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NAAS MISSION, BRITISH COLUMBIA.

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words, exhorting them to keep holy the Lord's-day, and to trust in Christ our Saviour.

On the return of Mr. Doolan to Metlahkatlah it was decided that the Naas Mission should be resumed. The journal, to which we now refer, will tell us how he prospered.

June 4-Left for Naas, accompanied by brother Tomlinson. Many were waiting to wish us good-bye; and I hope many will pray for us. We camped about half-way, and, after supper, had prayers. Again started about three A.M., landing on our way up the river to look at a spot which seemed suitable for our future settlement. Arrived in the afternoon at Nass, and were soon surrounded by Indians, who seemed very glad to see us. Raining in torrents. The Indians seized our things, and carried them into the house. We soon lit a fire, and got things a little more comfortable. About ten came to evening-prayers.

June 6-A great many Indians visited us. The house was full all day. I made known to them our intention shortly to remove to the mouth of the river, and invited all who wished to follow God's ways to accompany us.

June 9: Lord's-day-At morning service the house was filled: about eighty were present. After service a great many remained to learn a text in Tsimshean. It is cheering to us to find that they remember so much that they had formerly learnt, and that they still have a great desire to learn. We had some singing in the evening.

us.

June 10-Very wet. Philip Latimer and five others accompanied us. down the river to fix on a site for our new village. I feel the undertaking to be a very serious one, but trust that the Lord is guiding About noon we landed at a very pretty spot, about fifteen miles down the river: in fact, we had but two localities to choose from, and the other place we did not think suitable, as being too heavily timbered, and, from its northerly aspect, too cold during the winters. We had a long and careful examination of the place. We fear we shall have too little building ground, as many talk of joining us in the autumn. The Indians, who accompanied us, seemed much pleased with the place, and, after choosing a site for the erection of the Mission house and school, I marked the ground for five more houses. We returned in the evening very tired and wet.

June 12-We went round the lower village, calling at every house to tell them our intention of starting a Christian village at the mouth of the river. Many said it was good.

June 14-About one P.M., having finished taking the house down, we started with a large raft, forty feet long and twenty wide, filled with all sorts of miscellaneous goods, Philip, and three other families, accompanying us on another raft. We had not proceeded far when unfortunately we grounded on a sand-bank, and here we remained till the tide rose, about midnight. At seven A.M. we landed at Kincaulith, the name of our future village. All were very tired from our exertions during the night. All the people attended evening prayer.

June 16: Lord's-day-A lovely day, and every thing looks quiet and pleasant. Thirty-three attended morning service, and twenty-nine in

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NAAS RIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA.

the evening. Spoke to the people on Abraham's call to leave his native land They were very attentive, and, I trust, understood me. In the evening, owing to heavy rain, we were obliged to erect some bark sheds.

June 19-All hands very busy clearing the ground for the erection of the Mission house. The last few days have been very fine, so we have made good progress, but the work is severe.

July 6-We have erected the walls of the house and roofed it, and now the inside partitions and other work have to be done. As we have but one man who knows any thing of carpentering, we cannot expect to move into it till the end of the month.

I met to-day Cowdaeg, on his way to fish. He says he fully intends joining us. His mother-in-law has been trying to dissuade him from this step. The poor fellow is a cripple from the effects of frost-bites, and is unable to do much work; and his father, having lately given away property, is unable to assist him; consequently he is in rags. His mother-in-law asked him if he were not ashamed to be seen amongst us in such a state; but he told her he had learnt that God looks at his heart, not at his clothes, but he hoped next winter to procure skins, and so buy some good clothes.

July 7: Lord's day-About forty at morning service, and nearly the same number in the evening. We held our meetings in the house, which is far pleasanter than in the open air, as the weather is wet.

July 16-Started, with six Indians, to cut wood to build a schoolhouse. A river, which runs near the village, and which we hoped would be deep enough to float our logs, we found was very shallow in some places, so we had some very heavy work. The Indians soon give in when the work is heavy. Their food is far from strengthening. However, my men worked well, saying they wanted to be quick and finish the schoolhouse.

July 20-This week all hands very busy, some in squaring the logs, some bringing more logs, and others clearing the ground. A canoe and a small sloop arrived from Metlahkatlah, bringing our winter's supply of provisions. The Tsimsheans seem much pleased that another village, similar to their own, will, with God's blessing on the work, spring up here.

It was precisely in the same way that the Metlah katlah settlement was commenced; yet it has increased with a healthy growth, so that the houses of the Indians, who once roamed through the woods without any settled habitation, are now upwards of fifty in number, having in the midst a church, with tower and belfry, where assemble on the Lord's-day a goodly congregration of Christian Indians, coming to join in prayer and praise, and to hear God's holy word; all well clad; the women in their cloth mantles and merino dresses, and their heads gaily dressed with the graceful bandanna; and the men in substantial tweeds and broad-cloth suits, the fruits of their own. industry; for close by are the saw-pits, supplying timber of good quality, the product of native labour, while lying at anchor may be seen the sloop, the property of the Christian natives, wherewith they trade with Victoria.

Who shall despise the day of small things?

PORTRAIT OF A KUTCHA-KUTCHIN CHIEF.

