When the missionaries go among the heathen preaching the blessed Gospel
of the great Book, they necessarily have to begin, with first
principles. When good impressions have been made, and hearts touched,
then follows religious instruction in matters of which they have been
perfectly ignorant! and much that is false, and often very childish, has
to be unlearned.
To these people, before the arrival of the missionary, the Sabbath was
utterly unknown. The preaching of it at first filled them with
perplexity and trouble. They thought that it would interfere with their
plans, and so break up their hunting arrangements as to bring them to
absolute want. They were poor, even though working and fishing every
day; and to give up one day out of every seven, and not fire a gun, or
set a net--what would become of them! Thus argued some of the Indians.
Faithfully and lovingly the missionaries set before them the commands of
God adding the promises of blessings to the obedient. The Book itself
was diligently searched, and there was a great desire to know, if such
passages as the one we here quote referred to white people and Indians
now: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honourable: and shalt honour him not doing thine own ways, nor
finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, then shalt
thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the
high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy
father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
At last, under faithful teaching, aided by the blessed Spirit, the
Christian Indians resolved to take the Book for their guide, and to keep
the Sabbath day. At once, the guns and bows and arrows were put aside,
and the fish-nets were left hanging in the breeze for that day. No
traps were visited, neither were the axes lifted up against the trees.
Their simple meals were cooked and eaten, and all who could attend, were
found in the house of God three times each Sabbath.
But now arose fierce opposition from an unexpected quarter. The great
fur-trading company that had for so long a time held despotic power in
the land, in their short-sightedness,--fearing a diminution in the
returns of the fur by the hunters if one-seventh of the time was to be,
as they put it, spent in idleness,--sneered at the actions of the
missionaries, and by bribes and threats, endeavoured to induce the
Indians to ignore their teachings on the subject.
When, the summer tripping began, and the Indians refused to travel or
work in the boats on the Sabbath, the action of the company developed
into downright persecution. Some description of this "tripping" in that
great wild northland is necessary, in order that our readers may
understand the position taken by the Sabbath-keeping Indians, and its
most satisfactory results.
So remote from the seaboard are some of the interior posts of the Hudson
Bay Company, that seven years, and sometimes more elapsed, ere the furs
obtained for the goods sent, could reach the London market. The bales
of goods were first shipped by the company's vessels to York factory, on
the Hudson Bay. Then they were taken by the Indian trippers in strong
boats that would hold from three to five tons. A number of these boats
constituted a "brigade." A captain of the whole was appointed, and a
good state of discipline maintained.
The first brigade would take the bales up the rivers, often having to
pass many dangerous places and encounter many risks. Great care and
watchfulness were necessary, and yet in spite of all, boats were
sometimes wrecked and lives lost. The hardest part of the work was in
what was called, "making the portages." Some of the rivers are full of
falls and rapids that are impassable for the boats. Here the portages
have to be made. The hardy boatmen row up to the rapids as close as is
safe, unload their cargoes, and carry them on their backs to the
selected spot below the obstruction in the river. Then the boats have
to be hauled ashore, and dragged overland by the united strength of the
several crews to the same place; here they are again launched, and with
cargoes aboard, the journey is resumed. On some of these trips the
number of portages runs up into the scores. Great lakes have to be
crossed where fierce storms at times rage, and where head-winds blow
with such fury, that sometimes the brigades are delayed many days.
At Norway house,--which for many years was the great northern depot for
the company's goods, and the great distributing centre for the interior
parts,--this first brigade would exchange its cargo of goods for the
bales of rich furs which another brigade, that had come from the further
interior, perhaps from Athabasca or the Saskatchewan country, had
brought down thus far on their way to the ships for the London market.
Then this second brigade would return hundreds of miles into the
interior; and, meeting another brigade from regions still more remote,
would exchange its cargo of goods with this third brigade, for regions
yet more distant. Thus it would go on, until some of the bales of goods
were more than three thousand miles from the seaboard where they were
landed; and the different posts had their supply of goods for the fur
trade with the Indians. So it happened, that years elapsed ere the
goods reached some of the places; and the furs also were years in
reaching the ship for England.
All of this heavy work was performed by the Indian boatmen, or
"trippers," as they were called. They were the fur-hunters during the
cold winter months; but so long as there was open water--that is, no
ice--they were employed by hundreds to take in goods and bring out furs.
The one despotic command delivered to these brigades by the company was,
"push on!" They argued: The summer in these high latitudes is short; we
must make the most of it. Every day tells, and there must be no lagging
by the way. The result was, that the men were worked to the last degree
of endurance. Many failed at the oar, while others dropped under the
heavy loads on the difficult portages. "Fill up the ranks quickly, and
push on," was the order. It was all excitement, and rush, and high
pressure, from the beginning of the tripping season until the close.
There was no relaxation--no Sabbath--no rest.
It seemed utter folly for the missionary to come in where such a
condition of things existed, and say to the best men of the best
brigade: "We know the summer is short, and it is essential for the
welfare of the company and your own wages, that the goods should be
taken in, and the furs brought out. But a Higher Power has said,
`Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, so when Saturday night
overtakes you, tie up your boats, lay aside your oars, and rest in
quietness and devotion until God's day is over.'"
The company in their blindness were at first astounded, then enraged.
To lose one-seventh of the short summer, when, as it was, the brigades
were sometimes caught by the ice, would never do! This fanaticism must
be stopped! They threatened--they persecuted the missionary and the
Indians. Their monopoly in the country gave them great power, and they
wielded it unmercifully. Unable to induce the missionary by bribes or
threats to take another stand, they resorted to persecution; and by
calumnies most foul, strove to destroy his good name, and to drive him
out of the country.
He was a wise and judicious, as well as a brave man; and, standing at
his post, endeavoured to show his rich and powerful detractors, that no
harm would come to them by their employees resting one day in seven. He
bravely declared, that a man could do more work in six days by resting
the seventh, than by working continuously; and he challenged them to the
test.
At first the statement, which had been, so conclusively proved to be
true was laughed to scorn. However, as the missionary and his Christian
Indians remained true, the company were obliged to yield so far as to
send off a Sabbath-keeping brigade, which they did with many fears and
misgivings. To their surprise, they did their work just as well, and
returned in less time, with the men in better health than those who knew
no Sabbath. The logic of actual success triumphed eventually. All
opposition ceased, and up to the time when the old order of things came
to an end, and oars gave way to steam power, no one was found rash
enough to question the ability of the Sabbath-keeping Indians to excel
in work those who kept not the day of rest.
I often travelled with those Christian Indians, and the Sabbaths spent
on these long trips, are sweet and happy memories. Up to the last hour
on Saturday when it was safe to travel, the journey would be pursued,
until, in some quiet harbour or cosy bend in the river, safe from sudden
storms or tornadoes, the boats would be securely fastened, and the
cargoes carefully covered with the oilcloths. After a supper cooked on
the rocks, all would gather around the bright camp-fire for the evening
devotions. A hymn would be sung, a chapter of the good Book read, and
prayer offered by one or two of the company. The Sabbath would be spent
quietly and restfully, with at least two impressive and simple services.
On Monday, at first blush of morn, we were up, and, after a hasty meal
and a prayer, the journey would be resumed with renewed vigour.
Thus was the Sabbath introduced among the northern Indians.