184 PEARLS AND PEBBLES.' 



the power of demons or inferior spirits who ruled the 

 elements of water, earth and air. These were their 

 Lares and Penates, like the household gods of the 

 heathen Greeks and Romans, but the Indians made no 

 graven images or idols to represent these imaginary 

 spirits. They gave propitiatory offerings of food or 

 drink to avert their displeasure, or as thanks for favors 

 received, and before meals a morsel cast from their hand 

 or a few drops of liquid were thus given as a sort of 

 silent grace, but the custom is now no longer seen 

 among the Christian Indians. 



It is seventy years since the work of evangelizing the 

 Indians of this part of Ontario was begun through the 

 efforts of the missionaries, and it has pleased God's 

 Spirit to bless their labors. All honor to the devoted 

 men who labored so faithfully to preach the gospel of 

 Christ to the red men, to bring them out of darkness 

 into the blessed light of love and everlasting life. With 

 the simplicity of children they have received the truth 

 and kept it. 



The little hamlet of Hiawatha, on the north shore of 

 Rice Lake, sent forth Peter Jacobs, John Sunday and 

 others whose names are not so familiar to me —earnest 

 Christian workers to carry the Word to the red men of 

 other tribes. 



Some few years ago the Reverend Dr. Bethune (not 

 our respected late Bishop, though bearing the same 

 name, but the Lutheran Bishop of Brooklyn, U.S.) was 



