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ENCOURAGEMENT AT NINGPO.

[FEB.

and most interesting conversation with him on the word of God, and the glorious truths it reveals to poor, fallen man. My conversation with him at the time was more one of inquiry as to the knowledge of divine things he had already acquired, than of direct instruction, such as is essential in the case of most Chinese visitors. The result of my investigation at the time was the discovery of the fact, that, whether or not really converted by the Spirit of God, through the instrumentality of His blessed word, he at least had attained to a most surprising knowledge, not only of the general facts recorded in Scripture, but also of those peculiar doctrines of Christianity which seem so mysterious and incomprehensible to the mere natural and unenlightened man. On parting with him that evening, I gave him a copy of the whole Bible, and begged him to call again when he found it convenient.

I saw him, however, after this interview but a short time, on one or two occasions, until my return from Shanghae, when he again made his appearance at my house. On inquiring into the cause of his absence, I learned from him that he had been very ill, as his delicate appearance testified, which illness seemed to have awakened in him a deeper interest as to his soul's eternal welfare. Suffice it to say, that, putting himself under definite instruction for a short time, Mr. Cobbold and I felt satisfied as to his fitness for baptism; and accordingly, on Easter Sunday last, we administered to him this appointed symbol of admission into the church of Christ, in company with six others, male and female; and that we have now engaged him to be a teacher of a day-school, in which capacity we trust he may prove very useful.

The second case referred to above, of a somewhat similar kind, is that of a native of this city, who, for the first time, called upon me on the 14th of this month. After a very lengthened conversation with him also, I was similarly struck, as in the above-mentioned case, with the very accurate and extensive Scriptural knowledge he had acquired, through a similar instrumentality-namely, the almost unaided, but attentive perusal of the word of God in his own closet, much, as he told me, to the wonderment of his neighbours, who often twitted him upon his fondness for the book of the red-haired men (our usual designation amongst the Ningpo people), to the neglect of the writings of his own Confucius, which were at least as good as any barbarian production. "But," said he, "this I quietly bore, for a something told me I had in my possession a book of precious value, from which, for the last two years, I could not bear to be separated."

This man was anxious, before baptism, to have his mind settled on several points which presented difficulty to him; and Mr. Russell entered fully and freely into conversation with him respecting them. The questions which he put to our Missionary evidenced a mind deeply exercised on divine truth; and Mr. Russell is encouraged to hope that a spirit of inquiry is awakening amongst natives of education and intelligence.

(To be concluded in our next.)

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WINTER VISIT TO THE INDIANS ON THE PLAINS SOUTH OF THE KISISKACHEWUN.

THE winter season is constantly used by our Missionaries in Rupert's Land for the purpose of Indian-seeking. Then, when the rivers and lakes are frozen over, and the plains covered with the hard dry snow, the Indians hunt the buffalo or furanimals; and then it is that our Missionaries go forth to seek out the heathen Indians who are wandering in the wilderness of sin, "having no hope, and without God in the world," if so be they may "seek and save that which is lost." The Rev. Henry Budd, our native Missionary, has commenced a new station at the Nepowewin, which promises to be one of much interest and importance. There, during the winter of 1853-54, he laboured most diligently in his efforts to instruct the groups of Red men who came in to barter at the Fort. But this was not all: he went in search of others. Amongst other undertakings of the kind, he proceeded, in March last, to visit, afar off in the plains, a group of Indians who were under the leading of a half-blooded Indian, George Sutherland by name. The description of his journey, and of his reception, will best be given in his own words.

Feb. 27, 1854-We were preparing for our trip to the Plains, to visit George Sutherland and his party; at the same time to see, if possible, the Carlton people. May the Spirit of God go forth with us, and follow our small efforts with His blessing, and make the Indians willing to hear His word!

