84 



Inasmuch 



Governor 

 Semple, 1815 



Appointment 

 of Rev. J. 

 West, 1820 



Journal Pub* 

 tished, 1824 



England, he was required to ascertain if any trace 

 existed of either temple of worship, or idol, and 

 whether it would be practicable to gather the 

 children together for education and industrial 

 training. In his report he said : I have trodden 

 the burnt ruins of houses, barns, a mill, a fort, 

 and sharpened stockades; but none of a place of 

 worship, even upon the smallest scale. I blush 

 to say that over the whole extent of the Hudson s 

 Bay Territories no such building exists.&quot; &quot;The 

 Hudson s Bay Company, nevertheless, were not 

 entirely unmindful of their religious duties ; the 

 chief factor at each post being required to read 

 the Church Service to their employees every Sun 

 day, and they sent out the Reverend J. West, as 

 Chaplain to the Red River Settlement. Desirous of 

 benefiting the heathen also he offered his services to 

 the Church Missionary Society, with the view of 

 establishing schools for the Indians, and that 

 Society provided him with 100 to make a trial.&quot; 

 In this manner at one time, and in the person of 

 one man, the &quot;Church&quot; and &quot;Indian Missions&quot; 

 entered formally and officially the Prairie and 

 North Western Provinces of Canada. 



Mr. West kept a journal of his experiences in the 

 settlement. On the first page he says: &quot;In my 

 appointment as Chaplain to the company, my 

 instructions were, to reside at the Red River 

 Settlement, and under the encouragement and 

 aid of the Church Missionary Society. I was to 

 seek the instruction, and endeavour to meliorate 

 the condition of the native Indians.&quot; He sailed 



