ARRIVAL AT NORWAY HOUSE--OUR NEW HOME--REVEREND CHARLES STRINGFELLOW--
THUNDERSTORM--REVEREND JAMES EVANS--SYLLABIC CHARACTERS INVENTED--
DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME--HELP FROM ENGLISH WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY--
EXTENSIVE USE OF THE SYLLABIC CHARACTERS--OUR PEOPLE, CHRISTIAN AND
PAGAN--LEARNING LESSONS BY DEAR EXPERIENCE--THE HUNGRY WOMAN--THE MAN
WITH THE TWO DUCKS--THE FIRST SABBATH IN OUR NEW FIELD--SUNDAY SCHOOL
AND SABBATH SERVICES--FAMILY ALTARS.
We reached Norway House on the afternoon of the 29th of July, 1868, and
received a very cordial welcome from James Stewart, Esquire, the
gentleman in charge of this Hudson's Bay post. This is one of the most
important establishments of this wealthy fur-trading Company. For many
years it was the capital, at which the different officers and other
officials from the different districts of this vast country were in the
habit of meeting annually for the purpose of arranging the various
matters in connection with their prosecution of the fur trade. Here Sir
George Simpson, for many years the energetic and despotic Governor, used
to come to meet these officials, travelling by birch canoe, manned by
his matchless crew of Iroquois Indians, all the way from Montreal, a
distance of several thousand miles. Here immense quantities of furs
were collected from the different trading posts, and then shipped to
England by way of Hudson's Bay.
The sight of this well-kept establishment, and the courtesy and cordial
welcome extended to us, were very pleasing after our long toilsome
voyage up Lake Winnipeg. But still we were two miles and a half from
our Indian Mission, and so we were full of anxiety to reach the end of
our journey. Mr Stewart, however, insisted on our remaining to tea
with him, and then took us over to the Indian village in his own row-
boat, manned by four sturdy Highlanders. Ere we reached the shore,
sweet sounds of melody fell upon our ears. The Wednesday evening
service was being held, and songs of praise were being sung by the
Indian congregation, the notes of which reached us as we neared the
margin and landed upon the rocky beach. We welcomed this as a pleasing
omen, and rejoiced at it as one of the grand evidences of the Gospel's
power to change. Not many years ago the horrid yells of the conjurer,
and the whoops of the savage Indians, were here the only familiar
sounds. Now the sweet songs of Zion are heard, and God's praises are
sung by a people whose lives attest the genuineness of the work
accomplished.
We were cordially welcomed by Mrs Stringfellow in the Mission house,
and were soon afterwards joined by her husband, who had been conducting
the religious services in the church. Very thankful were we that after
our long and adventurous journeyings for two months and eighteen days,
by land and water, through the good providence of God we had reached our
field of toil among the Cree Indians, where for years we were to be
permitted to labour.
Mr and Mrs Stringfellow remained with us for a few days ere they set
out on their return trip to the province of Ontario. We took sweet
counsel together, and I received a great deal of valuable information in
reference to the prosecution of our work among these Red men. For
eleven years the missionary and his wife had toiled and suffered in this
northern land. A goodly degree of success had attended their efforts,
and we were much pleased with the state in which we found everything
connected with the Mission.
While we were at family prayers the first evening after our arrival,
there came up one of the most terrific thunderstorms we ever
experienced. The heavy Mission house, although built of logs, and well
mudded and clap-boarded, shook so much while we were on our knees that
several large pictures fell from the walls; one of which, tumbling on
Brother Stringfellow's head, put a very sudden termination to his
evening devotions.
Rossville Mission, Norway House, was commenced by the Reverend James
Evans in the year 1840. It has been, and still is, one of the most
successful Indian Missions in America. Here Mr Evans invented the
syllabic characters, by which an intelligent Indian can learn to read
the Word of God in ten days or two weeks. Earnestly desirous to devise
some method by which the wandering Indians could acquire the art of
reading in a more expeditious manner than by the use of the English
alphabet, he invented these characters, each of which stands for a
syllable. He carved his first type with his pocket-knife, and procured
the lead for the purpose from the tea-chests of the Hudson's Bay
Company's post. His first ink he made out of the soot from the chimney,
and his first paper was birch bark. Great was the excitement among the
Indians when he had perfected his invention, and had begun printing in
their own language. The conjurers, and other pagan Indians, were very
much alarmed, when, as they expressed it, they found the "bark of the
tree was beginning to talk."
The English Wesleyan Missionary Society was early impressed with the
advantage of this wonderful invention, and the great help it would be in
carrying on the blessed work. At great expense they sent out a printing
press, with a large quantity of type, which they had had specially cast.
Abundance of paper, and everything else essential, were furnished. For
years portions of the Word of God, and a goodly number of hymns
translated into the Cree language, were printed, and incalculable good
resulted.
