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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Frontitpiecf. STRANGER THAN FICTION. BY THE REV. J. J. HALCOMBE, M.A. READER AND LIBRARIAN AT CHARTERHOUSE. ^SubUs^cTj untrcr tfit tJtrcction of tl)t ®ract ©ommhtec. LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE ; SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORIES : 77, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS ; 4, ROYAL EXCHANGE : 48, PICCADILLY ; AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. -fmf. qnOn ^ T Propcrfy of CONTENTS. CHAP. PYor, L— A Venture of Faith j II. — Difficulties Realized 13 III. — Work Commenced .... .22 IV. — A Crisis 34 V. — Progress 49 VI. — A Visit to Victoria -o VII.— Building up 82 VIII. — Metlahkatlah 99 IX. — A Time of Trial 108 X.— Brighter Days . . . . . . .117 XI. — The Indian Fishing-Station .... 135 XII. — An In-gathering . 147 XIII. — Paul Legaic 167 XIV.— Three Years' Work 179 XV. — Law. and Police 205 XVI.— Gala Days 221 XVII.— Social Progress 233 XVIII.— Conclusion 245 WOV 28*51 < •« ^txhntftx tIjaiT iittmt CHAPTER I. A VENTURE OF FAITH. [TRANGE and weird beyond expression was the scene from which, as from a starting-point, commences a series of events wholly without parallel in the Missionary annals of the Church \ Issuing from a populous Indian settlement, built in close proximity to one of the trading forts of the Hudson's Bay Company, pours forth a motley crowd, all apparently worked up to the highest pitch of excitement. Decked with paint and feathers, and hideous masks, and headed by two ^ The writer is much indebted to the courtesy of the Secretaries of the Church Missionary Society for the facilities which they have kindly afforded him of consulting all the printed and MS. records of the work described in the following pages ; and also to the Rev. R. Doolan, for some time a fellow-labourer with Mr. Duncan, for his kindness in correcting the proofs and supplying information on various points. B « •« 300720 ^ti'angtt tliait dTutton. unearthly-looking beings, stark naked, and covered thickly over with paint, they rush from their camp to the neighbouring beach. There, as if in mockery of the peaceful sound of the waves of the Pacific breaking gently on the shore, the horrid too-too of the " medicine drum," the most discordant of musical instruments, bursts forth ; the medicine men work their rattles, and the crowd, dancing wildly about, raise the while a dismal howl. Now the two leaders, proceeding in a stooping posture, and stepping like high-mettled horses, separate from their followers. Shooting forward each arm alternately, and holding it out for some time in a sort of defiant attitude, whilst ever and anox* they fling back the long black hair which falls loosely over their shoulders, they begin to sniff about like hounds hunting for a trail. Well enough they know that only that morning a slave has been butchered, and the body cast into the sea, and that it would certainly have been left by the receding tide at no great distance from the spot which they had reached. Now they find it ; and, swarming round and rushing on it like a pack of hungry wolves, they rend it asunder, and bear away each his portion in triumph. For a brief space the band of followers a Wmtmt of dTaiti). closes in and hides from view the hideous orgies which follow ; then again it opens, and forth again come the naked leaders, each bearing — but how describe the climax of the sickening sight ? Suffice it to say that each, in presence of the assembled multitude, duly vindicates his claim to the envied title of cannibal, and, with it, to the highest rank amongst the various grades of flesh- eaters. Standing on the "gallery" of one of the bastions, of the neighbouring fort, in full view of the whole scene, is one whose heart might well have fainted within him at the sight he has witnessed. He is a Missionary, schoolmaster and catechist — Mr. William Duncan, a name now familiar as a house- hold word to. philanthropists and travellers through- out the civilized world. He has just landed from England, and in the painted savages before him he sees his. future pupils and catechumens. With what feelings does he regard that scene ^ The bright hopes and sanguine anticipations which lured him from home, and friends, and country- will they survive the rude shock of this first contact with the actual work to be done .<* The visions of dadle acholats,' earnest converts, and devout wor- shippers: hastening to the newly-built house of God, B 2 j&tvangcr tljan ;ffiction. r which had been the subject of his waking thoughts and nightly dreams — will they not now seem to him as having been but the fantastic combinations of a mere mental mirage, to which distance and a too sanguine temperament had alone lent the enchantment of reality? Happily, in Mr. Duncan's case, a sanguine tem- perament was only a synonym for that unbounded faith in a great cause which must ever be a main characteristic of the successful pioneer in new fields of enterprise, and which alone can give to such a temperament the buoyancy and self- righting power requisite to make it proof alike against the depressing influences of unlooked-for difficulties, and the rude shock of adverse circum- stances. Thus it happened that the very hateful- aess of the abominations which, as we have seen, stood suddenly revealed to his view, seemed only to make him feel more deeply than ever the urgent need of some determined effort being made to " snatch the prey," as he expresses it, "from the lion's mouth, and to arrest, in the name of God, poor self-destroying creatures." The circumstances under which Mr. Duncan had come out to Fort Simpson may be told in a few words. A naval officer. Captain Prevost, strongly H 2bVnttirc of dFaitb. impressed with the necessity of making some efforts to save the Indians of Vancouver's T-'ind, and British Columbia, from the demorahzing effect of the constantly increasing tide of emigration, had presented a formal petition on the subject to the Church Missionary Society. The publication of this document had immediately produced an ano- nymous contribution of 500/. towards the proposed object, and Mr. William Duncan, then one of the Society's students at Highbury Training College, was selected to fill the newly-created post. Through the influence of Captain Prevost, who had just been appointed to the Pacific Station, Mr. Duncan at once obtained a free passage to his destination, whilst, by the kindness of Sir James Douglas, formerly the Director of all the Hudson's ' Bay Company's forts, and then Governor of British Columbia, he was met, on his arrival, with the promise of accommodation in the fort, and all the moral support which local authority could give him. Like most of the stations of the Hudson's Bay Company, Fort Simpson consists merely of a few dwellings and warehouses, giving sufficient accommo- dation for some twenty employes, and the usual trading stores, workshops, &c. The whole is built Stranger tf)an iffiction. in a square of about a hundred yards, enclosed by a palisade of trunks of trees sunk into the ground, rising some twenty feet above it, and protected at the corners by a wooden bastion, mounted with cannon ; whilst along the top of the palisade, runs a gallery, or. platform, on which the garrison can take exercise, and from which they can see a considerable distance over the country. The Indian Camp consisted of some 350 sub- stantially-built wooden houses, stretching in single file along the beach on either side of the fort ; many of them, especially those of the chiefs, being of considerable size. , The population numbered some 25000 belonging to the Tsimsheean tribe, and divided into nine subordinate tribes or crests. As frequent reference to these crests will have to be made in the course of our narrative, we may as well at once give some description of them. Each crest is ruled over by four or five chiefs, one of whom takes precedence of all the others on ordinary occasions, and represents the crest in any general gathering. Amongst the representative chiefs one again is always recognized as " the chief of chiefs." A chiefs rank is marked by the height of the pole a 2Fmtuvc of df^itff. erected in front of his house, on which the crest which distinguishes his division of the tribe is carved. No offence leads to more frequent quarrels than the attempt on the part of a chief to put up a pole higher than his rank warrants. Even the least powerful chief who has been insulted by an inferior in rank out-topping his pole, will find any number of allies to teike up his cause and' compel the offender, either literally or figuratively, to " cut his stick ^." The animals most commonly selected as a crest are the porpoise, the eagle, the wolf, and the frog. The social relations of the people are in many ways regulated by this curious method of classification. Thus, e.g., members of the same crest may not intermarry. A whale may marry a frog, but the union of two whales or two frogs would probably be entirely without precedent in the annals of any tribe. At the time of Mr. Duncan's arrival in October, 1857, what might be termed, par excellence^ the Indian season, was just setting in. Then it is that the " medicine mysteries," with all the abomina- 2 Whence the expression which in England defines a man as cutti.ig his stick ? We have always liked to fancy that, as we once heard an old antiquarian assert, it dated back to the time when the first, if not the only, preparation of the pilgrim about to start on his travels was to go into a neighbouring wood, and cut his staff. 11/'" 8 ^traugtr tljait ^fiction. 'U tions which they give rise to, are in full force. Then the chiefs vie with each other which shall impoverish himself the most by the magnificence of his liberality to all around him. Then is the time for feasting, and house-building : then, with ceremonies as various as they are loathsome, the young of the several tribes are admitted into the mysterious craft called by the Indian " allied " — by the European " medicine work." Then, too, is the time for theatrical displays, when the medicine men nightly exhibit their skill, or brutality, or supposed supernatural powers. No sooner is the winter session of the medicine- men come to an end — for with them almost every thing that goes on is in some way connected — than the camp is deserted. All then flock off to the rivers, to lay up a stock of fish for the comi"g year. The fishing over, the women and children return to their homes, whilst a large pro- portion of the men go off on various trading expeditions, often taking them to posts several hundred miles distant. Under these circumstances, Mr. Duncan could not probably have chosen a better time of the year at which to reach his post. Arriving in October, he would have an opportunity of seeing one season wm t A ] S C f h V u a h e H Wcixtmt of dfaitl). through, whilst, from the very necessity of the case, he was still only an outside observer of what was going on. He would thus have nearly a year in which to study the language, the prejudices, and character of the people before he came into actual collision with this cherished medicine superstition, and the various deeply-rooted prejudices and vested interests connected with it. To the study of " Tsimsheean," therefore, Mr. Dnncan at once devoted himself With the assist- - xe of an Indian, named Clah, who had for some yoars acted as interpreter at the fort, he first went through an English Dictionary, and taking some 1500 of the most essential words, soon obtained the Tsimsheean equivalents for them. He next, by various contrivances, ,-ucceeded in getting some 1 100 daort sentences written down. Having thus a fair vocabulary and a number of examples of the construction of the language, he was not long be- fore he began to make good progress. Happily, his Indian tutor threw himself "nto his novel task with the greatest enthusiasm. Even when the unaccustomed strain told upon him, as it often did, and though from time to time he would " complain of his head," he would not be persuaded to relax his efforts. The pride which he took in his pupil was lO ^tvcinger tl^an dTutton. evident. As he went about the " camp," he would stop again and again and hold forth to the knot of Indians who would gather round him, all curious to know when the chief who had come so far to teach them would be able to talk to them in their own language. At times some of the more curious would penetrate, on one pretext and another, into the room where Mr. Duncan was at work. On such occasions, a little crowd would gradually collect, all of whom would enter, with the greatest eager- ness, into the work of " finding equivalents," exult- ing, with an almost childish delight, at each new discovery. At the same time Mr. Duncan lost no oppor- tunity of trying to establish friendly relations with the natives. As it happened that early in January the snow and intense cold kept most of the people indoors, he would often take Clah as his inter- preter, and go and pay a round of visits. Now and then he would be told that he might not enter a par- ticular house, as the medicine work, was going on, but generally he was very well received. The sight on entering an house, of a crowd of half-naked and painted savages, was at first a little apt to put him out of countenance ; but the reception he met with was such as to make him very quickly feel much a 2^«ituw of dTatt]^. 11 more at ease. On entering, he would be saluted by the leading personages with"Clah, how yah! Clah) how yah!" the complimentary expression of welcome, in the trading jargon. When this had been repeated several times, a general movement and squatting would ensue ; then a breathless silence, during which the visitor was of course the observed of all observers. After a v/hile several would begin nodding and smiling, at the same time reiterating, in a low tone, " Ahm, ahm ah ket, ahm shimauyet," " Good, good person, good chief" In some houses they would insist on his taking the chief place by the fire, where they would place a box with a mat upon it for a seat. The intercourse thus carried on was necessarily very limited. The general impression which it left upon Mr. Duncan's mind was, that amongst the great mass of the people, degraded as they were, there was not only an anxious wish for instruction, but a strong feeling that the white people were in possession of some grand secret about eternal things which, even if it involved the overthrow of their most cherished superstitions, they were still intensely anxious to know. Such were the few encouraging circumstances, of which Mr. Duncan did not fail to make the most. 'V t|! 12 >tiangcr rt>iu dTtction. but which, according to any mere human estimate, would have made but a poor set-ofF against the difficulties and di3couragements which beset him on all sides. \i'.' w^mnf^mf^nmmi^mirma ^■"TCF.'J ' ! "I ! mate, ;t the t him I ! [ ii MURDER OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDER. To /ace p. 13. Ill J , : CHAPTER II. DIFFICULTIES REALIZED. ,/' HILST engaged in the study of the language, Mr. Duncan had ample opportunity of observing the state of wild lawlessness and recklessness of human life which characterized the people with whom he had cast in his lot. A single incident will serve to illustrate the kind of scenes which were continually recurring with more or less fre- quency. .. . % ■ The occupants of the fort had just finished dinner when the second officer, who had only gone out a few minutes before, came running back to say that an Indian had just been murdered outside the gates. On going to the gallery, they saw a group of Indians with muskets in their hands, surround- ing a man who was evidently seriously wounded ; suddenly two others rushed up, and despatched the wounded man on the spot. The murderer proved H ^trcingcr tijan dTtctton. to be the head chief (one who will occupy a very prominent place in our future narrative), Legaic by name, who, being irritated by some other chiefs, had vented his rage on the first stranger that came in his way, and, after shooting him, had ordered two of his men to finish the horrible deed. His victim was a Queen Charlotte Islander, who had been working at the fort. In order to ex- tenuate his crime. Legale gave out that one of the same tribe had killed a brother of his many, years ago. But the matter could not end here. Tlie chief under whose care the murdered man was living, would be bound to revenge his death in order to maintain his dignity, choosing as a victim any one belonging to the same people as the murr dered man, who might be living under the protec- tion of the murderer. Thus would one foul deed continually beget others in a never-ending succes- sion. ^ . :. )ivr -.-yjJf:.., But more discouraging even than this , state of continual strife and bloodshed, was. the . manifest strength of the forces of superstition, and the ex- tent to which they were . evidently interwined Avith the whole tribal hfe of the people. . i-. The medicine Imen proved to be a distinct clasa numbering about one-tenth of the wJiole ipopula-. litffifcuUtesi i^ealt^tir. 15 tion, and possessing unbounded influence. Through- out the winter months, the initiating and admitting fresh pupils into their arts was the main source of occupation and excitement to the whole popula- tion, a separate party being told off to take in hand each pupil. All these parties fell under one of three general divisions: first, cannibals; second, dog- eaters ; and, third, those who had no custom of the kind. At the same time each had some cha- racteristics peculiar to itself. During the winter months there were commonly as many as eight or ten parties at work. The proceedings in every case partook more or less of the same general character. Early in the morning the pupil, who, in spite of the intense cold, was prohibited from wearing the slightest vestige of clothing, would go out on to the beach or the rocks and there take up his station in front of the dwellings of his own tribe, and then begin scream- ing and jerking his head about until a body of men rushed down, and, forming a circle round him, com- menced a wild song. If the party belonged to the dog-eaters they would then bring a dead dog to their pupil, who would forthwith commence tearing it in the most dog-like manner, whilst the atten- dants, accompanied all the time by a screeching i6 ^trangtv tljan dFittioii. instrument supposed to be the abode of a spirit, kept up a hideous noise, alternating between a low growiing and a loud whoop. In a little time the naked youth would again start up, and assuming a crouching posture, pushing his arms out behind him, and continually tossing back his flowing black hair, would proceed a few yards. Meanwhile he is intently watched by the group about him, and whenever he pleases to sit down, they again sur- round him, and commence singing ; after this has gone on for some time, the youth suddenly dashes off, and, followed by his train, makes a dart into every house belonging to his tribe in succession. This over, he usually takes a ramble on the tops of the same houses, carefully watched all the time by his attendants. By-and-by he condescends to come down, and makes off to his den, which is distinguished and kept sacred from intrusion by a rope of red bark hung over the doorway, and into which none are allowed to enter but the initiated ; those outside being only able to guess at what is going on by the alternate hammering, singing, and shouting, which for some time is kept up almost incessantly. Of all these parties, the cannibals are by far the most dreaded. Ona morning Mr. Duncan, induced INDIAN D0Q-EATER8. To/cusep.W. 1:1 JSifKcuItU!^ mtali^rti. 17 by an unusual commotion in the camp to go out on to the gallery of the stockade, saw hundreds rushing to the beach and taking to their canoes, as though flying for their Hves. Inquiring the cause of so strange a proceeding, he was told that the cannibal's party, having failed to find a dead body to devour, were expected to seize upon the first living one they met with ; hence the precipitate flight of the population. Both before and after this stage of initiation, other proceedings, to which an almost equal amount of importance is attached, take place. Before it the pupils have to pass several days alone in the woods, where they are supposed to receive super- natural gifts ; as, however, on their return they are supposed to be invisible, the encouragement tc evade the greater part of the ceremony is mani- festly great. As a grand finale to the whole proceedings, the pupil is expected to give away all his property, and as no one is admitted amongst the " allied " unless he or his friends have not only amassed considerable wealth, but arc willing to reduce themselves to absolute beggary, this forms no unimportant part of the ceremony. The chiefs being the persons who benefit most by this distribution of property C iinf-mi i,i|imi|iMPiii, ,i8 ^trangcv ti^an iTiction. the practice has an evident tendency to enlist the interest of all the most powerful men of the tribe in favour of the existing state of things. ^ The first occasion on which Mr. Duncan wit- nessed this ceremony was one Sunday morning not long after his arrival. Startled by a peculiar noise which he had not before heard, he was induced to go out towards the camp, where he quickly saw the cause of the excitement. A man who had finished his education as an " allied " was going to give away his goods. He was proceeding to a distant part of the camp, and stepping all the way like a proud unmanageable horse ; behind him were fifteen or twenty men, all holding on to a kind of rope which went round his waist: they were pretending either to hold him back or to prevent him from escaping ; all the time they kept up a deafening noise with the peculiar instrument which has so much to do with their superstitions. Pre- sently this party was joined by another, and shortly after by a third, all bent on the same errand. The competition between them seemed to be to see which could make the greatest noise and look the most unearthly. Whether in connexion with the initiation of the " allied," with house-building, or with any other of I^ifficulttcs; mralt'^cD. 19 t the be in I wit- ig not ■ noise ced to ly saw 10 had Ding to [g to a ;he way imwere kind of jy were prevent pt up a nt which IS. Pre- d shortly id. The )e to see look the on of the y other of the numerous occasions on which it commonly takes place, this giving away of property is one of the most characteristic features of the domestic life of the Tsimsheean Indians. Their sole object in attaining wealth is to hoard it up till they can indulge in a grand display of liberality in giving it away. The chiefs, when they have thus reduced themselves to poverty, can rely on being quickly recouped by return presents, but the poorer sort are often involved in great suffering owing to their compliance with the prevailing custom. Mr. Dun- can mentions the case of one chief who gave away at one time as many as 480 blankets, worth to him as many pounds. The camp on these occasions presents a very animated appearance. Hanging from house to house, or on lines put up for the purpose, hundreds of yards of cotton flap in the breeze. Furs are nailed up in front of the houses, blankets and elk-skins are exhibited on men perambulating the village in single file, whilst hun- dreds of yards of cotton, after hanging out for the best part of twenty-four hours, are brought down to the beach, run out at full length, and trium- phantly borne away by a number of bearers, walking about three yards apart, to their new possessor. C 2 20 ifetrangci- tljaii jTiction. It is a point of honour with the members of every tribe to enable their chief to make a good display. The gifts are thus first given to the chief, and then appointed by him to fresh owners. It should, however, be added that every chief is looking; forward to the time when, by virtue of a certain number of these free distributions, he shall have acquired the right to receive only, and not to give. To the chiefs, therefore, the custom is nothing more or less than a rude form of life assu- rance. These were the scenes which, during the day, Mr. Duncan was continually witnessing all through the winter months. The nights, he found, were given up, to a much greater extent than any one would have expected, to amusements, especially singing and dancing, varied by exhibitions of tricks by the medicine men, who generally appear either disguised in the skins of different animals or in huge masks, the different parts of which are moved by strings. The great feature of the enter- tainments on these occasions was for the medicine men to pretend to murder, and then to restore to life. The cannibals, as a matter of course, were supplied with human bodies, which they tore to pieces before their audience. l^tQicuUictl Beali^eU. 21 Such was the stronghold of Satan which had to be assailed. That the medicine men would not readily yield their pre-eminence there seemed, unhappily, no doubt ; whilst it was only too pro- bable that self-interested motives, if not superstitious fear, would enlist on their side the sympathies and the active support of all the chiefs. Those who had been long resident at the fort, and knew the tenacity with which the Indians cling to their ancient customs, shook their heads, and doubted much whether any good could possibly be done against such apparently overwhelming odds. Mr. Duncan alone was confident throughout. He alone did not even regard the attempt as a mere " forlorn hope." True, the " strong man armed " was " keeping his house," and " his goods were in peace ;" but in the strength of One " stronger than he " he hoped to be enabled to " take away his armour in which he trusted, and to spoil his goods." The word of God, faithfully preached, was the weapon — sharp and powerful — which he proposed to wield, and which he trusted to find mighty to the pulling down of this apparently most impregnable fortress. CHAPTER III. WORK COMMENCED. OWARDS the middle of June, 1858, by which time the fishing season was well over, and those who had been away trading or hunting were beginning to return, Mr. Duncan had, by hard study and con- stant intercourse with the people, made sufficient progress in the acquisition of Tsimsheean to en- courage him to make the long-looked-forward-to attempt of addressing the Indians publicly i.. their own tongue. ' Thinking it most prudent at first to read what he had to say, he had for some time been engaged in preparing a written address, which, with the assist- ance of Clah, he had at length completed, not of course entirely to his own satisfaction, but still, a& well as he could expect. His next step was to go round to all the chiefs, and ask permission from each one to use his house Morh Commcnctln. 23 to address his people — ^a request which was readily granted. When the day arrived, it turned out very wet, and as the time drew near for the gathering in the first chiefs house it poured in torrents. In spite, however, of this drawback, upwards of a hundred men had assembled. For a moment, as he stood up to speak for the first time under such novel circum- stances, Mr. Duncan's heart fainted in him, and the thought flashed across him, that, after all, "he had better use his Indian tutor, who had accom- panied him, as an interpreter. Happily, Clah refused to entertain such an idea for a moment, so that he saw at once that no assistance could be ex- pected from him, and that he must brace himself up for the effort. ■ Telling the Indians to shut the door, he knelt down and prayed that God would give him strength and power of utterance. Then he read his address to them. All were very attentive, and showed plainly enough by their looks that they understood, and to some extent appreciated, what was being said. After the address, they at once complied with his request that they would kneel down whilst he prayed to God to bless the work thus begun. 24 Stranger tj^an iffiction. At the house of the next chief all was in readi- ness, a canoe sail having been spread for Mr. Duncan to stand upon, and a box, covered with a mat, placed as a seat. About 150 persons were present ; and again all were most attentive, and knelt during prayer. In this manner each of the other seven divisions of the tribe were visited in succession, the gathering in each case taking place in the chiefs house. The friendly reception, the care with which the requisite preparations had been made, and the thoughtful attention with which he was listened to, were all sources of encouragement. The smallest congregation was ninety, and the largest 200. The compliance with the request about kneeling was universal. In the house where there were over aoo present there was so'.ne con- fusion, but the moment the prayer was begun they were perfectly silent. In all about 900 persons, including some strangers from surrounding tribes, must thus, for the first time, have heard the sound of the Gospel. Thus was granted the earnest prayer with which Mr. Duncan had commenced his labours, that " He to Whom belongs all power in earth and heaven would bid all difficulties vanish before His feeble servant, and bring another long-estranged tongue Morh Commenrctf. as from the confusion of Babel into His blessed and soul-raising service." The conduct of two chiefs about whose friendly- bearing some doubts had been expressed was, as far as it went, encouraging. The head chief, Legaic, whose house had been visited second in order, was notorious for his evil deeds, but in spite of this, he was not only present but earnestly admonished his people to behave well. Another chief had, only a few days before, killed a slave merely by way of gratifying his pride ; his house was prepared as neatly as any, but he had himself gone away some distance, probably being ashamed to be present. As Mr. Duncan for the first time unfolded the gospel plan of salvation, and exhorted them to leave their sins and seek pardon for them through Christ, warning them of the consequences if they refused, and setting forth the happiness of obedience, it was evident, from the significant looks which passed from one to another, that his meaning was clearly enough understood ; on many countenances, indeed, alarm was the predominant expression, yet, on the whole, there seemed a general willingness to receive the message as one which commended itself alike to their judgment and conscience. This was probably f ?6 ^transer tljaii dTictton. 