddling with all their might. In a few seconds they +simultaneously halted, and returned as hearty cheers as they were +receiving. The air now rang with the double cheering, caps, +handkerchiefs, and flags waving, the whole forming a very animated +scene. Thus our guests departed." + + +CHRISTMAS, 1877 + +_By the Bishop of Athabasca_ + +"The festivities of the season commenced here on Christmas Eve, when a +party of about twenty-five of the elder school girls were invited to +meet us at tea. After tea we were all entertained by Mr. Duncan, with +the exhibition of a galvanic battery and other amusements. This party +having dispersed to their homes in good time, at a later hour came +together the singers who were appointed to sing Christmas carols during +the night along the village street, led by Mr. Schutt, the schoolmaster. +After their singing they returned to supper at the Mission before +retiring to rest. + +"On Christmas morning the first sight which greeted us was that of the +constables lengthening to its full height the flagstaff on the +watchhouse, to hoist the flag for Christmas, and all the village street +was soon gaily dressed with flags. The constables then marched about +the village to different houses to shake hands and make Christmas peace +with all whom they had been called to interfere with in the course of +the year. At eleven o'clock the church bell rang, and the large church +was thronged with a well-dressed and attentive congregation. + +"After service all the villagers, to the number of about 600, had to +come and pass through the Mission-house to shake hands with all the +inmates. In doing this they so crowded the verandah that the boards +actually gave way beneath them, but the ground being only about two +feet below no injury resulted. After all the shaking of hands was over, +the villagers returned home to their own private entertainments, and +most of us at the Mission enjoyed a quiet Christmas evening together; +but Mr. Duncan entertained at tea a party of the chiefs and principal +persons of the village, whom we did not join, from inability to +converse in the Tsimshean tongue. + +"The day after Christmas was again a gay one. The constables, twenty +-five in number, paraded and exercised on the green with banners and +music, and about fifty volunteers, in neat white uniforms, with drums +and fifes and banners flying, went through creditable evolutions and +exercises. All the strangers who had come from neighbouring villages to +spend Christmas at Metlakahtla were collected by Mr. Duncan in the +Mission Hall, and, after a suitable address received, all of them, +presents of soap, apples, sugar, tobacco, etc. In the evening the usual +week-day service was held in the schoolroom, always crowded. + +"The following day all the children of the schools were assembled by +Mr. Duncan at his house, first the girls and then the boys, about 200 +in all; and, after being amused by him, were treated to sugarplums and +apples, and each one received some article of clothing (cap or cape, +etc.), so as to be sent away to their homes rejoicing. + +"Next day all the men of the village, about 300, were assembled in the +market-house to be addressed by Mr. Duncan. After he had given them the +best advice he could, their Christmas presents were distributed to them +in the presence of all the Mission party. These consisted of 1/2lb. +sugar and six apples to each one, with copy-book and pencil, or tobacco +for the older men. + +"The day after this, Mr. and Mrs. Schutt kindly entertained all the +widows of the village, about sixty in number, to a substantial dinner. +It was a pleasure to see even the old and decrepit able to sit at table +and enjoy their meal, and it made us enter fully into the idea of the +renovating influence of Christmas blessings, to think in what dark and +murderous heathenism these aged widows had been reared when young. +After dinner Mr. Duncan brought them to his Hall to listen to an +address, so that they might not return home without words of Gospel +truth and comfort to cheer them for struggling days. + +"The morrow, being Sunday, was marked by the usual services; these +consist, first, of morning Sunday School at half past nine, at which +about 200 are present, both children and adults, males and females +being in separate buildings. All the elder scholars learn and repeat a +text both in English and Tsimshean, and have it explained to them, and +they are able to use intelligently their English Bibles for this +purpose. At eleven is morning service in church, attended at Christmas +time by 700 to 800. Hymns are sung, both in English and Tsimshean, and +heartily joined in by the congregation. This being the last Sunday in +the year, the service was made a specially devotional one to seek mercy +for the offences of the past twelve month. + +"After morning service the adults met again in Sunday School to learn +in English and Tsimshean the text of the sermon, and have it again +explained to them by the native Sunday School teachers, who are +prepared for this duty at a meeting with Mr. Duncan on Saturday +evening. It is very interesting to see about 300 adults gathered +together in the three schools at midday, entirely in the hands of +native teachers, and with English Bibles in their hands poring +intelligently over the text, and following out again the subject of the +morning discourse. I cannot but think it would be a great gain if this +scheme of Mr. Duncan's could be largely followed in other Missions. + +"Afternoon service is held in the church at three o'clock, with a +Litany, and after this, when the daylight lasts long enough, there is a +second Sunday School. The church is as full in the afternoon as in the +morning, and the punctuality of the attendance is surprising. In the +evening, at seven o'clock, service is again held in the school room, +which is crowded, and occasional meetings are held by the elder +converts for the benefit of any aged people unable to come to church. + +"To return to the Christmas doings: On the Monday all the women of the +village, about 300, assembled in the market-house, and, after suitable +addresses, valuable presents were made to each, viz., 1lb. soap, 1lb. +rice, and several apples, etc. so that they return home laden and +rejoicing. Altogether about L50 must have been spent upon the Christmas +presents. + +"On Monday evening, being the last night of the old year, a suitable +service was held in church, the subject being Psalm xc., 'So teach us +to number our days,' etc. On New Year's-day the festivities were +renewed. Bugle-notes and drums and fifes, and the exercises of the +volunteers, enlivened the scene. The youth of the village played +football on the sands. All the men of the village were assembled in the +market-house, and were permanently enrolled in ten companies, the +members of each company receiving rosettes of a distinguishing colour. +Each company has in it, besides ordinary members, one chief, two +constables, one elder, and three councillors, who are all expected to +unite in preserving the peace and order of the village. The ten chiefs +all spoke in the market-house on New Year's-day, and in sensible +language promised to follow the teaching they had received, and to +unite in promoting what is good. After the meeting all adjourned to the +green in front of the church, and joined in singing 'God save the +Queen,' in English, before dispersing to their homes. The rest of the +day was spent in New Year's greetings. + +"Wednesday Evening was occupied by the usual week-day service, and +Thursday and Friday evenings were devoted to the exhibition in the +school-room, first to the women and then to the men, of a large magic +lantern, with oxygen light, and also a microscope, showing living +insects and sea-water animalcules, as well as various slides. + +"The above is but an imperfect sketch of the efforts made by Mr. +Duncan for the welfare and happiness of his village," + + + + +IX. + +OUTLYING STATIONS--I. KINCOLITH. + + +A glance at the map will show that both Metlakahtla and Fort Simpson +are situated on a peninsula which juts forth from the coast between the +estuaries of two rivers, the _Skeena_ to the south, and the +_Nass_ to the North. The mouth of the Nass River is one of the +great fishing resorts of the Indians. From long distances the tribes of +both the mainland and the adjacent islands flock thither every year in +March and April, the season when the oolikan, a small fish about the +size of a smelt, is caught. + +As many as five thousand Indians gather together on these occasions, +and encamp for miles along both banks of the river. Having put up their +temporary bark huts, they dig pits to store the fish in, and then +quietly await their arrival. Meanwhile, hardly a sign of life is to be +seen on land or water. The towering mountains, that rise almost from +the banks, are covered deep with snow, and the river is fast bound in +ice to the depth of six or eight feet. Slowly the ice begins to break +higher up, and the tides, rising and falling, bear away immense +quantities. At length a few seagulls appear in the western sky, and the +cry echoes from camp to camp that the fish are at hand. + +Immense shoals of oolikan come in from the Pacific, followed by larger +fish such as the halibut, the cod, the porpoise, and the finned-back +-whale. Over the fish hover the sea-birds--"an immense cloud of +innumerable gulls," wrote Bishop Hills after a visit to the place, "so +many and so thick that as they moved to and fro, up and down, the sight +resembled a heavy fall of snow." Over the gulls, again, soar the eagles +watching for their prey. The Indians go forth to meet the fish with the +cry, "You fish, you fish! you are all chiefs; you are, you are all +chiefs." The nets haul in bushels at a time, and hundreds of tons are +collected. "The Indians dry some in the sun, and _press_ a much +larger quantity for the sake of the oil or grease, which has a +considerable market value as being superior to cod-liver oil, and which +they use as butter with their dried salmon. The season is most +important to the Indians; the supply lasts them till the season for +salmon, which is later, and which supplies their staple food, their +bread." "What a beautiful provision for this people," writes one of the +Missionaries, "just at that season of the year when their winter stock +has run out! God can indeed furnish a table in the wilderness." + +It was in the spring of 1860, that Mr. Duncan first visited the Nass +River. He received a most encouraging welcome from the Nishkah Indians +--one of the Tsimshean tribes--dwelling on its banks. The account is a +particularly interesting one:-- + +"_April 19th, 1860_.--About 4 p.m. we arrived in sight of the +three lower villages of the Nishkah Indians, and these, with two upper +villages, constitute the proper inhabitants of the river. On +approaching the principal village we were met by a man who had been +sent to invite us to the chief's house. Numbers of Indians stood on the +bank. When we stopped, several rushed into the water: some seized my +luggage, and one took me on his back. In a few minutes we were safely +housed. Smiling faces and kind words greeted me on every side. My +friend Kahdoonahah, the chief who had invited me to his house, was +dancing for joy at my arrival. He had put his house in order, made up a +large fire in the centre, placed two big iron kettles on it, and had +invited a number of his friends to come and feast with me. About thirty +of us, all males, sat round the fire. Boiled fresh salmon was first +served out. All the guests were furnished with large horn or wooden +spoons: I preferred to use my own. My plate was first filled with +choice bits, and afterwards large wooden dishesful were carried round, +and one placed before every two persons. This done, boiled rice, mixed +with molasses, was served us. Fresh spoons and dishes were used. While +the dishes were being filled, each person had a large spoonful handed +him to be going on with. After the feast I had considerable +conversation, and concluded by requesting that all the chiefs and chief +men of the three tribes should meet me on the morrow, when I would +endeavour to give them the good news from God's book. Kahdoonahah, +suggested that there might be some difficulty to get all the chiefs to +assemble, unless something was provided for them to eat He therefore +promised to send out and invite them all to his house, and give them a +feast for the occasion. + +"It was now evening, and the guests went home. Kahdoonahah then +brought in an old man to sing to me. The old man very solemnly sat down +before me, fixed his eyes upon the ground, and began beating time by +striking his foot with his hand. He was assisted by Kahdoonahah, who +not only sang, but kept up a thumping noise with a large stick. A few +boys also clapped their hands in proper time. After they had sung two +or three songs I told them we would have a change. I drew my few boys +around me. One of them immediately warned the chief and his company +that we were going to sing songs to God, which were the same as +prayers, and therefore they must be very reverent. We sang several +little hymns, some of which I translated. The party soon increased, and +sat very attentively. + +"_April 20_.--After breakfast two men entered the house, and +stood just within the door. Looking at me, one of them shouted out, +'Woah shimauket, woah shimauket, woah shimauket, woah.' After repeating +this twice, they went away. This was an invitation from a chief who +wanted me and my crew to breakfast with him. I took two of my party, +and set off. When I was entering the chief's house, he stood up, and, +beckoning me to a seat, cried out loudly, 'Yeah shimauket, yeah +shimauket, yeah shimauket, yeah.' As soon as I was seated, he stopped, +and sat down. These words, rendered into English, are, 'Welcome chief, +welcome chief, welcome chief, welcome!' We feasted on boiled salmon, +and rice, and sugar, and molasses, after which the chief presented me +with five marten skins and a large salmon. When I returned to +Kahdoonahah's house, he had got three large iron kettles on the fire +for the feast; and I was informed that an old chief had given me a +large black bear's skin. The drum began to beat, and a general bustle +prevailed around me. I sat down to collect my thoughts, and to lift up +my heart to God to prepare me for the important meeting about to take +place, at which the blessed Gospel was to be proclaimed to these poor +tribes of Indians for the first time. + +"About twelve o'clock they began to assemble. Each took a place +corresponding to his rank. We soon mustered about sixty chiefs and +headmen. Between one and two p.m. we began to feast, which consisted, +as usual, of salmon and rice, and molasses. I had heard Kahdoonahah say +that they intended to perform before me their '_Ahlied;_' but I +requested him to have no playing, as I wanted to speak very solemnly to +them. He promised me they would do nothing bad; but now that the +feasting was over, much to my sorrow, he put on his dancing mask and +robes. The leading singers stepped out, and soon all were engaged in a +spirited chant. They kept excellent time by clapping their hands and +beating a drum. (I found out afterwards that they had been singing my +praises and asking me to pity them and to do them good.) The chief +Kahdoonahah danced with all his might during the singing. He wore a +cap, which had a mask in front, set with mother-of-pearl, and trimmed +with porcupine's quills. The quills enabled him to hold a quantity of +white bird's down on the top of his head, which he ejected while +dancing, by jerking