Other missionary organisations at work in the country quickly saw the
advantage of using these syllabic characters, and were not slow to avail
themselves of them. While all lovers of Missions rejoice at this, it is
to be regretted that some, from whom better things might have been
expected, were anxious to take the credit of the invention, instead of
giving it to its rightful claimant, the Reverend James Evans. It is a
remarkable fact, that so perfectly did Mr Evans do his work, that no
improvement has been made as regards the use of these characters among
the Cree Indians.
Other missionaries have introduced them among other tribes, with
additions to meet the sounds used in those tribes which are not found
among the Crees. They have even been successfully utilised by the
Moravians among the Esquimaux.
On our arrival at Rossville the Indians crowded in to see the new
missionary and his wife, and were very cordial in their greetings. Even
some pagan Indians, dressed up in their wild picturesque costumes, came
to see us, and were very friendly.
As quickly as possible we settled down to our work, and tried to grasp
its possibilities. We saw many pleasing evidences of what had been
accomplished by faithful predecessors, and were soon convinced of the
greatness of the work yet to be done. For, while from our church, and
the houses of our Christian people, the songs of Zion were heard, our
eyes were saluted by the shouts and yells of old Indian conjurers and
medicine-men, added to the monotonous sounds of their drums, which came
to us nightly from almost every point in the compass, from islands and
headlands not far away.
Our first Sabbath was naturally a very interesting day. Our own
curiosity to see our people was doubtless equalled by that of the people
to see their new missionary. Pagans flocked in with Christians, until
the church was crowded. We were very much pleased with their respectful
demeanour in the house of God. There was no laughing or frivolity in
the sanctuary. With their moccasined feet and cat-like tread, several
hundred Indians did not make one quarter the noise often heard in
Christian lands, made by audiences one-tenth the size. We were much
delighted with their singing. There is a peculiar plaintive sweetness
about Indian singing that has for me a special attractiveness. Scores
of them brought their Bibles to the church. When I announced the
lessons for the day, the quickness with which they found the places
showed their familiarity with the sacred volume. During prayers they
were old-fashioned Methodists enough to kneel down while the Sovereign
of the universe was being addressed. They sincerely and literally
entered into the spirit of the Psalmist when he said: "O come, let us
worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."
I was fortunate in securing for my interpreter a thoroughly good Indian
by the name of Timothy Bear. He was of an emotional nature, and
rendered good service to the cause of Christ. Sometimes, when
interpreting for me the blessed truths of the Gospel, his heart would
get fired up, and he would become so absorbed in his theme that he would
in a most eloquent way beseech and plead with the people to accept this
wonderful salvation.
As the days rolled by, and we went in and out among them, and contrasted
the pagan with the Christian Indian, we saw many evidences that the
Gospel is still the power of God unto salvation, and that, whenever
accepted in its fulness, it brings not only peace and joy to the heart,
but is attended by the secondary blessings of civilisation. The
Christian Indians could easily be picked out by the improved appearance
of their homes, as well as by the marvellous change in their lives and
actions.
We found out, before we had been there many days, that we had much to
learn about Indian customs and habits and modes of thought. For
example: the day after Mr and Mrs Stringfellow had left us, a poor
woman came in, and by the sign language let Mrs Young know that she was
very hungry. On the table were a large loaf of bread, a large piece of
corned beef, and a dish of vegetables, left over from our boat supplies.
My good wife's sympathies were aroused at the poor woman's story, and,
cutting off a generous supply of meat and bread, and adding thereto a
large quantity of the vegetables and a quart of tea, she seated the
woman at the table before the hearty meal. Without any trouble the
guest disposed of the whole, and then, to our amazement, began pulling
up the skirt of her dress at the side till she had formed a capacious
pocket. Reaching over, she seized the meat, and put it in this large
receptacle, the loaf of bread quickly followed, and lastly, the dish of
vegetables. Then, getting up from her chair, she turned towards us,
saying, "Na-nas-koo-moo-wi-nah," which is the Cree for thanksgiving.
She gracefully backed out of the dining-room, holding carefully onto her
supplies. Mrs Young and I looked in astonishment, but said nothing
till she had gone out. We could not help laughing at the queer sight,
although the food which had disappeared in this unexpected way was what
was to have been our principal support for two or three days, until our
supplies should have arrived. Afterwards, when expressing our
astonishment at what looked like the greediness of this woman, we
learned that she had only complied with the strict etiquette of her
tribe. It seems it is their habit, when they make a feast for anybody,
or give them a dinner, if fortunate enough to have abundance of food, to
put a large quantity before them. The invited guest is expected to eat
all he can, and then to carry the rest away. This was exactly what the
poor woman did. From this lesson of experience we learnt just to place
before them what we felt our limited abilities enabled us to give at the
time.
