at a Catholic could not
be present, even as a witness, "_sine culpa_"[4] when I performed the
marriage ceremony, "_inter Catholicos et Haereticos_."[5]

[4] Without blame.

[5] Between Catholics and Heritics.

The locusts which had begun the work of destruction at my leaving the
Colony for York Factory, had completely destroyed the crops; and during
my absence, a party of Sioux Indians, came to Fort Douglas, in
expectation, it was said, of receiving presents from the stores. It was
thought advisable to promise them some goods, on their returning
peaceably to their own country, and they manifested no other than a
peaceable disposition to all parties. The Saulteaux Indians, however,
of Red River, between whom and the Sioux nation, a hostile feeling has
existed from time immemorial, became very irritable; and a small party
of them fired upon a straggling party of the Sioux, in a garden on the
Point below the Colony Fort; they killed two, and wounded a third; and
fled with such precipitation by swimming the river, and running through
the willows, as to escape the vengeance, and almost the view of those
who survived. It is the glory of the North American Indian to steal
upon his enemies like a fox, to attack like a tiger, and flee after the
attack like a bird. The Indians were not seen any more till after the
Sioux had left the settlement, who went away murmuring, that powder and
ball had been given, as they said, at the Fort, to the Saulteaux, to
kill them. In fact they had formed a deep laid scheme to scalp the
person in charge of Fort Douglas, in the absence of the 'Charge
d'Affaires' of the Colony, and were only prevented carrying it into
execution by one of the party giving information to a person at the
Farm, as to their intentions. They buried those who were shot near the
Stockades of the Fort, and for more than a week after they were gone,
the Saulteaux, in their savage fondness to exhibit the scalp in their
war-dance, and obtain possession of the toes and fingers of the slain,
made several attempts by night to disturb the graves, but were
prevented getting these trophies, by a watch that was kept.

NOVEMBER 11.--The winter is again set in with severity, and I have been
greatly disappointed in not having the building so far finished, as to
have accommodated the schoolmaster with a residence, as well as to have
afforded a place for divine worship before this period. He is now
resident with the Indian b