his head forward: thus he soon appeared as if in a +shower of snow. In the middle of the dance a man approached me with a +handful of down, and blew it over my head, thus symbolically uniting me +in friendship with all the chiefs present, and the tribes they +severally represented. + +"After the dance and singing were over, I felt exceedingly anxious +about addressing them; but circumstances seemed so unfavourable on +account of the excitement, that my heart began to sink. What made the +matter worse, too, was a chief, who had lately been shot in the arm for +overstepping his rank, began talking very passionately. This aroused +me. I saw at once that I must speak, or probably the meeting might +conclude in confusion. I stood up, and requested them to cease talking, +as I wished them to rest their hearts, and listen to the great message +I had come to deliver. Instantly the chief ceased talking, and every +countenance became fixed attentively towards me. I began, and the Lord +helped me much. I was enabled to speak with more freedom and animation +than I had ever done before in the Indian tongue. Much to my +encouragement the Indians unanimously responded at the finish of every +clause. The most solemn occasion of this kind was when I introduced the +name of the Saviour. At once every tongue uttered Jesus, and, for some +time, kept repeating that blessed name, which I hope they will not +forget.' + +"After I had finished my address I asked them to declare to me their +thoughts upon what they had heard, and also if they desired to be +further instructed in God's word. Immediately a universal cry arose of, +'Good is your speech. Good, good, good news! We greatly desire to learn +the book. We wish our children to learn.'" + +In the autumn of the same year, Mr. Duncan again visited the Nass +River, and ascended to the upper villages. Everywhere he found a +readiness, sometimes most touchingly expressed, to receive Christian +instruction. At one interesting gathering, a Nishkah chief named +Agwilakkah. after hearing the Gospel message for the first time, stood +up before all, stretched forth his hands towards heaven, and lifting up +his eyes, solemnly said:-- + +"_Pity us, Great Father in heaven, pity us! Give us Thy good! book +to do us good and clear away our sins. This chief_ [pointing to Mr. +Duncan] _has come to tell us about Thee. It is good, Great Father. We +want to hear. Who ever came to tell our fathers Thy will? No, no. But +this chief has pitied us and come. He has Thy book. We will hear. We +will receive Thy word. We will obey._" + +Four years, however, passed away before regular Missionary operations +could be extended to the Nass River. In 1864, a Christian Tsimshean, +travelling up the river as a fur-trader, told the Indians he met with +of the Saviour he had himself found, and on his return to the coast +seven young men of the Nishkah tribe accompanied him, that they might +visit Metlakahtla and hear the Missionary for themselves. They stayed +there for a few days, listening eagerly to Mr. Duncan's instructions. +When they left, they begged for some fragment of God's Word to take +back to their tribe; and Mr. Duncan wrote out for each, on a piece of +paper, the words in Tsimshean, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy +of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save +sinners." + +In this case the living voice was not long in following the written +message. On July 2nd, 1864, the Rev. R. R. A. Doolan arrived at +Metlakahtla from England, and, at Mr. Duncan's suggestion, he at once +went on to the Nass River to establish a permanent Mission. + +With prayerful energy the young Missionary, inexperienced and +ignorant of the language, flung himself into the conflict with +heathenism. A sore conflict it was. Ardent spirits had come up the +river; drunkenness was fast spreading among the Indians; and +quarrelling and murders were of frequent occurrence. On one occasion, +after a whisky feast, the Indians on opposite sides of the river set to +work firing across the stream at one another, in pure wantonness. +Several were wounded, women as well as men; and next day Mr. Doolan was +called upon to attend to their injuries. Again and again was his own +life in imminent danger. One day an Indian rushed out of a hut he was +passing, gun in hand, and fired at him twice. Both times the gun missed +fire! "I was so close to him," wrote Mr. Doolan, "that I saw the fire +from the flint." + +If Divine providence was thus exhibited in the preservation of the +missionary's life, Divine grace was soon to be not less signally +manifested in a blessing on his labours. A boy named Tacomash was the +first fruits gathered in. He and another boy came from a village twenty +-five miles off to live at the Mission-house, and attend school. After a +few weeks he went home to see his father, and was attacked with +bronchitis. Mr. Doolan, hearing of this, hastened off to see him. "The +journey," he says, "was a most painful one. I wore two pairs of +mocassins, but the ice soon cut through both. I was ten hours walking +the twenty-five miles. I found the poor lad very weak, and suffering +much. He had steadfastly resisted the medicine-men from rattling over +him, saying God would be angry with him if he allowed them." Tacomash +got better, and returned to the station; and shortly after Mr. Doolan +writes, "To-day I was rejoiced to hear Tacomash praying to God. He was +among the trees, and did not know anyone heard him. He asked Jesus to +pity him, and make his heart strong." Soon, however, the lad became ill +again, and died trusting in the Saviour. On his death-bed he was +baptized at his own earnest desire, and named Samuel Walker. + +On Mr. Doolan's retirement from the Mission in 1867, the work on the +Nass River was taken up by the Rev. R. Tomlinson, who had just arrived. +By Mr. Doolan's efforts some fifty Indians had been influenced to +abandon their heathen customs and to desire to live together as a +Christian community; and a settlement similar to Metlakahtla was now +planned. This settlement received the name of Kincolith; and here Mr. +Tomlinson earnestly laboured from 1867 to 1878, when he left to go +forward into the regions beyond. + +The work proved to be one requiring much patience and courage. For two +or three years it was much retarded by hostilities between two tribes. +But Mr. Tomlinson was encouraged by the zeal and intrepidity of his +wife, who accompanied him on his visits to the combatants, and +everywhere disarmed opposition by her presence. Subsequently the +trading store, which had been established on the Metlakahtla plan, +turned out a failure, and the Indian settlers, about sixty in number, +depressed by the losses they incurred, showed signs of wavering, and of +returning to their heathen friends, who were manifesting the most +bitter antagonism to the Mission. But towards the close of 1870, by the +mercy of God, the tide seemed to turn, and when Archdeacon Woods +visited the station at the Bishop of Columbia's request, in October, +1871, he found a peaceful Community, an attentive congregation, and +several candidates for baptism, of whom he admitted twenty adults (with +seven children) to the Church, making, with nine previously baptized, +thirty-six altogether. + +From that time the Kincolith Mission, though not exhibiting rapid +success, has been steadily growing, and not a few of the Nishkah Indians +who were accustomed to attend Mr. Doolan's services, but had fallen +back, have joined the community, and some have been baptized. The store +was re-opened in 1874 with improved prospects. A dispensary was +established by Mr. Tomlinson, and has been highly appreciated by the +Indians. A saw mill has been erected, which not only supplies material +for building new houses, but also gives employment to those of the +settlers who are neither fur-hunters nor skilled workmen. The annual +fishing seasons have been a time of distinct blessing, the Christian +Indians holding services for their heathen fellow-countrymen in the +various camps, and many of the heathen joining them in resting from the +fishing operations on the Lord's Day. Year by year the number of +settlers has increased, and now exceeds two hundred, of whom three +-fourths are baptized. + +One chief, who joined on New Year's-day, 1877, was well known as the +fiercest savage on the river. He was baptized by Bishop Bompas in +March, 1878, taking, like Legaic at Metlakahtla, the name of Paul. He +was very penitent for his past life, and was earnestly trying to follow +good ways, when illness and death overtook him. Just before he died, he +gave very clear testimony that he had found pardon and peace in Jesus. +At the funeral service the people sang Sankey's hymn, "There will be no +more parting there." His son, a young man of twenty, has since been +baptized, also by the name of Paul, and has been married to the +Christian daughter of another leading chief--a girl named Rhoda. + +As already mentioned, Mr. Tomlinson has now moved forward into the +interior to carry the Gospel to the Kitiksheans and other tribes up the +Nass and Skeena Rivers and among the Cascade Mountains, and has +established a station near a place known as the Skeena Forks, where +three branches of that river unite. At Kittackdamix also, at the end of +the navigation on the Nass, a native Christian teacher has been +stationed, towards whose expenses the Kincolith Christians contributed +L12 in money and kind. A site has been selected there for another +Christian village, and several Indian families propose settling on the +spot. The Kincolith station is now under the charge of Mr. H. Schutt, a +schoolmaster sent out in 1876. + +Mr. Tomlinson, like Mr. Duncan, has lately been appointed a +magistrate. He writes:--"The proposal was made to me quite unexpectedly +by the head of the Government, and I did not feel justified in +declining the offer. Already good begins to result from it. The hearts +of the well-disposed are strengthened, while the ill-disposed whites +are restrained from molesting the native settlers." + + + + +X. + +OUTLYING MISSIONS--II. QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. + + +On the group of islands named after George the Third's Queen, dwell +the finest and the fiercest of the coast tribes. The Hydahs are a +manly, tall, handsome people, and comparatively fair in their +complexion; but they are a cruel and vindictive race, and were long the +terror of the North Pacific coast. They even ventured to attack English +ships, and in 1854 they plundered an American vessel, detaining the +captain and crew in captivity until they were ransomed by the Hudson's +Bay Company. No tribe, moreover, has been more fearfully demoralised by +the proximity of the white man's "civilization." Drunkenness and the +grossest vices have spread disease and death among them. + +But the Hydahs have not failed to recognise the advantages that +Christianity has conferred upon their neighbours on the mainland. +Trading expeditions up the coast took them occasionally to Metlakahtla, +and the peace and prosperity they saw there deeply impressed their +minds. A striking instance of the moral influence of the Christian +settlement occured in 1873. Many years before, a young Tsimshean woman +had been captured by a party of Hydahs, and carried as a slave to Queen +Charlotte Islands, where, after a while, a son was born to her. Five +and twenty years passed away, and then she was restored by her owner, +for a consideration, to her relatives at Fort Simpson. The Hydahs seem +to have thought this a good opportunity to make friends with their old +enemies, and they sent a deputation to Metlakahtla with her son, now a +grown man, to give him up as a voluntary peace-offering. "We had," +wrote Mr. Duncan, "a solemn peace-making at the Mission-house. Several +excellent speeches were made, and a document was drawn up and signed by +the relatives of the young man, expressive of their reconciliation with +their ancient foes." + +The principal trading post, Massett, is on the northern coast of the +northern island, Graham Island. Here Mr. and Mrs. Collison, with their +two little children, landed on November 1st, 1876-- + +"On our arrival I had intended to have wintered in one of the Indian +houses, as the winter season was too far advanced for building, but Mr. +Offut, the officer in charge of the H. B. Co.'s post on the island, +kindly offered us a small house, in which goods had been stored, and as +it was within 100 yards of the Indian encampment, I gladly accepted the +offer. This I immediately put under repair, covering it with barks +outside, and putting up a stove inside. The house was very small, +measuring eighteen feet by twelve, and, in order to secure a little +privacy, I partitioned off eight feet, leaving for all purposes an +apartment ten feet by twelve. This has usually been well filled with +Indians, sitting almost on each other, and as we were both to entertain +such numbers at meals, we have often had to remain without food all +day. Of course this, with many other difficulties, will be overcome by +a command of their language, but any attempt to carry out order without +a fair knowledge of their tongue might only insult and estrange them." + +To the privations thus endured were soon added those attendant on +sickness First, their eldest child was attacked by fever, and for some +weeks his life was despaired of, and then Mr. Collison himself was +struck down and brought nigh unto death Both, we need not say, were +tenderly nursed by the wife and mother, and both, by the mercy of God, +were raised up again. + +In the same letter Mr. Collison describes a remarkable peculiarity of +the Hydah villages-- + +"In approaching a Hydah village from a distance one is reminded of a +harbour with a number of ships at anchor, owing to the great number of +poles of all sizes erected in front of every house. These are carved +very well, with all kinds of figures, many of them unintelligible to +visitors or strangers, but fraught with meaning to the people +themselves. In fact, they have a legend in connection with almost every +figure. It is in the erection of these that so much property is given +away. They value them very highly, as was instanced lately on the +occasion of the Governor-General's visit. He was most anxious to +purchase one, but they would not consent to it at any price." + +Patiently and prayerfully for the next two years and a half, with one +or two intervals for visits to Metlakahtla, did Mr. Collison labour +among the Hydahs, on the same lines as Mr. Duncan had done originally +among the Tsimsheans; first, diligently trying to pick up their +language, and making himself known as their friend; then opening a +school; then seeking to win them from some of their most degrading +customs. Very quickly he gained a remarkable influence over them, and +though the medicine-men were, of course, bitterly hostile, greater was +He who was with the Missionary than those that were with his opponents; +and the tokens of the working of the Holy Ghost were manifested sooner +than even an ardent faith might have anticipated. + +During the winter of 1877-8, school was conducted daily, women and +children attending in the morning, and men in the evening, and the +Sunday services were generally attended by three hundred and fifty +Indians. Gambling, heathen dances, and the manufacture of "fire-water" +from molasses, began gradually to diminish; and Mr. Collison's growing +influence was well tested on the occasion of the death of a principal +chief:-- + +"I visited him during his illness, and held service in his house +weekly for the five weeks preceding his death. On