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"After some time had been spent in singing, a young man advanced and read the following address in excellent style: "To His Excellency the Earl of Dufferin, Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada. "MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY, We, the inhabitants of Metlakahtla, of the Tsimshean nation of Indians desire to express our joy in welcoming your Excellency and Lady Dufferin to our village.
I went to proclaim the Gospel once more to the poor unfeeling heathen there. I laid the Gospel again distinctly before them, and they seemed much affected. After I had finished my address on each occasion they got up and spoke, and spoke well. Legaic interrupted him, and said, 'I am a chief, a Tsimshean chief. You know I have been bad, very bad, as bad as any one here.
In 1864, a Christian Tsimshean, travelling up the river as a fur-trader, told the Indians he met with of the Saviour he had himself found, and on his return to the coast seven young men of the Nishkah tribe accompanied him, that they might visit Metlakahtla and hear the Missionary for themselves. They stayed there for a few days, listening eagerly to Mr. Duncan's instructions.
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.
When they left, they begged for some fragment of God's Word to take back to their tribe; and Mr. Duncan wrote out for each, on a piece of paper, the words in Tsimshean, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." In this case the living voice was not long in following the written message. On July 2nd, 1864, the Rev.
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.
It comprises, therefore, the mining districts on the upper waters of the Fraser and Skeena and Stachine rivers, with their rough white population, and many thousands of Indians of the Tsimshean and Hydah nations on the coast, as well as others in the interior.
All the elder scholars learn and repeat a text both in English and Tsimshean, and have it explained to them, and they are able to use intelligently their English Bibles for this purpose. At eleven is morning service in church, attended at Christmas time by 700 to 800. Hymns are sung, both in English and Tsimshean, and heartily joined in by the congregation.
These are divided into nine tribes, but all speak the same language, and have one general name Tsimshean, So far as I am at present able to make out, I calculate that there are seventeen other tribes, all living within fifty miles of this place, which either speak Tsimshean or something very near to it.
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:
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