THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES \J vTcK^b^e^c.^, IN IHE Ojibrtay Countr^ A Story of EARLY MISSIONS ON THE Minnesota Frontier REV. JAMES PEERY SCHELL WALHALLA, N. D. CHAS. H. LEE, PUBLISHER 1911 E TO THE MISSIONARY PIONEERS OF THE American Northwest Copyright, 1911, by James Peery Schell CONTENTS Foreword ix Biogrophical xi 1 INTRODUCTORY Explorations and Missionary Operations prior to 1842 1 II A CALL FROM THE WILD The Ayers at Oberlin Departure of Messrs Ayer and Spencer for the Minnesota wilderness Young Spencer at Red Lafte 5 III OBERLAIN'S RESPONSE A pioneer party organized Passing up the lakes At Sault Ste Mane '"One littie sailing vessel" At La Pomte Afloat in a birch bark canoe First im- presiona of Indian life and manners Up the St, Louis and Mississippi rivers Arrival at Red Lake. 9 IV MAKING A HOME IN THE WILDERNESS A lonely sentinel An Indian tradition of Red Lake Living on maple sugar Making hay under diffi- culties Working and waiting A longed-for arri- val At home in a bark hut Winter in the forest. . 14 V MOTIVES AND METHODS Going forth "without purse or scrip" Seeking the lost Teaching in Indian homes '-Dogs and ver- min" No "pio-nio!" 19 VI INDIAN LAW AND LANGUAGE Unfriendly demands An "upright judge" Dealing with a thief Stolen money recovered Laying in tor winter A wonderful language 28 VII MID- WINTER TRIP TO FORT GARRY The Red river settlement Preparation for the journey Traveling over the ice A "pbenomen" and a catastrophe Floundering amid the waves "A hoof left behind" Drying one's clothes for Sunday 30 VIII AT FOKT GARRY AND OLD KlLDONAN Warm greeting at the settlement "Canadian recipro- city" Banqueted by the governor Embarrassing hospitalities Preaching at Kildonan Loaded up tor the return trip 36 IX PERILS IN I'tiE WILDERNEbS On the prairie without a guide Missing the trail Camp duties A Sabbath of unrest Lost matches Lost dinner -Old Watch" 43 X PERILS OF WATERS An un-happy New Year A bad crossing Breaking the ice A sorry Saturday night Home at last. ... 49 X WORKING AND WINNING In an Indian family Sharing with the needy Rescu- ing the perishing Indians in tears 54 XII FOREST EXPERIENCES Independence day in th-* wilderness Fighting the en- emy A fish diet A heathen carousal One ot Christ's "little ones" Winter approaching First church in the wilderness 60 X11I MID-WINTER JOURNEY AND MlD-SUMMER TRIALS. The "Twin cities in 1845 First grist mill Smoking the pipe of peace Home longings A heathen pan- demonium Threatening crisis safely passed 65 XIV NEW CALLS FOR "TEACHERS" Leach Jake abandoned Overtaken by a storm Case lake pleading for "teachers" A mysterious "call" from the north shore Disappointment Cass lake Mission located 71 XV RIOTING AND MOURNING The "Indian trader" Fire water A ruined home Sad death and burial of Indian girl An afflicted father Revival begun 76 XVI MISSION OPENED AT CASS LAKE Schoolhouse founded in prayer " 'Mid scenes of con- tusion" Native singing Inquiring chieftain Light in the darkness 81 XVII DAYS OF TRIAL Nursing the sick A grateful family Chief in a rage An aged philosopher A scene in the school room A peace embassy The missionaries comforted Church organized at Cass lake. New arrivals ..... $6 XVIII LOOKING HOMEWARD The "white man's wedding" Embarked on the Mis- sisippi First night out Perilous ride over rapids Stuck on a rook- "Watching the fun" At Sandy lake The interpreter Tanner 94 BOOK THREE L THE GREAT LONE LAND. 1 6 1 'II FOUNDING OF THE RED RIVER COLONY. )65 'III RIVAL RELIGIOUS INTERESTS. 168 IV. ARRIVAL OF REVS. BLACK AND NESBIT. 170 APPENDIX (A) An Important Treaty. 176 (B) Observations on the Algonquin Languages. 182 (C) Pioneer Printing Presses. 183 (D) Historical Significance of American Missions. 184 (E ) Walhalla Martyrs Memorial 186 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Frontplece Minnesota and Dakota Frontier, Map... vn Oberlin Band 12 Ft. Garry, exterior, 1845 36 Ft. Garry, interior, 1845 40 Ked Lake, Minn., in summer 60 St. Louis River and Pokegama Falls, Minnesota 96 Walhalla, 1862 120 Hon. Cbas. Cavileer's Home and post-office, Pemoiua, 1850 124 Elijah Terry 132 Kittson's Trading Post, 1852 136 The Barnard Tombstone 144 Burial Lot of The Walhalla Martyrs 148 Walhdlla, N. Dak , 1888 ." 152 The Spencer Home, 1 853 158 Groupe at Memorial Service, 1888 187 Minnesota and Dakota Frontier FOREWORD ^ The greater portion of the materials embraced in this little volume have been gathered from the private jour- nals and correspondence of those who were the leading actors in the events described. We had hoped to obtain much valuable and interesting information from the sur- viving members of the pioneer missionaries of Minne- sota, Rev. Ferederick Ayer and wife ; but were grieved to learn that all their early journals and papers bearing on the matters in hand had unfortunately been destroyed by fire many years ago. Altho the task undertaken in the preparation of this humble narrative of early missionary labors among the native tribes of our northern frontier, has necessarily been performed amid the cares and distractions incident to the daily life of a frontier missionary, the results, such as they are, are now committed to a charitable public, in the hope and prayer that the lessons to be derived there- from, in the patient and heroic lives of the various actors, may not be wholly lost; but that the toils and tears of those devoted servants and martyrs of Christ, may have yet richer fruitage in the coming years. J. P. S. Warren, Minn., April, 1910. Biographibal Sketches To the Rev. Frederick Ayer and his devoted wife be- longs the honor of being regarded as the pioneer Protest- ant missionaries in the wilds of northern Minnesota, and the founders of the Red Lake Missions in 1842. Mr. Ayer was born at old Stockbridge, Mass., in 1803 ; and removed with his father's family, the Rev. Oliver Ayer, to central New York, when only three years of age. He intended to study for the ministry, but owing to ill health was compelled to abandon the idea for a time ; and afterwards engaged in secular business in Utica. While thus employed he received an appointment from the American Board to teach their Mission school at Mackinac, where he was shortly after married to one of the teachers of the school, Miss Elizabeth Taylor. XII BIOGRAPHICAL From there, in the spring of 1831, the couple set out on their life-long mission among the natives in the wilds of northern Minnesota. After a year spent at Sandy lake, where the first school ever established in what is now the State of Minnesota was opened by Mrs. Ayer, they were transferred to Yellow lake; and thence, some two years later, to Pokegama, where their work was greatly prospered until abruptly terminated by a Sioux incursion in 1841. After some time spent in connection with the establish- ment of the Mission at Red lake, they removed, in 1849, to the vicinity of Belle Prairie, where they attempted to open a school for the children of the white settlers then coming into the country. But the opening of the civil war, followed by the terrible outbreak of the Sioux In- dians in 1862, effectually closed their efforts in that re- gion. In 1865 they went to Atlanta, Ga., to engage in teach- ing among the freedmen; and there, some years later, Mr. Ayer was called home from his earthly labors. Mrs. Ayer then joined her sons, Walter and Lyman, at the old home in Minnesota, where at the ripe age of upwards of ninety years, she also quietly passed to her heavenly reward. One who knew her well thus wrote of her a short time before she was called away: "Her old age is beautiful; her faith clear as the noonday; and her sweet presence will be sadly missed in her son's household, when she shall be called to join her loved ones gone before, and be forever with the Lord. . . She is a living embodiment KIOGKAPH1OAL XIII of a well-spent life; a life in which self has been entirely ignored, and Christ honored and glorified." THE REV. ALONZO BARNARD was born in Peru, Ver- mont, June 2, 1817 ; and removed with his father's family to Elyria, Ohio, at the age of seventeen. He studied at Oberlin college; and after their graduation, in 1843, was married to Miss Sarah Philena Babcock, a classmate in the same institution. Immediately after their marriage they set out in company with Mrs. Ayer and others, to engage in missionary labors among the Ojibway (Chip- pewa) Indians on the far northern frontier of Wisconsin Territory now Minnesota. They and their associates labored at Red, Leech, and Cass lakes, as well as at other points, in that wild region, during a period of ten years; when the Barnards and Spencers removed to St. Joseph, now Walhalla, on the northern border of Dakota; and sought to open a school for the Indian and French half-breed children living in the vicinity of that important frontier trading post. Here Mrs. Barnard soon ended her earthly labors followed the ensuing summer by the tragic death of Mrs. Spencer. The Mission being broken up the following year by the increasing hostility of the Sioux Indians, Mr. Barnard took refuge in the Red river settlement of Kil- donan, near the present site of the city of Winnipeg. After spending some years in that region, a portion of the time in missionary labors among the Indians about lake Winnipeg, he re moved, in 1863, to Benzonia, Mich., where he and other members of the family continued for a number of years thereafter to reside. He died at the XIV BIOGRAPHICAL home of his son and daughter in Pomona, Mich., on April 7, 1905. MR. DAVID B. SPENCER was the first to accompany Mr. Ayer to the northern wilderness in the winter of 1842-3 ; and shared in the early exploration and location of the first mission station at Red lake. Some years later, in 1848, he was married to Miss Cordelia Leonard, who was engaged as a teacher in the Mission at Cass lake. They labored afterward at lake Winnibegoshish ; and in 1853 accompanied the Barnards to St. Joseph in northern Dakota. After the untimely death of his wife, and the removal of the motherless children to Ohio, he never returned to St. Joseph ; but connected himself once more with his old Mission at Red lake. There he was afterwards married to Miss Ferry; who, in 1854, had joined the Mission at Cass lake. When the work at Red lake was abandoned, some three years later, they went to the Indian Mission on lake Superior; and after three years of devoted ser- vice there, retired to Benzonia, Mich., where they quietly spent the remainder of their days. Mr. Spencer's youngest daughter, Charlotte, after- wards engaged as a missionary in Turkey under the American Board. His son, David Brainard, Jr., an in- fant in his mother's arms at the time of her tragic death, afterwards entered the ministry in connection with the Congregational church. THE REV. SELA G. WRIGHT, to whom the writer is in- debted for much of the materials found herein, was also from Oberlin college; and accompanied Mrs. Ayer and BIOGRAPHICAL XV the Barnards, and others, to Red lake in the summer of 1843. He remained with the Mission until the time of its abandonment, in 1857; after which he was employed as a teacher in the government school at Cass lake, con- tinuing to preach, meanwhile, to the Indians in the vicin- ity, as opportunity afforded. The school, having been afterwards closed by reason of the Indian uprising of 1862, he followed the Ayers into the South, where for several years he labored among the freedman; and after returning north, resumed his labors in connection with the Government's Indian boarding school at Cass lake. Mr. Wright remained in the service of the Government as a teacher until the year 1883, when failing health compelled him to relinquish his work for a time. He was, however, employed subse- quently by the Presbyterian Board as a missionary among the Indians in the region of lake Superior, from which he finally retired to spend the remnant of a long and emi- nently useful career amid the quiet shades and loved associations of "old Oberlin." In The Ojibway Country *** BOOK ONE I. INTRODUCTORY. Previous to the advent of the great railway lines, with their accompanying invasions of peoples of diverse nationalities, the immense natural resources of the for- ests, mines, and prospective harvests of northern Minne- sota and the Dakotas were practically unknown and un- suspected by the people of "the States," and of the world at large. But this whole region, embracing the principal water- shed of the continent, and stretching away toward the rockies and the arctic sea, is a truly vast and varied one. Notwithstanding the rigor of the climate during the long winter months, it has from the earliest times formed a chosen habitat for the many fur-bearing animals of the north, as well as for a great variety of waterfowl and fish, affording thereby to the early explorers, traders and native tribes a wide and attractive field for their roving 2 IN THE OJJBWAY COUNTRY occupations and hardy enterprizes. For these, also, it had provided from a very remote past, by means of its continuous chain of lakes and con- necting waterways, a natural and convenient route for their frequent movements back and forth between the head of the great lakes and the plains and river valleys of the farther northwest. Fringed on its eastern border by the pines and maples of the Minnesota forests, the fertile valley of the Red River of the north, some fifty miles in width by three hundred in length, lies smooth and level as the surface of its own prehistoric sea when unruffled by storms. Beyond it, stretching far to the westward, the higher plains, treeless and breezy, advance by almost impercept- ible stages toward the dome of the distant "Rockies." All these vast areas were threaded at intervals by the well-worn trails of the buffalo, and of the native tribes and hunters in quest of their chosen game. The possession of this wild domain had long been contested by the various Indian tribes: The Ojibways, or Chippewas, claiming the eastern lake and forest regions of northern Minnesota, the proud and war-like Sioux ranging with the buffalo the exposed and unsheltered Dakota plains, while the more mild and peaceable Crees fished and hunted undisturbed in the less favored regions of the farther north. After the early explorers, Hennepin, Marquette, and LaSalle the latter of whom in 1680 reached the head of lake Superior, and passing westward over the divide, descended the channel of the upper Mississippi as far as the falls of St. Anthony the first to explore the ter- ritory and give the result of his observations to the world was Captain Jonathan Carver. At the head of a com- pany of English provincials he traversed the country IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTUY lying between the St. Anthony falls and lake Superior in 1767, and published an account of the same in London the following year. In 1820, only a few months after the location of Ft. Snelling, the historian Schoolcraft accompanied Gen. Lewis Cass on a government expedition through the same region ; and in 1823 conducted a similar expedition him- self, which resulted in the discovery of the true source of the Mississippi river, and in the publication of much val- uable and interesting material relative thereto. Following the reports of these discoveries, interest began to be awakened among individuals and the various Missionary societies in regard to the spiritual condition and needs of the various native tribes found to be occu- pying these then far away regions. And among the very first to offer their services for the good of the Indian were the Rev. Frederick Ayer and his courageous wife ; who, accompanied by Mr. W. A. Aitken, located, in the spring of 1831, their first mission station at Sandy lake, not far from the Mississippi river. There, also, Mrs. Ayer opened her first school for the instruction of the native children, the first ever opened in the northern portion of what is now the state of Minnesota. The following year they returned to La Pointe, and from there they went to Yellow lake; Mr. E. F. Ely having succeeded them at Sandy Lake as teacher and catechist. About 1832-3 a mission station was opened at Leech lake by the Rev. W. T. Boutwell ; and another at Fon du Lac, near the head of lake Superior, in 1834. In the spring of 1835 the Ayers, having but recently removed from Yellow lake, established another mission at lake Pokegama, some distance north of their first loca- tion at Sandy lake. When joined the following year by Messrs. Boutwell and Ely, the new-comers found on their arrival there, "some ground already cleared, a school IN THE OJIBWAT COUNTRY building, with a school in charge of Mrs. Ayer, and also a number of log dwellings built and occupied by the In- dians and their families." Here for several years the missionaries of the Ameri- can Board continued to labor in comparative tranquility; during which time great changes were wrought in the spiritual, as well as temporal condition of the natives. But this promising work was brought to a sudden and unhappy termination by an unexpected attack of the hos- tile Sioux, who slaughtered a number of the unoffending Ojibways, and caused the rest to flee from their homes and seek a less exposed shelter elsewhere. This fresh outbreak among the Indians necessitated th withdrawal of the missionaries from the region, and seriously interfered for a time with all further move- ments to and fro of a peaceable sort. They could only wait, therefore, in patience and hope for the way to open, which now appeared to be almost hopelessly closed. Hap- pily they had not long to wait for the "moving of the cloud ;" for only a few months later, a treaty was affected with all the tribes living northwest of lake Superior, and they were free to resume with revived faith and courage their recently suspended labors among a dispersed but interesting people. n A CALL FROM THE WILD. From the wild heart of a Minnesota forest to the classic halls of Oberlin college was, a couple of genera- tions ago, indeed "a far cry ;" nevertheless it is here that the beginnings of the present narrative are to be found. Planted by sons of the pilgrim fathers in the early set- tlement of the country, this noble institution of Chris- tian learning has loyally continued to realize the faith and purpose of its founders ; and stands today the pride and ornament of one of northern Ohio's most beautiful and cultured towns. Under the presidency of the famous revivalist, Dr. Chas. G. Finney, the college reached its high-water mark of religious fervor and missionary zeal ; and came to be widely known as a choice recruiting ground for the army of consecrated heroes already pushing their conquests to the uttermost parts of the earth. It was during this 6 IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTRV period, in the autumn of 1842, that the college was visited by some of the recently exiled missionaries, the Ayers, who after more than a dozen years of patient, self-deny- ing labor among the Indian tribes of the far northwest, had come hither in the hope of securing additional labor- ers for their vast and newly-opened field. Their plain, unvarnished recital of missionary enter- prise and achievement among the benighted natives of those remote regions, was listened to by both the faculty and students with deepest interest; and a number of the latter were moved to a prayerful consideration of the claims of the unevangelized races of their own land upon their Christian sympathies and devotion. The first to declare himself ready at once to accompany these veterans to their distant field was young Spencer, a j)ale, slender youth, whose baptismal name, "David Brainard," served to recall the apostolic labors of his godly predecessor, who a hundred years before had worn out his consecrated life among the wretched natives of "Cross weeksung" and the ever memorable "forks of the Delaware." Leaving his wife and their two young