and let all creation join in chorus to bless His holy name. True to His
word, 'He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might. He
increaseth strength.' Bless for ever His holy name!
"Last week I finished translating my first address for the Indians.
Although it was not entirely to my satisfaction, I felt it would be
wrong to withhold the message any longer. Accordingly I sent word last
night (not being ready before) to the chiefs, desiring to use their
houses to-day to address their people in. This morning I set off,
accompanied by the young Indian (Clah), whom I have had occasionally to
assist me in the language. In a few minutes we arrived at the first
chief's house, which I found all prepared, and we mustered about one
hundred souls. This was the first assembly of Indians I had met. My
heart quailed greatly before the work--a people for the first time come
to hear the Gospel tidings, and I the poor instrument to address them
in a tongue so new and difficult to me. Oh, those moments! I began to
think that, after all, I should be obliged to get Clah to speak to
them, while I read to them from a paper in my hand. Blessed be God,
this lame resolution was not carried. My Indian was so unnerved at my
proposal, that I quickly saw I must do the best I could by myself, or
worse would come of it. I then told them to shut the door. The Lord
strengthened me. I knelt down to crave God's blessing, and afterwards I
gave them the address. They were all remarkably attentive. At the
conclusion I desired them to kneel down. They immediately complied, and
I offered up prayer for them in English. They preserved great
stillness. All being done, I bade them good-bye. They all responded
with seeming thankfulness. On leaving, I asked my Indian if they
understood me, and one of the chief women very seriously replied, 'Nee,
nee' ('yes'); and he assured me that from their looks he knew that they
understood and felt it to be good.
"We then went to the next chief's house, where we found all, ready, a
canoe-sail spread for me to stand on, and a mat placed on a box for me
to sit upon. About 150 souls assembled, and as there were a few of the
Fort people present, I first gave them a short address in English, and
then the one in Tsimshean. All knelt at prayer, and were very
attentive, as at the other place. This is the head chief's house. He is
a very wicked man, but he was present, and admonished the people to
behave themselves during my stay.
"After this I went in succession to the other seven tribes, and
addressed them in the chiefs' houses. In each case I found the chief
very kind and attentive in preparing his house and assembling his
people. The smallest company I addressed was about fifty souls, and the
largest about 200. Their obedience to my request about kneeling was
universal, but in the house where there were over 200 some confusion
took place, as they were sitting so close. However, when they heard me
begin to pray, they were instantly silent. Thus the Lord helped me
through. About 800 or 900 souls in all have heard me speak; and a great
number of them, I feel certain, have understood the message. May the
Lord make it the beginning of great good for this pitiable and long-lost
people."
Mr. Duncan was now beginning to feel his way among the Indians, and
the head chief, Legaic, having offered him the use of his house for a
schoolroom, he opened school on June 28th. Twenty-six children attended
in the morning, and fourteen or fifteen adults in the afternoon. The
head chief and his wife took great interest, and assisted in every way
they could. Their house was made clean, and a seat was placed upon a
mat for Mr. Duncan. The children also came neat and clean; one boy only
had nothing but a blanket to cover him, and in his case it was not
poverty, but superstition, that prevented him from having a shirt on
like the rest. This poor lad had been initiated into the mysteries of
medicine in the previous winter, and so was forbidden by law to wear
any thing over him except a blanket or a skin for one year. If he had
put on a shirt, death would have been expected to ensue.
On Sunday, July 11th, God enabled him a second time to proclaim the
Gospel in another carefully-written address. He went, as on the first
occasion, to each of the nine tribes separately, and began and
concluded with prayer. At the concluding prayer almost all knelt, or
the exceptions were rare. One man, however, sullenly refused. It was
Quthray, the chief of the cannibal gang, of whom we shall hear again.
After a few weeks the school was suspended, in consequence of the
absence of the chief in whose house it was held. It had been used
sufficiently long, however, to show that it was appreciated by both
parents and children, and thus encouraged, Mr. Duncan determined to
commence to build a school-house. The wood had arrived in a raft, and a
number of Indians were engaged to assist in the building; but scarcely
had they begun to carry the wood up the hill, when one of the Indians
dropped dead. The news ran through the camp, and great alarm spread on
all sides. Mr. Duncan at first feared that owing to the superstition of
the Indians with regard to such events, the confidence which he had
secured among the people would be greatly shaken, and his work amongst
them retarded. But, through God's mercy, his fears were not realized.
