THE SCHOOL. ' 143 



I was collecting children from the Indians with 

 the intention of taking them away to my 

 country. This idea was spread amongst them, 

 and an Indian calling at my residence told me 

 that he would give his boy to the school, if I 

 would not leave them, as he understood I in- 

 tended to do. In vain did I tell him, that in 

 going home to see my wife and children I should 

 be glad to return and bring them with me, to 

 assist me in teaching those of his country ; and 

 that on my going away, my brother Minister 

 would come, and love, and take care of the 

 Indian children as I did. He was not satisfied, 

 and took his boy away with him, saying he 

 must wait, and see what was to be done. The 

 Saulteaux woman took her two boys away 

 clandestinely, saying, as I was afterwards in- 

 formed, that " they would be all the same as 

 dead to her, if what she had heard was true," 

 and though I had not an opportunity of seeing 

 her afterwards, she had the honesty to return 

 the children's clothes which I had given to them. 

 These circumstances with others that had oc- 

 curred, convinced me that it would be far 

 better to obtain children for the school, from a 

 distance than from the Indians in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the Colony, as all those chil- 

 dren who were under our charge, and whose 



