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LIBRARY 

Section 
Number 


REGIS 

BIBL.  MAJ, 
COLLEGE 


WESTERN 


MISSIONS  AND  MISSIONARIES: 


A  SEKIES   OF  LETTEKB 


REV.  P.  J.  DE  SMET, 

OF  THE  SOCIETY  OF  /  E8US, 

AUTHOB  OF  "INDIAN  SKETCHES,"   "OBEGON  MISSIONS,"  Era 


REGIS 
f  IBL.  MAJ. 


NEW  YORK: 
P.    J.    KENEDY, 

EXCELSIOR  CATHOLIC  PUBLISHING  HOUSB% 
5  BARCLAY  STREET, 


AniereJ  according  to  Act  of  Congreu,  In  the  TM*  1 86*- 

BY  JAMES  B.  KIRKEB, 

In  tk«  Cl*rk's  Office  of  the  District  Onm  of  th«  Unitad  8i*tM  tor  the  Souther 

TorE. 


CONTENTS. 


DESCRIPTIVE      LETTERS. 

nsi 

I.  Voyage  from  Belgium  to  Lima  in  1844 18 

II.  Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1849— The  Prairies 2« 

III.  Journey  to  the  Great   Desert  in  1849— The  Mauvaises 

Terres 82 

IV.  Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1849— The  Ponkahs 86 

V.  Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1849— The  Ogallalla  Chief..     40 

VI.  Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1849 — Prospects  of  the 

Indians .51 


I.  Appeal  to  Belgium 58 

II.  Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1851— Death  of  Father 

Hoeken 61 

III.  Travels  in  the  Great  Desert  in  1851 69 

IV.  Travels  in  the  Great  Desert  in  1851 79 

V.  Travels  in  the  Great  Desert  in  1851 90 

VI.  Travels  in  the  Great  Desert  in  1851— The  Great  Peace 

Council 101 

VII.  Travels  in  the  Great  Desert  in  1851— Homeward  Journey  .  112 

VIII.  Voyage  and  Wreck  on  the  Hnmboldt  in  1858 121 

IX.  The  Letter  of  the  Crazy  Bear,  Aesmiboin  Chief 180 

X.  Religious  Opinions  of  the  Assiniboins 184 

XI.  Indian  Hunts 148 

XII.  Indian  Warfare 156 

XIII.  Tchatka,  the  Poisoner,  an  Assiniboiu  Chief 168 

XIV.  The  Indian  Question 206 

XV.  Watomika  and  the  Delawares 218 

XVI.  Kistalwa  and  Maria,  parents  of  Watomika 281 

XVII.  Fire-worship 240 

XVIII.  Four  Tribes   of  the  Black-Feet— Gros-Veutres,  Pegans, 

Blood-Tribe,  and  Black-Feet  Proper 258 


t  CONTENTS. 

LCTTBR  "OB 

XIX.  The  Sioux— Father  C.  Hoeken's  Letters 262 

XX.  Tributes  to  the  Flat-Heads— Pater  and  Ave  in  Osage  . .  275 

XXI.  Oregon  Missions 280 

XXII.  Indians  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 292 

XXIII.  The  Flat-Heads 295 

XXIV.  The  Flat^Heads— Father  A.  Hoeken's  Letters 80« 

XXV.  The  Potawatomies 819 

XXVI.  The  Potawatomies— Father  Duerinck's  Letter 880 

XXVII.  Excursion  among  the  Potawatomies 841 

XXVIII.  The  Osages— Father  Bax's  First  Letter 850 

XXIX.  The  Osages— Father  Bax's  Second  Letter 861 

XXX.  The  Osages— Father  Bax'fl  Third  Letter 871 

XXXI.  Conversion  of  Randolph  Benton,  son  of  Hon.  T.  H. 

Benton 878 

XXXII.  Religious  Situation  of  St.  Louis  and  St.  Ferdinand- 
Death  of  Father  Bax — The  Osages 878 

XXXIII.  The  Mormons 890 

XXXIV.  Missions  of  Kentucky 898 

XXXV.  The  Ursulines  of  America 406 

XXXVI.  Voyage  of  the  Leopold  I.  from  Antwerp  to  New  York.  417 


BIOGRAPHICAL     LETTERS. 

XXXVII.  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx    484 

XXXVIII.  Father  Charles  Felix  Van  Quickenborne,  S.  J 464 

XXXIX.  Father  Theodore  de  Theux,  S.  J 474 

XL.  Father  John  Anthony  Elet,  S.  J 486 

XLI.  Father  John  Baptist  Smedts,  S.  J 492 

XLII.  Father  Francis  Xavier  d'Hoop,  S.  J 495 

XLIII.  Death  of  the  Right  Rev.  James  O.  Van  de  Velde 499 

XLIV.  Father  John  Nobili,  S.  J 508 

XLV.  Father  Anthony  Eysvogels,  S.  J 520 

XLVI.  Father  John  B.  Duerinck,  S.  , 1 521 


PREFACE  TO  THE  BELGIAN  EDITION. 

BY   FATHER   EDWARD   TEBWEOOREN,   8.   J. 


CHARLES  NERINCKX,  formerly  parish  priest  of  Evei- 
berg-Meerbeek,  near  Louvain,  in  Belgium,  and  early 
missionary  of  Kentucky,  made  two  voyages  to  Eu 
rope  to  obtain  pecuniary  aid  and  fellow-soldiers  for 
the  conquest  of  souls  in  the  New  World. 

In  July,  1821,  on  leaving  Belgium,  which  he  was 
never  again  to  see,  he  was  accompanied  by  several 
Belgians — namely,  Felix  Yerreydt,  of  Diest ;  Josse 
Van  Assche,  of  St.  Amand ;  Peter  Joseph  Yerhae- 
gen,  of  Haecht ;  John  Baptist  Smedts,  of  Kotselaer ; 
John  Anthony  Elet,  of  St.  Amand ;  and  Peter  John 
De  Smet,  of  Tennonde. 

The  last  named,  who  had  just  attained  his  twenty- 
first  year,  began  by  this  first  voyage  his  long  and 
perilous  courses  by  seas  and  torrents,  deserts  and 
forests,  amid  whites  and  Indians — in  a  word,  the 


PREFACE. 

thousand  dangers  and  privations  which  surround  an 
apostolic  man  in  his  far-distant  and  solitary  expedi 
tions. 

The  bold  and  evangelical  peregrinations  of  our 
fellow-countryman  and  brother  in  Christ  have  been 
crowned  with  the  most  consoling  results  for  the 
Church,  and  by  a  necessary  consequence  for  true 
civilization,  which  is  effected  by  Catholicism.  The 
apostolate  of  Father  De  Smet  is  pursued  until 
this  day  with  zeal  and  perseverance.  Already,  in 
1853,  his  united  journeys  represented  an  extent  of 
land  and  water  surpassing  five  times  the  circumfer 
ence  of  the  globe !  Since  then  he  has  crossed  the 
ocean  three  times,  and  traversed  immense  coun 
tries.  We  offer  ardent  prayers  that  God  may  long 
preserve  this  untiring  laborer  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord. 