the morning of the +day on which be died I visited him, and found him surrounded by the men +of his tribe and the principal medicine-man, who kept up his +incantations and charms to the last. He was sitting up, and appeared +glad to see me, and, in answer to my inquiries, he informed me that he +was very low indeed and his heart weak. I directed him to withdraw his +mind from everything, and look only to Jesus, who alone could help him. +He thanked me again and again whilst I instructed him, and when I asked +him if he would like me to pray with him he replied that he would very +much. I then called upon all to kneel, and, with bowed head, he +followed my petitions earnestly. He informed me that, had he been +spared, he would have been one of the first in the way of God, but I +endeavoured to show him that even then he might be so by faith in the +Lord Jesus Christ. Afterwards I sent Mrs. Collison to prepare some food +for him, and make him comfortable, and about mid day he sent for me +again, but why he sent for me, or what he wanted to say to me, I never +learned, as before I reached his house he expired. + +"His death was announced by the firing of several cannon which they +have in the village. On my entering the house, the scene which +presented itself was indescribable--shrieking, dancing, tearing and +burning their hair in the fire, whilst the father of the deceased, who +had just been pulled out of the fire, rushed to it again and threw +himself upon it. He was with difficulty removed, and I directed two men +to hold him whilst I endeavoured to calm the tumult. + +"I was very much shocked to find that a young man--a slave--had been +accused by the medicine-men as having bewitched the chief and induced +his sickness. In consequence of this he had been stripped, and bound +hands and feet in an old outhouse, and thus kept for some days without +food. I only learned this about one hour before the death of the chief, +and it was well I heard it even then, as I learned that they had +determined to shoot him, and a man had been told off who had his gun +ready for the purpose. I lost no time in calling the chiefs and the +friends of the deceased together, and showed them the wickedness and +sinfulness of such proceedings, and how, by their thus acting, they had +probably kept up a feeling of revenge in the mind of their friend who +had just expired. They accepted my advice, and had him unbound, and he +came to the Mission house to have his wounds dressed. His wrists were +swollen to an immense size, and his back, from hip to shoulder, +lacerated and burned to the bone by torches of pitch pine. He was +deeply grateful to me for having saved him. + +"The dead chief was laid out, and all those of his crest came from the +opposite village, bringing a large quantity of swan's down, which they +scattered over and around the corpse. At my suggestion, they departed +from the usual custom of dressing and painting the dead, and, instead +of placing the corpse in a sitting posture, they consented to place it +on the back. The remains were decently interred, and I gave an address +and prayed; thus their custom of placing the dead in hollowed poles, +carved and erected near the houses, has been broken through, and since +this occurred many of the remains which were thus placed have been +buried." + +The first Hydah to come out distinctly as a Christian was a chief +named Cowhoe, concerning whom an interesting incident is related. One +day he brought a book to Mr. Collison, saying it had been given him +many years before by the captain of an English man-of-war, and asking +what it was. It proved to be a Testament, with this inscription on the +fly-leaf--"_From Capt. Prevost, H. M. S. 'Satellite,' trusting that +the bread thus cast upon the waters may be found after many days._" +More than twenty years had passed away, and now that prayer was +answered, though not by the instrumentality of the gift that bore the +record of it. Cowhoe became a regular attendant at Mr. Collison's +services and school, and we are told that at a meeting held on the Day +of Intercession for Missions, Nov. 30th, 1877, he "prayed very +earnestly for the spread of the truth amongst his brethren." When +Admiral Prevost visited the coast in the summer of 1878, Cowhoe and his +father went to Metlakahtla in a canoe on purpose to see the benefactor +of their race. Of this visit the Admiral gives the following account:-- + +"Edensaw, the chief of the Hydah nation, arrived with his son, Cowhoe, +and Mr. Collison. They had heard of my visit, and were anxious, to see +me "face to face." I knew him in 1853, when I first visited the Queen +Charlotte Islands in command of H.M.S. _Virago_. An American +schooner had been plundered and destroyed by the Islanders; my object +was to punish the offenders, but, after a searching enquiry, I was not +able to fix the guilt upon any particular tribe. Some portion of the +property was restored, and no lives being lost, I was obliged to be +satisfied by assembling together all the chiefs, and reminding them of +the power I held to punish the guilty. In my own mind, I believe +Edensaw was the guilty person. From that time up to this hour, he has +"been halting between two opinions"--a proud man--he could not give up +his power, his wealth and standing over the heathens, to follow the +Lord God; still he knew the Missionary had brought something better +than he had ever possessed in all his glory, and it was expedient for +him to be friends with the white men. When Duncan first arrived at Fort +Simpson, in 1857, he frequently entreated him to come over and teach +the Hydahs, and when I met him again on board the _Satellite_ in +1859, he made a similar request to me. I may here remark that anxious +as we were to establish a Mission amongst that fine race of Indians, it +was not until October, 1876, the Committee of the C. M. S., were able +to comply with their request. During that time hundreds, principally +females, had passed into eternity through vice and disease contracted +at Victoria. + +"I may add, when I visited Massett last October (1879) with Bishop +Ridley, he left Cowhoe with Sneath to assist him during the winter, the +first native teacher from the Hydahs. I trust the good seed has taken +root in many hearts. "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to +perform!" It was to show me this book, and to shake me by the hand, +that the father and son came this long journey." + +In the autumn of 1878, some touching evidences of the Spirit's work +gladdened the missionary's heart. On October 26th he wrote:-- + +"Not a few are enquiring earnestly for the way of life. At a little +social meeting which I had a few days past, the principal chief said: +'I was careless and unconcerned about the message which the white chief +brought us, but I can be so no longer. Even at night, when I lie awake +on my bed, I cry to God to pardon my many sins and save me. I know now +it is true--all true, and I want to be safe in the Ark, even in Jesus +the Saviour'; and he continued at some length exhorting the others to +receive the Word. + +"Another chief also spoke with intense earnestness and feeling. He +said, 'A short time since I was blind, and knew nothing of these great +things. But Jesus has opened my eyes, and now I see. Jesus is the way, +and I am in that way now. I am happy, very happy; but one thing keeps +me back, and when that is over, I will seek to be baptized, and live +only for God.' + +"This one thing referred to is a giving away of property on account of +a deceased brother whose effects he took charge of, and promised to +give away property, and put up a carved pole to his memory. As he has +already promised, and given notice to the tribe, he does not wish to +draw back. + +"Another--a young man--is already obeying the injunction, 'Let him +that heareth say, Come'; and at the salmon fishing and elsewhere has +endeavoured to gather his friends together for prayer and praise." + +And on March 20th, 1879, reviewing the winter's work, Mr. Collison +again wrote:-- + +"In October last, having mastered the difficulties of the language, I +was induced to commence a weekly prayer-meeting. At this meeting we +opened with a hymn, after which I prayed, and then delivered a short +Gospel address, at the close of which I invited those of them who +understood the solemnity and responsibility of prayer, and to whom God +had given hearts to pray, to lead briefly and successively in audible +prayer. + +"This mode of conducting the prayer-meeting was attended with good +results, as it united those who were in earnest, and who had received +the truth into their hearts, more closely together, and led several of +those who were halting between heathenism and the truth to decide for +the latter. + +"Thus a band was formed (amongst whom were several of the chiefs and +principal men) which confronted the heathen customs on the one hand, +and drunkenness and gambling on the other, and, having come out boldly +on the side of the truth, their influence was soon perceptible. + +"I dare not attempt to convey to you in words the intense earnestness +and fervour of the petitions which they offered up on behalf of +themselves, their families, and the surrounding villages; whilst, at +the same time, there was nothing like excitement, but rather a calm +solemnity and quiet earnestness prevailed amongst all. + +"And surely our united petitions were graciously answered, and a great +change was soon apparent. + +"The Lord's Day was observed by the majority, and the services of the +day attended by almost all encamped, as well as by a number from the +opposite village, which is about three miles off. + +"The flag which I received from the Missionary Leaves Association, to +hoist on Sundays, in order to acquaint them of the weekly return of the +day of rest, now no longer hangs alone; but nine of the principal men +now follow the example shown by the Mission, and have set up their +banners also." + +"Dancing has been abandoned and the medicine work is almost +overthrown, and, in passing along the village after dark, my ear is now +often greeted with the Christian hymn or the song of praise where +formerly the noise of the heathen dance, or the frantic orgies of the +medicine man drowned all other sounds. Thus a change has been effected +during the past three years, in the contemplation of which I can only +exclaim, 'What hath God wrought!'" + +Even the chief medicine man himself abandoned his sorceries, and came +forward as an inquirer-- + +"The charms and rattles of the leading medicine man are now in our +possession, he having given them up, and he is now an earnest inquirer +after the truth and is always present at the services. He was first +brought into contact with the truth shortly before Christmas last in +the following manner. + +"A young man was brought home very sick, and I went to see him and +found him suffering from a severe attack of 'brain fever', brought on +by his swimming for some time in the cold salt water, in order to cure +a severe headache which he had. + +"I did all I could to alleviate his sufferings, and instructed his +relatives as to how they should nurse him. This resulted in his resting +more easily and in his obtaining some sleep, to which he had been a +stranger for several nights. + +"Not satisfied, however, with this, they sent off for the medicine-man, +who was encamped up the inlet. He arrived at midnight, and at once +commenced his whooping and rattling. This he continued at intervals, +until the following day, when I paid him a visit. + +"The house was full, and the patient evidently much worse. The +medicine man, or 'Scahaga,' as he is called in their own tongue, had +just finished another performance, and sat down exhausted as I entered. + +"All appeared surprised at my intrusion, but I knelt down beside the +sick man, and took his hand to feel his pulse. I shook my head, and +then informed them that he was much worse. The medicine-man then +answered in his own defence, and commenced by informing me that he had +found out the cause of his sickness. A man from the other village had +caused it by snatching the cap from the head of the sick man when up +the inlet together, which had led to his being smitten or bewitched by +a land otter. To this statement several agreed, as they stated the +nervous twitches and convulsive movements of the sick man were exactly +similar to the movements of the above-mentioned animal. + +"I then addressed them all on the power of God and His dealings with +man, and how that He alone bringeth down and raiseth up. I then called +upon all to join with me in prayer for themselves and also on behalf of +the sick man. The medicine-man was evidently humbled and discomfited, +though ashamed to acknowledge it before so many. Shortly afterwards the +young man died, and I attended his funeral, and gave an address and +prayed, according to portions of the Burial Service. The medicine-man +was present, and most attentive. + +"From that time he appears to have lost faith in his profession, +though he informed me that the 'Scahnawah,' or spirit, appeared to him, +and advised him to continue his medicine work, which would be a source +of great gain to him; but that he had replied, saying God's Word had +come, and he was determined to give up his practice, and seek the +salvation of his own soul. His long hair, which has never been cut, and +which folded up serves him for a pillow at night, he speaks of having +cut off as soon as he can do so with safety to his health. When I see +him sitting at our services, clothed and in his right mind, I am +reminded that the Gospel is now as ever 'the power of God unto +salvation.'" + +At Christmas (1878), when the Indians from other villages came in +canoes to Massett, the usual festive custom of "dancing with painted +faces, and naked slaves with their bodies blackened," was dispensed +with, and in lieu of it the visitors were received by a choir of a +hundred Hydahs, children and adults, chanting the anthem, "How +beautiful upon the mountains." "The unanimous opinion of all was that +the new and Christian welcome was far superior to the old heathen one." + +In the same letter Mr. Collison mentions his translations, in which he +had succeeded beyond his expectations. Portions of Scripture, a simple +catechism, the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the General Confession +and Thanksgiving, several collects, ten hymns, and a series of "Short +Addresses on Great Subjects," had been produced by him in the Hydah +language. + +Mr. Collison had visited several tribes at a distance, both on the +islands more to the south, and on the coast of Alaska to the north. At +Skidegate Inlet, which divides the two principal of the Queen Charlotte +Islands, he had a particularly warm reception. + +In a letter, dated March 21st, 1879, he wrote that he had thirty names +on the list of catechumens, most of them heads of families. + +Mr. Collison has since removed to Metlakahtla, to undertake the +pastoral and school-work there. His place at Massett has been taken by +Mr. G. Sneath, a zealous young missionary artizan, who twice went to +East Africa to join the Victoria Nyanza Mission, and twice was ordered +home by the consular surgeon at Zanzibar, and who has now essayed +missionary service in a colder climate. + + + + +XI. + +OUTLYING MISSIONS. III.