PROBABLY many of our readers will wonder where the tribe, which, bears such a curious name, and has such a curious-looking chief, is to be found. They live in the neighbourhood of our Mission at Fort Youcon, in the

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OUR FRIENDS AT QUEBEC.

far west of British North America. The Missionary stationed there is the Rev. R. M'Donald, who has the advantage of having been born in the country. The appearance of the people may be imagined from the portrait we give. They "are an athletic and fine-looking race, above the average stature, and remarkably well proportioned. They have black hair, fine sparkling eyes, moderately high cheek-bones, regular and well-set teeth, and a fair complexion. They perforate the septum of the nose, in which they insert two shells joined together, and tipped with a coloured bead at each end." The men, on all occasions of ceremony, paint their faces with black and red.

The outer garment is of fawn reindeer, dressed with the hair on, and fashioned with peaked skirts. Across the shoulders and breast of the shirt a broad band of beads is worn, "the hinder part of the dress being fringed with fancy beads and small leathern tassels, wound round with dyed porcupine quills, and strung with the silvery fruit of the oleaster." Deer-skin pantaloons, and shoes of the same piece, or sewed on, complete the dress. "A stripe of beads, two inches broad, strung in alternate red and white squares, runs from the ankle to the hip, along the seam of the trowsers, and bands of beads encircle the ankles." "The hair is tied behind in a cue, bound round at the root with a fillet of shells and beads, and loose at the end." "The tail feathers of the eagle or fishing-hawk are stuck in the hair at the back of the head."

In a recent letter received from Mr. M'Donald he says that there had lately been much sickness among his people; but that, though many had died, it was an encouragement to him to find that his labours had not been in vain, and that many of them had, by God's mercy, been prepared for the great change, and were able to look forward with hope to a blessed immortality. Amongst those whom he has baptized is one named Sahnyate. Of him Mr. M'Donald wrote in his journal-" Held morning and evening prayers in Indian. Preached on baptism: text, Matt. xvi. 24, 25. I spoke to most of the Indians this evening individually regarding baptism. They have been waiting for some time past for its being administered to them. The answers of some of them were very good. I may give the replies of Bekenechartye [or "Red-leggings"] and Sahnyate. The former said, that from the time he first heard God's word he has endeavoured to obey it, and that he has an increasing desire to do so he therefore would venture to be baptized, trusting in the mercy of God to enable him to live acceptably before him. Sahnyate said, "You know what I have been, but I wish my soul to be saved. I wish to serve God faithfully, and not to do as I have done. I therefore desire to be baptized, and hope that I may be kept from evil.”

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ANOTHER interesting communication from our friend "E. S.," to whom, although personally unknown, we feel bound in the ties of Christian faith and Christian work. It is dated December 26th, 1867, and the winter was then in its power in Quebec. But Christian love blooms as brightly there as in the sunny regions of

THE SILVER WEDDING.

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the south, and its sweet fragrance is wafted across the Atlantic to refresh us here. It is encouraging to know that the Saviour has His people so widely spread, and that wherever they are, they are each and all doing what they can to His glory.

Since I wrote to you on the 9th of October my Church Missionary Society's Tree has taken place, and I am happy to say that I shall have a larger sum to forward to the Society than last year, including, however, the subscriptions for the drawing and account of Mal Bay, &c., which accompanies my letter. Some of my friends have paid for the above, and others are waiting the arrival of the publications. I have promised to inquire of you at what time they may expect them to be sent by the Society, per Book Post. The additional fifty numbers I asked for may be sent or not, but I should wish to have 100 copies of each of the books I have requested to be forwarded. Having just finished writing an account of the tree (for which I have already found subscribers), I now send it for insertion in the "Church Missionary Gleaner." I shall be happy to receive 100 copies (in an early number) either by Book Post or to the care of Mr. Durnford, who will forward the usual packet to Quebec of any size. I must not forget to say, that not having received as yet the full amount of the moneys to be sent to the Society, I have deposited the amount in hand in the Savings' Bank here for the present. The accounts received of the proceedings of the Society are indeed highly interesting, more especially the encouragement given by the Chinese to the spread of the Gospel. Trusting that, with the new year, additional blessings from on high will be afforded to the Society, and wishing you the compliments of the

season,

I remain, DEAR SIR,

Your's very truly,

Mount Pleasant, Quebec, Christmas, 1867.

E. S. P.S.-I shall be happy to defray the expenses of the books sent by Book Post.

THE SILVER WEDDING.

THIS epoch of time, which has in some countries been made sufficiently general to become a common occurrence, is but little thought of elsewhere, or perhaps not at all, excepting as an observance in the family. circle. The subject having been brought before me for consideration by a friend, I replied that I was on the point of preparing for a Missionary tree, and that the idea may be carried out of combining both, by calling it a Silver Wedding Tree. In the notes of invitation, therefore, the letters S. W. were inserted, and to the monogram of the Society, which decorated the wall of the apartment selected for the Tree to be held, were attached Missionary flags, tied up with white satin ribbon, while, in expectation of the company, a suitable iced cake was provided. The tables, as well as the Missionary Tree, were well supplied with fancy and useful articles: parcels of work from kind contributors, were gratefully received,

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