Following  the  example  of  his  predecessors  in  the 
labors  of  foreign  missions,  Father  De  Smet  has  taken 
numerous  notes  concerning  the  countries  he  has 
visited.  These  notes,  the  result  of  profound  study  of 
men  and  things,  have  a  bearing  on  several  branches 
of  science  and  the  arts:  Geography,  Natural  History, 
Astronomy,  Physics,  Chemistry,  Manners,  Customs, 
Creeds — all  are  here.  To  be  convinced  of  the  extent 
and  variety  of  these  notes,  as  well  as  of  the  pictu 
resque  and  curious  adventures  of  the  traveller,  it 


i'KKFAOE.  9 

suffices  to  look  at  the  contents,  or  glance  through 
the  volume. 

Similar  subjects  have  been  treated  in  the  preced 
ing  works  of  the  missionary,  of  which  we  deem  it 
useful  to  give  the  bibliography. 

1.  Letters  and  Sketches,  with  a  Narrative  of  a  Year's  Resi 
dence  among  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  RocTcy -Mountains.    Phila 
delphia,  published  by  M.  Fithian,  1843.     12o,  pp.  ix.-252. 

Voyages  aux  Montagnes-Rocheuses,  et  une  annee  de  sejout 
chez  lea  Tribus  Indiennes  du  taste  Territoire  de  V  Oregon  depen 
dant  des  Etats-  Unis  d 'Amerique,  par  le  R.  P.  Pierre  De  Sinet, 
missionnaire  de  la  Compagnie  de  Jesus.  Malines,  P.  J.  Hanicq, 
1844.  In-12,  pp.  vi.-304. 

Reis  naar  het  Rotsgebergte  (Roclcy  Mountains'),  door  Eerw. 
voder  De  Smet,  Belgisch  zendeling  in  de  Vereenigde  Staten. 
1840-1841.  De  venter,  bij  J.  W.  Robijns  en  comp. 

An  edition  in  Italian,  issued  by  Louis  Prevete.    Palermo,  1847. 

2.  Oregon  Missions  and  Travels  over  the  Rocky  Mountain* 
in  1845-46.    New  York,  published  by  Edward  Dunigan,  1847. 
120,  pp.  xii.-408. 

8.  Missions  de  V  Oregon  et  voyages  aux  Montagncs-Rocheuset 
et  aux  Sources  de  la  Colorribie,  de  V Athabasca  et  du  Sascatsha- 
win  en  1845-46,  par  le  Pere  P.  J.  De  Smet,  de  la  Societe  de 
J&ros.  Gand,  Van  der  Schelden.  In-12,  pp.  ix.-389.  (L'appro- 
bation  est  de  1848.)  Translated  by  Father  De  Smet. 

Missien  van  den  Oregon  en  Reizen  naer  de  Rotsbergen  en 
de  Bronnen  der  Colombia,  der  Athabasca  en  Sascatshawin  in 
1845-46.  Door  Pater  P.  J.  De  Sinet.  Gend,  W-  Van  der  Schel 
den.  In-12. 

Missions  de  V  Oregon  et  Voyages  dans  les  Montagnes-Roeheuse* 
en  1845-46,  par  le  Pere  P.  J.  De  Smet,  de  la  Societe  de  Jesua 


10  PKEFACE. 

Ouvrage  traduit  de  1'anglais  par  M.  Bonrlez.  Paris,  librairie 
de  Poussielgue-Rusand.  A  Lyon,  chez  J.  B.  Pelagaud  et  Cie. 
1848.  In-12,  pp.  408.  (Paris,  imprimerie  de  Poussielgue.) 
A  different  translation  from  that  issued  in  Belgium. 

4.  Voyage  au  Grand  Desert  en  1851,  par  le  R.  P.  Pierre  De 
Sinet,  missionnaire  de  la  Compagnie  de  Jesus.     Bruxelles,  im 
primerie  de  J.  Vandereydt,  1853.     In-18,  pp.  436,  tire  k  part  des 
Precis  Historiques  du  P.  Terwecoren. 

5.  The  Indian  Missions  in  the  United  States  of  America,  under 
the  care  of  the  Missouri  Province  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.     Phila 
delphia,  King  &  Baird,  1841.     12o,  pp.  34.     Contains:   To  the 
most  E&o.  Archbishop  and  Sight  Rev.  Bishops  in  Provincial 
Council  assembled.    Dated  St.  Louis,  May  3d,  1830,  signed  P. 
J.  Verhaegen.    Extract  from  a  Letter  of  Father  De  Smet,  mis 
sionary  among  the  Pottawatomie  Indians,  1838,  pp.  9-22.     A 
letter  from  the  same,  dated  St.  Louis  University,  February  4th, 
1841,  pp.  22-34. 

6.  Ginquante  Nouvelles  Lettres  du  R.  P.  De  Smet,  de  la  Com- 
pagnie  de  Jesus  et  missionnaire  en  Amerique,  publi6es  par  Ed. 
Terwecoren,  de  la  meme  compagnie.    Paris  et  Tournai,  H. 
Casterman,  1858.     In-12,  pp.  ix.-504. 

Such  are  the  principal  publications  on  the  thirty- 
seven  years'  journeys  of  the  missionary  of  the  Kocky 
Mountains.  We  hope  soon  to  be  able  to  complete 
and  publish  in  the  Precis  Historiques  a  succinct 
table  of  all  these  expeditions,  or  an  Itinerary  of  the 
Yoyages  and  Missions  of  Father  De  Smet.  This 
table,  drawn  up  in  chronological  order,  will  contain 
the  names  of  the  places  visited  or  seen  successively 
since  1821,  and  some  brief  remarks,  as  well  as  the 
number  of  miles  travelled. 


PREFACE.  11 

"We  adopted  as  the  motto  of  the  work  which  we 
edit  these  words  of  Father  De  Smet :  "  Never  have  I 
remarked  the  least  sign  to  alarm  modesty."  They 
show  that  the  works  of  Father  De  Smet  may  be  read 
by  all  without  distinction.  And  although  this  cor 
respondence  relates  to  the  gross  and  nomadic  tribes, 
there  is  never  a  word  which  need  alarm  the  most 
chaste,  or  excite  a  blush  on  even  a  virginal  brow. 
"  Never,"  says  he,  speaking  of  the  amusements  of  the 
savages  at  Fort  Laramie — "  Never  did  I  remark  the 
slightest  indication  which  could  shock  the  most  con 
scientious  modesty!"  These  words  are  a  lesson  to 
those  civilized  men  and  pretended  civilizers  who  style 
savages  the  unfortunate  Indians,  whose  morality  Eu 
rope  does  not  possess. 

May  the  reading  of  these  interesting  recitals  arouse 
Catholics  to  contribute  their  aid  to  Foreign  Missions, 
and  promote  in  hearts  of  generous  mould  the  voca 
tion  to  the  apostolical  ministry ! — there  are  so  many 
souls  to  save. 