1 1 < to be accounted for by the extent to which the new doctrines propounded to them harmonized with the general principles of their own traditional belief in the existence and attributes of a Supreme Being. The Indian name for the Supreme Being, Shi- mauyet-lakkah (from Shiraauyet, chief, and Lak- kah, above) would seem to indicate a more limited and material view of the nature and attri- butes of the Deity than they really entertain. Though regarding Him only in the light of a great chief, they believe that He is immortal, that He observes all that is going on amongst men, and that He is frequently angry a.':d punishes offenders. The idea of two states after death — one above for the good, and another bjlow for the evil — is also a familiar one to them. They believe the good will be greatly honoured, and the bad treated as slaves. That in both states life will be supported by food, they take for granted. As a curious illustration of this may be mentioned the fact that when, in the fishing season, the fish escape their nets, they attribute it to the activity of the wicked beneath ! They have no idea of God having made them or the universe, but of His general moral government Morh Commtiu(t(. n they have a keen perception: appealing to Him con- tinually for pity or deliverance, especially in times of sickness. The extent to which they regard Shimauyet- lakkah as the direct author of any misfortune which may befall them, is very remarkable. Not less so is the way in which, when driven to desperation by an accumulation of troubles, they will vent their anger against him. Losing all self-control, raising their eyes and hands in savage anger to heaven, stamping their feet furiously upon the ground, and uttering fearful imprecations, they will again and again revile him as a " great slave " — the strongest term of reproach which their vocabulary affords them. A few days after this first attempt, Mr. Duncan went round to call upon all the chiefs, taking each of them a trifling present, to mark his sense of the kindness which they had shown him. A few caps, and one or two articles [of clothing, all taken from a box sent out by some English ladies, were re- ceived with a gratitude which could not have been surpassed had the gifts been of considerable value. They were evidently as much pleased as surprised by the recognition of their courtesy and assist- ance. I .:ii 28 Stranger ti^an fiction. The immediate result of the kindly feeling which these events created was the offer by one of the chiefs of the use of his house for holding school in. Some time before this, Mr. Duncan had com- menced school with a few very young scholars, and had only been watching his opportunity for begin- ning on a more extended scale. He, therefore, gladly closed with the offer ; and as soon as he had completed a few necessary preparations, again starred to visit all the chiefs and inform them of his intention to commence school on the following Monday. Not only was he received as usual with great courtesy, but, to his great delight, consider- able satisfaction at his proposal, and a general desire for instruction was expressed, not always by words, but by looks and gestures no less signifi- cant. On the Monday morning, Mr. Duncan duly arrived at the chiefs house, to commence his new work. He found that the chief and his wife had made every possible preparation. Every thing was as clean ana neatly arranged as possible, and a tent placed upon a mat was ready for his use. Mr. Duncan had arranged to have the children in the morning and the adults in the afternoon. ill Wloxk Commtiurtr. 29 About twenty-six children made their appearance, all, with one exception, looking unusually neat and clean. In the case of the only child of whom this could not be said, it turned out that it was not disrespect or poverty which prevented his dressing as his companions, but superstition. The winter before, his initiation ?nto the medicine mysteries had commenced ; and to have vv^orn any thing be- sides a blanket or a skin during the next twelve months would have been an offence for which he would have expected to have been visited by some terrible calamity. The children proved themselves very attentive and promising scholars. The afternoon gathering was not, on the whole, so satisfactory. There seemed a superstitious dread amongst the people as to the probable effect of this new movement, and none liked to be the first to try the experiment ; even the few, fifteen in all, who did muster courage to brave the dangers, which their medicine men had doubtless instilled into their minds, were evidently very nervous about the possible effect of their rashness. The chief and his wife, in whose house the school was held, were themselves most anxious to learn. But after due consideration they had decided to ^ Stranger t]^an dFiftion. f .1 ' 1 1 I ' 1 1 ' 1 V Hi j 1 ' f 1 i I 1 attend in the morning with the children, sheltering their dignity under the specious pretext of helping to keep order. Just as the school work was getting fairly under weigh, the settlement was suddenly thrown into a state of confusion, which at first seemed likely to render it necessary to close the school again for a time. A party of Indians had arrived from Queen Charlotte's Island. As they had a large quantity of food to trade with, and were likely to prove profitable lodgers, a difficulty arose as to which tribe should entertain them. This led to a good deal of contention, and in the midst of a great deal of firing and shouting the strangers were hustled and robbed, one or two wounded, and several taken prisoners. A second party from Queen Charlotte's Island coming a day or two after in three canoes, were also attacked and driven into the woods, their canoes being plundered, and then broken up. Some of the tribes now espoused ths cause of the strangers ; thus the quarrel spread, and fighting was soon going on in all directions. This lasted for some days, most of the people keeping their houses shut, and retiring to holes sunk fcr s-U'rii occasions (truly a significant fact !), and a few of the more daring carrying on the contest. Wiovh Commtnctti. 31 At one time it seemed almost impossible to con- tinue the school in consequence of the. firing and shouting and general disturbance. But, happily, before the necessity for suspending work had been admitted, a truce was concluded, and matters again settled down into th'^ir usual course. The only serious difficulty which now presented itself to the rapid development of the school work, was the jealousy excited amongst the other chiefs and their people, by the preference given to the chief in whose house the school was held. " You will have all the people to teach as soon as yovir own house is built," said one chief. Another, wh^::: Mr. Duncan visited him, pointed with evident pride to the work in which he was engaged. He ha'^ rot one of the most promising scholars from the .school, and was ler.rning from him the letters of the alphabet, which were chalked out on a board before him, and said that he did not intend that any one should be able to read before him. About the desire for instruction, therefore, there v/as happily no doubt. Under all the circum- stances, Mr. Duncan decided that as the chief who had lent him the use of his house was going away for a time, it would be well to give up the school for a few weeks, and in the mean time to make arrange- r '4.1 ffii $ ■a aa ^trangtr ti)ait dFictton. ments for getting such a room as was required built. Towards the mido of July, Mr. Duncan deter- mined to give a second public address to the people. As the preparation of a sermon in Tsim- sheean was still a work of considerable labour, and he was soon continuously engaged, not only with his school work, but with evening classes, and Sunday services for the residents in the fort, it was not until the middle of July that he was able to make this second attempt to bring home to the people the real object of his coming among them. As on the first occasion, he went to each of the tribes separately, and, indeed, followed throughout, precisely the same plan of proceeding. Of all who were present at these gatherings, one man only — Quthray, another name of especial note in our history — one of the chief medicine men, and head of the cannibal gang, refused to kneel when asked to do so. The angry scowl with which he regarded the whole proceeding showed that he saw in it danger to his " craft." The exception was more noteworthy than ic seemed at the time. Had he known then half as much as he learned afterwards by painful ex- perience, Mr. Duncan would have been at no loss Wioxh. Commencetl. 33 to recognize in the muttered imprecation with which, as the meeting broke up, Quthray went his way, the first faint rumbli;ig of the storm which was so soon to burst upon him. D i CHAPTER IV. A CRISIS. M RITISH COLUMBIA presents a coast- line abounding in deep indentations, in on^ of the largest and most northern of which stands Fort Simpson. About the centre of the bay the sweeping curve of the coast is broken by a channel which forms a small peninsula. On this is situated the fort and the Indian camp. For the convenience of launching their canoes, the Indian houses are" all built along the beach, and as near as possible to the line of high-water mark. Behind the settlement the ground rises for about half a mile towards an impenetrable forest. The intervening space, having been cleared by the constant cutting of firewood, presents nothing but a waste of grey stumps of trees, a few bushes, and dead grass. Looking northwards, the eye rests upon a rugged, mountainous coast-line, and nume- rous lovely islands, one or two of the southernmost 1 a €viiii. 35 its a coast- ntations, in northern of )n. About lurve of the ms a small DYt and the )f launching built along the line of t the ground mpenetrable been cleared ents nothing few bushes, the eye rests ;, and nume- outhernmost 1 i of which help to protect the bay from the heavy splash of the Pacific, and to make it a safe harbour for ships seeking refuge in bad weather. As the Indian settlement extended along the shore on both sides of the fort, it was nf^-essary, in order that it should be as central as possible, that the school-house which Mr. Duncan proposed to build should be erected close to the fort. The in- convenience of this arrangement, as bringing it into close proximity with the back of the house of the head chief, was not at the time foreseen. The Indians were anxious to render every assist- ance in completing the new building, and, under Mr. Duncan's direction, the timbers were soon cut at a spot some distance along the coast, hauled down to the beach, formed into a raft and floated down to the settlement. Hardly, however, had they commenced to carry the wood up the hill than an event occurred which, but for the confidence with which Mr. Duncan had inspired all about him, might have led to serious results. In making a great effort to raise a heavy log, one of the work- men suddenly fell dead. The news instantly spread- ing through the camp, a crowd quickly assembled, all in a state of the greatest alarm. Mr. Duncan at once suspended the work, leaving D 2, 36 ^trangtr tj^aii jTiftion. it to the people themselves to propose its being re- commenced. This, after a few days, they did, and a day, the 17th of September, was accordingly fixed for making a fresh start. By six o'clock in the morning of the day named, Mr. Duncan went down to the raft, hoping to find all ready to commence. But for some time it almost seemed as if the superstitious fear caused by the recent event would, after all, prevent any progress being made. With the exception of some half- dozen, the Indians contented themselves with sit- ting, Indian-like, at their doors, as if wishing only to be spectators. After waiting for some time, one of the half-dozen men on the raft suddenly sprang to his feet, and, as a sign for starting, gave a peculiar whoop, on which, inadequate as their numbers were, they all sprang to the work with a will. Animated by their example, about forty more rushed down at full speed from their houses, and set to with an enthusiasm which was almost alarming. Those who were too old to work gathered round and urged on the others with the most spirit-stirring words and gestures. The heavy blocks and beams now began to move up the hill with amazing rapidity, and by three o'clock in the afternoon all were safely deposited on "'am H Crt£StK. 37 the proposed site. Two or three days later, the work of building was commenced, and carried on with the same zeal. During the building, the only cause of uneasiness arose from the superstition of the Indians, and their dread of the slightest accident which could be con- strued into an omen of future evil ; but, happily, nothing further occurred to interfere with the suc- cessful completion of the work. Mr. Duncan had proposed to buy the bark re- quired for the roof and flooring ; but, to his great gratification, the Indians volunteered to contribute boards for both purposes, urging that their own houses were roofed with bark, and that the white chief's teaching-house ought to have a roof and flooring of boards. The offerings were all presented with a great deal of ceremony and show of good feeling : many, who could not otherwise have con- tributed, taking boards from their own houses, or even planks which formed part of their beds. By November the 17th the school-house was finished, and furnished with about fifty forms and desks, manufactured by the same willing hands. Hardly was the work thus happily completed, than an unlooked-for reverse occurred : a great portion of the roof being blown ofi* in a violent ''i 38 Stranger tljan dTiction. I 1 Mi I storm. This was, however, quickly rectified, and in the course of a day or two all was ready for use. Mr. Duncan now reaped the fruit of his prelimi- nary work in the chief's house during the summer. No sooner did he make his appearance on the day appointed for recommencing school, than his former scholars rushed eagerly to the new building : whilst one mounted the platform underneath the " steel," which served for a bell, and, to summon his more timid companions to the place, made it ring again with his repeated blows. Nothing could have been more auspicious than the result so far of this new effort. Not only did some fifty adults, and the same number of children, at once enrol themselves as regular attendants, but the chiefs of four out of the nine tribes actually signified their intention of discontinuing their usual heathenish ceremonies, for entering upon which the time had again come round. Nor were there want- ing evidences that the " medicine work" was likely to be carried on but feebly amongst the other tribes. | A marked improvement too was observable amongst the scholars. Every day their, number increased, whilst fewer of them appeared with their faces painted according to their usual custom. But what, in the meantime, of the " medicine SlJ: 1. ^ €iiiii. 39 ectified, and eady for use. his prelimi- the summer. e on the da^• lan his former ilding : whilst 1 the "steel," ion his more it nng agani men"? That they would tamely submit to see their craft thus brought to nought was not to be expected. Of their opposition to all that was going on they made no secret ; nor was it long before they induced se/eral of the chiefs who had proposed to abandon their usual ceremonies to reverse their decision. Many were the arguments which Mr. Duncan had with those who seemed most amenable to reason ; and at times it seemed as though he had gained the day, and that they would still hold to their first resolution. A crisis was evidently approaching. Again and again Mr. Duncan would come upon one of the medicine parties engaged in all the revolting de- tails of initiating new pupils, and though they did not in any case offer him violence, but seemed rather ashamed than otherwise of what they were doing, rumours began to be whispered about pretty fr vi/ that they were " talking bad," in other words, lay- ing plans for some decided movement to vindicate their position, and once for all free themselves from an opposition which seemed to threaten serious -consequences. Matters were precipitated by the arrival of a number of strangers from another tribe, to take part in the "medicine rites" which were being car- 40 dtvanger t\)nn dTtction. [I \l -I M ried on ir the house of Legaic, the head chief, which it will be remembered was in close proximity to the school. Irritated by the interruption caused by the strik- ing of the " steel," and by the scholars constantly passing and repassing his door, Legaic appealed to the governor of the fort to induce Mr. Duncan to close his school for at least the month during 'ch the medicine mysteries would be at their heigixc. After a long consultation with the officers of the fort, Mr. Duncan decided to go on as usual. The result was, that the chief came down in his de- mands to a fortnight, declaring that if the school was not closed for that time, he would shoot any of the pupils who continuea to attend. In the meantime parties of medicine men began to assemble in groups about the school, as though minded to carry their threats into execution. In spite of this, however, Mr. Duncan net only went on with his work as usual, but induced as many as eighty scholars to continue a pretty regular attend- ance. At last the medicine men proposed, as an ulti- matum, that four days should be allowed them free of interruption. This, again, was refused. ^ €vmi. 41 All was now excitement. The next day, the medicine party carrying on their work near the school broke out with renewed fury, asserting that the child of the head chief who was being initiated had just " returned from above." First came a message from Legaic to know whether Mr. Duncan intended to persevere in holding scho 1 that day — a question which was answered in the affirmative. Then, on reaching the school, Mr. Duncan found Legaic's wife, who had come to beg him to give way, declaring that it was not so much her husband as the tribe which insisted on it. Feeling, however, that the battle must sooner or later be fought, Mr. Duncan still held firm, and went himself to strike the steel to call the scholars together. During the morning all went on as usual, but in the afternoon, just as the steel was about to be struck, up came Legaic with a parcy of medicine men, all dressed out in their usual charms, and in a very angry voice ordered the boy who was about to strike the steel, to cease. With some seven of his followers, Legaic then came into the school-room, the rest standing about the door. His first object was to drive out the few scholars who had already collected, and shouting at the top of his voice, he bade them be ofi". i ffl i ««naaMK«c^R« $3rosrts;sl. 51 figurative style of language so common among the Indians ; for instance, he would adopt such argu- ments as the following: "If a chief is injured, recompense must be made ; if the offender is too poor to make it, his relatives pay it. Unless compensation is made, there is no reconciliation. We have all made the Great Chief angry ; we could not pay ; Jesus Christ undertakes to pay for us." Or again. "When we die, we shall have to appear before the Great Chief; if our hearts are dirty, if our sins are not washed away, He will be angry. * The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.' If we do not go to Him to wash away our sins, what excuse shall we have to offer to the Great Chief.?" ' As a rule the Indians were very quick in applying to their own cases any thing which was said. Thus we find Mr. Duncan about this time recording- in his journal : — "During my address this morning I observed one man (a spirited, bad man he is) to be very un- easy, and after a little time he shouted out some- thing which I did not understand, but from his looks and tone of voice I knew it was something bad. I went on as if nothing had happened. He E 2 Sf^H 1 1 :f t V I 11 Sa ^transci- tl>iii dftcttoti. looked enraged at me, and then hid his face in his blanket. Occasionally he would give me another severe look, and then put down his head again. When we stood up to pray, he moved towards the door ; I went on, and he kept still. On my finish- ing, he walked up to a woman, and whispered something in her ear, and then very quickly disap- peared. As I was walking from school, one of the little boys told me that this man had been 'talking* bad }' and afterwards I inquired of a man that was present what it was all about, and he told me that the man thought that I was speaking about him, and telling the people his bad ways, and he was ashamed." But it must not be supposed that preaching and Sunday services were exclusively or even mainly relied upon as the means of conveying religious instruction to the people. Immediately after Christmas Mr. Duncan had again taken possession of his own school-house, and was soon hard at work with a large and in- creasing number of scholars. His first difficulty had been how to deal with such large numbers at once ; but by dividing them into classes, and carefully adjusting the work which each class was to do, he was able to make fair progress. ^rogvtfSH. 53 Hk next and chief anxiety was how best to make the school work subserve the primary object of Christianii^ing the people. As a rule, both on opening and closing school, he would give a short address on some passage or narrative of the Bible ; he would then make the whole school, children and adults, learn ont or two texts in their own language, and repeat them together. These he would explain again and again, taking care that a text once learnt should be repeated sufficiently often, at various times, to fix it deeply in the mind. Singing again, which was perhaps, of all others, the most popular part of the school work, proved an important vehicle of instruction. Various simple hymns, embodying the leading truths of Christianity, were soon translated, and were learned with the greatest possible interest by young and old. Early in 1859 a set of illustrated Scripture lessons was sent up from Victoria. These proved of the greatest use. One of the first pictures represented Noah and his family sacrificing after leaving the ark. The Indians at once recognized in the sacri- ficial act a custom long in use amongst themselves. This of coarse afforded a stepping-stone from their own system to the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Seeing an evident reason for the custom of sacri- ■M I \\ ii , 1 ■ \ \ 1 1 i: Mn 54 ^niangcr tt)an Jrwtiou. ficing-, they seemed v.t once to gain a clearer conception of the object to be gained by the sacri- fice of the death of Christ. The whole subject of the Flood proved to be one of peculiar interest. The Tsimsheeans. it appec^rs, have a tradition that many years ago all people, with few exceptions, " perished by water." Amongst the few who were saved were no Tsimsheans ; and how their nation was reproduced is to this day, they say, a mystery to them. But the tradition of a widely-extended Flood is by no means confined to particular tribes. Preaching at a later period at a spot nearly a hundred miles from Fort Simpson, and alluding to the Flood, as described in Scripture, Mr. Duncan saw at once that he had toucnjd upon a favourite topic ; and on talking afterwards to one of the chiefs on the subject, the la':ter at once volunteered the following story : — "We have a tradition," he said, "about the swelling of the water a long time ago. As you are going up the river you will see the high mountain to the top of which a few of our forefathers escaped when the waters rose, and thus were saved. But many more were saved in their canoes, and were drifted abcuat and scattered in every direction. The $vog;rrs^. 55 ^^m I waters went down again ; the canoes rested on the land ; and the people- settled themselves in the various spots whither they had been driven. Thus it is the Indians are found spread all over the country ; but they all understand the same songs and have the same customs, which shows that they are one people." * But to return to Mr. Duncan and his school. During the rjst of the winter all went on well. Not only were many of the scholars making considerable progress in learning to read simple sentences in their own language, but there were many indications that some at least were ready to be " doers of the Word, and not hearers only." In the school this was shown, botli by the in- creased attention and earnestness, and by the con- tinually-decreasing number of those who persisted in painting their faces, and wearing the hideous lip and nose rings. But it was not only in the school that there was evidence of some real good having been effected. In spite of an unusual quantity of spirits having been brought to the camp by traders, there had been scarcely anj^ fighting or quarrelling throughout the winter, anc not a single murder had been com- mitted, — an r/cnt quite without precedent. !*,' 11 i fr ; If Ih , ■ . ir: !1 n I 56 ^trangti* tijan dFicttoit. At the same time the "medicine work" had been carried on with much less- spirit, being entirely dropped by one or two tribes, and robbed of half its horrors amongst others. Another fruitful source of the influence which Mr. Duncan was now daily gaining with the Indians, was the constant and friendly intercourse kept up with the people by means of house-to-liouse visiting, and, as far as possible, by constant ministrations to the sick. Here is an extract from Mr. Duncan's journal which will serve to illustrate the manner in which these visits were often turned to account. Writing on December 29th, 1858, not many days after his contest with Legale, he says, *' After school tp-night I went to take a little medicine to a sick man, and found in his house a group of Indians of the tribe which have lately sent a party of medicine men here to show themselves off. I therefore felt an increased desire to set the Gospel forth on this visit, that these poor creatures might go back and lell their people something of the glad tidings they had heard. Their village is about eighty to a hundred miles away from here, I think. For some time I could not begin ; however, I would not go away, but stood musing and praying, my heart 33rogit5£(. 57 burning, but full of misgiving. At last an oppor- tunity was afforded me, and I began ; and by God's blessing I was enabled to set the Gospel clearly and fully before them, that is, as to the essential and first great truths of it. While I was speaking one or two would make remarks as to the truth and reasonableness of ^vhat I said. Several times one man exclaimed, 'A/im inelsJi ! ahm mclsh ! ' 'Good news ! good news !' And another, when I had done, said, ' ShivihozVy which means, * It is true;* and it is adequate, in their way of speaking, to * Amen,' * I believe.* They all seemed thankful for my visit ; and I hope the Lord will bless it. I tried to enforce the duty of love and obedience to God, by alluding to the attachment and obedience they expected from their children. To this they agreed, and expressed their full belief that the Indians would not be long before they would be altogether changed." The Indians, being in the habit of attending their sick with great kindness, seemed thoroughly to ap- preciate any sympathy and attention shown tliem ; at the same time, such were their strange notions on the subject of disease, that the greatest caution Mas necessary to avoid coming into collision with some deep-rooted superstition. I 1 If H f I i 1^ .1 - ?\ I i 11: '■m > ■ h. i fi i'l i 58 ^tvaiigtr tljan iTiction. U Nearly all bodily afflictions, and most deaths, are attributed to the secret working of some male- volent person. This being the case, when a person of importance dies, it is thought essential that his friends should- fix upon some one as the cause of his death. A slave, a stranger lately arrived, or any one known to have had a quarrel with the deceased, is usually fixed upon, and nothing short of his death will expiate his supposed crime. Under these circumstances, it has sometimes hap- pened that a white man, giving medicine which has failed to save the patient's life, has been looked upon as the cause of his death, and an instance is on record, amongst the American Missionaries, of one of their body falling a victim to this absurd suspicion of his motives. As a rule, sick persons would of course send for one of the native doctors, a class differing in some respects from the ordinary "medicine men." He would probably try some of the simple remedies resorted to in ordinary cases, and, in the failure of these, to incantation. This latter process is thus described by Mr. Duncan : — " The instrument used is a rattle, generally in the shape of a bird or a frog, in the body of which a few small stones are placed. This is whirled ^W,' l^VOQVtiS» 59 about the patient while a song is sung. Occa- sionally the doctor applies his ear, or his mouth, to the place where the pain or disorder chiefly rests. It is also very common at this stage to make incisions where the pain is felt, or to apply fire to the place, by means of burning tinder made of dried wild flax. If relief follows these measures, the doctor asserts that he has extracted the foul sub- stance that has done the mischief: which substance is supposed by them to be the bad or poisonous medicine some evil-disposed one had silently inserted into the invalid's body. At such an an- nouncement, made by the doctor, the patient, and the patient's friends, overjoyed at his success, liberally present him with such property as they have got. If, however, a relapse ensues, and the invalid dies, the doctor returns every particle of the property he has received. When no relief follows the first trial, a more furious attack is made another time. If still without effect, there is but little hope of the patient's recovery. "Another curious matter connected with this operation is, that when the doctor has got pretty warm in his work, he boldly asserts that he can see the soul of his patient if it is present. For this he shuts his eyes for some time, and then pro- 1 1 i H li ii t 60 ^traiiQcr tl)an dTiction. nounces his sentence. Either the soul is in its usual place, which is a good sign ; or it is out of its proper place, and seems wanting to take its flight, which makes the patient's case doubtful ; or else it has flown away, in which case there is no hope for the invalid's recovery. The bold deceiver does not even hesitate to tell the people that the soul is like a fly in shape, with a long curved proboscis." The first occasion on which Mr. Duncan visited a sick person, who, with the consent of his friends, had deliberately refused the aid of the native doctors, was towards the close of the year 1858. " Last night," he writes, "was the first time I had ventured out in the camp during dark. It was to see a poor dying woman, sister to the late head chief. I had seen her three or four times before, but could do her no good ; still, as her friends had come to the fort desiring aid, I accompanied them back. On arriving at the house, I found the sick woman laid before a large wood fire, around which some twenty Indians were squatted. After admi- nistering a little medicine, I began speaking to them a few words which the solemn scene suggested. I pointed out to them our condition and only remedy in Jesus our adorable Saviour, adding, too, upon what conditions we are saved by Him. They all ■M $rosre£l{(. 