Books: Missionary Work Among The Ojebway Indians

E >> Edward Francis Wilson >> Missionary Work Among The Ojebway Indians

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The first part of the journey was a dash of two miles along a muddy
road in a buggy drawn by my spirited little mare "Dolly," with only ten
minutes to catch the boat. The next 300 miles were passed on board the
steamboat _Ontario_, which, after rather a rough passage, landed
us in Sarnia on the night of Tuesday, May 22nd. From Sarnia we took
train to Toronto. Here we passed the Queen's birthday, and the boys saw
a splendid display of fireworks in the evening. The most remarkable
part of the entertainment was a races between a pig and an elephant in
mid-air. They were fire balloons shaped like those animals, and it was
really very good. On Friday we arrived in Belleville about noon. This
was the beginning of our work, and we held our first meeting that
evening in the Town Hall. There was a fair attendance, and after the
meeting our two boys distributed papers about our Home, and
contribution envelopes, which I asked the people to take home with
them, and at any future day that they might feel disposed, to put
something in and place it on the offertory plate, and it would thus in
due time come to us. The envelopes, I should mention, had the following
words on them: "Algoma. A contribution to God's work in the Indian
Institution at Sault Ste. Marie."

After visiting Brockville, Smith's Falls, and Prescott, we arrived in
Ottawa on the 31st. I had here an interview with the Premier in regard
to my work among the Indians, which was quite satisfactory, and in the
afternoon we went to pay our respects to the Governor-General. Happily
his Excellency was at home, and he received the boys very kindly, and
showed them through the rooms of Rideau Hall. One thing that he said to
them at parting I hope they will always remember. He said, "I hope you
boys will grow up to be good Canadians." This just expresses the secret
of our work; this is just what we want to do with our Indian boys: to
make Canadians of them. When they leave our Institution, instead of
returning to their Indian Reserves, to go back to their old way of
living, we want them to become apprenticed out to white people, and to
become, in fact, Canadians.

At Montreal we had several meetings, and met with many kind friends
who evinced great interest in our work.

Early on the morning of June 8th we arrived in Quebec, and found rooms
provided for us at the hotel. The Synod of the diocese was sitting, and
we received a hearty welcome from the Bishop and many of the clergy
whom I knew. In the afternoon I took the boys to the citadel, where
they were greatly pleased to see the soldiers and the big guns; and in
the evening we dined at the Bishop's. Both the Bishop and Mrs. Williams
have always taken much interest in our work. On Sunday evening I
preached at the cathedral. The following day I took my boys over the
ocean steamship _Sardinian_, and in the afternoon drove out to
visit Wolf's monument and the gaol. The boys each took a copy of the
inscription on the monument, and we returned to Mr. Hamilton's for
dinner. There was a capital meeting in the National School Hall in the
evening. The Bishop of Quebec presided, and nearly all the city clergy
were present.

We had not intended to go further east than St. John, N. B., but finding
we had a day or two to spare, we resolved to run on into Nova Scotia and
visit Halifax. Two telegrams had been despatched, one to Rev. Geo. Hill,
rector of St. Paul's, Halifax, to tell of our intended visit, and the
other to Montreal in the hope of obtaining a pass from the manager of
the line. The application for the pass was happily successful, and after
travelling all day and all night and half the next day, we at length
reached Halifax, met with a warm reception from Mr. Hill and had a
capital meeting. The boys enjoyed themselves immensely, paddling about
in the sea water among the limpets and star-fish and sea-weed, and
making vain attempts to catch crabs.

Returning by way of New Brunswick, we next visited Fredericton, and
were the guests of the Lieutenant Governor, who had most kindly invited
us. The Bishop and a large party of clergy and others came to lunch at
two p.m., and at four o'clock in the afternoon was a Sunday-school
gathering in the school-house, the model was exhibited and I gave an
address. After this there was a very pleasing little ceremony at
Government House. At Lady Tilley's invitation a number of young girls,
members of her Sunday-school class, had met together week after week at
Government House and made a variety of articles for sale, then--shortly
before our arrival--a bazaar had been held, and the large sum realized
of 300 dollars. This sum was presented to me by one of the little girls
when they were all assembled in the drawing-room, and is to be applied
to the building fund of the Wawanosh Home. The most successful meeting
of any that we held took place in the large Temperance Hall. Lady
Tilley kindly consented to become one of the patronesses of our Girl's
Home. The following day, Wednesday, I called on the Bishop and we spent
an hour and a half very pleasantly in examining every part of their
beautiful cathedral--the _one_ church gem in Canada. The Bishop
set to work in his own way to satisfy himself what our boys were good
for, and I am glad to say that the result of the examination was
satisfactory.