How  beautiful  is  the  faith  which  produces  those 
valorous  missionaries  !  Armed  with  the  sole  stand 
ard  of  the  cross,  with  no  other  compass  than  obedi 
ence,  with  no  star  of  the  ocean  but  Mary,  they  run 
fearlessly  to  their  goal,  which  is  the  attainment  of 
God's  greater  glory  by  the  salvation  of  souls.  They 
wait  but  for  the  opportunity  of  saving  one  soul,  to 


12  PREFACE. 

fly  to  unexplored  countries,  to  ever-growing  dangers 
of  death.  Strangers  to  the  wealth,  the  honors,  the 
pleasures  of  this  world,  disinterested  in  all  their  un 
dertakings,  they  taste  no  other  consolation  amid  in 
furiated  waves,  in  frightful  solitudes,  in  the  primeval 
forest,  than  that  of  passing  through  them  to  do 
good.  How  efficacious  is  the  grace  of  God!  It 
creates  heroes !  To  these  apostolic  men,  the  natural 
courage  and  strength  which  form  noble  characters 
and  men  of  superior  stamp  will  not  suffice.  All 
human  qualities  are  powerless  in  accomplishing  such 
vast  designs,  and  in  correspondence  with  the  inspira 
tions  of  those  magnanimous  hearts.  Athletes  of 
heaven,  heralds  of  faith,  missionaries  of  the  everlast 
ing  Gospel,  they  take  their  weapons  at  the  foot  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  derive  their  force  from  the  flesh  and 
blood  of  the  Lamb. 

ED.  TERWECOBEN, 

Or  THK  SOOIETT  OF  J 

BRUSSELS,  8d  of  the  month  of  Mary,  ) 

Feast  of  the  Invention  of  the  Holy  Cross,  1868. ) 


WESTERN  MISSIONS,  Etc. 


Letter  I, 

LIMA,  26th  May,  1844. 
REVEREND  AND  DEAR  FATHER  PROVINCIAL  : 

Some  time  ago  I  wrote  to  you  from  Valparaiso ;  I  nov» 
write  from  Peru.  We  arrived  here  the  llth  inst.,  after  a 
short  and  happy  voyage  from  Chili.  The  distance  is  about 
500  leagues  (1500  miles).  The  ocean,  appropriately  called 
Pacific,  was  smooth  and  tranquil ;  the  wind  was  favorable, 
not  the  slightest  accident  has  troubled  our  minds  during  the 
passage ;  without  taking  in  any  of  the  sails  which  were  un 
furled  at  Valparaiso,  and  without  deviating  a  single  line 
from  its  course,  our  ship  reached  the  road  of  Callao,  which 
is  about  two  leagues  from  Lima.  On  the  day  of  our  arrival 
I  offered  up  the  holy  sacrifice,  during  which  was  sung  the 
Te  Deum  to  render  thanks  to  the  Lord  for  the  signal  favor 
which  he  had  bestowed  upon  us.  From  Valparaiso  I  have 
sent  your  reverence  a  circumstantial  account  of  our  long 
voyage  to  this  place  from  the  mouth  of  the  Scheld.  As  my 
letter  may  not  have  reached  you,  I  shall  here  repeat  the  sub 
stance. 

On  the  9th  January  we  prepared  to  leave  the  Scheld  with 
2 


14  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

an  eastern  wind,  for  which  we  had  waited  twenty-eight  days, 
and  to  enter  the  North  Sea.    Early  in  the  morning  two  masses 
were  celebrated  on  board.  All  was  animation  around  us.   Sev 
eral  other  ships  made  preparation  to  leave,  and  the  air  resound 
ed  with  the  naval  songs  of  the  sailors,  who  in  their  respective 
tongues  bade  farewell  to  the  road  of  Ramnekens.     One  of 
the  ships,  commanded  by  Capt.  De  Cock  and  crowded  with 
German  emigrants  for  Texas,  was  carried  forward  by  the  force 
of  the  wind  and  current,  and  struck  the  stern  of  ours.     The 
cries  of  distress  uttered  by  the  passengers  responded  to  the 
crushing  of  the  timbers.     Both  ships  sustained  some  injury, 
but  all  ended  in  reproaches  and  expostulations  between  the 
pilots.    We  were  more  frightened  than  injured.    At  3  o'clock 
P.  M.   we  put   to   sea.     When  opposite  Flushing,  Mother 
Constantine,  Superior-general  of  the  Ladies  of  Notre  Dame, 
and  the  Superior  of  the  houses  of  Namur  and  Ghent,  took 
leave  of  their  Sisters  (all  were  in  tears),  and  were  put  ashore. 
Like  a  noble  steed  impatient  of  restraint,  the  Indefatigable 
sprang  forward,  bounding  over  the  limpid  deep.     We  soon 
beheld  another  scene.     Neptune  exacted  his  tribute.     Each 
passenger  offered  his  libation  to  the  implacable  deity.     The 
night  was  dark  and  stormy ;  the  wind  unfavorable.     After 
passing  Calais,  we  were  in  danger  of  being  thrown  on  the 
coast  of  France.     On  the  13th  we  were  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Plymouth,  and  on  the  following  day  we  entered  the  broad 
Atlantic.     On  the  20th  we  were  in  sight  of  the  island  of  Ma 
deira.     The  next  day  we  had  a  calm,— the  sea  was  as  smooth 
as  a  mirror;   the  thermometer  indicated  nineteen  degrees 
of  heat  (seventy-five  of  Fahrenheit).    During  the  calm  we  re 
ceived  a  visit  from  a  neighboring  ship.    Five  men  approached 
us  in  a  boat.  We  invited  them  to  come  on  deck.  They  refused, 
alleging  that,  as  they  were  bound  for  Marseilles,  they  would 
be  subjected  to  the  quarantine,  unless  they  could  declare  OB 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  15 

oath  that  they  had  not  been  on  board  of  any  other  vessel 
during  the  voyage.  The  steersman  informed  us  that  he  had 
been  captain  of  the  French  ship  La  Fdicite,  which  had 
been  wrecked  on  the  African  coast,  and  that  the  Ant  (the 
ship  that  lay  near  us)  had  taken  him  and  his  crew  on  board. 
After  ascertaining  our  longitude  and  asking  some  questions 
about  France,  they  took  charge  of  some  letters  and  left  us. 
On  Sunday,  28th,  the  sea  was  so  much  agitated  that  we 
could  not  celebrate.  On  such  occasions  all  received  the 
holy  communion.  On  the  preceding  Wednesday,  Thursday, 
and  Friday,  we  had  the  happiness  of  offering  up  the  holy 
sacrifice.  It  was  also  our  custom  to  sing  vespers  on  deck 
iu  the  evening. 

On  the  1st  of  February  we  came  in  sight  of  St.  Anthony, 
one  of  the  Cape  Verd  Islands.  On  the  following  day,  the 
Feast  of  the  Purification,  we  assembled  at  nine  o'clock  P.  M. 
to  sing  canticles  and  the  litany  in  honor  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  Never,  perhaps,  have  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
oceans  resounded  as  long  and  as  regularly  with  the  praises 
of  this  kind  Mother,  who  is  our  hope  and  consolation  in  the 
dangers  to  which  we  are  exposed. 

"  We  felt  how  she  can  calm  impart, 
Who,  though  in  heaven's  supremest  place, 
Bears — as  on  earth— a  Mother's  heart. 
We  hoped  that  she  would  guard  us — she, 
Bright  Mother  of  Him  who  walk'd  the  sea." 

