CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY ARCHIVE

Section V: Missions to the Americas

Part 2: North West Canada, 1821-1880

Part 3: North West Canada, 1822-1930

Part 4: British Columbia, 1856-1925

Introduction to Part 2

Part 2 begins the coverage of the papers for Canada. We start with North-West Canada covering the years 1821-c1880. Contained are the Individual Letter Books for 1852-1887, the Letter Books for 1821-1882, the Mission Books for 1822-1876 and the Original Papers for 1822-1880.

The Individual Letter Books contain private letters on all manner of subjects written by the Secretary in London to missionaries in the field. Although the majority of the letters are those of condolence or censure the Secretary also writes on topics in which he had a special interest. Each Individual Letter Book contains an index of names.

The Letter Books contain copies of the correspondence, covering all sorts of subjects, from the Secretary in London to the mission secretary and others at the station concerned with mission affairs. From 1821-1852 no letters were written between August and December as they could only be sent by the Spring and Summer ships. The Letter Books all contain an index of names.

The Mission Books contain copies of the Original Papers as a legible copy was made for the Committee. They contain an index of names and some subjects. The letters and journals from 1820-May 1849 are copied out in full, whilst a note of receipt is made for the financial papers and printed papers. From 1849 onwards the letters only are copied. Annual letters from 1871/2 onwards are copied out also and if they are printed are pasted or sewn into the backs of the volumes. The annual letters are a yearly account of the missionary’s activities and cover a period from August to July.

The following extract from the Journal of Rev W Cockran for 1840 gives an idea of the details recorded by the missionaries when describing their work with the Indians:

April 28 1840 Out all day with an Indian lad who was ribbing the ground for to sew wheat upon. As it is the first time he had been so employed he found his work rather difficult. But the Indian has a good eye and a dextrous hand. He easily learns to hold the plough and could we only succeed in forming him to the habits of sober industry and economy his character would soon rise in the judgement of the European. The European having the fixed habits of full 1800 years of civilisation he views with contempt the tardy march of the Indian in the first generation, forgetting what his own ancestors were under similar circumstances. Held the usual meeting in the evening; few were present the most being engaged on their farms….

The Original Papers consist of the incoming papers sent by the missions to London. They contain letters regarding all manner of subjects: from missionaries describing their first impressions, requesting furloughs, increases in salary, permission to marry and descriptions of their travels and work in the mission.

The Original Papers contain papers of the Corresponding Committee which discuss subjects such as:

• the establishment of new schools
• the provision of more missionaries
• the building of new mission houses
• the arrival of new missionaries
• instructions to missionaries to visit new areas of the mission
• the appointment of new schoolmasters
• the illness of missionaries
• salaries of missionaries

Also contained in this part is Correspondence with Bishops. This is divided into Dioceses and then alphabetically by Bishop. It covers topics such as:

• the arrival of new missionaries
• the need for more female missionaries
• visits made by the missionaries to outlying areas of the mission
• salaries
• the building of new mission houses
• sickness among the Indians
• the inclement weather in the Fall and Winter
• the missionary’s work for the year
• the proposed location of mission agents
• the constitution of the Diocese
• resolutions passed

The majority of the Original Papers contain the Letters and Papers of individual missionaries, catechists and others. They consist of a mixture of material: translations into Cree of Bible stories together with the Cree vocabulary; newspaper cuttings; drawings of Indians; a census taken of the Indians. However the greater part of the papers consists of very detailed reports and journals of the Bishops and missionaries as they travelled among the Indians throughout the mission area. They describe their meetings with the Indians and the way of life of the indigenous people.Their experiences are recorded very vividly as can be seen from the following extracts from the papers.

Contained also in the Original Papers is: correspondence connected with the Colonial Ordination Controversy in 1842; Finance Committee papers; mission estimates; minutes of the Missionary Conference in 1876 and miscellaneous documents.

EXTRACTS

Report by James Hunter 28 June 1852 of a special meeting of the Corresponding Committee of the CMS, North West America held at Saint Andrew’s 7 June 1852:

…. The Committee requested Mr Cowley to enter into any details regarding his last Missionary tour at Beren’s River, Stoat River and Fort Pelly. Mr Cowley then gave an outline of his journey…. The chief points which he urges were

1.The establishment of a School in Beren’s River District either at Jack Head or Pigeon River…. Death and want seem to have made the Indians more teachable, their numbers are much reduced, and there is a larger proportion of widows and orphans….

2. The establishment of a school for Stoat River District, either at Red Deer’s River on the North where the land is good for agricultural purposes, or Duck Bay on the South, the Indians pleading much for the former place, the fish being a recommendation at the latter. The Indians at both of these spots are reported as teachable and making no objections to the Gospel….

Report by R McDonald written at Fort MacPherson, 22 January 1875:

I have much pleasure in giving you a summary of missionary work among the tukudh, since I wrote you last summer….

