THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS 



for the benefit and spiritual health of these 

 Indians. Indeed the Musquarro missionary 

 had come down on the steamer with us, a 

 tall, austere man, a typical robe noir. It was 

 in 1660 that the Indians of Seven Islands re- 

 quested the Jesuits at Tadousac to send them a 

 robe noir, as they dared not go to Tadousac for 

 fear of the Iroquois. 



At Musquarro the Indians stay several weeks 

 enjoying their religious life, for besides the sale 

 of their furs, one of the chief objects of their 

 visit to the coast is the attainment of a veneer 

 of Christianity. With this veneer they return 

 to the Natashquan River and ascend it in 

 August for another winter's work in the interior, 

 where, doubtless, some of the veneer wears off, 

 and a little paganism crops out. 



Cabot says: "Under the strict injunctions 

 of the Gulf missionaries, the sound of the 

 te'uehigan, 'the ceremonial drum,' is not heard 

 on the summer reserve, but once beyond hearing 

 of the missions some remnant of the old rites 

 is not far to seek. On the other hand, the 

 church calendar is carried everywhere over 

 the Montagnais country; each day a pin is 

 moved forward and pinned through the paper 



161 