On  the  6th  and  7th  we  had  another  calm,  and  the  ther 
mometer  stood  at  thirty-five  degrees  (eighty-eight  of  Fahren 
heit).  It  did  not  rise  higher  on  the  Atlantic,  though  I 
feared  that  under  the  line  we  would  have  had  to  suffer  much 
from  the  heat.  On  the  10th  we  had  ten  vessels  in  sight. 
On  the  13th,  about  eight  o'clock  p.  M.,  we  had  a  slight  breeze, 
which  brought  a  Dutch  vessel  near  us.  They  approached 


16  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

us  with  the  sound  of  music,  and  the  soldiers  on  board  sang 
military  songs,  which  formed  a  strange  contrast  with  the 
litanies  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  which  we  were  singing  at  the 
time.  We  hailed  each  other :  "  From  Rotterdam  to  Bata- 
via,"  was  answered  by  "  From  Antwerp  to  Valparaiso."  On 
the  14th  we  were  near  the  line.  At  night  the  sailors  gave 
three  shouts  in  honor  of  Neptune.  A  tar-barrel  was  kindled 
and  called  Neptune's  fire.  Soon  after  a  gruff  voice  was 
heard  from  the  maihmast,  asking,  "Captain,  how  many  pas 
sengers  have  you?"  "Twelve,"  was  the  answer.  "Well, 
let  them  be  prepared, — I  am  Neptune's  envoy  ;  to-morrow  he 
will  come  in  person  to  administer  baptism  to  them."  On 
the  following  morning  a  shout  was  raised  :  "  Neptune  !  Nep 
tune  ! !"  We  accompanied  the  captain  on  deck  to  pay 
homage  to  his  marine  majesty  and  his  court.  We  found 
the  sea-god  accoutred  in  such  a  manner  that  any  one  would 
have  supposed  that  he  had  undertaken  to  personate  Pluto. 
His  courtiers  vied  with  him  in  grotesque  apparel.  They 
were  all  over  besmeared  with  tar.  The  pretended  deity  be 
gan  by  promising  the  captain  a  prosperous  voyage;  after 
which,  turning  to  me,  he  requested  me  to  submit  to  the 
operation  of  the  razor.  As  superior  of  the  passengers,  I 
promised  to  treat  for  all.  He  insisted  upon  shaving  us  first. 
A  spirited  dialogue  took  place  between  us.  At  last  he  told 
me  in  a  whisper  that  he  would  do  the  thing  decently,  and 
begged  me  not  to  deprive  the  sailors  of  their  only  fun.  I 
submitted.  His  basin  was  a  tub,  his  napkin  a  piece  of  sail 
cloth,  and  a  hand-brush  and  wooden  sword  completed  his 
implements.  As  soon  as  I  had  gone  through  the  operation, 
I  withdrew,  knowing  what  was  to  follow.  My  companions 
were  called  one  after  another  to  the  barber's  stool.  On  a 
signal  given,  Neptune  commanded  baptism,  and  a  deluge  ol 
water  came  down  on  my  poor  companions.  The  Sisters, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  17 

who  were  exempted  from  passing  through  the  ceremony,  en 
joyed  the  laughable  scene.  Next  came  a  sea-fight  between 
the  sailors.  All  the  buckets  were  put  in  requisition,  and 
were  filled  and  emptied  with  astonishing  dexterity.  At 
length,  exhausted  with  fatigue,  all  retired.  After  some  time 
they  reappeared  in  their  best  clothes,  and  played  all  sorts 
of  antics.  The  whole  terminated  with  an  extra  supper, 
and  a  donation  to  the  sailors.  On  the  1st  of  March  we 
had  three  vessels  in  sight,  and  at  night  we  beheld  a  meteor 
of  a  most  beautiful  appearance.  For  a  considerable  time  we 
had  opportunities  to  admire  the  three  nebulae  of  Magellan. 
Two  of  them  are  luminous,  the  third  is  dark.  They  seem  to 
be  at  a  distance  of  thirty  degrees  from  each  other ;  their  un 
defined  forms  have  about  five  degrees  diameter.  Their 
height  on  the  southern  horizon  varies  in  proportion  as  the 
latitude  increases  towards  the  Antartic  pole.  On  the  3d  the 
thunder  rolled  in  all  directions,  and  at  night  a  violent  hail 
storm  burst  from  the  clouds.  Nothing  remarkable  occurred 
till  the  16th,  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Falkland  Isles. 

Three  days  after  we  found  ourselves  close  to  the  South 
Shetland  Isles.  During  the  night  of  the  20th  two  large 
icebergs  floated  by  us ;  they  appeared  about  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  sea.  Soon  after  we  saw  the 
volcanic  rocks  called  Greenock,  and  the  rocky  islands  of 
San  Ildefonso  and  San  Diego.  A  few  days  after  we  were 
overtaken  by  a  violent  tempest  which  tore  our  sails,  and 
our  ship  became  the  sport  of  the  winds  and  waves.  Scarce 
ly  did  we  begin  to  breathe  when  we  were  subjected  to  a 
still  greater  trial.  A  strong  gale  arose  and  drove  us  di 
rectly  towards  the  land,  which  soon  appeared  to  our  view. 
The  danger  was  imminent.  The  ship  had  become  unman 
ageable.  All  on  deck,  in  breathless  expectation,  had  their 
eyes  fixed  on  the  frightful  rocks  that  line  the  Fatagonian 
2« 


18  WESTERN  MISSIONS 

coast.  "We  awaited  in  silence  the  accomplishment  of  the 
designs  of  Divine  Providence.  I  hastened  down  to  the  cabin 
to  warn  the  Sisters  of  the  danger,  and  to  offer  them  the  help 
of  my  ministry.  They  were  engaged  in  imploring  the  pro 
tection  of  Heaven  through  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin.  You  will  naturally  suppose  that  on  my  intimation 
of  the  danger,  they  gave  vent  to  their  feelings  in  lamenta 
tions  and  cries  of  distress.  Quite  the  reverse.  With  a 
smile  on  their  lips,  and  with  that  unalterable  peace  of  mind 
which  proceeds  from  a  pure  conscience  and  a  heart  inflamed 
with  the  love  of  God,  they  replied  that  they  were  not 
alarmed,  and  that  they  abandoned  themselves  to  the  will  of 
God.  I  returned  to  the  deck.  The  wind  suddenly  changed 
and  wafted  us  away  from  the  land.  On  the  2d  of  April  we 
steered  towards  the  coast,  and  on  the  next  day  we  were  near 
the  Peninsula  of  the  Three  Mountains.  On  the  following 
Sunday,  7th  of  April,  being  the  Feast  of  Easter,  the  motion 
of  the  ship  was  so  considerable  that  I  ordered  the  altar  to 
be  transported  to  a  private  cabin,  where,  with  the  assistance 
of  one  of  the  Fathers,  I  celebrated  the  holy  mysteries.  All 
received  the  holy  communion  on  that  occasion.  On  the  8th 
and  9th  we  coasted  along  the  shores  of  Chili,  and  after  pass 
ing  the  dangerous  rocks  of  Maca,  we  entered  the  port  of 
Valparaiso  on  the  12th,  about  five  o'clock,  P.  M. 