--FORT RUPERT. + + +Fort Rupert is a trading post at the northern end of Vancouver's +Island, some three hundred miles south of Metlakahtla. In that +neighbourhood are found the Quoquolt Indians, and among them a Mission +has lately been begun. This is, however, but a tardy response to their +repeated entreaties for a teacher. It has always been a problem beyond +their power to solve, why, when Mr. Duncan first arrived on the coast, +he actually sailed past them on his voyage from Victoria, and went +first to the Tsimsheans, who were so much further off; and on one +occasion they stoutly remonstrated with the captain of a man-of-war, +sent to punish them for marauding on the territory of another tribe, +that they were left without a teacher, and were only visited when they +had done wrong. + +In due time teachers did appear, in the shape of a party of Roman +Catholic priests; and Mr. Duncan, stopping at the Fort when on a voyage +to Victoria in 1860, found that two of them had been there and had +taught some of the Indians "a hymn to the Virgin Mary in the trading +jargon." "I told them," he adds, "of Jesus the true and only Saviour, +which the priests had neglected to do." These Romish Missionaries held +their ground for eleven years, and then abandoned the Quoquolts as +hopeless. As will be seen however, their hopes revived when at length a +Protestant Missionary was found to be gaining an influence over the +tribe. + +In October, 1875, the head chief at Fort Rupert took the three hundred +miles journey to visit Metlakahtla, and once more preferred his +request. He addressed the Christians of the settlement, and said that +"a rope had been thrown out from Metlakahtla, which was encircling and +drawing together all the Indian tribes into one common brotherhood." +Mr. Duncan planned to go and begin a Quoquolt mission himself; but it +proved quite impossible for him to leave his multifarious work at the +settlement, and ultimately the Rev. A. J. Hall, who was sent out in +1877, volunteered to go. + +It was on March 12th, 1878, that Mr. Hall landed at Fort Rupert, and +was kindly received by the Hudson's Bay Company's officer in charge. A +large Indian house was purchased for the price of sixty blankets, and a +school at once opened. On June 11th, Mr. Hall wrote:-- + +"I have taught them one English hymn, 'Jesus loves me, this I know,' +and three simple chants in their own language; also three prayers--one +the Lord's Prayer, four texts which they read from the black board, and +a catechism, arranged and taught by Mr. Duncan at Fort Simpson. All +this instruction has been given in their own tongue, translated to me +by Mr. Hunt's son, who acts also as my interpreter at the Sunday +services. + +"I have been able to hold two services every Sunday since I first +came, and sometimes I have had perhaps eighty attend. Many are away +from the village now, trading and visiting other tribes, so that my +congregation is reduced. I have felt it a great privilege to stand up +before this dusky assembly and open up to them the Word of Life. They +are all clothed in blankets, some of them highly ornamented with needle +-work and pearl buttons. When they enter the building, the men take off +the bandannah handkerchiefs which are tied round their heads, and squat +all around me. The men sit on one side, and the women on the other, as +a rule. This fact is in consequence of the inferior position of the +women, and because they are not allowed to attend the meetings which +the men constantly hold to talk over the affairs of the camp. At first +my congregations came with painted faces, and were little inclined to +stand when we sang. They are now, however, more clean in their +appearance, and, with few exceptions, rise when I play the tune on my +English concertina. + +"I have almost exclusively spoken to them from the Book of Genesis, +and have brought in the work of our Lord from these lessons, e.g., when +speaking on sacrifices, the offering of Isaac, and the life of Joseph. +These narratives in Genesis have attracted them very much, and they +listened very attentively to my interpreter. All my addresses are +written before I enter my church, and read to the interpreter, and +therefore, I believe, they are already acquainted with many truths from +God's Word, which do strike against the immorality in which they are +living. Sometimes, when I speak in the church, they talk among +themselves, either approving what is said, but more often because the +truth spoken is a rebuke to some of them." + +In a later letter, dated March 1st, 1879, Mr. Hall further describes +his interesting congregation;-- + +"The Indians did not rush to my services at first, and then drop off. +No! a few came at first, and they have gradually increased, and on the +Sunday before they all went to Alert Bay there were probably eighty at +my first service, the majority being men--men who have frequently +committed murder, and who have bitten each other from their youth +upwards in the winter dances. Medicine-men were present who have often +eaten the bodies of dead men, exhumed from their graves, and who to +this day are dreaded by all the people, because there is not an Indian +in the camp but that superstitiously believes these doctors can kill +them by their sorcery. I cannot tell you yet that these wicked men who +come to my services are earnestly seeking a better way. I cannot tell +you yet that I can see any change in them. I know that some of them +hate me and my message, and speak against it; but they come and hear +the truth; and who can say but that God will give them His Holy Spirit, +and that they may be turned from darkness to serve the living and true +God? + +"My congregation will not sit upon the forms I have had made; they +prefer to draw their dirty blankets tightly round them, and to squat on +the floor. When I am speaking, they generally rest their heads upon +their bent knees, and fix their eyes upon the floor. Not a muscle seems +to move, and they appear to drink in every word that is spoken to them, +as if they thirsted for the truth. In teaching these people I treat +them as children, but I know they have nothing of the gentleness and +simplicity of children; they are cunning, 'deceitful above all things, +and desperately wicked.'" + +The Roman Catholics having left a memorial of their abandoned mission +in the shape of a good school-house, which was standing idle, Mr. Hall +wrote to them at Victoria for leave to use it. The request was refused, +"because," they wrote, "our missionaries may require it again." And a +few months afterwards, when Mr. Hall was beginning to feel his way +among the people, a priest appeared at Nu-wit-ty, the northern point of +Vancouver's Island, thirty miles from Fort Rupert, just when Mr. Hall +was visiting the tribe residing there. He (the priest) called a meeting +of the Indians, concerning which Mr. Hall writes, on March 10th, 1879:-- + +"The Indians went to the meeting, and I went as well; probably one +hundred were present. He told them to kneel down; they did so, and then +he told them to look at him, and cross themselves as be did, and the +poor Indians followed him. He then told them about the Fall, and it was +very good what he said; but soon he spoke of a way that went to heaven, +and one that went to hell, and he told them that if they followed him +he would lead them to heaven, and that if they followed me they all +would go to hell, and I should go with them. He said he wanted to +baptize them, and then they would be as white as snow. When he spoke +against me, many Indians interrupted him, and one went up to where he +was standing and blew a lamp out. They then called out my name, and +wished me to address them. I did so, and told them all to kneel down, +and put my hands together, telling them to do the same. We repeated the +Lord's Prayer, which is very beautiful in the Indian language; they +call it 'good words.' When the priest spoke I took my hat off and +listened, but when I spoke the priest kept his hat on, and smoked all +the time. + +"My address had been written some time before; it was about 'Lying, +stealing, pride, and drunkenness.' Perhaps I did wrong, but I did not +refer to what the priest had said against me. George Hunt, who was +present, was indignant at the way the priest spoke, and, directly the +priest finished, he made an earnest speech in my favour. In coming away +from Hu-wit-ty, the head chief begged me to come and live among them, +and I promised I would do something for them." + +The work at Fort Rupert is much interfered with by the migratory habits +of the Indians there. From June to November, 1879, for instance, they +were almost all away on a visit to Nu-wit-ty River; and at our last +date, March, 1880, they were gone for a month to Alert Bay. Mr. Hall, +however, has not been content to be left behind sitting still. He has +made canoe voyages to other parts of Vancouver's Island, and sought to +gain access to other tribes; but he describes the vice and degradation +as most painful, especially amongst the women. In September, 1879, in +company with Admiral Prevost, who was paying him a visit, he walked +across the island to the west coast, where the Koshema (or Quatseno, or +Quatsinough) Indians are found, a tribe hitherto quite untouched. The +Admiral addressed a large number who gathered together, and said, +"Thirty years ago I came among you with my man-of-war, but to-day I come +with a message of peace from the King of heaven." "It was," writes Mr. +Hall, "an act worthy of an Admiral to struggle, for ten hours, across +the most difficult trail I have ever met." + +It is possible that the Mission may be moved from Fort Rupert to some +other place more convenient for reaching a large number of Indians. +That God has a people among the Quoquolts and Quatsenos, as well as +among the Tsimsheans and Hydahs, we cannot doubt, and in His own time, +and by His own grace, they too shall be gathered out. + + + + +XII. + +LORD DUFFERIN AT METLAKAHTLA + + +Four great events have signalised the last four years at Metlakahtla. +These events were the visits of four important personages. First, Lord +Dufferin, then Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada, in August, +1876. Secondly, Bishop Bompas, of Athabasca, in the winter of 1877-78. +Thirdly, Admiral Prevost, the founder of the Mission, in June, 1878. +Fourthly, the new Bishop of Caledonia, Dr. Ridley, in October, 1879. +The following very interesting account of Lord Dufferin's visit is all +the more valuable as coming from an independent source:-- + +(From the _Toronto Mail_, September 19, 1876) + +"On board Steamer 'Sir James Douglas,' _August 29th, 1876_ + +"About half-past six in the evening the 'Douglas' and the 'Amethyst' +dropped anchor in a bay at a place called Metlakahtla. This is an +Indian village started here about fourteen years ago by Mr. William +Duncan, under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society in England. +It has now a resident population of about eight hundred souls belonging +to what is called the Tsimshean nation. Mr. Duncan, who seems to be +possessed of an immense amount of activity, combined with deep interest +in the work in which he is engaged, still remains in charge of the +station, but has during the past two years had the assistance of an +English clergyman and his wife, named Collison, [Footnote: Mr. Collison +was not ordained at the time] who came out from England for the +purpose of working in the mission field among the Indians. Mr. Collison +is studying the language of the Tsimshean Natives, when proficient in +it, which he soon will be, judging from the progress he has already +made, he will labour among the Indians of Queen Charlotte's Islands. + +"Under Mr. Duncan's instructions the Indians of Metlakahtla have +already made great strides in the direction of civilization and +Christianity. He has laid the village out regularly, and given to each +head of a family a large-sized lot of land. The houses, which have been +erected under his direction, are much more comfortable and convenient +than Indian domiciles generally, though somewhat accommodated in their +plans to the peculiar habits and mode of living of the race. The houses +which Indians build for themselves are without floors. Those of +Metlakahtla are floored with plank, and in the centre of the principal +room there is a level stone fireplace, from which the smoke, instead of +being left to find its way out of the house through a hole in the roof, +as in the dwellings built in the primitive Indian fashion, rises into a +sort of square inverted hopper which hangs over the fire, and from it +passes out of the house by way of a chimney. Under Mr. Duncan's +supervision the Indians have built a church in the village large enough +to accommodate the whole population. It is clapboarded on the outside, +and with its steeple, buttresses, and broad flight of steps ascending +to the front entrance, presents an imposing appearance. The wood (of +the interior at least) is cedar, the odour from which greets one's +nostrils on entering the building. + +"Mr. Duncan is a member of the Church of England, and conducts his +services in accordance with the Anglican form of worship, but it is +understood declines ordination, although qualified for it. He is an +autocrat among his people, but his rule, though despotic, is benign, +and leaves them as full freedom as the members of any white community +enjoy, except that the use of intoxicants is prohibited, as is also +their introduction into the place, and the villagers are consequently +teetotalers "willy nilly." He is a Justice of the Peace under +commission from the Provincial Government, with a jurisdiction +including within it Queen Charlotte's Islands. He has a number of +Indian policemen to assist him in preserving order, and a gaol in +Metlakahtla, in which he incarcerates malefactors. There is at present +undergoing a two months' imprisonment in this bastile a white man who +was caught distilling in Queen Charlotte's Island. In extenuation of +his offence the prisoner asserts that it was from the Indians he +acquired a knowledge of the art, which resulted in himself being jugged +instead of the spirits he was making. In a very neat building, +specially erected for the purpose, Mr. Duncan conducts a school, in +which he gives instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic, as well +as in the doctrines of Christianity, to a large number of the young of +the village. Both boys and girls attend this school, but when the +former arrive at about the age of fourteen they are taken from it and +sent to an industrial school, which is also carried on at the place; +girls are allowed to remain at the other school beyond that age. To his +already multifarious occupations Mr. Duncan has just added that of +running a saw-mill--he was cutting up the first log in it this evening +when the 'Amethyst' signalled her arrival by firing a gun. Mr. Duncan +is a bachelor, a circumstance which, to many, will make the energy he +throws into his work and the success of it all the more remarkable. + +"The Indians of Metlakahtla gain their livelihood by fishing and +hunting. Away up here, above the fifty-fourth parallel of latitude, the +climate is such as would not admit of agriculture being extensively +engaged in. Wheat cannot be brought to maturity. Potatoes and other +root crops seem to grow pretty well. + +"Formerly the Indians of the Tsimshean nation offered human +sacrifices, and it is said that they also indulged cannibalistic +proclivities. It would seem, however, that they confined their eating +of human flesh to their 'medicine' festivals, and even then no one, as +far as I can ascertain, ever saw them do more than, while engaged in +the demoniacal rites which were customary on these occasions, merely +bite it. The victims at these celebrations were members of other tribes +whom they had enslaved. Not only are the teaching and influence of Mr. +Duncan having the