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Many years before, a young Tsimshean woman had been captured by a party of Hydahs, and carried as a slave to Queen Charlotte Islands, where, after a while, a son was born to her. Five and twenty years passed away, and then she was restored by her owner, for a consideration, to her relatives at Fort Simpson.
Collison is studying the language of the Tsimshean Natives, when proficient in it, which he soon will be, judging from the progress he has already made, he will labour among the Indians of Queen Charlotte's Islands. "Under Mr. Duncan's instructions the Indians of Metlakahtla have already made great strides in the direction of civilization and Christianity.
After he first began to attend the school, he twice fell back; but the Spirit of God was at work in his heart, and when the removal to Metlakahtla took place, he deliberately gave up his position as head-chief of the Tsimshean tribes in order to join the colony. Constant inducements were held out to him to return; and on one occasion he actually gave way.
On the night of October 1st Mr. Duncan landed at the Fort. Like other Hudson's Bay Company trading posts, this "Fort" consisted of a few houses, stores, and workshops, surrounded by a palisade twenty feet high, formed of trunks of trees. Close by was the Tsimshean village, comprising some two hundred and fifty wooden houses, well-built, and several of them of considerable size.
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.
After all the shaking of hands was over, the villagers returned home to their own private entertainments, and most of us at the Mission enjoyed a quiet Christmas evening together; but Mr. Duncan entertained at tea a party of the chiefs and principal persons of the village, whom we did not join, from inability to converse in the Tsimshean tongue. "The day after Christmas was again a gay one.
This being the last Sunday in the year, the service was made a specially devotional one to seek mercy for the offences of the past twelve month. "After morning service the adults met again in Sunday School to learn in English and Tsimshean the text of the sermon, and have it again explained to them by the native Sunday School teachers, who are prepared for this duty at a meeting with Mr.
Away up here, above the fifty-fourth parallel of latitude, the climate is such as would not admit of agriculture being extensively engaged in. Wheat cannot be brought to maturity. Potatoes and other root crops seem to grow pretty well. "Formerly the Indians of the Tsimshean nation offered human sacrifices, and it is said that they also indulged cannibalistic proclivities.
Taking an English dictionary, he succeeded, by unwearied industry, in ascertaining the Tsimshean equivalents for fifteen hundred of the most necessary words. At the same time he set about making friends with the people. During the winter, when the severe cold and the deep snow kept them much indoors, he visited every house in turn, and on Jan. 14th he wrote: "To-day we have finished our calls.
"Our Christmas-eve was spent in practising, with a band of twenty young men, a new Christmas hymn in Tsimshean, which I managed to prepare for the occasion. About 1.30 on Christmas morning we reassembled, when Mr. Collison and myself accompanied the twenty waits to sing round the village, carrying the harmonium and concertina with us.
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