We  remained  on  board  till  the  following  day.  The  city 
presented  a  most  picturesque  appearance.  Built  on  a  range 
of  hills,  it  presents  the  form  of  a  semicircular  amphitheatre 
along  the  coast.  The  sight  was  gratifying  to  us,  who  had 
been  for  more  than  three  months  confined  to  the  ship,  and 
had  beheld  nothing  but  sky  and  water,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  barren  coasts  and  frightful  rocks.  Early  the  next 
day  I  repaired  to  the  city  to  look  out  for  lodgings  for  our 
company.  I  soon  returned  with  the  welcome  news  that  sev- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  19 

eral  Jesuits  were  assembled  in  Valparaiso,  where  they  had 
been  convened  to  make  a  spiritual  retreat,  and  that  a  com 
munity  of  French  ladies,  belonging  to  the  Order  of  Picpus, 
invited  the  ladies  of  Notre  Dame  to  lodge  at  their  house. 
Great  was  the  joy  with  which  all  hastened  to  tread  the 
American  soil,  and  still  greater  the  joy  with  which  we  were 
welcomed  to  our  respective  lodgings.  Nothing  could  exceed 
the  kindness  and  attention  that  were  bestowed  on  us  all. 
The  Fathers  of  the  Order  of  Picpus  have  also  an  establish 
ment  here ;  for  several  years  they  have  had  a  school,  and 
they  render  great  services  to  religion. 

On  Tuesday,  the  16th,  I  set  out  for  Santiago,  the  capital 
of  Chili,  in  company  with  the  Reverend  Fathers  Gomila,  Su 
perior  of  the  Missions,  and  Landan.  We  had  two  carriages, 
and  each  carriage  had  two  horses,  one  mounted  by  the  pos 
tillion  ;  another  conductor,  on  horseback,  aided  us  in  the 
steepest  places.  Four  spare  horses  followed  or  preceded  us 
without  rope  or  bridle,  and  never  strayed  from  the  carriages, 
though  the  distance  between  Valparaiso  and  Santiago  is 
more  than  ninety  miles.  A  part  of  the  way  resembles  that 
of  Mount  Simplon,  and  is  much  frequented.  We  passed  a 
large  number  of  wagons  with  teams  of  six  or  eight  oxen, 
several  other  vehicles,  and  droves  of  horses,  mules,  and  asses, 
all  loaded  with  merchandise.  We  crossed  two  ridges  of 
mountains  that  are  linked  to  the  Cordilleras.  The  two  prin 
cipal  passes,  remarkable  for  their  height,  are  called  Cerra- 
Puerto  and  Questa  de  Zapato.  We  lodged  at  a  little  vil 
lage  called  Cura-cavi.  The  general  aspect  of  the  country 
between  the  two  cities  bears  some  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  but  the  soil  is  extremely  barren.  On  the 
following  day  we  crossed  the  second  ridge  by  the  pass  da 
Prado,  and  the  torrent  of  the  same  name,  which  was  forded, 
for  bridges  are  almost  unknown  in  this  country.  It  feldoin 


20  WESTERN  MISSIONS 

rains  in  Chili,  and  when  the  torrents  are  swollen  bj  toe 
melting  of  the  snows  or  the  heavy  rains,  the  communic*  »IOP 
is  interrupted  for  a  few  days.  About  noon  we  arrived  at  the 
mansion  of  Senor  Ruiz-Tagle,  one  of  the  richest  proprietors 
of  the  Chilian  Republic.  He  received  and  treated  us  with 
the  greatest  cordiality.  In  the  evening  he  took  us  to  the 
city  in  his  own  carriage,  which  he  left  at  our  disposal. 

The  city  of  Santiago  is  situated  in  a  delightful  valley,  at 
the  foot  of  the  Mapocho  Mountains,  33°  35'  southern  lati 
tude,  and  73°  4'  longitude  west  from  the  meridian  of  Paris> 
2410  Spanish  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  was 
founded  by  Don  Pedro  de  Valdivia,  in  1541.  Its  stately 
edifices,  its  public  establishments,  and  its  commerce  and  pop 
ulation,  amounting  to  more  than  100,000  souls,  and  still 
daily  increasing,  make  it  one  of  the  principal  cities  of  South 
America.  It  is  surrounded  by  mountains  that  are  called 
the  crown  of  Santiago.  Beyond  them  are  seen  the  summits 
of  the  Andes  covered  with  eternal  snows.  The  streets  ol 
the  city  are  large  and  straight.  The  vast  public  square  is 
adorned  with  a  beautiful  fountain,  representing  the  statue  of 
Liberty  crowning  another  statue  that  represents  the  country. 
The  principal  edifices  are  the  governor's  palace,  the  mint, 
the  archiepiscopal  palace,  the  stately  cathedral  (not  yet  com 
pleted),  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  and  their  college,  which 
now  belongs  to  the  city.  There  are,  besides  these,  ten  other 
churches  that  are  sufficiently  handsome  and  capacious.  Be 
fore  the  suppression,  we  had  here  four  houses  of  the  Society. 
At  present  there  are  two  convents  of  Dominicans,  two  ol 
Augustinians,  three  of  Franciscans,  and  two  of  the  Order  for 
the  Redemption  of  Captives.  There  are  also  eight  monas 
teries  of  religious  ladies.  The  ladies  of  Picpus  are  the  only 
ones  that  keep  a  boarding-school,  conducted  on  the  same 
principled  as  that  of  Valparaiso.  They  give  a  finished  edu- 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  21 

cation  to  the  young  ladies  belonging  to  the  first  families  of 
the  country,  and  they  give  gratuitous  instruction  to  about 
three  hundred  children  of  the  inferior  classes.  The  people 
seem  to  be  gifted  with  an  excellent  character  and  happy  dis 
position,  and  are  warmly  attached  to  the  religion  of  their 
forefathers.  The  government  prospers  under  the  shadow  of 
peace,  and  the  wisdom  of  a  well-conducted  administration. 
It  extends  its  solicitude  to  the  Araucanians,  a  savage  tribe  be 
yond  the  river  Bobio  to  the  south,  and  bordering  on  the 
country  of  the  Patagonians.  Preparations  are  being  made 
to  carry  the  light  of  faith  to  those  tribes  which  have  been 
so  long  left  in  darkness,  but  show  the  most  favorable  dis 
positions  to  correspond  to  the  zeal  of  the  missionaries  whom 
it  will  please  Divine  Providence  to  send  to  them. 

Valparaiso,  by  its  commerce  and  population,  about  40,000 
souls,  is  the  next  largest  city  of  Chili.  Here,  as  in  Santiago, 
the  buildings  are  of  brick  and  but  one  story  high,  as  earth 
quakes  are  frequent  and  violent  in  this  country.  The  poor, 
who  are  very  numerous,  live  in  huts  made  of  straw  or 
boughs  of  trees.  The  interiors  of  the  houses  of  the  rich  vie 
with  the  most  splendid  mansions  of  the  European  nobility. 
You  are  acquainted  with  the  topography  of  this  republic, 
which,  on  account  of  the  beauty  of  its  sky,  the  tempera 
ture  of  its  climate,  and  the  general  fertility  of  its  soil,  is  con 
sidered  one  of  the  most  delightful  countries  in  the  world. 
The  spring  commences  in  September,  summer  in  December, 
winter  in  June,  and  autumn  in  March.  From  the  com 
mencement  of  spring  till  the  middle  of  autumn,  the  heavens 
are  ever  serene.  The  rains  begin  to  fall  towards  the  end  of 
April,  and  often  last  till  the  middle  of  September.  In  the 
province  of  Coquimbo  it  rains  but  twice  or  thrice  a  year 
and  this  only  for  a  few  hours.  In  the  provinces  of  Santiago; 
Aconcana,  and  Colcha,  rain  generally  last?  three  days,  and 


22  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

is  then  succeeded  by  twelve  or  fifteen  days  of  fine  weather. 
The  rains  are  more  copious  in  proportion  as  we  advance  fur 
ther  south  towards  the  Isle  of  Chiloe.  The  want  of  rain  in 
the  north  is  supplied  by  heavy  dews  which  fall  during  the 
dry  seasons.  The  temperature,  which  varies  according  to 
the  seasons,  is  generally  favorable  to  health. 

