72 Snapshots frem the North Pacife.

true pioneer of the Cross—under his instruction the first
converts were prepared for baptism. Our young men
educated under my roof have advanced in knowledge beyond
him and others who were formerly native teachers, so ‘that
the latter, through consciousness of their comparative
ignorance, cannot be induced to teach as of old. He and
Matthew sometimes preach, and do so with conspicucus
ability without any thought of remuneration. Samuel
Pelham is a natural orator, and now is a churchwarden here,
and devotes much time to his office.

““ Ah!’ said he, ‘I remember soon after you arrived
(this was in 1879) being captain of the great canoe that
took Captain Plevo (he meant Admiral Prevost) and Mr.
Duncan to Laklan. No good grew out of it. Sheuksh
mustered all his people and ordered a dance and a feast of
wickedness to mock Mr. Duncan, who did not want to go
there because he had no power to force the Kitkatlas to obey
him. They laughed and howled and danced the shameful
dance, and we came home again vexed and angry. Two
years later you gave me slates and copy-books, salts and
senna, a bell and Bibles, and I went alone in my own canoe.
I was received by Gaiumtkwa. After I had eaten, Sheuksh
and Nishweuksh came in and told me I was not wanted to
teach them. “If you come as a chief’s son [which Samuel is],
come to my house and be my guest. But let me hear no
bell; drums are better. Let us see no books; biscuits are
more nourishing.” Then said I, “ Shimoigiat [chief], I have
not come to the sound of the drum or to feed on biscuits. I
have tasted better food; money cannot buy it. The son of
our fathers cannot take it into his hand [he meant the child
of ignorance], or see it with his eyes, or hear it with his ears,
or taste it with his mouth. The sun of the new day [meaning
Christ’s light] loves it, eats it, speaks it, dreams it, keeps
it, gives it. You can have it, and will love it because it is
beautiful and sweet, its silence heard above drums, its
dimensions exceeding the clouds. God, it is God!” Then
they left me, and I remained all the winter teaching the