6i understood what I said, and two of the women that sat close at the head of the sick person very earnestly reiterated to her my words, and ques- tioned her if she understood them. It was, I think, the most solemn scene I have witnessed since I have been here. Before I went away, one man said that she and her people did not know about God, but they wanted to know and learn to be good." Contrasting this scene with one described at about the same date in the following year (1859), we see clearly enough the progress which had been made, and the extent to which it was traceable to the school teaching. " I was informed, on coming out of the school this afternoon, that a young man, who has been a long time sufifering 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, directing the dying man to fix his heart on the Saviour Jesus ; to forget f 1" 5 'i ^1 li- i ' i! M ; lii* r1 62 i^trangtr tl^an dft^tton. the things about him ; and to spend his little re- maining time in praying in his heart to God to save him. " His reply was, * Oyes, sir ! O yes, sir ! * and for some moments he would close his eyes, and seem absorbed in prayer. On one occasion he spoke of his heart being happy or resigned ; I could not make out the exact expression, as there was some talking at the time, and the remark was in Tsimsheean. " He begged me with much earnestness to con- tinue to teach his little girl. He wanted her to be good. This little girl is about seven years old : her name is Cathl. 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 accu- rately than I, the few directions I desired to utter. What 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 ^rogi*t£(«(. 63 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." To one who was so anxiously watching for every sign which could indicate how far the good seed, which he was so continually sowing, was taking root, there was much cause for encouragement in such a case as this. From the first this man had refused to allow the native doctor to operate upon him. He showed that he understood and appre- ciated the leading truths of the Gospel, and was constant and earnest in prayer. At his death, which took place the next day, he had again assured all about him of the certain hope of a joyful resur- rection in which he died; and in parting with his child had, with much feeling, repeated his wish that she should not be allowed to fall back into the old ways of his people. In the spring of 1859, when the season for the annual migration to the fishing-grounds came round, many of the Indians were anxious to know whether they ought to leave their children to attend the school, or take them with them. Knowing how ' ill I ft- 64 ^trangtr tl)aii dTtctton. important their help was to their parents, and feel- ing sure that if any failure of the year's provision occurred, they would, whether rightly or wrongly, attribute it to him and the school, Mr. Duncan in every case urged their taking them with them. Accordixigly, about the middle of March, the first grand detachment, consisting of about 200 canoes, started for the fishing-station, situated some distance up a river which falls into the sea some distance to the north of the fort. After this the school was still kept on, though the number of scholars was reduced to about forty. During the period of comparative leisure which the absence of so large a proportion of the population afiforded him, Mr. Duncan devoted all the time which he could possibly afford to the preparation of several hymns and prayers, a short catechism, and a num- ber of texts divided into classes, the first marking the difference between the good and bad, the second setting forth simple doctrinal truths, and the rest referring to various practical duties. He also prepared a series of reading lessons and a number of books to be used by the scholars at home. The day on which the main body of the people had started for their fishing-grounds was destined TIE^'TSa* ^rosre{(^. ^5 from that time forward to be a red ictter day in Mr. Duncan's calendar. The constant stress whicli he had laid upon the evils resulting from rum drinking, and from the frightful immorality which prevailed on all sides, and the contrast which the scenes of riot and drunkenness afforded to the order and general decorum which had now become the rule of some few parts of the camp, had at last decided the chiefs to take some steps in the matter. Accordingly, a meeting was held at the house of the head chief Legaic, at which all Mr. Duncan's* arguments were freely discussed and entirely approved. In the end, the chiefs agreed to send a message that they hoped Mr. Duncan would con- tinue to " speak strong " against the bad ways of their people, and that they would themselves second what he said with "strong speeches." But the grand climax of all was, that Legaic himself sent word that he intended to come to school — an in- tention which he happily soon carried into effect. " April 6t/iy 1859.— The head chief," writes Mr. Duncan, "was at school to-day. His looks show that he well remembers his past base conduct ; but I try to disregard the past, and show him equal kindness Avith the rest." Legaic's example was quickly followed by others, F I \:^ \ *3H n - , I- 66 ^transer tijan dTictton. •j ,1 .!.!ii li i SO that in the course of the summer as many as four or five of the chiefs were often at school at the same time. One old chief (Neeslakkahmoosh), though he held back himself for a long time, either from com- ing to the school or Sunday services, went so far as to urge Mr. Duncan strongly to try and get another teacher to come out and help him, " We are will- ing," he said, " to give you our children to teach ; but as for the grown people, we think it is well for us to die as we are." The daughter of this old chief was one of the most intelligent and regular attendants at the school, and never failed to repeat to her father all that she heard and learnt. Gradually softening under this influence, he at last consented to come himself to school. The first day he made his ap- pearance he formally presented Mr. Duncan with a token of his good-will, in the shape of a carved spoon of his own workmanship — an offering which, though of no great intrinsic value, must, from his age and dimness of sight, have cost him no little time and labour. On the whole, the general state of feeling through- out the settlement towards Mr. Duncan underwent, in the course of the summer of 1859, a very marked ihi ,'i |)l'OSl't£[£(. 67 change for the better. This was particularly mani- fested on one occasion. A notoriously bad cha- racter, named Cushwaht, on being refused some medicine at the fort, on account of his recent bad conduct, had, Indian-like, sought to revenge him- self on the first property belonging to a white man which he could get at. Taking a hatchet, he had broken into the school and smashed all the win- dows. On Mr. Duncan going on to the beach with the chief who had come to tell him what had happened, he found the people in a state of great excitement, one old man calling out to him " that the whole camp was crying, and that many guns were waiting for the villain, if he dared to appear." It is hardly necessary to say that all Mr. Dun- can's efforts were directed to allay the excitement, and to make every one understand that he bore no ill-will to the offender, and that nothing would grieve him more than that any thing should occur which might be construed into an act of retalia- tion. Had the school been assembled at the time of Cushwaht's attack, the affair might have proved much more serious, as he was under the influence of drink at the time, and always had fire-arms in F % iV' I ^ ^ ■ i 6S nviM\gtv tljdii jTictton. his possession. Indeed, it was only a few weeks later, that on a quarrel, of which he was the cause, taking place in his house, pistols were freely used, and two women were shot, and he himself wounded. Happily, so far from actinj^- injuriously on Mr. Duncan's work, these and such-like scenes only tended the more powerfully to awaken the minds arf those who had been regularly under instruction, aad to deepen the impression of the teaching they ttad received ; whilst to all they served as a prac- tical illustration of the truth which he was .so con- stantly pointin<^ )ut to them, viz. that even on the lowest grounds of expediency a thorough reform wai liesirablc. Smli , so far at least as it can be estimated from the autward indications we have enumerat :d, was the ^cneral result of the first two years of Mr. Duncan's work. His own views as to the nature of the foundation which up to this time he had laid, we shall perhaps best understand by glancing at the superstructure which he hoped to rear upon it. What, then, at this time were his hopes and plans for the future ^ |)rogrr{(sl. V Nothing more or less than to proi)oso a general exodus of the whole body of those who had been brouc]jht more immediately under his teachin<^^ to bid them come out from amon^^ their heathen brethren, and form a separate Christian settlement, where their younj^ children could be brought up in a purer atmosphere, and their young- mon and women could be freed from the contaminatinfr influences which then surrounded them. Such, in its briefest outline, was the plan, then Hrst put forward, which during the next two years and a half wc shall sec gradually assuming shape and consistency, until it finally issued in the esta- blishment "f the native settlement, the singuhir and successful develoj)ment of which has already con- stituted it one of the marvels of the day, and promises ere long to revolutionize the whole policy of American statesmen towards the Indian races, and to lead them to cr-mmit to the messengers of the Gospel of Peace a task for which in turn every other agency has proved wholly inadequate. 1 1 ■ 5 1^ :! 1 . w CHAPTER VI. A VISIT TO VICTORIA. ICTORIAmust be, I think, the most lovely and beautifully situated place in the world. In the summer it must be exquisite. There is every sort of scener}' Sublime mountains, placid sea, noble forest trees, undulating park-like glades inter- spersed with venerable oaks, inland lakes and rivers abounding with fisii. The climate is thoroughly ICnglish — a little milder. It is astonishing to see the rapidit}' with which the place grows. The houses at present are chiefly of wood, but can be made very comfortable and picturesque. They ran lip with great speed, and sometimes run along, for it is not uncommon to meet a house proceeding down the street to some other location. The shops are excellent ; there is nothing — no luxury, no comfort — which you cannot procure '." * Letter i>f the Hisiioj* of Columbia. Si£i (3 ^iiit to CJirtoii,!. : I Such were the first impressions prodiiceJ upon the traveller on enterinj^ the capital of Ikitish Columbia some ten years back. Describinj^ the population of the city, another w riter says, " One cannot })ass along the principal tlioroughfarcs with- out meeting representatives of almost every tribe or nationality under heaven. Within a limited space may be seen : of Europeans — Russians, Aus- trians, Poles, Hungarians, Italians, Danes, Swedes, French, Germans, Spaniards, Swiss, Scotch, I'^ng- lish, and Irish ; of Africans — negroes from the United States and West Indies ; of Asiatics — Lascars and Chinamen ; of Americans- -Indians, Mexicans, Chilians, and citizens of the North American Republic ; and of Polynesians — Malays frniii the Sandwich .slands. Thus Victoria has become a nucleus for the waifs and strays of humanity, drifting thither from the east and west. What could be expected of a population so consti- tuted, the unfavourable elements of which are con- tinually stirred by an influx of miners migrating to and fro }" Into this vortex of vice and dissipation — for such it was — the Indians, both from the coast and the interior of JJritish Columbia, were continually drawn, only to return to their homes tainted with Vt ;l III! i: lij! 1^ i If ^ -<'\ n h i' i i ■ 1 i; ' 1 72 ^trcingrr tijan jTictton. 41 evil the most degrading and destructive, and pos- sessed with a craving for ardent spirits, which the traders who first encouraged it took every opportunity after^vards of gratifying. In the first instance the visits of the natives to Victoria had been solely for the legitimate purposes of traffic. Now they came with their wives and daughters for the express purpose of keeping, with the white settlers, a carnival of debauchery, and to obtain money, often in large sums, from the most profligate of the settlers, which they would gene- rally spend as soon as it was obtained" in the com- pound of the whisky-seller, or accumulate to take back to their native villages. Shortly before the time of which we are writing, the Bishopric of Columbia was founded by the noble ofTcring from Baroness — then Miss — Burdett Coutts of the sum of 25,000/, by way of endow- ment. On Dr. Hills, the first Bishop, going out in i860, one of the first objects to which he directed his attention was the state of the Indians in and near Victoria. His first impressions are thus given : " The tribes have much decreased since 1846. More than half of the Songish are gone — these live here ; their destruction is occasioned principally by drink and dissolute habits. Those p1 !H 6*t9it to ^LJirtonn. 'ing disgrace, that the Govern.ir and other leading men in the colony readily agreed to the Bishop's proposal that some vigorous effort should be made to put a stop to it. The influence which Mr. Duncan had gained with the Indians at Fort Simpson, the fact that he was the only person in the country who could speak the native language Avith any fluency, and, above all, the marked improvement in the manners, and bearing, and religious feeling which had been ob- served in the Fort Simpson Indians, all seemed to point to him as the person of all others best able to advise or help in the matter. Bishop Hills' own impression of the value of Mr, Duncan's work is thus given in one of his early letters : — " Jan. 1 8, i860. — An Indian came to call. He looked like a respectable ICnglish young man, of pleasing countenance ; he could speak English a little. He was a Tsimsheean, from Fort Simpson. I visited his lodge yesterday. It v/as neat and clean, and had comforts : a nice stove, bedstead ; there was also a desk. The wife, named Tarx, '^ ^mt to ^ictoviA. '5 neat and plcasin*^. Ho is called John Clark — a pure Indian. He has come to trade, and keeps a stall. He com[)lained of the Hyder Indians near his lod^e — another tribe, more fierce : * l^'ij^ht all day, all night — drink bad — I get no sleep — my wife frightened — my little boy cry.' He told me he prayed. He knew some of the leading points of the Christian faith. He asked for a Prayer Kook. I promised I would bring one. " yan. 21. — I went with Mr. Duncan to the Tsim- sheean village. The Indians there come from luirt Simpson to trade. Found the lodge of Clark, to whom I gave the Prayer Book. It was Saturda)-. There were beautiful white loaves of bread, which he had brought home. The whole interior resembled that of a cotter in England on Saturday night. He placed seats. He was pleased with his book. He brought out a box with writing books and account books. He writes a good hand, and .spells fairly in English. He repeated the Lord's Prayer in a most reverent and touching way. He could tell of the dying of Christ for us, and .said he loved Christ. We had interesting conversation, in which he evi- dently took pleasure. We all knelt down : he put his hands together, made his wife and child do the same, and I prayed our heavenly Father's blessing ill I 'i 76 dtiangtr tljan ffUtion. i ^ m, H, upon our plans, and upon these poor Indians ; that He would cause His truth to be known by them, that all might be brought to have the same hope, and be meet partakers of heaven through His dear Son. I see John Clark occasionally at church. This pleasing result is owing a good deal to the zealous and successful exertions of our Church Missionary Catechist, Mr. Duncan." Under these circumstances, the Governor had urged strongly upon Mr. Duncan the service which he '*'oulid render by coming down to Victoria, and adv . ing on the best measures to be taken to rescue the Indians from the state of degradation into which they had fallen. Accordingly, as soon as the great body of his people left Fort Simpson for their fishing-grounds, Mr. Duncan, after making two expeditions, to which we shall have to refer hereafter, started for Victoria. On his arrival there, he at once entered, with the Bishop and the Governor, upon the object of his visit, and, in deference to their strongly expressed wish, consented to remain a sufficient time to or- ganize a Missionary .settlement near Victoria. A public meeting upon the subject was then called, and a sufficient sum of money having been sub- scribed to build a school-house, Mr. Duncan at 111' Ilk ! ■:*: ^ ^idtt to ^'utoiiA. 77 once entered upon the work of ori^anizin^ the new- Mission, preaching, teaching, and visiting the people, just as at Fort Simpson. Amongst the Indians congregated at the new settle- ment were a considerable number belonging to the Tsimsheean and Niskah tribes, who at the close of the fishing-season had come down for trading purposes. Just before starting for Victoria, Mr. Duncan had visited the Niskahs at their main camp on the Naas river, and as he had been very hospitably and cour- teously received, Captain Prevost, whose ship was now in harbour, determined, by way of returning their hospitality, to ask some twenty-eight of the chief men of the two tribes to an entertainment on board the " Satellite." After being regaled with rice and molasses, strong tea and biscuit, they were shown over the ship. The size and weight of the guns, the quantity of powder in a cartridge, and especially a portrait of the Queen, are enumerated by the Victoria Gazette as the objects which most excited their wonder and admiration. The fact of their being invited on board a man-of-war was a compliment which they evidently much appre- ciated, and all the more from the sort of m>'stc- rious dread with which they had before regarded such vessels. As an acknowledgment of their ii ^ f ' ; 1' if I. Ill I 1 ' i I ts H' 78 j&tran0cr ti)aii dFtctton. sense of the kindness shown to them, they insisted on presenting to Captain Prevost several handsome bear, ermine, and other skins. It may not be amiss here to draw attention to the importance of such a simple effort as the above to strengthen the hands of those engaged in Mission work. Who cannot imagine the tales which the favoured few who had been the guests of the great chief of the English nation on board one of her own ships would have to tell round their camp- fires, and how much of the prestige of the whole affair would belong to him to whose influence they would naturally attribute the fact of their being so courteously treated ? English governors and officials are happily now- a-days seldom backward in doing all in their power to aid the Missionary- clergy ; but it may well be doubted whether many realize as fully as those staunch friends of all Columbia Mission work, Sir James Douglas and Captain Prevost, the extreme value of the indirect support which in such ways as the above may so often be accorded them. Early in August, a long-looked-for coadjutor in the work at Fort Simpson — the Rev. L. S. Tugwell — arrived at Victoria from England, and it was decided that Mr. Duncan should go up there with him and 63 M ^ fUifiit to t*trtona. 79 settle him in his work, and then return himself, and jjjive up the winter to carryinj^ on the new Mission at Victoria. Accordingly, on the 13th of August, iMr. Duncan started with Mr. and Mrs. Tugwell in a steamer for Fort Simpson. On their way they touched at Fort Rupert, where the Indians were loud in their complaints of a white teacher having been sent over their heads, as it were, to the Tsim- shecan tribes beyond them, and were most urgent in their request to have a Missionary settled amongst them as soon as possible. On arriving at Fort Simpson, Mr. Duncan de- cided not to return to Victoria by the same steamer, as he had purposed, but to remain for a short time with Mr. and Mrs. Tugwell, and to go down again in a canoe, a plan which would enable him to visit the various Indian settlements along the coast, at which it would otherwise have been impossible for him to stop. Happily, however, before he was ready to start, he received a letter from the Bishop, informing him, to his great relief, that a clergyman, the Rev. A. C. Garrett, had been found ready to devote himself to the Indian work at Vic- toria. The first impressions made upon a new- comer as to the progress up to this time of the work at Fort ,• i- i - 1 !' 5 i (• i 1 I !'■. I 'nil t is 1 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I "- lilllM |50 n m zo 1.8 1.25 lU 1.6 -• 6" ► Hiotographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. H580 (716) 873-4503 ^V V ,\ A iV \ ^9) V >.>. O^ 4# * <> % '^/ C/j 6^ 8o ^trangtr tijau jTtction. Simpson are thus conveyed in a letter from Mr. Tugwell : — " How I wish," he writes, " the friends of Missions in England could see Mr. Duncan's congregation on the Sunday. They would indeed ' thank God, and take courage.' I have never seen an English congregation more orderly and attentive. With but few exceptions, both the children and adults come clean and neatly dressed. The children sing several hymns very sweetly — a morning and even- ing hymn, composed by Mr. Duncan ; a hymn to our Saviour ; and another, beginning, * Jesus is my Saviour,' * Here we suffer grief and pain,' &c., and some others in English ; also one in Tsimsheean. The Indians all up the coast are crying out for teachers : * Come over and help us.' " Writing about the same time, Mr. Duncan ur- gently presses the necessity for more men being sent out, especially urging that with each Missio- nary clergyman should be sent a Missionary school- master, able to teach some industrial occupation, with a view to finding employment for the Indians, and thus keeping them from that " sink of corrup- tion," Victoria. " There should be," he writes, " six stations north of Fort Rupert : one for the Tsimsheean, one for ^ miit ta Wictttia. 8i the Niskah Indians, two for Oueen Charlotte's Island, one for Fort Rupert, and one on the adjacent mainland." Hitherto, owing to the want of funds, the work thus indicated has been left in a great measure unattempted. Is it unreasonable to hope that the record of the result of Mr. Duncan's own labours may yet stir the hearts of some of those whom God has blessed with this world's goods, to dedicate i,.,^ some portion of them to an effort so manifestly « tending to His glory, and the welfare of His.ite creatures ? ■m i "■ r-f '}'■ J'.'i ,\i !' i"!im I r!3 i'ii;: ill CHAPTER VII. BUILDING UP. N Mr. and Mrs. Tug^well joining Mr, Duncan at Fort Simpson — the Hud- son's Bay Company being no longer able to offer the requisite accommoda- tion — it became necessary to commence at once to build a dwelling-house. For a payment of a shilling a-day a sufficient number of native workmen were obtained, and by the end of February, 1861, the foundation of the house v/as laid, the planks adzed, and the frame ready for putting up. Towards the end of Feb- ruary Mr. Duncan was absent for some weeks on a visit to Victoria, and on his return found the house finished, and Mr. and Mrs. Tugwell already located in it. As it had been built on a plan " to accom- modate Indians," it was decided that, during the summer months, when the school would be small and the congregation on Sunday would seldom )3utlDing up. «3 exceed a hundred persons, school and Divine Ser- vice should be held in it, instead of in the old school-house. The old school-house having been found to be too small for the various purposes for which it was required in the winter, preparations were next made for erecting a new one. Taking sixteen men and several boys with him, Mr. Duncan himself superintended the cutting and squaring the re- quisite timber, camping out for that purpose for about a fortnight at a spot some distance along the coast. At the end of that time the wood was made into a raft, and drifted down to the settle- ment. The old building was then pulled down, and a fresh site chosen farther from the " camp." The new building was seventy-six feet long by thirty-six feet broad, and was estimated to cost 50/., a considerable portion of which was sub- scribed by the Indians themselves in the form of native work — baskets, spoons, dishes, &c., which were always salable at Victoria. Owing to the incessant rains during the summer the completion of the building was delayed till quite the end of the year (1861), by which time Mr. Duncan was again left, as will be explained in the next chapter, to labour single-handed. G 2 1 W! ^ !. U V 84 Stranger tf)m dFiftion. On the first day of opening the new school- house, upwards of 400 Indians were present, the largest number which, up to this time, had ever attended one service. One object of the present narrative is^ as far as possible, to enable those who may be engaged in any work of a kindred character to form an opinion as to the advantages and disadvantages of the par- ticular methods adopted, and to contrast the results attained with those which they have themselves known to follow efforts made under conditions more or less similar. With this view, and especially in order to register as accurately as possible the extent of the progress made at particular periods, we must again, at the risk of seeming tedious, dwell separately on the different influences brought to bear upon the people, especially preaching, school-work, visiting the sick, and constant personal intercourse with individuail members of the community. During th^ whole of the winter 1860-61 the attendance at the Sunday services was most en- couraging — the congregation always numbering froih 300 -to 300. The striflg« of well-dressed Indians going to and from their homes had a very home-like, English look, and, as was constantly ii\ iStiilUtng up. 85 remarked by the officers at the fort, served more almost than any thing else to mark the change from savage to civilized life which had already fairly set in. There were always three services on the Sunday — two for adults and one for children. Prayers and a hymn, and a portion of Scripture read and explained, all in Tsimsheean, made up the service, which generally lasted about three- quarters of an hour. But Mr. Duncan by no means confined his preaching to Sundays. True, he could here speak to those who would come to hintj but he wanted to get at all, especially at those most committed to the observance of heathen rites, and who would be least likely ' v come to any regular services. Here are some notes made from his journal, which will show the plan he from time to time adopted to secure the Gospel message being pro- claimed to all : — '^ Jan. 'J thy 1 861. — Decided to call each tribe together again separately, as some would not come to school or church. First went to tribe of head chief, called Heeshpokahlots. Got there at five o'clock. Found a large fire, and many round it. House neatly arranged, and a seat placed for me. Spoke to 200 for two hours. Many answered. ; % i :'. if ■ j. I 1 ! 'Hi if v. m ml Wf\ 86 Stranger ti)an dFictton. ** Jan. Stk — Addressed Kitlahn tribe. 200 pre- sent. Spoke at length. Many replies. Children sang Tsimsheean hymn. " y^;/. gt/i. — Visited Keetseesh tribe. 150 pre- sent. Several spoke. One chief said, * Our fore- fathers did not have the book sent to them ; it has come to us, and our children will understand it.' Children sang hymns. " Jan, loth. — ^Visited smallest tribe, Keetsah- clahs. Eighty present. No replies. Chief young, and no old men, or leading ininds. " Jan. iitk. — ^Visited Keetandol tribe. 200 pre- sent. "Jan. 12th. — Visited Keenahtawik tribe. 150 present. Several responded. " Jan. i^th. — ^Visited Keenakangeak tribe. An- swered their speeches. A prolonged meeting. " Jan. i^th. — Visited Killotsah tribe. 150 present. " Jan. 20th (Sunday). — In evening visited Keet- willgeeant's tribe. 