On  the  3d  of  May  we  left  the  port  of  Valparaiso  with  a 
favorable  wind,  and,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  in  eight 
days  we  reached  the  harbor  of  Lima.  The  city  is  seen  from 
the  roads,  and  also  the  town  of  Callao,  situated  on  the  coast 
about  two  leagues  from  the  capital.  Father  Gomila  had 
offered  to  accompany  us  from  Valparaiso  and  to  act  as  inter 
preter,  for  he  speaks  Spanish  and  French,  and  with  him  I  re 
paired  to  the  city  to  find  suitable  lodgings  for  our  company, 
who  were  to  follow  us  on  the  succeeding  day.  The  people 
of  the  city,  which  is  very  extensive,  and  contains  a  popula 
tion  of  40,000  souls,  were  soon  apprised  of  the  arrival  of 
Jesuits.  They  came  in  crowds  to  kiss  our  hands.  A  re 
spectful  old  gentleman  exclaimed,  "  0  Fathers,  how  happy  I 
am  to  see  my  wishes  accomplished  !  You  are  the  first 
Jesuits  who  set  foot  in  my  country  since  the  suppression  of 
your  order.  May  God  be  praised !  Still  happier  would  I 
be  were  you  to  remain  among  us."  We  went  to  lodge  at 
the  house  of  a  zealous  priest  named  Mateo  Aguilar.  On 
the  following  day  we  paid  our  respects  to  the  bishop  (Luna- 
pizarro),  who  has  been  presented  to  the  Roman  court  as  suc 
cessor  to  the  late  archbishop.  He  received  us  with  great 
affection,  and  spoke  in  terms  of  praise  and  esteem  of  our 
Society.  We  also  visited  the  principal  churches  and  estab 
lishments  of  the  city,  after  which  we  prepared  to  return  to 
Callao.  The  omnibus,  with  five  horses,  which  I  had  hired 
to  convey  us  from  the  port  of  Lima,  was  by  some  accident 
detained  nearly  half  an  hour.  The  people  came  from  all 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  23 

quarters  to  see  us,  and  the  carriage  was  soon  surrounded  by 
a  numerous  crowd.  Mothers,  and  among  them  ladies  of  dis 
tinction,  pressed  through  the  crowd,  held  up  their  children, 
kissed  the  hands  and  veils  of  the  Sisters,  and  conjured  them 
to  remain  and  establish  themselves  in  the  city.  The  men, 
too,  showed  us  the  greatest  respect.  The  same  regard  and 
affection  were  manifested  along  the  road.  The  people  were 
prompted  to  act  in  this  manner  by  the  conviction  that  the 
education  of  youth  is  neglected  in  their  country,  and  they 
severely  feel  the  want  of  it.  When  the  Sisters  arrived  in 
Lima,  they  took  up  their  lodgings  at  an  old  Carmelite  con 
vent,  now  converted  into  an  orphan  asylum.  The  crowd 
poured  into  the  building  after  them.  For  four  or  five  days 
they  received  visits  from  morning  till  night.  The  most  re 
spectable  families  came  with  their  interpreters,  and  vied  with 
each  other  in  showing  them  marks  of  kindness  and  affec 
tion.  They  were  obliged  to  accept  three  carriages,  in  which, 
accompanied  by  the  principal  ladies  of  the  city,  they  visited 
the  churches  and  the  other  establishments.  When  they 
alighted  at  any  place,  the  people  crowded  around  them,  even 
in  the  churches,  to  kiss  their  hands,  their  heads,  and  veils. 
The  humble  Sisters  received  this  homage  with  reluctance, 
but  they  were  to  them  a  heartfelt  consolation;  and  who 
knows  whether  they  may  not  prove  instrumental  in  the  de 
signs  of  Providence  to  obtain  the  object  of  this  kind-hearted 
people  ?  There  is  not  a  single  religious  order  in  this  city 
that  devotes  its  labors  to  teach  the  inferior  classes.  Hence 
their  want  and  desire  of  instruction.  I  went  with  my  com 
panions  to  lodge  at  the  former  college  of  the  Society,  called 
St.  Paul's,  where  we  all  occupied  the  same  room.  The 
establishment  is  very  extensive,  covering  one  of  the  squaie 
blocks  of  the  city,  and  is  divided  into  four  square  buildings, 
each  having  an  area  in  the  middle,  and  supportec  bf  a 


24  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

double  colonnade.  The  roof  is  flat,  as  are  all  the  roofs  of  all 
the  churches  and  houses  in  Lima,  for  here  it  never  rains.  At 
a  distance  the  city  with  its  numerous  domes  presents  a  beau 
tiful  prospect,  but  when  we  enter  it  all  the  buildings,  appa 
rently  without  roofs,  give  it  the  appearance  of  a  city  in  ruins. 
The  streets  are  drawn  at  right  angles  and  paved  with  round 
stones.  They  are  crossed  by  large  sewers  that  carry  the  filth 
to  the  river  Limac,  which  divides  the  capital.  One  of  thr 
greatest  curiosities  of  Lima  is  the  fruit-market,  by  the  abund 
ance  and  variety  of  tropical  productions.  There  are  seventy- 
two  churches  within  the  precincts  of  the  city,  including 
those  of  religious  orders,  which  are  numerous.  The  cathe 
dral,  whose  architecture  is  of  the  1 6th  century,  is  a  magnifi 
cent  pile.  It  fronts  the  large  public  square,  on  which  is  ako 
built  their  archiepiscopal  palace.  The  other  sides  of  the 
square  are  adorned  with  rich  stores  and  colonnades.  The 
main  altar  of  the  cathedral  is  a  splendid  piece  of  workman 
ship.  It  consists  of  three  rows  of  columns  supporting  one 
another,  and  plated  and  ornamented  with  silver. 

Peru !  Land  of  gold  and  silver,  with  its  fertile  and  beau 
tiful  soil,  and  its  temperate  and  healthy  climate,  once  the 
terrestrial  paradise  of  South  America,  now  its  poorest  and 
most  wretched  region :  thy  commerce  languishes ;  the  edu 
cation  of  thy  children  is  neglected ;  the  officers  of  thy  vena] 
army  fly  from  standard  to  standard ;  the  ambition  and  faith 
lessness  of  thy  leaders  have  exhausted  thy  treasury ;  thy 
chiefs,  destitute  of  patriotism,  seek  their  own  aggrandizement, 
and  oppress  thy  people  ; — such  is  the  state  of  things  in  Peru 
at  present,  and  it  is  feared  the  worst  is  still  to  come. 

