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
After visiting the Indian camps as I had planned, I got back to the
Lower Settlement Friday night, where we had a prayer-meeting. On
Saturday night we had a never-to-be-forgotten service at a bachelor’s
house near Miller’s Landing. The old man seldom swept his house, and to
save the trouble of washing dishes, when he had used them on the one
side for a time, he turned them over and made use of the other side. We
had to sit on boxes around the fire, which was built, like any Indian
camp, in the centre of the floor, the smoke finding its way out through
the cracks. I trust the dear Lord blessed the poor man. He died soon
afterwards.
Sunday morning I preached to the white people of Sumas from the text,
“Thy word is truth.” At the close of the service I asked all who wished
to talk about religion to stay behind. Several remained, who showed by
their conduct and conversation that the Lord was at work upon their
hearts.
During the afternoon I went on to Chilliwack, and at night preached to
a crowd which filled to overflowing the two rooms in the private house
where we held our service. The Spirit of God was present in mighty,
awakening power, and the whole neighborhood was moved. Not an unkind
word was said to me, in spite of all the threats I had heard of. For
six weeks the work of grace continued, until nearly all the people were
converted.
The interest awakened led to a desire to improve the means of
communication between the two settlements. Early the following week “a
bee” was called to make a road, with pole bridges over the sloughs,
between Sumas and Chilliwack, which was really the first road in the
settlement.
In the midst of all this I was taken with congestion of my left lung,
and had to be kept in the house and treated with a steam bath of hot
water and cedar boughs and mustard plasters for several days. However,
the next Sabbath I took four services, and for weeks following preached
night after night, and have never had anything the matter with my lungs
since.
The awakening was so general that, far and near, nearly everyone was
affected. A man came four miles one morning, while I was ill, to tell
me that though he had taken his horses out that morning to work, he
was so troubled in his soul that he couldn’t work, and then and there
gave his heart to God. At once he became so happy that, as he said,
“the mountains looked brighter, the birds sang sweeter, and all nature
seemed to be praising the Lord,” and he thought he must come and let
me know of his new-found joy. On the way he called at the cabin of a
neighbor and found him on his knees praying.
Another man came several miles after midnight to beg me to get up and
go home with him, for, as he said, he could neither sleep nor eat, and
he feared that he would die if a change did not soon come.
“Praise the Lord!” I shouted.
“Man, don’t talk to me like that; I shall die.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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