for themselves. The term, "My Children," comes with from those who seem bent on driving them

an ill

grace

from their fathers' house.

As yet, the Ojibway Nation in Canada West have not to my knowledge received any encouragement pecuniarily from the government for education. What they have attained has been received by their own efforts. I remember several years ago of being sent to the then Governor of the Province, in Montreal, for aid in our school. All that we received was a nod—which our gracious father deigned to give.

It is more provoking now with us, since we have suffered in name from the acts of the last war, with the British and the Americans. Our fathers fought for the British during these struggles. Now, since these are passed we have been left to ourselves, and until the government require our services, shall remain uncared for. Your British subjects may say, 'Do we not give you blankets, and clothe you and your children? But what amount of land has not our people given to the government since they became so poor?

And if the benevolent of the United States had not given us education, many of us would have been still wandering in the woods of Canada without the means of religious education. We don't want merely blankets

to cover the body,-we want Light! We want Education!

For several years I have been denied receiving any presents from the British government, consisting of a blanket, a shirt, and leggins-because I had been too much with the Americans, the enemies of the British government. I would rather never see a blanket again. Think how small for a man to be bought with a blanket!

The whole of the Indian population of Canada West is improving rapidly. The bands are uniting, and will not in future be so isolated as formerly.

The writer in 1844 and 1845, endeavored to convince his brethren of many advantages they would derive by being in large communities. Through his influence the Chiefs of Owen's Sound, and Sahageeng, made their offer to the scattered bands of Indians throughout the Western country.

At the General Council, to which allusion was made in a previous chapter, it was suggested that a meeting of the small villages be made at the following placesRice Lake, in New Castle District; in Muncytown, London District; and in Owen's Sound Bay, in the Eastern part of Lake Huron.

This meeting the Indians have already commenced.

Several villages have been abandoned, and their tenants departed to the places above specified.

In the winter seasons sleigh rides are popular, and visits to neighboring tribes, in large bodies, are quite frequent.

Christmas and New Year's dinners are, with the Ojibways, occasions of much merriment.

The village of Alnwich is one side of the Lake, and that of Rice Lake opposite. The distance between them is about seven miles. Chief John Sandy orders his warriors to give a dinner to the other tribe on Christmas—and they in return give a dinner to Sandy's tribe on New Year's day.

In 1848, I was present, at my father's village, Rice Lake, when one of these dinners took place. In point of order, social mirth, and real enjoyment, it was equal to any aldermanic festivity among the whites.

CHAPTER XV.

THE EARLY DISCOVERY OF THE NORTHWEST-THE

FIRST TRADERS AND ADVENTURERS.

THE early discovery of the Northwest has been a subject of considerable interest-and as there is much valuable information in the following, which we take from one of the Minesota Territory papers, prepared by the Rev. Edward D. Neill, the research which is here found will be apparent. If the missionary field was blessed with more such men, it would augment its interests in the mind of the literary world. It is to be hoped that he will continue to give such information from time to time for the general good.

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The journals of the first missionaries to the Hurons were perused with like enthusiasm by the kings, queens, statesmen, merchants, artizans, and peasants of Papal Europe. The lovers of romance wept freely over the sufferings of the priests, and the reported conversion of

so many to the faith. The enterprizing merchant encouraged the missions that were opening so many new avenues of trade.

Before proceeding to a sketch of the explorers and explorations in Minesota during the seventeenth century, let us rapidly glance at the progress of discovery in the countries adjacent. As early as 1634, the Indians had learned to bring their furs to Quebec, and received European manufactures in exchange. In September of that year, two priests, Brebœuf and Daniel, determined to accompany a party of Hurons to their forest home, and teach them the doctrines of the Christian religion. They were the first Europeans that erected a house in the neighborhood of Lake Huron.

Seven years after, a bark canoe, containing priests of the same order, passed through the river Ottawa, and coasted along the shores of Lake Huron, to visit, by invitation, the Ojibways, at the outlet of Lake Superior. After a voyage of seventeen days, they arrived at the Falls of St. Mary, where they found assembled two thousand of that tribe, who now dwell in the Northeastern portion of our Territory.

While here, they obtained much information, calculated to inflame the zeal of the Society of Jesus, and their patrons in Europe. Here, for the first time, civilized