The afternoon of this day, June 26th, we bade farewell to our
Fredericton friends and took the train back to St. John. About half an
hour before we arrived we received word that a fearful fire was raging,
and as we drew near the fated city we found that the report was only
too true. The whole city seemed to be in a blaze, the fire appearing to
extend fully two miles, even at that early hour, about 6 p.m. Leaving
the two boys at the Rev. Mr. Dowling's house, Mr. Dowling and myself
started to cross the harbour to try and render some assistance to our
friends. We could not take the ferry for the landing stage was on fire,
so we hailed a fishing-smack, and landed in Portland. We walked around,
to the back of the fire; all the principal part of the city was in
flames, and everything in wild confusion; hundreds of people, old and
young, heavily ladened and hustling each other along, fire engines at
every corner, the open places crowded with a motley throng of people
with piles of baggage and furniture.

We made our way round to Mrs. Peter's house, where we had been on
Saturday; they were all packed up ready to fly, but could not get a
team. The flames were fast advancing upon them. The gas works were
close by, and it was expected they would blow up every minute. The
younger children were already sent off with their nurse. We staid till
after midnight, doing what little we could to help, and then returned
to Carleton by the suspension bridge, bringing several refugees with
us. The following day, Thursday, we drove to the station in St. John by
way of the suspension bridge. The city was still on fire and enveloped
in smoke. Happily, however, the station was just outside the burnt
district, so we bade adieu to our friends and started once more for the
west.

After visiting and holding meetings in Toronto, Hamilton, St.
Catharines, and elsewhere, we arrived July 4th at Niagara. We were now
in the great fruit district of Canada, strawberries, cherries, grapes,
apples, plums, peaches, all in the greatest abundance, orchards
everywhere, rich luxuriant vines trailing over trellis-work, the earth
fairly teeming with plenty. What a contrast to poor Algoma, where we
can grow neither apple nor plum and cannot even ripen tomatoes. Nothing
delighted our boys more than to sit up in a cherry tree and eat
cherries _ad libitum_--such a delicious novelty--and then to be
summoned in for a tea of strawberries and cream! In the evening we met
Archdeacon McMurray, who received us warmly. He was the first
Missionary at Sault Ste. Marie, more than forty years ago, and very
kindly gave us an organ for the Institution. From Niagara, we proceeded
by train to Drummondville. The falls of Niagara were scarcely more than
a stone's throw from the house, and the following morning as soon as
breakfast was over we went to pay them a visit. Grand and impressive as
was the sight, I fear that our boys, boylike, were more taken up with a
couple of bears in their cages than with that enormous mass of water
surging over the rocks, and tumbling 200 feet into the boiling basin of
white foam below.

On Friday the 6th we arrived in Brantford and had a meeting in the
evening. The following day we walked out to visit the Mohawk
Institution, supported by the New England Company; this institution has
been, I believe, nearly thirty years in existence, and they have at
present thirty-eight boys and forty-two girls. It was strange how shy
our boys seemed of the young Mohawks, though making friends so readily
with white boys. Mohawks and Ojebways were hereditary enemies, and, in
days gone by, used to delight in scalping one another.

Altogether we travelled upwards of 4000 miles, and I calculated that I
had addressed about 5,500 people at meetings and about 6700 Sunday-
school children, besides sermons in churches. Though we made no
collections, I nevertheless had handed to me 990 dollars for the Girl's
Home Building Fund, and 225 dollars for the Shingwauk.

CHAPTER XXXI.

A TRIP UP LAKE SUPERIOR.

It had been arranged that directly the holidays commenced at the
Shingwauk Home, the Bishop and myself should start on a Missionary tour
up Lake Superior, the plan being simply as follows:--We would take with
us our boat, _The Missionary_, five or six Indian boys to man it,
and provisions for six or seven weeks. We would first proceed by
steamboat 300 miles direct to Prince Arthur's Landing, taking our boat
on board; remain there about a week, during which we would pay a visit
into the interior; then coast the whole way back, visiting all the
Indians along the north shore of the Lake.

