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C-2 » _ LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARINa CROSS, W.C.; 43, QVSEN VICTOBIA STRBBT, B.C.; 26, 8T. GEORGE'S PLACE, HYDE PARK CORNER, 8.W. BRIGHTON: 136, NORTH STREET. New York : E. & J. B. YOUNG & CO. 1886. k < HAI". 441)2-^* I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XVII. C N T E N T S. « HAI'. iNTUODfC TM)N, I. How IT ( AMK AHOIT THAT I WKM TO CANADA II. First Missionary Kxi'KRikncks III. OiR Arrival at Sarnia IV. Kktti.k Point .... V. Indian Xamks (iivkn VI. Christmas on thk Hkskrvk VII. Mission Work at Sarma VIII. TiiK HisHop's Visit . IX. First Visit to (Jardkn Hivkr X. Hai'tism of Paoan Indians XI. Thk Kkd Hivkr Kxi'kditiox XII. Chanoks in I'rosi'kct XIII. KorciHiNo IT .... XIV. Chikf Littlk Pink . XV. OiR First Wintkr in .\i.(iOMA XVI. Chikf BiHKwr.uKNKNK's Mission XVII. An Indian Chikf in KNtiLAND Will. A Trial of Faith vXIX. liKARNINO TO KNOW MV PkOIM.K XX. A Wkdding AND A Dkath XXI. Thk Opening <)f thk First SiiiNiJWArK Homk XXII. Fire! Firk! .... XXIII. After the Fire XXIV. Prospects of KE-BriLDiNO XXV. Laying the Foundation Stone XXVI. A Trip to Batch eewavning . XVII. The Winter of i«74-5 . PAOR ir, 21 26 35 .^9 45 4<> 55 60 6y 7^ 79 «5 9J lOI loS ".^ 121 I-J5 1.35 140 145 149 ^54 R o iu' 30 H - VI CONTENTS. XXVIII. The Nkw Shinowaik Homk l^XXIX. KlNAWAY H()V8 XXX. ClIAllXIE AKJ) HkN XXXI. A Trip up Lakk Supkkioh . XXXII. Coasting and Campino XXXIII. Up the Neepigon Riveh XXXIV. TiiiHTY Yfahs waiting foh a Missionaky XXXV. The Pagan Hoy— Ninowinnena . XXXVI. Baptized — BruiKi) .... XXXVII. The Wawanosh Home .... XXXVIII. A Sad Wintkh XXXIX. William Sahgucheway XL. Our Indian Homes .... XLI. A Pow-wow at (Iarden River . XLII. (iLAD Tidings from Neepigon rAUK . 16 1 . 166 • 17' . 17: . IS5 .. iSS i- UjS . 20.^ 2li . 2H) ^Km • -2^4 1^^^ . 2 2ij . 2:;0' • l^fflAW which ) a simp experie 1 ill the ^ -Tb : still CO (^hristi Found carryii the pj tokens rally r history heen 1 record useful] "Or engage 1 can ui 1 eountc % PAIJK 161 i6r. 17' 177 ■ iSS 205 21 J 2U) 2J4 24^1 2^0 PREFACE. FEW words addressed by the Bishop of Algoma to the Provincial Synod may form a suitable preface to this little book, which aspires to no literary pretensions, but is just a simple and unvarnished narrative of Missionary experience among the Red Indians of Lake Superior, ill the Algoma Diocese. "The invaluable Institutions at Sault Ste. Marie still continue their blessed work of educating and Christianizing the rising generation of Ojebways. Founded in a spirit of faith, hope, and charity, — carrying out a sound system of education, and in the past 'approved of God' by many signs and tokens, the friends of these two ' Homes ' may still rally round them with unshaken confidence. Their history, like that of the Christian Church itself, has been marked by not a few fluctuations, but theii* record has been one of permanent and undoubted usefulness. "Only a person deeply interested and directly engaged in the work, as the Rev. E. F. Wilson is, can understand the force of the difficulties to be en- countered from the ineradicable scepticism of Indian o I r- I'- at' if ■ K U II Vlll I'TIKFACK. ])arents as to the flisinterostediieas of our intentions with regard to their children ; the tendency of the children to rebel against the necessary restraints imposed on their liberty; the reluctance of parents to leave their children in the * Home ' for a period sutHciently long for the formation of permanent habits of industry, and fixed principles of light; the constitutional unhealthiness of Indian children, terminating, as it has here in a few cases, in death ; the all but impossibility of obtaining helpers for subordinate positions, such as teacher or servant, who regard the (question of the evangelization of the Indian from any higher stand-point than the financial. " Against this formidable array of obstacles Mr. Wilson has not only struggled, but struggled suc- cessfully, till now these two Institutions, over which he has watched with all the jealous vigilance of a mother watching her first-born child, stand on a basis of acknowledged success, as two centres for the diffusion of Gospel light and blessing among the children of a people who have been long ' sitting in darkness, and the shadow of death.' During the past year sundry improvements have been made in the Shingwauk Home, which will largely increase the comfort of the occupants. The most notable event, however, to be recorded in this connection is the completion and consecration of the ' Bishop Fauquier Memorial Chapel,' a beautiful and truly ecclesiastical structure, designed, in even its minut- est details, by Mr. Wilson, and erected by means of ^p*' rRKKACK. !^.- IX ^ I'lnuls sent mainly from Kngland, in response to his earnest appeals lor some enduring and useful me- morial of the life and labours of the late revered Bishop of this diocese. Long may it stand, as a liallowed centre for the dirtusion of Gospel lii^ht juiiong hundreds yet unl)orn. of the Indian trihes lu' loved so well." 'a 1 r r^-^^- 30 , 5 m MIS States Indiai is— lit ()jeb\^ ways, the spreac States laiiguj of Hi; the C€ north e still r and ] more i lands ment, farmii people MISSIONARY WORK AMONG THE OJEEWAY INDIANS. Introductory. flHE largest freshwator lake in the worM is Lake Superior, through the centre of which runs the boundary line between the United States of America and the Dominion of C.^anada. The Indians call it the "Ojebway Kecheguramee," that is — literally translated — the Great Avater of the Ojebways, or as they are often called the Chippe- ways. The Ojebways are an extensive Indian tribe spreading over a large jmrt of Canada, the Northern States, and the North West; specimens of their language and customs appear in Longfellow's song of Hiawatha. Lake Superior may be regarded as the centre of their ancient Dossijssions. Along its northern shores, and back into the interior they still roam in wild freedom, hunting, and fishing, and paddling their birch-bark canoes ; — but in more civilized places, they are confined to reserved lands set apart for them by the Dominion Govern- ment, and many of them now gain their living by farming or by working for the neighbouring wdiite people. C2 a M , -k 12 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. The Ojebway Indians are now just in that tran- sition stage in which they particularly retjuire a helping hand to lift them up to a respectable posi- tion in life, and to aft'ord them the means of gaining their livelihood as a civilised Christian people. As one of their own Chiefs has said, " the time is passed for my people to live by hunting and fishing as our forefathers used to do ; if we are to continue to exist at all we must learn to gain our living in the same way as the white people." It is with the view of making the wants of these poor people known, and of increasing the interest in a work which amid many difficulties, has for the past ten years been carried on among them, that these pages are written. The writer will tell what have been his experiences with the Indians since he first came to settle among them as a Missionary, and will describe how God in His providence gradually opened the way for him, how^ dangers were met, and difficulties overcome, and how in the end two Institutions for the Christian training and civilization of Indian children were brought into existence ; the one called the SIi hip frank Home, with accommodation for about seventy Indian boys, and the other called the Wa~ ti'anos/i Ifo?)ft\/w'ith. room for about thirty Indian girls, — both of them built, and now in active operation, at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, at the south-eastern extremity of Lake Superior. Ho^^ AiJ God. past. THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 13 CHAPTER I. How IT CAME ABOUT THAT I WENT TO CANADA. All things are wonderfully ordered for us by (Jod. Such has been my experience for a long time past. If only we will wait and watch, tlie way will open for us. Where shall I begin with my history as a Mis- sionary ? When I was a child, it was my mother's hope and wish that I should bear the glad tidings of the Gospel to distant lands. She was a Mis- sionary in heart herself, and it was her earnest desire that one of her boys would grow up to devote himself to that most blessed work. However there seemed little likelihood of her wishes being fulfilled. I disliked the idea of going to Oxford as my brothers had done. A wild free life away from the restraints of civilization was my idea of happiness, and after studying agriculture for a year or two in England, I bade farewell to my native shores and started for Canada. Then God took me in hand. I had been only three days in the country when He put it into my heart to become a Missionary. The impulse came suddenly, irresistibly. In a few^ days it was all settled. Farming was given up, and I entered upon my course as a theological student. That same summer I spent a month or six weeks on an Indian Reserve, and became, as people would say, infatuated with the Indians. For this and othei* reasons, I preferred remaining in Canada that I might study for the ministry, t*^ returning to Eng- land; and whenever opportunity allowed, I paid o t r " •#■ ' 37 f t f. ; • !!'! 14 THE OJEBNVAY INDIANS. i l3i a visit to some Indian Reserve, or went on an exploring tour up the great lakes. After rather more than two years' preparation, I returned to England, and in December, 1867, was ordained deacon at the Chapel Royal, by the Bishop of London, Dr. Tait, afterwards Archbishop of Can- terbury. Shortly after this, it was arranged that I should go out again to Canada as a Missionary to the Ojebway Indians, under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society, the Rev. Henry Venn being then Hon. Secretary, and on July 1,1868, accompanied by my wife and an old faithful servant named Jane, we started for Canada. My wife, accustomed to the refinement and com- forts of a beautiful old rectory home in Gloucester- shire, knew not whither she was ixoinof. — she had never been out of England before, and all Avas new and strange to her. Indeed, I for my part was going out also, " not knowing whither I went." Whether our lot w^ould be cast in one of the older and more civilised dioceses of Canada, or whether we should find a home on the ver}'^ outskirts of civili- zation, I knew not. My instructions from the Church Missionary Society Committee, were simply to go first to London, Ont., where the late Bishop of Huron (Dr. Cronyn) then lived, and from thence to travel around and select what might seem • be the best spot to make the centre for a new mission. We had thought of Cape Croker on the Georgian Bay, and we had thought of Michipicoten, on Lake Superior, — but nothing could be settled until after our arrival in Canada, and as for my wife she was content to go with me wherever I went. We had a splendid view of icebergs on the eighth day of our voyage. It was a clear, keen morning THE O.TEBWAY INDIANS. 15 an rcininding one of Christmas time, the sailors were washing- the decks and all looked merry and bright, uiid around on all sides were icthergs of every size and shape, some looking like great sea monsters 1 tubbing up and down on the water, others as if a large extent of Dover Clitf were floating past. Twenty-seven we counted at one time, and durijiLC tho morning fully I'p nuist have passed us. "Ah. ' said an old sailor, "if one of them had touched us. this ship wouldn't be here." Then came the excitement of whales, spouting in the deep, anut iiiostly neat little frame weather-boarded build- ings ; the land, however, was much neglected, very little attempt being made at farming. A Church of England service was conducted on Sunda3\s by ian Indian Catechist named Angus. The Chiefs name was Tabegwun. On the day after our j arrival I held a meeting with the Indians, and ex- |])lained to them my object in coming to visit them, and began by reading the Scriptures, and preaching to them, and baptizing one or two children. They I gave me the names of twenty-six persons who pro- fessed to belong to the Church of England, and l^vere desirous of having a Mission established among them. During oui* stay we were guests at Mr. Angus's house, a clean, respectable dwelling, land were regaled with venison and huckleberry ipie. The next Indian Reserve that we visited was Saugeen. To reach this place we had to return I by boat to Owen Sound, and then go across coun- c K. i \ i8 THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. try in a westerly direction to the shores of Lake Huron. The journey was accomplished by " huggy." We started at 4 a.m. on the morning of July 3 1 st, and stopped to have our breakfast on the roadside about 7 o'clock, sitting one at each end of a log facing each other, our plates and cups in front of us. We reached the Indian village at 8.30 a.m.. and went to the house of the chief whose name was Madwayosh. (hdy his wife was at home, but we learnt all that we wanted from her. There were about 2,50 Ojebway Indians on this Reserve, and nearly all Methodists. They had a resident Methodist Missionary and a place of worship in course of erection. I at once came to the con- clusion that it would be unsuitable for us to attempt any Missio 1 w^ork in this place ; and when we bade adieu to Mrs. Madwayosh. we drove on to the Sauble Reserve, five miles further. A most dreadful road it was the whole way. We had both to get down and lead the horse more than half the distance, and then our traps were in the most innninent danger of jumping out as the buggy went jolting and rolling on over huge boulders and logs and stumps. It took us over two hours to reach the place, and when w^e got there, rain was coming down in torrents. We inquired for Wau- besee^s house, he being a member of the Church, and after some trouble we at length found it, but it lay back at a distance from the road, with only a trail leading to it, so we had to take the horse out of the buggy and lead him after us. The little house, made entirely of bark, stood in the most picturesque spot, surrounded by lofty pines. Near the house was a calf shed, into which we tried to squeeze our horse, but he would not go, so we had to take him to a stable about a mile olf. THE OJEB\VAY INDIANS. 19 Waubeseo and his family received us very warmly. They said there used to he a great many Church people among them, but no missionary had been to see them for many years, and now all who had belonged to the Church were either gone away into the States,, or had joined the Methodists. Waubesee, his wife, children, and grandchildren, liumbered eighteen in all, and he said that the whole number of Indians on the Reserve was about 250. He seemed to be an intelligent man, and got out his Ojebway prayer-book and Testament to show us. Before we left, the family and a few others were called together, and we had reading and prayer, and I gave them a short address, Wagimah acting as my interpreter. We now had to drive to Southampton, a distance of eight miles, and it was 6.30 p.m. when we reached it. My interpreter left me here to return I to his home by the way we had come, and I took steamboat to Goderich, and from thence by train [to London, where I rejoined my wife. My next trip was to Brantford, and my wife laceompanied me. We started on the 5th of August, and on our arrival there, were hospitably enter- tained at the Rev. Mi*. Nelles' house. From there I went to visit the Indians on the New Credit Reserve, a considerable distance off. I called on Chief Sawyer, a tall, fine man, with a sensible- looking face. He said there were about 3C0 lOjebway Indians on the Reserve, and that many [of them were most desirous of having a Church of "^iDgland teacher. The result of all these visits was, that after much earnest prayer for Divine guidance, we finally decided upon making Sarnia our head- liiuarters, and on the 8th of August I paid a second c a ap I' V . i' ;io THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. Ill visit to the Indians there, and told them that I had decided to come and live am()ny the chimney sat a dirty old couple on the couch where they had been passing the night ; they were visitors from Muncey Town, and w^ere staying a few nights only at Kettle Point. The old woman lighted up her pipe, and whiffed away with her eyes half shut ; after enjoying it for al)out twenty minutes or so, her old husband thought she had had enough, and taking it from her put it in his own mouth and had his whilf. When he had done, he restored it again to his wife. Underneath another old bedstead were a couple of large dogs, which occasionally let their voices be heard in a dispute ; some of the stones on one side of the fire-place had broken away, making a little window through which the dogs could reach the fire, and it was amusing to see how they put their noses and paws througli the opening and warmed themselves just like human beings. Down in another corner sat an antiquated old woman enveloped in a blanket, and in vain endeavouring to comfort a little fat boy of about ten months who was crying, as only children know how to cry, for his mother. Finding that she could not content the baby, she at length got up, and taking off her blanket, put one end of it round the baby's shoulders, tucked the ends under its arms, and then with one sweep placed baby and blanket together on her back, and with one or tw^o