Feb. 28-We started at an early hour-Joseph Turner, Benjamin, and myself-taking with us two sledges of dogs and a cariole. We strike out for the Plain quarter to look for George Sutherland and his family, who is two days above Fort Carlton; and we intend to try and find out Carlton from the Plains, and see the Carlton people on our return. The day was unusually fine for travelling, and we got on very well. We camped at the edge of a mountain at the further end of Water-hen lake. Though the snow was so deep, we went on very well, because we had the advantage of having a hard track; but when we had to clear away the snow, and make our encampment, we found it was scarcely practicable. After we had taken our supper, we committed ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father for the night.

March 1-We got up early and started again. Our road lay through woods, &c., and we have to go over the mountain, through lakes, woods, and willows. About four in the evening we came to a lake where we found some tents of Indians. They were the Nepowewin Indians, and had pitched there coming towards Nepowewin. We went into their tents for a few minutes, and then went on, to get to a place where we could find a spot for camping.

March 2-We got up in time this morning to get our dogs harnessed and under way by the break of day. We are to try to get to the edge of the Plains to-night, and from there to reach Sutherland's camp. Our road lay through woods and spots of plain: the day was fine for travel

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WINTER VISIT TO THE INDIANS ON THE

[FEB. ling. We came to the last point of wood bordering on the plain, and camped there.

March 3-We commenced a very wide opening this morning before daylight. It was with much difficulty we could keep the road, as it was not discernible for some distance: our course lay through a wide plain, no woods to be seen before us, no living creature but wolves and foxes playing about us. All over, as far as the eye could reach, the snow heaped up here and there by the nose of the buffalo, and quite chopped up by their feet. Carcases of buffaloes to be seen lying in every direction, having been killed by the Indians, and left there to be devoured by the wolves and crows. We struck right out to the wide plain, and nothing but the blue sky to be seen overhead, and a great sheet of snow below. Long after we had lost sight of the woods behind us, we at length discovered some wood before us, and, as we approached the same, we knew it to be a river, a branch of the Kisiskachewun, called the South Branch. When we reached the river the sun was quite low. We were glad to put ashore on a small island of wood, and take a cup of warm tea, which refreshed us much. We had to make another opening, but nothing like the one we had past.

We at length reached the old man's tent. Four large tents were standing in front of us: one of them was the old man's, and the remaining three belong to his sons. A little distance off were forty tents of Crees and Stone Indians, the rest of Sutherland's sons and sons-in-law. Men, women, and children came running out of their tents, and gazed at us while we were approaching them. When I was inquiring after the old man, they pointed to a tent, and told me that he was there. While I was making my way through the crowd, going towards George Sutherland's tent, the old man came out to bid me welcome in, and gave me a hearty shake of the hand; and calling me into his tent, and having spread a new robe for me, le bade me sit down. I had no sooner sat down than he told his wife to put on the kettle. She was soon ready with something cooked, a dish of good fresh meat and buffalo tongues. I thought that what she gave me was plenty for us all three, myself and my two men; but no, she put some more meat in another dish, and filled that of meat also, which she gave to the two men. Certainly we had plenty for supper. In the evening I told the old man that I wanted to have prayers before I laid down. "You are quite at liberty to do what you like," was the answer. The old man had prayers with us, and they all listened with much attention while I spoke on the words of our blessed Lord, St. Matthew xxviii. 19, 20. After the prayers were over, the old man and myself sat up to a late hour, speaking with him on religious subjects.

He

March 4-I sat with the old man in his tent most of this day. has a very large tent, and he requires it. Besides the youngest of his own family, which could not be less than five or six little children, he has two sons-in-law living in his tent with their families, and two or three grandsons, who were grown up.

Indians from the other tents were flocking in, and filled the tent till there was no room, large as it was. The old man was busy having his tobacco-box full of cut tobacco and smoking weed mixed, and filling the big pipe of peace. The large pipe is filled, lighted, and the stem pointed

1855.]

PLAINS SOUTH OF THE KISISKACHEWUN.

