ACROSS THE KOCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 107 



through. The whole ceremony occupied perhaps one and a half 

 hours ; a short silence then succeeded, after which each Indian 

 rose from the ground, and disappeared in the darkness with a step 

 noiseless as that of a spectre. 



I think I never was more gratified by any exhibition in 

 my life. The humble, subdued, and beseeching looks of 

 the poor untutored beings who were calling upon their hea- 

 venly father to forgive their sins, and continue his mercies 

 to them, and the evident and heart-felt sincerity which cha- 

 racterized the whole scene, was truly affecting, and very im- 

 pressive. 



The next day, being the Sabbath, our good missionary, Mr. 

 Jason Lee, was requested to hold a meeting, with which he oblig- 

 ingly complied. A convenient, shady spot was selected in the 

 forest adjacent, and the greater part of our men, as well as the 

 whole of Mr. McKay's company, including the Indians, attended. 

 The usual forms of the Methodist service, (to which Mr. L. is 

 attached,) were gone through, and were followed by a brief, but 

 excellent and appropriate exhortation by that gentleman. The 

 people were remarkably quiet and attentive, and the Indians sat 

 upon the ground like statues. Although not one of them could 

 understand a word that was said, they nevertheless maintained 

 the most strict and decorous silence, kneeling when the preacher 

 kneeled, and rising when he rose, evidently with a view of pay- 

 ing him and us a suitable respect, however much their own no- 

 tions as to the proper and most acceptable forms of worship, 

 might have been opposed to ours. 



A meeting for worship in the Rocky mountains is almost as 

 unusual as the appearance of a herd of buffalo in the settlements. 

 A sermon was perhaps never preached here before ; but for my- 

 self, I really enjoyed the whole scene; it possessed the charm 