When we reached the Landing, the Indian superintendent, to our great
satisfaction, invited us to join him in an expedition to the "Height of
Land" where he was going to pay the wild Indian tribes their annuity
money.

At length after four days we reached the Hudson Bay waters, the
Savanne connecting through a long chain of lakes and rivers with Lake
Winnipeg. Lac des Milles Lacs, into which we soon entered, is a perfect
labyrinth of lakes and islands. Here and there were expectant Indians
come out to meet us in their frail bark canoes, and, paddling up
alongside, they joined the cluster at our stern. A strange and
impressive sight was it when we at length hove in sight of the "Height
of Land," a huge rocky eminence like an upturned basin, literally
swarming all over with Indians, in every position and every imaginable
costume. One solitary wigwam stood at the top and others could just be
seen, betraying a considerable village in the rear. A large Union Jack
also floated from a mast planted in the rock. There they sat and
crouched and smoked, or stood, or leaned with that majestic composure
peculiar to the Indian race; while below, on the slippery sides of the
rock, tumbled and rolled about their dirty children, or prowled their
grim and wolfish-looking dogs. It was a gay holiday time for them all.
For three days and three nights pork and flour and tobacco would be
flowing freely into their laps from their great and good mother, the
Queen; and to every individual, man, woman, and child, yea, to even the
papoose of a day old, would be given L1 to spend as they pleased.

We got our tents pitched--the Bishop's and our own--and then went out
to survey the scene. A most novel and interesting one indeed it was,
wigwams on all sides of us, some of them containing perhaps forty
people, others conical, in which were two or three families with a fire
common to them all in the middle. In the water near the dock were
several boys bathing and diving, as though perfectly in their element.
Here and there stalked a stately chief in his scarlet coat, leggings,
mocassins, and feathers in his head. The councillors, of which there
were three to each band, wore dark coats with scarlet trimmings. But
there were more outlandish personages than these to be seen; tall, lank
men, with nothing on them but a scarlet blanket wound around the naked
body, at times covering the shoulders, at times drawn only around the
waist. Nearly all had plaited hair and silver earrings, and many had
feathers in their heads, or head-dresses of beads and ribbons. The
squaws were dressed much the same as our own Indians in bodices and
skirts, though not quite so tidily. Some of the bead-work worn by the
men was very handsome; it consisted mostly of garters below the knee,
waistbands and tobacco-pouches worn round the neck and covering the
front of the body. They also had their curiously-carved pipes, some of
them with stems a yard long, tomahawks, knives, and other appendages.

Soon men and squaws were seen wending their way to their wigwams,
bending under the weight of a side of bacon or a bag of flour. Now was
a high time of joviality for them all--even the dogs licked their lips
and prepared for the feast.

A crowd collected in rear of the Government buildings; and squatting
upon mats on the ground were the musicians, three or four in number,
beating away vigorously at their very unmusical drums--just the size
and shape of a flat cheese, their drumsticks being shaped like a crook.
Soon the war-dancers appeared upon the scene, each with a whoop and a
flourish of his knife or tomahawk. Conspicuous among them was
Blackstone--no longer in European dress, but with legs bare on either
side to his hips--a white shirt almost hidden by massive beadwork
ornaments, long braided hair, feathers in his head, and his right hand
flourishing a bayonet. The dancing consisted in the actors leaping
suddenly to their feet with a whoop, and working the whole body
convulsively up and down while standing on their toes, without moving
from their position, a monotonous whirring sound being kept up all the
time, in which the squaws sitting around assisted. This was kept up
long enough for me to sketch one man, when with another whoop and a
flourish they sank into a squatting position, the drums still going on
unceasingly. After a little rest up they got again, and so it kept on
for a couple of hours. The proceedings, however, were broken in the
middle by a speech from Blackstone.