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to the four quarters of the world, and then it is given to the oldest son, who gives it two or three sucks, and then hands it to another next to him, and so on till the pipe comes round to the old man. When the pipe was emptied, it had to go by the way it came, from hand to hand, until it reached the old man, who scarcely allowed it to get cool when he had to fill it again. We had it very quiet in the old man's tent; but in the forty tents at one side nothing but drumming, gambling, and singing, was to be heard. They were busy with their feasts and dances-a rite which they have to perform yearly in honour to the god Pahkuk for giving them plenty of buffalo meat. The old man's wife cooks for us regularly every mealtime, and it is surprising how fast she can cut up a joint of the buffalo. The old man still attended prayers with us this evening, and listened with astonishment to the word of life. The whole tentful sit quietly and are orderly all the time of prayers.

March 5: Lord's-day-After we had breakfasted, I asked the old man to call in his family into the tent. I wanted to have prayers, and I wished them to be present, in order that I might tell them something of the love of God and the salvation of their own souls. He sent a young man over, and now the tent was found far too small to hold all that came a large tent of twenty buffalo skins: it was like a little church. The men only were allowed to come in, and buffalo robes were spread for them to sit on: the women were not allowed to come in even those belonging to the tent were ordered out. I was very sorry, but I could not interfere. However, I learnt afterwards that the women had heard the sermon as well as the men: they seated themselves round the eaves of the tent, and, the tent being open, they heard every word distinctly. I believe there were far more outside than those who were in. There was no smoking going on, and not a word from any of them all the time of service. I spoke to them from St. John iii. 16, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." After the service the old man took the pipe again, and the same operation was gone through. They found one pipe too little, and now they must have two pipes going. As they were smoking, and talking over what they had just heard, one giving his opinion and another giving his, first one said that he thought it to be all true what he had heard. "Yes," said another, "I think it is all very good too." Would to God that they heard of the love of God in Christ often, and the way of salvation through Him! I am persuaded that if one was to itinerate among them, tent with them, preach to them of the love of God, of their own ruined state, and exhort them to "flee from the wrath to come," the word of God would soon take hold of their minds, and they would be led to fly to Christ for a refuge. I wish, from my heart, that I had the means of spending some few months with this camp of Indians in the course of a summer. I am led to think that it would not be time spent in vain. Even now, if I had not set out to go to Fort Carlton, and if I knew that the services could be kept up at home without me, I would not return, but send the men home with the sleds, and I would remain with the Indians alone, and go in with them some time in May. I would be sure of a congregation always, and of a church too, in the old man's tent. In the afternoon I read to them portions of the Cree translations of St. Matthew,

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THE MYSTERIOUS ARMY.

[FEB.

the Belief, the ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer, all in Cree; the old man interrupting me, asking some questions on the Commandments, wanting to know the meaning of them. The women did not leave their seats outside the tent until it was all over. We had some Stone Indians, too, among our congregation; but of course they would nor understand what had been said. They sat still, and gazed at us with astonishment.

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THE MYSTERIOUS ARMY.

WE were but weak, our captain strong;
Our deeds were dark, our weapons bright;
With scattered ranks we swept the field,
And won the victory by flight.

Though allies joined by closest ties,
Our face was each from other hid;
And though our work was seen from far,
We saw not what we did.

One common enterprise we shared,
Hind'ring each other's course;
Fearful of those who feared us most
Helpless against their force.

Pris'ners in bonds, we wandered wide;

Foes to our land, yet free from blame;
Though wise and crafty, yet in this
The tools of others we became.

Countless the bearded heads that fell
Before our march that day,

Whilst vineyards, homesteads, olive-yards,
In devastation lay.

We struggled hard, yet, strange to say,
No stranger felt a blow--
Our comrades our antagonists,

Our chief our chiefest foe!

Our banner bright, that oft has cheered,
Spread dire alarm where'er we came;
Avenging one we ruined more,

And added massacre to shame.

W. P. W.

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