sons among kind friends and relatives in the vicinity of Oberlin, Mr. Ayer and his youthful ally set out almost immediately in the face of approaching winter, for the distant scene of their future labors their object being to explore the country and to make ready for the work contemplated for the following spring when, as they had reason to hope, a larger force of workers would be ready to accompany Mrs. Ayer and her sons to the scenes with which she had already become familiar. Passing as speedily as possible around the great lakes, their tedious journey being much interrupted by autum- nal gales and other trying conditions, they finally arrived IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY at La Pointe, situated on one of the Apostle islands off the south coast of lake Superior. Here was located a trading post of the American fur company ; and near by was also a Mission station of the American Board, with Revs. Wheeler and Hall in charge. At this longed-for haven the tired, weather-beaten travellers were most cor- dially welcomed, and the time of their brief sojourn was fully occupied with preparations for an extended tour thro the region lying some hundreds of miles to the north- west of their present stopping place. After providing themselves with a couple of "dog trains," and the necessary supplies for the journey, they ;-:ct forth on their wintry undertaking. Proceeding for a hundred miles along the ice-bound shore of the lake, they arrived at Fon du Lac, at the mouth of the St. Louis river, and nearly opposite the site of the present city of Duluth. At the trading post located here they made a brief stop in order to replenish their supplies; after which, taking their bearings, they plunged with their dogs into the wintry depths of the forest. It was a wild and dreary region thro which their course now lay. Its only inhabitants were remnants of the untaught native tribes and the numerous wild beasts infesting the forest. Accompanied only by their faithful dogs they traced the uncertain trails of the gloomy wil- derness day after day, reposing with them at night be- neath the silent stars and the ever-moaning pines. How- ever accustomed the veteran Ayer might be to such an environment, bewildering indeed to his less experinced companion was the sudden transition from college halls and mates to the wild and inhospitable solitudes of the "forest primeval ;" whose shrouded pines and disman- tled oaks and maples were rocked betimes by howling blasts, and echoed dismally to the distant cry of hungry wolves fiercely pursuing their prey. 8 IN THK OJIBWAV COUNTRY But the constant novelty and excitement incident to the strange journey, the tingling ozone of the frost-laden atmosphere, and above all the abiding sense of the Mas- ter's presence and approval, sustained His lonely ser- vants even there and nerved them anew for their life- long ministry of self-denying toil and hardship for the welfare of the benighted heathen. Inspired by the spirit and example of their divine Master, they pursued their difficult and lonely journey along the unaccustomed trails by day ; and wrapping themselves at night in their heavy fur robes, lay down before the blazing fire of their other- wise cheerless camp, to dream of home and loved ones far away. Two long winter months were thus spent in exploring the wilderness, resulting in the selection of a couple of sites for the location of mission stations in the spring. One of these was at Leech lake, fully two hundred miles from the head of lake Superior; the other some seventy miles farther north, on the south shore of Red lake. Kindly received by the large bodv of Indians located there, and having made satisfactory arrangements with their chiefs, they at once commenced operations at the latter place, building a bark hut and clearing some ground for the planting of a garden early the following spring. Then, upon the completion of these preliminary prepara- tions, Mr. Ayer returned with his dogs to La Pointe in order to anticipate the uncertain arrival of his family and such other helpers as might have been found willing to accompany them at the close of the college year. But for several long months thereafter the lonely outpost on the shore of the far northern lake, remained in the charge of its solitary sentinel the brave young Spencer. III. OBERLIN'S RESPONSE. Meanwhile interest in the new missionary movement continued to spread thro northern Ohio centering about Oberlin resulting in the consecration of a number of young persons for the work from the college, and in the formation of a new society to aid in their support on the field. Dr. Wm. Lewis, P. O. Johnston, Alonzo Barnard and their wives, and Sela G. Wright formed the advance guard of a still larger company of workers who followed them in after years to the northern frontier. The newly organized Society under whose auspices they went forth, being as yet without funds or wealthy patronage, could promise in addition to such merely nominal aid in the way of clothing and industrial sup- plies as the local church societies might be able to furnish only their "sympathy and prayers." 10 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY With small expectation, therefore, of receiving any substantial assistance from their fellow Christians, the little band of missionary volunteers bade farewell to friends and college halls, and resolutely committing them- selves to the "God of missions," were soon on their way with Mrs. Ayer to seek in the distant wilderness the field of their future labors for the Master they loved. While the journey of these young people was seldom lacking in novelty, variety of new and strange scenery, and oftimes startling and interesting experiences, yet viewed as a "pleasure trip," it had very little in common with any of the delightful summer excursions so attract- ively advertised at the present time by the public carriers, covering the same or similar routes and completed in a few hours, or days at the furthest. Mr. Wright, the bachelor member of the party, has furnished most of the details of the trip: Passing late in June up the lakes to Detroit, they were cordially received by a warm and generous friend of mis- sions, Robert Stuart, Esq. This gentleman, who had also studied at Oberlin, was at the time Superintendent of In- dian affairs for the northwestern territory; and it was thro him that the treaty with the Indians the previous summer had been effected. It was also owing to his wise management and warm interest in the welfare of the natives that the inauguration of the work among them was now made possible and desirable. An earnest Chris- tian himself, and possessing a large fund of practical wis- dom and experience in dealing with the Indians, he was capable of imparting much valuable information and ad- vice to the young missionaries just out of college, with reference to the management of their future work. From Detroit they proceeded as far as Ste. Marie, where for two entire weeks they were compelled to await the arrival of the one little sailing vessel then on the lake, and which was owned by the American fur com- IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 11 pany. The buildings found there were exceedingly rude and primitive, consisting wholly of logs, and of a single story in height. The only imaginable exception to this order was a "three story" hotel, with all three stories on the ground, and formed by the union of three small log buildings. The goods at this point had to be unloaded and hauled around the " rapids," a distance of nearly two miles, by means of little Indian ponies hitched to the primitive two-wheeled carts ! Could any one of that little company of scarcely more than three-score years ago be permitted to pass those same "rapids" today controlled by their massive locks of granite and iron, thro which is constantly pouring the immense and varied tonnage of mighty empires how marvelous would seem the transformations of the inter- vening years. And a similar observation might also be made with regard to the proud young cities of Duluth and Superior, past whose now populous shores and crowded docks, only the Fur Company's "one little sail- ing vessel" was then wont to make an occasional trip. After the lengthy delay at Ste. Marie, and another two weeks on the way thence to La Pointe, the young recruits were cordially welcomed by the older mission- aries located there ; and also by Mr. Ayer, who was anx- iously awaiting the long looked-for arrival of his wife and the two little boys. It was at once decided in council with the other missionaries, that Dr. Lewis and Mr. Johnston and their wives, together with an interpreter, should occupy the station at Leech lake ; while the others would proceed to Red lake, some seventy miles farther, and relieve the heroic Spencer of the sole responsibility of his mission there. Inasmuch as prompt action was necessary in order to make the needful preparation for the ensuing winter, the younger men were advised to set out immediately for their respective fields ; Mr. Ayer and the women to fol- 12 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTKY low later upon the return of the vessel with the household goods, which, for lack of space, they had been compelled to leave behind at Detroit. The distance remaining to be traversed by the party before reaching their destination was fully three hundred miles the first stage of their journey after leaving the lake being by way of the St. Louis river. A canoe of the largest pattern, formed of birch bark, about twenty-four feet in length, and capable of carrying a ton's burden, was accordingly procured; and with it three French "voyageurs" to row the same up stream. Everything, including the clothing, flour, and other needful supplies, was put up in packs of seventy-five pounds each all of which, ?.s well as the boat itself, the men had to carry on. their shoulders over the "portages," or carrying places, between the non-connecting streams. It was the last week in Ju]y when the party set out from La Pointe. Making their way in their large canoe nlong the south shore of the lake, their first stopping place was Fon dn Lac, where they found a Methodist mission station, in charge of an interpreter. During their brief stay here, the travellers enjoyed rare oppor- tunities for observing some of the customs and domestic habits of the Indians ; but as even their boatmen could not understand or speak a word of English, their facili- ties for Inter-communication were practically nil. They were, however, able to obtain here their first object les- son in Indian cookery, which in respect to both form and substance was but poorly calculated to whet the appetite of a modern epicure, if such they had been. From this point they preceded up the St. Louis river; then carrying their boat and baggage over the divide, and descending a smaller stream, they entered the Mississippi river in the vicinity of Sandy lake. Here they found another Methodist mission, planted by the Ayers nearly IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTRY 13 a dozen years previously, and occupied by the Methodist missionaries since 1839. At this place, as at others along the route, were still to be seen the remains of the old French trading posts of the Northwestern fur company, established throughout the region more than a century before, while the country was still under French domina- tion. At Leech lake Messrs. Lewis and party were install- ed ; and passing thence up the Mississippi river, the bal- ance of the company arived some time later at Poke- gaina, located at the rapids of the same name, and con- sisting of a small Indian village and trading post. Here they were reminded of the earlier labors and trials of their senior missionaries, with the sad disturbances and flight of the previous summer. However, out of the somber shadows of a sorrowful past they felt that a brighter day was about to dawn, as both here and indeed all along the way to their new field thev had found the * "'"/ ! >' / I/ natives ''exceedingly kind and friendly." After passing Cass lake ,and having carried their boat and contents over the continental divide, a few more days of continuous rowing sufficed to bring the weary voyag- ers within sight of their desired haven, on the southern shore of the Red lake. Here they found a large body of very peaceable Indians, fully twelve hundred in number ; and whose chief and head men received them very: ?cor- dially expressing themselves as being much pleased: that the "teachers" had come to live among them, under their sheltering pines and by the wave-washed shore of their noble lake. >t\T ._/ < . rlxo bm IV. MAKING A HOME IN THE WILDERNESS. It was at Red lake, also, that the new-comers found their "Livingston" young Spencer, who for six long months had remained a weary, but faithful sentinel at his lonely post. Hundreds of miles from any one with whom he might be able to converse or exchange in a fa- miliar tongue a Christian salutation, they found him liv- ing in his little bark hut, cultivating a small garden, and subsisting almost wholly on fish and the meager allow- ance of maple sugar with which he had been supplied from time to time by the friendly Indians. The lake was reached on the I4th day of August just six weks from the date of their setting out from La Pointe. They had found the journey a sufficiently pain- ful and exhausting one, toiling almost constantly at the oars in rowing the boat up stream, or in carrying the IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 15 heavy burdens over the portages in the hot mid-summer days: and compelled at night oftimes amid violent storms to sleep in the open air, without tents or shelter of any sort. Meanwhile they were tortured both day and night almost beyond endurance by the ever-insatiable swarms of mosquitoes. Very grateful, therefore, it seemed to the tired way- farers, to be permitted to lay down at last the long accus- tomed oars, and rest from the weary voyage on the peace- ful shore of the forest-fringed lake, where for a time at least the field of their future activities was to be found. The young missionaries were charmed with the lake and its lovely, restful surroundings. Heavily timbered along its southern shore where their camp was to be located, it stretched far away to the east and north, enclosing a veritable inland sea. Its waters were abund- antly supplied with excellent fish ; while the soil in the immediate vicinity was found to be exceedingly deep and fertile. Upon inquiring of the Indians concerning the origin of the name by which the lake was known, they were in- formed of the traditional belief that under the water was another world, forming a sort of counterpart to the one we inhabit; that it is also inhabited by men and animals the same as our own ; and that far back in the remote past there was a desperate battle among the animals, in which great numbers were killed their blood giving to the water of the lake its reddish tinge. The missionaries had brought some flour with them; but having encountered frequent storms on the way, it had become moldy and sour. Yet this same flour, to- gether with some maple sugar obtained from the Indians and an occasional fish was for many weeks thereafter their only food, until an additional supply was obtained from the Red river settlement in Manitoba. They had 16 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY neither salt nor grease of any kind ; and when young Spencer was asked how he had managed to subsist so long on maple sugar alone, he quietly replied, "Oh, it's ; easy enough when one gets accustomed to it ; I've had ., little else to, eat ever since last spring.' A few days after the arrival of the men, Messrs Barn- ,ard and Wright went out in search of meadow land for hay,. Jhis .they .found some fifteen miles west of their camp, and proceeded at once to secure the crop. Their ;diet consisting .meanwhile of the two above-mentioned articles^ maple sugar and sour flour proved to be rather slender, fare for vigorous young men in a new country, and possessed of ravenous appetites. Nevertheless, at the iend, of a week of strenuous toil, they had succeeded in putting nearly a dozen tons of hay in stack, cutting it with a scythe, -and carrying it thither by hand on a rack made of light poles. Having secured their crop of hay, they next turned with all their remaining strength to the task of providing a, ; suitable, shelter for themselves and families for the winter, as that season was evidently drawing nigh. A commodious log hut was begun and partly completed when the Ayers and Mrs. Barnard made their long-look- ed-for appearance at the little camp. .j j ,V f This > ,"j|Writes Mr. Barnard, "was on the 6th day of October the anniversary of my wife's birthday, as well as her introduction to the scene of her subsequent mis- sionary labors." Long and anxiously had the arrival of these expected ones been awaited the men going forth in the .evening twilight, after the toils of the day were over, hoping, perchance, to catch some glimpse of the pil- grims emerging from the shadows of the forest. And when at last they were discovered wearily approaching over the well-worn trail the women sharing the bur- dens with Mr. Ayer and the little boys their joy was IN THlfi OJIBWAY COUNTKY 17 unbounded ; and hastening forward they exchanged their mutual greetings, after which the travel-worn strangers were escorted in high honor to the restful shelter of their forest home. Jt was inded a joyous company that gathered around the cheerful camp fire on that long remembered autumn night, and recounted their many and strange experiences and hardships by the way. And then, when all on bended knee poured forth their thanksgivings to the "God of missions," and implored His grace and guidance thro the coming days, their worship arose as incense above the reverent pines. Scarcely had the weary pilgrims entered the shelter of their winter huts, when a terrific tempest, roaring from the icy north, was upon them. It caught them entirely unwarned, and was followed by such a sudden drop in the temperature that it resulted in the immediate freezing over of the lake; and with it the consequent distress on the part of both the missionaries and of the natives as well, by reason of the scant supply of fish provided as yet for the winter.* Thankful, now, for the most humble shelter, it soon became evident that they would have to forego, for the present, the hope of completing the main structure of the building upon which, ever since their arrival in the country, they had labored incessantly almost day and night to complete. However, they succeeded in adding *NOTE. The arctic wave which the Red lake mission- aries experienced, (Oct. 12-16) was the same that swept so unheralded over the western country; and the same that overtook the intrepid Whitman and Lovejoy amid the snows of the Wasatch mountains, on their memor- able journey eastward to prevent the loss of Oregon in the contemplated treaty with England. 