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The Nepowewin Station.

Church Missionary Intelligencer, June, 1854.


We conclude the Rev. Henry Budd's journal from p. 120 of our last Number.


May 16, 1853--At length I prevailed on two Indians to hoe up some ground this day for the potatos and barley. They wrought very well indeed. This is the first little help we have got from the Indians in the shape of labour. They are in general so independent, that they care little about goods when they are clothed with the skin of the buffalo.

May 17--We have three working to-day at the potato field, and are getting on very well. We hope soon to get the ground ready for the seed. The school is still kept the whole of every forenoon, and the children continue to attend very regularly. The men who were working came to me, and said that they were tired, and were not able to work any more. We, however, got in all the seed potatos, and only the barley now remains to put in the ground.

May 22: Lord's-day--We have no Indians about the place now: they are all gone to their summer quarters. The people of the Fort, and our own, made up the small congregation who have attended the service this morning. The people of the Fort are very regular in their attendance on the means of grace, although the most of them are Roman Catholics. In the evening we held the evening service in my house.

May 23--We have all the seed in the ground now that we can put down for this time. The ground looks beautiful when it is wrought a little, and promises to bring forth well.

May 24, 1853--The river, which has been rising for some days back, and which had got to a considerable height, is not at a stand. Late in the evening, Mukkes, or the Fox, came into my house, and remained a long time. I had a long conversation again with him on religious subjects. He is always admiring religion, and promising to be a Christian some day. He is only waiting for some of the leading men to come forward and openly profess Christianity, and he is ready to follow.

May 27--We had a fine shower of rain the whole of last night, and continuing to fall this morning. The ground has much need of it, for this is the first rain we have had since the spring.

May 29: Lord's-day--After the morning service was over, the children came in at the usual time. Three of them read the New Testament very well, repeat the collect for the day, and say the Church Catechism; and the other four are now joining fix and six letters together. No Indians have arrived the last week, and we are left to serve alone.

May 31--The Kisiskachewun brigade passed this place in the afternoon, with twenty-six boats, all heavily laden with dried provisions, furs, leather, &c. The Columbia express boat passed in company with the brigade. I was glad to receive some letters from my father-in-law, and from my friends at Columbia, and to learn that they were all very well.

June 1--The two men have gone up the river to get some wood for a small boat, which we intend making, to go down in to Cumberland Station, should there be any Indians here to go with us, the 20th of this month. Some arrival of Indians in the afternoon.

June 2--One of the Indians, who arrived yesterday, came over to my house, and promised to come over to-morrow with his wife and family, to work, and assist us. If these Indians would only learn to work more, they would not only get some assistance for themselves and families, but it would also make them familiar with us, as well as put them in the way of attending prayers, &c., daily.

June 3--The Indian who promised to come over this morning to work has come, and begun, with his wife and daughter, to cut the trees, willows, &c., from the place. The Indian's name is Muskekewinin, or Medicine-man. He belongs to Wulluck Twatt's party, is a very nice Indian, and not the least prejudiced against Christianity. We shall have him attending prayers every evening until we start for Cumberland Station.

June 4--The Indian and his wife continue clearing away the wood from the place, and he attends the prayers in the evening. Our two men brought home the boards for the little boat. The Indians are coming in constantly, and Mukkes with them.

June 5: Lord's-day--The Indians, with all their families, came in to the morning service: the room could not hold half of them: they were crowding about the door. In the evening we held the evening service in our house, where some of the Indians were present again. The Indian having put up his tent alongside of our house, he is always at hand to come in to the service.

June 6--The two men are now beginning with the little boat, and Muskekewinin and his wife are busy with their work also. Mukkes and Muskekewinin are in my house almost every evening. By this means they have an opportunity of hearing of Christianity, and attending our prayers.

June 9--The school is going on as usual, and the children making some improvement. The Indian is a steady worker, and so is his wife. Mukkes went off to-day to hunt some moose-deer, and the first he kills he cuts up and brings it on the horses' backs.

June 12: Lord's-day--Muskekewinin being still with us, with all his family, we form a little band crossing the river for the morning service, where we find all the Fort people ready to join us. In the afternoon, after we had come to our own side, I asked Muskekewinin for one of his children to teach. He consented to let me have one when I came from Cumberland.

June 14--Mukkes, or the Fox, sent in two horses laden with moose meat: the half of the meat was to be for us, and the other half for the Fort. We have got our little boat nearly finished. The Indian is still sticking to his work.