pulls once more got the blanket wrapped completely round her, and the little fat boy snugly ensconced between her shoulders ; then she marched off to give him an airing. The bigger children were set to clean them- selves, a tin bowd of water and a towel being given them in turns. I was wondering whether my turn X'z: If*"" "Ml I 30 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. would come, when Mrs. Ahbettuhwahnuhgund, having once more filled the bowl, addressed me with the words, " Maund'uhpe," which in polite English would mean, "Here you are!" "Ah, meegwach, ahpecte" — "thank you kindly" — said I, and forth- with began my ablutions, while the children stood around me in wonderment. One night I slept with a pig. It was a vacant room in the Chief's new house. After our services were over and we had had supper, Mrs. Ahbettuh- wahnuhgund took a clean blanket on her shoulder and a lantern in her hand, and calling me to follow led me to the apartment. There was a bedstead with a mattress on it in a corner, and on two chairs in the middle of the room lay a pig which had been killed the day before. Early next morning, before I was fully awake, the door opened, and Mrs. Ahbettuhwahnuhgund appeared with a knife in her hand. What could she want at this hour in the morning? I opened one eye to see. Her back was turned to me, and I could not distinguish what she was doing, but I heard a slicing and cutting and wheezing. Then the good lady turned round, and closing the eye I had opened I did not venture to look out again till the door was shut, and Mrs. Ahbettuhwahnuhgund departed ; then I peeped out from my rug— poor piggy was minus one leg! Next time I saw the missing limb it was steaming on the breakfast table ! I must not make this chapter longer. By-and-byo I shall tell of the baptism of the Chief and several other of the pagan Indians of this place. Suffice it to say now that our little school kept nicely together, and services were held either by myself or my interpreter every foi'tnight. In a little more than a year's time we had the satisfaction of seeing THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 31 both a school-church and a master's residence erected, and a catechist placed in charge of the station. CHAPTER V. Indian Names Given. It is a custom with the Indians to bestow Indian names upon missionaries and others who come to work amonf'' them, in order to make them, as it were, one with themselves. We had not been many months resident in Sarnia before we received an invitation from the pagan Chief at Kettle Point, to come to a grand feast which the Indians were preparing in our honour at that place, and to receive Indian names by wdiich we should be in- corporated into the Ojebway tribe. It was one of the coldest of winter days wdien we started, the glass very low, a high wind, and the snow whirling through the air in blindini; (louds. We went by train to Forest, and there Ahbettuhwahnuhgund met us with his sleigh. It was just a common box sleigh with two seats, and the bottom filled with straw, and two horses to pull us. We were all bundled up in rugs and blankets and wraps ; the Chief, who was driving, had his head completely smothered up in a bright blue shawl belonging to his wife, and wrapped so many times round that he was as wide at the top of his eyes as at his shoulders. The only one of the 32 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. I party who appeared careless about the cold was an Indian named Garchees, who had come with us fiom Sarnia, and he sat with his feet hanging over the side of the sleigh ; however, when we asked him how it was that he did not feel the cold, he replied with a grin, " Moccasins no cold, — white man boot cold,— ice! — two pair socks under moc- casins me — ])m blanket too!" In about an houi- and a half we arrived at the Chief's house ; it was the first time my wife had been to Kettle Point, and she was very much pleased to make accpiaint- ance with the Indians of whom slie had often heard, and who had sent her presents of apples and cherries from their orchards. 8he had broucfht wuth her a few small gifts for the children, with which they were much delighted. A little boy named Isaac had a sugar-dog given to him ; he soon had its nose in close quarters with his mouth, and the people laughed to see it disappearing. Indians are nearly always very much behind time in their arrangements ; they do not appear yet to under- stand the value of time — whether in their councils, their daily work, their feasts, or their attendance at church, they are generally behind the appointed hour. If a council is called to commence at noon, three or four Indians will have perhaps assembled at that hour ; others straggle in as the day wears on ; they sit or lie about, smoking their pipes, chewing tobacco, and talking; and it will probably be three o'clock before the council actually com- mences The Indian feast of to-day was no exception to the rule. It was appointed to take place at noon, but hour after hour sped by. and it was nearly four p.m. when they at length commenced. Ou entering the room where the feast was laid out. THE O.IEBWAY INDIANS. .33 we found two seats arranged for us at the end of the apartment beneath an ornamented canopy decked with cedar boughs, and wc were recjuested to sit down. Then the Chief and Shau keens (both pagans) stood up, and the Chief made a brief oration to the people, which John Jacobs, a young native, then studying for the ministry at Huron ('ullege, interpreted for us. The Chief expressed his pleasure in receiving us among them, and his desire that we should become as one of them by receiving Ojebway names ; and then, taking me by the hand, he continued : " The name that I have selected for you is one which we greatly respect and hold in fond remembrance ; for it was the name of an old and respected Chief of our tribe who lived many years ago and whose name we wish to havcj I'etained ; and seeing you are a missionary to the Ojebway Indians, it is the wish of my tribe as well as myself that you should be called after our late respected Chief; so your name hereafter is ' Puhgukahbun ' (Clear Day-light)." The moment my name was given, " Heugh ! Heugh!" sounded from all sides, that being the Indian mode of expressing approval when anything is said or done. Mrs. Wilson then rose and received her name in the same manner. The Chief, addressing her, said : '•It is with great pleasure that I bestow also on you, the wife of the missionary, an Ojebway name. The name I am about to give you was the name of one of our sisters who has long since passed away from our midst, and it is our wish that her name should be retained among us. Your name therefore is ' Nahwegeezhegooqua ' (Lady of the Sky). " Heugh ! Heugh ! Heugh ! " again sounded through the room, and then the Indians one and all presae4 It r t . ^^^^'^C^^ 34 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. forward to have a shake of the hand with their new brother and sister. We almost had our hands shaken off, and from all sides came the cry, " Boozhoo, Boo- zhoo, Puhgukahbun ; Boozhoo, Nahwegeezhegoofjua, Boozhoo, Boozhoo ! " As soon as order was I'estored, the feast began. 1 had the seat of honour next to the Chief, and Mrs. Wilson sat next to me. The table was well covered with eatables — venison, cakes, pork, Indian bread, preserves, all in the greatest abundance. About thirty persons sat down to the first table, the others waiting with true Indian patience for their turn to come ; and a long time it was coming, for as soon as the first set had finished, an inter- mission was made for music and speechifying. Several very pretty songs were sung by the Indian choir, some in English and some in Indian. After the feast was over and the tables cleared. I was asked to address the people, and Wagimali interpreted for me. I told them briefly how mucli pleased I was to receive an Ojebway name, and thus become one of their number, and how Mrs. Wilsoji and myself would now feel that we could shake hands with them and regard them as our brothers and sisters. God, I said, had greatly prospered our work since I came among them. We had already our church completed and our Mission-house nearly so at Sarnia ; the great Society in England had contributed five hundred dollars towards the erec- tion of these buildings, and our friends in England about five hundred dollars more ; so that there would be no debt. As soon as we had monev enough I hoped that with their help we should be able also to build a little church and teacher\s house for them here at Kettle Point, and send a catechist to reside amons: them and teach their f: children good-by iiiained to Sarni me fron Society, chai'ge c We w Itoth chu] Jleserve, i Indians a the mattt Antoine . use of ou erection c the churcl the way o: their earn of the Mi contributi ever, the grant of ^i we had nc huil dings a board fe THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 30 children. It was lato in the evening when we bade goud-bye and drove back to Forest, where we re- mained for the night an^.*- ••>'• CHAPTER VII. Mission Work at Sarnia After settling in at our new home on the Sarnia Reserve, a great pait of my time was taken up in exploring through the Bush and visiting the Indians in their houses. We found one very piteous case of a poor woman in the last stage of consumption. The poor creature was worn to a skeleton lying on a mo.st miserable looking bed with nothing to cover her but a ragged strip of black funereal-looking cloth. Although so very ill, she was able to answer the questions that Wagimah put to her, and when I offered to read •2 w 40 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. the Bible to her she seemed very glad. Sho listened most attentively while I read in Ojebway the eighteenth chapter of St. Luke, and told her of the love of Christ in coming to save sinners. Then we knelt, and I offered two prayers for the sick copied into my pocket-companion from the Indian prayer-book. We visited the poor creature several times again, and once Mrs. Wilson accom- panied me and brought with her some blanc-mange or jelly which she had made. She was much touched at the sight of the poor creature's utter destitution. We were amused as we went along to see a pair of babies' boots hanging on the branch of a tree, evi- oy, only a few months old. The task was dele- gated to old Shesheet. The old man came forwar«••> \ tm-a* • !3C: '* ■ •• ' *^K,",-^ 5^ TIIK OJEIUVAY INDIA XS. 1^1 t digginp^ potatooH. Did they ovor think that they had souIh to l)o savod : that ])et'ore another Sunday came round tliese things winch now took up their time and thoughts might have passed away for ever, and they themselves have entered u the eternal state? If they were true Christian.^, they would then be meeting with (Jod, beholding Him face to face ; they would be with the holy angels, with Jesus. But if not prepared, where would tliev be if A great gulf would be bet^veen then» and heaven — a great impassable gulf; they would be with the lost! Before another Sunday came round this great and wonderful change might take placi'. Were they prepared 't Among my hearers were two women ; one on the left hand side of the church was a newly- mrried young woman wearing a scarlet shawl a i hat with tlowers. She could not have been moio than twenty. The other, who was her mother, sat on the opposite side; an old woman — a widow — wa-apped in a black shawd. The husband of the young woman was in the gallery overhead. Service was over, and we had wended our way back to the parsonage, followed by several Indians, men and women with their babes, who had come to shake hands or to ask for "muskeke" (medicine). All at once we heard a shout from the garden, and a girl came rushing up, crying: "Quick! help! there are people drowning." We all ran off with great haste to the shore, the Indian w^omen wailin;^' in their own peculiar way, some burying their heads in their shawls and sobbing with grief. Quite a little fleet of boats and canoes were already off to the rescue ; six or seven in all. We could not at first make out wdiere was the scene of the disaster, but soon it became only too apparent. There, far out ill earrie( specks selves. them, , their \ disappi many '•()h,tl two no of. Th increase as the tlie poo two Wll( hurried ])aratior <'verythi hrandy. half-dro and shi> ^^upportt two mer the youn The chiJ was four hehind. tnres up them. One of yet been the boat piobably we brou< ^tate at tl that he w TIIH (UKIUVAY INDIANS. 3 out in the very centre of tlie broad river, Lein*^ d 1)V the current, were four or tivt; earned away hy specks, the heads of people Htrut^^j^linj^ to save them- selves. The boats were still a long distance from them, and breathlessly we watched as they nmdt^ tl d. T thi »f th !ks had leir way onward, ivvo, tnreo oi tne specKs nad disappeared ; only two W( re now visible. '* How nwiny were in the boat?" was anxiously asked. " Oh, there nuist have been eight or nine ;" and only two now above water. It was sickenin<; to think of. The wailing cries of the women on the shoro increased each moment, and j^reat was the suspense as the foremost boat drew with all speed towards the poor drowning creatures. I waited to see tho two who were atioat pulled inio the boats, and then hurried up to the house to see if all needful pre- parations had been made. Mrs. Chance had got everything ready ; a goo'^ bright fire, blankets, and brandy. When I went back to the shore, the poor lialf-drowned creatures had just landed. Shaking and shivering they were lifted out of th boat and supported up to the house. Four had been saved : two men and two women. One was still missing, the young wife who had worn the hat and flowers ! The children who were supposed to have gone, it was found on iiujuiry had been providentially left Itchind. As soon as we could get the poor crea- tures up to the house, we set to work to revive them. One of the men, the husband of her who had not yet been found, was on the point of giving in when the boat reached him, and in a moment more would probably have sunk. He was perfectly cold when we brought him in, and being in a consumptive state at the time of his immersion, we much feared that he would not survive the shock. The poor old 4r *^ \r 54 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. woman's heart seemed almost broken at the loss of her daughter, and she sat waiUng in the kitchen the whole afternoon. The house was of course crowded with Indians who came in to help or sympathize, i rom those who went to the rescue we learned that the poor woman who was drowned had her hand above the water when the boat came up, but she sank before the people con Id «;eize it. Her hat was afterwards found about two miles below the place where she sank. In the evening the poor old woman described how the accident had happened. She said the boat was small and rather too heavily- laden. Just as they got to the middle of the river, a breeze sprang up, and the waves began coming over the side. One of the men jumped into the water to lighten it, but it was of no use. The boat filled, and in a few moments they were all struggling in the water. The poor old creature described how she sank to a great depth, and then rose again ; how she prayed to Kezha-Musnedoo (the Good Spirit) to save her; how she sank again; and then, while under the water, saw the dark shadow of the boat coming over her ; how again she rose to the surfaee and was saved. We met again for service in the evening, and Mr. Chance preached very solemnly to a laige congregation from the words, '* Prepare to meet thy God." A day or two after this we left the Garden River Mission and returned to Sarnia. THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 55 CHAPTER X. Baptism of Pagans. There were not many genuine Pagans either at Sarnia or at Kettle Point. Pagan practices had fallen altogether into disuse. There were some Indians livin*ehool-houi we began I evening pri THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 51 '\f on the Sarnia Reserve, and found an old man and his son both lying very sick. The poor creatures were in a wretched condition, the hovel they were in consisting merely of strips of bark and old boards outside and inside hunoj with ra<]rs and tatters and old cloths of every description. The only person to tend them was an old woman — wife, I suppose, of the elder man — who was crouching over the fin^ smoking her pipe. When we came in, the sick man was gnawing a duck bone, some one having shot him a wild duck. He said it was the first time he had eaten anything for several days ; his son was too ill to eat anything. The old man told Wagimah that he had seen me before, a night or two ago in a (heam. I had made a garden, and divided it into four parts, and one of these parts was very miserable and wretched. I was walking through this miserable part one day, when I found this poor man. He was very sick indeed, and I took him up and brought hiin into another part of the garden which was very beautiful, and told him that he might stay there and work, and be happy for ever. Such was his *••*« i;(l«**-«t.,...».