Walking about early next morning, I saw that preparations for departure
had already commenced; all was movement, and bustle, and hurry; taking
down wigwams, launching canoes, tying up bundles and babies, cooking,
and "sacrificing" wretched dogs to propitiate the spirits, and procure a
favourable voyage. I came upon such a sacrifice just at the opposite
side of the point, and took to flight forthwith. No interest, no
curiosity, can overcome the sickness and abhorrence with which I shrink
from certain things; so I can tell you nothing of this grand ceremony,
which you will find described circumstantially by many less fastidious
or less sensitive travellers.
All the Christian Indians now on the island (about nine hundred in
number) are, with the exception of Mr. MacMurray's congregation from the
Sault, either Roman Catholics or Methodists.
I had some conversation with Father Crue, the Roman Catholic missionary,
a very clever and very zealous man, still in the prime of life. He has
been here two years, is indefatigable in his calling, or, as Major
Anderson said, "always on the go--up the lake and down--in every spot
where he had the hope of being useful." I heard the Methodists and
Churchmen complain greatly of his interference; but if he be a true
believer in his religion, his active zeal does him honour, I think.
One thing is most visible, certain, and undeniable, that the Roman
Catholic converts are in appearance, dress, intelligence, industry, and
general civilisation, superior to all the others.
A band of Ottawas, under the particular care of Father Crue, have
settled on the Manitoolin, about six miles to the south. They have large
plantations of corn and potatoes, and they have built log-huts, a chapel
for their religious services, and a house for their priest. I asked him
distinctly whether they had erected these buildings themselves: he said
they had.
Here, in the encampment, the Roman Catholic Ottawas have erected a large
temporary chapel of posts covered in with bark, the floor strewed over
with green boughs and mats, and an altar and crucifix at the end. In
front a bell is suspended between the forked branches of a pine. I have
heard them sing mass here, with every demonstration of decency and
piety.
The Methodists have two congregations; the Indians of the Credit, under
the direction of Peter Jones; and the Indians from Coldwater and the
Narrows, under a preacher whose name I forget,--both zealous men; but
the howling and weeping of these Methodist Indians, as they lie
grovelling on the ground in their religious services, struck me
painfully.
Mr. MacMurray is the only missionary of the Church of England, and, with
all his zeal, and his peculiar means of influence and success, it cannot
be said that he is adequately aided and supported. "The English Church,"
said one of our most intelligent Indian agents, "either cannot or will
not, certainly _does not_, sow; therefore cannot expect to reap." The
zeal, activity, and benevolence of the travelling missionary Elliott are
beyond all praise; but his ministry is devoted to the back settlers more
than to the Indians. The Roman Catholic missions have been, of all, the
most active and persevering; next to these the Methodists. The
Presbyterian and the English Churches have been hitherto comparatively
indifferent and negligent.
* * * * *
Information was brought to the superintendent, that a trader from
Detroit, with a boat laden with whisky and rum, was lying concealed in a
little cove near the entrance of the great bay, for the purpose of
waylaying the Indians, and bartering the whisky for their new blankets,
guns, and trinkets. I exclaimed with indignation!--but Mr. Jarvis did
better than exclaim; he sent off the Blackbird, with a canoe full of
stout men, to board the trader, and throw all the whisky into the lake,
and then desire the owner to bring any complaint or claim for
restitution down to Toronto; and this was done accordingly. The
Blackbird is a Christian, and extremely noted for his general good
conduct, and his declared enmity to the "dealers in fire-water."
* * * * *