70 CHAPEL AND MISSION HOUSE. 



come in the spring and begin their work. The long winter is past, 

 the bays at last open, and the vessels soon begin to arrive. Most of 

 the inhabitants are very quick of observation. Let them see a 

 vessel once and know her name, they will, unless great alterations 

 have been made, tell her again under almost any circumstances. 



As the vessels anchor one by one in Bonne harbor, the people 

 assemble from the neighborhood around and the island becomes a 

 scene of gayety and life. Of course it is gayety in a sort of prim- 

 itive sense ; but then the people think much of it, especially as it 

 affords them so much enjoyment the coming winter in rehearsing 

 at their firesides what they have seen and heard. 



I will not now mention the religious character of the people, or 

 the service as conducted in the httle chapel on the top of the 

 hill ; but will only say that it is a most pleasing opportunity to visit 

 one of these native, evening church services ; to see forty or fifty of 

 the native people gathered together, and with them the transient 

 strangers from France, England, the United States, and all the 

 places from which vessels sent out to the fisheries have come, from 

 the various crafts in the harbor ; to hear all join in song ; and lis- 

 ten to English, French, and American as they lead in their hearty, 

 heartfelt prayer. It is a good work that is done by the httle mission 

 there established and God bless them in their work. 



Below the chapel, under the hill, lies the ^'Mission House," as 

 it is called. Here reside several missionary ladies or gentlemen, 

 sometimes both, who have given themselves to the work of attending 

 to the spiritual wants of these poor people. It is here that the Rev. 

 Samuel R. Butler, of Northampton, Mass., and before him several 

 others, spent so much of their time while on the coast. Here, in 

 summer, the children attended regular day school, but to which, 

 owing to the distance at which everybody lives, few come ; here 

 also they come to Sunday school, which is usually well attended, 

 since the people are free to go and come as they choose from 

 their business on that day and they do so in preference to re- 

 maining at home. Not far from the Mission is the residence of 

 Mr. W. H. Whiteley, who, as I have said, is the Magistrate for 