He deemed it prudent to suspend the work for a time, but, after
repeated invitations from the Indians, he resumed it on Sept. 17th:--
"Yesterday I spoke to a few on the subject, and all seemed heartily
glad. One old chief said to me, 'Cease being angry now,' thinking, I
suppose, my delay was occasioned by anger. He assured me he would send
his men to help. It was quite encouraging to see how earnestly they
expressed their desire for me to proceed with the work, and I may
safely say the feeling was universal. This morning I went to the raft
at six a.m., but only one old man was there. In a little time came
other two or three, then a few more, then two chiefs. By about half
past six we mustered seven or eight workers on the raft, though several
more came out and sat at their doors, Indian like, as though they
wished only to look on. This seemed greatly in contrast with their
expressions to me yesterday; but such is the Indian. I knew it was of
no use to push, so I patiently waited. About half-past six one of the
Indians on the raft sprang to his feet, gave the word of starting,
which is a peculiar kind of whoop, and he, with the few so inadequate
to the work, determined to begin. At this I proceeded up the beach to
the place for building upon, but what was my surprise when, on
returning, I met upwards of forty Indians carrying wood. They all
seemed to have moved in an instant, and sprung to the work with one
heart. The enthusiasm they manifested was truly gladdening, and almost
alarming. Amongst the number were several old men, who were doing more
with their spirited looks and words than with their muscles. The whole
camp seemed now excited. Encouraging words and pleasant looks greeted
me on every side. Every one seemed in earnest, and the heavy blocks and
beams began to move up the hill with amazing rapidity. When the Fort
bell rang for breakfast they proposed to keep on. One old man said he
would not eat till the work was done. However, I did not think it good
to sanction this enthusiasm thus far, but sent them off to their
houses. By three o'clock p.m. all was over, for which I was very glad,
for the constant whooping, groaning, and bawling of the Indians,
together with the difficulties of the work, from the great weight of
the pieces and the bad road, kept me in constant fear."
But no sooner had Mr. Duncan set up his school, and commenced work in
it, than the opposition of the medicine men began. They saw that if the
work progressed, "their craft was in danger of being set at nought."
The chiefs of three tribes had already declared that they had made up
their minds to abandon their sorceries.
On November 19th the new school was opened, and it was soon attended
by one hundred and forty children and fifty adults; but on December 1st
Mr. Duncan was told by the manager of the Fort that the head chief,
Legaic, was going to ask him to give up the school for about a month
during the medicine season. Shortly afterwards he was told that they
would be content if he would stay school for a fortnight, and after
that they would all come to be taught; but if he did not comply, they
intended stopping him by force, and had determined to shoot at the
pupils as they came to the school. Mr. Duncan had a long talk to two of
the officers about the matter, giving them plainly to understand that
he did not intend in the least degree to heed the threats of the
Indians. "Go on with my work I would, in spite of all. I told them
Satan had reigned long enough here; it was high time his rule should be
disturbed (as it is)." On December 20th he wrote:--
"This day has been a great day here. I have heartily to thank that all
-seeing Father who has covered me and supported me to-day. The devil and
wicked men leagued to overthrow me this day, but the Lord would not
have it so. I am still alive. This morning the medicine party, who are
carrying on their work near to the school, broke out with renewed fury.
On going to school, I observed a crowd of these wretched men in a house
that I was approaching. As soon as I got into the school, the wife of
the head chief came to beg me to give up school for a little time. She
was certainly very modest in her manner and request, but altogether
unsuccessful. I spoke to her a little, and then she said (what I knew
to be false) that neither she nor her husband desired to go on with the
medicine-work, for, they often cried to see the state of things, but it
was the tribe that urged them to do what they were doing. When she saw
she could prevail nothing, not even so much as to prevent striking the
steel (used as a bell), which they have a peculiar hatred for, she left
me. I then went up the ladder and struck the steel myself, as I did not
like to send a boy up. Very soon about eighty pupils were in the
school, and we went on as usual.