^ Jt: "^ .. '' whose nt at all bi^ he said, ' not thinl seemed m I told hi nearly a ioars cai indeed ij THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. <53 the soldiers' camp, other tents of explorers and travellers being close around us. From this point the troops were to start on their journey to Winnipeg. First, forty miles of road had to be constructed, and boats and everything had to be carried on waggons till the first water in the chain of lakes and rivers was reached. This had to be done for the whole of tlie 700 miles to Winnipeg ; wherever possible the troops went by boat, and where there was no water on the route, a road had to be constructed and the waggons used. It was no easy task that (,'olonel Wolseley had before him in this wild, uninhabited and rocky country. Very soon after my arrival at Thunder Bay I bej^an to look about for Indians, that beinnf the primary object of my visit. I found (juite a larg(i settlement of them at Fort M^illiam, but was disap- pointed to discover that they were all Roman (,'atholics. The Jesuits, it appeared, had been among them for more than a century. They had a ])riest resident among them, an old man, I was told, gentlemanly, courteous, and generally beloved and respected both by Indians and Whites ; they had also a little church decorated with flowers and images. However, I managed to draw a few people around me, and scarcely a day passed but I had Indian visitors to my tent. The Indian Chief, whose name was Mungedenah, di If 68 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. ill children, knew the capital letters and figures from I to 10 by the time the two hours of study were over. This school teaching was continued every day until the steamboat arrived which was to take us the remainder of our homeward voyage to the Sault. It is interesting to me to recall this, my first missionary visit to Lake Superior. Certainly it did not seem that much was accomplished during my tour, and I was a little disappointed that there was not a larger number of pagan Indians among whom I might look forward to establish Missions in the future. Still I had gained, at any rate, some insight into the condition of the people ; there were the obdurate pagans from Rainy Lake, Blackstone, whom I was destined to meet again at a future day, the Thunder Bay Indians all seemingly under Jesuit influence ; then these more accessible Red men of Michipicotun and Batcheewanig. Some Pic River Indians also I had chanced to meet on mv travels, and had some conversation with. The Neepigon Indians I was sorry to miss seeing. I was obliged to leave them for another time, together witli the people belonging to several other settlements on the North shore. Altogether, the result of my trips to Garden River and to Lake Superior was that I felt inwardly drawn to come and labour among the people of these more Noithern regions in preference to re- maining among the semi-civilized Indians of Sarnia. How the way would open I could not at that time foresee, or how soon it might be my lot to move into these wilder regions I could not tell. It was merely an unshaped thought, the beginning of a desire created in my breast. It \ Sarnia. my Ion wife to had an iny abs l)orn — ; of Suh; this we to Mr. J town, ^\ three Ir a judici the moh men wl school t And settled Sarnia I was apj Kettle P Our r( i^'ooqua, t we foun wigwam also the hoy, wit] and his Willie b: that the' %■ '■'<< THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. CHAPTER XII. Changes in Prospeot. It was at the end of June that I arrived at Sarnia. Very glad was I to be at home again after my long, rough journey, and very glad too was my wife to see me, for it was but seldom that we had liad an opportunity of writing to one another during iny absence. In the autumn our second child was ))orn — a boy — to whom the Indians gave the name of Suhyahquahdung (proclaimer), and shortly after this we gave up our cottage on the Indian Reserve to Mr. Jacobs, and moved to a larger house in the town, where we should have room to take two or three Indian pupils as boarders. This seemed to be a judicious step, as of all things it appeared to be the most important, to commence preparing young men who might afterwards act as catechists and school teachers among their people. And so Mr. Jacobs, who had recently married, settled in at the Mission-house as Pastor of the Sarnia Indians, and an Indian from Walpole Island was appointed to take his place as catechist at Kettle Point. Our readers will not have forgotten poor Shegau- gooqua,the poor decrepid bed-ridden creature whom we found in such a pitiable condition in an old wigwam back in the Bush. They will remember also the mention wo made of her little five-year-old hoy, with his shock of rough, black uncombed hair, and his bright intelligent eyes. This little boy, Willie by name, we now took in hand. I arranged that the catechist who had been appointed to thq ^>^ «•<■•< ^PH|i 70 THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. ^1 Kettle Point Mission should take two little boys into his family, and train them up to a Christian and useful life. One of them was to be Willie, and the other a grandchild of the unfortunate man who was murdered— Tommy Winter. So, a few days before Joshua Greenbird was expected, we brought Willie and Tommy to our house in Sarnia to prepare . them for entering upon their new life. The first thing wa*s to divest them of their dirty rugs, nnd give them euch a thorough good scrubbing ; then they were put into two new little suits of grey cloth which my w^ife and I had each taken a share in making with the sewing machine. Tlius, clean and neat, these two little fellows of six years old were shipped off to their new home. Walpole Island, where Joshua the catechist was coming from, was some 40 miles south of Sarnia, and Kettle Point was 30 miles or more to the north, the road lyinijf direct through the town ; and as Joshua had ar- ranged to drive in a waggon the whole way witli his family and baggage, he made our house his stopping-place on the road, and we gave him and his wife and four children all a lodging for the night : then in the morning they started on again, taking Willie and Tommy with them. For the first week or two the two little boys were quite happy and contented in their new home, and went regularly t school with the other children who lived at Kettle Point ; but after a time they got home-sick, and then they did what Indian boys often do when first taken in hand and put under restrictions — they ran away. However, they did not get far on their thirty mile journey homeward before they were accosted by a farmer who was driving along in his waggon. Willie, always ready with his tongue, and already knowing a little English, called to the farmer, " Say. you g guesse( come a ])ut we to find the cat for the inipresj farmen ready t It w began Sarnia put up as a pc was fai good si' tliat a I tor the little fr school. building and a 1 levers { couple « removec foundati decided a spire, my assi together and ear commen Howe of this li ^od was THE OJEBWAY INDIANS.' 7r 'k 111(1 to nd ist •ail •tv you going Sarnia'?" The farmer immediately* ''**».^.'i <«'«* ■f • .. 'H'I'lliii,,,,!'! w 1% THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. S in. * I % S K. that, in tho providence of God, the Garden River Mission just at this time fell vacant. The Rev. Mr. Chance, who had laboured there so faithfully for the past 1 8 years, was called away to another sphere in a more southerly district. Great were the lamentations of the poor Garden River Indians when he left. Both he and his w^fe had become much endeared to the people. Mrs. Chance was the schoolmistress and doctor, and what would the poor children and the poor sick people do without her ? and what would they do without their Mis- sionary who had laboured so long and so faithfully among them : who had baptized their children, and united their young people in marriage, and buried their dead, and preached to them the glad tidings of the Gospel, and visited them, and sympathized with them, and helped them in their homes ? Mr. Chance's children had all been born and brought up at Garden River ; Indian nurses had attended them and cared for them during their infant days ; the Indian women had learned to look upon them almost as their own ; and one dear little girl — Alice — had died after a short illness, and was buried in tho Indian Cemetery. It was a terrible wrench for these poor Indians one and all to be separated from their Missionary and his family. And the worst feature of all w^as that there seemed to be consider- able fear lest the Mission might be given up alto- gether. The ISf V England Company, under whoso auspices Mr. Chance had worked, had determined on withdrawing from that portion of the field ; and unless some other Society saw fit to take them up, there seemed but little prospect that the work among them would be continued. All these things weighed with me, and I earnestly sought the guidance of Almighty God in prayer, THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 7.3 I content to follow His will and to be led by His hand. As Mr. Chance intended to leave Garden River early in the spring, and it was a part of my duty to make extended tours among the scattered Indians, and minister to their spiritual wants, I decided on making another trip northward as soon as possible after navigation opened. My wife accompanied me, and we took an Indian boy with us, named Aleck Bird, as cook and general servant. CHAPTER XIII. <«»,.-i^ '.. ^. Roughing it. We expected that when we got to Garden River we should find an empty house, and have to do everything for ourselves ; so we came well provided with a supply of Hour, salt meat, &c., &c. Quite a crowd of Indians came running down to the dock when we landed, and all were eager to shake hands, crying, " Boozhoo, boozhoo," the Indian mode of address. Then one seized a bundle, another a port- manteau, and, all laden with our baggage and supplies, accompanied us up to the Mission-house, (^hief Buhkwujjenene was most warm in his greet- ings. " Would that you could always remain with us ! " he exclaimed. On arriving at the little white- washed Parsonage, we were very glad to find that, although Mr. Chance had been gone for more than w 74 THE OJF,BV/AY INDIANS. 3! r s. a Week, Mrs. (Jhance and two of the children were still there; tlie furniture also had not been removed. Mrs. (Jhance taught me to bake bread before she left, which was very useful, as I still often have to make camp bread. After a few tiays we were left alone with our boy Aleck. It was a piimitive 6tyk^ of living, but we both enjoyed it immensely. The Indians were all so pleased to have us with them, and the attendance at services both on Sundays and Wednesday evenings was very satisfactory. There was something (juite enchanting about our little log cottage, with the hops clambering up the verandah, the garden-beds full of flowers, the Vjroad river in front of our windows, and the little sail-boat moored to the dock, which we could use at our will and pleasure. Then there were plenty of fish in the liver, which the Indians brought to us, and an accommodatino; old duck laid an eofjj everv morninu just beside the door-step. Aleck was a capital boy; always cheery and ready, and w^ould do anything he was asked to do. During our month's stay we only had fresh meat twice — once when a bear was killed, and again when we killed our drake. Among other duties of a new and peculiar kind, that of Post-master devolved upon me. The position was not an enviable one, and it took up a good deal of time ; but it was convenient to get the mail without having to send tv/elve miles to Sault Ste. Marie for it. One day the boat arrived at the dock while wt.' were at Church, and I had to set the people on singing a h^^mn while I ran down to change th<' mail. Another day an Indian came shouting at my window at 6 o'clock in the morning that the Chicora was just coming in. Half awake and half asleep I turned out of bed, seized the Post-office key, and in frantic haste rushed down to get my mail ready. THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. /.') My wife sent Aleck running after me with niy l)Oots, which I had forgotten in my hurry! I was by this time able to preach to the Indians in their own tongue. On the first Sunday after our arrival we had an attendance of thirty-two persons at tlu^ Holy Communion, and among them were a good many young men. The ofiertory collection amounted to just .5^'i English money. The first week in July we went on a little camp- ing expedition to Echo River, where the Indians were making their birch-bark troughs ready for the next year's sugar-making. It was a fine bright morning when we started, and we went in The MnM^ionarji^ with Aleck and two other Indian boys to row us. Echo River is a deep, narrow stream, scarcely a stone's throw wide, with the thick foliage of many and various trees overhanging its banks. The only sounds which broke the stillness were the notes of birds and the croaking of the bull-frog, mingled wuth the measured splasii of the oars. At length, after about two hours' pull, we reached a little creek, and the Indian boys told us that their encampment was a short distance up it. It seemed ?icarcely possible to take the boat in, for the stream was very narrow, and nearly choked up with floating saw-logs. However, we pushed along with poles, and succeeded at length in reaching our destination. A good many of our people ran down and welcomed us heartily to their camp. It must have been strange to them, I suppose, to see a lady in so wild and out-of-the-way a spot. A little clearing was cut with the axes, on which our tent was to be placed, and a path cut up to it from the creek ; poles and tentpins were then made, and in a very short time our dwelling was ready for our reception. Meanwhile the fight with the Plf^ T ! ■I I; 76 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. lords of the Bush had commenced. While we were rowing we had not been much troubled with the mosquitoes, but now that we had invaded their «-«— m ign theiri ? childre Perhaj them I may bt 1 resob few fri( Spirit 1 poor ar knew t years a want. necessit already \5)> anc board ti not told THE OJEinVAY INDIANS. 79 CHAPTER XIV. Chief Little Pine. Chief' Little Pine (Augustin Shingwauk) was following his work in the lonely bush, his heart was sad at the thought of the hlaek-coat (mis- sionary) leaving them. Suddenly a thought entered Ids mind, it was as though an arrow had struck his hreast ; "I will go with him, — I will journey with this black-coat where he is going. 1 will sec the great })lack-coat (the Bishop of Toronto) myself, and ask that Mr. Wilson may come and be our teacher, and I will ask him also to send more teacliers to the shores of the great Ojebw^ay Lake, fur why indeed are my poor brethren left so long- in ignorance and darkness with no one to instruct them ? Is it that Christ loves us less than His white children? Or is it that the Church is sleeping? Perhaps I may arouse them, perhaps I may stir them up to send us more help, so that the Gospel may be preached to my poor pagan brethren. So I resolved to go. I only told just my wife and a few friends of my intention. I felt that the Great Spirit had called me to go, and even though I w^as poor and had but a few dollars in my pocket, still I knew that the great God in heaven, to whom forty years ago I yielded myself up, would not let me want. I felt sure that He would provide for my necessities. So when the raspberry moon had already risen, and was now fifteen days old (July 15), and the black-coat and his wife stepped on hoard the great fire-ship, 1 stepped on also. I had not told him as yet what was my object in going «Mi«ltJ «o Tin: O.TEBWAY INDIANS. : if I tiiul at first lio left iiio to myself, thinking, I suppose, that I was going on my own business. I was a stranger on hoard; no one knew me, and no one seenied to care for me. ''When we arrived at Ahmejewunoong (Sarnia), the tire-waggons (railway cars) were almost ready to start ; so I still had to fast, and not until we haii;teachin*W i i )\ ■»:(: 82 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. is it that their relio-ion does not ijfo on and increase faster '? ' When I entered the place where the speak in g paper (newspaper) is made, anc I saw the great machines by which it is done, and by which the papers arc fohled, I thought, 'Ah, that is how it is with the EngUsh nation, every day they get more wise, every day they find out something new. The Great Spirit blesses them and teaches them all these things be- cause they are Christians, and follow the true religion. Would tliat xny people were enlightened and blessed in the same w^ay ! ' " The next day was the day of prayer, and I went to the biu: witjwam wdiere the children assemble to be taught. 