Xvi PREFACE. 



struction of the children, connected with their es- 

 tablishments. Some of these children are the off- 

 spring of parents, who survey their comparative 

 degradation, with the deep interest of a strong 

 natural affection, who are able to bear the ex- 

 pense of their education, and who would cheerful- 

 ly contribute, in this way, to raise them to increas- 

 ed respectability, comfort and usefulness. Should 

 this school be established, such persons would be 

 required to support their children, who should be- 

 long to it ; while the children of the poor, would 

 be taught gratuitously. 



These facts have opened to my mind a pros- 

 pect, to which I wish to direct the eye of chris- 

 tian benevolence. I would ask, with deep inter- 

 est, some one of the institutions, whose object is 

 the diffusion of civilization and Christianity among 

 the Indian tribes, whether a missionary establish- 

 ment might not be formed, in concert with the 

 North West Company, which would, with much 

 less trouble and even expense to them, accomplish 

 the object which the Company have in view, than 

 any establishment which they could independently 

 make ; and which would, at the same time, have 



