12 



YORK FACTORY. 



three cheers, as we got under weigh on the 

 opening of the ice by a strong northerly wind, 

 and left the vast mass which had jammed us in 

 for many days. The next day we saw the 

 land, and came to the anchorage at York 

 Flatts the following morning, with sentiments 

 of gratitude to God for his protecting Provi- 

 dence through the perils of the ice and of the 

 sea, and for the little interruption in the duties 

 of my profession from the state of the weather, 

 during the voyage. 



I was kindly received by the Governor at 

 the Factory, the principal depot of the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company, and on the sabbath, every 

 arrangement was made for the attendance of 

 the Company's servants on divine worship, 

 both parts of the day. Observing a number of 

 half-breed children running about, growing up 

 in ignorance and idleness ; and being informed 

 that they were a numerous offspring of 

 Europeans by Indian women, and found at 

 all the Company's Posts ; I drew up a plan, 

 which I submitted to the Governor, for col- 

 lecting a certain number of them, to be main- 

 tained, clothed, and educated upon a regularly 

 organized system. It was transmitted by him to 

 the Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company, 

 whose benevolent feelings towards this neg- 