"This afternoon a boy ran to strike the steel, and not many seconds
elapsed before I saw the head chief (Legaic) approaching, and a whole
gang of medicine men after him, dressed up in their usual charms. The
chief looked very angry, and bade the boy cease. I waited at the door
until he came up. His first effort was to rid the school of the few
pupils that had just come in. He shouted at the top of his voice, and
bade them he off. I immediately accosted him, and demanded to know what
he intended or expected to do. His gang stood about the door, and I
think seven came in. I saw their point: it was to intimidate me by
their strength and frightful appearance; and I perceived the chief,
too, was somewhat under the influence of rum. But the Lord enabled me
to stand calm, and, without the slightest fear, to address them with
far more fluency, in their tongue, than I could have imagined possible
--to tell them of their sin faithfully--to vindicate my conduct--to
exhort them to leave their bad ways, and also to tell them they must
not think to make me afraid. I told them that God was my Master, and I
must obey Him rather than them, and that the devil had taught their
fathers what they were practising, and it was bad, but what I was
teaching now was God's way, and it was good. Our meeting lasted for
more than an hour. I saw a great many people at a distance looking
anxiously at our proceedings, the school door being open. The chief
expressed himself very passionately, now and then breaking out into
furious language, and showing off his savage nature by his gestures.
Towards the close of the scene, two of the confederates, vile-looking
fellows, went and whispered something to him, upon which he got up from
a seat he had just sat down upon, stamped his feet on the floor, raised
his voice as high as he could, and exhibited all the rage and defiance
and boldness that he could. This was all done, I knew, to intimidate
me, but, blessed be God, he did not succeed. Finding his efforts
unavailing, he went off.
"The leading topics of the chiefs angry conversation were as follows--
He requested four days' suspension of the school, he promised that, if
I complied, he and his people would then come to school, but threatened
if my pupils continued to come on the following days, he would shoot at
them, lastly, he pleaded, that if the school went on during the time he
specified, then some medicine men, whom he expected on a visit shortly
from a distant tribe, would shame, and, perhaps, kill him. Some of his
sayings during his fits of rage were, that he understood how to kill
people, occasionally drawing his hand across his throat to show me what
he meant, that when he died he knew he should go down, he could not
change, he could not be good, or, if I made him good, why, then, he
supposed he should go to a different place from his forefathers, this
he did not desire to do. On one occasion, whilst he was talking, he
looked at two men, one of them a regular pupil of mine, and the other a
medicine-man, and said, 'I am a murderer, and so are you, and you'
(pointing to each of these men), 'and what good is it for us to come to
school?' Here I broke in, and blessed be God, it gave me an opportunity
of telling the three murderers that pardon was now offered to them if
they would repent, and amend, and go to Jesus our Saviour."
It was afterwards found out that Legaic, at the moment of his most
violent fury, had caught sight of Clah (who, unknown to Mr. Duncan, was
watching over him with a revolver), and knew that, if he touched the
missionary, it would be at the risk of his life. So it ever is: "in
some way or other, the Lord will provide!"
This conduct on the part of Legaic was the more discouraging, inasmuch
as he had, in the first instance, as we have seen, given up his own
house for the school. So persistent, however, was his hostility at this
time, and so great were the difficulties in the way of attending
school, that Mr. Duncan was at length obliged to close the new
building, and another chief having offered him the use of his house for
a school, where the children and others would not be afraid to come, he
readily availed himself of his kindness, and was soon able to report
the steady progress of the work. On Christmas Day he wrote:--
"Yesterday I told my scholars to bring their friends and relatives to
school to-day, as I wanted to tell them something new. We numbered over
200 souls. I tried to make them understand why we distinguished this
day from others. After this I questioned the children a little, and
then we sang two hymns, which we also translated. While the hymns were
being sung, I felt I must try to do something more, although the
language seemed to defy me. I never experienced such an inward burning
to speak before, and therefore I determined to try an extemporaneous
address in Tsimshean. The Lord helped me: a great stillness prevailed,
and, I think, a great deal was understood of what I said. I told them
of our condition, the pity and love of God, the death of the Son of God
on our account, and the benefits arising to us therefrom; and exhorted
them to leave their sins and pray to Jesus. On my enumerating the sins
of which they are guilty, I saw some look at each other with those
significant looks which betokened their assent to what I said. I tried
to impress upon them the certain ruin which awaits them if they proceed
in their present vices. Very remarkably, an illustration corroborating
what I said was before their eyes. A poor woman was taken sick, not
four yards from where I stood, and right before the eyes of my
audience. She was groaning under a frightful affliction, the effect of
her vices."