When it was nearly tea-time I went out to look for my boys, and found
Esquimau talking to an old man under a bark shelter with a stick or two
burning at their feet; the old man was living quite alone and this was
his wigwam, just room for him to lie down and no more. I sent the
younger boys to light a fire and get tea ready, and then stayed with
Esquimau to talk to the old man. When he found I was going to speak
about religion, he called to his children--two men and a squaw--to come
and listen. Another man came up, and in rather an officious manner
informed me that it was no use for me to talk to the Indiana about
religion; that they would not listen to me, and did not intend to
accept Christianity. The Great Spirit, he continued, has made us all,
and he has given one religion to the whites and another to the Indians.
He does not wish his red children to accept the white man's religion. I
said I was sorry that any of them should think that, but that if any of
them did not wish to hear me they could go somewhere else, and I would
talk only to the old man. The old man, however, had now changed his
mind and said he did not wish to hear me speak. Several others came
round and all said that I must not speak to them about Christianity.
One said their custom was for any one who wished to speak to them first
of all to put down tobacco. This roused me. "No!" I said, "I am not a
trader to carry tobacco about. I am working for my Master, the Great
Spirit: the Great Spirit has told His followers that when they go out
to preach they are not to carry money or anything else with them, they
are simply to tell His message, if they are received, it is well, if
not, they are to go away from that place and take the message to
others." I then said to Esquimau--"We had better kneel down and ask God
to help us, and teach us what to do." So we knelt, and each offered
prayer, amid the jeers and interruptions of the Indians. Then I stood
out among them and said in a loud voice, "My friends, I have come here
to see you about religion, not to buy and sell, and trade with you, but
to tell you about the Great Spirit who made you. Your Superintendent,
Mr. Wright, has come to pay you money, but I have come to speak to you
on religion. I have no tobacco, no pork, no money to give you. But I
come to tell you of God who made us, and of His Son who came into the
world to save us. I have been told that I must not speak, that none of
you will listen to me, but I tell you that I will speak to you: God has
told me to speak to you, so this evening I will come among you to
speak; those that wish to hear me can listen, those who will not hear
can keep away."

During tea it was arranged that the Bishop and myself, with the four
Indian boys, should go out about sundown and address the people. Before
starting we knelt together in the tent, and the Bishop offered up an
earnest prayer to God that He would give us grace and wisdom to speak,
and incline the hearts of these heathen people to hear and accept His
word.

On the road there we were met by Blackstone. He seemed very angry, and
said, "I am told that you are going to speak to the people to-night.
You must not speak to-night, you must wait until to-morrow." I said,
"No, my friend, I must speak to them to-night." "It shall not be," said
Blackstone, "you will not be listened to to-night; to-morrow I will let
you speak." I pointed to the sky, and said, "The Great Spirit has told
me to speak to-night and I must obey the Great Spirit, I cannot obey
man about this.". Blackstone still refused to allow me to speak, but I
was determined, and we went on. We went to the top of the rocky
elevation, and immediately began singing a hymn in Indian. Our boys
stood out nobly, and sang splendidly. I felt that it required more
determination on their part to face the opposition of their own people
than for us who were recognised as "black-coats."

The singing attracted a number of people around us, and I spoke out
loudly and addressed them. We then sang another hymn suitable for the
occasion and the boys sang out lustily, like good soldiers of Christ.
After this the Bishop gave a short, but very earnest and pointed
address. Then Esquimau spoke very freely and forcibly, urging upon the
people to give up their vain customs and accept Christianity. Then we
knelt on the bare rock and prayed God to turn the hearts of the people
to Himself, after which we left. Quite a number of people had gathered
together when the singing commenced, and remained during more than half
the time.

_July_ 24.--The next evening we had service again; myself and my
four boys standing on the summit of the rocky eminence in the dim
twilight, wigwams on all sides below us; a couple of old women cooking
at a fire just beside us, and a few straggling Indians or children
lying or sitting about. We sang a hymn in Indian at the top of our
voices. This brought a great many people out, but not so many as last
night. Then I addressed them.

We then sang another hymn, after which Esquimau spoke and urged the
people to give up their vain customs and to become Christians; and,
after kneeling on the hard rock and offering up an earnest prayer to
God to change the hearts of these poor heathen, we departed.

Black clouds had gathered overhead and it was beginning to rain
heavily when we sought the shelter of our tent.

_July_ 25.--The day following Blackstone appeared at my tent
door. I asked him to come in but he declined. He seemed to be in a
better frame of mind, and spoke in friendly terms, telling me all about
the journey from here to the place where he generally lives, at the
North-west angle about 200 miles distant. I showed him a photograph of
the Shingwauk Home, and he asked some questions about it. He stayed
some little time, and then said that the Indians were going to hold a
council, and left.

