VOYAGE IN A CANOE FROM FORT OWEN TO VANCOUVER. 
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because, they said, “these cannot take care of themselves, and we cannot take care of them, and 
they had better die.” The missionaries had an arduous labor before them. They commenced 
by gaining the good will of the inhabitants by means of small presents, and by the betrayal of 
great interest in their welfare in attendance upon the sick, and, as they prospered, by giving the 
poor creatures food, seeds, and instructions as to farming. The Indians could not help seeing 
that no hopes of temporal or personal benefit induced the missionaries thus to labor among them. 
The missionary told them that they had a Creator, and that he was good; he told them of their 
Saviour, and of the manner of addressing him by prayer. To this they listened and believed. 
The name they gave the Creator, in their own language, is “ the One who made himself.” 
Of the soul they had no conception. In the beginning the priests were obliged to depend 
upon the imperfect translations of half-breed interpreters. The word “ soul” was singularly 
translated to the Indians, by one. of these telling them that they had a gut that never rotted, and 
that this was their living principle or soul. The chief of the tribe became converted, and was 
baptized Loyola ; the mass of the tribe followed their leader. They now almost all pray, and 
have devotional exercises in their families, and seem in a fair way for further advancement. To 
show you the good sense, foresight, and benevolence of the priests, I will relate a short conver¬ 
sation I had with Father Hoecken, who is the Superior of the mission and has been among the 
people from the first. Says he: “ Doctor, you will scarcely believe it; surrounded by water as 
we are, we often have difficulty in getting fish even for our Friday dinner.” I replied, jokingly: 
“ 1 suppose, father, that the Indians find no difficulty in observing a fast on Friday.” He 
answered immediately: “I never spoke to them about it; it would not do. Poor creatures! they 
fast too much as it is, and it is not necessary for them to fast more.” The people look up to the 
lather and love him. They say that if the father should go away they would die. Before the 
advent of the missionaries, the inhabitants, although totally destitute of religious ideas, still 
believed that evil and bad luck emanated from a fabulous old woman or sorceress. They were 
great believers in charms or medicine. Every man had his peculiar medicine or charm, which 
was his deity, so to speak; and of it they expected good or ill. With some it would be the 
mouse; with others the deer, buffalo, elk, salmon, bear, &c.; and whichever it was, the savage 
would carry a portion of it constantly by him. The tail of a mouse, or the fur, hoof, claw, 
feather, fin, or scale of whatever it might be, became the amulet. When a young man grew up, 
he was not yet considered a man until he had discovered his medicine. His father would send 
him to the top of a high mountain in the neighborhood of the present mission. Here he was 
obliged to remain without food until he had dreamed of an animal; the first one so dreamed 
about becoming his medicine for life. Of course, anxiety, fatigue, cold, and fasting would render 
his sleep troubled and replete with dreams. In a short time he would have dreamed of what he 
wanted, and return to his home a man. 
During the winter all the large game killed is brought to the camp and distributed equally 
among all. One man is chosen as distributor for the winter. To his lodge the animal is brought. 
He immediately cuts it up into a number of pieces corresponding to the number and size of the 
various families. As soon as it is all cut up, the chief cries, “ Come and fetch.” Immediately 
a delegate from each lodge appears and carries off the piece assigned him. Singular to say, no 
grumbling or dissatisfaction is ever manifested at the division. This custom was in vogue before 
the missionaries came among them; it was first established by their late chief, Loyola. He 
appears to have been a remarkable man, and a good chieftain and Christian. Although of a very 
quiet and taciturn disposition, he was a good disciplinarian and maintained his authority well. 
He was generally beloved, and had great influence over the tribe. Before his death, which 
occurred two years ago, he named the present chief (Victor) as the best man to be his successor. 
After his decease an election'was held, at which all the members of the tribe voted, and by 
which Victor was almost unanimously elected. He is a small man, young, and of good coun¬ 
tenance ; but so good and amiable in his disposition, that he is scarcely able to maintain his 
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