62 INDIAN VILLAGE. 



plague ; but even of these varieties, average crops, until 

 the present, which is a very promising year for grain, 

 have been by no means to be depended upon. 



After breakfast, I drove back to the Tobique, and 

 attended service in the Episcopal church. The service 

 was well read, but the congregation was small, and the 

 horses and waggons tied to the railing showed that most 

 of the people had come from considerable distances. The 

 Episcopal clergy of the province have hitherto, 1 believe, 

 been almost entirely supported by remittances from the 

 Propagation Society at home. These, as the country 

 becomes settled, must, of course, be withdrawn ; and the 

 Bishop is, I understand, exerting himself very much in 

 preparing the people for the coming emergency. 



At the mouth of the Tobique, on a flat high intervale 

 of good land, upon the opposite or left bank of the St 

 John, is situated a native village, of twenty or thirty 

 houses, containing about a hundred and twenty Indians. 

 After forenoon service, I crossed to the village in a canoe, 

 and was informed by my Indian ferryman that the popu- 

 lation was nearly all collected in the chapel. I went 

 towards it, and, as I approached, a few small children ran 

 screaming from me in terror, and beat lustily for admis- 

 sion at the chapel door. On reaching the chapel, I was 

 admitted by some of the older people attracted by the 

 noise. I found a few well-dressed Indians, men and 

 women, seated in pews, but the herd of the squaws and 

 dirty children squatted on the floor at the end of the 

 chapel. There might be thirty, young and old, in the 

 place, and two men of the tribe, kneeling at a respectful 

 distance from the altar, were doing their best to chaunt 

 the service. I staid a few minutes, and then, having put 

 a bit of silver into the collection-box, and distributed all 

 the copper coins I had among the little ones as I went 

 out, I left them apparently not dissatisfied with my in- 

 trusion. 