150 present. " Thus 1400 Indians have had the Gospel pro- claimed to them." Visiting the sick afforded another constantly recurring opportunity of preaching. Here, again, a few notes of Mr. Duncan's journal will serve best to illustrate the course adopted : — III m iSmlKtns tip. 87 *^ Dec. ^thf 1^60. — ^Visited and prayed with three sick persons. As I knelt, an Indian of another tribe came in. When I left, he followed me, and said that the man I had been praying with had spoken much against me and the Mission. Told him of the Christian law, to return good for evil. ** Dec. 11th, i860. — Last night, as I was leaving school, a young man, a scholar, asked me to visit and give the news to his friends. They were ashamed to come. Went. Ten persons present. Gospel preached. ** Dec. 12th. — Went at night to visit sick woman. Thirty persons round the fire. Waited opportu- nity, and preached to them. All impressed. One man, holding both hands out before him, gave a sudden turn over, saying, * Thus it will be with the hearts of the Tsimsheeans.' Old chief sat with eyes on the ground ; listened to what was said about the rum-drinking, immorality, &c., and then repeated what I said to the rest. Visited a sick woman. She had heard and understood about God and Christ. Gave her and her friends simple prayers. On leaving, came on a large medicine party making a furious noise. They saw my lan- tern approaching, and began to restrain their hubbub, then sneaked away between two houses, v^ 1 1 ■ if , IS ■■■' m 88 ^transernti^Mt dFtcttou. annoyed at my not- being afraid of them. An Indian would as soon face death as go near these creatures when they are 'exhibiting.'" As he gained the confidence of the people, Mr. Dunj:an found the knowledge of medicine which he possessed of material service in securing him a cordial welcome to many houses to which he could not. otherwise have gained such ready access. " I have," he writes in 1 860, " constant and numerous calls from the Indians for medicine, which is a sure mark of their growing confidence. Many times^ when leaving school, I have found strings of people on the way to see me for advice and medicine for the sick. After dismissing these, my plan has been to iake my pockets full of medicine and proceed to the camp. It would be difficult, indeed, to give you any thing like a correct idea of this very inte- resting part of my duty. I can only say, that many times, when I have gone out wearied in body and dejected in mind, I have been so refreshed with what God has pennitted me to do and witness, that I have returned with a heart leaping for joy." The preparation of his discourses seems to have been, in spite of the perfect mastery of the language which he had now gained, a source of constant and anxious labour, sthough, at the same time. •" ' ^r iSuiltiina up. 89 one which, more than any thing else, helped to strengthen his own spiritual life. " My plan has been to take the prominent por- tions of Old Testament history and the most strik- ing passages of the New Testament, in every, case pointing to ' The Lamb of God, which takctli away the sins of the world.' My great difficulty hitherto has been the language. Many times have I gone to an assembly of Indians with my heart, as it were, on fire, and stood before them with a stammering tongue, and dropped my words with fear and un- certainty. But now, thank God, my tongue is loosed ; I can stand now and speak the Tsimslieean tongue with plainness, fervency, and .fluency. Though I have not been able to devote much time specially to the study of the language, yet I. have felt myself progressing, daily. The little thne I have afforded to it has served me to hunt out- some very important words to add to my vocabulary, also to translate hymns for school work ; but most of the little time I could spare I have spent in studying the grammatical construction of theiTsim- sheean. The language is copious and expressive, and, with few exceptions, the .sounds are soft, and flowing. There are five languages spokeatalong this coast, and I have learnt a little of each, fbut ; :i. 11 !n V ff il 90 dtrangtr tl^Aii jFtctton. :l 1 m find the Tsimsheean much the easiest to pro- nounce." But of all other work, that of direct Instruction in the school continued to occupy the largest share of attention. The following extracts from a journal, kept by a boy named Shooquanahts, of between fourteen and fifteen years of age, given to Mr. Duncan on his return from Victoria, will serve to illustrate the progress already made with the younger pupils : — "No good lazy — very bad. We must learn to make all things. When we understand reading and writing, then It will be very easy. Perhaps two grass, then we understand. If we no understand to read and write, then he will very angry, Mr. Duncan. If we understand about good people, then he will very happy. "April 17///. School, Fort Simpson. — Shoo- quanahts not two hearts — not always one my heart. Some boys always two hearts. Only one Shoo- quanahts — not two hearts — no. If I steal any thing then God will see. Bad people no care about Son of God. When will come troubled hearts, foolish peo- ple. 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 Gcd. SmltimQ up. 9t "May I'jth. — I do not understand some prayers — only few prayers I understand. Not all I under- stand — no. I wish to understand all prayers. \\ lien I understand all prayers, then I always p'-iyer our Saviour Jesus Christ. I want to learn to prayer to Jesus Chiio;; our Saviour. By-and-by I unJcr- stand all about our Saviour Christ. When I under- stand 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 of the boys writes in his journal : — " If I steal, the great God sees me. Bad people no care about the Son of God. By-and-by they will cry, but no good. Foolish people. By-and-by they will understand about the Saviour ; they always forget now." The general attendance at school averaged from loo to 150, of whom from 40 to 50 were adults The latter Mr. Duncan continually kept back, after the rest of the school was dismissed, and addressed them separately. On the first of January, 1861, a grand school feast was held, when some 250 were present — soup, > s 92 ^transci: t^ait dTtctton. rice, and molasses forming the chief of the pro- visions ; and speeches and games forming a promi- nent part of the proceedings. It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that whilst teaching the people, young and old, to be devout and earnest, Mr. Duncan seems at all times to have been keenly alive to the advantage of encouraging every rational and cheerful amusement, especiallj'- amongst the young. Gymnast;ic bars, swings, &c., to say nothing of marbles and ball, are reported as being in as much request as they could be in any English school. Personal intercourse with individuals was another source of influence which Mr. Duncan seems never to have lost any opportunity of bringing to bear. On several occasions, when making an expedition to some native settlement on the coast, or to the fishing-station on the Naas river, he would select for the crew of his canoe those whom for any particular cause he was anxious to see more of. Every evening he would choose some special subject from the Bible for instruction and conver- sation, always concluding with singing and prayer. On such occasions all the surrounding scenes would help materially to lend effect to his teaching. " The mighty works of God, spread out and piled )3utlDtng up. 93 fr: |s»--: up on every hand — the brilliant stars just diluting the darkness sufficiently to show the forms of the lofty jt > mountains around them — the glare of their fire con- trasting with the dark, shadows of the dense forests which ran almostMown to the water's edge— the murmuring of the waves, serving to break the profound quiet — all helped to act upon the mind and to inspire feelings of reverence." " Wherever they go they carry their religion with them," is the testimony which a few years later we shall tind borne again and again to the more earnest of the Indian converts. Who shall say to how great an extent this fact may be traced to the ,f. example which has been thus consistently set . before them } The greatest difficulty was experienced in dealing with the elder girls. The evil influence of a heathen . home and parents, and the association with depraved • Europeans, seemed, in most caees, to counteract \^.[ every influence for good which could be brought to .^. , bear upon them. Many upon whom much pains ^ had been bestowed, and some of whom had been '.^ living at the Mission-house under -Mrs. Tugwell's care for sometime, were eventually drawn into the vortex of vice, and lost. "Others," Mr. Duncan * writes, " I am happy to say, give me great hopes v. f : ni'i 94 Stranger tl^an dFicttoii. that they will maintain a consistent walk : as their case needs special watchfulness, I deem it my duty to take them under my special care. I see no better plan than taking a number into my house, feeding, clothing, and instructing them, until they find hus- bands from among the young men ofour own party. I calculate the cost of one child per year to be 7/. or 8/., viz. 5/. or 6/. for food, and 2/. for clothing. I shall do my utmost out of my own income, and try to get help from other quarters." We shall have to note hereafter the high testimony borne by the Bishop of Columbia to the complete success of the plan thus adopted. The next source of influence to be noticed is one of special interest, and carries us at once from merely preliminary efforts to the actual work of "building up in the faith" individual converts. "What I regard," says Mr. Duncan, "as the most interesting part of my duty is the two weekday evening meetings for the Christians and candidates, or inquirers, whom I press more especially to attend ; but occasionally in my Sunday addresses I allude to our meeting, and invite those to attend who desire to practise what they hear. At our last meeting we numbered over forty. These meetings have encouraged me much, and have given me JSutlUtng up. 95 opportunities of pressing home the Word of God in a way I could not do on any other occasion." The first real gathering out from amongst the heathen of those who were ready to make open profession of their faith took place on July 26th, [861, on which day 23 persons (19 adults — 14 men, 5 women — and 4 children) were baptized by Mr. Tugwell. Several othe rT came forward, but it was decided that it would be best for them to wait awhile. Others were deterred by the fear of their relatives. Writing of the newly-baptized, Mr. Duncan says, "Since these have come fairly out, there has been more of a persecuting spirit abroad from the Lord's enemies. This we may expect to increase. The converts are severely tried and tempted at present, but we pray they may be preserved faith- ful. While some have decided, and many — in- creasingly many — are anxious ; others — the wicked —wax worse and worse. Drunkenness seems to gather strength as the facilities for it increase. . . Mr. Tugwell was quite satisfied with those he baptized. Bless the Lord for this small begin- ning." Thus we have seen the foundation laid, and the superstructure begin to rise upon it. i-1«ill i i i 'A |r* ■■i J ".■f i: 96 ^trangev tj^an fiction. 'ilW What the nature of the foundation has been we have sufficiently indicated. " Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, even Jesus Christ," seems to have been pre-eminently the principle upon which, as a true Missionary — "a wise master builder" — Mr. Duncan from the first proceeded in his work. " Jesus Christ and Him crucified ;" all the historical facts of our Lord's life and death, the causes which led to, and the results which followed from, the "one all-sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world," offered by Christ upon the cross ; these had been, so to speak, the materials ceaselessly thrown in amongst the quicksands of ignorance and superstition, which would otherwise have baffled all hope of erecting any solid superstructure upon them. It is difficult, in a narrative like the present, to convey any sufficiently adequate idea of the un- tiring perseverance with which Mr. Duncan seems thus to have made his preaching and teaching rest upon and centre round the great facts of the history of man's redemption. Line upon line, precept. upon precept, in season, and, as some would have thought, out of season, the same theme, was evidently re- garded as the one only motive-power which could be Butltims up. 91 brought to bear with any reasonable hope of a suc- cessful result attending it. This alone — the inherent magnetism of the Cross, as set forth in the words, "And I, if I be Hfted up, will draw all men unto Me" — the constraining power, which the Holy- Spirit ever brings to bear upon those before whose eyes Christ has been evidently set forth crucified amongst them — was the influence brought to bear. If our narrative accurately reflects the impression wl^ich a study of the original documents upon wh 'h it is based would certainly leave upon the mind, it may well suggest some such inquiry as this — May not the failure of many preachers of the Gospel in foreign parts be due mainly to the fact that, whilst they have not consciously held back any of 'he great central truths of the Gospel history, they have very often failed to realize sufficiently the exceeding difficulty of bringing those truths home to the minds of the heathen ; and thus, instead of feeling that the hardness of the soil to be worked upon, and its preoccupation by every form of error, must necessarily involve great and persevering efforts to clear the ground, and get below the surface to lay the only foundation which can be laid, they have been content to impart H m m I*. . 11 11 ;iivi .98 ^trangci* tijan dTictton. a mere superficial and often very partial and im- perfect knowledge of fundamental truths, and so have begun to build the superstructure — the gold and silver and precious stones of sound doctrine and holiness of life — without really having laid any solid foundation at all ? m- so ine my M f 3 ih i ; i I; m I ■ ^f i 1. 1' s Nl-i W WU l iu > , i j, i Lj i j W AWL. - I i i I i: J ill m m the lab( CHAPTER VIII. METLAIIKATLAH. ■} •:: . / : J I . 4 I w N Mr. Tugwell's first arrival (in August, i860), Mr. Duncan had proposed that he should, as soon as possible, move to a place called Metlahkatlah, some twenty miles down the coast, and there gather round him, as the nucleus of a new Christian set- tlement, such of the converts at Fort Simpson as could be induced to join him. The formation of this new settlement had been contemplated by Mr. Duncan as early as 1859^ when he wrote : — v,. ,, . ^j " What is to become of the children and young people under instruction, when temporal neces- sity compels them to leave school ? If they are permitted to slip away from me into the gulf of vice and misery which every where surrounds them, then the fate of these tribes is sealed, and the labour and money that has already been spent for H 2 . 100 Stranger ti)an Jfittion, their welfare might as well have been thrown away. The well-thinking part of the Indian people themselves see this, and are asking, nay, craving a remedy. The head chief of one tribe (a very well-disposed oH man) is constantly urging this question upon me, and begs that steps may be taken which shall give the Indians that are in- clined, and especially the children now being taught, a chance and a help to become what good people desire them to be. In the present state of affairs, no real or permanent good, in my humble opinion, can be effected. Victoria, although it is 500 miles away, will always prove the place of attraction to these tribes, and to many even much farther away. There they become demoralized and filled with disease, and from thence they return, laden with rum, to spread scenes of horror too awful to describe. It is easy to see that if this state of things receive no check, then ruin, utter ruin, to them all is not far distant. Numbers, even now, are beyond the reach of hope, being impreg- nated with disease, and enslaved to their vicious courses. But hope looks up, and says there is a generation of them left as yet uncontaminated by these self-destroying vices, and to the rescue of these, at least, we would beckon the efforts of the Christian. iHetlaf)]batlai). lOI "And now, permit me humbly to sugsrest how I think Christian effort ought to be directed. At once, I say, a colony ought to be established on some spot where industry would be taught and rewarded, and where intoxicating drinks should be excluded : such a spot exists (the Indians are frequently talking about it to me) about thirty miles from here ; and a goodly band of well-dis- posed Indians, I feel sure, are ready to engage hand and heart in the work ; and several adults, who look upon their own case as hopeless, are ex- ceedingly anxious about their children. They desire to hand them over to me (or, to use their own words, to give them to me), to teach and bring up in my way, which, they see, is good. Now, if such a place as I have spoken of were established, then we might reasonably expect the Gospel tree to take root, and, when once rooted, it would spread forth its branches of peace on every side, until all the land basked under its shadow. If no such place is established, then, I fear, I must live and see the dear children I have taught destroyed before my eyes." After-events had only tended to strengthen the opinion here expressed, and to develope additional reasons for acting upon it. These latter may be thus stated : — 300720 < ■% 1 •' ir- U^^ ft p M \i \L i i n 'Ui m m 102 Stranger t|)nn dFtction. 1. The discovery of gold in the northern districts of British Columbia promised to attract a large mining population to the neighbourhood, many of whom would make their head-quarters at Fort Simpson. 2. The sea frontage at Fort Simpson was so crowded that no new houses could be built. 3. There was no available land for garden pur- poses and industrial training for the young. 4 The proposed settlement would be central for six tribes of Indians speaking the T^imsheean tongue, while it would be near enough to Fort Simpson to enable a constant intercourse to be kept up between the two places. 5. The Christian Indians were most anxious to escape from the sights and thraldom of hea- thenism, and from the persecution consequent upon their having to live in the same houses with heathen and drunkards. 6. School operations would be put on a more satisfactory footing, as the imparting of secular knowledge would thus be limited to those who had embraced the Gospel, whereas the sowing it broad- cast among heathen who, having heard, had re- jected the Gospel, seemed to Mr. Duncan likely to result in much evil. ^ctlapatlaj^. J 03 "All we want," says Mr. Duncan, in summinfj up the arguments for the proposed effort, " is God's favour and blessing, and then we may hope to build up, in His good time, a model Christian vil- lage, reflecting light and radiating heat to all th(! spiritually dark and dead masses of humanity around us." With a view to carrying this plan into effect, Mr. t)uncan had already made his first visit of inspec- tion to the proposed site of the new station, in }^luy, i860, just before going down to Victoria. Going back to this point in our narrative, we must now describe this visit. Leaving the school at Fort Simpson in charge of two of the elder boys, Mr. Duncan started in a canoe, with a crew of three boys and ten young men. He found the distance to be about twenty miles. About noon on the second day they arrived in the beautiful channel of Metlahkatlah, three or four miles long, in which were situated the sites of the villages originally occupied by the Tsimsheeans, before they had been induced to move for trading purposes to Fort Simpson, which, as affording the most convenient place of call for the sailing vessels, had been selected by the Hudson's Bay Company as their chief trading-depot on the coast. "1 1 ( ■1} ■1' M : 1 J- 11 i [1 104 J^tranger ti^an dFtctton. I Eut we must let Mr. Duncan here tell his own story : — s "May indy i860. — These villages have been deserted about twenty-five years, and the few re- mains still standing consist of massive uprights and horizontal beams of the chief houses, which are now so rotten that I could easily push my walking- stick through many of them. I could see that the houses have been large, and, in some cases, orna- mented by an ugly wooden figure set up on each of the front corners. I saw, too, that several of the houses have been sunk ten or twelve feet, to afiford protection during war. >: " I landed, and viewed the scenery from several points, and oh, how lovely did it appear ! A nar- row placid channel, studded with little promon- tories and pretty islands ; a rich verdure, a waving forest, backed by lofty but densely-wooded moun- tains ; a solemn stillness, broken only by the cries of flocks of happy birds flying over, or the more musical notes of some little warbler near at hand. But how strangely did all this contrast with the sad reflections which the history of savage hea- thenism suggests ! The thought that every foot of ground that I trod upon had been stained with horrid crime, that every little creek was associated PlttlaPatlaf). 105 with some dark tragedy, and those peaceful waters had oft been stained with human blood, made my feelings soon change from delight to gloom. What would, indeed, those rocks unfold if all the horrid yells and cries of anguish they have echoed were but written ? or who can even faiati> paint the scenes of savage riot committed on these beaches when bloodthirsty marauders have returned with human heads for booti'- ? " The number of souls left is about a hundred. Their proper village, which I can see from here, is quite deserted, and will be for a few months. The chief at the head of this party invited me into his house, and also all his principal men, to feast with me. He complained of having bad health, and no wonder, for I found out that he is a cannibal by profession, one of the horrid gang who, in the win- ter months, awe and astonish the tribe by hunting for, exhuming, and eating corpses." Mr. Duncan's address concluded, supper was served. It consisted of three courses — boiled dried halibut, herring spawn, and broiled sea-weed with fish grease (the latter delicacy is a staple article of food amongst the Indians, and one main result of the annual fishing expedition, boxes of it being ranged round the walls of every Indian house). At \ t IM .! « io6 ^trniigrr tl^an dFictton. seven p.m. Mr. Duncan asked the chief to invite some more of the people into his house, and again addressed them. This time the women also at- tended. The next morning, the wind being favourable, the Indians were all hard at work pulling down their houses, and lading their canoes, ready to start to their fishing-station. They had been waiting some days for a fair wind, and if Mr. Duncan had been a few days later in visiting them, not a soul would have been left. The next visit to Metlahketlah was made in the autumn of the same year, shortly after his return from Victoria, when he spent a fortnight, helping and directing a number of Indians, whom he took with him, in clearing and draining the proposed site for the new village. The latter step was taken under the impression — to which we have already alluded — that in the course of the summer of 1861 Mr. Tugwell would be able to move to the new station ; but this was not to be ; the moisture and constant rains, which were the chief feature of the climate at Fort Simp- son, hav'ig before that time told so prejudicially upon his health, that he was obliged Lo make im- i0SittUf)^atUfi, 10' returning to Eng- mediate arrangements for land\ Mr. TugvveN's departure not only involved the postponement of the proposed removal until the spring of the following year (1862), but left Mr. Duncan no alternative but to revert to his original idea of going himself to the new settlement. ^ The climate of this part of British Columbia is thus described by Mr. Duncan in one of his earliest letters : — "Rain is the chief feature of the weather here. Out of 125 days which I have spent here, only forty-nine ha.e been fair, or entirely free from rain ; and I may add, that by far the greatest number of those days on which it rains at all it rains nearly the whole day. We had no snow here till the beginning of January, and since then about fifty inches have fallen. The weather has been, on the whole, remarkably mild. It is now the last week in February, and we have not had over twenty cold days during the winter. All this is accounted for by the fact that the prevailing wind here is from the south-east, which is the return current of the north-east trade wind, falling in this latitude, and coming, loaded with moisture and warmth, from the tropics. Our being also just to the west of a high range of mountains has naturally to do with our having so much rain during the year." The climate at Fort Simpson is the more reijiarkable, from the contrast which it affords to that of the districts lying a few miles in- land. On the Naas river, for instance, thirty or forty miles inland, the snow lies for months, and the only travelling is on the frozen rivers, along which a winter track is generally formed in the snow. H mi M'f CHAPTER IX. A TIME OF TRIAL. ATER on in the winter which succeeded Mr. Tugwell's departure (1861-63), Mr. Duncan commenced constant meetings of those who were inclined to move with him to Metlahkatlah, and strongly impressed upon them the necessity of framing some regula- tions of a social nature to be adopted in the new village. The following were the rules eventually laid down, indicating the least required of all who wished to join the new settlement : — I. To give up their " Ahlied," 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 cleanly; 11. To be industrious; 12. To ^ Ctme of Crtal. 109 be peaceful ; 13. To be liberal and honest in trade; 14. To build neat houses; 15. To pay the village tax. By the 12th of May, 1862, every thingwas in readi- ness for the move. Mr. Duncan then commenced pulling down the large school-house and form- ing the materials into a raft, which, two days later, he sent off to the new site. Before any further preparations were completed, a canoe arrived from Victoria announcing that small-pox had broken out there, and that many Tsimsheeans had died. Next day several other canoes followed, bringing mourn- ful intelligence of the virulence of the disease, which prevailed even amongst those who had thus fled from it, having carried off many of their num- ber during the voyage. Mr. Duncan had previously determined to pay a farewell visit to each tribe separately, and he there- fore spent the next few days in visiting from house to house, and addressing the tribes assembled in their chiefs' houses. In spite of the great improvement which had taken place, a large proportion of the Indians still continued steeped in drunkenness and heathenism. But the struggle involved by the abandonment of heathenism was by no means wholly an outward \h (1 < I . '4 X 'I ■i 1! y m &'\ [1 if I no Stranger ti^an dftctton. one, if indeed mainly so. To many the surren- dering their national customs, ceasing to give away, tear up, and receive blankets, &c., for display, dropping their demoniacal rites, which had hitherto and for ages filled up their time and engrossed all their care during so many months of the year, giving up the ceremonies performed over the sick, laying aside gambling, and ceasing to paint their faces, was like cutting off the right hand or pluck- ing out the right eye. Still, so many had already made these sacrifices, and had borne so well the persecutions in which they had involved them, that many others were now more than half inclined to follow their example. The presence of so terrible a disease, and the dread of its spreading amongst them, naturally gave additional weight to the earnest warnings addressed to them, and it was evident that many who had hitherto either vehe- mently opposed, or at least held aloof from the proposed movement, began now to look upon it with very different feelings. By the 27th of May the final preparations for the flitting were completed. Those who had pre- pared to go embarked in six canoes, and numbered in all about fifty souls, men, women, and children. Many others gathered in groups on the beach, sit^ a Cimt of Cvifll. Ill ting down and watching the departure with solemn and anxious faces, whilst not a few were earnest in their protestations of their intention to . follow very shortly. " As we pushed off," writes Mr. Duncan, " the party with me seemed filled with solemn joy, feeling that their long-looked-for flitting had ac- tually commenced. I felt that we were beginning ^n eventful page in the history of this poor people, and earnestly sighed to God for His help and blessing." . By two p.m. the next day, the little fleet of canoes arrived safely at its destination. They found the Indians who had come on before with the raft hard at work clearing ground and sawing planks. With the exception of a few heavy beams they had already carried all the raft from the beach, erected two temporary houses, and planted a quantity of potatoes. For the next few days all were actively engaged in selecting and marking out sites for the gardens and houses, and making the requisite preparations for building and planting, whilst every night they "assembled — a happy family — for singing and prayer," Mr. Duncan addressing them " on each occasion from some portion of scriptural truth suggested by the events of the day." in !•' * '^r i^5r mtt 112 Stranger tf)m Jfictitm. But the effect of Mr. Duncan's parting exhorta- tions, and the fruits of all his previous work at Fort Simpson, had yet, it seemed, to appear. On the 6th of June, to the great joy of all, a fleet of about thirty canoes, which were at once recognized as coming from Fort Simpson, made their appear- ance. They proved to contain some 300 souls, forming nearly the whole of the tribe Keetlahn, with two of their chiefs. Hitherto, it seemed, the small-pox had not spread, as was expected. A few days later, how- ever, another canoe arrived, bringing tidings which cast a heavy cloud over all. The disease was spreading rapidly, and had already taken a fearful hold of the camp. Further tidings only served to confirm the anxious forebodings which this intelligence created. For a time the Indians had " sought refuge in their charms and lying vanities." They dressed up their houses with feathers and rind of bark stained red ; they sang their heathen songs, and kept the rattles of their conjurors perpetually going. But all these deceits proved of no avail ; several of the charmers fell a prey to the disease, and death and desolation spread far and wide. Amongst those which were foremost in resorting ^ Ctme of Crtal. 