You will be rejoiced to learn that I had a very successful visit last summer to the Indians at the confluence of the Youcon and the Tunund. I proceeded as far as Fort Tununa, a trading post of the Alaska Commercial Company, situate about 20 miles beyond the locality above mentioned. I did not meet half of the Indians that annually assemble at that general rendezvous; but those that I saw, about 140 of men, women, and children, evinced such cordial earnestness for Christian instruction, and were so diligent in their endeavour to acquire it, that it was with deep gratitude to the great Head of the Church I spent ten days among them actively occupied instructing them in the grand verities of the Gospel….

Notes from the Bishop of Saskatchewan’s Journal, January to May, 1875:

My journey from Red River to the Saskatchewan commenced on the morning of the 28th of January…. My course lay through the Diocese of Rupert’s Land for about seven hundred miles….

Details of Travel

The cariole in which I travelled was a light oak sled, with parchment sides, drawn by four dogs trained to the work. The baggage and provisions were drawn on two sleds each having three or four dogs…. The dogs were fed with pemmican or white fish – two pounds of pemmican or two fish being the allowance for each dog in the twenty-four hours….

In forming our camp for the night we halted towards sunset – the guide selected a suitable spot – the men then cleared away the snow from a space of about twelve or fourteen feet square, using their snow shoes instead of shovels; the ground was then covered with dry reeds or branches of the pine tree, a good supply of firewood was cut and carried to the camp, a huge fire made with dry logs about twelve feet long, tea made, provisions cooked for our evening meal, the dogs fed, buffalo robes and blankets were then spread on the pine branches for our bedding, evening prayer was said, and then we went to sleep with no roof above our heads but the blue canopy of heaven, studded with myriads of stars that shone down upon us through the openings between the tall dark pine trees with a piercing brilliancy peculiar to the climate of the North-West….

The cold was generally intense, frequently 35 to 40 degrees below zero. At day break on February 23rd, it reached 41 degrees below zero when we camped in the woods on the banks of the Lower Saskatchewan….

Indians at Prince Albert Settlement

Large numbers of Heathen Indians come in several times every year to the settlement, chiefly for purposes of trade. They camp there sometimes for two or three months at a time. The drums that they beat in carrying on their pagan rites are often heard throughout the entire night. Their presence affords an admirable opportunity of proclaiming amongst them the blessed gospel of Christ. The Presbyterian Mission does a good work amongst them, but “the harvest truly is plenteous and the laborers are few”…. The Diocese of Saskatchewan affords at the present time by far the most important field for missions to pagan Indians that the North-West Territories of Canada or Rupert’s Land can supply. The warlike tribes of the Plain Crees and the Blackfeet Indians have as yet been unvisited by the Missionaries of the Church of England….

Journey thro’the Kinougoomisee river District
Malawegamingue Flying Post and New Brunswick
By Rev Thomas Hamilton Fleming

June 18th
…. This is my first canoe voyage; & certainly it does not impress me very favourably….when we came to the first rapid two of our Indians were obliged to jump on shore, attach a line to the canoe & haul her thro’ the water, as lusty canal horses do in England & Ireland now adays & as sturdy mules used to do in the less civilized days of ancient imperial Rome…. But the Indians do this work cheerfully. They never complain of bad tracking ground & dangerous portage paths; they have never seen any better contrivances than those in use amongst themselves: in fact they don’t know that there are any other or better….

For myself I strove to enliven the monotony of the voyage by reading, fishing, paddling, walking where it was possible & taking an occasional turn on the tracking line. The Saultaux language too was new to me, so I had to study the reading of that; & I had service with Indians every night when we camped. My position & circumstances may appear easy to say the least; but my ease was only apparent, not real. There were myriads of mustitos whose maddening bite & sickening din set me almost beside myself. They crept under my trousers & bit my legs in such a state that I did not know what to do with myself. They served my arms in a like manner& bit me thro’ my clothing; at night they all but put out my candle, so thick were they. And the very time I needed to be most calm from the nature of my occupation & and the fact that the language in which I was conducting divine service in was not at all familiar to me, it was then they sting me almost to madness. During the day the boiling sun beat upon my head with terrific power. My circumstances were by no means easy.

On the second day we reached the “Log tent” which I visited twice during the winter. Mostly all the Moose Indians were there having been sent up to cut & raft home timber for the summer’s use….

On the morning of the fifth day we came to “the long rapid”, where we expected to receive some assistance from the rest of the brigade whom we knew to be encamped at its head since the night before. Presently a canoe made her appearance round an overhanging precipice and was swiftly borne towards us by the rapid current for the purpose of assisting us up the stream. She took half of our cargo from us and poled off. When we came to the point of rock just mentioned, we were obliged to put all our men on shore, but two, to track. The stream rushes down with a fearful velocity boiling, surging and roaring at such a rate that the men could scarcely hear eachothers voices. This is the worst part of the rapid & is not very long, but most frightful in its aspect to one who has but the bark of the birch tree between him & the boiling surge. The overhanging rock which seemed ready to crush us to atoms; the waves, the precarious footing of the men, as they hauled the canoe thro’ the watery element, & which would certainly be dashed to pieces in a second, the least inattention or carelessness of the bowsman or steersman, all these things tended to thrill one with a sense of the danger which surrounds him….