effect of making the Indians fall away from such +inhuman and heathenish practices, but they are also removing much of +the deadly hostility which formerly existed among different tribes. +More Indians are gradually coming in from the country round about and +making Metlakahtla their home. + +"In the administration of the affairs of the village the Indian +institution of the council is retained, and Mr. Duncan consults with +them in regard to all matters appertaining to the general weal. Some of +the Indians when baptized are given English names, while others prefer +to keep their Indian appellation, and are permitted to do so." + +"_August 30th._ + +"The Governor-General and party proceeded on shore at Metlakahtla this +morning at half past nine o'clock. The day was a beautiful sunshiny +clear one, the first without fog and rain that we have had since leaving +Nanaimo. Although Mr. Duncan had learned that his Excellency was in +British Columbia, his visit to Metlakahtla was quite unexpected. A large +proportion of the inhabitants of the village were consequently away +working at fisheries some miles off, who, had they known of the Governor +General's visit, would have been present to join in receiving him. It +was understood that their absence from the village on so auspicious an +occasion would be a bitter regret to them. However, there was about a +couple of hundred of the villagers at home, including several members of +the council--the rest were chiefly young lads, young women, and +children, with a few old people. They assisted their energetic white +chief in getting up a demonstration which, under the circumstances, was +quite creditable to them. Several Union Jacks were hoisted throughout +the village, and a red cloth, with 'God save the Queen' worked on it, +was stretched across between two houses near the landing. As the vice +regal party went ashore a small cannon was fired off several times from +the gaol, a small hexagonal structure with a balcony round the top. The +next thing was the singing of the National Anthem to an accompaniment +supplied by some of the members of a brass band which exists among the +young men of the community. The latter were gorgeous in cast-off +uniforms of United States soldiers, purchased at a sale of condemned +military clothing recently held in Alaska. Half-a-dozen Indian maidens +then came forward and presented Lady Dufferin with a bouquet, after +which the distinguished visitors were taken to see the church, the +school house, and one of the Indian residences. Subsequently all the +people were assembled in the open air, and the younger portion of them +sang, under the direction of Mr. Duncan and Mr. Collison, a number of +songs and hymns, both in their native tongue and in English. They +pronounced the words of the pieces that were in the latter language with +a remarkably good accent, although every effort to induce any of them to +converse in it was futile. Lord Dufferin endeavoured to get some of them +to talk with him about their studies, but was not successful in +extracting from any of them, including a young Indian woman whom Mr. +Duncan has placed in the position of an assistant teacher in the school, +any more definitely English expression than a simper. Mr. Duncan stated +that many of his pupils understood English very well, but were somehow +averse to speaking it. The voices of the singers sounded very well, when +allowance is made for their bashfulness. Some of their pieces were of a +fugue character and the time which was kept in singing them was +remarkably good, considering that there was no accompaniment to them. + +"After some time had been spent in singing, a young man advanced and +read the following address in excellent style:-- + +_"To His Excellency the Earl of Dufferin, Governor-General of the +Dominion of Canada_. + +"MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,--We, the inhabitants of Metlakahtla, +of the Tsimshean nation of Indians desire to express our joy in +welcoming your Excellency and Lady Dufferin to our village. Under the +teaching of the Gospel we have learned the Divine command, 'Fear God, +honour the King, and thus as loyal subjects of her Majesty Queen +Victoria we rejoice in seeing you visit our shores. + +"We have learned to respect and obey the laws of the Queen, and we +will continue to uphold and defend the same in our community and nation. + +"We are still a weak and poor people, only lately emancipated from the +thraldom of heathenism and savage customs, but we are struggling to +rise and advance to a Christian life and civilization. + +"Trusting that we may enjoy a share of your Excellency's kind and +fostering care, and under your administration continue to advance in +peace and prosperity. + +"We have the honour to subscribe ourselves your Excellency's humble +and obedient servants. + +"For the Indians of Metlakahtla, + +"DAVID LEASK, + +"Secretary to the Native Council." + +"The members of the Council all came forward in turn and signed the +document by making their marks." + +The Governor-General replied as follows-- + +"I have come a long distance in order to assure you, in the name of your +Great Mother, the Queen of England, with what pleasure she has learnt of +your well being, and of the progress you have made in the arts of peace +and the knowledge of the Christian religion, under the auspices of your +kind friend, Mr. Duncan. You must understand that I have not come for my +own pleasure, but that the journey has been long and laborious and that +I am here from a sense of duty, in order to make you feel by my actual +presence with what solicitude the Queen and Her Majesty's Government in +Canada watch over your welfare, and how anxious they are that you should +persevere in that virtuous and industrious mode of life in which I find +you engaged. I have viewed with astonishment the church which you have +built entirely by your own industry and intelligence. That church is in +itself a monument of the way in which you have profited by the teachings +you have received. It does you the greatest credit, and we have every +right to hope, that, while in its outward aspect it bears testimony to +your conformity to the laws of the Gospel, beneath its sacred roof your +sincere and faithful prayers will be rewarded by those blessings which +are promised to all those who approach the Throne of God in humility and +faith. I hope you will understand that your White Mother and the +Government of Canada are fully prepared to protect you in the exercise +of your religion, and to extend to you those laws which know no +difference of race, or of colour, but under which justice is impartially +administered between the humblest and the greatest of the land. The +Government of Canada is proud to think that there are upwards of 30,000 +Indians in the territory of British Columbia alone. She recognizes them +as the ancient inhabitants of the country. The white men have not come +amongst you as conquerors, but as friends. We regard you as our fellow +-subjects, and as equal to us in the eye of the law as you are in the eye +of God, and equally entitled with the rest of the community to the +benefits of good government, and the opportunity of earning an honest +livelihood. I have had very great pleasure in inspecting your school, +and I am quite certain that there are many among the younger portion of +those I am now addressing who have already begun to feel how much they +are indebted to that institution for the expansion of their mental +faculties, for the knowledge of what is passing in the outer world, as +well as for the insight it affords them into the laws of nature and into +the arts of civilized life, and we have the further satisfaction of +remembering that as year after year flows by, and your population +increases, all those beneficial influences will acquire additional +strength and momentum. I hope you are duly grateful to him to whom, +under Providence, you are indebted for all these benefits, and that when +you contrast your own condition, the peace in which you live, the +comforts that surround you, the decency of your habitation, when you see +your wives, your sisters, and your daughters contributing so materially +by the brightness of their appearance, the softness, of their manners, +their housewifely qualities, to the pleasantness and cheerfulness of +your domestic lives, contrasting as all these do so strikingly with your +former surroundings, you will remember that it is to Mr. Duncan you owe +this blessed initiation into your new life. By a faithful adherence to +his principles and example you will become useful citizens and faithful +subjects, an honour to those under whose auspices you will thus have +shown to what the Indian race can attain, at the same time that you will +leave to your children an ever-widening prospect of increasing happiness +and progressive improvement. Before I conclude I cannot help expressing +to Mr. Duncan, and those associated with him in his good work, not only +in my own name, not only in the name of the Government of Canada, but +also in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, and in the name of the people +of England, who take so deep an interest in the well-being of all the +native races throughout the Queen's dominions, our deep gratitude to him +for thus having devoted the flower of his life, in spite of innumerable +difficulties, dangers, and discouragements, of which we, who only see +the result of his labours, can form only a very inadequate idea, to a +work which has resulted in the beautiful scene we have witnessed this +morning. I only wish to add that I am very much obliged to you for the +satisfactory and loyal address with which you have greeted me. The very +fact of your being in a position to express yourselves with so much +propriety is in itself extremely creditable to you, and although it has +been my good fortune to receive many addresses during my stay in Canada +from various communities of your fellow subjects, not one of them will +be surrounded by so many hopeful and pleasant reminiscences, as those +which I shall carry away with me from this spot." + +Before he left British Columbia Lord Dufferin delivered an address at +Government House, Victoria, in which, referring to this visit, he +said:-- + +"I have traversed the entire coast of British Columbia, from its +southern extremity to Alaska. I have penetrated to the head of Bute +Inlet, I have examined the Seymour Narrows, and the other channels +which intervene between the head of Bute Inlet and Vancouver Island. I +have looked into the mouth of Dean's Canal, and passed across the +entrance to Gardener's Channel. I have visited Mr. Duncan's wonderful +settlement at Metlakahtla, and the interesting Methodist Mission at +Fort Simpson, and have thus been enabled to realise what scenes of +primitive peace and innocence, of idyllic beauty and material comfort, +can be presented by the stalwart men and comely maidens of an Indian +community, under the wise administration of a judicious and devoted +Christian Missionary. I have seen the Indians in all phases of their +existence, from the half-naked savage, perched, like a bird of prey, in +a red blanket upon a rock, trying to catch his miserable dinner of +fish, to the neat maiden in Mr. Duncan's school at Metlakhatla, as +modest and as well dressed as any clergyman's daughter in an English +parish. + +"What you want are not resources, but human beings to develope them +and consume them. Raise your 80,000 Indians to the level Mr. Duncan has +taught us they can be brought, and consider what an enormous amount of +vital power you will have added to your present strength." + + + + +XIII. + +ADMIRAL PREVOST AT METLAKAHTLA. + + +Of the four visits mentioned at the beginning of the last chapter, +with which the last four years must ever be associated at Metlakahtla, +a very peculiar interest attaches to the third in order of time. To the +Christian Indians it was naturally the most joyous and memorable event +in the history of the settlement. It was not a small thing to receive a +Governor-General, a Missionary Bishop, or the chief pastor of their own +newly-formed diocese. But since the foundation of the settlement, there +has been no day like the 18th of June, 1878, when Metlakahtla had the +joy of welcoming, for the first time, the beloved and revered +originator of the Mission, Admiral Prevost. + +He had never been in that part of the world since the migration from +Fort Simpson in 1862, and had never seen the wonderful issue of his own +plan. That he should see it now was a privilege rarely enjoyed. To few +men is it given in the Providence of God to initiate such an agency of +blessing, and to still fewer is it granted to behold such far reaching +results. + +Of this happy visit, the Admiral himself has kindly supplied for these +pages the following deeply interesting account:-- + +_Admiral Prevost's Narrative._ + +Three a.m., Tuesday, 18th June, 1878. Arrived at Fort Simpson in the +U. S. Mail Steamer _California_, from Sitka. Was met by William +Duncan, with sixteen Indians, nearly all Elders. Our greeting was most +hearty, and the meeting with Duncan was a cause of real thankfulness to +God, in sight, too, of the very spot (nay, on it) where God had put +into my heart the first desire of sending the Gospel to the poor +heathens around me. Twenty-five years previously H.M.S. "Virago" had +been repaired on that very beach. What a change had been effected +during those passing years! Of the crew before me nine of the sixteen +were, to my knowledge, formerly medicine men, or cannibals. In humble +faith, we could only exclaim, "What hath God wrought!" It is all His +doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. + +It did not take long to transfer ourselves and our baggage to the +canoe, and at 4.30 a.m. we started against wind and tide, rain, too, at +intervals; but having much to talk about of past events and future +plans, the twenty miles of distance soon disappeared, and about noon we +crossed the bar and entered the "inlet of Kahtla." On the north side of +the inlet stands, on an eminence, "the Church of God;" on either side +of it, spreads out the village of Metlakahtla, skirting two bays whose +beaches are at once a landing-place for its inhabitants and shelter for +the canoes. As we approached the landing-place two guns were fired and +flags displayed from house to house--conspicuous by a string of them +reaching the Mission House verandah, inscribed, "A REAL WELCOME TO +METLAKAHTLA." Near to this were assembled all the village--men, women, +and children--gaily dressed. + +The choice of this harbour of refuge is one of God's many providential +dealings with this Mission. It is defended from the storms and heavy +rolling swell of the Pacific Ocean by large and lofty islands, forming +a breakwater across its entrance, extending as far out to sea as twenty +miles, inside of which smaller islands, numbering nearly a hundred, +form channels leading up to the foot of the snow-capped mountains, 15 +or 18 miles distant, on many of which are the village gardens where +potatoes and other vegetables are grown. + +The rise and fall of the tide is very great, often 25ft. It was low +water when we arrived, and difficult to land, but this had been +anticipated. We found a small canoe covered over with pretty mats +(Indian manufacture from the cedar bark). Into this we were +transferred, and when comfortably seated, we were lifted quietly on the +shoulders of the young men, and carried up to a platform close to the +entrance of the Mission House. We were surrounded by kind hearts who +had been long expecting us, and the flowers and garlands