IV.
FIRST FRUITS.
From the extract last given we can gather that, notwithstanding the
opposition of some, and the frightful depravity of all, Mr. Duncan
seemed to be gaining the ear of the people just in proportion as he
advanced in fluency of speech in their mother tongue. And during the
following year, 1859, not a few tokens for good were granted him. In
some parts of the camp open drunkenness and profligacy were
diminishing, and the comparative quiet and decorum consequent on this
made a great impression on the rest. In March a meeting of chiefs was
held at Legaic's house, at which Mr. Duncan's arguments against many of
their most degrading customs were discussed, and generally approved;
and a message was sent to him that they wished him to "speak strong"
against the "bad ways" of their people. On April 6th, Legaic himself
appeared at the school, not now to intimidate the missionary, but to
sit at his feet as a learner. Others followed his example; and when, in
August, one notoriously bad character, named Cushwaht, broke into the
school with a hatchet, intending to shoot Mr. Duncan, and, not finding
him there, smashed all the windows, the greatest indignation was
expressed on every side, and Mr. Duncan had to implore the people not
to shed the offender's blood.
Nor were only outward changes visible. It was soon manifest that the
Spirit of God was at work in the hearts of some. On October 10th a most
encouraging incident occurred:--
"I was informed, on coming out of the school this afternoon, that a
young man, who has been a long time suffering in consumption (brought
on by a severe cold), and whom I have visited several times, was dying;
so, after a little reflection, some misgiving, and prayer, I started
off to see him. I found him, as his wife had said, dying. Over twenty
people were about him; some were crying, and two, I am sorry to say,
were partly intoxicated. I looked on for some time in silent sorrow.
When I wished to speak, silence immediately ensued. I rebuked the noise
and tumult, and directed the dying man to fix his heart on the Saviour
Jesus, to forget the things about him, and spend his little remaining
time in praying in his heart to God to save him. His reply was, 'O yes,
sir; O yes, sir;' and for some moments he would close his eyes, and
seemed absorbed in prayer. He begged me, with much earnestness, to
continue to teach his little girl. He wanted her to be good. This
little girl is about seven years old: her name is Cathi. She has been
very regular at school since I commenced, and has made nice progress.
Much to my comfort, a young woman sat by his side, who has been one of
my most regular pupils. She is in the first class, and can read
portions of the Bible. Her intelligence is remarkable, and I have
observed her to be always listening to religious instruction. Thus,
here was one sitting close to the dying man who could tell him, much
more accurately than I, the few directions I desired to utter. What a
remarkable providence it seemed to me! With tears in her eyes, she
begged him to give his heart to God and to pray to Him. I longed to
pray with him, and watched anxiously a long time for the opportunity.
The opportunity came, and the strength came with it. I knelt down by
his side. All was hushed, and I prayed from a full heart to the Lord
our God to have mercy upon the poor soul about to come into His
presence, for the sake of His dear Son Jesus. I felt sure that the Lord
heard my prayer, and I can indulge a hope for this poor man's
salvation."
There was much in the case of this young man which encouraged Mr.
Duncan in the hope that he was a true believer in Christ. He understood
the main and leading truths of the Gospel, and he frequently prayed
much to God. Daring his sickness, he never permitted the medicine folks
to operate upon him; and this of itself showed a wonderful change in
him. He died the following night, having reassured the people around
him of his safety, and had a very solemn parting from his little girl.
