The Romance of the Early Days 21

missionary, and in April, 1874, Rev. Wm. Pollard, i
Superintendent of Methodist missions in British
Columbia, sent Tate up to Fort Simpson, where he i]
found 800 Indians ‘‘just emerging from paganism of
the most diabolical nature.”” The Anglican Church
Missionary Society, with Mr. Duncan in charge, was
the only Christian mission among these northern 1!
tribes. i
In July the same year Crosby, accompanied by |
his young wife, took up the northern work in person, |
Mr. Tate returning to the southern field. In 1880
Tate came north again, organizing the mission at
Bella Bella, with outstations at Rivers Inlet, China i
Hat, and Bella Coola. For several years those con-
secrated men travelled about these treacherous i
coasts in Indian canoes, and, with fine disregard of
danger or personal discomfort, took the lamp of i]
God’s love into the benighted lives of pagan peoples. 1
Ten years passed in this strenuous way with |
steady success. I wish I had space to write the }
story of the outstanding men among the Indian i]
converts. Splendid fellows they were and brave !
|

warriors for Christ. Without their whole-hearted,
self-sacrificing assistance the mission could never
have attained the success it did. The names of
Indians like Dudoward, Pierce, Russ, Madeix, Star,
and Ebstone must ever be grouped, by those who
know the story of the mission, with those of Crosby
and Tate and Green. tlt
At first the work was among Indians alone.
Even at that it was far too heavy a task for these two