1 stood up and spoke to them, and told them how much I desired that my children should ■be taught in the same way, and have such a beautiful wigwam to assemble in, where they might hear about God and His Son Jesus CJhrist. It rejoiced my heart to hear them sing. After this I entered the great house of prayer (the cathedral). I was in Toronto when tlx' first oijc was there. Since that time it had been burnt down and rebuilt, and then all burnt down again, and yet now it stands here larger and grander than befoi'e. ' The white people,' 1 said to myself, 'have plenty of money; if they know how poor my people are, surely they would give more of their money to build a house for us where our children may be taught.' I could not understand the words of the service, but mv heart was full of thoughts of God, and I thought how good a thing it was to be a Christian, and 1 rejoiced that I had heard of the love of Christ, who died for His red children, as well as for the pale faces, for He is not ashamed, we know now, to call us brothers. .During the few days we remained in Toronto I was out nearly all the time with Mr Wilson I am a walk a so he c house, good, of then give us '• Wh and nn for moil way La togethei so man}^ and I s|: my hear had don chief I people, the land man wa^ Indian 1 support, last of al last of a had recei iustructi" keep in remembe ''On t inorniniT, the rive Jt>iceive us anythinor at all. '• When we reached St. (Catharine's Mr. Wilson and myself went from wigwam to wigwam, asking for money to help the Indians on the great C.liip[)e- way Lake. In the evening the white people met together in the teaching wigwam, and there were so many of them that they had no more room to sit, and I spoke to them and told them the thoughts of luy heart. This time I sp(jke more boldly than I had done before. I told tliem that as an Indian chief I had a right to s])eak on behalf of my poor people, for the land the Avhite men now held was the land of mv fathers : and now tliat the white man was powerful, and the Indian was weak, the Indian had a right to look to him for help and support. As I chased my speech I looked around last of all upon the children ; for I wished my eyes last of all to rest upon these white children who lijid received the benefit of education and Cliri^tian instruction; and I iJ:ave them my beaver-skin to keep in their school, so that they might always remember my visit and think upon my words, "On the second day of the w^eek, early in the morning, we entered the lii-e-waggon to go to till' river of the Mohawks. \ \^'as greatly re- j<)iced to sec Mr. Chance once more, and also his wife and children. I remained with them three (lays. " When the day came for me to leave, the black- G I 1:. {'i:rn«.iM,aii I .,„,..■.*• '*•«!■ 'Hi;::ii I '> .iil»«aj«P «4 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. * it coat, Chance, took me in his waggon to the place Avhere the fire-waggons start, and sent a wire-messagr to Mr. Wilson to be ready to meet me when I arrived. "I sat in the fire-waggon, and smoked my pip<'. and rejoiced in my mind that my work was now over, and I should soon return to my people. For many hours I travelled, and the sun had already sunk in the west, ard I thought I must be nearly arrived at Ahmujewuioong, when the fire-waggoii chief came to look at lay little paper ; and then be looked at me and shook his head, and I understood I had come the wrong way. Presently the firi'- wao-o^on stood still, and the chief beckoned me to get out, and he pointed to the west, and made signs by which I understood that I must now wait for the lire-waggons going towards the sun-rising, and in them return part of the way back. By-and-bye tlic tire-waggons approached, coming from where the sun had set ; and a man told me to get in. It was mid- niglit when I reached Pahkatequayang (London). and they let me go into the wire-house and lie dowif to sleep. I slept W(dl all night, and early in tlic moriiin<>;a man beckoned to me that the fire-waefixons were ready to start for Sarnia, and shv ,'ed me which way to go. " Thus I at length got back to Sarnia, and wa.s glad to lie down and rest in Mr. Wilson's wigwam : and now I am waiting for the fire-ship to come, and as soon as it comes I shall go on board and return straight home to my people. "The black-coat, Wilson, has asked me to let him write down all this that I have told him, so that it may be made into a book and read by everybody. And I hope that by-and-bye all the white jx'o})!*' will see this book, and that their hearts will be THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. «,-, )11S wanned towards the poor ignorant Indians who live on the shores of the Great Ojebway Lake. " We have collected three hundred dollars, but three hundred dollars is not enough to make religion increase. If w^e had but the worth of one of those big wigwams, of which I saw so many in Toronto, I think it would be enough to build a teachino: wiizwam at Garden River, and enouirh to send teachers also to the shores of the Great Ojebway Lake I must have something done for my people before I die ; and if I cannot get what I feel w^e ouo-ht to have from the Great Chiefs of this country, I am determined to go to the far distant land across the sea, and talk to the son of our Great Mother, the Prince of Wales, who became my friend during his visit to Canada, and gave me my medal, and who, I believe, will still befriend me if I tell him what my people need." CHAPTER XV. OcR First Winter ix Algoma. ! it III. Shortly after making this toui with Chief Little Pine, arrangements were made for our finally leaving Sarnia and removing our head-((narters to the Indian Mission .at Garden River; the Committee t" the Church Missionary Society agreed to the fliange as an experiment, and undertook to support the Mission for one year ; but the withdrawal of the o 86 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. New England Company and the fact of so many of the Indians having ah-eady been converted by the Roman Catholics, made them a little doubtful as to whether it would be a suitable spot for estab- lishing one of their Missions permanently. Before leavinfj Sarnia we had the satisfaction of seeinjx the little brick church on the Reserve com- pleted and opened for use. This, together with the Kettle Point Mission, was now handed over to the charge of the native pastor, the Rev. John Jacobs. I must mention one little incident that happened at this time. It was in the evening, and I had called to see Mr. Jacobs. He met me witii his usual geniality, and we sat conversing for some time. Near the sofa was a large clothes-basket with a blanket over it. By-and-bye some little faint cries came from the neighbourhood of the basket. " What have you got there, Kesheg ? " I asked. Mr. Jacobs was a little confused, and laughingly muttered something about an "arrival."' The blanket was removed, and there lay two little mortals nestled together, one fair like his English mother, and the other dark like her faMier. The In sleigh was fixed up, and after a delay of about an hour wo were enabled to continue our journey. During the winter our mail was brought by men on snow-shoes with a dog train; tlioy had to travel about 150 miles to a distant station, where they were met by other couriers, who exchanged l)ags with them and took them the remainder of the distance. The men go along at a jogging pace, and at night camp out in the snow. — •T^»':iP;t*> 92 THK OFKHWAY INDIANS. *: (HAPTKR XVI. ClIIKF BrilKWlJJKNKNE's MISSION. (' It was sii<^ar-inakiniij tiino, and Buhkwuiiciion was at work three iiiili'S hack in the hush collectinj^- the sap tVuni tlie nKH)le-ti*ees, and, with the assist- ance of his wife and a lar^e family of daughters, hoilinu: it down in hu<]fe bhick kettles to transform it into manle-suixar. It was rather a labour i^ettinii- out there, and 1 had to take my snow-shoes. About two miles back from where our parsonage stood is a long range of low% rocky hills, about 300 feet high, nearly parallel with the course of the river, and for the most part bare and naked, oid}' sprinkled w^ith a'lew^ ragged balsams, pine, and birch. It was April, and the snow was gone from the exposed parts of the hill, but beyond, in the valley where sugar-making w^as going on, it was still a couple of feet deep. Wanderino- alonjy throuo'h the bush, the first siufn of your approach to a sugar-camp is generally the sound of an axe or the barking of a dog ; these help to direct your steps ; then, in a little while you see snow-shoe tracks, and then — here are the little birch-bark troughs, one or tw^o to each maple-tree, and a slip of wood stuck in the tree about tw^o feet from the ground, which serves as a spout to convey the sap fix)m the tree to the trough. It does not run fast, about a drop in every three or four seconds. or sometimes much slower than that ; however the little trough gets full in time, and then the Indians come round and pour it into birch-bark pails and carry it to the camp to be boiled. The sap is very ' iiiaki each shiny • maki sap THK O.IKnWAY INDIANS. y.5 nice when you arc tliiisty — sli^litly swoot and wry cold, as tho ni^dits imist bo Frosty (lurini; sugai- iiiakiug time, and there is jjfcnerally a little iee in caeh trough. Cold frosty nights and clcai' sun- shiny days is what the Indians like tor their sugar- iiiaking. As soon as the weather «^('ts too warm tlir saj) heeonies hitter and is no longer" of any us(\ P "> "'fc.i. 'V bt Well, after my walk of course I took a draught of sap from the first trough I foun< ' i \ Tl u the roof is also made of poles placed like rafters and covered over with sheets of birch-bark, an opening being left the whole length of the ridge for the escape of the smoke. In the centre of the earthen floor is the fire, over which are suspended five or six large sugar-kettles, holding perhaps twenty or thirty gallons each, and into these the sap is poured as it is brought in from the trees. Along the inside of the wigwam on either side of the fire is a raised floor of boards or sticks, covered with fir branches, on which the Indians recline by 95 THE OIEinVAY INDIANS. -'i i •;, I M ■•I ^tl then from Toronto we took train via Niagara and Buffalo to New York. Our train arrived a few liours onJy before the . teaiiisliip T/w India was to start. So far Chief Buhkwujjenone had seen nothin 'l(N.^4i 98 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. IM'I :i ? if 4f I Chippewa tribe, to which he belongs, namely, skins, feathers, &c. He is described as being tall and handsome, with a frank but thoughtful face, and appeared to be about thirty years of age. It is understood that this chief, who proceeded immedi- ately per mail train to London, has been converted to (Jhristianity, and has been brought over to Eng- land under the auspices of the Church of England Missionary Society, in order that he may be in- structed in Christian truth, fitting him to return as a native teacher and preachei among his tribe in the backwoods of America. A more appropriate^ lodging for 'a man of the Desert' cannot be found in the whole world than Leicester Square ; though whether he would receive much Christian truth in that locality is another question. If he would send for his tribe, and encamp there permanently, a picturesque effect might be produced at a very trifling outlay." We travelled all night, and were due at Euston Square the following day. Earlv the next morn- ing we sent on the following teleg/am to announce; our arrival to our unexpecting friends : — " M3^self, wife, Archie, and Indian chief have arrived ; shall reach Euston at 3 p.m." This was the first intima- tion that our friends had of the certainty of our paying them a visit, as we had come away by the first boat down on the opening of navigation, and our letters sent by dog-sleigh a week or two before; that were still on the road. Still less had they any expectation of an introduction to one of the natives of our wild backwoods. Our train steamed into Euston Square punctual to the time after its long run of 400 miles. And now familiar sights met our eyes after a four years' absence from our native land ; there were the cabs and THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 99 lall iiia- OUl' the and any lives and the running porters and the dense crowd of people filling the station ; and there — still more familiar sight — was my father s carriage and the well-known figure of our coachman on the box. Then came hearty shakes of the hand from my father and brother who had come to meet us, and Chief Buhkwujjenene, who seemed quite lost, poor man, among the excitement and bustle, was intro- duced and shook hands with the venerable English Black-coat. It was strange the affection that Bulikwujjenene conceived for my brother from the first ; he mis- understood his name (Arthur), and thinking it to be Otter, always called him Neepig. Upon my father he conferred the name of Pashegoiiabe^ the great eagle, and one of my sisters he was pleased to call Wahauaenooqua^ which title he explained to mean a little spot cleared by the wind ; though for what reason he gave this name we could never quite make out. Neeffig and he became great friends ; they had one thing in common, and that was a love for tobacco, and in the summer evenings after dinner the young white man and his grown companion would recline on rustic seats in the garden, and smoke pipe after pipe, the red man mixing his "baccy" with some savoury bark from his native land which he produced from the depths of his martin-skin tobacco-pouch. They could not under- stand each other's speech, but by dint of signs and a few broken words of English occasionally intro- duced by the Chief, they managed to carry on some . conversation. Quite a sensation was caused not only in the house but in the neighbourhood by the new-comer's arrival. It was strange to see him sitting in his blanket coat in an easy chair beneath the gas- H a i .. »■ lOO THE 0JF:B\VAY INDIANS. r><^j lights in the drawing-room, strange to sec him conducting a lady in to dinner -and sitting at table awaiting the arrival and removal of the various courses, strange to see him walking the streets with his medals on his breast, his skunk skin and leg- gings and feather in his hat, or riding in the samt; attire on the top of an omnibus ; and yet amid it all he bore himself with such perfect grace and self- possession that every one admired and wondered at him. People thought he had a very pleasant expression and agreeable manner, and they were astonished at his politeness and the cool self-pos- sessed way in which he accepted the many new experiences which kept crowding upon him. A photographer in the neighbourhood soon heard of his arrival and asked him to sit for his portrait. Several likenesses were taken — representing him as a Christian Chief in his ordinary dress ; and as a Chief of former days in feathers and Indian costume. As he could scarcely speak a word of English I Avas obliged to be tied rather closely to him as in- terpreter, and assist him in receiving visitors, num- bers of whom came almost daily. We also had a visiting-card prepared for him on which was in- scribed Chief Buhkwujjenene, Garden River, Canada. At morning and evening prayers and in church on Sundays he was most devotional, and whenever the Lord's prayer was repeated he joined audibly in the Indian tongue — " Wai/ooseinegooyim keezhegoong aya- /n/un, tah keche-ahjieetandahgtimd kedezhenekausoowm^^ &c. (( THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 101 CHAPTER XVII. An Indian Chief in England. We were not long in setting the Chief to work. It was Friday when we arrived, and on the follow- ing Thursday our first meeting was held in Bishop Wilson's Memorial Hall, Islington. Notice was given of the meeting in church on the intervening Sunday, the Chief occupying a seat in one of the pews, and a circular was also issued headed : — " A Red Indian Chief's Visit to England." The result was an overflowing meeting. The vicar occupied the chair and a number of clergy were on the platform. Chief Buhkwujjenene seem- ing to be just as much at his ease as if he were addressing a council of his own people, stood forth and in simple eloquent terms told his story, myself interpreting for him every time he paused. " My brothers and sisters, he began, I salute you. I have come all the way across the great salt water to see you, and it does my heart good to see so many pale faces gathered together before me." He then recounted what had led him to take the journey. It had not been his own wish, but he felt that God had led him to do so ; God had preserved him amid the dangers of the ocean, and he trusted that God would prosper the cause for which he came to plead. ' [any years ago, he said, I and my people were in a very diflferent state to what we are now : we had no teaching, no churches, no missionaries, our medicine men taught us to believe in good and bad spirit^ J i' 102 THE O.IEnVVAY INDIANS. '^h 4 I : r:' V b V and to depend on dreams. I, when a boy, was obliged by my father to blacken my face and fast for many days together, and while doing this it was believed that whatever I dreamed would come true. But now we Indians at Garden River are no longer heathen, we have all now accepted Christianity and we have our church and our missionary. The desire of my heart is to see our religion spread among the other Indians ; we want more Missionaries to be sent to us, and greater efforts made to extend the bless- ings of the Gospel. We want our children to be taught to follow civilized trades as the white people do. We feel that the time is past for the Indians to live by hunting and fishing as our forefathers used to do. We wish to give up our old habits and adopt the customs of the pale faces. In order to accom- plish this we propose that a big teaching wigwam should be built at Garden River where our sons THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 103 3SS- sto sed opt Dm- am ons may Lc taught to carpenter and make boots and other such things as are useful, and where our daughters may learn needlework and knitting and spinning. This is the desire of my heart, this is the cause for which I have come to plead. We Indians are too poor to help ourselves, and so we look to you white people who now occupy our hunting grounds to help us. We know that our great