Thus, just two years after the solitary Missionary had landed on the
coast as a stranger, the first fully ripened fruit of his labours was
gathered into the heavenly garner.
In January, 1860, the first Bishop of Columbia, Dr. Hills, arrived at
Victoria. Observing the deplorable condition into which the Indians
fell who flocked thither, and thus came into contact with the vices of
an outlying colonial settlement, the Bishop invited Mr. Duncan to come
down and organise some Christian work amongst them. He accordingly
spent two or three months in the summer there, holding Tsimshean
services, and opening a school. A good work was thus set on foot, which
has since been successfully carried on by others.
At this time Captain Prevost returned to England, and as a specimen of
the results so far of the Mission which his own loving zeal had
originated, brought home with him a little journal kept, during Mr.
Duncan's absence at Victoria, by one of the Tsimshean boys at Fort
Simpson. Here are some fragments of it:--
"_Tuesday, April_ 4_th_, 1860.--If will die my father, then
will very poor my heart 4 my brother all die; only one Shooquanahts
save, and two my uncle save. I will try to make all things. I want to
be good, and I want to much work hard. When we have done work, then
will please, Sir, Mr. Duncan, will you give me a little any thing when
you come back."
"_April_ 17: _School, Fort Simpson_.--Shooquanahts not two
hearts--always one my heart. Some boys always two hearts. Only one
Shooquanahts--not two heart, no. If I steal any thing then God will
see. Bad people no care about Son of God: when will come troubled
hearts, foolish people. Then he will very much cry. What good cry?
Nothing. No care about our Saviour; always forget. By and by will
understand about the Son of God."
"_May_ 17.--I do not understand some prayers, only few prayers I
understand; not all I understand, no. I wish to understand all prayers.
When I understand all prayers, then I always prayer our Saviour Jesus
Christ. I want to learn to prayer to Jesus Christ our Saviour: by and
by I understand all about our Saviour Christ: when I understand all
what about our Saviour, then I will happy when I die. If I do not learn
about our Saviour Jesus, then I will very troubled my heart when I die.
It is good for us when we learn about our Saviour Jesus. When I
understand about our Saviour Jesus, then I will very happy when I die."
Another encouraging case is that of an old man, of whom Mr. Duncan
wrote:--
"One night, when I was encamping out, after a weary day, the supper
and the little instruction being over, my crew of Indians, excepting
one old man, quickly spread their mats near the fire, and lay down to
sleep in pairs, each sharing his fellow's blanket. The one old man sat
near the fire smoking his pipe. I crept into my little tent, but, after
some time, came out again to see that all was right. The old man was
just making his bed (a thin bark mat on the ground, a little box of
grease, and a few dry salmon for his pillow--a shirt on, and a blanket
round him--another bark mat over all, his head too, formed his bed in
the open air, during a cold, dark night in April). When everything was
adjusted, he put his pipe down, and offered up, in his own tongue, this
simple little prayer, 'Be merciful to me, Jesus.' Then he drew up his
feet, and was soon lost to view."
Mr. Duncan had now the joy of welcoming a fellow-labourer. The Rev. L.
S. Tugwell, who had been allotted by the Society to a Mission which
looked so hopeful, arrived with Mrs. Tugwell in August, and at once
threw himself with the utmost earnestness into the work of preparation
for future usefulness. But to his keen disappointment the health of
both entirely broke down in the damp climate, where sometimes the rain
falls for ten months out of the twelve, and he was obliged to return to
England after fourteen months' residence on the coast.
Before leaving, however, Mr. Tugwell had the high privilege of
admitting into the visible Church its first Tsimshean members. On July
26th, 1861, fourteen men, five women, and four children were baptized.
Others were deterred by heathen relatives. Some candidates were not
passed. But of these, Mr. Duncan wrote, "We truly hope they are indeed
children of God."
But other fruit, though not so ripe, was now plainly visible, and had
begun to attract public attention. In January, 1860, Mr. Duncan
received a letter from the Rev. E. Cridge, the English chaplain at
Victoria, conveying a message from the Governor, Sir James Douglas:--