A Canoe Voyage to Northward 



the prospect of gaining light on subjects so important 

 and so dark to them. All had heard ere this of the 

 wonderful work of the Reverend Mr. Duncan at 

 Metlakatla, and even those chiefs who were not at all 

 inclined to anything like piety were yet anxious to 

 •procure schools and churches that their people should 

 not miss the temporal advantages of knowledge, 

 which with their natural shrewdness they were not 

 slow to recognize. "We are all children," they said, 

 " groping in the dark. Give us this light and we will 

 do as you bid us." 



The chief of the first Kupreanof Kake village we 

 came to was a venerable-looking man, perhaps seventy 

 years old, with massive head and strongly marked 

 features, a bold Roman nose, deep, tranquil eyes, 

 shaggy eyebrows, a strong face set in a halo of long 

 gray hair. He seemed delighted at the prospect of re- 

 ceiving a teacher for his people. "This is just what I 

 want," he said. "I am ready to bid him welcome." 



"This," said Yana Taowk, chief of the larger north 

 village, " is a good word you bring us. We will be glad 

 to come out of our darkness into your light. You 

 Boston men must be favorites of the Great Father. 

 You know all about God, and ships and guns and the 

 growing of things to eat. We will sit quiet and listen 

 to the words of any teacher you send us." 



While Mr. Young was preaching, some of the con- 

 gregation smoked, talked to each other, and answered 

 the shouts of their companions outside, greatly to the 

 disgust of Toyatte and Kadachan, who regarded the 

 Kakes as mannerless barbarians. A little girl, fright- 



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