Mother Queen Victoria, loves her Indian subjects ; often have w^e fought for her and we are ready to fight her battles again. We have readily given up our hunting grounds to you, and all that we ask of you is that you will help us in improving ourselves and in educating our children." After this the Chief put on his Indian dress and sang a war song. Much interest was stirred up by his address and the collection which was made after the meeting amounted to upwards of .5^'i i. The following Sunday the Holy Communion was administered at the old parish church of St. Mary's, and among those who knelt at the rails to receive the sacred emblems of our Lord's passion and death, was the Indian Chief Buhkwujjenene. I repeated the words to him in his own tongue as I adminis- tered the bread and wine. The following day we visited the Rev. Henry Venn, the venerable Secretary of the Church Mis- sionary Society. He received us most kindly, and for his own part he hoped that the Committee, whom we were to meet on the morrow, would agree to continue their support of the mission at Garden Rivei', and to assist us in our proposed scheme for the advancement and civilization of the Indians ; he feared, however, we might have some difficulty in the matter, on account of our proposed plans not being strictly in accordance with the main ^ \ t ■ 104 THE O.TEBWAY INDIANS. itii i object of the Society, which is to carry the Gospel to the heathen. Among the earliest plans made for the edification and amusement of the Chief was a visit to the Zoo- logical Gardens at Regent's Park. Among the birds the Chief quickly recognized the Canadian thrush, and dotted his hat with evident pleasure at the rencontre. Wc went the regular rounds, as every one does, through the monkey-house, through th(; parrot-house, down through the tunnel and along- side the canal to the house of the reptiles, then back to where the elephants and girafies are kept. The hippopotanms was on land so we saw him well ; the giraffes walked round and round and bowed their necks to the visitors as they always do ; tht^ elephant obeyed his keeper, stood up on his hind legs, elevated his trunk, trumpeted and consumed biscuits. Then we saw the lions and tigers fed. The Chief had a ride on one of the camels, and looked very picturesque in his white blanket coat, though scarcely oriental enough in his appearance to produce a natural effect. Another day we had an interview with his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. It was not brought about in the way such things are generally accom- plished, but still it did very well. The occasion was the opening of the Bethnal Green Museum. We had gallery tickets for the Chief and myself. It was an imposing display. The centre of the hall was occupied by all the great grandees in brilliant dress, including natives of many a foreign clime. The arrival of Royalty was signalized by a clarion blast which thrilled through one's veins and set one on the tiptoe of expectation. The Royal party entered, the necessary ceremonies for the opening of the building were gone through, and then commenced THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 10 .) jht iion ress, a tour of tho galleries. The Prince and his suite wouM pass close to us. This was a chance not to be thrown away. I had a photograph of Buhkwuj- jeneuo in my pocket. Buhkwujjenene on his breast wore a silver medal presented to him in common with other chiefs by the Prince on the occasion of Ins visit to Canada some years before. I steppeil up to one of the managers of the Institution — Henj was an Indian chief, a medal on his breast, given him by the Prince of Wales. Would it be out of place tor the Chief to present his carfe de v'mtc to the Prince % The manager good-naturedly said that he would speak to one of the suite when they approached and ask if it could be done. Soon the word came that the Prince would be pleased to have C'hief Buhkwujjenene presented to him. So space was made for us by a policeman in the front ranks of the crowd — and we awaited His Royal Highness's arrival. The moment came. His Royal Highness greeted the Chief most cordially and pleasantly, examined the medal on his breast, and said that he remembered his face among the Indian chiefs who had been presented to him in Canada. " Tell him," said the Prince to me; "tell liim I remember his face perfectly." We were then permitted to join the Royal procession and make the round of the building. But our time w^as not all taken up in sight- seeing. We had plenty to do, and only a little time to do it in. Nearly every night there was a meeting, and often we had two or three engage- ments in the course of a day. Never did an Indian chief have such a hard time of it. Wherever he went, he wore his blanket coat, his feather in his hat, his leggings and moccasins, and the skunk fekin on his arm. Very seldom was any attempt' til: io6 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. made to treat him rudely, though occasionally it was necessary to hurry him through the streets to avoid a crowd collecting. Wide guesses were made at his nationality ; one would take him for a New Zealander, another for a native of Japan. One of our best meetings was a garden-party at Mitcham Vicarage. There was a large gathering of ladies and gentlemen beneath the dark spreading cedars on the soft lawn. The Chief put on his feathers and ornaments, and at once became the centre of attraction. I think it was on this occasion that he narrated the Indian tradition of the Flood. some sent th the mu up it ^ little earth, placed of ling his the ■this of THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 107 '• ! " Nanaboozhoo," said the Chief, "had a son. He loved his son. He told his son never to go near the water lest evil should come to him. The son disobeyed his father : he went out in a canoe and was never seen or heard of more^ Nanaboozhoo then vowed vengeance against the gods of the water, who had destroyed his son. There were two of these gods, and one day they lay sleeping on the shore. Nanaboozhoo was looking everywhere for them, determined to kill them. A loon offered to show him where they were sleeping. He followed the loon till he found them, and then ho made short work of them with his tomahawk and his war- club. But lo, and behold, no sooner were the gods dead than the waters of the great lake rose up in vengeance ; they pursued Nanaboozhoo up on to the dry land, and he had to run for his life. He sought the highest mountain and climbed to the top of the highest pine-tree. Still the waters pur- sued him. They rose higher and higher. What could he do? He broke off a few of the topmost ])ranches, and made a raft upon which he got and saved himself. He saved also a number of the animals that were kicking and struggling in the water all around him. At length he bethought himself of making a new world. How should he i. ■'S ■ f ■ r ;'; ^ .i I ;: 112 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. and make provision for the winter. I gave him a h'tter, with full directions as to time of trains, &c., which he could show to any one, and Indians are always clever in finding their way about, so that I felt no anxiety about him. When I met him after- wards at Garden River, he pointed to his little log cottage, and said that was better than all the great houses in England. However, he retained very pleasing recollections of his visit, and often has he since asked me to write a letter for him to one or another of the good friends whom he made w hile in the country of the pale faces. When we started on our homeward voyage, about a month later, we took with us a young man from the Rev. D. B. Hankins' congregation at Ware, named Frost, to be school ter^cher at the Institution when built, and also a man and his wife from a farm in Kent as servants. On board the steamboat we fell in with a family of emigrants, and persuaded them to accompany us to Sault Ste. Marie. The man was a carpenter by trade, and helped us in many ways, but the following year he fell ill and died. We then took the widow into our employment as laundress, and she is with us still. Our two younger children w^ho had been w^ith their nurse at London, Ontario, during our absence, now rejoined us, and we were soon once more settled and ready for a second Algoma winter. II THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 113 . CHAPTER XIX. Learning to know my People. The Indians are a people requiring a good deal of patience on the part of tiieir teacliers, as, those who have tried working among them have generally found. There is on the one hand a charming fasci- nation about their simple manners and habits, their readiness to receive and accept Gospel teaching, the bright winning smile that lights up their faces when pleased, their stoical behaviour under adverse cir- cumstances, their gentleness and politeness, the ab- sence of that rough manner and loud talk which is so common among white people of the lower classes ; and yet on the other hand we must admit that there are certain strong points in their natural character which are anything but pleasing ; and it is, I believe, these points coming to the notice of people who are not inclined to befriend them that have earned for them the character of an idle, ungrateful people. Many a time has it been said to me, " How can you waste your time working among those Indians? They will never get any better for all you can teach them or do for them." And yet I have continued labouring, and do still labour among them, believing that it is God's will that every wandering sheep should be sought out and, if possible, be brought into the Good Shepherd's fold. If at times I have found them trying, yet, after all, I doubt if they are much more so than many a community of white people. I will now give a few extracts from my journal of the winter 1872-73. '"I ' '" ii6 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. sary in the way of fui 1, oil, &c. The collections ought to be ample to meet all expenses besides paying the sexton ; but if not constantly watched the Indians are apt to spend the money on things not really wanted, while we are shivering for want of fire, and blinding ourselves for want of light. JJi'o. 27. — Evening Communicants' meeting at I William Shabahgeezhik's ; about twenty-five present. I spoke very plainly to the people, and urged none to come forward to the Sacrament without duf preparation. I said I would rather see ten persons kneeling at the rail and feel that they were truly in earnest, than thirty people who had come forward without thinking of what they were doing. I in- vited them to come and talk with me individually in private. I said God had brought me to this place to be their friend and counsellor, and to help them on their road to heaven, and I hoped that they would regard me as such. Dec. 28. — Our first Winter mail arrived to-day. The first mail we hear was lost and one of the couriers drowned, so this must be the second that has now arrived. I had only just brought up a large packet of letters and papers to the house, when I was called away three miles distant, to see a man who had been taken suddenly ill and was sup- posed to be dying. I went in the sleigh and ad- ministered medicine to him. Then came a call in an opposite direction to see Chief Little Pine, who is also sick. He has no serious symptoms, but is very weak, and eats nothing. He says he does not wish to say anything about his illness, and wants no medicine. "The great God," he said, "knows ftU, and He can take care of me." J)ec, 29, Sunday. — We had twenty-seven at Holy 1 sign THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 117 ip a )USC, : ^ Communion to-day, — little over half the number that assembled last year. I take this for a good sign. I trust that our people are beginning to think more, and to realize how solemn is this Holy Feast. The oftertory collection was nearly four dollars. This I take for the relief of the sick. On the other Sundays the money is used for church expenses. Jati. 3, 1873. — Meeting to-night at Peter Jones' — about twenty-four present. After it was over I told the people that the meeting next week would be at Misquaubuhnooke's, on Sugar Island, and we had made a plan for Mr. Frost to go over and teach school there three times a week. I also made some reference to the dancing, in which they so much indulge at this time of the year, — exhorting them not to keep up their parties late at night, to finish with reading and prayer, arid not to be ashamed for the Bible to be seen on the table ; also not to let the whiskey bottle appear. I said God willed that we should enjoy ourselves, but in our enjoy- ment we must remember Him, and not give way to sin. Ja7i, 4. — Yesterday, while out, I was called in to see a poor boy in a very suffering state, a large piece of cord-wood having fallen on his arm and created some internal injury. The accident happened five clays ago, and nothing yet had been done. I im- mediately applied a cooling lotion. The poor little^ fellow, who is only about thirteen years old, was in great pain. His home is some three miles off. On Sugar Island, and his mother had only heard of the- accident to-day, and had just arrived when I was called in. This morning I have brought him up in the sleigh to my house and placed him on a bed in the little old school-house; there is a nice fire in' li ii8 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. ...J.: i! 4 4 tho Htovc, and wc have given the mother cooking iitenHils and food, so they will be quite comfortable. Jaft. 5. — About eleven o'clock last night the poor boy's mother came knocking for me at the window ; 80 I went over to see him. He seemed much worse, and was screaming with the pain ; his arm was ([uito black and the inflammation extending to the hand. The mother seemed in great trouble, and. being Roman Catholics, I told her I would go over to see the priest, and perhaps ho would send some one to the Sault for the doctor. The priest canu^ back with me, but seemed to think it no use to send for the doctor, as, if mortification was be- ginning, he could do no good. I then left the priest alone with him, while I went to prepare a soothing draught. While walking with the priest, I took the opportunity to say a few words to him about my visiting his people. I told him I was often called in by his people to visit their sick ones, and hitherto had made it rather a point of honour not to speak to them about religion, as I thought he would nut like it, and only on one occasion had done so. I. however, did not like this plan ; as a clergyman I felt that I ought to have the privilege of speaking to those whom I was called on to visit, especially the dying; so, if he objected to my doing so, it would be best for him to tell his people not to send for me. The priest said he certainly should not like his people to be talked to ; still he would be sorry for me to give up visiting the sick, and " if I wished sometimes to offer words of consolation 1 must do so." At the close of my sermon to-day I mentioned this circumstance to our people, showing them first of all the differen'je between our religion and that of the Roman Catholics — the latter shut the Bible m ^E OJEIlWAY INDIAN8. 