220 



EED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



essentially a denominational school. We would like to 

 raise its character, but owing to other burdens lying upon 

 them, and to their being left without assistance, the people 

 are not able to hold out sufficient inducement in the way 

 of salary to secure the services of an able teacher, at least 

 permanently." 



ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE SETTLEMENT. 



The Bishop of St. Boniface furnished Mr. Dawson, as 

 late as February 7th, 1859, with a statistical account of 

 the schools and missions of the Eoman Catholic Church.* 

 The parishes on the banks of Eed Eiver and the 

 Assinniboine are four in number, St. Boniface, St. JSTor- 

 bert, St. Francois Xavier, and St. Charles. Fifty-eight 

 children receive education in the school of the brothers 

 of the Christian doctrine, in the parish of St. Boniface. 

 In the convent belonging to the Sisters of Charity, com- 

 monly known in Canada as the Grey Nuns, twenty 

 young ladies are boarded, and receive an excellent 

 education, suitable to their station in life. Besides the 

 boarders, the sisters maintain and educate fifteen poor 

 orphan girls, and keep a day school for the benefit of the 

 poorer portion of the parishioners. In the parish of 

 St. Norbert, thirty-one boys and twenty-nine girls at- 

 tended the schools kept by a priest and the Sisters of 

 Charity. In the parish of St. Francois Xavier thirteen 

 boys and twenty-six girls receive instruction from the 

 Sisters of Charity. In the parish of St. Charles there is 

 no school or chapel. With reference to the zeal shown 

 by the Eoman Catholic population, in matters relating 

 to education, the Bishop says : — 



"Considering the sparse character of the settlements, 



* Letter from the Bishop of St. Boniface. Red River Settlement ; 

 published in Mr. Dawson's Report, 1859. 