18 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY to the little bark hut which young Spencer had occupied, a small buildings of rude logs. The bark hut then served for a kitchen and dining room; while the log structure was made to answer the purpose of "parlor" and bed- room as well as for "chapel" purposes on the Sabbaths. Thus, altho their quarters were small enough for a fam- ily of six adults and two children, all were "good natured and happy in themselves and in each other." V. MOTIVES AND METHODS. As we think of this little band of missionaries, dwell- ing uncomplainingly among the heathen in the silent depths of a lonely forest, we may well pause to inquire concerning the motives that led them to relinquish thus voluntarily, and without hope of earthly reward, the en- deared associations of home and native land for the strange and trying experiences certainly awaiting them in the wilderness. They were assuredly not driven thither by the cruel hand of tyranny or religious persecution, in order that they might worship the God of their fathers unmolested ; nor were they drawn to so inhospitable and wild a region by the prospect of earthly riches or honor; neither was it by such romantic aspirations as sometimes takes pos- of the minds of restless youth. On the contrary, 20 IN THK (>JJB\VAY COUNTRY they had fully counted the cost. Trials, hardships and privations, as well as perils of various kinds, they had been led to anticipate; and in respect to no one of these were they in any wise disappointed. There was little of so-called romance connected with the actual work among the heathen. If they had been influenced by any such notion it was quickly dispelled when they found them- selves in the heart of an unbroken wilderness hundreds of miles from any signs of civilization (apart from the set- tlement in Manitoba), and confronted by the stern neces- sity of building their own houses, clearing the ground of its heavy growth of timber, and afterwards preparing the soil for growing their own food. No ; having sat at the feet of their divine Master, they had caught something of His spirit, and longed to fol- low Him forth on His errand of mercy to a lost world. They had heard, also, the pathetic story that had inspired the heroic Parkman, Whitman, and others, concerning the long and fruitless quest of the benighted tribes of the far west, for the "white man's book of heaven." In the midst of a "century of dishonor," the appeal of the hith- erto neglected red man for a share of the light that had been shining thro many centuries of the white man's path, had echoed thro the land; and many whose hearts had been stirred thereby were made willing to go forth at the call of God and humanity to minister, at whatever cost, to the perishing children of the wilderness in His name. The evangelistic spirit so deeply impressed upon the faculty and students of Oberlin in the past, now burst forth into a living flame; and as this fresh call for help was sounded in their ears, one after another rose and answered, "Here am I; send me!" No one of this youthful band of "student volunteers" shrank back from the sacrifice demanded ; but cheerfully laid themselves upon the altar "for service or sacrifice." IN THE OJ1LUVAY COU.NTKY 21 Some had already been looking hopefully towards the western shore of Africa, having listened with sympa- thetic hearts to the earnest appeals of the sainted Bush- nell for helpers in that far-off land of darkness and death. Others, however, decided to enter the scarcely less difficult fields awaiting them among the native tribes occupying the remote solitudes of their own be- loved land. Moreover, in going forth to their appointed field, these young servants of Christ carried with them "neither scrip nor purse;" nor even the comfortable assurance of the powerful backing, financial support and assured sym- pathy of the old established Missionary Societies of the east. But casting themselves wholly upon the all-wise and omnipotent arm of "the God of missions" for need- ful guidance and support, they went forth joyfully and trustfully wheresoever He might lead the way. Thus, without any stipulated salary, and for the first two years at least when the need was greatest with- out one word of information or encouragement from the little home Society in Ohio, they labored on patiently at their lonely stations with unbated zeal. A tone of con- stant cheerfulness and of unfaltering trust in God per- vades almost every page of their time-faded journals and letters still extant. All their labors were begun and car- ried forward with prayer; and their busiest seasons of toil and trial were brightened at times with gratful acknowledgements of the Redeemer's comforting pres- ence. Thus in their most lonely hours they still could sing: "Alone, yet not alone am I, In this vast solitude so drear; I feel my Savior always nigh ; He comes my darkest hours to cheer." It is to be observed, moreover, that the methods which 22 IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY the missionaries employed in their work were such as their circumstances, and their sincere desire for the spir- itual and temporal welfare of the poor natives among whom their lot had now been cast, would naturally sug- gest. The wives of the missionaries, besides opening their own homes for the instruction of the native children, were also in the habit of daily visiting the Indian women in their cheerless huts and tepees. Entering these dark and smoky habitations, and sitting down among them on the ground with dogs and filth and vermin they would read to them from the sacred scriptures and patiently explain to their dull and darkened understandings the way of salvation and everlasting life. Mingling thus freely with them in their wretched homes, they were, also ever ready to assist them in the care of their sick and suffering ones ; or teach them, as the opportunity offered, such helpful things as the proper preparation of their food, and many other practical household ways. The men, also, sought both by precept and example to lead the Indian men out of their native sloth and indiff- erence into habits of thrift and useful toil. To accom- plish this was found to be no easy task. But the younger members of the company would sometimes spend days, and even weeks at a time, with them sharing their own food with them, and taking the lead in the matter of manual labor; and were ready at all times to aid and instruct them in regard to the clearing of their land, the building of more comfortable dwellings, and the use of different implements and tools. Thus in various ways they illustrated before the natives continually the fact and potency of human lives pervaded with the spirit of their divine Master, who came "not to be ministered unto ; but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." VI. INDIAN LAW AND LANGUAGE. Very soon after the missionaries were established in their forest home a serious difficulty arose between them- selves and their neighbors with regard to the bestow- ment of presents. Those who were most inclined to complain of the new-comers were the young men, who insisted that if the white people were permitted to live in their land, fish, and drink water out of their lake; also build houses, cultivate the ground, and be protected therein, they ought, in consideration of all these favors ( !), make a great many presents to the men, and give something to the women and children besides. They therefore held a council and demanded of the chief, who was really a remarkable man, that he should order the missionaries to leave the country forthwith, unless they would comply with this requirement. But 24 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY the old chief, listened attentively to the talk of the young braves, then gravely shook his head and quietly replied, ''Geh-e-kit-o-yan, min-ge-kit!" (What I have said, I have said.) He then went on to say, "I told the 'teachers' when they came here, that they should say what they wished to do for us ; and all that they promised to do was writ- ten down, and our trader has the writing. I do not think they have broken their promises. I said I would protect them for four years, which would give them ample time to prove themselves good and true men. I told them if at the end of that time they were not found to be true men, I would send them away. Now I shall not alter what I have said ; and you are not to interfere with them henceforth." And this ended the controversy in regard to the matter. The position taken by the head chief was final ; and the missionaries never afterward had any ser- ious trouble with them on that score. Referring again to the old chief at Red lake, an inci- dent occurred sometime after this that raised him still higher in the esteem of the missionaries. They were sur- prised one day by the arrival of three officers from the Red river settlement in Manitoba. They had been sent by the governor of the Hudson's Bay company; and brought letters from him stating that one of the Red lake Indians had stolen from the company a few weeks prev- iously a sum of money amounting to fifteen hundred dol- lars. He remarked in his letter that he knew he had no authority to arrest the guilty party, as he was not under his jurisdiction; but he had sent his officers to request their asistance in their efforts to recover the money. The old chief was accordingly called in, and the letter read to him ; after which they all awaited his reply. "Yes," he said, "that is true ; a distant relative of mine has the money and he shall deliver it up." IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTRY 25 The thief was across the lake, some fifteen miles away ; but the chief sent two of his head men after him, order- ing him to report at once at the Mission with the money. In the meantime the chief had called the head men of the tribe together at his house ; and as soon as the culprit had arrived, he said to him, "Lay the money on the table." This done, he said, "Now stand up; hold up your hand and swear by the Great Spirit that you will tell us the sober truth as to how you got this money." The thief then arose, held up his hand and said, "Nin- gah-dag-gay-de-kit-o-yan ; nin-gah-ta-be-way-dush." (,The Lord of all shall hear what I shall say ; and I will tell the whole truth.) He then proceeded to relate how he had stolen the money : While in the Settlement, stopping with two French half-breeds, they had been admitted into the Company's store, where they noticed a large package of new bank notes lying in the office. When they came out they began to consult how they might get possession of the treasure. The garret window was open ; and they at once perceived that it might be reached by means of a ladder. So on the following night they succeeded in entering the store and securing the prize. However, as they were descending the ladder the Indian coming down last, with the money in his hand a noise was heard in the yard ; at which the half-breds took fright and ran away, leaving their com- panion behind with the roll of bills in his hand. He, however, finding himself thus deserted, prudently ran in a different direction from the others ; and being now free from friends and foe alike, kept on his way unhin- dered, reaching his home at the lake some days later with his money. His accomplices were afterwards arrested, and told 26 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY where the bills were likely to be found. Whereupon the governor had dispatched his officers to endeavor to recov- er them. The chief now suggested that the money be carefully counted, to see if it were all there. Having done so, they found the exact sum fifteen hundred dollars.* About a year after this occurrence, Mr. Ayer had occa- sion to make a trip to the Settlement, and the governor in addition to the cordial reception tendered him saw fit to reciprocate his services in the matter by presenting him with a large fat ox. The first thing demanding the attention of the mis- sionaries after matters were harmoniously adjusted with their neighbors, was the ever present question with re- gard to food, etc. They had brought nothing into the country, excepting the small quantity of moldy flour, which was, in spite of its unpalatableness, soon exhausted. After a time they succeeded in purchasing from the In- dians a moderate supply of corn and a few potatoes. But, unfortunately, the greater portion of the potatoes had already been frozen by the early frost ; so that the corn, which they ground in their hand-mills, was their chief dependence thereafter. The Indians, having failed in their fall fishing on ac- count of the early freeing over of the lake, prepared to go with their families to the western plains for the win- ter, in order to subsist upon the buffalo. These animals were to be found at that time in almost innumerable multitudes in the Red river valley and beyond, and were comparatively tame and harmless. The Indians were accustomed to make their camps in the vicinity of the *NOTE. This old chief's name was Way-win-che-gnon (Porcupine). He died many years ago; and his eldest son succeeded him as chief. IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 2" herd and dispatch them with their bows and arrows whenever their flesh might be required for food, their fat for fuel, and their skins for robes or covering for their tepees. Thus the buffalo appeared to have been especially provided for the Indian; and because of his utter extinction by the whites in later years, the loss to the dependent native tribes was irreparable. With the departure of the Indian population for the winter, the missionaries were left very much to them- selves. Thus they had ample time to apply themselves, under the instruction of their efficient teacher, Mrs. Ayer, to the study of the native language. And this, from the very outset, proved to be no light undertaking. For altho they had understood, before coming into the country, that the native vocabulary was very small, and that the Indian was accustomed to com- municate his ideas in part by the use of signs and ges- tures, they were greatly surprised to learn that just the reverse of this was really the case; and that their lan- guage was as full and complete, and as grammatical in its construction, as the classical Greek and Latin. Thev were greatly aided in learing the conjugation of the verbs by means of an old manuscript, which they had found at La Pointe. It consisted of a quire of fools- cap paper, closely written on both sides of every leaf; and which had been prepared by a devout and scholarly surgeon connected with the army, and stationed many years previously at Ste. Marie. From this it was learned that all the nouns and verbs could be grouped under two general heads, and described as "animate" and "inani- mate," no gender being expressed. The same distinction applying, also, to all qualifying words, as adjectives, etc. ; and that this distinction in all cases, including the verb, is expressed by the terminations. The greatest difficulty was experienced in remembering 28 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY the almost endless terminations of the verb about one thousand changes being possible from any single verbal root, every one of which was liable to be used in ordinary discourse. Another difficulty was discovered in attempt- ing to pronounce the long words. Scarcely twenty mon- osyllables existed in the entire language, while every pri- mary word, being composed of four syllables, might "grow up" to as many as sixteen by means of prefixes and suffixes. These additions, moreover, required to be employed with great exactness, as otherwise one might say just the oposite of what he really intended to express. As they proceeded with the study of the language, their interest increased, and their wonder grew as to whence it was derived. For it seemed strange indeed, that a wild, barbarous people like these should possess a language all unwritten but so rich and copious; containing an abundance of words to express any shade of thought upon any subject about which one might desire to impart information. The study of the native language proved further inter- esting from the fact that thro it they were enabled to obtain a thoro knowledge of the religious ideas of the natives. It was a common observation with them that the language was not only very ancient, but also evidently that of a people who had originally possessed a knowl- edge of the true God. There was no lack of words to express all that the Bible has to say in regard to the attributes of the divine Being. Indeed, all the virtues and vices, the extremes of happiness and misery, as well as the commandments and doctrines enjoined in the Scrip- tures, were capable of being fully expressed in the native vocabulary. Thus it appeared that the very language of these poor Indians affirmed that the moral law is written upon all human hearts, and is expressed in their language; and IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 29 that even these "wild, untutored savages" undoubtedly have the [same standard of right and wrong that we have come to recognize as dwelling in our own hearts and consciences.* *See Appendix "B." VII. MID- WINTER TRIP TO FORT GARRY. Deserted thus early by their Indian neighbors, the mis- sionaries decided to seek more intimate relations with the white Scotch settlers on the Red river in Manitoba, lying some three hundred miles farther to the north. This far inland colony, composed largely of Scotch Presbyterians from one of the highland counties of Scot- land, had been planted on land purchased from the Hud- son's Bay company by Lord Selkirk some thirty years previous. After innumerable hardships and perils on land and sea, and the most persistent and heroic struggles under all the adverse conditions attending their unhappy lot, they had attained at last to a position of comparative comfort and freedom in their adopted home in the wild heart of the continent. Here for many years prior to the founding of the city IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 31 of Winnipeg, the settlers had led a most isolated life. Separated from all other sources of civilization, their nearest seaport was the bleak shore of the Hudson's bay many hudreds of miles to the north; and all their foreign supplies and communication with the outside world were by means of the slow-going sailing vessels of the Hud- son's Bay company, plying for brief portions of the year between their arctic port and London, England. After some years of misunderstanding and strife, the colonists were permitted to live on friendly terms with the surrounding natives ; often mingling with them in the chase, and securing their respect by their honest dealing and upright lives. As a center of religious and educational, as well as of commercial activity, leavening the incoming masses of later years, and imparting to the young Manitoban cap- ital its justly enviable position, Lord Selkirk builded bet- ter than he knew, when he devoted his life to the noble task of establishing thus early the sturdy colony out of which the city of Winnipeg was later to arise. This old Selkirk settlement of Kildonan, founded in the spring of 1812, was frequently visited by the Red lake missionaries; who obtained from them the greater por- tion of their supplies and cattle, accompanied by a most generous and Christian hospitality whenever the oppor- tunity was afforded. And this spirit of friendly reciproc- ity, it is pleasant to observe, still largely prevails among the later residents on either side the Manitoban bound- ary. The first trip undertaken to this old settlement by our missionaries, was made during the winter of 1843-4 their first in the country. That such a journey, in the dead of winter, at that early period, was for those cour- ageous men, no light undertaking, the following account gathered from Mr. Barnard's diary will sufficiently con- firm: 32 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY Mr. Ayer, it appears, had decided to take his two horses with him to exchange for oxen and provisions ; while young Barnard, with a waning ambition to, excel in the capture of bear and buffalo, hoped to secure in exchange for his rifle and a few pieces of Ohio cloth, a much needed family cow. Their traveling outfit con- sisted of two one-horse "trains." One of these was made after the fashion of a modern toboggan a name probably derived from the O jib way, "otahbon" consist- ing of a thin board about sixteen inches in width and ten or twelve feet in length, with the thills fastened to the up- turned points for drawing it over the snow. The other vehicle was an old-fashioned "pung," or jumper, on which the more bulky articles, such as hay for