To-day  (16th  May,  Feast  of  Pentecost)  we  shall  leave  Cal- 
lao  to  continue  our  voyage.  We  expect  to  arrive  at  Fort 
Vancouver,  on  the  Columbia,  in  forty  days,  and  shortly  to 
embrace  the  Fathers  sent  from  Missouri.  I  shall  write  again 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  25 

to  acquaint  you  with  whatever  relates  to  me  and  my  com 
panions.  Remember  me  most  affectionately  to  the  Bishop 
and  his  clergy,  and  to  all  the  Fathers,  Scholastics,  and  Broth 
ers  of  the  province  as  if  named,  and  believe  me  to  be  with 
great  respect  and  esteem, 

Very  Reverend  and  Dear  Father  Provincial, 

Tour  most  humble,  obedient  Son  in  Jesus  Christ, 

P.  J.  DK  SMKT,  8.  J. 
9 


26  WESTEKN   MISSIONS 


Letter  II, 

To  THE  MEMBERS  OF   THE  CENTRAL   COUNCILS   OF  LTOKI 
AND  PARIS. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Louis,  June  1 ,  1849. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

A  transient  visit  to  some  tribes  of  Sioux,  on  the  Upper 
Missouri,  on  my  way  back  from  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
left  in  me  an  ardent  desire  to  see  those  poor  Indians 
again.  I  was  anxious  to  judge  more  maturely  of  their 
disposition,  and  ascertain  with  greater  certainty  what  hopea 
might  be  entertained  from  the  establishment  of  a  Mission 
among  them.  During  the  course  of  last  summer,  my  su 
periors  granted  me  this  truly  consoling  privilege. 

In  order  to  reach  their  villages,  I  was  obliged  to  ascend  the 
Missouri  as  far  as  Bellevue  (a  village  situated  in  the  terri 
tory  of  the  Ottos,  610  miles  from  St.  Louis),  and  then  pur 
sue  my  journey  on  horseback,  over  immense  prairies,  for 
about  twenty-five  days.  An  excursion  through  the  magnifi 
cent  plains  of  the  great  American  desert,  and,  above  all,  in 
the  vicinity  of  this  noble  river,  which  descends  in  innumera 
ble  torrents  from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  offers  undoubtedly 
many  charms,  and  might  afford  material  for  descriptions 
replete  with  interest ;  but  it  would  be  a  theme  on  which  I 
have  had  predecessors,  and,  moreover,  it  would  be  giving  the 
letters  which  I  have  the  honor  to  address  you  an  extent 
quite  beyond  what  I  dare  assume.  I  will  content  myseli 
with  a  sketch  by  Mr.  Nicollet,  my  own  experience  enabling 
me  to  appreciate  the  exact  fidelity  of  his  picture. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  27 

a  Consider  the  boundless  extent  of  a  prairie — scan  one  by 
one  its  undulations,  and  borne  as  it  were  from  wave  to  wave, 
from  valley  to  hill-top,  find  yourself  in  presence  of  the  limit 
less  plain  which  is  spread  out  before  you ;  journey  onward — 
hours,  days,  and  weeks  will  succeed  each  other,  and  emotions 
of  ever-varying  delight  will  captivate  the  mind,  while  the 
spectacle  of  inexhaustible  wealth  and  new  beauties  will  fas 
cinate  the  eye.  Without  doubt  there  will  be  moments  in 
which  the  ardors  of  a  burning  sun,  and  the  privation  of  pure 
water  capable  of  allaying  thirst,  will  force  you  to  remember 
that  the  best  of  earthly  joys  have  their  hidden  thorn ;  but 
these  trials  are  rare  and  brief.  A  gentle  breeze  almost  con 
tinually  refreshes  the  atmosphere  in  these  vast  plains,  and  the 
surface  is  so  uniform  as  to  baffle  a  surprise  irom  the  most 
crafty  enemy.  The  route  is  one  field  of  verdure,  enamelled 
with  odoriferous  wild-flowers,  whose  brilliant  beauty  has  no 
witness  but  the  azure  firmament.  It  is  particularly  during 
summer  that  the  aspect  of  the  paries  breathe  gayety,  grace, 
and  life,  and  if  there  be  any  one  moment  in  which  they  may 
excite  all  the  sympathies  of  the  traveller,  it  is  when  an 
Indian  hunter,  in  pursuit  of  the  deer  or  bison,  animates  this 
immense  solitude  with  his  presence  and  motions.  I  pity  the 
man  whose  heart  remains  unaffected  before  so  ravishing  a 
spectacle !" 

My  land-journey  commenced  at  Bellevue,  nine  miles 
beyond  the  Nebraska  or  Platte  River,  thence  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Niobrarah  or  J£au-qui-court,  ten  days'  march.  We 
met  not  a  single  Indian,  and  no  vestige  of  human  habitation 
greeted  the  eye.  But  ever  and  anon  we  distinguished  small 
artificial  mounds,  erected  by  the  hand  of  man  ;  irregular 
heaps  of  stones,  and  tombs  containing  the  mortal  remains  of 
Indians,  carefully  wrapped  in  buffalo-robes.  At  times  a  soli 
tary  post  marked  the  spot  where  some  brave  had  fallen  in 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


the  field  of  battle  —  where  reposed,  perhaps,  some  ancient 
Nestor  of  the  desert.  These  monuments,  though  with  no 
epitaph  to  attest  lofty  deeds  or  transmit  names  to  posterity, 
are  a  tribute  of  a  feeling  heart  —  a  mute  testimony  of  the 
respect  the  Indian  bears  to  the  memory  of  a  father  or  a 
friend,  and  of  the  value  he  attaches  to  the  glory  of  his 
ancestors.  Some  herds  of  bison  and  dense  flocks  of  deer,  of 
several  species,  that  fled  at  our  approach,  alone  beguiled  the 
tedium  of  the  march. 

It  is  customary  to  encamp  in  places  where  the  grass  is 
fresh,  which  is  generally  on  the  border  of  a  stream  or  pond 
of  clear  water.  Care  must  also  be  taken  for  the  safety  of 
the  horses  during  the  night.  To  prevent  all  accident,  they 
are  hobbled  —  enfarge,  as  the  Canadian  voyageurs  say—  that 
is,  the  two  fore-legs  are  tied  together,  so  as  to  prevent  their 
straying  too  far  from  the  camp.  Two  or  three  men  remain 
on  guard  against  any  surprise  from  the  Indians,  too  justly 
renowned  as  the  most  expert  of  horse-thieves.  These  senti 
nels  also  protect  us  against  the  bears  and  wolves  which 
infest  the  wilderness,  and  incessantly  prowl  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  camps.  Horses,  on  perceiving  them,  take  fright  and 
fly,  unless  the  necessary  precautions  have  been  taken,  and 
it  sometimes  happens  that  the  most  careful  measures  prove 
futile.  Thus  we,  one  day,  lost  a  superb  stallion  of  great 
value.  Every  evening  he  was  tied  to  a  post,  with  a  long  and 
heavy  halter,  but  in  a  fright,  caused  by  the  approach  01 
wolves,  he  darted  forward  with  such  velocity  after  the  other 
horses  as  they  rushed  by  him,  that  on  reaching  the  end  of  his 
halter  he  broke  his  neck. 