Journey to Little Whale River by Rev Thomas Hamilton Fleming:

Thursday 14th Engaged with the Esquimaux in the forenoon but not in the afternoon being very unwell with a cold and severe headache; this is the first cold I have had since I came to the country. While we were at tea (6pm) this evening, a savage wolf, mad no doubt, ran up the river & attacked some Esquimaux woman, who took refuge from him in their eglo, the porch of which he broke down. He then rushed upon a lot of little Esquimaux children who were playing upon the ice, two of whom he knocked down, tearing the first in a most horrible manner all over the head & face & and almost destroying one eye. The other was cut severely on both sides of the head, as if he took the whole head in the mouth at once. The beast was driven off him and shot by Mr Dickson, one of the company’s clerks. The poor little fellows scarcely groaned, while Mr MacDonald and myself dressed & stitched up their gaping wounds . We very much fear lest the animal was mad: for no doubt the foxes and wolves along this coast are infected with the same disease, what ever it be, (& for myself I believe it to be hydrophobia) which has carried off some 70 fine Esquimaux dogs from the gentlemen here, and an innumerable quantity from the poor Esquimaux themselves….

Extract from a journal by Rev Henry George:

May 14th The Sugar-makers are returning from the Maple trees. This year they have got a larger quantity than usual. It is scarcely profitable for them as it does not appear to be very plentiful. The poor things think a great deal of what they do get, and are surprised that I have not the same high estimation of its value. Some come to me demanding a large woollen shawl for a few small cakes. I have even seen a large new dress given for a small quantity of sugar. If they always get this market for their produce well and good. But I feel certain that it will be confined to their country-men, and that they will never get the same from one who knows the value of European articles. I would dissuade many from wasting time at this important season of the year and get them to embrace agriculture. – One from the sugar – grounds had talked very largely during the winter as to what he would do in the farming way. Poor fellow he forgot his best intentions. The other day I said to him “You have been making a little sugar but where is your farm?” He hung down his head in silence and walked off. The next day his farm was under weigh, and he is now about ready for the sowing of wheat. But his delay has prevented him sowing as much seed as I could spare him.

Our own wheat & barley is now in the ground but no more than 4 Bushels of the former and 5 of the latter, as the ground is difficult to break up.

Letter from the Bishop Of Athabasca, written at Fort St Johns Peace River, 6 May 1878:

It is with thankfulness to Almighty God that I am able to report myself already arrived again at the border of Athabasca Diocese after 6 months absence in British Columbia. My journey hence to the Pacific Coast occupied about 6 weeks and the return journey has consumed about the same time. I stayed about 4 months on the coast. I am glad to say that I feel a good deal invigorated both in body and mind by the change & not at all loath to return to the more northern regions which seem to me much less isolated and inaccessible now that I have made the connection between them and the mild western slopes of the Pacific. It has long been my expectation that Athabasca & Mackenzie Districts would gradually become more approachable from the west and this idea is now confirmed. If my life is spared I hope hereafter to see further communication established with Mackenzie River from the coast by way of Pease Lake.

I regret to hear that much privation has been endured in both Athabasca and Mackenzie Districts during the past winter, the extreme mildness of the season having interfered with the Chase…

The Indians are growing careless about supplying the Whites with provisions which they think is reducing the Stock of wild animals. It is no longer possible to depend upon them and as the march of civilisation approaches, there seems less reason why we should debar ourselves from ordinary food, and especially from bread ( the staff of life) though we have long since learned the lesson of the wilderness that man shall not live by bread alone….

Annual Letter of the Bishop of Athabasca, Fort Vermillion, Peace River, November 1878:

On looking back upon the last twelve months I can hardly realise that this time last year I was just preparing to penetrate the gorge of the Rocky Mountains on my route to the Pacific and that as lately as last March I left the Pacific on my return to this wide wilderness.

One of the most remarkable physical features of the country which I observed in crossing and recrossing the Rocky Mountains were the regular level terraces such as I believe are found on the western coast of Scotland & elsewhere & which betoken an ancient ocean beach….

Youcon tribes are the only ones in this Diocese which lie to the western side of the Rocky Mountains & these share with the coast tribes, their eagerness after instruction & gospel truth. But we have alas at present no Mission agent in this Diocese to the west of the mountains for Archdeacon MacDonald has now been left for three years without an assistant & his own headquarters are to the east of the mountains….

….I have now returned to the calm retreat of Peace River to recruit in a winter repose from the wear and tear of my long travel. Truly this River I find as its name denotes the land of Peace & I look forward to a time when it may be studded with peaceful homesteads & settlers farms. Some visitors have come to its banks in search of gold but an influx of gold miners would I fear bring but little peace. Let us hope rather for the farmer and the drover to raise herds & harvests to be followed by the shepherd too when he wolves shall be exterminated & the plains be sown.

The dwindling Beaver Indian tribes that roam here are not averse to the Gospel but sadly degraded. I know of no other way to elevate them but for a Missionary to settle down patiently among them & teach them by example civilised habits of husbandry as well as moral virtue & Christian faith….

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