119 oned first that Kible op, wo give it to all; the latter toach people to depend on the priest for everything, we point only to God and to Jos us Christ. I said I indeed desired to see all the people on this Reserve members of our Church ; still I felt that this would not be effected by strift; and (j barrelling, but only by love. I wished, I said, to try and copy the Saviour, who loved all men alike. For this reason, when called to help Roman Catholics or to give them medicine, I was willing to do so, as I thought it was right to do so. Still I had long felt dissatisfied that my tongue should be tied when visiting these people, for fear of offending the priest. For that reason I had now had a talk with the priest, and told him that in future, if I visited his people, I must be allowed to talk to them. If he did not like me to do this, he must forbid them sending for me. A good many of our people went in after service to see the poor sick boy. I took Archie in also to see him. The boy seemed much pleased to see him, saying, ' Kagat minwahbumenahgooze ' (he is very pretty), and afterwards repeated the same words to his mother when she came in. Ja?i. 7. — This evening I had quite a nice talk with my poor boy -patient. I told him the story of God's love in sending His Son to die for us ; also about the penitent thief on the cross being saved in his last hour of life. The child listened very attentively, and appeared to drink in all that I told him, and I then knelt by his bed-side and prayed for him. Jan. 10. — My poor boy is, I hope, getting a little better. His arm gives him less pain. I again had a little talk with him, and prayer. I asked him if he thought God treated him hardly in sending him 80 much suffering, and he replied, *' No." I thea ':: 111 J. -V 111 120 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. i; j: >»»■ r 5: 1 1 ■ a V W told him that God had certainly sent it all in love for his soul, so that he might be led to think and prepare for the future life : God had already heard our prayers for him, and if he should gee quite well, I hoped he would always love and serve God. Jan. 19. — Frost has begun his school on Sugar Island. The first day he had thirteen children and the second day fourteen. He is getting on wonder- fully with the Indian language, and can read the lessons in church. Felj. 2, Sunday. — To-day we had about seventy at morning service, and twenty-seven communicants. Chief Little Pine came yesterday to see me about tJie Holy Communion. He said that recently I had spoken so strongly about the danger of receiving it unworthily that he was afraid. I knew, he said, that he owed Penny over twenty dollars ; also that he had not yet paid his promised subscription of ten dollars to the school. • I told him God knew the secrets of all our hearts. If he really intended to pay what he was owing as soon as possible, it was not sin for him to be in debt, and he might partake of the Sacrament with a clear conscience. I was rather glad, however, to see him turn away at the end of the service. It is the first time that ho has done so, and I trust he is really beginning to think more of what it all means. THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 121 CHAPTER XX. A Wedding and a Death. Feh. 3, 1H73. — To-day "William Buhkwiijjenene, the Chiefs only son, was married to Philemon Atoosa. The wedding was appointed for 10 a.m., and early in the morning William w^as off to fetch his bride and her party, their house being about four miles off, on Sugar Island. It w^as long past the hour when Buhkwujjenene, Atoosa, and several other Indians came to me in a rather excited state, and Buhkwujjenene, as spokesman, explained that, although Atoosa, the father, was willing for his daughter to be married in our church, the mother and brother were opposed, and wanted the priest to marry them. I replied briefly that there were two religions, Roman Catholic and Church of England. When marriages took place between parties of different Churches, agreement must be made in which Church they would be married ; this agreement had already been made in this case, banns had been published, and the bride and her father were both willing, so there was no need for any trouble. Chief Buhkwujjenene said that was enough, and he would go for the party. However, I waited on and on, and at length went over to Buhkwujjenene's house to ascertain the cause of delay. I found that he, Atoosa, and his son, had gone over to see the priest. They soon returned, and brought word that the priest raised no objection to the marriage being performed in our Church, and had even said, "If you do what is right in the ll! m m m-. • Hill 122 .THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. ■!l'l :. * ■ Church of England you will go to heaven the same as if you belonged to the Roman Catholic Church ;" rather liberal language for a Jesuit priest. It was now past noon, and still there came one cause of delay after another, so that it was 1.45 p.m. before the party had actually assembled in the church. All passed off' very well. Bride and bride- groom put their marks in tho register, and then all repaired to Chief Buhkwujjenene's dwelling. The ; bride wore a blue merino dress with green trimmings, a smart crimson necktie, gold brooch, chain, and locket, her hair in a net with blue ribbons. The bridesmaids were Isabel, Nancy, Sophy, and Therese Weesaw. The feasting began at 2.30 p.m., the table very well spread — wedding-cake, wine, turkey, goose, rabbit, beef, tarts, buns, and preserves ! About twenty-five sat down at a time, the bride and bridegroom at the head. Two tables were cleared before the speeches began. Chief Little Pine made a capital speech, relating the happiness of his own married days, and wishing for a like blessing on the young couple just united. March 15. — Last evening our cottage reading was at Buhkwujjenene's. I had just given out the first hymn when a message came that I was wanted immediately at George Pine's, for Eliza was very ill, and, they feared, dying. I got my medicines and jumped into the sleigh. George Pine had gone away last Monday beaver-hunting. Only Sarah was in the house. Eliza was lying on a, couch on the floor, her head to the wall, her feet toward the stove, — Sarah sitting about two yards from her on the floor by the wall, with Eliza's baby on her knees. The other two little children, Benjamin aa4 Esther, were lying on some blankets on the > THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 1^3 the floor at the other side of the room. While I was taking off my cap and muffler George Angisteh bent down and looked at Eliza, and then said to Sarah, " She is dead ! " He then got up quickly, and went out to summon the neighbours. In the meantime I felt her pulse and heart, but her eyes were fixed, and she evidently was dead ; the women who came in tried rubbing her arms and legs, but without any effect. Gradually the room became crowded with persons, the two chiefs among the number. I gave a short address, expressed my belief that Eliza was fully prepared for death, and was now happy ; and told the people her words about the eight true Christians whom she thought might be found in Garden River. I pitied, I said, the three little orphan children, and I trusted that God would care for them. I spoke to Benjamin, the eldest (six years old), and told him his mother was in heaven, and that he must try and love God, and then he would go to see her again by-and-bye. March 1 8. — To-day was the funeral. The church was crammed. I gave a short address after the lesson, and we sang a hymn. The coffin was opened in the church that all who wished might take a last look. This is a prevalent custom with the Indians. There was no road cut to the cemetery, so I had to go on snow-shoes, and the sleigh, with the coffin, was drawn by four men. Again at the grave I said a few words, and commended the three little orphan children to God's care. Mai/ 28. — A very satisfactory meeting to- night. After the usual evening service was over (in the school) I asked all the people to remain, so that we might have a little talk together about the Institu- tion which I hoped would be built during the Bummer. The Indians^ I said, had now transferred lilii •■it ''•'•Mil lifi 124 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS; .!!! m 4 1 "H 1 m 1 the land to us by deed, so that there was nothing to prevent our commencing the buildings at once. It was necessary, however, to consider what children would be received into the Institution when it was completed. Many friends were ready with their money to pay for the support of pupils, but they wanted first of all to know their names and ages, and other particulars™ I felt, I said, that this was an important matter, and it was time now for me to ask them whether they were willing to give up their children to be trained in our Institution. I knew that it was a great responsibility for me to undertake the charge of their children ; if it were not that I was persuaded that our whole undertaking had been from first to last ordered by God, I should consider it too heavy a burden, but I was sure God would be with us and bless us — it was His work, and not mine. .Chief Buhkwuj- jenene replied. He alluded briefly to our visit to England, spoke of the generosity of the English people in contributing, and ended by saying that he should gladly send two of his daughters to our Institution. Chief Little Pine then rose. He addressed himself specially to the women, and told them a great work had been done for their children, and they must make up their minds now to give them up. In a humourous tone, he said, all the wea7ted children must be sent to the Institution at once, and the infants be kept until they were old enough. Their Missionary, he added, seemed to. think it would be a heavy burden on him, and so indeed it would be if he were alone : but he was not alone, God would help him, and so it would be light. He concluded by urging on the people to listen to the good counsel they had received. All that had been spoken was truth — it w^s ajU truth^ .THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 125 * CHAPTER XXI. The Opening of the First Shingwauk Home. so be to M On June 3rd, 1873, the contract for the erection of the new Industrial Home was signed. It was to cost 1550 dollars, and to be completed by August 25th. The specifications showed that it was to be a frame building, having, with the old parsonage, a frontage of 100 feet, two stories high, with verandah in front for each flat ; suitable farm buildings were also to be erected on the land in the rear. It was interesting to us to watch the progresL^ of the work day by clay, to see the walls rising up, the partitions made between the rooms, and at length the roof put on and shingled. The plastering was not yet done when the first batch of children arrived.. They came from our old Mission at Sarnia, and were accompanied by Mr. Jacobs. Their names were Mary Jane, Kabaoosa, Mary-Ann Jacobs, Betsey Corning, Eliza Bird, John Rodd, Tommy Winter (who was at Kettle Point) ; also Nancy Naudee and Jimmy Greenbird, from Walpole Island. It was difficult to find accommodation for them all, as the rooms were not ready ; however, we managed to pack them in. It was just at this time that the district of Algoma, with Parry Sound and Muskoka, was set apai't by the Church as a Missionary Diocese, and on the 10th September, 1873, Archdeacon Fauquier, of the Huron Diocese, was elected our first Mis- sionary Bishop. His consecration was appointed to take place October 28th. ''tab ,,V^i« '« .1 WW 12$ THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. m N lis !; Ill I i w $\ u i^' :^' i; !r:il m '. ;!, ,'1* , i; if And now I must tell about the opening of our Home, which took place on Monday, the 22nd of September. It was a fine bright day, and preparations began early in the morning with the hoisting of flags, ringing the church bell, and firing of guns. A string of flags — blue, yellow, red, and white-— adorned the face of the building, and a large Union Jack, given by Mrs. Buxton, was hoisted on the centre of the roof. Men on the Reserve met first, early in the morning, for a " clearing bee " on the farm ; and at 4 p.m. a general gathering of all the people was appointed to take place at " The Home " for the opening ceremony. We had at this time the promise of twenty-three THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 127 pupils, but only sixteen had as yet arrived — eight boys and eight girls. Six came from Sarnia, two from Walpole Island, two from Manitoulin Island, and six belonged to Garden River. Among the latter were Eliza Pine's little orphan boy Benjamin. They all seemed very happy and contented in their new home. Those who came from a distance had their travelling expenses paid by their band ; and we thought, if anything, it was rather an advantage to get them, as their homes were too far off for them to be likely to run away if they became home-sick. Poth boys and girls worked very well, helping the matron (Mrs. Shunk) and schoolmaster to get every- thing ready by 4 p.m. The dining hall was prettily decorated with stag-horn, moss, and flowers, and laid out with tables bearing, on one side of the room, a " heavy dinner " for those who had been toiling at the '' Bee," and on the other side a light repast for other visitors. The hall was soon crowded with people, and all came in for some share of the feast. Then we had croquet and other games in the garden until 6 p.m., when a bell was rung, and ail gathered in the hall. The two Indian Chiefs, Buhkwujjenene and Augustin Shingwauk (Little Pine), Mr. Frost, and myself, sat at a table at one end, with the boys and girls of the Home ranged on our right and left, the rest of the room being occupied by the people. The opening ceremonies were conducted in a very simple manner, with a short service, a special prayer for the occasion, hymns, and the declaration that the building was now open, and was to be known by the name of " The Shingwauk Industrial Home," Shingwauk (a pine tree) having been the family name of the Garden River Chiefs for several gene- rations back. '^. w\ :^i:?i fm»itm' rr" 128 THE OJEBW^Y INDIANS. If! Then I invited the whole crowd of people to follow me in order through the building, that they might see every part of it. I went first, with a lamp, and was followed by the Chiefs and all the Indians, and the schoolmaster, with another lamp, brought up the rear. We ascended the boys' stair- case, through the master's bedroom into the boys' flormitories, looked into the clothing store well : ^'»i t supplied from English and Canadian Sunday-schools ; then down our own staircase, into the dining-room, out again into the hall, through our kitchen and the Institution kitchen, and the matron's sitting- room, into the girl's work-room and dormitories, and so back to the dining-hall. Then all again took their places, and the meeting was continued. I read over the rules which had been placed on boards and THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 1^9 ools; Irooni. and ting- , and took read ■s and hung up in the dining-hall ; read over the names of the children ah'eady aihnitted, gave a few particulars about our work, and then invited the Chiefs each to give an address. They spoke very warmly, and expressed themselves as highly gratified with all that had been done and was being done for their advancement, and thanked God that this " big teach- ing wigwam," which they had so long wished for, was now built and opened for use. We then con- cluded the meeting with another hymn and the l)lessing. I hatl been very successful in getting support for my Indian children. Several Sunday-schools in Toronto and elsewhere had kindly undertaken the support of individual children, and Tommy and .limmy were provided for by kind friends in England. We thus had much reason to be hopeful and to thank (jod. During the remainder of the week our Indian children attended regularly every day at school. At last, Saturday night came ; tea and prayers were half an hour earlier than on other days. Mr. Frost played the harmonium, and the children sang sweetly "Shall we gather at the river?" Then they had their baths, and all retired to rest, looking forward to a happy day on the morrow, the first Sunday in our new Institution. -Ml* Villi : !ll>^ r 130 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. m. til f. i\ ill •1 • 111 ! CHAPTER XXII. Fire I Fire I At 10 o'clock that Saturday night (September 27th) I went my rounds as usual to see that all Avas well. Earlier in the evening we had fancied that we smelt burning, but it was accounted for })y the matron, who said that she had put some old rags into the washhouse stove. Everything seemed to be safe and comfortable, and at 11 p.m. I retired to rest. About 3 o'clock in the morning Mrs. Wilson and myself were simultaneously awakened by the run- ning to and fro of the boys in the dormitory over- head, and the shouting of the schoolmaster. We were both up in an instant. I lighted a candle, put on a few clothes, and opened the door leading into the nursery. The cause of alarm was immediately apparent. Flames were leaping up at the back of the house, seeming to come from the cellar, which was entered by a staircase from the outside, just under the nurseries. Every one now was crying " Fire ! " and all seemed to be rushing about fran- tically. Mrs. Wilson called to the servants to wrap our children in blankets, and escape with them. 1 ran from the nursery to the kitchen, where was a door that led out to the back ; there I found Cryer and Frost vainly endeavouring to stifle the flames by throwing on buckets of water. It was raining in torrents. Not a soul was at hand to help us. I sent Cryer and Frost to the river for more w^ater. It was pitch dark, and the river a considerable distance off, so that by the time they returned, the fla toe sei on the THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. J3' :eml)er ill Avas (1 that })y the d rags lied to retired )n and le run- j over- *. We le, put lor into liately ack of Avhich just (>• J? Iran- wrap m. I was a Cryer flames aining us. I water, erable }d, the cryin^ flames had made great headway. It was evidently too late to save the building. Mrs. Wilson an ■■'Hi ':>; I t 136 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. -il] old, had her hand to her head and looked ill. She said, " My brain pains me." She seemed inclined to faint, so I took her in my arms and gave her some restorative. All night our little Laurie was very ill, and Mrs. Wilson ne - slept at all. Next day, Monday, the Indians 1 la council to hear from me what I proposed to do. They asked me whether I felt " w^eak or strong about it," whether I would collect money to re-build again, or whether I should give up the Mission. I reminded them of what I had said in the church. I could only wait on God till I saw my way. Some of them said it was un- fair to ask me just now when the calamity was but just over, and my wife and child sick ; it would be better for them to set to work and try and repair the damages and leave me more time to think : they then talked of putting up a house at once for our school-master, as he would remain and take my place this winter. Old Chief Little Pine, spoke very nicely ; addressing me, he said, " The destruc- tion of these buildings and property is not loss. Were you to lose your wife and children it would be loss, for they cannot be replaced. I have just lost a son, and I know what that is." Our friends at the Sault were most kind and sympa- thising ; they sent us a portmanteau full of clothing and food. One more sad event has to be recorded. Tuesday was a clear cold morning, and the stars were still shining brightly, undimmed as yet by the streaks of dawn in the East, as I wended my way to the church. I was going to toll the bell, for our little daughter Laurie was dead. The soft morning star beamed down upon me as in pity ; all was quiet, all looked calm, serene, and peaceful, — the silence only broken by the deep tolling of the bell. The little THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 13; esday still eaks o the little star 3t,all ODly little coffin had to be made in haste, and was only just ready in time, for the steamship Cumherlanil arrived at 10 a.m. My wife was carried on a mattress down to the steamer. The boat could on'ly stay a short time. The servants and the other childj'en were already on board. I gently lifted my child into her last narrow bed, then Cryer and I carried it on board with our hats off. Frost re- mained behind to take charge of the Mission tem- porarily. The Indian childi-en who had come from a distance were left with him and the Matron until we could decide what to do. The captain and officers were vefy kind. When we got to Bruce Mines, I went up to a store to buy a great coat and other necessaries. My wife was still in her dressing gown, being too ill to dress. We had special prayer on board for fine weather, the captain and others joining with us. On reaching Collingwood, we were most kindly received by Dr. and Mrs. Lett. They were greatly distressed to hear of our sad mis- fortune, and my wife was carried up with the greatest care to their house. They gave up their own bedroom to her on account of its being warm and comfortable, and would not hear of our going elsewhere. Late in the evening a vehicle was engaged, and Dr. Lett, my two little boys, and myself went together to the cemetery which is some distance off — taking the little coftin with us. It was too late to read from the Service-book, but Dr. Lett repeated some portions of the service from memory, and our little girl's body was committed to the ground — "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, — in sure and certain hope of the glorious resurrection." The telegram announcing our disaster was re- ceived at my father's house in England at 8 p.m. ..u 1^' 138 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. tjSl il faVI; ;r .i Oct. ist, three days after it happened, and a reply expressing much sympathy was immediately tele- graphed to us. A week later came a letter saying that .