Harmon's journal. 



61 



women have been drinking, ever since, and their 

 noise is very disagreeable ; for they talk, sing and 

 cry, at the same time. — Our men play at cards on 

 the sabbath, the same as on any other day. For 

 such improper conduct, I once reproved them ; 

 but their reply was, there is no sabbath in this 

 country, and, they added, no God nor devil ; and 

 their behaviour but too plainly shows, that they 

 spoke as they think. It is a lamentable fact, that 

 those who have been for any considerable time 

 in this savage country, lay aside a greater part 

 of the regulations of civilized and christian peo- 

 ple, and behave little better than the savages. 

 It is true, we have it not at all times in our 

 power, to observe the sabbath as we ought, as 

 the Natives come to our establishments as often 

 on that day, as any other ; and when they do 

 come, they must be attended to, and their wants 

 must be supplied. We are, also, frequently under 

 the necessity of travelling on the sabbath. But 

 it is likewise true, that, if we were rightly dis- 

 posed, our minds might, on this day, be almost 

 wholly occupied with divine things. I must, 

 therefore, acknowledge, that we have no rea- 

 sonable excuse for violating the sabbath, as we 

 all do. 



Wednesday, 19. Last night, there fell about 

 four inches of snow, which is the first that we 



