Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific CoastCrosby, Thomas
History
Among the An-ko-me-nums, or Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific Coast
Crosby, Thomas
Indians of North America -- Missions; Salish Indians
In two hours and a half we reached the mouth of the Fraser River, all
drenched to the skin, but thankful to a kind Providence which had
brought us safely through.
“I did not hear you ministers pray at all in the storm,” said the old
heathen captain, after we had landed.
We told him we prayed in our hearts while we were working. But there
was no doubt about his prayers, for we could hear him and his wife
shouting back at the great waves, “Don’t drown us! Don’t take us down!
for the missionaries are on board. Oh, you great big angry waves, don’t
be so angry, and we will be good if you don’t drown us.” And then
all the Indians would join in the cry, “Don’t take us! Don’t drown
us!” True to their custom, I think they would have liked some food or
property to give as a sacrifice to the angry waves.
I told the old captain I was glad to hear him pray, as I had never
heard him pray before, but he should give his heart to God and become a
Christian, and he might be useful in leading others to Jesus. He was a
strong, daring fellow, a great dancer, a confirmed gambler, and, poor
fellow! he was a terror when drunk.
On one occasion I found poor old Chilk standing at bay, with a pile of
cobble-stones beside him, with which he was defending himself against
anyone who might come near. He was dangerous when drunk, and two
policemen were vainly endeavoring to get close enough to arrest him.
When I came along the police appealed to me.
“Oh, Chilk, you should not do that. Go home and be a good man,” I said
to him as I passed.
“Don’t talk to me! Don’t talk to me!” he replied.
I did not stop to argue with him, but, passing on, I immediately
wheeled around, and while his attention was again being taken by the
policeman, I ran back and grabbed him by his long hair and pulled him
over backwards. He commenced to kick and bite, but the policemen seized
their opportunity, and before he could do any harm they had him bound
hand and foot, and shortly afterwards landed him in jail.
The next day, sober and in his right mind, and liberated, Chilk came
to me and thanked me most earnestly for the part I had played. Nor was
there any sarcasm in his action, for, he said, “I am so glad for what
you did, for I might have killed somebody and been now in jail.”
CANOE BETTER THAN STEAMBOAT.
Just as we entered the Fraser River we were surprised to see the little
steamer _Enterprise_ coming down, and as we passed her the chairman,
Dr. Evans, and his colleague, Rev. Arthur Browning, bowed to us.
District Meeting was over, and they were going home to Victoria!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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