THE SAGUENAY AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 169 



e proud in spirit,' and 'poor in spirit;' thirdly, he says 

 ' they know nothing of the true God,' whereas in the very 

 next sentence he states that ( they are no longer victims 

 to the baneful fire-water,' and that * they owe this bless- 

 ing to the Eomish priesthood.' Now I ask, is it likely that 

 the Eoman Catholic priesthood would teach these people 

 the virtue of temperance, without having also imparted to 

 them a knowledge of that Grod whose ministers they are, 

 or that they would exercise the self-denial of the Christian 

 without any knowledge of Christianity ? But there is no 

 occasion to ask or to answer these questions, when we visit 

 the rivers Jeremy, Groodbout, and Mingan we shall see 

 them in hundreds attending public worship in their 

 churches at these places, churches which have been built for 

 them, and are maintained by the Hudson's Bay Company. 



" I remember that on my first visit to the Eiver Grood- 

 bout, in going through the Hudson's Bay Company's store 

 there, I observed a large number of old hats and old shoes, 

 whilst everything else was spic and span new. In answer 

 to my inquiry respecting this collection of coverings for 

 the head and its antipodes, the very obliging store-keeper 

 informed me, that they were provided and kept for the 

 purpose of lending them to the squaws when they were 

 about to attend prayers in their church. 



"He goes on to say, 'that they are sufficiently educated 

 to speak a smattering of French.' Now the fact is that 

 they all read and write, in proof of which I can state that 



