18963 Duncan and His Disciples 



Alexander 

 Archi- 



of Ottawa, botanist of the Canadian Museum, and Gerald 

 E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, a young British naturahst. These 

 gentlemen accompanied us on the Albatross as guests of the 

 United States Government, and every possible courtesy was 

 shown them on the islands. From Ottawa was also sent Andrew 

 Halkett, a skillful observer who spent the entire summer on 

 various sealing schooners. 



Leaving Seattle for the north in early June, we Through 

 had one of the most delightful sea-trips in the 

 world, the "inside passage" through the Alexander 'pdago 

 Archipelago, a maze of rocky, wooded islands be- 

 tween Vancouver and Sitka. At the Indian village 

 of New Metlakahtla on Annette Island, we met for 

 the first time the missionary, William Duncan, a 

 very remarkable man. Sometime in the '70's, as 

 clergyman of the Anglican Communion, Duncan 

 had begun his labors among the Simsian Indians, a 

 fierce tribe of cannibals living on the mainland 

 coast of British Columbia, south of the Alaskan 

 line. By sheer force of personal courage, after a great 

 many hairbreadth escapes he won the confidence of 

 the people, and then proceeded to civilize and 

 Christianize them, so that later, under his direction, 

 they built a pretty village called Metlakahtla, and 

 became comfortably self-supporting. 



The Church, taking belated and unintelligent 

 notice of the good work, then sent out a bishop to 

 direct it. But the latter insisted on the use of 

 wine at Communion, an arrangement to which 

 Duncan strenuously objected, as even a taste of 



best suit, Lucas remarked: "Any one would know that your clothes were made 

 in London." Thompson seemed gratified. "How so.?" he asked. "Because 

 none of them fit," was the answer. But I soon had my fling at Lucas, who 

 was recounting his boyish adventures on a trip to the South Seas. "Every- 

 where we stopped," said he, "the people ran out to look at me." "No wonder," 

 I retorted, "with that bunch of red side whiskers!" 



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achieve- 

 ment 



