r which we had prayed, overwhelmed us, blinded us,
and nearly smothered us. It was the cloud of their vile weeds and
tobacco. As well as I could I talked to them of God and his love, and
of the way of salvation, and the blessings which would come to them if
they would cheerfully and heartily accept Him. We then sang the Jubilee
hymn,--

"Blow ye the trumpet, blow."

This hymn has been translated into their language. The tune we used was
"Lennox," and I urged them to help us to sing. I gave out the hymn
verse by verse, and said, "Sing as well as you can." Some followed very
well, and others, while trying to follow the words, seemed to have
substituted for the tune one of their Indian lilts. After the religious
service was over, we hastily boiled our kettles, made tea, and had our
suppers, for we had travelled far, and were very hungry. The Indians
had nothing themselves but tea, fish, and tobacco. I never saw such
smokers. Even little unweaned children were adepts in the use of the
pipe.

After tea the ceremonious speeches were delivered. The head chief was
of course the first to speak again. His address was very complimentary.
He said he had been gazing all day long across the great lake watching
for my coming. Although it was several moons since, I had promised that
in this one, if possible, I would be on hand. My coming just at the
time I did, showed that I was a man of my word, and could be depended
upon.

"We feel," he said, "that we Indians are but children in the presence of
the whites. Great changes are taking place. The buffalo and deer once
so abundant are fast disappearing. Our fathers told us long ago that
the buffalo was the special gift of the Great Spirit to the Indian, and
that when it disappeared the Indian must go also. But in your words you
tell us good things about the Great Spirit, and we are thankful that you
have come. We wish you could live among us and thus talk to us."

Thus he and others talked for a long time.

We went over the business of the approaching treaty, and I told them all
I knew about the matter, and assured them that they need have no fear or
alarm. The Dominion Government would treat them honourably and fairly.
More tobacco was smoked, and extra kettles of tea were made and drunk,
and then I was told that as an additional mark of their thankfulness to
me for thus coming with these assuring and quieting words, they now
wished to give me the tribal cerem