had withered; +but joy was depicted in their countenances. The body of constables, +dressed in a uniform given by the Government, presented arms; the small +band played; and then all the voices, about 250 in number (the larger +portion of the population being at the fisheries), joined in that +beautiful hymn-- + + "What a friend we have in Jesus, + All our sins and griefs to bear, + What a privilege to carry + Everything to God in prayer." + +Then came the shaking of hands, and let me remind you a Metlakahtla +Indian can give a hearty shake of the hand! + +Rain obliged us to seek shelter indoors. We all met again in the +church in the evening, changing the weekly service to Tuesday. It was +my privilege to address more than two hundred from Romans viii. 31--"If +God be for us, who can be against us?" It was an evening never to be +forgotten. After 25 years' absence, God had brought me back again, +amidst all the sundry and manifold changes of the world, face to face +with those tribes amongst whom I had witnessed only bloodshed, +cannibalism, and heathen devilry in its grossest form. Now they were +sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in their right mind. The +very churchwarden, dear old Peter Simpson, who opened the church-door +for me, was the chief of one of the cannibal tribes. + +Words cannot describe the happy month I spent in this happy Christian +circle. I can only copy from my rough notes, written on the spot, some +of the events which occurred to me. + +In the Mission House, I found the Rev. W. H. Collison, and his wife +and two children (whom I had known previous to their leaving England), +and Mr. and Mrs. Schutt and children. There was plenty of room for all, +and in addition to our party there were five girls, boarders in the +house, living in a dormitory upstairs with a cheerful look-out. These +are industrial pupils training for their future position as wives and +mothers. Each girl has her own recess. As many as fourteen boarders +have been in the house at one time, and God has greatly blessed the +instruction they have received, the Christian young men preferring a +wife who has passed through the Mission training to all others. + +It rained so incessantly the first three days, that nothing could be +done outside. The meetings for Morning and Evening Prayers, in which +the boarders joined, were very precious. Sankey's hymns, a portion of +God's Word, explained by Duncan in Tsimshean, and united prayer, began +and closed the day. + +On 21st June, I met by appointment in Duncan's room eight of the +twelve elders of the village (four absent at the fisheries) to consult +about the programme during my stay. It was no formal assembly, but a +council of wise heads met together, all taking a deep interest in the +affairs of the village, and all speaking out boldly. + +_June 22nd._--Still rain, but all the men and some of the women +assembled in the school-room, to hear an address from me and to give me +their welcome in reply. We met at 5 p.m., and did not separate until 8 +o'clock. Let me give one or two of the speeches addressed to me:-- + +GEORGE USHER (Indian name, Comtsool) said--"I also want to speak, +though I occupy not the seat of a chief, but only that of a common man +who sits at the door. Your seat is the seat of honour at the upper end +of the house. Yet I will address you. + +"It is wonderful to us to see what changes have come amongst us since +your last visit, and it is wonderful to us to see how much good some +people are capable of doing for others. We think of your good work and +are amazed. If it shall so be that you leave this world before us to +see God, remember we are trying to follow you, to be with you before +long. We shall see you again in heaven." + +JAMES LEEQUNEESH (chief) said--"Shimoigit, what we once were is known +to you, for you saw our state. I was a young man when you first saw us. +We profited by your visit, but you suffered by us. Which of us is not +now ashamed when we see your face again, and remember the injuries we +did to you? But we were then in darkness. We were like the wild +animals. We were living in mud and darkness. You got a hoe. You got +seed. You designed a garden, though on a very unfavourable site. It was +God who touched your heart. Then the workmen came. Your work was among +thorns, and you suffered, but so did Jesus the Son of God work among +thorns and suffer. So you then got a spade and turned over the ground +and put in the seed. God was with you, and now you have come back to +see what God has done. You are pleased to see that the plants have come +up a little. Yes, the good seed has grown, and this, sir, is the result +of your work. God put all this into your heart, and our own hearts are +deeply affected and aroused within us by your coming again to see us." + +ADAM GORDON (Kshimkeaiks) said--"Sir, though I have not prepared a +speech, I cannot help saying my heart is thankful to tell you how happy +we all are. It is while we are still in the fight you have come to see +us. Like as children rejoice to see a father, so we rejoice to see you. +We are fighting every day with sin, but we shall cease fighting; by-and +-by, and be happy when we get to the other shore. Then when we reach +over there we shall be truly happy." + +PETER SIMPSON (Thrakshakaun).--"I remember when you put your ship on +shore at Fort Simpson. I remember how nearly we were fighting, and the +guns were prepared. You had a rope put out to keep us off, and we heard +it said that you would fire at us from your ship when you got afloat. +We knew not what you had rather planned to do. You planned to bring us +the Gospel, and that has opened our eyes to heavenly things, and oh! +how beautiful, very beautiful indeed! Metlakahtla is like a ship just +launched. You are here to give us advice where to put the mast in, and +how to steer. I address you thus, though you are great and I am poor. +But Jesus despises not the poor. The Tsimsheans were very low, yet +Jesus raised us, and we are now anxious for all our brethren, the +tribes around us, to be made alive. We see them now willing to hear, +and we are trying to help them. We know God put it into your heart to +come here, and brought you here; God bless you for coming." + +_Sunday, 23rd_.--To me, all days at Metlakahtla are solemnly +sacred, but Sunday, of all others, especially so. Canoes are all drawn +up on the beach above high water mark. Not a sound is heard. The +children are assembled before morning service to receive special +instruction from Mr. Duncan. The church bell rings, and the whole +population pour out from their houses--men, women, and children--to +worship God in His own house, built by their own hands. As it has been +remarked, "No need to lock doors, for no one is there to enter the +empty houses." Two policemen are on duty in uniform, to keep order +during service time. The service begins with a chant in Tsimshean, "I +wilt arise and go to my Father," etc., Mr. Schutt leading with the +harmonium; the Litany Prayers in Tsimshean follow, closing with the +Lord's Prayer. The address lasts nearly an hour. Such is the deep +attention of many present, that having once known their former lives, I +know that the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost +can alone have produced so marvellous a change. + +First, there was a very old woman, staff in hand, stepping with such +solemn earnestness; after her came one who had been a very notorious +gambler; though now almost crippled with disease, yet he seemed to be +forgetting infirmity, and literally to be leaping along. Next followed +a dissipated youth, now reclaimed; and after him a chief, who had dared +a few years ago proudly to lift up his hand to stop the work of God, +now with humble mien, wending his way to worship. Then came a once +still more haughty man of rank; and after him a mother carrying her +infant child, and a father leading his infant son; a grandmother, with +more than a mother's care, watching the steps of her little grandson. +Then followed a widow; then a young woman, who had been snatched from +the jaws of infamy; after them came a once roving spirit, now meek and +settled; then, a once notorious chief; and the last I reflected upon +was a man walking with solemn gait, yet hope fixed in his look. When a +heathen he was a murderer: he had murdered his own wife and burnt her +to ashes. What are all these now, I thought, and the crowds that +accompany them! Whither are they going? and what to do? Blessed sight +for angels! Oh, the preciousness of a Saviour's blood! If there is joy +in heaven ever one sinner that repenteth, with what delight must angels +gaze on such a sight as this! I felt such a glow of gratitude to God +come over me, my heart was stirred within me, for who could have joined +such a congregation as this in worship and have been cold, and who +could have preached the Gospel to such a people and not have felt he +was standing where God was working? + +After morning service, a class of female adults remain in the church, +and receive further instruction from the native teachers. At the same +time the male adults meet Mr. Duncan in his own room. At three, the +church bell again assembles all the village to worship; and again at +seven, when they generally meet in the schoolroom, the address being +given by one of the native teachers. + +_June 26th._--Evening Service in schoolroom, about 90 in +attendance, most of the village absent at the fisheries. Some strange +Indians arrived today from a distance. A large building has been +erected on the shore, close to the general landing-place, for the +accommodation of such visitors; here they deposit their property +(brought for trade), and take up their abode, finding firewood ready +for use. As soon as they are comfortably housed and mashed (the latter +a positive injunction), they come to Duncan's room, where he receives +them, generally having something new and amusing to show them. To-day I +was present at their interview, when Duncan showed them a mechanical +picture, in which a "ship at sea," a "wind-mill," and a "water-mill," +worked by machinery, are moved at the same time. A galvanic battery is +also a source of wonder and astonishment. After some time he explains +to his audience the cause and effects, exposing, too, the tricks +formerly played upon their ignorant minds by their own medicine men. +The visit is returned, and in that market-house the good seed of the +Word of God has been frequently sown by this faithful man of God to +casual visitors, and through them to the surrounding tribes. + +A deputation also arrived from the Fort Simpson Indians to consult +with the Metlakahtla Indians how to meet the pending difficulties with +the White men as regards the Indian rights as to the salmon-fisheries. +The bugle sounded to call together the Council. Both parties assembled +together in the school-house, and consulted together for several hours; +and when they had finished, they sent for Duncan to tell him the +result. I mention this circumstance as one of the blessed results of +their new life in Christ Jesus. In their heathen days this difficulty +with white men would have been met with murder and destruction. In +1859, I was present at an assemblage of chiefs, when gold was first +discovered in British Columbia, and when more than twenty thousand +white men rushed into that country, bringing with them vice and +disease. The question was asked by the head chief, "How shall we treat +these strangers? Shall we cut their throats?"--going through the motion +of doing so in an unmistakable manner. In God's providence, the man in +authority had great influence over the Indian mind and action. A proper +answer was returned, and the lives of hundreds, nay, thousands were +saved. + +27th.--Visited the village saw-mill, conveniently situated at the head +of a sheltered inlet about a mile and a quarter from the village. It is +managed entirely by natives, the head Indian receiving 8 dols., or L1 +12s., the second, 6 dols., or L1 4s., the third, 5 dols., or L1 per +week. Lumber of all sizes is supplied to the village for building +purposes at moderate prices. Thus the Indians are kept independent of +the white man's help. Duncan told me a curious story of an old Indian +who came to him, when the mill was being erected, and asked him, "Are +you going to make water saw wood?" He got his answer, and exclaimed, +"When I see it I die, to go and tell it to my chief." + +I visited the widow of Samuel Marsden (Shooquanahts), the first fruits +of this Mission. He was baptized, 21st July, 1861, and died May 8th, +1878, a Native elder, a ripe Christian, a faithful follower of the Lord +Jesus; and the clear testimony he bore on his death-bed to the +blessedness of the Christian hope and the presence of the Saviour was +very cheering. Duncan adds, "His parting words to myself and the elders +were very affecting; his end indeed was peace, and such a funeral the +Indians never saw." Catherine, his widow, is left with two children, +and lives in the same house with Catherine Ryan, whose husband died +about the same time as Samuel, leaving her with four children. I did +indeed wish for some of the friends of the Mission to have witnessed +the touching simple faith of these two brands plucked out of the fire, +as I read to them a few words from John xi., "Jesus wept." after which +we joined in prayer. + +Shortly after my return to the Mission House, Samuel Marsden's father +called to see me. He was present at my first visit to Fort Simpson in +1853. Poor fellow! he looked quite cast down; he said his heart was +sad, he wanted to speak to me. "I have felt," he said, "that I must see +you. It has been on my heart to see you. I saw your ship long ago when +you first came to Fort Simpson. I saw you then also. I was a young man +then. I had a son, an only son, he was then very young. You did not +forget us. When Mr. Duncan came, I sent my son to learn. I was anxious +to walk in God's way myself; but I was very wicked. But I was anxious +that my son should learn; he learned quickly and had but one heart. +When Mr. Duncan came to Metlakahtla, Samuel was one of the first to +accompany him, and afterwards, when Mr. Duncan had to punish any of the +Indians of the villages around who were guilty of crime, Samuel was +always ready to go and assist in bringing them to justice. I was not +afraid, because I knew he was doing right, and God would defend him and +save him. Well, he continued to grow stronger in God's way, and was +anxious to work for Him, wherever he went telling the people about the +Son of God, the Saviour; but he became sick and was very weak for some +time. However, he almost recovered, and when the news came last autumn +that you were coming, no one was so glad as Samuel. He was rejoiced to +think that he would see you again; but it was not to be so now. God was +pleased to call him to Himself before you came. He is in heaven now. +Chief! this is why I was not present at the meeting to welcome you. My +strength was gone, my only son, I thought he would strengthen my heart +now that I am an old man; but God knows it is best. I felt that I could +not speak with the rest, as my heart was so weak. But there was a +burden on my heart. I felt so much that if Samuel were alive, he would +have much to tell you, and I felt that I could not rest until I told +you all this, as Samuel would have me do were he alive. I thank you +much for your sympathy and encouragement to us. My heart is very full. +I am very grateful to you, chief. When you pray, will you ask God to +make my heart strong? I want to be faithful too, I want to meet my son +and all of you above. I ask your prayers to help me. My heart is strong +and glad now, because I have seen you and told you my heart." + +One afternoon the girls in the Mission House, five in number, were +given a half-holiday, to pick berries on the opposite islands. We +availed ourselves of the fine weather and this picnic to see the +village gardens. We started in a large canoe (every Indian from his +earliest childhood can handle a paddle), towards the head of the +estuary, which leads through a labyrinth of islands, to the pine-clad +shores of the snowy mountains, nearly twenty miles distance. We landed +at some of the islands, most of which have some cultivated land. Every +man and woman had a certain portion of ground measured out by Duncan, +when the village was first settled, and set apart by him for their sole +use. As the children advance in years, an addition is made. At present +only potatoes are planted, and these are not properly attended to, for +just at the time when labour is required for weeding, hoeing, etc., all +hands are absent at the fishing stations. Duncan hopes, in course of +time, to make better arrangements. How we all enjoyed ourselves in that +holiday trip!