feed, bedding, etc., were placed. Provided with a letter of introduction from their trader to a prominent Frenchman at Selkirk, and accom- panied by a young Indian guide, they set out on the last day of November and encamped the same night at their hay field, some ten miles from the Mission. The morning of December ist dawned bright and frosty upon the north-bound travellers, already well on their way down the lake shore. Leaving the lake some distance before leaving its river outlet, they struck boldly across the frozen marsh bordering it on the south in order to reach the river at a safe distance below the open water issuing from the lake. And having gained the river, the ice appeared sufficiently strong to permit of their trotting at a lively jog along its edge ; the weather, meanwhile, being intensely cold, requiring the drivers to wear thick, double mittens on their hands. The second day after leaving the lake they were trot- ting leisurely along over the smooth ice of the river, the guide with his gun over his shoulder striding ahead, close- ly followed by Mr. Ayer; while his comrade, seated IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY 33 Complacently on his bundle of hay on the old "pung," arid diligently conning some Indian sentences written upon a scrap of paper held in his hand, completed the pictur- esque procession. Presently the attention of the latter was arrested by the peculiar transparency of the ice, under which the current could be seen to be swiftly moving. Laying aside his classic "sentences," and leaning over to study a present phenomenon more dosely> he was startled by the sound of a general crash and the next moment the horse, pung, and luckless driver as well, were all floundering in a state of wild confusion amid the icy flood ! . The phenomenon was now fully explained to the observant traveler, tho unfortunately too late to relieve the present embarassment. The river had fallen some fifteen inches after the ice had formed, and the pressure of the teams had caused the unexpected catastrophe. The break extended half way under Mr. Ayer's train also; but a fortunate turn in his course at that very juncture secured his exemption from the icy bathend probably from a still more serious fate, as he was unable to swim. Meanwhile the strong current had carried Barnard's pung around to the front of the animal to which it was still attached, and who was now vainly truggling to swim up stream. Her driver swam to the shore to aid the others in their efforts to keep her from being drawn un- der the ice, while the poor creature herself was wildly struggling to get free. By means of an impromptu bridge of poplar poles, they at length succeeded in reaching her; and having loosed her from her unmanageable craft, returned shore- ward with a long line securely fastened to her neck. By this means she was finally towed to the shore and landed on the solid ice all but one reluctant foot! Mr. Ayer, for the reason already mention, dared not go too near the 34 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY water's edge; and the young Indian preferred also to ^tand safely aloof and pull on the rope. So running to the edge of the ice, Barnard frantically grasped the ani- mal's still unrescued foot while the others continued their persuasive efforts at the other end of the line. All were now hopeful of success; but just before the sub- merged member could be planted firmly on the ice, its owner gave a desperate lunge, and the next moment both she j.rd her would-be rescuer were once more floundering amid the icy waves. Throwing his cap ashore, which he had discovered floating past him, the intrepid swimmer again struck out down the stream in pursuit of the larger prize before it- should be drawn into the whirling vortex below. But catch- ing a glimpse of his associate still clinging frantically to the rope, and being drawn thereby rapidly over the smooth ice the Indian standing apart and looking mildly on he turned and swam to the shore. Then all dripping with the frezing water, he hastened to the relief of his imper- illed comrade ; and throwing himself flat upon the ice, he seim 1 the tail of his trailing coat in a supreme effort to stay their further progress toward the fatal brink. Prov- identially, it would seem, just as they had almost reached the danger point, and the veteran's feet were ready to slip into the foaming current, the mare suddenly turned about and headed up stream. Both the men now shout- ing to the dazed, or indifferent, Indian to hasten to their aid, the benumbed and well-nigh exhausted animal was finally landed on terra firma, this time with "not a hoof behind." And all safe once more on the shore, while the men proceeded to make the customary preparations for Sab- bath encampment on the morrow, the young "brave" was commissioned to lead the poor, shivering beast back IN THE OJIBWA.Y COUNTRY 35 and forth over the frozen marsh to keep her from freez- ing. And what about the drenched hero ? At a late hour of that December night he was standing with steaming clothes before a blazing fire, writing in his journal, and devoutly recording the goodness of the Lord in rescuing him from a watery grave. VIII. AT FORT GARRY AND OLD KILDONAN. An early start on Monday enabled the travelers to reach without further mishap the mouth of Thief river where the present town of Thief River Falls is now lo- cated. Thence striking the winter trail, their route lay across a prairie country interspersed with groves of pop* lar and birch and willow, with fringes of larger timber along the streams. Their next Sabbath's encampment was only two days' travel from the Scotch settlement of Kildonan. A French settlement, however, lay between; and on arriving there they sought out the man to whom their letter of introduction had been addressed, and were cheered by his cordial welcome and the assurance of hospitable entertainment as long as they might find it con- venient to remain. On the following morning, at his friendly suggestion, IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 37 their uncouth conveyances were gladly exchanged for his own "cariole," or large two-wheeled cart; which, altho sufficiently primitive also, was regarded in that isolated community as entirely up-to-date. In it they proceeded, in comparatively royal state to call upon the governor of the colony, the Hon. Duncan Finlayson, by whom and his excellent lady, they were very warmly greeted and urged to return and dine with them in the afternoon. Having made known their errand, the governor ad- vised them to go down to the Scotch settlement a few miles below the fort, where they would find "the best stock of cattle and entire honesty in deal." Setting out thither, accordingly, the ice being perfectly solid over the river, their road lay over it to the settlement. Along either side, where not obscured by the timber, were to be seen the comfortable log dwellings of the settlers. These occurred at frequent intervals; as their farms be- ing cut into narrow strips, extended far back onto the prairie; thereby securing for each family a river front- age, and facilitating ready communication among the neighbors, especially in the winter. Passing leisurely along, they saw on the left bank, quite a large herd of well-conditioned cattle, and Mr. Ayer proposed that they should turn in and look them over. So driving up toward the "byres," or sheds, a man came out of the house near by, clad in Scotch cloth and wearing a fur cap, who greeted the strangers with a hearty, "Good day, gentlemen!" Upon informing him that they were in search of cattle, and seeing that he had some rather fine-looking ones, they had taken the liberty to drive in to look at them, he quickly responded, "Oh, yes; come right along, gentle- men !" at the same time leading the way to the yard. "You see those cattle, gentlemen," he said; " and you might think that one a noble animal," pointing to one of 38 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY his cows ; " but she has such and such faults," describing them in detail; and so on with his other stock some good and some bad. , "Here is honesty for you," remarked Mr. Ayer aside; "I guess we had better do our trading with these Scotch farmers." They were afterwards invited into the house and urged to have a cup of tea ; and the fact that they had promised to dine with the governor at three o'clock, did not suffice to release them from the exacting constraint of a present hospitality ; and this same generous hospitality, however humble its manifestations at times, they afterward found to be unfailingly repeated wherever they chanced to go. Returning in the afternoon to the fort, the humbly at- tired strangers were politely ushered into the large dining hall and introduced by the governor to the clerks of the Hudson's Bay company; after which they were seated with honor at the long table, loaded with meats and vege- tables, etc,, "and fairly glittering with wine glasses from end to end." The guests of the occasion, being "teetotlers" from principle, recoiled painfully from the thought of giving possible offence to their generous hosts ; yet they were true men, and servants of Him whose will they habitu- ally recognized as supreme in their hearts and lives. When, therefore, suddenly confronted by this perplexing dilemma, their guiding principle of firm adherence to what they sincerely believed to be the will of their divine Master, still held with them its authoritative sway. "I cannnot," afterward observes Mr. Barnard, in writ- ing of this incident, "adequately describe the astonish- ment of the governor and his company when we politely declined the wine, and requested water instead." "'Why, what does this mean, gentlemen?' he ex- IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 39 claimed ; 'we never have heard of such a thing before.' at the same time ordering water to be set before us." After dinner the guests were invited into the parlor, where they enjoyed a pleasant chat with the governor and his very estimable lady, who made particular inquiries about their work among the Indians at Red lake, and urged them to return later. Calling the following day on a Mr. McDermot, one of the principal merchants of the company, he and his son- in-law took them at once to his magnificent sideboard and brought out his bottles for a friendly "treat." But on being thanked for the proffered hospitality and in- formed that they never indulged, their amazement seemed even greater, if possible, than that of the governor and his friends on the previous day. However, after some explanation, they were led to respect their principles, and did not repeat the expression of their hospitality in that form. Having returned a day or so later to conclude their purchase of the cattle from the Scotch farmer, he appear- ed greatly excited, and said, "Gentlemen, after you went away yesterday, it occurred to me that possibly you might be Presbyterians!" Upon informing him that they were Presbyterian mis- sionaries from Red lake, the man and his neighbors ap- peared exceedingly rejoiced that at last a minister of their own faith had been permitted to visit them. For altho supplied hitherto by clergymen of the Church of England, their repeated petitions for a minister of their own be- loved "kirk" had thus far been in vain. At their request, therefore, the missionaries conducted religious meetings among them every night during their stay in the house whence the devoted wife of Mr. Barn- ard was afterward called to her heavenly reward. And no doubt the hearts of those patient, God-fearing people 40 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY were greatly cheered by the earnest gospel messages of the Lord's faithful ambassadors. Thus it appears that these humble missionary sojourn- ers from Red lake were really the first Presbyterian min- isters to visit that old settlement and conduct religious services among the people there. For altho they were afterwards favored with occasional visits and services by them, it was not until in the autumn of 1851 nearly eight years later that the godly and lamented Rev. John Black entered upon his eminently useful career among that interesting and warm-hearted people. The services at St, John's which the visitors attended on the following Sabbath, were conducted by the Ven- erable Archdeacon Cochren ; by whom they were greeted most cordially and afterward invited to dine at the Acad- emy close by, in charge of Principal McCallum. Here, as on the other occasions, both master and pupils were astonished beyond measure by the radical temperance principles of their "yankee" guests. Nevertheless it was afterwards discovered that the sincere and consistent ad- herence of the missionaries to their honest convictions, not only won the lasting respect of their entertainers, but also resulted in a remarkable reformation in the social cus- toms of those same people in after years. After a pleasant and useful Christmas spent among their new-found friends, the grateful sojourners prepared to set out on their homeward journey. Mr. Ayer had dis- posed of his horses and purchased some cattle mostly from the Scotch settlers ; while his companion, dominated likewise by pressing economic considerations, succeeded in exchanging his rifle for a cow. And his Ohio cloth he traded also for some goods of their own weaving, and more suitable for rough wear in the northern woods. The genial Frenchman to whom they had at first been introduced, called his neighbors together and made har- IN THE OJIBWAY COUNIKY 41 ness and "trains" for their cattle. The governor gave them two bags of fine flour, a large bag of "pemican," and a bale of dried buffalo meat ; while the kind-hearted settlers also brot butter and food for the missionaries and barley for their cattle on the way. Indeed, they only wished that their newly-found friends and their families were stationed near by in order that they might be able "to supply them regularly with food." IX. "PERILS IN THE WILDERNESS." Thus equipped with their six ox-trains and half a dozen other cattle, the grateful visitors bade adieu to their kind friends and turned their faces wistfully in the direction of their own little bark hut beside the forest lake. Their first night was spent at the last of the French cabins on the banks of the Red river; from which point their track lay more eastward across the prairie. The second morning thereafter, Mr. Ayer discovered on arranging their "trains," that he had left a valuable cross-cut saw at their last previous stopping place. He therefore immediately sent the guide back after it; and proceeded the following morning without him along the well-worn summer trail. This was quite traceable by daylight ; but when early night fell dark and cloudy on a 44 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY long stretch of burnt prairie covered by several inches of snow, it seemed impossible to follow it. For awhile Mr. Ayer was able to keep on the trail by following his large terrier dog, "Watch ;" but it was no- ticed after a time, that he was not altogether reliable, as he frequently turned aside. Having with them an old- fashioned perforated tin lantern and a piece of tallow candle, it was lighted, after which they took their course. Then placing their twelve head of cattle in a line, and noting the direction of the wind, Mr. Ayer went ahead of his little caravan, while his companion brought up the rear. With the cattle thus following their guide in a straight line, it was possible for the other to detect by means of their shadowy outline on the snow, the least deviation from a direct course ; and by calling out "right" or "left," to maintain the direction desired. At length they ap- proached a bank where some trees were discovered in a ravine, and after working their way through the snow, and finding it possible to make their camp there, the cattle were turned loose to graze on the dead grass to be found in some bare spots on the neighboring prairie. Their ordinary camp duties at such times are thus de- scribed by the younger of the two as follows : "Mr. Ayer being an old 'voyageur/ and I a mere novice, as soon as the snow was shovelled away, the oxen loosed, and a fire kindled he took sole charge of the culinary department ; while I shouldered my ax and proceeded to cut and carry in the fuel necessary for the night. Next came the gath- ering of the animals, tieing them to the trees amid the shelter of the bush, and clearing away the snow for their beds and feed of barley ; after which we partook of our supper in the open air, retiring . usually quite late at night. Rising early the following morning, and going out to IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY 45 where they had left their "trains" the night before, they discovered to their surprise, and joy, that they were only a few rods from the regular trail; and that their camp was scarcely forty rods from the spot where they had spent the Sabbath on their way down. About noon the next day they met a party of Indians from Red lake, among whom was the father of their absent guide; shortly after which the latter returned, bringing the saw, but with much embarassment inform- ing the missionaries that he would have to leave them and accompany his father on the chase. Inasmuch as no per- suasion nor offer of additional reward could move him from his purpose, they were obliged to continue the remainder of their journey without their much-needed \. assistant. Abandoned now by their guide, and in a wild and wintry wilderness, fully two hundred miles from their longed-for destination, they committed themselves to the care of their heavenly Guardian, and resolutely proceed- ed to retrace their homeward journey alone. The following day, being Saturday, was warm and thawey ; and they hoped to reach the mouth of the Thief river, where they had spent the night on the way out, and which was on the edge of the forest. But their journey being intercepted by the approach of night, they decided to make their Sabbath encampment in the shelter of a poplar grove. Supper over and the tired animals secured and pro- vided with their feed of barley, the weary pilgrims spread their blankets on the ground before the fire and were soon wrappd in that profound slumber so restful to the weary and care-worn. Awaking the following morning being the Sabbath, and also the closing day of a year so full of strange and trying experiences for them they were surprised to find 46 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY themselves and everything about them covered over with several inches of freshly-fallen snow. It had fallen quietly during the night; and the wind having shifted into the north, a thin coating of ice had formed on the surface. It was here that a peculiar combination of trials await- ed them. First they found that their fire had gone entire- ly out, and that everything was damp and under the snow. But having cleared away the same, and gather- ing carefully the remaining coals and pieces of fuel, the matches, which Mr. Ayer always carried in a tin box in his vest pocket, were called for. Feeling for them in his pocket, he suddenly sprang to his feet, exclaiming excit- edly, "Why, they're lost ! I'm sure I put the box in my pocket after kindling the fire last night." Sure enough, the matches could not be found ; and the dismayed travelers now fully realized that they were still ten days of steady travel from home in the lonely depth of the winter, and without the means of kindling a fire. Everything, as already stated, being under the snow, they knew not where to begin their search ; but went dis- tractedly about in every direction traversed by them the previous evening, and anxiously scraped the snow away with their feet in the forlorn hope of at last turning up the hidden treasure. In this manner the greater portion of the forenoon was spent on a task so