113 to every superstitious observance was the tribe of the head chief Legaic. !f or a time its members had gone almost unscathed, a fact which filled their conjurors with pride and boasting words,, and caused no little perplexity to those who had partly shaken .off their heathen superstitions. When, however, the disease did seize upon them, the very practices to which they had resorted, by increasing the un- healthiness of their dwellings, seemed to give it double power, and in the end the tribe suffered far more than any other. In the whole camp, the total number of deaths was no fewer than 500, or more than one-fifth of the entire population. Many now began to flee ; but it was too late, as the scourge accompanied them. Those who had been more or less impressed by Mr. Duncan's teaching, and many even of the declared heathen, now came crying in great fear to the new colony. Amongst the latter was the head chief Legaic. Thoroughly humbled by the mis- fortunes which had fallen upon him, and the loss of so large a part of his tribe, he resisted every effort which was made to detain him at Fort Simpson, and virtually retiring from the chieftain- ship of the Tsimsheeans, he settled down with his wife and daughter at Metlahkatlah, and became fe 1 ■ ' i' ''; mi ! 1 1 I'. Ml 114 Stranger t|)an jFution. from this time forward one of Mr. Duncan's most earnest and active supporters. The painful anxiety consequent upon the uncer- tainty how far the infection was still likely to spread was greatly increased, in Mr. Duncan's case, by the difficulty which he felt in dealing with those who thus fled to him from Fort Simpson. " For the safety of those with me," he writes, " I was obliged to be very cautious in receiving any fresh comers ; and some I could not receive at all. For the temporal and spiritual welfare of my ov/n people, who were clinging to me like timid children, I was kept in constant labour and pressing anxiety. The heaviness which I felt I cannot describe. Death starfed us in the face on every hand. But God remembered us in the day of our cala- mity." During the whole summer the effect of the death and desolation which prevailed on all sides exerr cised a most depressing influence upon the new settlement, and prevented the Indians from throw- ing themselves with spirit into the work of building, or even of laying up the requisite stores of provi- sions for the winter; and it was only as the autumn came on, and all fear of the disease continuing to spread subsided, that any real progress was made ! h* m Ctmc of Crtal. i»5 in the various works which were so absolutely essential to their very existence. Reviewing this period of trial, Mr. Duncan says: — " 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 Simp- son with me, and three of these deaths were caused by attending to sick relatives who came to us after taking the disease." Nor were there wanting reasons for encourage- ment and thankfulness arising from the conduct of those amongst the earlier converts who fell under the power of the disease. Here, e. g., is the record of the death of " Stephen Ryan," one of those who were first baptized at Fort Simpson by Mr. Tug- well : — "He died in a most distressing condition as far as the body is concerned. Away from every one whom he loved, in a little back 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 I 2. ■ n-l In: n ii6 Stranger ti)an dFutton. 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 under- stand the way. Tell her not to weep for me, but to get ready to die. Be all of one heart, and live in peace.' " But we must pass on to the brighter days of success and prosperity by which, in the Providence of God, this time of Heavy trial to the infant colony was to be succeeded. I i CHAPTER X. BRIGHTER DAYS. VERY thing at the new settlement be- gan now to settle down into a regular routine. The population numbered "^ between 600 and 700 souls, consisting of about one-fourth of the former native population of Fort Simpson, and a few representatives from several tribes — the Zangass, Nishkah, Ke-Keeth- rahtla, and Keetsahlass — living within seventy- miles of that place. All of these, in taking the step they had done, had made great sacrifices, and gone through much labour, trial, and persecution. The most notable of these new settlers were three chiefs of different tribes — Legale, Neeahsh- lakah-noosh, and Leeguneesh, and the leading man amongst the cannibals, by name Quthray ; the latter was one of those who had taken a prominent part in the revolting scene which Mr. Duncan had witnessed on his first arrival, and had for a long 'I i J I :>: \ 14;.. I II Hi-' r J i ,' ii8 ^tvanztt ti^an dftctton. time been one of the most bitter opponents of the new teaching. The first undertaking was necessarily that of building the new village. Great assistance in this work was rendered by a liberal contribution from tiie Governor of British Columbia of 150 window- sashes, and 600 lbs. of nails, which arrived in Sep- tember (1862). A further contribution in money was received from the ofificers and crew of one of H.M.'s ships stationed on the coast, as a mark of the high opinion which, during a stay of some days at Met- lahkatiah, they had formed of the importance of the work being carried on there. All the dwelling-houses were built outwardly after the European model, but in the internal arrangements few improvements could as yet be eflfected. Several families still lived under the same roof, nor could they as yet be persuaded to parti- tion their houses into separate compartments, economy of fuel and the love of company being the chief inducements to their adhering in this respect to their former habits. Thirty-five houses, averaging thirty-four feet by eighteen, and each having four windows, were soon erected. 33vtsi)t(r ^ai)i(. 119 One hundred plots of garden ground, situated on the islands in various parts of the channel in front of the settlement, were also duly measured out and registered, and prepared for cultivation. The next work taken in hand was a large and strong octagon building, intended to serve, for a time, t]ie purposes both of a church and school, and capable of holding nearly 700 people. This was finished, and the first service held in it on the 20th of December. Up to this time Mr. Duncan had had service three times every Sunday, either in the optn air or in his own log-house, and a class for religious in- struction and worship every weekday evening. Shortly after the opening of the new building, Mr. Duncan writes : — '* About 400 to 600 souls attend Divine Sei-vice 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 school, and 100 adults the evening school. About forty of the young men have formed themselves into two classes, and meet for prayer and exhoiting cdch other. The instruments of the medicine men, which 1 1 : ( 1 m '\ . i\ '4 /I w I20 ^ttiinset ti)nn ^fTtction. have spell-bound this nation for ages, have found their way into my house, and are most willingly and cheerfully given up. Customs which form the very foundation of Indian government, and lie nearest the Indian heart, have been given up be- cause 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. . . . 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. .... Thus the surrounding tribes have now a model village before them, acting as a powerful witness for the truih 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 ! " Mr. Duncan had now, besides about lOO children who attended morning and afternoon, a class of about IOC adults, to whom he gave "simple lectur':\s on geography, astronomy, natural history, and morals," a plan which he found that the Indians f^ Bngi^tci* ^avi. I'ij greatly appreciated, the attendance being often much larger than that given as the average. In the meantime, the weekday meetings for can- didates for baptism, commenced in the previous -.inter, were continued with very satisfactory re- sults. Indeed, s( large a number were now prepared and anxious to be baptized, that as there was no immediate prospect of another clergyman being sent out from England to take Mr. Tugv^ell's place, Mr. Duncan wrote to the Bishop of Columbia, ask- ing him to make arrangements at as early a date as possible for a clergyman to visit the settlement. Before, however, this request could be granted, Mr. Duncan was called upon, under circumstances v;' ic': I: ' not admit of delay, to administer the rite of bfl-). sm himself. Quthniy, the cannibal chi'^f to whom allusion has more than once been made, had now for some time been one of the most earnest and regular atten- dants at the instruction class for candidates for D-'otism. Towards the end of the summer of i86a he 'iid been seized with a dangerous illness, from whica there was evidently little hope of his re- covery. Mr. Duncan had visited him constantly; and as " he had long and earnestly desired bap- tism, and expressed in the clearest terms his Ji4 1 l: '■■if ; (is 1 ill i ' ■' ' 1 1 ttiLlI 122 Stranger t^m dTuttou. «i|- 1 repentance for his sins, and his faith in the Saviour of sinners/* had promised that he would himself baptize him, un ( i clergyman should in the meantime arrive n li Victoria — a promise for which he had expressed his gratitude "with the greatest force he could command." " Though I was not sent here to baptize," Mr. Duncan writes, " 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." Towards the end of October, Mr. Duncan felt that he could no longer delay in redeeming his promise, intelligence being brought to him one morning that the sick man was much worse, and apparently dying. He thus describes his visit : — " 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 ^Hvig^Uv BaoiS. 123 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 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 Ke 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 had evinced throughout his sick- ness, 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. Oh, the dreadful and revolting things which 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 years and a half 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 sa\-ages, who were supported by a crew of singers and the noise of drums. This man was one of 11 »s iiii ■ "i ii { 4'H f . ItL n s '• iT t ^ }■ ' 1 .1 ;' 1 ^ I ii'i 1 " 1 ' , i ; h ■ i I ■ ■-■V '^ ■'•; ^ ! ( ■if i \"- 1 't i : 124 ^trangtr tl;an dFutton. those naked cannibals. Glorious change ! See him, clothed, in his right mind, weeping — weeping sore for his sins — expressing to all around him firm belief in the Saviour, and dying in peace. Bless the Lord for all His goodness ! " We must now turn for a while to the secular afifairs of the settlement. To assist him in these, Mr. Duncan selected ten men, whom he constituted constables, and who, with the three chiefs, formed a sort of village council . No intoxicating drinks were admitted, and drunkenness was therefore a vice entirely unknown. Some few, on their visits to Fort Simpson, transgressed, and " two, whose cases were clearly proved, and admitted of no extenua- tion, were banished " from the settlement. After due consultation, an important decision was arrived at by the village council, viz. that a yearly tax of one blanket, or two dollars and a half for every adult male, and one shirt or one dollar for such as were approaching manhood, should be levied for helping to carry on the various public works which it was proposed shortly to commence. This tax was first levied on New Year's Day, 1863. Out of 130 amenable, there were but 10 defaulters, who were excused on the ground of poverty. )3ngf)ttr Bavji. "5 The revenue thus gathered amounted to " one green, one blue, and ninety-four white blankets ; one pair of white trousers, one dressed elk-skin, seventeen shirts, and seven dollars." In order to give the chiefs as mu support as possible, and to increase their influence with their Christian brethren, it was at first proposed that they should act as village magistrates, deciding all civil cases which might arise, and that in return for these services they should receive one half of the annual tax. Experience, however, soon showed that their many inconsistencies made their sitting as judges very anomalous ; and as* their views of justice were often very oblique, it was soon found necessary to dispense with their assistance in such matters. Hence the community, seeing no benefit likely to accrue from their services, objected to the plan of dividing the tax. " Rather let the public works take it all," they Said. So accordingly it was settled. The chief public works which it was proposed to undertake were : — I. To make a road round the village. As the ground was uneven and thickly wooded, this was expected to be a work of considerable labour. if ^' li it* ji :i 126 ^transrr tl^an dTtctton. i:i: 1 I I 3. To build two good-sized houses for the accommodation of strange Indians coming for the purposes of trade — the object being to prevent the interference with domestic comfort and improve- ment arising from such visitors being lodged under the old system. 3. To fix rests on the shore for canoes when unemployed, and to lay slides for moving the canoes along the beach and into the water at low tides. 4. To sink wells, to form a public playground, &c. Over and above the evident advantage to the community at large of such works as the above, one main object with which they were undertaken was to provide profitable employment for the adult population, and so to keep them away from those labour-markets which presented temptatioi?s too strong and vices too fascinating for the Indian in his then morally infantile condition to withstand. With the same view the preparation of articles for exportation to Victoria, such as salt, smoked fish, fish grease, dried berries, furs, &c., was en- couraged. At the same time, as the only means for the successful prosecution of this branch of labour, Mr. Duncan commenced to lay his plans for securing facilities for trading operations which would )3nsi)ter ISayK. 127 render the settlement independent of the visits of the barbarous class of men employed in running small vessels up the coast, and whose chief trade was in intoxicating drinks. The evils resulting from the visits of these coasting vessels, and the consequent necessity for providing for the Indians some other method of disposing of their own goods, and obtaining what they required in return, are thus explained : — " The visits of these traders to the Indian camps are invariably marked by murder and the very maddest riots. Family ties are broken. A young man, under the influence of fire-water, will shoot his wife or his mother, his sister or his brother; and, if he be spared through the revel, he awakens to bitter remorse, and becomes desperate. The peace of tribes is broken, war begins, blood is shed, and wounds made which will take generations of time to heal, and for which many innocent lives may have to compensate." The plan proposed was to obtain a small vessel, to be subscribed for by the Indians themselves in sums of i/. or i/. 10s., or the equivalent in furs. An indirect advantage which seemed likely to arise from the adoption of this plan was that, having the vessel in their own hands, the Indians would be -:', \n ' !a ijpi ill 1 3 Hi!' 'Ji 138 dtranger ti)an dTution. sure to take more interest in it, and be more ready- to exert themselves to keep it well and profitably employed. The reader will probably feel just as Mr. Duncan did, that, however great the apparent necessity for some such step as the above, nothing but success would really justify a Missionary in the eyes of the public in undertaking such an experiment. We may as well, therefore, so far anticipate the actual chronological order of events as to show how en- tirely the result bore out his strong conviction of the feasibility and advantage of the plan suggested. In the course of the summer of 1863, Mr. Duncan, having explained his views to the colonial govern- ment, received a grant of 100/. towards the required vessel. The Indians subscribed a further sum of 80/. Making up the deficiency himself, he pur- chased a schooner at a cost of 300/., and commenced, at his own risk, to supply the villagers with goods, and to convey their produce for sale to Victoria. The first few trips of the "Carolina" proved entirely satisfactory. Carrying down a cargo of " fish-oil, furs, Indian food, cypress plants," &c., it returned with all the various requisites for a village store, and for trafiic with the Indians of the sur- rounding tribes. At the end of a few months a iSrigljUr ISaytf. meeting of all those interested in the vessel was called, when, after provision had been made for the various expenses, new sails, anchors, &c., a dividend was declared of 5/. upon v°ach share. This part of the proceedings somewhat puzzled the Indians, who, when the money was given them, imagined that they must necessarily be parting with their interest in the vessel. As soon, however, as the matter was satisfactorily explained to them, they evinced their appreciation by proposing to give the schooner the name of the "Ahah," or "Slave," signifying that she did all the work and they reaped all the profit. His own share of the profits Mr. Duncan devoted entirely to the objects of the Mission. That they were not inconsiderable, may be judged from the fact that two years later he was able to write, " You will be happy to hear our village trade prospers. I had hoped to have transferred this department to other hands, but have been dis- appointed. Had I done so, I think I should now have had upwards of 1000/. surplus, which I had intended laying out in the village, and in building a new church, and thus raising a substantial monu- ment of the industry of the village during the past four years of its existence." K f !. 130 ^tvanstr tf^nn jFtctton. i< ■; Before this time the actual management of the vessel had been entrusted to the Indians them- selves, and on every voyage the conduct of the crew whilst at Victoria had been every thing which could be desired. An' Indian was also registered as master, and another as supercargo. The whole question is thus reviewed in a letter by the Dean of Victoria : — " No step of a temporal nature was, perhaps, so loudly demanded, or has conferred such important benefits on the people of Metlahkatlah, in conducing to their comfort and contentment in their new home. Instead of having to go seventeen miles for supplies to a heathen camp, they can procure them at their own doors at a cheaper rate. Person:? who come hither to trade carry away some word or impression to affect their countrymen at home. During my sojourn at Metlahkatlah, there has no*; been a single Sunday in which there have not been hearers of this description attendant on the word oi' life. This is one of those branches of the work taken up by Mr. Duncan, simply because it was pressed upon him by the force of circumstances as necessary to his entire success. The time has passed away when he felt himself humiliated at being offered the sale of a fur. I 1' Ol Bn'fll^ttr i3.i»£l. 13J " A striking benefit of the trade is the disposition of the profits, for with a view to transferring it, when possible, to other parties, he has ahvays conducted it on business principles, in order that the parties so assuming it might be able to live by it. Hitherto the profits realized on this principle, abs(>rbed by no personal benefits, have been expended on objects conducive to the public benefit, in the erection of public buildings, in subsidies to the people, in aid of improving their roads, and wharves for canoes, in charity to the poor, and even in the redemption of slaves. The sum of 600/. has been already expended on such objects, and 400/. are in hand ready to be applied to similar uses. In fact, the only person who suffers is Mr. Duncan himself, who has sacrificed his comfort, his repose, and almost his health, for the sole benefit of the people, but has been more than compensated by the rich reward of feeling that God has owned and blessed the sacrifice. Besides this, the trade affords industrial occupation for the people, and thus aids them in a more steady advancement in the comforts of civilized life. It is quite a lively scene to witness the various parties of labourers engaged, some in bringing the rough timber in rafts from the forest, others in sawing it into planks, others planing, others K 2 1 m • 1 :• .1 •; i* ■■; : 111 I ' III 14, fl I! ■" t n i 132 ^ti'ringcr ti)an iffiuion. 'T I t cutting the shingles, others with nail and hammcr erecting the building — all devoting themselves to their daily task rather with the constancy of the English labourer than with the fitful disposition of the savage." As we shall not have occasion in the next few chapters to refer again to the secular affairs of the Mission, we may conclude the present notice of them by the following account of the second New- Year's Day meeting given in the Victoria Colonist^ Feb. 24, 1864, by a correspondent who had recently visited the settlement : — " On New Year's Day, after a devotional meeting, there was a business meeting, attended by the whole settlement, when Mr. Duncan announced the Q-Xpenditure of the last year's taxes, and read the village rules and regulations, A:i outline was also furnished of the proposed expenditure for the. current year, which met with general approval. Immediately after the meeting, the tax of $2.50 (or a blanket) for adults, and $1.50 (or one shirt) for boys, was paid. Some feeble old men, who could hardly walk, came tottering along with their blankets, anxious to become good citizens, but were exempted from the levy." The same writer adds the following descrip- h( in se !i Bngj^ter ^nvi. ^33 lion of the general progress made up to this date : — " Mr. Duncan has been w'orking hard to ascertain what his people's inclinations and abilities are, so as to class their occupation, and has in a great measure succeeded. He has now a number at work, making shingles, building a ne;v Mission-house, road-making, hunters, sawyers &c. He has also taught them to make clogs for themselves, which are much prized. Those who break the laws are tried for the offence, and, if found guilty, are sentenced to labour on public works. The settle- ment is assuming quite an imposing aspect. There are at present eight substantial houses in the course of construction, and many are inquiring for sites. The constables, eighteen in number (who are volun- teers and desire no pay), do their duty admirably, without fear, favour, or prejudice, and are held in awe by transgressors. It was truly encoi' raging to witness the many earnest entreaties made by the people of the village that their friends in Victoria might be -.irged to flee from the snares and vices which lead them astray here, and to return to their homes. Several letters were written by themselves in English, and couched in fervent language, be- seeching relatives to return there, and thus save m 'm { li ai . ,, ; it !i - -r '-■*■- - - - 134 Stranger tfjan dFi'ction. : both body and soul, which they say must be in- evitably and irretrievably lost by their residing there. No sooner was it announced that the vessel was about to proceed to Victoria and was prepared to receive orders to execute, than the people flocked to it with commissions for every conceivable variety of goods, including even wall-paper and household furniture, to adorn their own residences." But it is time we turned again to trace the directly religious influences which had been at work during this time, and had rendered possible the building up of so substantial a fabric of industry, prosperity, and social order, from materials origi- nally so unpromising. [ i ann a c: proc whic Indi Miss 6. ■In CHAPTER XL THE INDIAN FISHING-STATION. i"! ARLY in 1863, Mr. Duncan received tidings that the Bishop of Columbia had arranged to come himself to visit Met- lahkatlah. The Bishop arrived on Tuesday, April 14, 1863, and thus describes his meeting with Mr. Duncan : — "The Christian Indian settlement of Metlahkat- lah lies retired upon a recess of the bay, and is marked by a row of substantial wooden houses. An octagon building is the school, and a flag-staff stands near, upon which ascended the national flag when we hove in sight and fired the gun to announce our approach. We could soon distinguish a canoe putting off to ns, and presently it ap- proached, flying a flag. It was a large canoe, which had a warlike appearance, manned by ten Indians, and in it was seated Mr. Duncan, the Missionary of Metlahkatlah. There was placed, •m ' ' u *!' > 136 i^trangtr t\)tm dFtctton. too, by his side a murderer, who had last year committed a cold-blooded murder upon an English- man, and who had given himself up against the coming of the man-of-war. Among the crew was one man who had been a noted drunkard and a violent chief, a slaughterer of many human victims in his day — indeed, the head man of the Tsimsheean tribe — who had given up all evil ways, and was now as a little child, a candidate for baptism." As the Bishop had been unable to fix the exact time of his arrival, and it was now the height of the Indian fishing-season, most of the Metlahkatlah people were away fishing on the Naas river. It Avas, therefore, decided that Mr. Duncan should go with the Bishop to visit the fishing-stations, and invite the candidates for baptism to return at once to Metlahkatlah. Passing Fort Simpson, they arrived at the mouth of the Naas river on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 15th. It was at first proposed that they should go up in a man-of-war's boat, which Captain Pike, of tli": "Devastation," the ship which had brought the Bishop from Victoria, offered to place at their dis- posal ; but as there had recently been some trouble with the Indians about seizing a trading schooner, Mr. Duncan suggested that the sight of a man-of-war's €\)t intiinn dFtsdjtns^^tatton. 137 boat might excite alarm, and lead to the object of their coming being misunderstood. They there- fore started the next morning, Thursday, at seven o'clock in the canoe, v/Ith the crew which had come on with them from Metlahkatlah. " The day was bright and cheerful : the scenery of the lofty snow-capped mountains rising up on either side was grand and striking. We glided over the sparkling waves, the expanse of waters varying in 1 . idth from a mile to two miles, and after three hours and a half paddling, came to the fishing- village of the Metlahkatlahs." At this village they found some 5000 Indians, collected from all parts— from the islands of the sea, from the Russian territory, from the coast, and from the interior. They were decked out in all their finery. "Their costumes were strange and fantastic, their faces were painted red and black ; they wore feathers on their heads, and imitations of wild beasts on their dresses. The scene was alto- gether a singular and animated one." It was the " small-fish " fishing-season. These fish, called culachan, are about the size of a smelt, and very rich, and had come up, as usual, in vast quantities. The Indian custom is to meet the fish as they come, and speak to them: "You fish, you : i^ i I] S ! ly 1.38 Stranger ti^an jTutton. fish ! you are all chiefs ; you arc, you are all chiefs." After the small fish, had come up larger fish from the ocean. There was the halibut, the cod, the porpoise, and the finned-back whale. " Such a scene of life," writes the Bishop, "man-life, bird-life, fish-life, I had never before conceived. Over the fish was an immense cloud of innumerable gulls — so many and so thick were they, as they hovered about looking for the fish, that as they moved to and fro, up and down, the sight resembled a heavy fall of snow. Over the gulls were eagles soaring about in noble flight, looking for their prey." " The fish are caught in vast quantities. I saw hundreds of tons collected together, and the nets hauled in bushels at a time. 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." His first meeting with the Metlahkatlah Indians and his general impression of them is thus described by the Bishop : — CI)c hxtiinn ;ffiiii)inQf Station. ^39 " The Metlahkatlah Indians were expecting us — a number of well-dressed and intelligent Indians were on the shore waiting to receive us. I went through their temporary village and witnessed the operation of curing the fish, after which an assembly of 200 gathered to us. The greater part sat on the ground, but most of the men stood up. It was a place where potatoes had been cultivated, but some snow was now upon the ground. Fortunately the day was fine, and the sun shone brightly ; several hymns were sung in Tsimsheean : a Tsimsheean prayer was ofiered by Mr. Duncan. " I addressed the assembly, and was interpreted by Mr. Duncan, who made himself also an earnest and telling discourse. This change is the result of four and a half years of his faithful and earnest work as a Catechist. Beyond the expectation of all persons acquainted with Indians, success and blessing have attended his labours. All who have come to him have professed their readiness to be instructed ; they have put away all tokens of heathenism. "I addressed them as three classes — the hearers, catechumens, and baptized ; and encouraged them, urged them to the knowledge and grace of God. Marked, indeed, was the difference between these 'i i n'- '. I 140 i^trangrr ti^an ^Fiction. Indians and the heathen. They were clean, bright, cheerful, intelligent, well-mannered ; they had evi- dently risen in the scale of human creatures. Christianity, looking to God and tlicir Saviour, had elevated them intellectually, morally, and even physically. Here, too, they were under the dis- advantage of being away from their village, and in a temporary abode. There were a few heathen with them, relatives who had been used in former days to fish with them. These were painted red, cr blackened, and were dirty and forbidding, and served to make the contrast more striking." Writing at a later date, the Bishop, after dwelling upon the great excitement which always prevailed at this season, and the importance of every hour's work, adds, " But what did the Christian Indians do when the Sunday came.? The first Sunday of their first fishing-season as Christians, although the fish had come up in greater abundance than ever, and the season was so short, the Christians said, ' We cannot go and fish.' The heathen were full of excitement, gathering in the spoil ; but the Christians said, * No, we are God's people ; God will provide for us, and we will spend His day as He tells us to do.