^250 had already been subscribed towards the rebuilding : this simply in response to the telegram. Very great sympathy was aroused, and letters came pouring in from kind friends both in England and in Canada. By Oct. i6th the "fire fund" in Eng- land had reached .5^^518, and this before any letters with details had arrived. Our friends up to that time knew only that " all wa. burnt down." They were anxiously expecting letters, and hoped to hear that we had at least saved some of our personal property. The following are extracts from some of the earliest letters received in response to the first detailed tidings of our calamity. " Your letter, giving the details of that terrible escape and your great anxiety, only reached us yesterday morning (Oct. 22). It made our hearts bleed for you. But how comforting to know that you were kept in peace, even amid sue// sorrow. I knew you would be helped and comforted, as God's children always are, when their need is the greatest. And now our fears and longings have been greatly relieved by the short telegram which arrived at 4 a.m. to-day. We do indeed rejoice and thank God with you for this great mercy. After your sad account of your dear wife and her falls in escaping we feared much for h^r, but what a joy to have another living babe in place of the sweet little one whom the Good Shepherd has folded in His own arms. . . . How mysterious it seems that everything, just when completed, should thus in a moment have been destroyed; and then, just when the fire came, that the children should have been so ill : but if trials like these do make us cling the more to the Mighty THE OJEBAVAY INDIANS. 139 One shall it not be well ? . . . <^^55o is now in hand for you, and more keeps coming in." Another writes : — " I cannot say how we all felt for you in your great trial, such an overwhelming, overpowering misfortune ; and then your darling child's death too, it all seems to have come upon you like an avalanche. Well, you have the best comfort. I came upon such a nice verse for you this morning, " David encouraged himself in the Lord, his God." On the 3cth October, a large packing case and bale were despatched from England containing full supplies of clothing and house requisites, books, &c., and many handsome presents from our kind and sympathizing friends. But besides all this help from England we re- ceived also very much sympathy and a great deal of substantial help from our friends in Canada. The very first contribution I received towards re- building was from the Methodist minister of the Sault, although I had never made his acquaintance or spoken to him. One lady sold a diamond ring from her linger and sent us the proceeds, and many others helped liberally. Dr. Lett was indefatigable in his exertions for us. The following is f^om our dear Bishop, who had been elected only a fe v weeks before the lire occurred and was not yet consecrated. "My dear Mr. Wilson, — I have only to-day been able to ascertain with any probable certainty where I could hope that a letter, conveying my deep and heartfelt sympathy with you and yours under the late severe visitation which Our Heavenly Father, doubtless for wise and good purposes, has seen fit to bring upon you, might find you. ... I feel assured that you have gone to the right quarter for comfort and support in the trying hour ; and that so doing •••••Mi "•iMiil r 140 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS, you have experienced the faithfulness of Him, who hath promised that He will never leave nor forsake such as trust in Him, and have been comforted. If, in the midst of all your cares, you can fi^ 1 time to send me a line, first to tell how your dear partner is - '.vhom I pray may be spared to you — as well as how you are yourself, and then what your plans for the future are, I shall indeed feel greatly obliged. Such trials as these must not discourage us, but rather '^juicken our exertions and stimulate our zt> . ^^:^rying that you may be strengthened and suppi >i V: I in this your hour of need, and realize that it is f/oof/, /o he afflicted^ believe me to remain von . > ii'^ctio' ' :■. and sympathizing brother in the Lord, F. D. Fauquieu." CHAPTER XXIV. Prospects of Re-building. " Shingwauk — an announcement ! " Such was the heading of a communication which appeared in the correspondence columns of the " Church Herald" in the Spring of 1874, between four and five months after our fire,— and it ran thus: "A little more than four months ago the Shingwauk Industrial Home at Garden River was burnt to the ground, and not a vestige of it left. An appeal was then made to Church people of Canada, England, and Ireland to assist in re-building it, and the sum re- quired being j^'2000 ; the building to comprise an . Industrial School for boys and girls, and principal s T) THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 141 V '< residence. I am happy to annoiinco that this sum is, so far as I can ascertain, ahnost, if not aheady, secured. From the Canadian Church, 1410 dols.; from Government, loco dols. ; and the balance from the Old Country. I mention this in no spirit of boastfulness, but in humble gratitude to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit hath thus inclined the hearts of His people to give. All that has been contributed has been 'offertory money' in the truest sense of the word. No expense (beyond printing) has been incurred, and every contiibution that has been offered, whether of a hundred pounds or a penny, has I believe been given with a full and grateful heart, as unto God and not as unto men." It was indeed a very great cause not only for thankfulness, but for deepened faith and more earnest trust in God, the Giver of all good gifts, that a work which had seemed so completely de- stroyed should thus, in the short space of four and a half months, without anv effort beinj; made on my part, be in a fair way towards re-establishment on a larger scale and on a more sure and permanent basis than before. Truly can we say, " God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform." If only we have faith in God, how much more may be accomplished than we have any idea of He is afj/e to do for us far more than we can either ask or think. I feel it only right, at this point, to place it on record, as an encouragement to others who would fain trust simply in God, that the effect on myself of that fire — I cannot call it that disastrous fire — was to draw out fresh faith and trust in my ttt !ft m 14^ THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. il fix tB-ih' . 'f i*. heavenly Father. At that time, when every earthly prop seemed to have given way, — when we suspected incendiarism and knew not whom to trust, and my little daughter was dead, and my wife seemed to be dying, and all things seemed to be against me, — I was enabled in that hour of deep trial to look above, to realize that God wa^ my Father — my good Father — who would not let me want ; in my helplessness I just cast myself upon Him, and rested on His strong arm. Before, I had often been anxious and had worried myself about the future, but in this my hour of distress I felt very deeply how insecure are all earthly invest- ments, and that as His servants, — " labourers to- gether with God," our work not of earth, but of heaven, — the truest happiness was to depend very simply on our heavenly Father for the supply of all our daily needs. Certainly it was wonderful how the money came in for re-building our burnt Institution. The English fund kept mounting up. First it was 3^^250 ; that was a little more than a week after the telegram was received, and before any details had arrived. Eighteen days after the fire it was j^5 1 8 ; a week later, 3i\%o. In four and a half months it had mounted up to ^1500 ; just double the amount we had collected for the first Institution. And all without any great efibrt being made. It seemed like a fulfilment of the verse, " The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." And now we must return to Collingwood. Spring has come ; the Indian grammar and dic- tionary are completed, and have been sent to Toronto for publication ; the ice is moving out of the bay, — the first steamboat preparing ta start no] THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 143 northward. We bid adieu to our kind friends, and are off once more to Algoma ! On the second morning we pass the Garden River dock. Our poor Institution is gone ; and in its place stands a very desolate -looking frame cottage, with only a door in front, and not a single window facing the river. It has been built on thi' site of the burnt building, and is occupied by Mr. Frost, the Catechist. The poor old church is standing still, scorched on one side. Some of the Indians are waving to us as we pass ; — but we are not going to stop there, — the boat goes gliding on, and an hour later we are lauded on the Sault Ste. Marie dock ^ We had engaged a house for the summer, near the river, and here we took up our residence on the iSth day of May. Early the next morning I started off to look for land whereon to build the new Insti- tution. East, west, and north, high and low, land was looked at, but none seemed sufficiently desir- able to choose as a site for the new Shingwauk Home ; either it was too near the village, or too far away, or too far from the river, or of too high a price. At length, however, the spot was decided on. One sultry evening, almost the last day of May, my wife and myself sauntered down the road along by the bank of the broad Ste. Marie River, a distance of nearly a mile and a half from the village. Here was a little open clearing, while all around was thick, tangled, almost impenetrable bush, but in front was the beautiful sparkling river, a mile and a half in width, and two pretty green islands just ^ Shortly after this the Rev. P. T. Rowe was appointed by the • I Bishop missionary to Garden River. It was thought better for many reasons to erect the new Institution at Sault Ste. Marie in preference to Garden River. ^fp J 44 THE OJEBVVAY INDIANS. $" ' '.-I J I *■ in front of us. Cryer, the farm-man, had followed us with a spade, and we got him to turn up the sod in several places that we might see what the soil was like. We decided there and then to make this the site of the Shingwauk Home. The soil indeed was somewhat stony, but the distance from the vil- lage was just what we wanted, and the land was cheap (only j£'i an acre) and, best of all, it was close to the river, which meant plenty of boating and fishing and swimming for the boys, and skating in winter. We bought ninety acres, but it cost us nothing, as the Municipal Council gave us a bonus of 500 dols. On the 3rd of June (our wedding-day) I selected the spot on which to build, measured it and staked it out, and assisted Cryer to chop out a clearing. The bush was so dense that we could see nothing of the river from where we were working ; but after a few days' labour the clearing was ex- tended to the roadway, and we could then see where we were ; we made some big fires, and burnt up the brush-wood as fast as we cut it down. On the z4th June the contract was signed, and exca- vations for the building were commenced. The first week of June saw the arrival of Bishop Fauquier to take up his residence at Sault Ste. Marie. The first week of June also saw the first issue of our little Missionary paper, at that time called the "Algoma Quarterly," but now the "Algoma Mis- sionary News." THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. M5 CHAPTER XXV. m Laying the Foundation Stone. On Friday, the 31st of July, 1874, the foundation stone of the new Shingwauk Home was laid by the Earl of Dufferin, Governor-General of Canada. It was fortunate that his Excellency had planned a trip to the Upper Lakes juvst at this very time. Two days before his arrival a telegram was received from Col. Cumberland, Provincial A.D.C. who was accompanying his lordship — "I have his Excel- lency's commands to say that it will give him much pleasure to lay the corner-stone of your School on his arrival, which will probably be Friday after- noon." All now w^as bustle and excitement, and great prepaiations w^ere made ; triumphal arches erected, Hag-poles put up and Hags hoisted, and a cold collation prepared in the carpenter's shop, which was the only building at present erected. The ladies of Sault Ste. Marie most liberally gave us every assistance, and the "spread" of good things was complimented by the Governor-General, Avho remarked that he had never before seen a luncheon so tastefully laid out in Canada. On Friday, at 1 p.m., the steamship C/ncora, Avhich had been chartered by the vice-regal party, drew up at the Sault dock. The leading inhabit- ants of the place welcomed his Excellency on land- ing, and presented him with a loyal address, to which he made a suitable reply. During the pro- cession a salute was fired by a company of volun- teers. The guns were two handsome brass field •Mm* inHfl r^ 146 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. ii' .'