--all of us like children escaped from school. Berries +were plentiful, and we returned by moonlight, paddling and singing +hymns alternately, till the sparkling wood fire in the Mission-room +welcomed us to our home. + +One evening I was invited by Matthews (one of the elders, and a good +carpenter), to hear him perform on a parlour organ, which he had bought +at Victoria for 80 dollars (L16). It was a wondrous sight--the Indian +and his wife at his side playing and singing many of the well-known +Sankey's hymns! Had I accepted an invitation to visit an Indian hut in +years gone by, I should have seen all kinds of devilry, witchcraft, and +cannibalism, often followed by murder. How strikingly were the words of +Holy Scripture brought before me, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" + +Much of the missionaries' time is taken up in visiting and recovering +the sick. Collison and I went together one morning to visit a young +woman, a Kitsalass (the people of the Rapids on Skeena river), dying of +consumption; her husband, an affectionate nurse for four months, and +most patient, seldom leaving her. I read Ps. xxv. 18, "Look upon my +affliction and my pain, and forgive me all my sins;" then a short +prayer, all around her kneeling. From my note-book I copy the +conversation which followed, noted down at the time. "Do you remember +what I said to you from God's Word?" She felt she was going to leave +the world; she was always thinking of Jesus and crying unto Him. "Have +you any fear of death?" "No! because I love Jesus." We replied, "He +first loved us!" The husband then spoke. He had been praying three +times a day. They did not know anything of their sinfulness before this +affliction. "I was greatly troubled at the thought of my wife leaving +me, but my heart is satisfied now, my heart is strong now, because the +Saviour has had mercy on us. He has shown us the way, and though it is +very hard, yet I know it will be for her gain." + +Previous to this interview, her great desire had been to return to her +own people, but now she asked to be buried with the Christians at +Metlakahtla. She hesitated before this to ask to be baptized; she had +it on her heart to ask, but now she felt her time was short, and she +wished to be numbered amongst the people of God. Baptism was then +administered to her, in the simple words of our Lord, "Go ye, +therefore, and make Christians of all nations, baptizing them in the +name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." As a proof +of her humility, she asked to be baptized in her heathen name +("Lukaloosh"), not being worthy of a white woman's name, which is +always given. + +After two days I visited her again, and found her much weaker, +breathing with difficulty. During a sleepless night she exclaimed, "I +know where I am going, it is no longer darkness; Jesus is with me." +These last words were frequently repeated. In the morning her husband +came to say, "she was fast departing, her heart beating faintly." He +was comforted by repeating his wife's last words, "Jesus is with me." + +Fine weather having now set in, I invited all the village to a feast. +Two guns were fixed to recall the absentees, who were at their daily +work. Tables were soon spread on the green in front of the Church, each +guest bringing cups and spoons. Coffee and biscuit was provided in +abundance. Before they were seated, all assembled on the steps of the +Church, and were photographed by Duncan, [Footnote: A picture drawn +from this photograph appeared in the Church Gleaner of July, 1879.] to +the amusement of all present. A blessing was then asked, and the feast +commenced. Games followed, singing, and cheering, the latter very +hearty. At nine o'clock all separated to go to their homes. + +_1st July_.--In the early morning paddled over to the island set +apart as the burial ground of Metlakahtla. All the graves are +surrounded with a neat wooden fence, and several marble headstones are +erected. I copied the three nearest to the landing-place:-- + +IN MEMORY OF + +MARK SHELDON, + +_Who was drowned in the Skeena. River, Aug. 15th, 1870,_ + +AGED 30 YEARS. + +"Be ye therefore ready also."--LUKE xii. 40. + + * * * * * + +IN MEMORY OF + +LOUISA STAVELY, + +_Who died May 2nd, 1877,_ + +AGED 32 YEARS. + + * * * * * + +IN MEMORY OP + +PAUL LEGAIC, + +(Head Chief of the Tsimshean Indians), + +_Who died May 6th, 1869,_ + +AGED 55 YEARS. + +"Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" + + * * * * * + +On 2nd July I left Metlakahtla in a large canoe, paddled by five +Kincolith Indians, to visit the C. M. S. Mission at Kincolith, "place +of the scalps," Naas River, established by the Rev. R. Doolan, in July, +1864. Since then the Mission has been removed lower down the river, at +the entrance of the Portland Canal, beautifully situated, hedged in by +high mountain peaks, 3,807 and 3,385 feet in height. Inland there is +good farming land, and many native villages, with souls thirsting for +the Gospel news. The following day we sighted the church; soon the +houses were visible. Flags were run up, and as we approached the +landing-place, a gun was fired, and we could see the inhabitants +hastening to welcome us, dressed in their best, some in very bright +colours. + +Being high water we landed easily. Many were the kind words of welcome +floating in the bright sunshine. "WELCOME TO KINCOLITH," in large +letters of the fern leaves; "COME TO NAAS RIVER"; "TIS DAY +(_sic_), WE ARE ALL VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU, SIR"--their own +composition and spelling. As we landed guns were fired. We were +welcomed at the Mission House by Mrs. Tomlinson and her five children. +Soon after, we all met again in the schoolroom, where I gave a short +address. + +_July 4th_.--Visited the sawmill, which is romantically situated +near the river, from whence there is a fine view of the valley. Its +high cliffs, and their snow-capped tops, betoken a severe winter +residence, though on our return we crossed a meadow where cows and +calves were grazing. In the meanwhile my invitation to a feast had been +accepted, all were busily employed, and soon all were seated enjoying +the coffee and biscuits as at Metlakahtla. During the feast, a canoe +was seen passing down the river, and the universal wish was expressed +by all the leading men that the strangers should be invited to join +them. Oh, how the blessedness of the Gospel is daily brought before one +among these Christian Indians--"peace, good-will towards all men"! In +former years a watchman would have told of the approach of an enemy, +and all would have taken to arms to defend their lives. "Oh that men +would therefore praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful +works to the children of men!" + +_July 5th_.--This was our last day at Kincolith. At 8 p.m., we +embarked in our canoe to return to Metlakahtla, taking leave of the +Mission greatly encouraged, and thankful for the bright prospects +before them, acknowledging with deep gratitude the Lord's hand in the +work, and earnestly praying that the young converts may be preserved +from the many trials and temptations which are brought nearer and +nearer to them year by year. + +_July 10th_.--Before my departure from Metlakahtla, I assembled +the few who were left at the village, to tell them I was anxious to +leave behind some token both of my visit to them after so long an +absence, and also that I still bore them on my heart. What should it +be? After hours of consultation, they decided they would leave the +choice to me, and when I told them (what I had beforehand determined +upon) that my present would be a set of street lamps to light up their +village by night, their joy was unbounded. Their first thought had a +spiritual meaning. By day, God's house was a memorable object, visible +both by vessels passing and repassing, and by all canoes as strange +Indians travelled about; but by night all was darkness--now no longer +so--as the bright light of the glorious Gospel, had through God's mercy +and love shined in their dark hearts, so would all be reminded, by +night as well as by day, of the marvellous light shining in the hearts +of many at Metlakahtla. When Duncan first settled at Metlakahtla, even +the Indians who came with him were in such fear from the neighbouring +tribes, that they begged him not to have a fire burning at night or +show a light in his house. The system of murder was then so general, +that whenever an enemy saw a light he sneaked up to it, and the death +of the unsuspecting Indian was generally the result. Thus my selection +was a happy one, and I thanked God for it. + +I fear the story of my visit to this interesting Mission will try the +patience of many of the readers. I would, therefore, affectionately ask +them to consider it from my point of view, viz., God's providential +dealings with me from my first acquaintance with the Indians in 1853 to +the present time. I claim no honour to myself nor to the C. M. S., but +for Christ--"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give +glory." Words cannot express my gratitude to God for permitting me to +see what I have see of the power of the Gospel of the Grace of God. He +who healed the deaf and dumb when upon earth still lives. When brought +to Christ, the same power still heals the spiritually deaf and dumb; +witness the great chief Legaic--He made him to delight in listening to +the same Gospel which once he so opposed, ridiculed, and despised, to +love the man whose life he so often attempted, and to join with him in +prayer and praise; and finally, at the time of his departure, to hear a +glorious testimony, that the sting of death had been removed, and he +was safe in the arms of Jesus. + + + + +XIV. + +THE DIOCESE OF CALEDONIA. + + +As we have already mentioned, when Mr. Duncan went out in 1856 there +was but one clergyman of the Church of England on the whole western +coast of British America, viz., the Rev. E. Cridge, chaplain at +Victoria. The colony of British Columbia, however, grew apace; and in +1859 it was formed into a Diocese, Dr. Hills being appointed the first +Bishop. The visits of Bishop Hills and of more than one of his colonial +clergy to Metlakahtla have been noticed in the foregoing pages. By them +a large number of the Christian Indians were baptized. The C. M. S. +Committee have always desired to provide an ordained missionary for the +settlement; but for some years their effort seemed fruitless. It has +been before mentioned that the Rev. L. Tugwell, who went out in 1860, +and was privileged to baptize the first group of converts, was +compelled by failure of health to return home in the following year. In +1864, the Rev. R. R. A. Doolan, B.A., of Caius College, Cambridge, +offered himself for the work. He laboured zealously for three years, +and began the Mission on Nass River, as already related; and then in +1867 he, too, had to return to England. Both he and Mr. Tugwell found +important spheres of missionary labour in connection with the Spanish +Church Mission. In 1865, the Rev. F. Gribbell was sent out; but the +climate of Metlakahtla seriously affected his wife's health, and he +accepted colonial work offered him at Victoria by the Bishop of +Columbia. In 1867 the Rev. R. Tomlinson, B.A., was appointed to the +Mission, and he has providentially been permitted to continue in its +service ever since. He, however, took over the work on Nass River, +begun by Mr. Doolan, so that Metlakahtla still remained without an +ordained missionary. But the grace of God is not tied to a regular +ministry, and the settlement grew and prospered, spiritually as well as +materially, under the loving care of its lay founder. In 1873, Mr. W. +H. Collison joined the Mission as a schoolmaster, and in 1878 Mr. H. +Schutt went out in the same capacity, to leave Mr. Collison free to +begin new work in Queen Charlotte's Islands. In 1877 the Rev. A. J. +Hall, a young clergyman in full orders, was appointed to Metlakahtla; +but he, too, under the advice of his brethren, removed soon after his +arrival to Fort Rupert, to break up fresh ground. At length Mr. +Collison, having been ordained deacon and priest by Bishop Bompas, of +Athabasca, during the latter's visit to the coast in the winter of 1877 +-8, and having been released from the work at Queen Charlotte's Islands +by the arrival of Mr. G. Sneath in 1879, again took up his abode at +Metlakahtla as pastor of the settlement. + +In the meanwhile, certain unhappy disputes in Victoria, arising from +the extreme doctrinal views which found an entrance into the Church in +the Colony, as they have into the Church at home, had resulted in a +secession to the American "Reformed Church" under the leadership of the +Rev. E. Cridge. Mr. Cridge was greatly beloved by the Christians of +Metlakahtla, having given much godly counsel and help to the Mission; +and they not unnaturally felt much sympathy for him in the painful step +he had felt it his duty to take. In this state of things, the Bishop of +Columbia, anxious not to rouse feelings which it might be hard to +allay, with much wisdom and generosity refrained from visiting +Metlakahtla, and wrote to Bishop Bompas, of Athabasca, who is a devoted +missionary of the C. M. S., asking him to come over and visit the +coast, and to perform episcopal functions in the C. M. S. Mission. +Accordingly, in November, 1877, Bishop Bompas, reached Metlakahtla +after a long and difficult journey across the Rocky and Cascade +Mountains, and the wilderness of lakes and rivers stretching between +those chains. He remained three months on the coast, visited the +outlying stations, confirmed 124 of the Christian Indians, ordained Mr. +Collison deacon and priest, and assisted Mr. Duncan and the other +missionaries in maturing plans for the extension of the Mission. +[Footnote: Bishop Bompas' account of the Christmas he spent in +Metlakahtla is given at page 75. A narrative of his journey across the +Rocky Mountains appeared in the _C. M. Intelligencer_ of August, +1878.] + +In 1879, Bishop Hills, being on a visit to England, arranged with the +Church Missionary Society a plan for providing its Missions with +episcopal oversight. He had come, charged by his Diocesan Synod to take +steps for dividing his vast diocese into three--Columbia, New +Westminster, and Caledonia--which would form an ecclesiastical province +on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, just as, on the east side, the +four dioceses of Rupert's Land, Moosonee, Athabasca, and