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the insistence of his lady visitor. She was momen- tarily away, so that he could not see her; but her husband, a most exemplary young man who acted as catechist to the forlorn Catholics of the place,'® not only piloted him everywhere, but endeavoured to make as agreeable as possible his stay on the island on which was Wrangell.

This stay was rendered longer by the fact that the priest could never persuade himself to board the river boat on the occasion of her first trip up. She was crowded with shouting, singing and apparently half- intoxicated women who had come he could not guess whence, and were filling the air with their cries.

On the boat’s return, Father Morice left for Telegraph Creek,'® but had to pay for the time he had spent waiting by being kept nine days prisoner at the foot of a rapid, now too swollen by the late freshets to allow of the steamer ascending it. This forced delay was far from pleasant to him for more reasons than one. Not only did he thus lose time which was precious to him, but he was constantly annoyed by reports from people desirous of impressing upon him the uselessness of his attempt to do good to the Northerners. Un- certainty is painful enough to anybody: you always dislike groping in the dark, but when every one assures you that you are bent on a hopeless undertaking, this can be much worse for the mind.

Those who knew, or claimed to know, the Indians he was going to, declared that the priest had no chance of success. All the Nahanais that the minister had not gained over to his cause were irretrievably lost to Christianity, they said. They had become the victims

18 Among whom were a few French Canadians lost in that God- forsaken land.

16 The place which the workmen stretching the wire for future use had reached when they heard of the success of the Atlantic cable laying.