desperate, and yet so vain. At last it occurred to Barnard to find out which of the animals his companion had fed with the barley. And having gone carefully over all but one, without success, they were quite ready to despair of ever finding the lost key to comfort, and possibly to life itself. Then, calling on the Lord in their distress, and frantically scraping away the snow from under the other animal's feet, their very last effort was crowned with a glorious reward. The IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 47 matches were found, and a great deliverance was theirs. "Truly," adds Mr. Barnard, devoutly in recording this incident, "Man's extremity is God's opportunity ; and He has never failed us when casting all our care upon Him." The matches having been found, Mr. Ayer sang out merrily, "Now we shall have some of that nice steak those good Scotch people gave us." So, when they kin- dled a fire, they went after the meat which had consisted of two large pieces. But imagine their astonishment and disappointment on discovering that neither of them could be found. Whoever, or whatever could have removed them, they were not able to conjecture. They could only conclude that they must have been taken before the snow had fallen, as there were no traces of any disturbing cause anywhere visible. At length Mr. Barnard, observing "old Watch" warm- ing his nose contentedly by the fire and suspiciously "watching" their movements, suddenly exclaimed with the emphasis of a new and over-powering conviction, "Mr. Ayer, I believe your dog has taken that meat." "Oh no ;" replied Mr. Ayer ; " he never was known to do such a thing; Watch is an honest dog." Whereupon the old fellow gave his master a grateful look, and closed his eyes as if for a comfortable nap. Having finished their breakfast now long after noon, and minus the steak the cattle were turned loose on the prairie, and the men lay down to take some rest. In a ?hort time Mr. Ayer was fast asleep ; but young Barnard, --till questioning the honesty of the dog, determined to test him. So closing his eyes as if asleep, and occasion- ally opening one of them slightly to observe unnoticed the animal's movements, he saw him lying quietly, and appar- ently like his master, fast asleep. Not yet satisfied, how- ever, he began to emulate the snoring accomplishments 48 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY of his older companion, at which the dog evidently took he^rt. Slightly opening one eye, Barnard soon after saw him wake up and gaze long and earnestly at the slumbering heroes ; after which he rose and looked wistfully around. Then having apparently satisfied himself that the coast was entirely clear, he stole softly out of the camp and made direct for a clump of bushes not far away. Barn- ard then also woke up; and arming himself with a stout stick, noiselessly followed the trail of his victim over the fresh snow; and before the poor creature had time to begin his coveted feast, he was "shocked almost beyond expression" by a terrific blow from the stick, wielded un- pitymgly in the hand of his irate pursuer. A dismal howl quickly aroused his sleeping master from his restful dreams puncturing them with the spec- tre of an invading foe. Later in the day the other .piece of steak was likewise found both of which were still intact. Poor old Watch was a good dog ; having accompanied his master on many a long and dangerous journey fol- lowing his steps by day, and stretching himself at full 1 th at his back at night, and was ever obedient to his call. But the present temptation was simply too much for his canine nature to withstand. The transformation, or rather malformation, that awaited him the ensuing summer, was one that illy befitted the termination of a really useful career; for, alas, he was stealthily killed and made into a kettle of soup for a lot of revelling In- dian:-. X. "PERILS OF WATERS." Setting out with the early dawn of the new year \ 1844), they arrived at the mouth of the Thief river about noon of the same day. This old camping place new the site of a Presbyterian church on the main trail from Red lake to the west and north, was located on the north side of the Red lake river, a short distance below the junction of the river bearing an unenviable name. Here near the river bank was a fine spring of water and aho the location of an old trading post, revived in later years. It is in the center of the present thriving town of Thief River Falls; and the protestant church now occupying the site of the old camping ground is a fitting, if unintentional, memorial of those Christian pioneers who, as did so many others, often halted there for rest and refreshment. 50 IN THE OJ1BWAY COUNTRY Not pausing here now, however, for a New Year's day repast, the anxious missionaries made haste to enter the sheltering forest first met with here. Crossing the Thief river, they took the trail which, being seldom used by the Indians during the summers, was now extremely difficult to follow thro the bushes and depths of snow. Before nightfall, also, they were drenched with rain ; which a sudden shifting of the wind into the northwest, followed by a corresponding change of temperature, transformed their clothing into coats of icy mail before they were able to make their camp. The next morning they struck off to the right in order to reach the Red lake river, as the only means of pre- venting their becoming lost in the dense, unfamiliar for- est that now enveloped them hoping to follow the river on the ice to the vicinity of the lake. But when they approached it, the snow was lying so deep on its surface as to cause the ice to crack in the middle, and render it wholly unsafe for the cattle to pass over it with their "trains.*' They were therefore obliged to travel along its edge, and across the points and over open marshes always keeping the river in view, and making some days only five or ten miles of actual progress. On Saturday morning, when but a short distance from where they had camped the previous night, Mr. Ayer, who was in advance, suddenly sang out, in the O jib way dialect, "Kee-shaw-wain-dah-goo-ze-nin !" meaning, "We are happy, or fortunate!" He had struck a snow-shoe track of the Indians going in from their hunt and leading up the river on the ice. This he imagined he could fol- low with his cattle; but the rejoicing on the part of the really w;/-fortunate missionaries was of brief duration ; for they had not proceeded far before the ice began to crack immediately under their feet and those of the cattle, strung out in a long line in the middle of the stream. IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 51 What to do, the distracted travelers did not know. However, halting the unsuspecting animals, Mr. Ayer ran ahead to sound the ice; while his comrade stood trem- bling and praying behind them expecting every moment to see the ice give way beneath them. When Mr. Ayer struck his ax into the ice, only a few feet ahead of the foremost ox, the blade went thro to the water and with the unstable crust still cracking under their feet, the necessity for action, as well as prayer, was upon them. So having succeeded in getting the animals off unwittingly, in their haste, on the north side of the river they proceeded but a very few rods before they found it to be entirely open in the center of the channel the swift, dark current having cut away the ice.. This convinced them could not be very far from the lake ; but to their utter discomfiture they now realized that they were on the ivrong side of the stream. Then after a long and wearisome search, the trail was at last found on the opposite side; but how to get their cattle across was another and more trying problem. Upon going back some distance, however, a spot was for- tunately discovered where they might attempt to cross them over one at a time. But here they were confronted by another serious dilemma : the first one broke thro the ice in an overflowed swamp, and had to be pulled out with ropes. At last, however, after much patient and painful effort, accompanied by no little danger, they suc- ceeded in getting all over, with "not a hoof left behind ;" and this time also on the right side of the stream.. At a late hour of that eventful day, and also of the week, they wearily made their camp and cooked their frugal meal. Then with "feet all blistered and bare to the snow" by reason of his broken and worn-out mocas- ins, young Barnard shouldered his ax, and far into the 52 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY night broke the silence of the forest depths by cutting and dragging into camp the fuel needed for the Sabbath's supply. They were cheered that night by the arrival of a couple of the fur-trader's men with their packs of furs pur- chased from the Indians. They concluded to camp for the night with the missionaries; and proceeded the next morning to their post at the lake, carrying to the anxious Mission family there the first message from the absent ones since their departure. The "peep of day" on Monday morning greeted them already several miles on their way, eager after the Sab- bath's rest to bring the long and toilsome journey to a close. And when the clock struck eleven that night, they drew up in front of the little snow-covered hut on the shore of the lonely lake. It was an obscure spot indeed ; but infinitely dear to the returning pilgrims as the one place in all this weary world, where, sitting down with loved ones before the blazing fire, they could breathe once more the hallowed atmosphere of home. Here at last they arrived with their belated Christmas cheer. And forgetful of the passing hours of night, they sat rehearsing to attentive ears not so much now the many tri&ls and dangers encountered on the way, as the cheering information of kind friends discovered, and the generous supplies obtained from the noble Scotch set- tlers on the banks of the Red river of the farther north. This memorable journey was completed early in Jan- uary, 1844; and during the remainder of their first win- ter in the forest, the missionaries were not by any means idle. Mr. and Mrs. Ayer, having already a good working knowledge of the native tongue, gave much of their time to the spiritual interests of the few Indians who still remained at the lake ; and to the instruction of the young- er members of the Mission family in the rudiments and IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 58 use of the new language they were all so eager to be able to employ. The others, chiefly occupied at first with duties of a secular nature, found these neither light nor few. For besides the daily care of their cattle the hay requiring to be drawn from the marsh a dozen miles away, there were trees to be felled and converted into lumber for more com- modious dwellings ; shingles for the roofs to be split from blocks of wood, and boards to be laboriously sawed by hand from the green logs, for the floors and necessary furniture. Even the sash for the windows had to be made by hand ; while something of the mason's art was required to construct the stone and mortar chimneys, and for plastering the rude walls with clay to protect the in- mates from the searching frost and winter storms. Moreover, with the approach of spring, they found it necessary both to instruct and assist those of the natives who might be found willing to erect houses for them- selves in the vicinity of the Mission; and also aid them later in preparing the ground and planting their gardens. And finally, in the manufacture and repairing of sleds, carts, harness, utensils, furniture, etc., a truly varied and ever-patient ingenuity as well as industry were in con- stant demand. XI. WORKING AND WINNING. Altho our attention has thus far been centered almost wholly upon the Mission and workers at Red lake, we should not quite overlook or ignore the little band also "holding the fort" at Leech lake, and under less friendly conditions that at the larger and better garrisoned sta- tion. To the Leech lake station, supplied the previous autumn by Messrs. Lewis, and Johnston and their wives, Mr. Spencer was also transferred remaining there until the abandonment of the field the following year. At each of these stations the greatest activity prevailed during the brief summer months in the clearing, fencing and cultivation of the ground, and also in the erection of better dwellings for the natives and themselves. The responsibility of attending to the instruction and spiritual welfare of the Indians continued to fall very largely on IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 55 the senior members ; while the others labored in the field and wood an example to their indolent neighbors, and cheered ever by the hope of becoming ere long preachers and teachers by word as well as by example. The Indian men, as is well known, care but little for manual labor; and when the missionaries proposed to plow the patches of ground which they or rather, their women had been in the habit of cultivating entirely with their rude hoes; and also offered to plow as much more new land as they themselves might be willing to clear off, the old chief shook his head and quietly re- sponded, "This is all very kind of you ; but as there are only four men in our band who ever performed any la- bor of this kind, you will have very little ground to plow unless you will also first clear it off yourselves." Upon assuring him that they would agree to haul off the logs with their oxen if his men would chop down the trees, the old chief bravely led the way into the forest, and was followed soon by a number of his "braves;'' whose tomahawks were thrown aside for axes which were freely furnished them; and they soon had consid- erable ground ready for cultivation. In order to assist and encourage them in their field work, young Mr. Wright went one spring day to the vicinity of the Indian village of Gasininsika some four miles distant from the Mission and spent several days with them in plowing their land with the oxen. He stayed with a family of fourteen, of whom the old grand-mother was the recognized head. Then there were daughters and sons-in-law and grand-children, all under the same roof. They had very little food of their own at this sea- son ; and the young misionary was supplied with a small loaf of corn bread from the Mission every day. "But," he relates in his journal, "I found it very embarassing to sit down to eat a piece of my corn bread in their presence 56 IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY when I knew how hungry they all likewise were. So be- fore I could begin my own repast with comfort, I was ac- customed to go around and give each one present a small piece first thus leaving, indeed, a very small portion for myself. . . . Sometimes they had fish or duck, or it might be, a few muskrats; but whatever the fare, they always invited me to share it with them. And thus it was, when I had food they boarded with me; and when they were provided for, I boarded with them. The good old grand-mother, especially, ever after regarded me as her friend." The following year this same family came and settled near the Mission, cleared off some ground, and raised a supply of food. And within three years from the time of Mr. Wright's visit with them, nearly all the adults and some of the children were received into the commun- ion of the church. All of them continued to live devoted Christian lives; and died happy, triumphant deaths. "Perhaps," as Mr. Wright very plausibly observes, "the little kindness shown them in giving them a small piece of my corn bread when they were hungry, may have had something to do with their reception of the gospel, and the bread of everlasting life, afterwards." One of the grand-daughters, Hannah afterwards adopted into Mr. Barnard's family developed into a most remarkable Christian character. She accompanied them to Ohio a few years after her conversion ; spent a year there, then sickened and died greatly lamented by all who knew her. Her Indian name, Goh-bah-bah-mah- tch-gate, or "She who goes about serving others," was beautifully significant as applied to a follower of Him who came into our world, "not to be ministered unto but to minister ;" and "who went about doing good." Mr. Wright observes in this connection, that all names among the Indians are significant. They do not address IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY 57 persons by their names in conversation. Even parents sel- dom address their own children by their individual names, except when absolutely necessary. But always in speaking to a child, or in speaking of him, they say, "my son," or "my daughter." Likewise one man says to an- other, when addressing him, Ne-che, "friend," or Ne-cho- ke-wain-ze, "My respected friend;" and they never use "nicknames." ^ One of the moral difficulties frequently encountered in the effort to gain an influence over the Indians, was the false idea entertained by them with regard to the true idea of benevolence. It required much time and patient teaching to correct this. It was common at first for them to charge the missionaries with selfishness, because they would not freely share everything they had with them. As soon as one of them fully adopted the habits of the missionaries with respect to giving, the others would at once say of them, "They are just like all the white people very selfish." But some months after the missionaries arrived among them, an incident occurred which made a deep impression upon their minds as to the real kindness and unselfish- ness, after all, of those who had come to them, profess- edly to do them good : Messrs. Barnard and Wright were returning from their work in the woods one very windy day early in the month of June, when they heard screams of distress from far out on the lake. Two young women had gone out in a canoe to set their nets. The wind, which was blow- ing a perfect gale, had upset their canoe, endangering the lives of the late occupants. They however continued to cling to the capsized vessels, and succeeded thereby in keeping their heads out of the water. They were fully a half miles from the shore, and the waves were rolling very high; but without stopping to 58 IN THE OJ1BWAY COUNTEY consider the danger to themselves, the men hastily seized a little bark canoe close at hand, and were soon bounding over the waves to the rescue of the drowning women. Very soon after leaving the shore, the peril of the un- dertaking began to dawn upon them. The canoe was scarcely more than ten feet in length, and was tossed on the waves like an egg-shell. Soon the screams of the women were being heard throughout the neighborhood ; and the other missionaries, as well as a large number of the Indians, including women and children, came running down to the shore to watch with breathless interest the young white men in their heroic efforts to save the un- fortunate ones. All realized how great was the peril in- volved ; and there were few indeed who supposed it would be possible for them to take the drowning women into the little boat without endangering their own lives. When the poor creatures were reached, they were found to be on the verge of exhaustion and ready to sink, fainting, amid the waves. But seeing their would-be res- cuers nigh, they both began to cry out piteously, "Be-nah- chis-be-nam, be-mah-she-che-kong !" (Save us; oh, please do save us!) The water was very cold the ice having only quite re- cently melted in the lake; and as the women were large and stout, and clad in heavy woolen blankets, now thor- oly soaked with water, it seemed at first a really hopeless task to think of getting them into the boat. And then, when after the greatest exertion, they were finally res- cued from the waves, the frail bark apeared altogther in- adequate to the task of bringing to the shore its double load of inmates against a strong head wind and