■ .V "r*-:' pieces, stronpfly mounted, bearing the date lyy^. An old Higlilander who accompanied the party remarked, "C.'aptain Wilson's guns are tvva sma' pieces, but they make a tremendous noise;" and certainly the reports, as they followed each o'' *• with the utmost regularity, justified the remark After some introductions to the Ciovernor-General, he and Lady Dutterin embarked for the Shingwauk Home. They were followed by quite a fleet of other boats, and in due time all landed at our own newly-made dock. Here we met the distinguished pfi.rty, and accompanied them to the site of the new buildings. Our Bishop being away, the respon- sibility of the occasion all rested on myself. After a short service, conducted by the two visiting clergymen. Lord DufFerin advanced and gave us the following address: — " It is with great pleasure that I have taken ji humble part in the interesting ceremony of to-day. I am always glad to have an opportunity of show- ing the sympathy which I feel and the interest which I take in the welfare of our Indian fellow- subjects. We are bound to remember that we are under the very gravest obligations toward them, and that the white race, in entering their country and requiring them to change their aboriginal mode of life, incurs the duty of providing for their future welfare and of taking care that in no respect whatsoever are their circumstances deteriorated by changes which are thus superinduced. It must also be remembered that, although we ourselves have the advantage of living under Parliamentary institutions, and that the humblest person in the land is able to feel that his representative is in a position to plead his cause and watch over his interests in the Hi. .. , ^fc ''(V it ^€ 158 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. up with a little fresh water, and is none the worse. By seven o'clock everything was in order, books were got out, and the children seated themselves (juietly round the table, not for school, but just to amuse themselves, as best they liked. I sat in the Matron's rocking chair by the cook-stove, and was amused to hear them puzzling over the English words, spelling, and helping one another ; some of them had copies of my Ojebway grammar, and were teaching themselves the Entjlisli sentences translated from the Indian. At half-past seven I suggested they should sing a few hymns before prayers, so the monitor got the hymn books, and they started the tunes themselves, and sang very prettily " Gentle Jesus, meek and mild," " Beautiful River," and " Hark, hark my soul, angelic songs are swelling." Then we had prayers. I read a short passage from the Gospels in English, and explained it in Indian. Kneeling down, they all joined audibly in the general con- fession and the Lord's prayer. After prayers all went off to bed, the boys over to the Carpenter's Cottage, and the girls into the three dormitories. The monitor and cook girls, however, had to stay up another hour, for bread had been set and was not yet all baked. Tl^ere was the large wooden kneading trough by the stove, and the scales, and as fast as one batch of bread came out of the oven another went in, one girl cutting the dough, weigh- ing it — four pounds to a loaf —and another making up the bread and placing it in the tins. I think twenty loaves altogether were baked that evening, and very nicely baked too. John Rodd was the wood-cutter, and his task was to light the fire in the morning. He was early to THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 159 the .king hink his work, and by 6 a.m. a bright fire was burning up, lamps were lighted, the bell rung, and soon the occupants of the dormitories began to make their appearance, shivering, — and so indeed was I — for it was a coM morning, twenty dejrrees below Zero, or thereabouts : the smoke seemed to freeze in the chimney, the window panes were caked with ice, and nearly everything in the house frozen solid. It was just as well that the porridge haJt' ■«« «> >« N ,i| «N .< i ' c !t :3» h . s ,, ■t; jiv •*>. ;j: : ing, talking, and singing, and yot all did thoir duties regularly and syHteniatically- -no jarring or disputes, and no shirking of work, all seemed kind and ready to help one another. Of tho Indian children who were with us that first winter we know the after-record of some. A *" « V ■ '^ it'i ^t; 't 1 X N- i!,.^. ..* II Vr: ij «' 164 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. years up to seventeen. Some of them were very poorly clad when they came to us, and very dirty ; and the first thing was to give them a bath and burn all their clothes, and rig them out afresh. It was of course a great change to them to commence regular habits, to run when they heard the bell ring, and do all that they were told ; and some of them began to pine under a sense of captivity. Some of them, when home-sick, seemed to lose all control over themselves, and made an unearthly noise ; others would watch their opportunity and run away. In the next chapter we shall tell about three run-away boys, and their capture after ten days' absence. On the whole, however, the chil- dren seemed to be wonderfully contented and happy, and all went merrily and cheerfully day after day. The fish-boys used to go out after their nets each morning, and bring in plenty of fish ; the water-boys had their grey pony, which they called '• Muhnedooshish " (Little Evil Spirit), because it had such a bad temper and was always backing up and upsetting the water, instead of going forward with its load. The baker-boys made and baked the bread in the brick oven. The sailor-boys, in their blue serge suits, had charge of IV/e Miss'iouari/, and did all commissions by water. All were will- ing to work, and seemed to enjoy their life, and on Saturdays we gave them a few cents pocket-money as an encouragement to good conduct. True, the matron was sometimes at her wit's end, with so many to provide for and such raw young hands t(> do the work, and it was doubtless a task of con- siderable difficulty to keep everything in order, and to have meals in time and well cooked, with onh these young girls as her assistants, the greatei- number of whom could scarcely speak a word of THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 165 English ; and great credit I felt was due to her for her patience with them. However, they really did try to do their best, and were quick enough when they could understand what was wanted of them. On Sundays the children used all to walk to the Sault to church in the morning, and in the evening we had service in the School-room. On Sunday afternoons there was Sunday school, and on Wednesday and Friday evenings Bible -class. Every morning at prayers the children would repeat a verse of Scripture after me, so as to know it by heart at the end of the week. This plan has been continued uninterruptedly, and the children who have been with us have thus a good store of Scriptural knowledge. They were also taught the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Command- ments, the Catechism, and the Collects in English, their lessons being of course varied according to their capacities. Our great desire was that they might all prove themselves to be true Chris- tians — servants and soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The industries which we taught at the first outset were capentering, boot-making, and farming. It was of course a great object to make the chil- dren talk English. Twice a week I had an English class, and taught them to repeat English words and sentences, to point to their eyes, nose, ears, &c., and to bring me things I specified. In order to induce them to keep a check upon one another during play-time, I dealt out to each a certain number of buttons of a particular pattef n each Saturday, and if any of them heard a companion speak Indian he was to demand a button, and the following Satur- day the buttons were exchanged for nuts. We iiii .!!,:'# p-'^'^ I 166 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. ,4, C* '" '^ **• I certainly have been very successful in teaching our pupils to talk English. It is an understood thing in the Institution that they must do so, and no Indian is allowed except for about an hour each day. Boys who come to us unable to speak a word of English in September, by the following June can generally manage to make themselves well understood. For the support of our pupils we looked chiefly to the Canadian Sunday Schools, many of which undertook each ^ protege 9X .^^15 per annum. This would cover the cost of food and clothing for an individual child ; and for the general expenses of the Home we depended on the contributions of our fiiends in England and a grant from the Cana- dian Government. CHAPTER XXIX. Runaway Boys. One day three boj^s were missing ; nobody could tell what had become of them ; the bush was scoured, the roads searched, and messengers de- spatched to the Sault to try and gain some clue to their whereabouts. After a time it was discovered that some bread and other things were missing, and it became clear that they had decamped. Their home was 300 miles away, and the idea was that they had probably gone to Garden River, about ten miles below us, with the intention of getting on THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 167 board the first steamboat that might pass, and so get home ; so we made up a crew, and late the same evening despatched the schoolmaster and some boys in The Mhsionar// to Garden River. They arrived back the next day, bringing word that a boat had been stolen from one of the Indians there during the night, and that, moreover, an Insti- tution button, with " Shingwauk Home, Sault 8te. Marie" imprinted on it, had been picked up in the sand near the place from which the boat was taken. Nothing more was heard of these boys for ten days, except that one of the steamboats brought a report that they had seen three boys in an open boat near Bruce Mines, and that they had been hailed by them and asked for bread. Ten or eleven days after these boys decamped, we were preparing to start on an expedition up Lake Superior to Batcheewauning ; our four sailor boys were ready, dressed in their new blue serge suits and straw hats fiom England, The Missionary/ was well loaded with camp-kettles, tent, and provisions. We got as far as the Sault, when the wind, which had been favourable, suddenly veered round and blew a heavy gale in our faces, accompanied by thunder and heavy rain. As it was p.iready between 3 and 4 p.m., it was plain we could not start that day, and just at the critical moment word came that those three runaway boys were on an island forty miles below. Our informant was a Garden River Indian. The boys, he said, had turned adrift the boat they escaped in, which was a small one, and had taken a larger one belonging to a Sugar Island Indian. This Indian, finding his boat gone, pursued the boys in his canoe, overtook them, took his boat away from them, and l^ft them alone to their fate on an island* li •1^ 1 68 TME OJEBWAY INDIANS. 'VM Shabahgeezhik did not think the boys would be in distress, as there were a few settlers on the island who would feed them if they worked for their t)oard. As soon as we heard this news, we immediately n was a Sunday-school gathering in the school-hcuse, the model was exhibited and I gave an address. After this there was a very I 174 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 1 ■1 1,1(1' pleaning little ceremony at Ooverninent House. At Lady Tilley's invitation a number of youn^ j^irls, memberH of her Sunday-school class, had met together week after week at Government House and made a variety of articles for sale, then — shortly before our arrival — a bazaar had been held, and the large sum realized of 300 dollars. This sum was presented to me by c^ne of the little girls when they were all assembled in the drawing-room, and is to be applied to the building fund of the Wawanosh Home. The most successful meeting of any that we held took place in the large Temperance Hall. Lady Tilley kindly consented to become one of the patronesses of our Girl's Home. The following day, Wednesday, I called on the Bishop and we spent an hour and a half very pleasantly in examining every part of their beautiful cathedral — the om; church gem in Canada. The Bishop set to work in his own way to satisfy himself what our boys were good for, and I am glad to say that the result of the examination was satisfactory. The afternoon of this day, June 26th, we bade farewell to our Fredericton friends and took the train back to St. John. About half an hour before we arrived we received word that a fearful fire was raging, and as we drew near the fated city we found that the report was only too true. The whole city seemed to be in a blaze, the fire appearing to extend fully two miles, even at that early hour, about 6 p.m. Leaving the two boys at the Rev. Mr. Dowling's house, Mr. Dowling and myself started to cross the hai'bour to try and render some assist- ance to our friends. We could not take the ferry for the landing stage was on tire, so we hailed a fishing-smack, and landed in Portland. We walked around to the back of the fire ; all the principal THK OJEBWAY INDIANS. 1/5 part of the city was in Hamea, and evorythinjr in wild confusion ; hundreds of peoph% old and youn»^, heavily ladened and hustling each other along, tin^ engines at every corner, the open places crowded with a niotkjy throng of people with piles of bag- gage and furniture. We made our way round to Mrs. Peter's house, where we had been on Saturday; they were all packed up ready to Hy, but could not get a team. The fiames were fast advancing upon them. The gas works were close by, and it was expected they would blow up every minute. The younger chil- dren were already sent off with their nurse. W(5 staid till after midnight, doing what little we could to help, and then returned to Carleton by the sus- pension bridge, bringing several refugees with us. The following day, Thursday, we drove to the station in St. John by way of the suspension bridge. Tlu^ city was still on fire and enveloped* in smoke. Happily, however, the station was just outside the burnt district, so we bade adieu to our friends and started once more for the west. After visiting and holding meetings in Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catharines, and elsewhere, we arrived July 4th at Niagara. We were now in the great fruit district of Canada, strawberries, cherries, grapes, apples, plums, peaches, all in the greatest abundance, orchards everywhere, rich luxuriant vines trailing over trellis-work, the earth fairly teeming with plenty. What a contrast to poor Algoma, where we can grow neither apple nor plum and cannot even ripen tomatoes. Nothing delighted our boys more than to sit up in a cherry tree and eat cherries ad lilAtiuii — such a delicious novelty — and then to be summoned in for a tea of strawberries and cream! In the evenino: we met ■ *' ''1 ' ft-' n m ^ : :i N. - n ^. -. t V s, 4,. . ^^;: ' Sr 176 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. Archdeacon McMarray, who received us warmly. He was the first Missionary at Sault Ste. Marie, more than forty years ago, and very kindly gave us an organ for the Institution. From Niagara, we proceeded by train to Drummondville. The falls of Niagara were scarcely more than a stone's throw from the house, and the following morning as soon as breakfast was over we went to pay them a visit. Grand r.nd impressive as was the sight, I fear that our boys, boy like, were more taken up with a couple of bears in their cages than with that enormous mass of water surging over the rocks, and tumbling 200 feet into the boiling basin of white foam below. On Friday the 6th we arrived in Prantford and liad a meeting in the evening. The following day we walked out to visit the Mohawk Institution, supported by the New England Company ; this in- stitution has been, I believe, nearly thirty years in existence, and they have at present tnirty-eight boys and forty-two g.'rls. It was strange how shy our boys seemed of the younj Mohawks, though making- friends so readily with white boys. Mohawks and Ojebways were hereditary enemies, and, in days gone by, used to delight in scalping one another. Altogether we travelled upwards of 4000 miles, and I calculated that I had addressed about 5500 people at meetings and about 6700 Sunday-school children, besides sermons in churches. Though we made no collections, I nevertheless had handed to me 990 dollars for the Girl's Home Building Fund, and 225 dollars for the Shingwauk.^ i THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. 17; CHAPTER XXXI. A Trip ur Lake Superior. d, in one .5500 chool nrh we ed to Fund. It had been arranged that directly the holidays commenced at the Shingwauk Home, the Bishop and myself should start on a Missionary tour up Lake Superior, the plan being simply as follows : — We would take with us our boat, The M'lHmonarij, five or six Indian boys to man it, and provisions for six or seven weeks. We would first proceed by steamboat 300 miles direct to Prince Arthur's Land- ing, taking our boat on board ; remain there about a week, during which we would pay a visit into the interior ; then coast the whole way back, visit- ino- all the Indians alono- the north shore of the Lake. When we reached the Landing, the Indian super- intendent, to our great satisfaction, invited us to join him in an expedition to the " Height of Land " where he was going to pay the wild Indian tribes their annuity money. At length after four days we reached the Hudson Bay waters, the Savanne connecting through a long chain of lakes and rivers with Lake Winnipeg. Lac des Milles Lacs, into which we soon entered, is a perfect labyrinth of lakes and islands. Here and there were expectant Indians come out to meet us in theii* frail bark canoes, and, paddling up along- side, they joined the cluster at oxw stern, A strange and impressive sight was it when we at length hove in sight of the '"Height of Land, a huge rocky eminence like an upturned basin, literally swarming 178 THE OJEBWAY INDIANS. all over with Indians, in every position and every imaginable costume. One solitary wi^^-wam stood at the top and others could just be seen, betraying a consideral)le villa^jre in the rear. A lar<:fe Union Jack also floated from a mast planted in the rock. There they sat and crouched and smoked, or stood, or leaned with that majestic composure peculiar to the Indian race ; while below, on the slippery sid(\s of the rock, tumbled and rolled about their dirty children, or prowled their grim and wolfish-looking dogs. It was a gay holiday time for them all. For three days and three nights pork and flour and tobacco would be flowing freely into their laps from their great and good mother, the Queen; and to every individual, man, woman, and child, yea. to even the papoose of a day old, would be given ,^U to spend as they pleased. We got our tents pitched — the Bishop's an- warns on all sides of us, some of them containing perhaps forty people, others conical, in which wen- two or three families with a Are common to them all in the middle. In the water neav the dock we-re several boys bathing and diving, as though perfectly in their element. Here and there stalked a stately chief in his scarlet coat le'jfiiiniifs, mocas- sins, and feathers in his hea