* And they kept holy each Lord's Day in the midst of the fishing-season." Cljr ^a))tan J^iif^iwQf^Ution. 141 As Mr. Duncan had anticipated, although it was now the most critical part of the season, none of the candidates made the least difficulty about arranging to leave their nets, and travel the eighty miles back to Metlahkatlah to meet the Bishop. Before returning to the " Devastation," the Bishop and Mr. Duncan determined to push on and visit the Niskah, or Naas Indians, living some miles farther up the river, and amongst whom were many who, during their occasional visits to Fort Simpson, had been brought under the influence of Mr. Duncan's teaching. The first village of the Niskahs was reached in about two hours. It consisted of three clusters of houses, situated in a considerable bay of the river. Opposite to it was an island covered with the cotton-wood in lofty trees. On the banks were low willow flats, whilst the background towered up into lofty and grand snow-capped mountains. In front of many of the houses were elaborately carved poles. Some of the houses had their fronts built in the form of an animal's head. The whole of the front of one house was shaped like a wolfs head (the crest of its owner), the nose being the porch, and the mouth the door. As a serious quarrel had lately been raging between !; I 1 «'; I' i.r 142 Stranger tf^an dTutton. two of the Nishkah tribes, and several of those who had been killed, including two chiefs, were then lying dead, Mr. Duncan expressed some little doubt as to the opportuneness of the visit. Every preparation, however, was found to have been made to receive them. This was due to the in- fluence of the sister of one of the leading chiefs. Having resided for some time at Fort Simpson, she had there come under the influence of the truth, and was now an earnest and thoroughly well-in- structed candidate for baptism. Being herself the owner of the house in which her brother lived, she received the Bishop and Mr. Duncan with every mark of respect. "AH was in order. There were three seats, with the middle one elevated at the end of the room. It reminded me of an Eastern custom, which places the two honoured friends on the right-hand and on the left of a chief personage. The chief man, the brother of Niskah-kigh, had a seat also in a pro- minent place. 160 assembled. There were chiefs ; there were medicine-men, with their red rings of bark on the head ; there were cannibals and dog- eaters, some with faces painted fierce red, others black, some black and red. Two men came in bound in wounds; these had been shot in the recent €\)t intiinn drt£(i)tng;>^tatton. 143 fight. There came in, also, the man who had wounded one of the two. The meeting had drawn t jgether the hostile parties ; it was for peace. There was order and respect ; but it was in marked contrast with the scene I had witnessed at the Metlahkatlah. It was the heathen, and heathen, too, who knew something of what we had to say. There were those who had shown tokens of a wish :^ 2.ive up heathenism. Some had asked to be admitted to be learners of the new way. They had said to Mr. Duncan, * We will come out from this our old home, and go and live in a new spot whenever you will go before us and be with us.* But others were the more hardened ; there were those who derided and scoffed : their faces showed contempt and pride, and nowhere is pride so erect as in heathenism. " I addressed them ; Mr. Duncan interpreted. 'Our fathers had been once in darkness ; they trusted in fables ; they knew not of the true God. But the light of Christ came and the darkness fled, and peace and rest were found, and the future was bright and joyful to the good, and God prospered them, and instead of many tribes contending, all became one great nation; and you can see how superior we are, how powerful, how prosperous. ii 1 ''I ! !: in 14' 144 Stranger t]b 146 H^ttangcr tl^aii J^iction. stars shone bright, and the deep dark mountain gorges contrasted with the snow." It was just ten o'clock as the whole party, fairly- tired out, again climbed on board the "Devastation." Leaving the Naas river the next morning at 9.30, the ship reached Fort Simpson at four. Here a meeting of Indians was again held, and the child of a Christian Indian baptized. A visit was also paid to the fort, where, besides the usual occupants, the Bishop found "two Iroquois Indians from Canada, an African, a half-cast Tongas, a Scotchman, an American, and several Englishmen." On the after- noon of the next day, Saturday, the *' Devastation " again dropped anchor off Metlahkatlah. 'M t( CHAPTER XII. ft. 1 AN INGATHERING. HE next day, Sunday, April 19th, 1863, the Bishop, after holding service on board the " Devastation," went on shore accompanied by Captain Pike. "We were met," he writes, "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 any where be seen where men live by their daily toil — certainly no country village in England would turn out%b well- dad an assemblage. " At three the bell was rung, and almost instantly the whole population were wending their way to church. Most of the people are away at Naas, but 130 assembled. There were hymns and prayers in Tsimsheean. They repeated the answers to a catechism in Tsimsheean. I addressed them, and ofifered prayers in English, which were interpreted by Mr. Duncan. There was much earnest response. L 2 ! . ■ I f 1- 'm [■i ;•<■■• 148 «^tranger tf^nn dTictton. The service lasted cne hour and three quarters. There was an evidence of devotion. Mr. Duncan plays the accordion " The examination of the catechumens, commenced on the Sunday, was continued without intermission throughout the next two days, lasting on the Monday till one o'clock at night. ^^ Monday, April Q,oth. — Day fine. 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 been long look- ing 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 — 9n ifiigatfiertng. 149 lad 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 y April 21st. — The day dawned bright, and so continued. Immediately after breakfast, having had prayer, the work again began. Cate- chumens 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 after- wards 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 suitable- ness of the questions in the Baptismal Service to i I I r •il I m m - II- i ill i 1-4 r *5o Uranger l^an iSfittion. 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 miser- able fables of their forefathers, and heartily can they pledge themselves to keep the holy will of God all the days of their life, seeing Him a loving and true Father, of whom now so lately, but so gladly, they have learnt to know." The questions asked by the Bishop were generally somewhat as follows : — " Do you wish to be a Christian ? " Do you feel your sins, and want a new heart ? . " How came you first to turn to God ? " How do you expect remission of sins } " Are you afraid to die } " Do you pray to God ? " To whom do you look to save you .? *' What hope have you when you die ? " How do you know God will pity you ? 3 : ! Ml ^n iFnsati^ermg. 151 *' When weak what must we do ? " What will happen to us when we die ? " What makes it difficult to pray ? " Is there any special hindrance to your turning to God? " How do you hope to have your sins pardoned ?" "I first," the Bishop writes, "drew forth their views of the necessity of repentance, its details, and their own personal acquaintance with it. I then ques- tioned 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, inquir- ing 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 circum- stances 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 following extracts from the Bishop's notes on the various candidates bear testimony to the very thorough character of the examination. We :;i h .i I i n 1 ! I i ii iir" ]i'f mm ir; m r ■ 3 •■ :f ^:i!r 152 dtrmtstr tl)an dFicttoti. should, perhaps, say that the names of those who have been previously mentioned in the narrative are placed first, though not occurring in this order in the Bishop's journal : — MALES. Klah, aged 35. — Answers: — I have made up my mind to live a Christian. Must try to put away all our sins. I believe in Jesu* Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins. God is good to us, and made us. God gives us His Spirit to make us clean and happy. I pray to God to clean my heart, and wipe out my sin from God's book. It will be worse for us if we fall away after we have begun. J repent I was not baptized a year and a half ago. Legaic (principal chief), aged 40. — Ansiuers: — 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 con- stantly 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 Jtum 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. Remarks. — Under instruction about nine months. On two occa- sions before attended for a short time, but fell away. Mr. Duncan says this man has made greater sacrifices than any other in the village. Is the principal chief, and has left his tribe and all great- ness. Has been a most savage and desperate man ; committed all crimes. Had the offer of forty blankets to return to his tribe. He now bears the ridicule of his former friends. Yet his temper,, formerly ferocious, bears it patiently, and he returns kindness, so that some have melted and are ready to come with him. Lee-qU-neesh (a chief), aged 39. — Answers : — When young was brought up in sin. No one ever told me the good news. Cannot tell how great a sinner I am. I believe in God, and cannot turn my back to any of my old ways. The great Father Almighty, Maker of ^n jfiigatl^enng. ^53 the earth. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, died for our sins that God might pity us on that account. God is a spirit, full of love and goodness ; but we must pray for God's Holy Spirit. We must all stand before God. God will know who are good and bad. By-and- by I shall know if God hears me. My heart is dark ; I cannot clearly tell now. A long time I felt it was contrary to Gotl, and when I heard the good news I gave up evil ways. Neeash-lakah-noosh (called "the Lame Chief" ; he is blind also of an eye; fine old man); aged 70. — Ansjoers : — 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 had long followed. I have trusted in God. We want the Spirit of God. Tesus 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 us. When asked about the judgment, said. The blood of Jesus will free those who believe from con- demnation. Kemarks. — Under regular instruction for a year, and before that for some time by his daughter. Is most consistent, trying to do simply M'hat is right. The other day was benighted on Saturday, on his way to spend the Sunday at Metla-katla, 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. YiLMAUKSH, aged 22. — Annvers: — I believe in Jesus as my Saviour, who died to compensate for my sins to Gotl. Remarks. — Appears very earnest ; speaks devoutly and freely. Long time under serious impressions. Brought out from heathenism three of his relations. Eight months under special instruction. Leht, aged 25. — Ansivcrs : — I feel my unworthiness, but trust to God's pity. We must pray constantly to God. I have not two hearts ; have given myself to God. Remarks. — Was in the "Cariboo" steam-ship when blown up: turned to God then. Three years under instruction. Son of a chief. Much tempted to go to heathen feasts, but has steadily refused. Kangisl, aged 22. — Ansioers :—\ am striving against my sins, determined to follow God's way. God's way good and right, without doubt. Our way full of mistakes. Christ searched out (exposed) 1 11 I M Wnm •'i; \ ^1' I f: f ! \k \ '\h ■■• f 1- r w-" fi' Vi ■ , '., ♦ K «l: - M~ N' ; . W 1 ■ '^'" V IS4 ^trangtr ti^an dTtction. man's way and showed God's way, and then was punished to make satisfaction for our sins. I pray for a good heart and for pardon from my sins. Hemarks. — Yonr or five years ago under instniction ; fell away. A year preparing for magic ; a year and a half earnest. SilKAH-CLAii, aged 35. — An.'^.oers:—! have not long come forward for baptism, but have long been wishing to be fixed in God's way, and have been struggling against my sins. God punishes the wicked who persevere in their sins. I must pray for God's Spirit. God teaches us humility, and to love one another. I pray for God to pardon my sins, and to dress me in His righteousness. Remarks. — Confesses he has been very wicked. Lately his child died. As it lay dying, with tears he touched it, and said, " This is for my sins." Was moved strongly to turn to God by the death of his child. Belongs to a leading family. His brother, a heathen chief, tells him he will be nobody if he becomes a Christian. Lappigh Kumlee, aged 30. — Aurivcrs : — 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 eveiy night when I remember my sins. The great Father Almighty sees every thing. If I go up to the moun- tains He sees me. Jesus died for our sins upon the cross to cany 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. One case, when his spirit said there would be recovery, death came ; and another, when he foretold death, life remained. Cow-AL-LAH, aged 30. — Answers: — A Christian must put away sin, lies, dnnikenness. I had wished to come forward at the last baptism, but was held back by those around. I have now broken away, and am ready to give myself to God. God is the maker of heaven and earth. God pitied our sins, and sent Jesus to save us. The Spirit helps our weakness. If we follow God here we shall find God after death. All must stand before God and receive according to their works. Was struck at the dark death of many of his rela- tions. He and they knew nothing about the future. So when Mr. hea the Hit ^nsati^'ttng. 155 Duncan came and spoke about those things, he gladly heard, and determined to follow him. QuiL-AH-SHKAHKS, aged 25. — Attsioers : — I have put away my sins. I have long sinned against God. I am afraid of my sins. God sees me. Jesus has opened the door of heaven to us. God sends His good Spirit to help us. God w ill measure our ways when we die. So long as I live I will try to give the news of God to others. The word of God has tnught us to hope. In the summer saw the people die from small-])ox. Saw the hand of God, and trembled and resolved to turn to God. We are not strong to resist the hand of God. Neeasii-AII-pootk, aged 35. — Answers : — I have long ' llowcd sins which make God angiy. I have put away sin, but if I am ever so ignorant in my endeavours I will persevere. Used to be a great drunkard. Have given up magic and display of property. Felt God last summer. We have turned back to our great Father. He sees all ; His Spirit is with us. The blood of Jesus clcanseth us from all sin. How happy the angels will be to see us good, and how they will cry if we are sinful I At the last God will divide us. Lost ten relatives by the small-pox last year, and it opened my eyes to my sins. God's hand was strong to cm down sinners. KsHiN-KEE-AlKS, aged 36. — A/fs7cvrs: — I will fight against my sins, and continually cry to find God. I will endeavour not to re- taliate when ridiculed. I believe in the Lord in heaven, who made the earth and heaven, and us, and the food \m' eat. Jesus the only Son of God died to save us from our sins. God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us to contend against the evil spirits who come against us. If we are sinful when we die, God's face will be against us. "Wherever I go my mind is fixed to serve God. At the last God will divide the good from the bad. Used to hear God's Word, and always went back to my sin. But at last came away with the others, and was fixed then. Kow-KAYTH, aged l8. — Ausivers : — We must leave all sinful ways, and take hold of God's ways. I have long carried sin, but must not carry sin to God. God is a great Spirit. Made earth and heaven. Jesus died in our stead. The Spirit of God ever with us ; the hand of God ever near. If we carry our sin till we die, God will H I ■1 ■ ip :i: 1 ^•' I 'A .1 '•■ , %• :1 ^56 Stranger ti)an dFuttoit. punish us. We must all meet Qod when we die. God will show us our ways. My father was cut down in his sins. I purpose to do differently. Kahli', aged 35. — Ansiccrs :—\ shall fight against my sins. My heart truly says I will turn from sin to God. God is perfectly right in His ways. Sees all, goot turned 10 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 si.ii,. We must pray for the .Spirit to help us. I confess my sins to uod and cry for pity. I pray for my friends. After ticalh tlie juuijment. We must stand befcMre God. Jesus will answer fac ttaB.se wiu trust in Him. Mjtiarns. — Upheld her husband in Ins wickedness. Was turned ■:■- ' . turn:! ■ liis death. .iiiiJUiJ.. vite of Clah), aged 30. — Anr.oers: — We must i^ivc ip'^aBsiu. ^ces and knows us ail through. Jesus died in our siEatti bun— 111 were bad. By the Spirit of Jesus we must learn to gnnd way. I feel strugfrlc m my mind, but persevere. rr-"?r. ^Vill do .all I can to keep God's way. God's u-v- ;iat He will hear. • ( cuisftainess of the Nisiikahs), aged ^^.—Ans-wfrs : all eiaii v»rays. I isel myself a sinner in God's sight. ' ioti the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, who died for oar sins. Gutl aonds down His Spirit to mike us good. Jesus is in heaven, and is -iin-iting our nameis in God'^v book. We must stand before God atiri be judgf^ l)y Him. I feel God's Word is truth. Have been rrsr some time accustomed regularly to pray. Remarks. — Two years ago .she was found giving Christian instruc- tion to a sick and dying person. Her husbr/ul tells me she passed much time in devotion. When she first heard the Word of God her sorrow was great, and her penitence mor^* than she could bear. Some five years she has been earnestly seeking God. Nayauk, aged Tp.—Atmvers :—l have been a great sinner, but Gotl ha.s opened my heart to .see good, and I am resolved by His help to put awa' all evil and live to God. I pray for pardon and God's Holy Spirit. I feel unhajjpiness now amongst my heatlien fricnd>, and iiavc pleasure only with God's people. Remarks.— llcv husband has l)ecn sent nw-iy. She rcm.ii:ies much moved last fishing at m / sinfulness, and then repented strongly, and resolved to walk witl; (jJod. I pray morning, noon, and night for pardon and Ccd's Spirit. I^c'niarJcs. — Hnd opposed her husband, who is a Chri.-.tian. W.MI-TKK-Iioo, aged iG.—Aiiruit'n : — Have been sorely tempted. Jesus came down from heaven to save sinners, and to make our peace with God. Jesus shed His blood for our sins. Jesus will be as a ladder f(jr us to heaven when we die. ''Ve must stand before (iod. We must cry to (Jod before we die, and not put off. I pray for a clean heart to God. Kcntarh. — Made a touching confession of her sins, when ajiplying for baptism. P.MKK(wifeofSlulloh), ;\ged 25. — Aitrwers: — 'Want to f'nd God. I repent of my sins. First led to think by the shock of my father being shot in the house by another Indian, Sought peace and came to Metla-k.itla. God is almighty, full of goodness, and truth, and love. Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins. Asked what we shoultl ask God for. She said, light. The gooel will dwell with God for ever, the bad be cast away. Vi ■ i6o Urangrr tj^cin iffictwn. Lahsi,, aged 22. — Attsiiiers: — I wish to be a Christian. Must put away all sin. I believe in our I-ord jesus Christ, who takes away my sin. '!'he Spirit is almighty ; strengthens my l)reath. \Ve must all stand before (iod. We must try to lie good. Knowing this, I pray to (Iod morning and evening. Death in the family firsi, led me to think. I have been made bad by my people, but have now turned to (Iod. A'eniiirks : — ICightecn mouths under instruction. IJcen afflicted, and shown great c«)nstancy. Ahk-va!K, aged 22. — /Iftncvrs: — My sins T must leave. I pray to Cod for partlon. Relieve in Cod who made us, and heaven and earth. Jesus Christ the .Son of Cod, our Lord. He came down from heaven to our world to save sinners. Cod is a great .Spirit. Cod will measure our ways. I have struggled against my friends who wish to get me away from here. AVw/f my sins. Jesus had compassion, .-lad dM;d on the cross for our sins, that we might live after Hi.; death. Cdd send.> down His Sjiirit to make us good. After death Cod will show us our sins nnd divide us. I pray when I wake in the night. If only my tongue speaks, my prayers do not go to Cod ; but if my heart specks, Corethren. Cod will I)e to us as a brotlier. Long time ago I knew good, but it died in my heart, and I followed sin ; but I had an illness, an .*3 ■ i2 1 1 \- k 1 l62 l^trangcr tl)au ;irtctton. only by the breath of prayer. The responses were made with earnestness and decision. Not an indi- vidual was there whose lips did not utter in their own expressive tongue their hearty readiness to believe and to serve God." It will, of course, be understood that so entire an absence of all " external aids " to devotion was the result of circumstances rather than of choice, just as was the nature of the building in which the ceremony was performed. On the following day, the services of the Bishop were put in requisition to unite in marriage three native couples. " Nothing could be more pleasing than the manner in which the young people conducted themselves. The services evidently impressed both then and their friends who came to witness the cerv.inony. The custom of the ring was quite novel to them in connexion with marriage. Rings they have in abundance generally. I have counted thirty on a single pair of hands. All rings were, however, absent on this occasion, excepting the one to be used : two had silver, the third had a gold ring. There was no confusion : all evidently were properly impressed. Two of the young ladies had white dresses. I presented each of the couples with a fifty-pound bag of flour and five pounds of pru( Ch» pan gfive- and be i allov ■^in '\ 9n lngati)rrtng. 163 :d sugar. It is customary amongst Indians for the newly married pair to give presents to their friends, sometimes to their own impoverishment. We de- sire to establish rather the more healthful practice of encouraging the new home by substantial help." On the same day fourteen children were also baptized. " It was pleasing to see the strong desire of the Christians for the admission of their children to the same privilege of union with Christ's Church as themselves. They all took places — parents, sponsors, and children — in the same ring as the adults of yesterday, and came up, leading the little ones between two, and,, on returning, reverently knelt down, remaining in private devotion for a while, as was the case with the adults. Several questions were necessary to be decided which are not incidental to old-established countries. Parents, still unbaptized, sought baptism for their children ; prudence prevented this. Children, of one parent Christian, the other heathen, wert admitted. Two parcfjts. still unbaptized, came to say they had ^ vc:. ',.' ir child to a sister who was a Christian, atfd who had adopted it for her own, that it might be baptized and trained as a Christian. This I allowed Children over seven I did not admit. M 2 ■I ia 164 i&trcingrr Hjait ^fTicttoii. considering they might be imbued with heathen ideas, and should undergo training in Christianity as a preparation for baptism, though to be baptized as infants. It was interesting to see, afterwards, children brought by their parents, and coming of their own accord to have their names set down for preparation." Before his departure, the Bishop gave a feast of rice and molasses to all the village. " They assembled in the octagon. Cloths were laid ; all brought their own dishes and spoons. There were three tables, at each of which one of the chiefs presided. Their custom is to eat little at the time, but take away the principal part of the allotted portion : all rise before and after the meal for grace. Singing was then introduced, and ex- cellent, certainly, were the strains of harmony poured forth in the English tongue. Several well- known rounds were capitally sung. First, a boat- song ; then — ' When a weary task you find it, Persevere, and never mind it.* • Come tell me now, sweet little bird, Who deck'd thy wings with gokl ?' ' See oar oars, with feather'd spray ;" and last, ' God save the Queen.' In this they v^crc as quick and lively :is any children in tiie F thn ]ab( the pro mo\ Kn lnQAtl)trtnQ. 165 world, the men joininjj, too, in good time — voices sweet and soft. Mr. Duncan afterward.s addressed them in an earnest speech." \Vc liave thus traced Mr. Duncan's work through its initial stages, extending over a period of five years (1X57-63). We cannot better conclude this part of our narrative than by quoting once more the words in which the Bishop of Columbia ex- presses the opinion which his own personal expe- rience, and the unanimous testimony of those who had been able to watch the work in its gradual development, had led him to form. *' All former work, varied, and interesting, and impressive as ministerial life is, seems insignificant before this manifest power of the Spirit of God, touching the heart and enlightening the understanding of .so many recently buried in the darkness and misery of ignorant and cruel superstition. " To a worthy, zealous, and gifted lay brother, is this the reward of his loving and patient labours. Few would believe what Mr. Duncan has gone through during the past four years and a half, labouring alone amongst the heathen. Truly is the result an encouragement to us all. It will probably be the commencement t)f an important movement amongst other tribes, of which wc ill ■ '1 1 il ' 1' ■ 1 \\ '' 1 1 U1 il 1(56 j&transtr tl)tin Jfiction, already have signs, and should call forth a very earnest effort on the part of the Church to send forth a faithful and efficient band of additional labourers for this harvest of immortal souls." ery •nal il^; ^ it 1 h 1 h i - ■ i ■ 1 ;/ ^ ; ■I 1 1 i 1 illi PAUL LEOAIC. I To faef p. \67. n CHAPTER XIII. I'AUL LEGAIC. ' \ HIC name — Paul — chosen at his baptism by Lcgaic, was a singularly appropriate one. Possessed of great power and influence, for a long season he had used them only for the purpose of hindering the progress of the Gospel, and had made himself notorious as a ** persecutor and injurious." I'rom henceforward, however, we shall see him showing as much zeal in promoting as he had before done in hindering the Faith. But before this change was brought about a period of severe trial had to be passed through. Read in the light of his after-history, Legaic's answers at the time of baptism acquire an especial interest, as showing how real was the struggle with the peculiar temptations which beset him. " If I turn bacic it will be more bitter for me than before. I pray God to strengthen me to do right. My i M ,107. T IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I If WM IIM 2.2 1^ IM fr 1140 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ' 6" ► Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 T A. &$• 4 i f / 1 68 Stranger ti)nn dTutiou. prayers are from my heart. We have not strength of ourselves." The temptation to return to Fort Snnpson and assume his former rank as Head Chief of the Tsimsheean tribes, at all times very strong, seemed on particular occasions well-nigh irresistible ; every kind of inducement was held out to him by his former friends and subordinate chiefs. Some time after his baptism it seemed as if these inducements were likely to prevail. On one occasion he actually gathered his friends at Metlahkatlah together, and told them that he felt he must go away and return to his former life. The canoe waited on the beach, and many came down to see him off. Taught from infancy to regard him as their leader, all were sorrowful, and some seemed to waver. Making his fprewell address before stepping into his canoe, he told them that he could not help what he was doing, that he was pulled aivay ; he knew that he was doing wrong, perhaps he should perish for ever, but still he must go. Tears came into his eyes as he shook them all by the hand. Then, amidst a general mourning and dismay, his canoe disap- peared from sight. Such was the description of the scene given to WJ ■-^f' $aul Utgatc i6(j M t to the Bishop of Columbia by one of the Metlahkatlah Indians who had left for Victoria the same day. ** After describing the scene," the Bishop writes, "he said the Christian Indians held a great talk amongst themselves about it, and the general impression was that Legaic would return. He himself thought so strongly. I was therefore most anxious to kno\v the result, and to my joy I found that such had been the case. Legaic had not pro- ceeded beyond a few miles when he turned his canoe in-shore and landed, and there underwent a night of misery, such, he said, as no words can describe ; he would die a hundred deaths, and not all would reach the amount of suffering he ex- perienced in that night of remorse. He wept before his God, and prayed earnestly for pardon. On his return he came to the mission-house. Mr. Duncan received him purposely at first with coldness, but soon found him in the deepest dis- tress and misery, entreating his pity and forgive- ness. He has since been most earnest, and it is hoped, through God's help, he will now go forward without halting in his Christian course." From this time forward Legaic's conduct seems to have been every thing that could have been wished. Not only did he set an example of steady I ^W J *, i n .'I '-a ,M p if I/O Stranger ti^an iFtction. industry in the calling which he had chosen — that of a carpenter and cabinet-maker — but he was always on the watch for every opportunity of seconding Mr. Duncan's efforts. Here, for instance, is an account given by the Bishop on the occasion of his second visit to Metlahkatlah, in 1865, of the way in which he used his influence : — "To-day Mr. Duncan brought before me a young man, Edward, whom I had baptized in 1863, who, to the great grief of his Christian relatives at Metlahkatlah, had fallen into bad habits at Victoria and Fort Simpson. Mr. Duncan spoke to him very earnestly, and brought him to tears ; but the young man still excused himself, and, admitting how bad he was, professed he had not strength to amend, but must go on, even though to his destruc- tion. Paul Legaic, too, gave him some very earnest advice. It was pleasing to see and to hear that once ferocious savage, now not only gentle and in his right mind, loving to be on the side of God, but forward in using his influence and speaking his words to promote God's work. At length an impression did seem to be made, and Edward said he would speak to us alone. Overwhelmed with emotion, he asked me to pity him and to pray for him, and made me a solemn promise he would i , 1;jl ^aul Eegatc. 