angry billows still rolling high. When, however, the shore was finally reached and the imperilled inmates landed in safety, the rescued ones were received by their anxious friends with tears, "the first IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTRY 59 time," adds Mr. Wright, "that I had ever known an In- dian to shed tears !" One of the women was a daughter of the head chief, Porcupine; the other being the daughter of the second ' chief. It was very evident that a deep impression had been made by this incident upon the minds of all the Indians; as when the white men showed themselves thus willing to hazard their lives for the red men's children, it became an object lesson to them which they could all readily understand : that the missionaries were after all their real friends. And thus did those unselfish and heroic spirits seek, by toil and at the peril of their own lives to win the perish- ing natives of the wilderness to Christ. XII. FOREST EXPERIENCES. Amid all the turmoil and unrest of the country espe- cially along its south-western border over the pending annexation of Texas, the jealousy of Mexico, and the ex- citing presidential campaign during the summer and au- tumn of '44, the private journal of our Red lake mis- sionary, extending over the same period, furnishes a pleasing and restful picture of the manner in which our great national holiday was observed by them amid the less disquieting environment of the far northern frontier : "Awakened this morning at four o'clock not as for- merly on this anniversary occasion, by the roar of can- non and the rattle of smaller artilery reverbrating on every side, but amid the solemn stillness of the 'forest primeval.' The sun had already cast his gentle rays upon our humble dwelling, seeking entrance thro th,e number- (3 CO IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 61 less crevices of our yet unfiished abode; each ray as it dawned upon our sleeping apartment, seeming to say, 'Come forth, and enjoy the light.' "I arose and prepared myself for a walk in the woods ; but there, too, all was silent, save the fresh, sweet notes of the joyous birds perched near and far upon the dewy branches of the trees, and the occasional ripple of the wavelets quietly playing along the lake shore. And in- stead of being surrounded by a noisy multitude of pleas- ure seekers, I walked forth alone thro the vast solemn aisles of the forest. The calm, pure atmosphere breathed peacefully of a better world, and seemed to fill all things with the reverent spirit of worship and of praise to the beneficent Maker of all. "Returning from my solitary ramble, I milked the wait- ing cows, and drove them forth to their shady pasture. We then had our accustomed season of worship; after which we sat down to a very frugal repast, consisting of fish and a few pieces of bread with our tea. "We then began our celebration of the day by a vig- orous assault upon our present-day enemies the 'army worms' which had quite recently invaded our little gar- den and threatened its speedy and entire destruction. In this war of extermination, my wife and little Indian boy came bravely to my aid, and large numbers of the ruth- less invaders were taken and committed unfeelingly to the flames. "Then, while Mrs. B. was preparing the dinner, I fell into a sound slumber ; from which I was at length awak- ened by a cheery call to dinner. 'Now for an Independ- ence day feast !' I exclaimed ; to which my good wife responded, 'Yes; and since we have been having only plain fish for our every day fare, we are going to have a rarity for the present occasion; so our fish will be stuffed.' 62 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY "After dinner we renewed our conflict with our re- maining enemies in the garden; and at five o'clock sat down to our evening meal, consisting of the remnant of our fish served cold." The Barnards had previously taken into their home the little Indian lad referred to above, caring for him as if he were their own child, and endeavoring to instruct him in the knowledge and worship of the true God. And it was found that, however indifferent and dull in regard to such matters the older persons might be, there was lit- tle difficulty in reaching the heart and understanding of this young child with the teachings and spirit of the divine Redeemer. After some patient instruction in, regard to the proper observance of the Lord's day, he appeared to feel very badly when he chanced to see his own mother at work in the field on that day. "Perhaps," said he, "she doesn't know that it is the Sabbath;" and begged that he might go and ask her to leave off working on that day. Returning shortly after, he reported with much evident relief, that his mother had assured him that she was not working for herself, but for the wife of the chief who had previously employed her. Upon his retiring to rest that night, Mr. Barnard said to him, "Franklin, I wish you to learn and always re- member this little prayer," at the same time repeating to him very slowly the words of the familiar evening prayer of his own early childhood, "Now I lay me down to sleep," etc. This he thoughtfully repeated after him ; and on the following evening said to his kind instructor, "I have not forgotten what you taught me last night ;" and again rev- erently repeated the simple petition ; and added, "Tomor- row I will tell it to my brothers, that they may learn it too." Truly of such as these, the Lord has said, "Who- IN THli OJ1BWAY COUNTRY 63 soever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter therein." As the season drew to a close, and the crisp autumn atmosphere reminded them of the near approach of an- other winter, it is not strange that a tinge of melancholy should occasionally shade the otherwise always cheerful pages of Mr. Barnard's journal. Accordingly, under date of October ist, he writes, "Winter is fast appreach- ing and no news yet from the east. One year ago this month was the latest word we have had from our beloved friends at home. We know not how many of them may yet remain in the land of the dying. We can only commit them to the care of an all-wise and ever-loving Father who only 'doeth all things well.' ' : Moreover the steady on-coming of that justly dreaded season saw them as yet but poorly prepared to resist its icy blasts. Their winter dwellings were still unfinished; their supplies were well-nigh exhausted ; and as yet they had received no encouraging word nor, indeed, any communication of any sort from the Society under whose auspices they had gone forth on their unselfish ministry. Sadly realizing how vain was the promised help of man, they were yet enabled to lay fast hold by faith on the unfailing promises of Him who cannot lie, and who had said in His word, "Trust in the Lord, and do good ; so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed." It was not until the winter had fairly set in, that they were permitted to exchange their old, dilapidated bark hut, for one which, tho still unfinished, and unprovided with either window or door, was considered "comforta- ble" in comparison with the one from which they had just emerged. The little room, very soon after it had been occupied by them, was filled with the bright expectant faces of the 64 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY Indian children, who came to be instructed in singing; and whose melodious voices, chanting the praises of the Redeemer, cheered from day to day the drooping spirits of their weary and home-sick "teachers." Altho no converts had thus far been gathered, from among the natives, the first Sabbath of the new year (January 5th, 1845) was a memorable one in the history of the Mission at Red lake, by reason of the organization on that date, of the first Protestant church in this remote region. It was composed of the missionaries and their families, in all seven adults and three children; and a precious time was experienced by all as they sat down together at the Master's table. It was truly a "church in the wilderness ;" born amid the wintry solitude of the forest; but strong in the hope of larger things awaiting their prayers and faith ; when many of the benighted ones about them should be gathered into their Master's fold, and sit with them as humble disciples at the feet of Jesus. XIII. MID-WINTER JOURNEY AND MID-SUMMER TRIALS. Owing to the difficulty and uncertainty of securing their supplies by way of the lakes, Messrs. Barnard and Johnston were advised to make a trial trip to Ft. Snelling in order to ascertain the feasibility of the "Mississippi route." They accordingly set out together from Leech lake in the latter part of January (1845), and arived at the fort some days later without serious mishap or delay. The whole intermediate country was at that time a "waste, howling wilderness ;" there being only a few small trad- ing posts above the falls of St. Anthony. On the present site of Mineapolis they found only a small government grist mill, attended by a solitary soldier from the fort; and where the city of St. Paul now proudly stands there were then scarce half a dozen wretched huts, correspond- 66 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY ing to the reputation of the inhabitants, and known only as "the devil's den." Having concluded their commercial arrangements, the missionaries paid a brief visit to the Pond brothers at their mission station among the Sioux Indians, some miles farther up the Minnesota river; after which they prepared to retrace their lonely journey in the direction of their northern home. About midway on their homeward route, they came upon a large gathering of Sioux and Ojibway Indians, engaged in a council of peace. A short time previous a son of the old Sioux chief had been killed by an Ojib- way ; but instead of taking revenge in the usual manner, he had listened to the good advice of the friendly trader, and had comfe to smoke the pipe of peace with his ene- mies. The missionaries being invited to join in the cer- emony, they cheerfully assented as being themselves the loyal servants of the Prince of peace. Whereupon, sit- ting down beside the bereaved chieftain, they received the pipe from his hand ; and having taken a generous whiff of the same, passed it on to their neighbors in token of their completed friendly alliance* The approach of the ensuing spring, with its myster- ious power to unlock the stored-up sweetness of the ma- ples, also brought new life and cheer to the misionaries, and to the natives as well. These prepared to depart for their accustomed sugar camps; while the others decided upon plans for a vigorous campaign of labor in the woods as soon as the heavy deposits of snow should have sufficiently disappeared. It was during these closing days of March that Mr. Barnard pathetically records some of the cherished rec- ollections of his earlier years : "Eleven years ago today," he says, "I left my native New England hills; and with *See Appendix, "A." IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTRY 67 father, mother, sisters and brothers started for the west- ern world in northern Ohio. Many have been the changes that have come to me since that well remembered day. Then I could behold the smiles of a beloved mother, a kind father, and affectionate sisters and brothers. But now, how changed the scene. Ten years have passed away since I followed the mortal remains of that dear mother to the narrow house appointed for all the living. Other loved ones since then have witnessed my parting tears; and here am I today in this distant land, sur- rounded by the poor degraded sons of the forest. Truly, we are creatures of a day, and know not what may be on the morrow." With the return of the Indians from their sugar mak- ing, and with the renewal of active operations on the part of the missionaries in the woods and gardens, some dis- cordant notes began to be heard; and with the lovely advant of the first Lord's day in June, the long brewing troubles appeared to culminate and cast their baleful shadow over all the sweet unfolding beauty of the outer world. "This day's occurrences," writes Mr. Barnard, "have caused our hearts to bleed. We see, now, and ex- perience some things similar to that we have heard of as taking place among the degraded heathen; and we can sympathize better than ever before with those who have been called to suffer from their wickedness in other lands." A few days prior to this, the chief, who had ever been friendly to the missionaries, called upon them with a re- quest for a half-dozen shirts as an initiation fee to a grand "medicine dance," which was to have been cele- brated that same day. The request was declined on the ground of its tendency to build up those heathenish rites which they had always felt bound to discountenance. The result of his disappointment was a determination the 68 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY following morning to frighten the missionaries and there- by drive them away. Accordingly the medicine dance was called for on that day, and a number of neighboring Indians invited; a large quantity of "fire water" having been duly provided for the occasion. The visitors fully anticipated a "big time," and spent the whole day in drinking and rioting. Many, maddened with the liquor, went abou* raving like frenzied beasts, making the most hideous yelps and groans imaginable. Along in the middle of the night, Mr. Barnard was aroused by the crashing in of one of his windows every light but one being destroyed. He was then accosted by the wretch outside, and ordered to come out of the house. After much parleying, accompanied by savage threats of violence, on the part of the drunken intruder, the mis- sionary quietly refused to comply with the demand, and nervously awaited further developments. But fortunate- ly for him, when the fury of the frenzied savage was at its height, some of the sober women came to the rescue, and led him away; thus leaving them, for the time at least, undisturbed. The next morning the chief called on Mr. Barnard and requested him to accompany him to the house of Mr. Aver, when he proceeded to express himself as follows: "I do not intend to shake hands with you this morn- ing; but I wish to say a few things to you, and tell you what I intend to do. You see the results of the past day. You have done it ; you have caused all these losses not T. I am clear. When I ask anything of the trader, he gives it to me ; you do not. Tomorrow you shall see what I will do. We shall not have our dance today. The Good Spirit has told us to rest. I am going to the plains soon to hunt the buffalo; but I shall not bid you fare- well. I and my people own this land. I have lent you IN THE OJ1BWAY COUNTRY 69 the land for four winters. Three you have already been here ; one more, and then "^respect you all. I love those children," pointing to Mr. Ayer's two boys; "I love your cattle; they work for us all the time. I love your women, who teach our wives and children. But my heart is as hard as a stone. I have done no wrong ; but you, I repeat it, you are the cause of all this trouble. I am about to go out of this house. I shall not enter it again. I have finished what I had to say." This unfriendly episode led the missionaries at last to see that the time had come when it was necessary to have a clearer understanding as to the real feelings and inten- tions of their neighbors; since, if their work was to be permanently arrested at the end of the four years, it were better to know it at once, and thus prepare to change their location for one giving better promise of perma- nency. So another meeting was had with the old chief, at which he was made to understand that they were deter- mined to have the matter settled definitely ; and that they were ready to leave the country at once if not encour- aged to remain. This brought the old man to terms; as it was evident his people would not sustain him in his previous position ; and he now expressed his desire that the "teachers" would remain with them. He then, more rationally and justly, attributed all his trouble to the whiskey as the real cause ; praised the missionaries to the highest degree ; and begged that they would not for one moment think of going away even at the end of the four years. Evidently the chief had been led to change his mind; and after a day or so they departed on their summer hunt "all in peace and good will." XIV. NEW CALLS FOR "TEACHERS." Following hard on the heels of their late troubles came "evil tidings" from their brethren atJLeech lake. A gang of lawless Indians, whom their chief appeared to be un- able to control, were committing such depredations upon their cattle and other property as had forced them to appeal for help, in order to save their lives, as well as their property, from the destruction openly threatened. In response to an appeal so urgent, Mr. Barnard, accom- panied by an Indian boatman and his boy, Frank, hast- ily set out for the scene of difficulty. Having encamped on the evening of the their second day out, not far from Cass lake, and kindling a fire in order to prepare their supper and keep off the troublesome mosquitoes as well as to prevent the predatory approach of animals prowling about they were sleeping soundly in their blankets, when 72 IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY awakened the next morning by the ominous sound of thunder rolling in the distance. This and the heavy, dark clouds moving from the southwest, betokened the aproach of a serious storm. Arousing his man and the boy, they hurriedly broke camp, and were soon speeding down the stream in quest of a more secure retreat from the rapidly approaching tem- pest. But notwithstanding their most heroic efforts, they were soon overtaken by its fury, and arrived at their cov- eted place of refuge in the midst of a terrific down-pour of rain, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning and the most awe-inspiring thunder. Here at Qass lake they found shelter in an Indian wig- v/am; which, altho already more than comfortably full, admitted the drenched "voyageurs," and showed them no lit* ! e kindness withal. In the course of their conversa- tion, their desire for a "teacher" became unmistakably manifest, and they finally urged that one might be sent them at once. After the storm had abated, one of their number accompanied Mr. Barnard a distance of two or three miles along the lake shore in order to show him a 'good place" for a mission station all the while urging the point, " we want a 'teacher' very much." Another said to him, "I was until this year a resident of Leech lake but I have left that place ; the Indians there are too hard for me. I intend," he added, "to go back there as soon as I finish the canoe I am building, and shall try to persuade these 'teachers' to come and live here with us." Thus these Indians all to a man were found plead- ing for "teachers ;" and tho the besieged missionary could promise them no immediate supply, he assured them that he would do all in his power to provide for their need. On reaching Leech lake, they were confronted by such signs of lawlessness and persistent opposition to their IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 73 v/otk as seemed to necessitate the immediate abandon- ment of the Mision at that place. After which Dr. Lewis and his wife, and Mr. Spencer, joined their friends at Red lake, while Mr. Johnston decided to return to the vicinity of lake Superior. Late in the ensuing autumn there came another call for "teachers" this time from the Indians on the north shore of~~Rcit down with us around the table of our blessed Lord." During the summer of this year the mission was strengthened and the hearts of the lonely missionary band greatly cheered by the arrival from Oberlin, of Rev. A. B. Adams and wife and Miss Cornelia Leonard, who af- terwards became the wife of Mr. Spencer, XVIII. LOOKING