June 15--I have finished the translation of the Psalms this day. The whole of the 150 Psalms are now translated into the Cree. I dismissed the school-children, and supplied them with what books I had. I start on Monday next for Cumberland: the Indian will continue tenting at our place till I get up again. Joseph Turner remains in charge of the Mission, and has to speak to the Indians a little on religious subjects while I am away, and keep daily prayers with them and his family. Only Benjamin and myself go down to Cumberland Station. Muskekewinin came to me, and said, 'We will think very long after you are gone away. If you were going in your little boat I would go with you.' But having no pitch to finish the boat, I was forced to take our small canoe, and we had no room for the Indian.

June 17--We were preparing for an early start on Monday morning. The whole of the see which we have put down, both in the field and in the garden, is coming on well. The barley and potatos look remarkably well.

June 19, 1853: Lord's-day--After the usual services had been held, both at the Fort and in our own house, I went into the Indian's tent, and had another good talk with him. Both himself and his wife seem to take interest, and listen very attentively. They are daily getting familiar, and the more I know of them the more I think of them.

June 20--I started this morning for Cumberland, with one of my men, in a small canoe. Having a swift current with us, we soon got down to the Lower Nepowewin; and, paddling down the stream the whole of the day, we reached, late in the evening, three camps of Indians on the banks of the Kisiskahtchewun. They are Indians from the Nepowewin above: they have been down to the Cumberland Fort with their spring hunt, and are now on their way to the Nepowewin. They brought down to our canoe some dried meat and some fresh beaver, and invited us to camp alongside of them, saying that we could get as much fresh meat as we liked to-morrow, if we would only wait till they went for it in the morning. They had killed two large moose a few hours before we reached them. However, we had no room in our little canoe for any thing: therefore I could only thank them for their offer, and proceeded on my way.

June 24--We arrived in the evening at Christ Church, Cumberland. I was truly thankful to find that God had brought me back again to this spot in peace, in life, and in health; and to find that all my family had shared with me in the loving-kindness of the Lord filled me with gratitude to that God 'who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.' I could not but notice the improvement the Indians had made during the last ten months that I have been away. The new houses that have been put up and finished; the houses that are now building, with their farms adjoining, which look much larger and much better; with the regular attendance on the means of grace, both on the Lord's-days as well as on the week-day evening lectures; bear testimony that they have improved much in their outward circumstances, and are 'growing in grace, and in knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'

June 25--Nearly the whole of the Indians belonging to the Station are here, and therefore the schoolroom was full to overflowing at the evening prayers. Peter Erasmus addressed the people on the subject of confirmation: I was surprised to hear him, and to know how much he had improved.

June 26: Lord's day--The bell rung for the morning prayers, and immediately the river was almost covered with canoes, from one side to the other. The schoolroom was quite full. The attendance, also, in the Sunday-school was at the highest. The children have evidently made much progress during the past year. I read the prayers this morning, and Mr. Hunter preached. In the evening I preached to a congregation as full as in the morning. The whole of the Indians belonging to this station, with those from Cumberland Fort, are here now, waiting for the arrival of the Bishop of Rupert's Land, whom we expected to have joined us to-day.

July 6--We were cheered by the Indians calling out from the opposite side that they saw a large canoe coming, which undoubtedly must be the bishop's. In a few minutes there was a number of people to be seen on the edge of the bank: every face looked so cheerful, that it was not difficult to guess what was within. We were all made happy to see our beloved bishop, the Rev. Robert M'Donald, and my son Henry, all come ashore in very good health and spirits. My heart was ready to say, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.' The schoolroom, as might be expected, was filled to overflowing at the evening lecture. It was my turn to officiate this evening; and as it was to be a sacrament-day the next Sunday, I addressed the people from Luke xxii. 19, 20. I spoke on the institution of the Lord's supper, and on the preparation necessary for the receiving of it worthily.

July 7--The bishop examined the school, and was much pleased with the progress the children had made in their learning. To most of the school-children he very kindly gave something. I received several questions this day to answer, in preparation for priests' orders. The schoolroom being too crowded, the lecture for this evening was held in the church, when Mr. Hunter officiated, and addressed the people in Cree.