171 h an aid with for ■rould from this time amend. I do trust, through God's mercy, he may yec be recovered." Speaking of Legaic's general conduct, the Bishop says, " He is industrious, and gains a good liveli- hood, and lives in a comfortable house of his own building, with good glass windows and a verandah. Chairs were set for visitors, and we had much talk about the Mission, and the work, and the tribe. His only child Sarah is one of the most promising girls of the Mission-house." Another clergyman, the Rev. R. Dundas, alluding to a visit which he paid Legale, says, " 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 a bleeding dog. How changed ! She who 'had the unclean spirit sits now at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in her right mind.'" About the same time, Mr. Duncan incidentally notices the assistance constantly rendered him by Legale on the occasion of his going to preach at Fort Simpson. Describing one of these visits, he n !» "72 Stranger tijan dFtction. says, " Paul Legaic and Clah 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 Tsimsheeans 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 hab'ts, 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 Tsimsheean 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, 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, 1 : $aul ILtQaic. ^73 long life, or ease, or wealth, but God's favour here and happiness wfth God after death." Other records show that at every public meeting, whether at Fort Simpson or Metlahkatlah, Legale always took an active part in the proceedings. Of the various speeches made by him of which any account has been preserved, the following one, made on the occasion of the Dean of Victoria's visit to the settlement in 1867, may be taken as a fair specimen : — " We have heard your speech, sir ; we will obey. Mr. Duncan has showed us God's Word : he has taken our hands, and led us to God. We come dripping away from sin, but our hearts are not yet clean. We are still craving the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin. How can we return to evil ? To God we will go. The ladder has been set up. Jesus is that ladder. Here let us die, put our bodies in the ground when God calls us. In con- clusion let me say, God has given you to work for us, because we are sinners. May you be prospered." Nor is it only in the distinctly Missionary records that we find this constant allusion to the changed character of Legale. In the various articles or letters contributed from time to time by trpvcllers is ill ill Ji.i) I i: I li \T-\ V' 19 174 Stranser ti)an dTution. to the Victoria newspapers, " Paul Legaic, Mr. Duncan's Grand Vizier at Metlahkatlah," always comes in for a kindly notice. " Take a walk near the church," writes one, " 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." Another writer, speaking of the care with which Mr. Duncan had studied the tastes and capabilities of those whom he set up in various trades, says, " Accordingly, as you pass into Metlahkatlah, you may see old Legaic, the former chief, busily work- ing under a sign-board which informs passers-by that he is a carpenter and cabinet-maker." Legaic's end was such as might have been ex- pected from the consistent life which he had now for some years led. In the course of the year 1869, he had gone on a visit to the Naas river, and on his return was taken seriously ill at Fort Simpson. ri Paul Hcgatc 175 He immediately wrote the following short note to Mr. Duncan : — " Dear Sir, — I want to see you. I always re- member you in my mind. I shall be very sorry if I shrtll 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." To his great sorrow, Mr. Duncan was quite unable to obey the summons thus sent to him. The entire management of the settlement in all its departments of work, and the care of several other cases of serious sickness, made it impossible for him to leave just at that time. He was obliged, therefore, in answer to this, and a second and third summons which followed in quick succession by separate messengers, to content himself with send- ing messages of love and counsel to the sick chief. When, a few days later, the tidings of his death were brour^ht to Metlahkatlah, there came with them the following unfinished letter : — *' 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." -Ill ii I ku ■ 111 176 Straugcr tl)an dfution. Those who had been with him during his illness said that the one special subject of thankfulness to which he was continually referring was, that God had held back his hand from hurting Mr. Duncan at a time when he had determined to take his life. Such was the end of this once " haughty, fierce, savage murderer and sorcerer." In no age or country probably has Mission work had any more striking instance to point to of the power of redeem- ing love and grace. Contrasting the closing scenes of his life with those in which he first appears in our narrative — now as a reckless murderer, and again aj the leader of the savage band of medicine-men who threatened Mr. Duncan's life — remembering him as one who boasted of the number of lives which had been sacrificed to gratify his fierce passions — the very posts of whose house had been planted each upon the bleeding body of a slave slaughtered for the occasion ; and then calling to mind the circum- stances of his after-history — the entire surrender of all that an Indian holds most dear ; his resolute battling with the powers of evil ; his steady per- severance for several years, and the earnestness with which, during all that time, he sought to bring home to others the saving knowledge of the truth $aul llcgAir. '77 by which he had himself been made free, we cannot resist the conviction, that such a history as this affords not only the most unanswerable argument in favour of Mission work in general, but the most distinct refutation of the idea which now-a-days we too often hear put forward, that in the case of those who have already grown old in the ways of sin, the Gospel is not "powerful to the pulling down of strongholds," and that it is with the young only that it can be expected to have its full pcwer. The case of Paul Legale was, be it remembered, no exceptional one, though rendered somewhat more remarkable by his former rank. His history is only one out of a very large number of a similar kind which the experience of this Mission would furnish. It is to this fact, indeed, that Legaic's history owes its importance. From any point of view it would be one of considerable interest, but regarded as an illustration of the effects actually produced under particular circumstances by Missionary labour, it affords a singularly valuable lesson — a lesson at once of warning and encouragement : of warning, not for a moment to allow the idea that the case of any is hopeless ; and of encouragement in the persistent reiteration of the Story of the N \\ If I ,';!:^ ( :i-: \^".\ 1 ■ i : i i . ! ?' !. ; - ■ 1 J :■ ! i 178 l^trangtr ti)cin iFtction. Cross in the hearing even of the most apparently hardened. That, humanly speaking, a great part of Mr. Duncan's success, especially at first, was due to the persistency with which he went to those who would not come to him, and to his resolute deter- mination to declare to all, "whether they would hear or whether they would forbear," the counsel and will of God regarding them, there can be no doubt. When the Word of God is not " glorified " in the manifestation of its power, may it not sometimes be because it has not thus " free course " .'* 'm^m^^ CHAPTi^R XIV. THREE YEARS' WORK. E now must return and take up our narrative at the point at which the name of Paul Legaic tempted us to anticipate it. At the close of the year 1863, arrangements were again made for the bap- tism of a considerable number of converts. The officiating clergyman this time was the Rev. R. Dundas, one of the clergy of the " British Columbia Mission.' His own account of his visit will best indicate the state of the mission at this time : — " Stmday, Oct. i^th, 1863. — It was a pretty sight to see the whole population, old and young, at the sound of the bel! thronging to worship God. No need to lock doors, for there is no one to enter the empty houses. Every soul is assembled in the one place, and for one purpose. As they entered, the men took the right and the women the left hand of the great circular hall. I was surprised to learn N 2 m u 'A i , 1 ; l! 1 1 ' , ;.. 11^ M « ! ! i8o ^trangrr Hjan dTiftioii. from Mr. Duncan afterwards that he had never bidden them to do this ; they seemed to have adopted the arrangement instinctively. Service began with a hymn in Tsimsheean. He led with his concertina. The air was very plaintive and beautiful — sung by some 200 voices, men, women, and children — it thrilled through me. Then fol- lowed Prayers in Tsimsheean, at rhe close of which all joined in the Lord's Prayer in English. Then followed a chant ; one of the Psalms he had trans- lated and taught them, to a fine old Gregorian. His address, or sermon, of nearly an hour, was upon the story of Martha and Mary. His manner and gesticulation were animated and striking, very much after their own style. Their attention never seemed to flag throughout. He asked me to address them, which I did, shortly, upon their present light as compared with their past darkness, and the difficulties they must expect in their new cause of Christian discipleship. Mr. Duncan inter- preted for me. Before separating, they sang again in Tsimsheean a sort of sacred air, which seemed familiar to me, and was exquisitely beautiful. I found afterwards it was the anthem, ' I will arise, and go to my Father,' somewhat altered, and made more Indian in its character. It suited their voices Ef)vte ^tavs;* Morfe. i8t admirably. I closed with a short prayer in Eng- hsh, and pronounced the Benediction. " The service was most striking. It was hard to reaHze that three years ago these had all been sunk in the deepest heathenism, with all its horrible practices. What hours, what whole nights of wrestling in prayer, have been spent by this single- minded faithful servant of God, in humble suppli- cation that he might ' see of the travail of his soul,* and how has he been answered ! There is nothing too hard for the Lord. Service over, Messrs. Dun- can and Verney joined me in partaking of the Holy Communion. After the Bishop's next visit there will be, I hope, Indians ready to communicate whenever opportunity is offered. " Tuesday y Oct. 2']th. — I went on shore in the afternoon, to take up my quarters with Mr. Duncan. About four o'clock the bell was rung, and the whole village assembled at the schoolhouse, when !N^r. Duncan told them that on the following Sun- day, those who desired it, and also on examination approved themselves, would be admitted to Holy Baptism. Candidates were to assemble that evening at seven, to give in their names. In his address to them he was very pointed and stringent — fencinsf in, as he afterwards told me, the door of I ', 6- H li' n \- if i m ■y\ l82 Stranger tl^an dfiction. admissidn. He told them the strict, uncompro- mising requirements in those who thus sought to join themselves to Christ and His service. Better that they should postpone so solemn and awful a step than come to it unprepared. At the hour appointed the candidates were assembled. Fifty- five gave in their names. Several were absent who would have come forward had they been there ; but, as my coming was not anticipated, at least 150 to 200 were away for their last hunting and fishing excursions before the winter, and would not be back for some weeks. "Saturday, Oct. ^ist. — I was hard at work with candidates the whole day, from 9 a.m. till 1 1 p.m. Out of fifty-five who offered I accepted thirty- eight ; twenty-one males and seventeen females. I was strongly impressed with the real earnestness and devotion of those who came forward, and with their acquaintance with the simple, saving truths of the Gospel message. ^ " A few answers may interest you. " Comkahgwum, aged about twenty-five, a fine . young man — to the inquiry, what led him first to think of Christ — said, * It was the winter before last. The new school was built at Fort Simpson. Mr. Duncan asked all the Indians one Sunday to come -fl Z^xtt ^mi' mov^. 1 183 to church. I had never been, I went then. He told us of our evil ways, and of God who loved us. It was good to my heart ; I was deep m the ground then ; but now, when I heard this, I wanted to be free, and to love God : that was the first time I thought of Him.' " In answer to the inquiry about God's view of sin, and His feeling towards sinners, he said, 'God's heart is against sin, He is angry with it. But He pitied us. It was all for Jesus' sake.' (What did Jesus Christ do for us i*) 'Jesus came down from His Father to die for our sins on the Cross.' (Is He dead still V) ' Oh, no ! He rose up from death. He is in heaven now. He is working for us there. He is sprinkling us with His blood to make us clean. (What must we leave and do to be Christians .'') * We must leave our sinful ways ; we must have new hearts ; our old hearts are bad. We must believe in our Lord.' (Who will help you i*) 'Jesus sends down His Holy Spirit to strengthen our hearts : we must keep praying for His good Spirit.' (Do you pray for it V) * I am always working in prayer for God to pity me.' (If you are tempted, what will you do T) * I will fight my sins. God will help me to fight.' This poor man has been a murderer in his heathen state. Three years ago he was pro- ,) ; \ Hi t\ I s-M 1;'. III ;' \i i I .t84 Stranger ti^aii dTtction. voked by another of the tribe, and wronged in the same way. He watched him out of the village at Fort Simpson, and then shot him dead. It weighs much upon his mind now. " Here are some answers of an elderly woman : * I want to take hold of the hand of God. He is willing to pity me ; our sins killed Jesus ; but His blood saves us. I must leave all my sins, for Jesus suffered for them. We shall stand before God ; we must see God's righteousness. He will give His hand to the good, but He will put the wicked away from Him.' This woman, who cannot be less than fifty, has had no instruction from Mr. Duncan, save what she has heard in church. It has come chiefly from her own daughter of fifteen, who is one of the Mission-house inmates, and has been with Mr. Duncan for four years, his best and most promising young convert. She has been baptized by the Bishop, and has now been the instructress of her parents, both of whom will be baptized by me to-morrow. " From two or three elderly men I got of course answers less full. It is hard for them to remember truths so as to give definite answers in words. They feel and know more than they can explain. In a few cases Mr. Duncan said, if I would allow €l)rte ^tavi* Moife. 185 him,he would not put anyquestions to them formally, but would leave them to tell in their own way why they sought for baptism. And very touching it was even to listen to them, though I could not under- stand them. One, with tears streaming down, said he was very old, and must soon die ; but he wanted to be at peace with God. He knew his ways had been bad all his life ; but he had had no light ; and now he wanted to belong to Jesus, for he knew Jesus loved him and died for him. Of course I could not hesitate in such a case, and gladly accepted him. Some I rejected, because, being capable of instruc- tion, they hardly came up to the standard required, and it was better that they should be more fully taught as catechumens before admission. A few who satisfied me in their knowledge I rejected, because their character for steadiness and goodness was not satisfactory ; and one young woman, of about eighteen, I refused to examine at all. She was guilty of a gross act of dishonesty last summer, and then left the settlement and returned to the heathen at F. t Simpson. A few weeks ago she came back ; but Mr. Duncan was hardly aware of her return till last week. She received a severe reprimand for coming forward at all (her name was not in our fir.st list), and an intimation from him 11 ■( ? ij rW'- ' ; ; Si i86 Stranger t))an jFictton. that her ofifence had yet to be taken notice of. The choosing of names and other preliminaries of the arrangements for to-morrow occupied us for nearly two hours. In the case of those who had relatives already baptized — mothers or sisters, or parents, or children — the same family name was kept. One young lad of sixteen, whose answering had much pleased me, was called Robert Dundas. Lieut. Verney was allowed to name two candidates after himself and his brother. Two very pleasing young women, of not more than sixteen, I was anxious to name after my sisters, but I found that they had alrear"/ borne English names, being in Mr. Duncan's class (first) in the school, and as they were known by these he did not wish them altered. " Sunday, Nov. ist. — All Saints' Day. To-day I was privileged to perform the most interesting scene I have ever taken part in since I left England. Fifty-two souls have been baptized with water and the Spirit, and added to the Church of Christ, most of whom were walking a few years ago in the dark- ness that might be felt of degraded heathenism. "After s'^rvice on board, Lieut. Verney accom- panied me on shore. The Baptismal Service was arranged to take place at two, for adults, of whom there were thirty-nine. A second service was fixed for the infants of some of the Christians, thirteen in p Ef)r« ^tari* Morlt. 187 number, at five o'clock. A large number of the sailors from the gunboat were present, and seemed greatly interested in the solemn rite. A small table was arranged on a low platform at one side of the great circular Mission-house. On it were placed four silver dishes containing water, which Lieut. Verney lent for the occasion ; they were the best substitute we could obtain for a font. I wore my surplice, stole, and hood. The service of course had to be gone through twice : after each prayer and exhortation, in the adult form, had been offered or spoken by me in English, Mr. Duncan repeated it in Tsimsheean. The candidates were arranged in rows — the men behind, the women in front. On either side of them, all round the hall, were the rest of the congregation, Indians and sailors. At the proper point in the service, one by one, the candidates stepped forward in front of the assembled congre- gation. Mr. Duncan called up each by his heathen name. In answer to my request, * Name this per- son,' he gave the new Christian name, and by it I baptized him. As I held the hand of each, while receiving him or her into the Church of Christ, and signing him with the sign of the Cross, I could often feel that they trembled with deep emotion. On returning one by one to their places, each knelt down in silent prayer. The Baptism being ended, ■ J s;"' ■'• 5. I' ! m II i88 Stranger tl^an dTiction. I offered up the two concluding prayers, all joining in the Lord's Prayer in English. I then addressed the newly-baptized. ** Friday y Nov. 6th. — Up anchor, and started at seven. Mr. Duncan came off in his canoe to say good-bye. The Indians ran the British ensign up as we passed the flag-staff, which Lieut. Verney acknowledged by hoisting all his colours — red, white, and blue — at main, fore, and mizen. And so I bid good-bye to this most interesting place. It takes its position now as one of the civilized towns or villages of British Columbia. But it is more than that : it is the enduring witness of the faith and patience and love of one unaided Christian teacher, whose sole reward (the only one he has ever coveted) is the souls he has been the honoured in- strument of bringing from darkness to light. * I have seen Missions in various parts of the world before now' (said Lieut. Verney to me), 'but no- where one that has so impressed me with the reality of what has been accomplished."* The history of the next two years (1864-66) is one of uninterrupted progress, both in spiritual and secular matters. Six months after Mr. Dundas's visit, Mr. Duncan writes : — ~ CJjrtt ^tnv&* Morfe. 189 i I ** A great number are now preparing for baptism, and I hope that very soon the whole settlement will be Christian. A// the baptized have been and are greatly tried. Many we can rejoice over exceedingly, but some few have fallen, and have been excom- municated ; but, with one exception, all such have bitterly repented, and are struggling to regain their footing." The Sunday services continued to be attended by congregations varying from 300 to 400. On Sunday evenings a meeting was also held, at which, after singing and prayer, one or two of the young men exhorted the others, making the addresses given by Mr. Duncan in the earlier part of the day the basis of their remarks. About 100 usually attended on these occasions. But perhaps one of the most encouraging signs of the reality of the work which was going on was the conduct of many of the converts when absent from the settlement. Mr. Duncan writes : — " Nor is it only in our own settlement that good is being done. Wherever these Indians go they carry their religion with them, always assembling themselves together for worship on the Sunday, and getting as many of the heathen to join them as pos- sible. An Indian of Fort Simpson, who has received 1*1 I '- 1». % II 190 Stranger ti)an .'tFittton. a good deal of instruction from me (though he is not a resident at our new village), came here a few days ago, bringing seven young men with him from one of the highest villages up the Naas river, over 100 miler. from here. He brought them that they might witness for themselves the things of which tliey had heard him speak. He has been residing at this village as a fur-trader, but he has also dili- gently employed his talents for God, setting forth the Gospel where it had never beei preached before, and has met with great encouragement and apparent success. I had the whole party at my house last Wednesdny evening, when I endeavoured very solemnly to impress upon their minds and hearts the first principles of the Gospel of Christ. Though intending to return home on the following day, they decided to remain over the Sunday, that they might receive further instruction to carry back with them to their waiting and thirsty tribe. " They were anxious to carry in their hands a portion of God's Word, so I wrote out for each, on a piece of paper, — * This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' I also gave the Indian trader and teacher some further instruc- tions, and pointed him out portions of Scripture CJ^r 220 stranger tf)an dFiftion, providence of God, essential to its success. Who that reads the story of what the strong will and entire self-devotion of one man has effected will deny that it is indeed ''stranger than fiction'* ? CHAPTER XVI. GAL 1 DAYS. H>l NTIL we have seen a community in their holiday dress, and marked the general character of their festivities, we are hardly in a position to form a fair opinion of the standard to which, in social and religious matters, it has attained. Let us, then, glance for a moment at the various festivities and observances by which, from time to time, particular days and occasions were observed at Metlahkatlah. Of ordinary holidays the one most observed is the Queen's birthday. We will choose for our de- scription an occasion on which one of H.M. ships, the " Sparrowhawk," was anchored off the village, as it doubtless £,erved to give an additional klat to the proceedings. At an early hour a party from the ship landed, to help in decorating the Mission-house and bastion with a festoon of flags of various nations. The < I \m II' 222 Stranger tl^an iFtction. day was delightful ; the sun shone bright, and all the beautiful scenery of the islands, placid sea, and distant mountains, contributed to the charm. The proceedings of the day commenced in thd house of God, where seventeen children were bap- tized. " It was pleasing," writes the Bishop of Columbia, who officiated, " to witness the devout manner of the sponsors, and to hear their audible responses. None any where could behave better, or show more appreciation of this sacrament of the Gospel." A distribution of gifts then took place. First came 140 children, as orderly and nicely dressed as the children of the best village school in England. After singing " God save the Queen," in English, they were each presented with a biscuit. Next came 1 20 elderly m'jn and women, to wliori a few leaves of tobacco were an acceptable token of friendly feeling ; the sick, too, were remenibered; and last, not least, the councilmen and constables. I'recisely at twelve o'clock a royal salute of twenty-one guns boomed forth from the ship, to the great satisfaction, and some astonishment of the groups of Indians who, in their Sunday best, had gathered to the village square, to join in the fes- tivities, which now commenced in earnest. Chil- <&ala ^avi. Z2$ dren playing at ball, and taking turns at a merry- go-round ; young men competing at gymnastic bars ; the eighteen policemen of the village, in regi- mentals, ready for review ; and the elders walking about, comparing the old time and the new, made up a scene which, for interest and enjoyment, could not well be surpassed. But the most exciting part of the programme for the day was the regatta. The course was about two miles, round an island. In the first race five canoes, manned by forty-one young men in their prime, were engaged. The canoes flew through the waves, throwing the white foam on every side ; and right gallantly were the efforts sustained until the goal was reached. Three canoes, rowed by women, also contended for a prize. Next came foot-races, running in sacks, blind- man's buff, and such like musements. It so hap- pened that on this day large body of Ouoquolt Indians came to Metlahkatlah. As they landed from their fleet of Bella Pella canoes, the contrast which they presented to the well-dressed and re- spectable Metlahkatlahs was ver^/ striking. They were clothed in tattered blank'jts which scarcely covered their nakedness. Their faces were painted black and red, and their hair was matted and ■'id ii ■ 224 ^transer ti)an jFictton. dishevelled. Not a little astonished at all they saw around them, they eventually retired, as though wishing to hide themselves from observation. Their chief, a stately personage, alone remained as the guest of Legaic. The evening was devoted to a public meeting, and a magic-lantern entertain- ment. At the meeting several of the officers from the " Sparrowhawk " addressed the Indians. Some of the chief men replied, Mr. Duncan acting as inter- preter on both sides. The time being short, the speakers were limited to a few minutes each. Two or three quotations will serve to give some idea of the general line of the addresses and the highly figurative language peculiar to Indian oratory : — Abraham Kemskah. — "Chiefs, I will say a little. How were we to hear, when we \^'ere young, what we now he?,r } And being old, and long fixed in sin, how are we to obey ? We are like the canoe going against the tide which is too strong for it : we struggle, but, in spite of our efforts, we are car- ried out to sea. Again, we are like a youth watch- ing a skilled artisan at work : he strives to imitate his work, but fails : so we ; we try to follow God's way, but how far we fall short ! Still we are en- couraged to persevere. We feel we are nearing the ■ii ®ala Bai>9. 225 shore ; we are coming nearer the hand of God, near peace. We must look neither to the right nor left, but look straight on and persevere." Peter Simpson {TJirak-shah-kaivn — once a sor- cerer). — 'Chiefs, I will speak. As my brothers before have entreated, so do ye. Why have you left your country and come to us } One thing has brought you here : one thing was the cause. To teach us the way of God, and help us to walk in it. Our forefathers were wicked and dark ; they taught us evil, they taught us ahlicd (sorcery). My eyes have swollen. Three ^hts I have not slept ; I have crept to the corner of my house to cry, re- flecting on God's pity to us in ^nding you at this time. You are not acting from your own liearts : God has sent you. I am happy to see so man of my brothers and sisters newly born to ^ jod. God has spoken to us : ' let us hear.' " . - . Richard Wilson. — " Chiefs, as we hav now heard, so do ye. Indeed, father" (addr .wg Mr. Duncan), " we are sinners before you ; we often make your voice bad in calling us ; we must perse- vere, we must try, though we are bad ; we are like the wedge used in splitting the trees ; we are making the way for our children : they will be better than we are. The sun does not come out in Q ■I 1 f i I J mH'. '11 V t1 226 l^ttanget tl^an dfuttoii. full strength in early morn ; the grey light at first spreads itself over the earth ; as it rises the light increases, and, by-and-by, is the mid-day sun. We shall die before we have reached much, but we shall die expecting our children to pass on beyond us, and reach the wished-for goal." Daniel Baxter (Neeask-ah-pootk).