HOMEWARD. After five long years of seclusion in the depths of the wilderness, Mr. Barnard decided to make a trip with his family back to his eastern home. In addition to the antic- ipated pleasure of a much-needed rest and visit with long- separated loved ones, his chief objects were to arrange for the publication of an Indian text book adapted for use in the mission schools, and to secure additional funds and laborers for their growing work. As a pleasant prelude to their prospective journey he was requested on the morning of their departure (May 16, 1848) to unite in marriage their valued co-laborers, Mr. Spencer and Miss Leonard, who, with Mr. Adams and wife, were to be left in charge of the Cass lake mis- sion during their absence in the east. The Indians were accordingly called together to wit- IN THE OJ1BWAY COUNTRY 95 ness the "white man's wedding," the first doubtless, that had ever occurred on the shore of that lovely lake. The spring was decked in her loveliest garb, and her earli- est flowers were peeping forth to greet the bride. Gath- ered there under the tall pines in front of the rude log dwelling the bride and groom attired very plainly, at- tended by their associates, and surrounded by a dusky background of curious and deeply interested spectators the scene was an impressive one. Following the solemn words that made the contracting parties "husband and wife," the departing misionary delivered to all alike a tender and affectionate farewell address. Then, having taken a hasty and sorrowful leave of the rude but endear- ed scenes and faces, they turned their longing gaze to- ward the still dearer home land in the distant east. Besides Mr. Barnard, his wife and infant daughter, the company included an esteemed Indian girl, and the boatman who had been engaged to convey them in his canoe as far as Crow Wing on the Mississippi river. Having embarked thereon, in their little birch bark canoe, they encamped at the close of the first day, near the out- let of lake Winebegoshish, on the spot, occupied as a French trading post many years before. Here they tied up their frail canoe to a neighboring tree and set up their tent for the night. Their simple meal was soon pre- pared ; and after it had been partaken of in wearied silence, they all committed themselves to the care of Him "who neither slumbers nor sleeps," and lay down to rest amid the solemn stillness of the lonely forest. Lonely indeed must have seemed their little lodge that night, under the softly-murmuring pines and close beside the noiseless flow of the "father of waters;" their thoughts wandering back to the friends and cares so re- cently left, or ranging forth along the mysterious paths of an unknown future, little suspecting that at least one 96 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY of their little company was going forth never more to return. In order that we of a later generation may be able to form some idea of what was involved in a journey such as theirs, before railroads or other modern appliances had penetrated these then remote regions, let us glean some- what from the journal of those early missionary "voy- .ageurs : M Awakened early the folowing morning amid the joy- ous greetings of numerous forest birds and committing themselves to the care of their kind Protector, they pushed their boat into the current and were soon speed- ing merrily on their way down stream. Gradually their haunting cares of previous days began to fade into mem- ories of departed things; while the "dim old pictures" of home and dear ones still so far away, grew ever more distinct and real with every dip of the plashing oar. Their anxiety to realize the growing vision served to lengthen the hours of the long spring days. The weather was waxing warm and sultry; the mid-day sun blazed full in their faces; while by day and night untiring swarms of mosquitoes rested never from their monoto- nous appeals and persistent assaults. Towards evening of the third day they were passing the Pokegoma falls the river at this point being quite wide and the curent very swift. On one side was an In- dian village; on the other the dingy tent of the trader. While the little party were rowing quietly along listen- ing to the noisy drum of the "medicine men," and ob- serving the natives who thronged the shore to gaze at the passing strangers they were suddenly awakened from their enchantment by the striking of their canoe against a large rock concealed in the middle of the stream. At once it became so securely fastened in a crevice of St. Louis River IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTKY 97 the rock that the men were unable to extricate it. Mean- while the swift current whirled them around imper- illing the boat and the lives of its inmates. The savages along the shore, perceiving their danger, set up a wild shout and sent out a couple of canoes not to relieve the endangered voyagers, but simply "to see the fun." At the same time the selfish trader stood idly beside his tent on the opposite shore, languidly surveying the scene, and smoking his "pipe of peace," sublimely indifferent to the danger and alarm of the helpless women and innocent babe. Every moment the rock-bound mariners were expect- ing the canoe to fill with water and leave them struggling in the midst of the stream. But leaping out upon the rock, the men at length succeeded in prying the boat from its perilous mooring; after which, dexterously leap- ing back in as it swept away, they were once more glid- ing down amid the rippling waves. To their great sur- prise and joy it was found that the boat had received no serious injury, and the happy party proceeded on their way, devoutly thankful for their merciful deliverance from threatened death. They toiled hard all the next day in order to reach the Methodist mission at Sandy lake ; but a heavy rain storm hindered their progress, and compelled them to make their camp in a dreary spot midway. Stretching their weary limbs upon a damp bed of rushes and twigs, and tormented the long night thro by the ever-present mos- quitoes, the comfortless party lay and "waited for the dawn." Arising the next morning stiff and sore from the toil and exposure of the previous day and night they wearily resumed their journey, and reached Sandy lake '-"'' shortly before noon. Here the tired pilgrims were re- received with truly Christian sympathy and kindness by 98 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY the missionaries in charge, the Rev. Samuel Spates and his devoted wife. It was here, also, that they first met the interpreter, James Tanner, who was afterward associated with Messrs. Adams and Spencer, and wives, in their new mission at lake Winnebegoshish ; and who some years later inaugurated the first Baptist mission on Dakota soil. He is thus referred to by Mr. Barnard in his jour- nal: "I was here introduced to the interpreter, James Tan- ner, a half-breed, whose father was stolen in childhood from his home in Kentucky by a band of Shawnee In- dians under Tecumseh. Afterward adopted by the tribe, his life was spent among the Indians; and he became famous throughout the northwest as a hunter and scout. His youngest son, James, was converted at the Anse Mis- sion about a year ago; and has since then devoted himself to the work of a misionary among his own people in his position as interpreter here. His wife, also, appears very devoted and actively engaged in the work with her hus- band." XIX A WEARISOME JOURNEY ENDED. When the missionaries arived at Crow Wing they had to part with their Indian boatman and also his boat. Unprovided with "through tickets" for their eastern trip, and set ashore midway, they were now in a state of sad perplexity in regard to the means wherewith to continue their journey. The weather, moreover, was sultry and threatening; while various rumors of the proximity of the unfriendly Sioux, filled them with alarm for the safe- ty of themselves, and especially of their Indian girl who belonged to an alien tribe. For a time their faith was sorely tried; but after much prayer and some patient waiting, their way was very providentially opened by the unexpected, but timely ar- rival of a generous and influential friend, the Hon. H. N. Rice. He was in the country at the time as U. S. Com- 100 IN THE O.JIBVVAY COUNTRY missioner for the Winnebago Indians, who were about to be transferred to their new reservation in Minnesota. Having explored the country and located some govern- ment farmers and other artisans, he and his party were now on their way back to St. Paul, and kindly offered to provide room for the missionary and his family in one of his comfortable canoes. This unlooked-for opportun- ity they very devoutly and properly regarded as a direct answer to their prayers, and the following morning found them ready to embark with their newly-found friends. The previous night, however, proved to be a memor- able one for the little company of tent-dwellers, and their frail structure was threatened with immediate destruc- tion by the sudden approach of a most terrific thunder storm. Amid the bewildering rush of wind and flood, accompanied by the roar of thunder and the constant flashing of the lightning, the awakened missionary sprang forth all untoileted and undisguised to strengthen the stakes of the already dissolving tabernacle. Altho nearly stunned by a bolt which struck in the forest close by, no one was injured ; and this midnight display of elemental strife was like many another previously experienced safely weathered by the storm-beaten mariners. The rising sun beamed tranquilly after the storm upon the entire party as they cheerily plowed their way down the river. Their good friend having men enough to row his two canoes, and also one for the missionaries, the little careworn party could now quietly rest, regaled by the fragrant air, the melodious songs of birds, and the lovely panorama of beautiful and ever-changing scenery displayed on the upper Mississippi. All day long their vessels out-ran the current ; and at sunset they reached their camping-place at Little Rock "filled with praise to God for all His goodness, and realizing more than ever before that 'all things work together for good to them that love Him.' " IN THB OJ1BWAT COUNTRY 101 A day or so later, whilst gliding pleasantly down stream, the sun just sinking in the west, a beautiful fawn was seen coming out of the forest and amusing herself at ihe water's edge only a short distance away alternately drinking and feeding, p eeing the boats approaching, but suspecting no danger. When Mr. Rice's boat came up within a few rods of her, he leveled his gun and fired. When shot the poor creature bounded several feet into the air and fell back again into the water. While strug- gling there another shot was fired at her by one of the boatmen ; but she soon regained the bank ; and altho weakened from loss of blood, she quickly disappeared in the forest. All hands then went ashore to search for her ; but to their great disappointment and chagrin, the hungry travelers failed to feast on venison that night. The falls of St. Anthony were reached on the morning of June 1st two weeks from the date of their setting out from Cass lake. At this point their canoes and baggage were carried around the "rapids," and the run to St. Peter (Fort Snelling) was quickly and easily made. Parting at this point with the boatmen and their canoes, they set up their tents on the shore to await the arrival of a more staunch and modern craft to carry them for- ward to Galena. The following sun-rise greeted a happy company steaming gaily down the larger Mississippi, as rich in scenic beauty as the Hudson or historic Rhine. Entering the beautiful lake Pepin, where the river expands into a broad smooth sheet of water, they beheld the bark huts of a lingering band of Sioux Indians along its western shore. At the mouth of Black river, which was reached in the afternoon, they found the banks lined with Win- nibago Indians, who were engaged in the performance of "peace," or farewell, dance while waiting to be trans- ferred to their new hunting grounds farther north. 102 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY Here the misionaries parted very reluctantly with their generous friend, Mr. Rice; "and" adds Mr. Barn- ard, "I cannot but record my sincere attachment for him. I think I never met any one, making no pretension of being a Christian, who has so won my affection as this man. . . His urbanity and freedom from affectation in his intercourse with strangers and employees in fact, his whole deportment shows him to be a true gentleman and philanthropist; and I cannot but hops and pray that he may yet become a subject of divine grace." Passing the historic Prairie du Chien at night, the ves- sel entered the Fever river and arrived at Galena on Sat- urday at noon. Here the returning missionaries were met by kind friends, and shared their Christian hospital- ity during the ensuing Sabbath. Three o'clock Monday morning found them facing the dawn and already well on their way to the aspiring young city of Chicago. Thither, after some mishaps and forty- four weary hours of incessant travel "packed like sar- dines in an old stage coach they arrived, forlorn and crumpled, late on Tuesday night. From Chicago by lake steamer to Cleveland; whence a few hours' ride by stage brought them to Elyria and to their father's house in peace. Their coming had not been announced, and was accordingly entirely unexpected ; and the aged father on seeing his long-absent children once more, was for a time almost speechless. "Never," observes his son, "shall I forget that scene it cannot be described in words." XX. AMONG FAMILIAR SCENES. Like a longed-for rest among "the palm trees and foun- tains of Elim," was Barnard's first Sabbath at "old Ober- lin" among the remaining friends and instructors of his college days. At the prayer-meeting in the evening the first during five eventful years that he had been privi- leged to attend in a Christian land his soul was greatly refreshed by the sense of the Divine presence, where the well known place of prayer and the occasion Itself served to call up many a sacred and precious vision from the slumbering memories of the pdst. He set out for Cleveland some weeks later, intending to undertake a missionary campaign in his native New England in the hope of awakening interest there also in the work of his Society among the Minnesota Indians. And the following brief itinerary of an old-time journey 104 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY from western Ohio to New England, may be of interest to our present-day pilgrims unaccustomed to making such journeys by piece-meal: "Took the steamer for Buffalo at 8:30 a. m., and the cars for Niagara falls at 10:30; crossed over the suspension bridge, and boarded the cars again for Lewis- ton. Took the steamer on lake Ontario for Oswego next day at 4 :oo a. m. ; transferred to the plank road stage for Rome at 6:30 fifty passengers filling the four coach- es available. Took the cars again at Rome for Troy ; and thence by stage across the Green mountains" reaching Peru (his early home) in eight or nine days after leaving Cleveland, and accomplishing a half-dozen transfers by steamboat, plank road, rail car and stage ! Having arrived at his old home in the Green mountain state, after an absence of fifteen crowded years, his jour- nal touchingly portrays the very human interest with which he surveyed the familiar scenes and haunts of his boyhood days : "Can I," he says, "believe my own eyes ; is this indeed my own loved native land? Often have I been here be- fore in my dreams; but now at last I am permitted to view it once more with my natural vision. O Memory, how sweet thou art ; and yet what shadows thou bringest to my heart at times. These hills, these vales the woodlands and meadows, the orchard and familiar dwell- ings how well remembered are all these still, tho many eventful years have rolled by since I beheld them last. The little rivulets and the rushing torrents remind me, ah, how vividly, of my childhood days ; when I used to wan- der over these beautiful hills, and with my hook and line follow up and down their winding channels. "The view of my father's farm the old home, and everything about it brings to me sober thoughts of by- gone years. Once I sported over these hills and played IN THB OJIBWAY COUNTRY 105 in the yard upon the fresh green grass, a careless child attended by the ever-watchful eye of a tender and affec- tionate mother. But now, how changed the scene. Thir- teen long years have hardened the clods that cover her precious remains tho they have not dulled the affection in which her memonry is still embalmed, how vividly the days of her loving presence reappear as I enter the little chamber, where I have so often seen her agonizing in prayer for her wayward boy, as she lay languishing on a bed of sickness and pain." Here he taried over the Sabbath, meeting old friends and neighbors of his parents, and preaching and partici- pating in a solemn sacramental service, during which both speaker and hearers were "bathed in tears" amid the sorrowful memories of by-gone years. His time while in New England was fully occupied preaching on an average three or four times every Sab- bath, and earnestly presenting the important interests of his beloved mission. The autumn and ensuing winter were spent in the vicinity of Oberlin, among the various churches and Sabbath schools, and in personally super- intending the publication of his Indian text book. During the stay of the Barnards in Ohio, a sad loss befell them, occasioned by the untimely death of their adopted Indian girl, to whom they had become deeply at- tached, and who had already developed into a lovely chiistian character. A full year having sped rapidly by, the opening days of June (1849) saw the Barnards accompanied by Rev. Fisher and wife, Mr. Francis Specs and the Rev. Mr. Fardwell, secretary of the missionary Society again on their way back to the distant wilderness. They reached Chicago on the 6th at midnight "just one year to the hour," observes Mr. Barnard, "from the date of our arrival at the Sherman house on our way down." "But," 106 IN THE OJ1BWAY COUNTRY he adds, "how changed the situation now. Little did we think that our dear Indian sister whose name I that night registered for the first time, 'Hannah More,' would be called away to meet her Savior before our re- turn. May we have grace to meet her poor parents ; and nothing daunted, enter upon our labors among her yet benighted kindred and people, from whom she has been carried to the skies a trophy of redeeming love." The party having set forward the following morning on the cars, which conveyed them only ten miles on their westward way, they continued their journey thence by stage. There were eight persons in the party, which filled one coach completely, while the baggage had to be left behind until the following day. They found the weather ver> warm and sultry, and the roads were exceedingly bad. Three times the coach stuck fast in the mud, and the male occupants were required to "lend a hand" at the ghastly wheels. All the following night they rode in an old lumber wagon over the roads almost impassible, which made the trip a hard one indeed for the weary women and children. At one time they were turned over in a narrow coach; but fortunately no bones were broken, and there was no need to lay up for repairs. At Galena, on the borders of the wilderness, the bruised and way-worn pilgrims rejoiced to find once more their "Elim shade" and refreshing Sabbath rest; and on the morrow boarded the steamboat for St. Paul. With them also went a mixed multitude of other passen- gers, a lot of miscellaneous freight, and a herd of thirty odd horses and cattle on the deck. Moreover, on the nevt day the vessel stopped to pick up some straggling \\ int?ebago Indians to join their tribe recently removed t: Minnesota. The trip up the river was not without a variety of mis- IN THK OJIBWAY COUNTRY 107 haps, as well as serious loss to a portion of the passen- gers an ox and horse falling overboard, while a little Ii dian boy sorely bewailed the loss of his valuable dog. However, at the end of a three days' cruise, the survivors ci the expedition were safely landed at the motley little v ;.ge of St. Paul. Glad to set foot once more on terra firma, the mis- sionaries hastily pitched their tent "in a grove a little way out of the village ;" where, owing to the rise of water in The streams flowing across their contemplated route, they deemed it prudent to remain for a few days, incluu- ing the Sabbath. Referring to their brief stay in St. Paul a village :-t the time of less than 800 souls the simple journal of th<>o missionary pioneers contains no suggestion of the proud future awaiting the infant emporium of the great northwest as we know it today; while the queenly city of t^e "laughing water," cradled afterward at its side, was yet wholly nameless and unknown. Avoiding during their temporary stay the rough crowds thronging the street of the busy little frontier town, the weary party rested in their tents during the Sabbath day their thoughts alternating meanwhile, be- tween the loved ones back in the dear home land, mn the western shore of the bay. 16(3 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY Upon the opening of the spring of 1812 the little col- ony prepared to set out for their prospective inland home, fully six hundred miles distant. From York factory at the mouth of the Nelson river, they proceeded along that stream for three hundred miles to the Norway house, mid-way from York factory to fort Garry; and from there they crossed over lake Winnipeg and ascended the Red river to its junction with the Assinaboine at fort Garry. These details are given in order that those of a later generation may have some conception of the dan- gers and difficulties encountered by these hardy pioneers of the north, and why at times "the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." Having reached the end of the long journey, they began to realize, all too keenly, that they were now set down in the wild heart of the continent many hundreds of miles from the nearest city residence of civilized man, and separated from the loved hills of their native Scot- land by a mighty and well-nigh impassible barrier. Altho hoping that now at last their trials might end in the peaceful possession of their newly-found homes, it was soon sadly realized that their heaviest sorrows were only about to begin. For immediately they were met by opposition from the Canadian fur company, who regarded them as invaders and detrimental to their in- terests. The Indians also objected to the occupation and cultivation of their ancestral hunting grounds, and were instigated to hostile proceedings against the new-comers. Thus the year passed away without any satisfactory prog- ress being made by the unfortunate and dejected immi- grants; who at length, forced to flee from the Indians. IN THE OJ1BWAY COUNTRY 167 sought refuge and spent the following winter (1812-13) in great misery at Pembina; where fort Daer had re- cently been built by the Hudson's Bay company. With the arrival of spring, however, they had succeeded in conciliating their enemies so far as to be permitted to return and erect log dwellings for themselves, and also begin the cultivation of small patches of land along the banks of the Red river. After nearly a year of compar- ative peace they were again fiercely assailed by their for- mer enemies and compelled to flee a second time to Pem- bina for refuge and shelter. Reinforced the following spring by another company of immigrants from Scotland, the settlers returned to rebuild their ruined homes determined, notwithstand- ing the threats of their enemies, and the many discour- agements constantly attending them, to heroically renew their former struggles. During several years thereafter the hostilities continued, and culminated finally in the battle of Seven Oaks resulting in the death of Gov- ernor Sample and about twenty other persons, the cap- ture of a number of the colonists, and the enforced flight of the remainder for refuge to the Norway House. From this deplorable condition the colony was again restored by the timely arrival of Lord Selkirk in 1817. That year, moreover, the settlers suffered from famine, owing to the failure of the crops. The next year locusts appeared, and in one night every vestige of verdure was removed from the fields, and the unfortunate people left in worse plight than ever before. Moreover, the locusts left their eggs in the ground, and the number of young insects appearing the following season, rendered the cul- tivation of the soil, for that year at least, wholly useless. So while the impoverished settlers again took refuge from starvation and cold at Pembina, lord Selkirk, at an expense of 1,000, imported two hundred and fifty bush- 168 els of seed wheat from the United States ; and this sown in the spring of 1820, produced a bountiful crop in the au- tumn of that year. This was the last service of the noble earl for the colony he had labored so hard to establish; as he died the following year in southern France, whither he had gone in the hope of improving his fast-failing health. It was during the early portion of this most trying period, about 1814, that a party of the colonists r dis- couraged and homesick, set out in mid-winter for west- ern Ontario, going by way of the lake of the Woods and north of lake Superior. Several of them died on the way; but the greater portion of them reached lake Sim- coe, where a few of their descendants still reside. Others of the colonists wandered away to the south, some going as far as to Florida. It was not until the peaceful fusion of the rival com- panies, brought about thro the influence of the two gov- ernments of England and France in 1821 the year of Lord Selkirk's death that the colony began to make steady progress; and thenceforth the settlers began to enjoy greater ease and tranquility than had fallen to their lot even in their "old Scotland." III. RIVAL RELIGIOUS INTERESTS. Meanwhile the population of the country was steadily increasing. Many of the servants of the fur companies, as well as a number of the Swiss and German volun- teers from the DeMueron regiment which lord Selkirk had brought over to protect the colonists, began to regard IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 169 this country as their home; and being far away from all congenial society as well as domestic enjoyments, they took wives of the native Crees, and became the heads of large families. These "half-breed" families located their settlements along the wooded streams that watered the country. Those w.ho were descendants of the Northwestern company's employees, being French, were for the most part Roman Catholic in their religion; and were looked after by the Jesuit missionaries who had found their way into the country, following the line of commerce west- ward from Montreal. But those who were descendants of the servants of the Hudson's Bay company, were Protestants ; and were looked after by missionaries of the Church of England, brought over in the Company's ships. Altho many of the Hudson's Bay company were Scotch Presbyterians, they were in a manner constrained to the usages of the Church of England ; as the company would not import any missionaries who were not of that partic- ular form of faith. The original agreement of the colonists with lord Sel- kirk included four things: the first of which was, that "they should have the services of a minister of their own denomination." Altho the colonists were for a long time without a regularly ordained minister of their own, elder James Sutherland was authorized by the Presbyterian church of Scotland to "marry and baptize." He came to the Red river settlement in 1815, and was the first actual colonial missionary of any denomination in that region. For three years he faithfully performed the du- ties of his office, until in the conflict between the rival fur companies, he was forcibly carried away by the Northwest company in 1818. Of him it was afterward truthfully said, that "of all 170 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY men, clergymen and others, that ever entered the country, none stood higher in the estimation of the settlers, both for sterling piety and Christian conduct, than elder Suth- erland." After the removal of this godly elder, altho it had all along been the wish of lord Selkirk himself a member of the Presbyterian church of Scotland to fulfill his pledge to the people and to supply them with a minister of their own, he failed to see his purpose realized before the event of his death in 1821. Two years previously the Church Missionary society of London had sent out a missionary to the young col- ony ; who as well as his successors, it deserves to be said, proved to be full of zeal for the Church, and of devotion to the spiritual interests of the people. But still the highland colonists were not satisfied. They attended the services of the Company's chaplain at St. John's, but ad- hered stubbornly to their own faith. And at their own homes they continued to maintain the sacred fire, kept up their cottage prayer-meetings, sang from their own loved version of "the Psalms of David;" and when, in 1844, they were visited by the Bishop of Montreal, they refused to be confirmed at his hands. IV. ARRIVAL OF REVS. BLACK AND NESBIT. In the time of governor McKenzie (182030) the Sel- kirk settlers had held repeated meetings and sent peti- tions, all unavailing, to England for a minister of their own. Another petition was sent in 1844 to the officers of the Hudson's Bay company in London, but still with- IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 171 out effect. A copy of this last petition was, however, sent to the moderator of the new-born Free church of Scotland, and was by that body referred to the Presby- terian church of Canada. From them it received favor- able attention; and in the summer of 1851 Mr. John Black, a student in Knox college, Toronto, was selected to visit and explore the Red river country as their mis- sionary, with instructions to report to them the condi- tion of things as he should find them there. After a long and toilsome journey, Mr. Black arrived at a point on the Red lake river in northern Minnesota, known as Fisher's landing about a dozen miles from the present city of Grand Forks ; and from there he pro- ceeded, partly by ox-cart and partly by water, north- wards preaching at different points along the way, par- ticularly at Pembina until at last, much wearied in body and mind, he reached the settlement of Kildonan a few miles below fort Garry. This was on September i8th, 1851. Nearly eight years previously (Christmas, 1843) the settlers had been greatly cheered by a two-weeks' visit from the American missionaries, Messrs. Ayer and Barnard, of Red lake, Minnesota. But now, when they perceived that a Pres- byterian missionary of their own had really come to dwell among them, they were almost wild with joy and excite- ment. They gathered around him from all quarters with heartfelt expressions of gratitude to God for sending them at last a pastor in answer to their many and fervent prayers. On the first Sabbath after his arrival, Mr. Black wor- shipped with the body of the people at St. John's ; but on the following Sabbath, in the manse which had already been erected in Kildonan, nearly three hundred Presby- terians met with their young Canadian minister and re- newed the broken line of thirty-three years before, when 172 IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY the godly Sutherland had ceased to lead them in their public devotions. Mr. Black having entered amid much enthusiasm upon his labors among this interesting people, a Presbyterian church was soon organized, with a large congregation of very happy and devout worshippers. He found the peo- ple really hungering and thirsting for the gospel. He had no difficulty in securing and ordaining a noble bench of elders, who strengthened the hands and encouraged the heart of the young pastor by heartily assisting him in the work of visting the people and holding prayer-meet- ings from house to house. Thus aided, he was enabled to reach out to other settlements, and organize missions at several points along the Red and Assinaboine rivers, which had been peopled by families branching out from the original settlement of Kildonan. In the summer of 1853, after two years of diligent la- bor among this primitive and teachable people, it became necessary for young Black to return to Canada to report his work and devote some time to the further improve- ment of his mind. Whereupon his loving and endeared parishioners, the first-fruits of his ministry, gathered around him with many expressions of sorrow at the prospect of his departure. They could not consent to part with him unless he would agree to return to them again. He finally assured them that he would use his best en- deavors to secure them another minister, failing which, if spared, he would return to them himself; and to this they reluctantly and sadly consented. Returning to Toronto, he reported his work to the Can- adian church and was comended for his fidelity. But he failed to find a man willing to cut himself off from the civilization and comforts of home, and devote himself to the arduous and self-sacrificing labor called for among the sparse settlements of "the great lone land." IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 173 According to his promise, therefore, he felt himself bound to return, assuredly gathering therefrom, that the Lord had called him to that important field. So having determined to bid farewell to Canada, perhaps for ever, and devote his life and talents to a people, whom he had now begun to look upon as peculiarly his own, he set out again for his distant field ; and after another long and perillous journey found himself once more among the re- joicing people of Kildonan where he was destined to live and die. Mr, Black's settlement at Kildonan proved a great blessing to that community, and ultimately to the whole country. He took a great interest in education, and laid the foundation of what has since developed into Mani- toba college. He built the first Presbyterian church at fort Garry now Winnipeg collecting the money him- self from door to door. After thirty years of faithful and devoted labor in his large field, for a good part of the time laboring en- tirely alone, his eminently useful career was brought to a close in 1882. To him belongs the honor of laying the foundations of Presbyterianism in the Canadian north- west. Mr. Black was joined in 1862 by the Rev. James Nes- bit, a man of kindred spirit, and possessed of a variety of talents which well- fitted him for a new country. He was the pioneer Presbyterian missionary to the Indians of that region, as Mr. Black had already been to the Selkirk settlers. The Mission begun by him was located on the banks of the Saskatchewan, at Prince Albert, in 1866; and around it has gather the principal settlement of the Xorthvvest territories. Within the cemetery surounding the quaint old church of Kildonan where Dr. Black had so long ministered, 174 IN THE OJIBWAT COUNTRY stand two granite monuments in close proximity to each other, and bearing the names so dear to the people of Kildonan and also to those of the entire northwest. The one bears the following inscription : "In Memory of John Black, D. D. Pastor of Kildonan, and First Presbyterian Missionary to Ruperfs Land Born in Dumfrieshire, Scotland, Jan. 8th, 1818; Came to Kildonan Sept. iS, 1851 ; died July II, 1882." The other reads : "In Memory of Rev. James Nesbit Pioneer Presbyterian Missionary to the Indians In the Northwest Territory Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 8, 1828. Settled at Prince Albert, N. W. T., and established the Mission There Among the Cree Indians in 1866; Died at Kildonan, Sept. 30, 1874." The following lines from the pen of a later pastor of Kildonan* may be appropriately appended here, as a lov- ing tribute to the fathers of Presbyterianism of the Can- adian Northwest: Far in the great lone land, In distant west Far from the friends they loved, 'Mid prairies vast; There for the Christ they served With self-denial, \ Toil and self-sacrifice And many a trial; There to their fellow-men, \ Red man and white, God's grace they did proclaim, Love infinite. *Rev. C. D. McDonald, Ph. D. IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 175 The prairies far and wide Their toils have seen; For long in Christ they two Had brothers been. And kindred labors had Both hearts employed; Each had with other wept With other joyed. How fitting that their dust In death should be So close together laid As here we see. Servants of God well done, At home, at rest; Your battles fought and won, How still, how blest. Calm be your sleep, till He, Our Lord shall come To set His children free, And bring them home. 176 IN THH OJIBWAY COUNTRY APPENDIX (A) An Important Treaty. (B) Observations on the Algonquin Languages. (C) Pioneer Printing Presses. (D) Historical Significance of American Missions. ( E) Walhalla Martyrs Memorial (Appendix A) AN IMPORTANT TREATY. The following facts concerning a certain Treaty, which was made between the Sioux and Ojibway tribes of In- dians in Minnesota, are too important and significant to be left unrecorded. They were related by the Rev. S. G. Wright, of Oberlin, only a short time ago. Mr. Wright labored as a missionary among the Ojibway Indians forty-four years, was personally present and cognizant of what he relates. He is now past eight-six years of age, of sound mind and clear recollection, and his testimony can be relied upon with the utmost confidence: The missionaries had not been long on the ground be- fore they discovered that a most cruel and deadly state of warfare existed between the Ojibways and Sioux, and had thus existed for hundreds of years. This led to their attacking and killing each other whenever there was an opportunity. War parties were fitted out nearly every summer, on both sides, to go on the war path. To add to the intensity of this all-pervading war spirit, came in the sentiment founded on the custom of blood revenge, which exists so generally among all barbarous and semi-barbar- ous peoples. Almost every family had one or more mur- ders to be avenged. There was, not far from the resi- IN THE OJIBWAY COUNTRY 177 dence of Mr. Wright, an elderly woman living entirely alone, whose family husband and several children had been killed by their common enemy. Of course she felt it her solemn duty to have blood for blood for each one of them ; and all her relatives sympathied with her in this, and were ready to take the war path at any time to help her accomplish this vengeance. This state of things was, of course, greatly deplored by the missionaries, and led them to study earnestly how they might be able to remedy or mitigate the evil, as it greatly hindered the progress of their work among the two tribes. It seemed, moreover, that the Indians themselves had some sense of the mischief which this state of hos- tility between the tribes was constantly bringing upon them ; for, curiously enough, along with this hostility and constant warfare with each other, they were in the habit of getting up a "peace meeting" about every year. When the peace meeting was called and managed by the old men, the resulting treaty would usually last six months or a year. But when managed by the young braves their "peace" meeting was very apt to end in a fight. Years passed on and the warlike spirit continued tm- remedied and unmitigated. At last, in (1872, ;