One day a fine-looking Indian came in with a couple of fat ducks. As
our supplies were low, we were glad to see them; and in taking them I
asked him what I should give him for them. His answer was, "O, nothing;
they are a _present_ for the missionary and his wife." Of course I was
delighted at this exhibition of generosity on the part of this entire
stranger to us so soon after our arrival in this wild land. The Indian
at once made himself at home with us, and kept us busy answering
questions and explaining to him everything that excited his curiosity.
Mrs Young had to leave her work to play for his edification on the
little melodeon. He remained to dinner, and ate one of the ducks, while
Mrs Young and I had the other. He hung around all the afternoon, and
did ample justice to a supper out of our supplies. He tarried with us
until near the hour for retiring, when I gently hinted to him that I
thought it was about time he went to see if his wigwam was where he left
it.
"O," he exclaimed, "I am only waiting."
"Waiting?" I said; "for what are you waiting?"
"I am waiting for the _present_ you are going to give me for the
_present_ I gave you."
I at once took in the situation, and went off and got him something
worth half-a-dozen times as much as his ducks, and he went off very
happy.
When he was gone, my good wife and I sat down, and we said, "Here is
lesson number _two_. Perhaps, after we have been here a while, we shall
know something about the Indians."
After that we accepted of no presents from them, but insisted on paying
a reasonable price for everything we needed which they had to sell.
Our Sunday's work began with the Sunday School at nine o'clock. All the
boys and girls attended, and often there were present many of the
adults. The children were attentive and respectful, and many of them
were able to repeat large portions of Scripture from memory. A goodly
number studied the Catechism translated into their own Language. They
sang the hymns sweetly, and joined with us in repeating the Lord's
Prayer.
The public service followed at half-past ten o'clock. This morning
service was always in English, although the hymns, lessons, and text
would be announced in the two languages. The Hudson's Bay officials who
might be at the Fort two miles away, and all their _employes_, regularly
attended this morning service. Then, as many of the Indians understood
English, and our object was ever to get them all to know more and more
about it, this service usually was largely attended by the people. The
great Indian service was held in the afternoon. It was all their own,
and was very much prized by them. At the morning service they were very
dignified and reserved; at the afternoon they sang with an enthusiasm
that was delightful, and were not afraid, if their hearts prompted them
to it, to come out with a glad "Amen!"
They bring with them to the sanctuary their Bibles, and very sweet to my
ears was the rustle of many leaves as they rapidly turned to the Lessons
of the day in the Old or New Testament. Sermons were never considered
too long. Very quietly and reverently did the people come into the
house of God, and with equal respect for the place, and for Him Whom
there they had worshipped, did they depart. Dr Taylor, one of our
missionary secretaries, when visiting us, said at the close of one of
these hallowed afternoon services, "Mr Young, if the good people who
help us to support Missions and missionaries could see what my eyes have
beheld to-day, they would most cheerfully and gladly give us ten
thousand dollars a year more for our Indian Missions."
Every Sunday evening I went over to the Fort, by canoe in summer, and
dog-train in winter, and held service there. A little chapel had been
specially fitted up for these evening services. Another service was
also held in the church at the Mission by the Indians themselves. There
were among them several who could preach very acceptable sermons, and
others who, with a burning eloquence, could tell, like Paul, the story
of their own conversion, and beseech others to be likewise reconciled to
God.
We were surprised at times by seeing companies of pagan Indians stalk
into the church during the services, not always acting in a way becoming
to the house or day. At first it was a matter of surprise to me that
our Christian Indians put up with some of these irregularities. I was
very much astounded one day by the entrance of an old Indian called
Tapastonum, who, rattling his ornaments, and crying, "Ho! Ho!" came
into the church in a sort of trot, and gravely kissed several of the men
and women. As my Christian Indians seemed to stand the interruption, I
felt that I could. Soon he sat down, at the invitation of Big Tom, and
listened to me. He was grotesquely dressed, and had a good-sized
looking-glass hanging on his breast, kept in its place by a string hung
around his neck. To aid himself in listening, he lit his big pipe and
smoked through the rest of the service. When I spoke to the people
afterwards about the conduct of this man, so opposite to their quiet,
respectful demeanour in the house of God, their expressive, charitable
answer was: "Such were we once, as ignorant as Tapastonum is now. Let
us have patience with him, and perhaps he, too, will soon decide to give
his heart to God. Let him come; he will get quiet when he gets the
light."
The week evenings were nearly all filled up with services of one kind or
another, and were well attended, or otherwise, according as the Indians
might be present at the village, or away hunting, or fishing, or
"tripping" for the Hudson's Bay Company. What pleased us very much was
the fact that in the homes of the people there were so many family
altars. It was very delightful to take a quiet walk in the gloaming
through the village, and hear from so many little homes the voice of the
head of the family reading the precious volume, or the sounds of prayer
and praise. Those were times when in every professed Christian home in
the village there was a family altar.