About noon the boys returned with a tin pail of raspberries which we
stewed and had for dinner. The monotonous sing-song and drum-beating of
the Indians had been going on the whole morning in an adjoining wigwam;
we were expecting hourly that the council would begin, but Blackstone
kept putting it off. I suspected that he intended to have it at our
usual time of meeting so as to draw away the people, and so for that
reason we had our meeting earlier, about five o'clock. Before starting
I called the boys together into the tent, and, after reading a few
verses of Scripture, asked them if either of them were inclined to give
up the attempt to teach these heathen people; they had been with me
through it all, they had seen the reception we had met with, they had
acted their part according to the talent committed to them; would they
now give it up as hopeless, or would they go with me again to-night? To
this they each in turn replied cheerfully and earnestly that they
wished to go with me; so we knelt in prayer and asked for God's help
and proceeded forth once more to our rocky pulpit. We saw Blackstone
going to and fro among the wigwams, and I thought I would ask him once
more whether he would give his countenance to our service. So I called
to him, "Blackstone, may I speak to you?" "Pahmah, pahmah," (by-and-by,
bye-and-bye), was his reply; "I am busy just now." We waited until he
came round again, and as he merely brushed past I resolved to commence
at once. We chose a new situation this time, another rocky eminence in
the middle of the wigwams. We conducted our little service as usual,
and urged upon the people once more to forsake their customs and to
accept the crucified Saviour. When I spoke of the Resurrection of
Christ on the third day, there was a jeering laugh from some of the
Indians which made me think of Acts xvii. 32. Blackstone, as I had
expected, commenced his pow-pow or council directly we began our
service, and so drew away all the principal men.

But it was time to prepare for our departure.

CHAPTER XXXII.

COASTING AND CAMPING.

Quite a high sea was running on Thunder Bay when, on _July_ 30,
having parted with the Bishop, I started off in _The Missionary_
with my seven Indian boys. A stiff south-east wind was blowing, and, as
our course lay in a southerly direction, we had to tack. We managed,
however, to run across Thunder Bay within five or six miles of our
point, and then tacked about to reach it; and about three miles further
ran into a nice little sheltered bay, where we camped for the night.
The boys were merry, and soon had a capital fire blazing up and the
camp-pots hissing and bubbling. By eight o'clock supper was ready, and
then, after prayer and singing and each one repeating a verse of
Scripture around the camp fire, we all turned in for the night, having
safely accomplished the first twenty miles of our homeward trip.

It may be well to state at this point, for the information of those
who are not acquainted with the topography of Canada, that Lake
Superior, upon which we were now sailing, is the largest body of fresh
water in the world, the length of it from end to end, by the course
which the steamboats take, being 623 miles. The breadth of the lake at
the widest point is 160 miles. Its area is fully as large as Ireland,
and its mean depth is 1000 feet. The north shore of the lake belongs to
the Province of Ontario, is exceedingly wild and rocky and is
inhabited almost exclusively by Indians with a few Hudson Bay Company's
posts at various points on the route. Prince Arthur's Landing is the
_only_ Canadian town on the north shore, and that has risen into
existence only within the last few years. The south shore of Lake
Superior, borders on the State of Michigan.

_July _31. A dense fog filled the air when we arose early this
morning. We waited until eight o'clock to see if it would lift, but as
it appeared to have no intention of doing so, we started off, myself
steering and the boys rowing. With a good compass, we steered our
course straight into Silver Islet. We landed on the main shore, and
spent half an hour viewing the silver stamping mills. The fog was now
clearing, and we proceeded to cross Black Bay. This was a wide stretch,
and we had to pull as there was no wind. After this, we got into a
narrow channel studded with islands: then were out on the open lake
again, a heavy swell rolling in and breaking on reefs near the shore.
About five p m. we came off Cape Magnet, and soon after reached a snug
little bay, where we camped for the night.

After two more days sailing, we got into Neepigon, and found the
Bishop (who had come on the _Manitoba_) waiting for us. The Bishop
had his tent pitched on the shore, and had been cooking for himself in
two little bright tin pots. We were all wet and cold, and as quickly as
possible our two tents were up and a large camp-fire built, over which
were soon hissing three ugly black kettles--one with water for the tea,
another with potatoes, another with rice and currants--while the
Bishop's little kettle hung meekly by, at one end of the horizontal
stick, and soon lost its brightness under the unwonted heat of the fire.

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