July 8--The bishop went across the river, and visited all the houses of the Christian Indians on that side. He could not but notice the growing improvement the Indians have made since he was here three years ago. At the evening prayers a great number of the Indians and people attended, so that we had to open the church again. It was Peter Erasmus's turn to address the people, which he did from the words of St. Paul, Acts xvii. 30.

July 10: Lord's-day--Such a large attendance at morning prayer, that it was necessary to hold the same in the church. The school commenced at the usual time, upwards of ninety in number. At eleven o'clock the morning service commenced. Brother Hunter read the prayers, and the bishop preached the ordination sermon from Acts ii. 11. I felt deeply humbled when about to take upon me the still greater responsibility of the ministry. The most solemn vows that man can make to God on earth are now upon me: still greater expectations are raised with regard to my usefulness in this land. The Society in England will expect more from me, the eyes of all the clergy in this country will be upon me, and the eyes of my countrymen are daily upon me. If I do not act worthily, not only of the Christian name, but of that of a minister of the Gospel of Christ, shall I not greatly disappoint the expectation of all my brethren in the ministry, and wound the feelings of all my Christian friends and countrymen? These thoughts, and a thousand more, occupied my mind when about to take the vows of God upon me. And oh! 'who is sufficient for these things?' Were it not for that promise of our blessed Saviour, 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,' I should have sunk under the weight. I most earnestly beg an interest in the prayers of our beloved Society and Committee in England, of all my dear brethren in this country, and of all my Christian friends and countrymen, that I may be 'faithful unto death,' and at last receive the 'crown of life.' After the ordination, the communion service commenced, when we enjoyed the privilege of partaking of the Lord's supper with much comfort to our own souls. In the evening I preached from 1 Thess. v. 25--'Brethren, pray for us.' I felt so much that I needed the prayers of the whole congregation, that I chose this text, and took the opportunity of entreating them to pray for all men, to pray for their bishop, and for all their ministers, and especially to pray for me, as being the most needy.

July 11, 1853--The bishop held the confirmation this morning: there were about fifty persons confirmed. When the confirmation service was over, the visitation was held. Mr. Hunter preached an English sermon very suitable for the occasion, and the bishop delivered his charge. This day has been good for my soul: it has been to me a 'time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.' I felt that I could endure greater trials and face greater difficulties for the cause of Christ. In short, the whole of the bishop's visit has much revived our spirits, strengthened our hands, animated our zeal, and encouraged us much in the work of the Lord.

July 17: Lord's-day--The number attending both in the school this morning, and also at the morning service, is still at the highest. I preached this morning: the church was nearly crowded. In the evening I read the prayers, and Peter Erasmus addressed the people.

After the evening service was over I called to go and see little Mary Bell, who was sick, and evidently dying. The poor thing, however, was quite calm and collected. Soon after I had been seated she waved her hand, desired that some one would come near, and then said, 'Now you can be praying: pray now, for I like to hear you.' She lay quite still all the time we were singing a hymn and praying.

July 18--I was still preparing the hymns, the Belief, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and several verses out of the Scriptures. I was writing these in the syllabic characters, to get it printed for the old people among the Indians. Little Mary is suffering much, but very patiently. Her father has gone down to Norway House in the Mission boat. When he was about starting, taking his leave, she told him that he would not find her living; she would be gone before he came back. 'You will not find me in this world: I shall be in eternity.' So conscious was little Mary of her approaching end.

July 19--The little girl still keeps very weak: she is evidently sinking fast into the grave. She is aware that ere long she must quit 'this tabernacle.' She has read of God's mercy, and of Christ's willingness 'to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,' and has, I trust, sought refuge in that Saviour, and has obtained pardon through that mercy which enables her to suffer so patiently and calmly, though evidently she must be near her end.

July 22--Little Mary exchanged, this morning, her earthly tabernacle for that 'building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' She died, scarcely conscious of any pain--just slept away. Several of the people were there present, and her mother said, 'I have always been backward to give up my poor girl; always wished to gratify my own desire rather than bend to the will of God; but this morning I thought all of a sudden that I could not be doing right, so I have lost all my own will now, and my will is ready to say, "'Lord, Thy will be done.'"

July 23--The remains of Mary Bell were this day committed 'to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.'

July 31: Lord's day--As I am in a few days to quit this place for the Nepowewin, I would beg, just before I close, an interest in the prayers of all my brethren and Christians in England, of the Committee at large, and of all Christians connected with the Missionary work.


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