Saskatchewan, +form the province of Rupert's Land. The northernmost of these three +divisions, Caledonia, would comprise the field of the C. M. S. +Missions; and the Society therefore undertook to guarantee the income +of the Bishop for this division, provided that the Committee were +satisfied with the appointment made. The scheme was happily consummated +by the choice of the Rev. Wm. Ridley, vicar of St. Paul's, +Huddersfield, who had been a C. M. S. missionary in India, but whose +health had been unequal to the trying climate of the Peshawar Valley. +Mr. Ridley was consecrated on St. James's Day, July 25th, 1879, at St. +Paul's Cathedral, at the same time as Dr. Walsham How to the Suffragan +-Bishopric of Bedford (for East London), Dr. Barclay to the Anglican See +of Jerusalem, and Dr. Speechly to the new diocese of Travancore and +Cochin. + +The Diocese of Caledonia comprises the territory lying between the +Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, with the adjacent islands, and +is bounded on the south by a line drawn westward from Cape St. James, +at the south end of Queen Charlotte's Islands, and on the north by the +60th parallel of latitude. It comprises, therefore, the mining +districts on the upper waters of the Fraser and Skeena and Stachine +rivers, with their rough white population, and many thousands of +Indians of the Tsimshean and Hydah nations on the coast, as well as +others in the interior. + +Bishop Ridley sailed from Liverpool on September 13th for New York, +crossed the States by the Pacific Railway, took a steamer again at San +Francisco, and reached Victoria on October 14th. There he met Mr. +Duncan, and also Admiral Prevost, who had again gone out a few months +before, partly to prepare the way for the new Bishop; and a few days +after they sailed together for Metlakahtla. On November 1st he wrote as +follows:-- + +"Metlakahtla has not disappointed me. The situation is excellent. +There is no spot to compare with it this side of Victoria. During this +week the weather has been charming. Frosty nights, but the days mild, +as in Cornwall at this season. Numbers of the worn-out old folk have +been basking in the sun for hours daily. Squatting in the long grass, +they looked the very pictures of contentment. They all gazed on the +sea. No wonder if they loved it. Besides being the store-house from +which they took their food, it is the chief feature in one of the most +beautiful views I have ever seen. We are at the entrance of an estuary +that winds about, labyrinth-like, until it leads up to a stream more +than twenty miles distant inland. Outside are large islands, their +lofty heads pine-clad, and the same garment reaching to the very waves +on all sides. These are God's breakwaters. Inside, wherever the channel +widens, there are smaller islands, so disposed as to make it impossible +to say what is island and what continent. These are gems in a setting +that perfectly reflects the grass and pines fringing the sea's glossy +surface, as well as the background of snow-patched mountain. + +"Yesterday the stillness was reverential, and quite in keeping with +Sunday rest. Scores of graceful canoes were drawn above the tide. Not a +paddle broke the silence. As Admiral Prevost and I stood in the Mission +garden we heard, in the distance, the howls of a pack of wolves. A +flight of crows or rooks claimed a moment's attention. Besides this, +nothing disturbed the calm sea, or the stillness, but the wing of some +wild fowl splashing the sea as it rose. Before we returned to the house +we were ravished with the splendour of the sunset. The giant that had +run its day's course transformed the scene. He touched everything, till +sea and sky vied with each other in glorious effects. The snowy peaks +to eastward blushed. + +"But, after all, the Sun of Righteousness has produced a far more +beautiful transformation in the character of the Indian, and this +change is not fleeting. The church bell rings, and, from both wings of +the village, well-dressed men, their wives and children, pour out from +the cottages, and the two currents meet at the steps of the noble +sanctuary their own hands have made, to the honour of God our Saviour. +On Saturday I had made a sketch of the village. Mr. Duncan remarked, as +the people streamed along, 'Put that stream into your picture.' 'That +would never do,' I said, 'nobody would believe it.' Inwardly I +exclaimed, 'What hath God wrought!' It would be wrong to suppose that +the love of God alone impelled them all. All, without reasonable cause +to the contrary, are expected to attend the public services. A couple +of policemen, as a matter of routine, are in uniform, and this is an +indication that loitering during service hours is against proper civil +order. This wholesome restraint is possible during these early stages +of the corporate life of the community. At present one strong will is +supreme. To resist it, every Indian feels would be as impossible as to +stop the tides. This righteous autocracy is as much feared by the +ungodly around as it is respected and admired by the faithful. Thus are +law and Gospel combined with good results." + +Before leaving England, Dr. Ridley had earnestly appealed for funds to +provide him with a small steamer--an absolute necessity if his +episcopal duties were to be performed safely and regularly. Without it +the long voyages up and down the coast, and among the islands, would +have to be made in native canoes. The perilous nature of such +travelling had been sadly illustrated only two years before, by the +loss of a boat which was conveying an excellent Hudson's Bay officer +from Queen Charlotte's Islands to the mainland. He and his crew of +Tsimshean Christians were all drowned except one Indian, who was in the +water four days and nights, lashed to a piece of the canoe, and was +drifted on to the Alaska coast. This Indian related how, when they were +all clinging to the capsized boat, Mr. Williams, the officer, seeing +death imminent, called on them to pray, and as their strength failed +they sank praying and singing hymns. The Bishop himself, in one of his +first voyages, within a fortnight of his arrival, was overtaken by a +gale in a canoe which two men could lift, and in which ten were huddled +together, and "as nearly lost as a saved man could be." "How I longed +for my steamer!" he wrote; "unless I get one, a new Bishop will soon be +wanted, for the risk in these frail crafts is tremendous, and a short +career the probable consequence." + +The money required, we are glad to say, has been raised, and, the +steamer will (D.V.) soon be speeding up and down the coast on its +errands of love--preserved and prospered, we doubt not, by His goodness +who rules the winds and the waves. + + * * * * * + +It only remains to add the latest news from Metlakahtla, as +communicated in the annual letters of Mr. Duncan and Mr. Collison for +1879. Mr. Duncan writes, on March 8th. 1880:-- + +"In regard to secular matters, the year past has been one of marked +progress--the greatest year for building the Indians have ever known. +We have now eighty-eight new houses up, or in course of erection; and +when all the houses are erected, roads completed, and gardens, drains, +and fences finished, we shall have certainly a very attractive home. +But there remains a good deal to do yet. Our American neighbours are +being aroused to their duty for the poor Indians of Alaska,-- +encouraged, they tell us, by what has been accomplished at Metlakahtla. +During the past year I have had several letters from, and interviews +with, American gentlemen (among whom were three generals of the army in +active service), who were anxious to learn from me my plans and modes +of dealing with the Indians. I am afraid they are attributing our +success too much to secular matters, and too little to the preaching of +the Gospel. I have strongly warned them not to commence at the wrong end. + +"I have already opened up and discussed with the Indians the +desirability of their endeavouring to take into their own hands all the +secular work I have begun. If my hopes are realised, it will be a grand +termination of all my secular work. The Indians are delighted with the +idea, and will struggle hard to reach the goal. + +"Our Church, Sunday School, and Day School are all prospering. + +"The surrounding heathen tribes are not being neglected. I paid a +visit to the Kithratlas, in company with the Admiral, last Autumn, and +a native teacher--Edward Mather--is now being employed amongst them. +Other native teachers are about taking up work around, as the seasons +allow, and as the Indians are accessible. + +"In the month of July Dr. Powell, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, +and Mr. Anderson, Commissioner for Fisheries, paid us their long +-promised visit in H.M.S. Rocket. Though only a portion of our +population were at home, our visitors expressed themselves as greatly +astonished and delighted at all they saw. Dr. Powell has since written +me an official letter, and read me his official report to the minister +at Ottawa, both which were highly commendatory, and Mr. Anderson has +published a long letter in the _Colonist_ newspaper about +Metlakahtla. The testimony of the latter gentleman was very telling +upon the community here, as he has lived in this country upwards of +fifty years, and is considered a great authority on Indian affairs." + +Mr. Collison mentions that during the winter he conducted a class of +catechumens, and that, after due examination by Bishop Ridley, seventy +-two persons, men and women, were baptized on Sundays, Jan. 25th and Feb. +1st, of the present year, 1880. During the year under review sixty-three +children also were baptized. "Thus," writes Mr. Collison, "the visible +Church increases; but our greatest care and concern is that they may be +united to Christ by a living faith, and grow up in Him into a spiritual +temple, of which Jesus Christ Himself is the chief corner-stone." + + * * * * * + +Such is the story of Metlakahtla and the North Pacific Mission. An +unfinished story, indeed, the plot of which is still unfolding itself, +and the issues of which, in this world, are known only to Him who sees +the end from the beginning. And yet a story which, embracing as it +does, the separate life-stories of many individuals, again and again +comes to a true "end," to an "end" for which we may well render +unceasing praise. What the destiny of Metlakahtla may be, none can say; +but what the destiny is of soul after soul that has passed away in +peace and hope, and that owed that peace and hope, under God, to the +influence of Metlakahtla, we do know. The day is coming--it may be very +soon--when Metlakahtla will, share the universal fate of the things +that are seen and temporal, and will have become a mere memory of the +past, while the men and women, and children, whom it brought to the God +and Father of all to be washed, and sanctified, and justified in the +name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, live on and on in +the power of an endless life. No tall church spire, rising from the +inlet of Kahtla will then be needed to guide the mariner through the +Archipelago of the North Pacific coast, "for there shall be no more +sea." But the great temple of living souls will stand forth in all its +glory and beauty, and among the stones of that spiritual house will be +many hewn from the quarry in the Far West. Tsimshean and Hydah, and +many another Red Indian tribe, shall find a place in the building +which, fitly framed together, shall then have grown into a holy temple +unto the Lord. Happy indeed will those then be who have had a share, +however humble, in the work of raising it, stone by stone, to His +praise who will make it His dwelling for ever! + + + + +CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE + + +1776. Discovery of Vancouver's Island by Captain Cook. + +1792. Further discoveries by Captain Vancouver. + +1819. Attention of the C. M. S. Committee drawn to the Indian + Tribes on the North Pacific Coast. + +1856. July. Captain Prevost's Appeal for British Columbia appeared + in the _C. M. Intelligencer._ + + " Contribution of L500 received to begin a North Pacific + Mission. + + " Dec. 23. William Duncan sailed with Captain Prevost in the + _Satellite_. + +1857. June 13. The _Satellite_ reached Vancouver's Island. + + " Oct. 1. Duncan reached Fort Simpson. + +1858 June 13. Duncan preached his first Sermon in Tsimshean. + + " Nov. 19. Duncan opened a School for Indian children. + + " Dec. 20. Legaic's attack on Duncan. + +1859. Bishopric of Columbia founded. + +1860. April. Duncan's first visit to Nass River. + + " Aug. 8. Arrival of Rev. L. S Tugwell. + +1861. July 26. First baptism of Indians--nineteen adults. + + " Oct. 10. Return home of Mr. Tugwell. + +1862. May 28. Foundation of the new Settlement at Metlakahtla. + +1863. April. Visit of the Bishop of Columbia to Metlakahtla--Baptism + of fifty-seven adults. + +1864. July 2. Arrival of Rev. R. A. Doolan. + + " Nass River Mission begun. + +1865. May. Second visit of Bishop of Columbia. + +1867. May 27. Arrival of Rev. R. Tomlinson. + + " Aug. Return home of Mr. Doolan. + + " Kincolith Station established on Nass River. + +1869. May 6. Death of Legaic. + +1870. Jan. 28. Duncan left Metlakahtla for England. + + " Mar. 13 + to + Sept. 8. Duncan in England + +1871. Feb. 27. Duncan returned to Metlakahtla. + + " Oct. First baptisms at Kincolith by Archdeacon Woods. + +1873. Aug. 6. First Stone of Metlakahtla Church laid by the Governor of + British Columbia. + + " Nov. 9. Arrival of Mr. W. H. Collison. + +1874. Dec. 25. Opening of Metlakahtla Church. + +1875. Aug. 18. Duncan's plans for the Indians of British Columbia + adopted by the Provincial Government. + +1876. Duncan's journey to Ottawa to confer with the Canadian + Government. + + " Aug. 30. Lord Dufferin's visit to Metlakahtla. + + " Oct. 16. Arrival of Mr. H. Schutt. + + " Nov. 1. Mr. Collison began Queen Charlotte Islands Mission. + +1877. Aug. 6. Arrival of Rev. A. J. Hall. + + " Nov. + to + Mar. '78 Bishop Bompas's visit to the Mission. + +1878. Mar. 12. Mr. Hall began Fort Rupert Mission. + + " Mar. 17. Ordination of Mr. Collison. + + " June 18. Admiral Prevost's visit to Metlakahtla. + +1879. May 2. Arrival of Mr. G. Sneath. + + " July 25. Consecration of Rev. W. Ridley to Bishopric of Caledonia. + + " Oct. 14. Arrival of Bishop Ridley at Victoria. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Metlakahtla and the North Pacific +Mission, by Eugene Stock + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK METLAKAHTLA AND NORTH PACIFIC*** + +This file should be named 6976.txt or 6976.zip + +This eBook was produced by Avinash Kothare, Tom Allen, Juliet Sutherland, +Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +https://gutenberg.org or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information online at: + +https://www.gutenberg.org/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the eBook (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only +when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by +Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be +used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be +they hardware or software or any other related product without +express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* + diff --git a/6976.zip b/6976.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c453cf1 --- /dev/null +++ b/6976.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bf5808a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #6976 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6976) |