168 THE LABRADOE PENINSULA. chap. xxxr. 



Nineteen-twentietlis of the Labrador Indians are Eoman 

 Catholics, and the labours of the missionaries of that 

 faith have the first claim to notice. In 1843 the 

 Eoman Catholic Bishop of Quebec replied to the 

 enquiries of the commission appointed to investigate 

 Indian affairs with much candour, but with no little 

 regard for the maintenance of Eoman Cathohc sway- 

 over the Indians, whom they claim as their own. The 

 opinion of the Bishop is decisive ; he thinks that Indians 

 residing in villages (and he refers particularly to the 

 Hurons of Lorette) have no desire whatever of making 

 further progress in civilisation ; that it is useless to impart 

 to them any other knowledge than that of their religion ; 

 and tliat it is a loss of time to attempt to wean them 

 from the roaming life which they think themselves destined 

 to lead.* 



Proofs without number exist of the inefficacy of the 

 early Jesuit missions in the wilds of Canada ; the Hurons 

 of Lorette, for instance, have existed for more than 

 200 years in the neighbourhood of the most ancient, 

 and one of the most populous cities of Canada, without 

 advancing in civihsation. 



Charlevoix relates that in 1638, when rehgious zeal, as 



* After giving this judgement, the Bishop adds, 'Incase it should be 

 competent for the commission, in whose name you have written to me, to 

 enquire into the religious state of our Indians, I will take the liberty of sug- 

 gesting, through you, that if it be desired that these Indians should have for 

 their religious faith that attachment and respect, without which they are 

 continually exposed to stray from the paths of lionom- and of honesty, it is 

 important that those preachers should not be admitted amongst them, who, 

 without any mission whatever, and under the pretext of preaching the Gospel, 

 carry division and trouble among the tribes, who will always be peaceable 

 and united as long as they are faithful to the religion of their foreftithers.' 