—" Chiefs, I am foolish, I am bad, bad in your sight. What can our hearts say.? What shall we do } We can only pray and persevere. We will not listen to voices on this side or that, but follow on till we reach our Father in heaven." Cheevost {Jacob). — " Chiefs, we have heard you. Why should we try to mistake the way you teach us ? rather we must try to follow on ; though our feet often slip, we must still try ; we have rocks all round us; our sins are like the rocks, but the rudder of our canoe is being held. She will not drift away. We are all assisting to hold the rudder and keep her in her course. What would she be without the rudder? — Soon a wreck upon the rocks. So we must cry to God for help to follow on. We must beg God's Holy Spirit to strengthen us -nd to guide us. Chiefs, do you but speak, and we will obey." Woodeemeesh {Sitneon), — " I will speak to my T ®ala I9a^!^. 227 my brethren. What has God done to us ? What does He see in us that He should be working for us ? We are like the fallen tree buried in the under- growth. What do these chiefs gain by coming to us ? Did we call them } Do we know from whence they are, or did we see the way they had come .? Yet they have arrived to us. They have torn away the undergrowth ; they have found us ; and they have lifted up our hands and eyes to God, and showed us the way to heaven." The day concluded with an exhibition of the magic lantern, which, it is needless to say, caused the greatest excitement and amusement, which was not lessened by a remark of the chief of the Quoquolt Indians, to the effect that he found the "King George men" could conjure as well as the Indian. New Year's Day was another annual holiday, which was kept with somewhat similar festivities, sav'j that they were varied by a business meeting, in vhich the financial affairs of the settlement were discussed, taxes paid, arranged, &c. The cDmpletion of a new house, a marriage, or baptism, presented frequent occasions for minor festivities. Here is the description of such an entertainment, which Mr. Doolan attended during r ,! Q 2 228 Stranger tJ^an jTtctton. the temporary absence of Mr. Duncan in 1867:— " Feb. Afth. — Attended a feast of biscuit and tea, given in honour of the completion of a new house : the roof any thing but watertight, and as it was raining very hard, I had to put up with occasionally large drops falling down my neck. Such a noise ! the master of the feast bawling out the number of biscuits given to each person ; others busy at the fire, stirring the molasses — a substitute for sugar — in the tea ; men and women talking, children cry- ing ; while, to crown all, a kettle full of tea was upset on the fire, filling the house with steam. However, perfect good humour prevailed, and every one seemed happy. One of the Indians, at the conclu- sion of the feast, spoke very well, and was clapped ; the first time I have heard the Indians at feasts use this means of expressing their approbation. The purport of his speech was that God had pitied him, having given him strength to finish his house : though he was very ill, God had not called him away. Before his house was finished he lelt like a bird without a nest. He hoped God would ever be with him, and concluded by thanking us all for our attendance." Bread and tea, and tarts made from the juice of m « &nln ^nvi. 229 the native berries, formed the usual provision at such gatherings, and speech-making the chief amusement. The observance of Christmas, again, is thus de- scribed : — "Dec. i^thy Christmas Day. — This morning, be- tween twelve and one o'clock, a band of young men, attended by Mr. Duncan, paraded the village, singing hymns suitable for Christmas. The night was very fine, and the voices sounded very plea- santly in the still frosty air. " After Morning Service all the people, with the exception of a few who had mislehaved, came to the Mission-house to shake hands with us and wish us a happy Christmas. It was very pleasant to see the people looking so happy. They were all dressed in their best : the women wearing good gowns and different coloured shawls, and the men with strong pilot cloth coats. " We invited to dine with us the chiefs and their wives, in all six. After entertaining our guests with a microscope and some stereoscopic views, we closed with singing and prayers. " Dec. 26tk. — To-day being fine, the young men had a good game of football on the sand. After they had finished, the old men made sides, and seemed to enjoy the fun highly. 230 Stranger t))an dTtctton. " A great many feasts of tea and bread are being given : by. these feasts a friendly feeling amongst them is fostered." At rare and uncertain intervals the visits of a man-of-war, bringing some special visitor, caused a variation in the ordinary routine of the daily life. For instance, in 1867 the settlement was visited by the Governor of Victoria, an honour which was highly appreciated by the Indians. One or two extracts from the speeches made on the occasion of his reception will speak for themselves. Ad- dressing the assembly as " Councillors, Constables, and Friends," Governor Seymour said, — " It gives me great pleasure to meet you for the first time in your own home, and to see the great progress in civilization which you have made. Depend upon it, the arts and habits of the white men are good for the Indians also. As long as you continue doing well, you shall have the support and assistance of the Government. " Continue to fear God, to obey the authorities, to abstain from liquor, to make roads and houses, to cultivate your gardens, and you will do well." The following is an epitome of the speeches made by the Indians in reply to the Governor : — Paul Legaic. — " We have heard the good words ■■P &R\ti l9a|)!E(. 231 of the great chief now sitting here with us. We are children, not yet strong or wise enough to guide ourselves. Let the chief speak to us, and tell us what we ought to do, and what we ought to avoid doing, and we will obey. We beg, we all beg one thing from the chief, that he will use his power to stop the Indian custom of giving away property, as that custom is the great barrier to all improvement among the Indian tribes. It is to support and carry on that custom that the Indians rush into every kind of vice. We therefore wish the Governor to stop it. If he says it is to stop, it will stop ; if he will not forbid it, it will still go on." Peter Simpson. — "The chief has heard from Paul what we all strongly beg for. We are anxious to see peace established around us. The chief has kindly promised to take care of us. As the bird watches over its eggs, so do you watch us. You are strong ; we are weak ; you exhort us to perse- vere in the way we are going. So long as God shall spare us, we are resolved to follow in the track we are going. We long expected to see the great chief here. We see him now : we rejoice." Daniel Baxter. — " We are happy to-day. We ask what we can part with from our bodies to give the chief v/ho has visited us .? He has made us 232 Stranger tf)an Jftctton. glad with his words. Yes ; we are weak ; we are yet shallow ; but we are feeding on God's Word, but not yet satisfied. We have not eaten enough. The chief has done well to come to see us, though he makes but a short stay. It is good that his feet have walked our village road and touched our soil. He has heard from Paul Legale about the great barrier that stops the way of the surrounding Indians from following with us. We hope the chief will move it away." Some other speeches followed ; and the Governor replied, " I am going away. What you have said I shall bear in mind. Though, as you say, you are poor and young as a people, yet you have made great progress towards equality with white men. You worship the same God ; you are acquiring the same habits and customs ; you have houses like them ; you will have good roads ; you own a vessel ; you have a shop; will possess a saw-mill. If you continue in this way you will do well. I must now leave you, with the assurance that my heart is good towards you." CHAPTER XVII. '^1 SOCIAL PROGRESS. E have before spoken of the schooner which Mr. Duncan assisted the Indians to purchase, and of the trade carried on by its means. By the year 1867, besides large sums paid over from time to time to the Indian shareholders, the profits accruing to the Mission had sufficed to build a large market-house, a soap-house, a blacksmith's shop, and a saw-mill, representing together, with some improvements in the Octagon School Church, an expenditure of nearly 800/. The most important of these buildings was one about 90 feet by 30, erected on the shore near the upper end of a large jetty, and divided into two portions, the smaller designed for a court-hoir^e, the larger for village assemblies, a market-house, and for the accommodation of strangers. By this means strange Indians, who often came in large i 234 l^tranger tl^an dlTutton. numbers to trade, instead of being scattered over the village, to the great discomfort and detriment of their more civilized brethren, were comfortably- housed and properly cared for, whilst frequent opportunities were thus given of addressing large bodies of the heathen from the surrounding coun- try. " The good," Mr. Duncan writes, " which the market-house is doing in facilitating the preaching of the Gospel to our heathen neighbours is very great, more than would, I think, arise from an itinerating Missionary. It used to be almost impossible to get strange Indians to assemble for any special effort in instruction. Now all is changed. The men who come for trade to us occupy this house, and are, in a sense, my guests, and I can find them ready and happy to hear me or the young men of our village address them after the hum of trade has ceased." Many, too, of those who came to trade would remain over the Sunday, and attend the services in the church. The advantages of the " store," or " trade-shop," were very great. In the very first place, it de- manded and obtained quietness and courtesy in place of the savage altercations common to Indian trading. All goods answering the conveniences of civilized life, and tending to elevate the tastes and aan-T; Social ^rogrejitf. 235 \ in >» improve the appearance of the people, were obtain- able at a price to which they had before been quite unaccustomed. For instance, — " My soap manufacture," Mr. Duncan writes, " is quite a success. I now let the Indians have a bar of soap for 6d. They are astonished at the price; such a bar cost thetn a few years ago 40J. /;/ fw's. Now that their habits require more soap, here it is ready at hand and cheap." Apart from these advantages, the continued em- ployment which the various branches of trade gave was of the greatest service ; the Indians gradually acquiring the habit of following their daily avoca- tions — some of them very laborious— more in the steady manner of the English labourer than with the fitful disposition of the Indian. Next in importance amongst the new buildings was the Mission-house, a frame building of cedar, 64 feet by 32, containing seven apartments on the ground floor, besides outbuildings ; also a spacious dormitory up-stairs, looking pleasantly out on the islet gardens. " The rooms on the ground floor," writes Dean Ct'dge, "are lofty and commodious ; that in which I am writing, and which forms one of the suite of apartments prepared for the exclusive use of a I 'f 2.^6 Stranger tfj^ia J^iction. married Missionary [whom Mr. Duncan hoped to associate with himself in the work], is as comfort- able as any room in my own residence. If we add a plentiful supply of game, fish, &c., in the season, imported goods in the store, quite a large Rock of goats, yielding a profusion of excellent milk, poultry and eggs, a garden with a plentiful stock of vegetables, it is evident that, with any reason- able degree of forethought on the part of the Mis- sionary, the days when any thing like hardship and privation could with propriety be entertained of Metlahkatlah have entirely passed away." The island gardens form another characteristic evidence of social progress. The Vicioi'ia Daily Chronicle, alludmg to the Bishop's visit in 1866, says, "The Bishop visited, in a canoe, the island gardens of the Mission. They number about 150. He found many of the ovmei-s — men, women, and children — planting potatoes in the deep rich mould. They use lines for the trenches, and deposit sea-weed and excellent manure upon the potatoe, which is cut in pieces and placed about six inches apart. Abun- dant crops are thus obtained." Thus much for the external signs of progress. Let us now glarce for a moment at a branch of the quasi-secular work, o-f which we have not yet foetal $rog;rt£i<$. 237 the Industrial Training School for spoken Girls. A number of the elder girls educated in the school were first taken to reside in the Mission- house during the time that Mr. and Mrs. Tugwell were assisting Mr. Duncan. The plan proved of such material service that on Mrs. Tugwell's leaving, Mr. Duncan still perse- vered in it, receiving great assistunce from the oldei pupils. The general method adopted in dealing with the scholars, and the result obtained, will be best gathered from the accounts given by various visitors to the Stations. The Bishop of Columbia says, — " I had observed on Sunday a row of well- behaved and devout young girls with Bibles in their hands. As I gave out my text they found the passage. On Sunday evening I heard them read the Bible, and they sang chan^s and hymns, some m English, and some in Tsimsheean. To- day I examined several of them in reading, and was much pleased by the accurate and devout manner in which they read the Word of God. "These were to be the future mothers of a new. genera' ion. Already has he seen one set go forth from tne Institution well and respectably married 2 J; 238 ^transtr tf)im jFtctton. to young men who had proved worthy of the Christian profession. "Those now in the Institution are the second set, several of whom are about to be married, and there are others waiting to come and supply their place. So great is Mr. Duncan's influence, that none are married without his consent, and he is entirely trusted by the parents. Constantly is he applied to by the many young men who desire this or that one for a partner ; and not a little interest- ing, if not amusing, are the accounts he can relate of the care and watchfulness with which he guards the tender plants from too early or ill-advised ex- posure to the blasts and storms of the voyage of life." Here, again, is an account by Dean Cridge of his inspection of the school, and of an evening spent with the scholars : — "Examined th2 writing exercises of the first class of girls. The words *^hale,' 'shark," salmon,' ' seal,' were written on the black-board, and each girl wrote a short theme in connexion with each word. Some of the exercises were as good as in an English school in respect of composition, spell- ing, and penmanship. "In the evening, the girls sang some of their Social ^vogictii. 239 native nursery rhyme?. Some were very pretty, some ludicrous, some pathetic. Among the latter is that of the little slave-child, who is told by her captors that her mother is gone getting clams ; and the little thing lisps, 'Raven, have you seen my mother ? Sea-gull, have you seen my mother V After this, one of the party commenced the legend of ' The Chiefs Proud Daughter ;* but the night advancing, we were obliged to defer the conclu- sion. " On Tuesday Mr. Duncan gave the girls a merry evening with the galvanic battery, introducing the bucket of water and the silver coin, which none succeeded in getting. Mr. Duncan has great art in keeping them cheerful, telling them humorous stories, the point of which they always remember ; e. g., * A man with a wry neck fell and hurt him- self; a friendly bystander picked him up, and began to set him generally to rights, and among the rest to straighten his neck. The man, terrified, cried out, " Hold hard there ! Born so, born so ! " * One evening some one made a remark on their Indian gait, which Mr. Duncan interpreted to the girls, to their great amusement ; and one of them exclaimed, in English, ' Born so ! * which was im- mediately taken up by the rest, some of them PI I 240 ^transcr tf)an J^iction. I jumping up and caricaturing their own peculiarities ; upon which Mr. Duncan explained to us the allu- sion. " This evening Mr. Duncan showed me a letter just received from one of the girls whom he had occasion to reprove in the morning. In broken English she bewailed her ingratitude and hard heart asked his forgiveness, and entreated his prayers that she might be a better girl." A single letter written by one of the first set of scholars will serve to show the amount of intelli- gence and good feeling which prevailed amongst them. It was given to Mr. Duncan by a young woman to send down in the schooner to her sister, who was leading an evil life in Victoria. She had before succeeded in reclaiming one of her sisters, and hence her letter to this one : — "Metlahkatlah. " My dear Sister, — I send this little news to you. I very much wish to see you, my sister. I tell you sometimes I very much cry because I remember your way not right. I want you to hear what I speak to you. Come now, my sister, I hope you will return and live in your own place. Do not you persevere to follow bad ways. You must try to forsake your way; repent from your heart. Social H^to^vtii. 241 You hear our Saviour Jesus Christ. Cast all your bad ways on Jesus. He know to save us when we die. I very happy because I see my brother and sister come again. I thank God because He hear always cry about you. " I am, your crying Sister, "Eliza Paley." v4 Letter-writing seems to have been an institution of civilized life which greatly recommended itself to the Indians. The schooner commonly carried a "post" of some 200 letters, all written by Indians to their several friends in Victoria. But of all tests of progress in such a settlement as Metlahkatlah the development of a Missionary spirit is the most trustworthy. Nor was this sign wanting. Amongst all classes of the community there seems to have been a constant desire leading to continued and earnest efforts to bring home the truths of the Gospel to their heathen brethren. Men going on their hunting and fishing expeditions would, as a matter of course, gather together for religious worship all whom they could induce to listen to them, whilst several of the younger men gave themselves either entirely or to a great extent to the work of Catechists. The following inciden- R ;l 1 1 242 ^trangrr t})an ^'fFtctton. tal mention of the conduct of an Indian who had gone as an interpreter to a surveying expedition is taken from a Colonial newspaper : — "The Portland Inlet was found to be about seventy miles in length, and to bear the same general characteristics as the other numerous inlets, which are all closed in by snow-clad mountains from 3000 to 4000 feet high. The head of the inlet was found to terminate in a low marshy swamp, with a high peak of 6000 feet in the background ; reports as of distant thunder were heard at intervals, caused by the avalanches as they rolled into the valley beneath, with a dull sound which reverberated from peak to peak. Here we found camped the most powerful chief of the Naas Indians, Tchatcoquas, and a very large party catching and drying salmon. They were extremely civil, and when wc landed insisted on carrying up to our tent all our gear. We pitched our tent near the camp on the Saturday, and on Sunday Thomas, our interpreter, a Christian Indian from Metlah- katlah, held Divine Service, morning, afternoon, and evening, in the Indian ranch. Thomas had a fluency of language that must h?.vc astonished the natives. The singing was good, the female voices especially ; but the smoke of an Indian house in Social $rogi'ts(sS. 243 which salmon is being dried being any thing but conducive to comfort, and our knowledge of Tsim- sheean being very limited, detracted somewhat from our pleasant participation in the interesting ceremony. We suppose that Thomas must take to himself the credit of being the first who taught Christianity at the end of British dominion. We were then encamped on the boundary-line between Alaska and British Columbia." Such notices, again, as the following might be multiplied almost indefinitely : — " One of our Christian young men joined a tribe from Fort Simpson last summer at their salmon- fishing, and preached every Sunday for over two months to them. Nearly the whole tribe stopped work, and regularly attended service." One more " mark of progress " is too charac- teristic to be passed over, or to be given otherwise than in Mr. Duncan's own words : — " Lately two cannibal chiefs (once the terror of the coast), from a tribe over a hundred miles from Metlahkatlah, visited us for trade, and heard, to their horror, our children playing at medicine work on the beach. Their shame and mortification they could not hide, but, not daring to use threats or vent their rage, they came to me to beg that I 244 ^trangtr ti^an dFution. would forbid the children to go on. I called them into my house, and, at their request, shut the room- door, that others might not hear. We had a long and serious talk over the whole matter. . . . They left me in a friendly way, and, I feel sure, a good deal out of love with their false position." CHAPTER XVIII. '1 I'll I'M CONCLUSION. HE history of the settlement at Metlah- katlah during the last five years may be summed up in two words, " steady progress:' Of difficulties, drawbacks, and occasional discouragements there has been no lack. The spirit in which they were met as they arose is well indicated in Mr. Duncan's own des- patch of November, 1868: "The enemy is only permitted to annoy, but not to destroy us, only to make us stand more to our arms and look more imploringlv and constantly to heaven ; nor is he permitted to triumph over us. To God, to our Triune God, is all the praise and glory." One of the latest signs of increased religious earnestness was a spontaneous movement amongst the young and middle-aged Indians to form adult Sunday-classes for Bible-reading. "The adult males, numbering about one hundred, are super- ■i 246 Stranger tl^an dTutton. intended by four native teachers, and the females, who assemble in separate houses, are taught by the young women who have passed through a course of training in the Mission-Home. All the teachers come to me at the close of each service for special instruction for a few minutes, and then proceed to the several classes. All read over carefully the text, translate it word by word ; simple comments and addresses are offered by the teachers, conclud- ing with singing and prayer." The next important step in advance which Mr. Duncan contemplates is the sending out native teachers to the heathen tribes around. *' Many of the tribes," he says, " are stretching out their hands for help, and God seems preparing His ser- vants at Metlahkatlah to carry it to them. Whole tribes talk of soon joining us ; but this I do not anticipate will be the case yet — the way is very difficult and the door narrow for them." Still, the constant communication with Metlahkatlah, and the unmistakable evidence there presented to them, that godliness has the promise of this world as well as of that which is to come, added greatly to the effect of the occasional preaching of the Gospel amongst them, and it was evident that it only needed some suitable opportunity to present itself Concluftton. '■47 to bring about a great nation:' movement in favour of Christianity. In the meantime Mr. Duncan has formed the plan of developing very considerably the material resources of the settlers at Metlahkatlah, and making it a nursery, not of Christianity only, but of the arts and employments of civilized life. He thus expresses his views on the subject : " The spirit of improvement which <^hristianity has en- gendered within this people needs fresh material and knowledge in order to develope itself. The sources of industry at present in the hands of the Indians are too limited and inadequate to enable them to meet their increased expenditure as a Christian and civilized community, who arc no longer able to endure the rude huts and half-naked- ness of the savage. Again, numbers of young men are growing up in the Mission who want work, and work must be found for them, or mischief will follow; the mischief being, that these now pro- mising youths will be attracted to the settlement of the whites in the colonv, where numbers of them will be sure to become the victims of the white men's vices and diseases." As the first step in carrj'ing out this view, Mr. Duncan determined himself to come to England 248 i&trnnfler tij.iii jTiftion. and acquire a knowledge of several simple trades, and purchase such machinery as he required, and then going back to his people erect workshops, and inaugurate those new modes of industry upon which he hoped to build up a material prosperity, and to develope that self-respect and self-reliance which can hardly be found in any great degree amongst a wholly uncivilized people. With this view he sailed for England at the end of January, 1870. The scene on his departure showed how great a hold his thirteen year's' labour amongst them had gained for him upon the people. Though he had previously gone round to every house to take leave of them, they collected in crowds as the time for his leaving drew near, and even after he had said his " last farewell and last prayer upon the beach," they still followed him in their canoes to the ship. Arriving in London on the 13th of March, 1870, Mr. Duncan at once set to work on his self-imposed task, going about to different patts of the country, and, as far as it was possible in a limited time, making himself master of the branch of industry there prevailing. Thus, when visiting Yarmouth, he learnt ropc-inaking and twine-spinnings and at another place at which he stayed, weaving, at ConfIu{(ion. !49 another brushmaking, at another "the gamut of each instrument in a band of twenty-one instru- ments." At the same time he set on foot, amongst those whom he succeeded in interesting in his work, a subscription for defraying the expenses of some of the more important works which he contemplated. Chief amongst these were a new church and school. He also proposed to give the Indians such assistance in the matter of window-frames, nails, &c., as would induce them to rebuild their houses after a more substantial and permanent model than was possible on the first formation of the village. To carry out these plans he estimated that not less than 6000/. wo ild be required, and he fairly enough challenges the Christian philanthropist to assist him with this amount of capital. Before he left England, which he did at the end of six months (i.e. in September, 1870), he had received about 400/. towards the amount he required. For the credit of English philanthropy, it may well be hoped that the whole amount required will even- tually be forthcoming. There must be many Eng- lish capitalists who, if they really knew all the circumstances of the case, would consider it a privilege to be associated with such an undertaking. On the 14th of October, 1870, Mr. Duncan li '50 5>tiantifv tljrtii dTiftioii. arrived at San Francisco on his return journey, " very weary and dusty, havinj^ been a second-class passenjTcr, anu therefore without sleeping accom- modation for over two thousand miles." Here he was delayed for three weeks. "The time," he writes, " proved very useful. I made several new and ver)' warm friends, who promised to help me, and who, inciced, have helped me exceedingly. At the woollen mills the manager supplied me with shuttle, reeds, treddles, and spindles, and cardinc,^ materials, and promised me another supply, free of cost, wheiaever I may apply for it." Arriving at Victoria on the nth November, he ounc it necessary* to remain there for some weeks m order to carr}- out arrangements with the Government about the Indian reserves and other matters connected with the settlement. A^ one of the vessels of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany was just starting up the coast, he was able to send letters to Metlahkatlah, and in about three weeks received a batch in return. "Yesterday," he write s, ** I got a batch of thirteen loving letters from my people. All going on well ; all anxiously looking for my return. One says, * How we shall thank God when He brings you back to us ! The people were together in the market-house to hear .o well, and tiiat the Christian commumt)' w oriianize hich >(:iri St) succt ^>.s fully d may uuij be the first of n:-r_ uuicr 256 i^tranger tijan iPtctiou. settlements modelled on the same plan and showing the same signs of material prosperity, combined with a thorough appreciation and practical appli- cation of the saving truths of Christianity. ^-=ir, GILUERT AND RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, ST. JOHN'S SQUARF, LONDON. PUBLICATIONS OK THE ^otittu far |romatiitg[ Cljrbt'utit Inotolrirjc. Most of these works may he had in ornamental bindings, with gilt edges, at a small extra charge. Price , s. BLLYS CHOICE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. IHmo. cloth boards 1 6 FAITHFUL AND TRUE ; OR, THE MOTHER'S LBOACY. (For Girls.) Crown 8vo. cloth boards I 6 QROSSETESTE, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROBERT, BISHOP OF LINCOLN. By the Rev. G. G. Pkkry, M..\. Post Hvo. cloth boanls "2 fi BARRY WATERS AND JOHN HEARD, r. Lesson f^om the Field ; or, Like Seed Like Fruit. 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