k for more promising materials. Here he met with exactly the
opposite difficulty--most of the tribes were more or less civilized, and
had, at any rate, advanced so far in knowledge of the world as to be
unwilling to put themselves into his power. He soon saw that the best
way of securing such a party as he wished, would be to find one Indian,
whom he might make to some degree a confidant and partner in the
enterprise, and who would naturally possess a stronger influence with
the rest, than he could himself obtain. It was a long time before he
succeeded in doing this; but when he did, it was to perfection. An
island about fifty miles from Cacouna, called Moose Island, was then,
and still is, occupied by a settlement of Ojibways. A Jesuit mission,
established on the Canadian bank of the river, had been devoted to the
conversion of these people, with so much success that nearly all of them
were nominal Christians. For the rest, they lived in their own way,
providing for themselves by hunting and fishing, and keeping their
national customs and character almost unchanged. In the mission-house,
however, a few children were brought up by the priests with the greatest
care,--probably because it was by means of these boys, that they hoped
more effectually to civilize the whole tribe. At any rate, they taught
them all that they could have taught Europeans; having them completely
in their own hands, there was no difficulty about this, and the more
intelligent among them became good scholars. There was one boy, however,
who distinguished himself above the rest, and was naturally the pride
and favourite of the mission. He was an orphan, whom they had named
Christian, and whom they were turning expressly for a priest. But when
Christian was about sixteen, the mission was for the first time
disturbed. Some Protestant missionaries invaded the island itself, and
built their house close to the Indian wigwams. They spoke the language
sufficiently to be understood, and took every means of making themselves
acceptable to the people. They were men of great fervour and
earnestness, and to the Indian senses, their religion, with its
abundant hymns, and exclamatory prayers, had an attraction greater than
that of the more decorous service to which they were accustomed. One by
one, the so-called converts left the Jesuit church, and were
re-converted with great acclamation. But when the infection reached
their own pupils, their own particular and be