In  so  long  a  march,  through  regions  so  singularly  various, 
two  great  inconveniences  are  sometimes  experienced  _  want 
of  water,  and  of  wood.  More  than  once  we  had  no  other 
fuel  than  the  dry  bison-dung,  and  three  times  at  our  camp 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  29 

ing-ground  water  failed  us.  This  is  a  hard  trial  for  man  and 
horse,  especially  after  travelling  all  day  under  the  burning 
sun  of  the  mouth  of  August.  Another  kind  of  torment, 
still  less  supportable  when  the  heat  is  most  intense,  is  the 
appearance  of  fantastical  rivers  and  lakes  in  the  verge  of  the 
horizon,  seeming  to  invite  the  weary  traveller  to  advance  and 
refresh  his  wasted  strength  upon  their  banks.  Fatigue  and 
thirst  picture  in  the  distance  verdure,  shade,  and  coolness 
awaiting  him.  The  illusion  increases  the  desire  of  quench 
ing  your  burning  thirst.  You  hasten  onward  to  reach  the 
goal.  Hour  succeeds  hour ;  the  deceitful  mirage  heightens 
in  brilliancy,  and  the  panting,  exhausted  traveller  presses  on 
without  a  suspicion  that  the  phantom  flies  before  him.  In 
an  open,  elevated  region,  where  the  atmosphere  is  in  con 
tinual  agitation,  this  effect  may  be  easily  produced  by  the 
reverberation  of  the  sun's  rays  from  the  surface  of  these  vast 
prairies,  throwing  the  various  tints  of  the  verdure  upon  the 
ieep  blue  of  the  firmament. 

Besides  the  difficulties  arising  from  the  nature  of  the 
ground,  there  are  others  which  summer  always  brings  with 
its  myriads  of  insects.  Among  these,  the  most  to  be  dreaded 
is  the  gad-fly,  the  sting  of  which  will  make  the  gentlest 
horse  bound  with  rage.  Happily  for  the  horse  in  these 
plains,  Providence  has  bestowed  upon  him  a  defender  as  skil 
ful  as  devoted.  The  starling,  unalarmed  by  the  presence  of 
man,  which,  wheeling  ever  about  the  rider,  lights  on  the  back 
of  the  horse  or  on  his  load,  to  dart  with  wonderful  skill 
upon  the  malicious  insect  which  is  about  to  attack  his  travel 
ling  companion. 

For  ourselves,  we  were  obliged  to  wage  continual  war  upon 

the  swarms  of  mosquitoes,  and  their  allies  the  "gnats."    The 

latter  teased  us  by  day,  the  former,  more  cowardly,  attacked 

us  by  night.     These  famished  enemies,  the  product  of  the 

8« 


30  WE8TEBN    MISSIONS 

stagnant  waters  and  decaying  plants,  at  the  approach  of  * 
convoy,  rush  from  their  infected  abodes,  and  accompany  it, 
with  their  plaintive  buzzing,  to  the  spot  where  the  traveller 
seeks  in  vain  a  brief  repose  after  the  heat  and  hardships  oi 
the  day.  The  winged  tribe  at  once  sound  the  trump  of  war, 
and  darting  on  their  tired  victim,  sting,  harass,  and  pursue 
him  until  they  have  assuaged  their  sanguinary  fury,  and 
obliged  the  unfortunate  traveller,  already  sweltering  with 
heat,  to  seek  a  stifling  shelter  under  a  buffalo-robe  or  a  thick 
blanket.  One  day  I  found  myself  the  object  of  attack  of  a 
swarm  of  winged  ants.  They  came  upon  me  with  such 
furious  impetuosity,  that  in  a  few  seconds  I  was  totally 
covered.  Then  I  waved  my  handkerchief  about  my  head, 
and  soon  got  my  horse  to  leave  far  behind  us  this  phalanx  of 
black  insects,  which  filled  a  space  of  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile. 

To  those  who  pass  their  days  amid  the  quiet  of  domestic 
joys,  surrounded  by  all  the  delicacies  that  abundance  can 
produce,  a  journey  through  the  prairies  may  appear  a  sad 
realization  of  human  misery  and  suffering ;  but  to  the  man 
that  elevates  his  thoughts  above  earthly  and  passing  things, 
in  order  to  devote  himself  to  the  many  unfortunate  souls 
who  will  love  and  serve  the  true  God  when  they  know  him, 
such  a  one  can  perceive  in  these  privations,  in  even  greater 
perils  and  difficulties  which  may  be  encountered,  only  slight 
annoyances,  which  he  will  prefer  to  all  the  delights  of  indo 
lence  or  the  dangers  of  wealth.  He  has  meditated  the  sub 
lime  words  of  our  Lord  :  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth 
violence,  and  the  violent  bear  it  away  ;"  he  recollects  that  a 
God  become  man — "  although  he  was  without  sin,  bore  the 
weight."  His  sufferings  finally  teach  him,  that  it  is  through 
tribulations  and  sacrifices  that  he  can  enter  the  kingdom  of 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  31 

heaven,  and  conduct  thereto  those  who  may  desire  to  range 
themselves  and  die  beneath  the  banner  of  the  Cross. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  most  sincere  respect  and 
profound  esteem, 

Gentlemen, 

Your  most  humble  and  obed't  serv't, 

P.  J.  DE  SMBT,  8.  J. 


WKSTEKN    MISSIONS 


Letter  III 

To  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CENTRAL  COUNCILS  OP  LYONI 
AND  PARIS. 

UNIVIBBITY,  June  2, 1849. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

In  my  last  letter  I  spoke  of  the  annoyance  resulting 
from  the  continual  attacks  and  buzzing  of  the  mosquitoes 
and  brillots.  I  must  add  to  this  harsh  music  the  more 
fearful  and  more  disagreeable  noise  of  the  rattlesnake. 
These  reptiles  are  frequently  met  in  the  region  styled  Mau- 
vaises-Terres,  a  very  remarkable  plateau,  of  which  I  will 
hereafter  give  a  description — and  where  the  Little  Missouri, 
the  Mankizita-Watpa,  the  Terre-blanche,  and  the  Niobrarah 
take  their  rise.  Here  also  are  found  the  many-hued  chame 
leon,  the  hideous  lizard,  the  horned  frog,  known  by  the  per 
haps  more  classical  name  of  salamander,  and  several  varieties 
of  small  tortoise.  I  witnessed  a  singular  trait  of  the  instinct 
of  a  rattlesnake.  The  reptile  was  basking  in  the  sun,  sur 
rounded  by  eight  or  ten  little  ones.  As  soon  as  she  perceived 
me,  she  gave  the  rattle,  opened  her  throat  wide,  and  in  an 
instant  the  whole  brood  descended.  I  withdrew  some  sec 
onds,  and  then  returned ;  the  young  ones  had  come  forth 
*Tom  their  living  tomb,  to  which  my  presence  quickly  obliged 
them  to  seek  refuge  anew. 

The  unbroken,  arid  soil  of  the  Mauvaises-Terres,  which 
will  ever  baffle  the  most  energetic  and  persevering  labor, 
boasts,  however,  of  several  millions  of  townships,  full  of  life 
and  movement — I  mean  the  villages  of  the  prairie-dog — tha 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  33 

»ite  of  each  one  of  which  extends  over  an  area  of  several 
square  miles  of  smooth  table-land,  on  which  the  grass  is  very 
short  and  thin.  The  instincts  of  this  remarkable  animal 
(which  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  squirrel)  are  at  once 
curious  and  amusing.  The  grass  which  springs  up  in  the 
neighborhood  of  their  dwellings  they  tear  up  by  the  roots; 
but  their  vandalism  has  its  exceptions.  They  seem  to  respect 
and  spare  certain  flowers  which  generally  surround  their  lit 
tle  abodes,  and  give  them  a  much  more  agreeable  look. 
These  proved  to  be  the  ffedeoma  hirta,  the  Solanom  triflorum, 
the  Lupinus  pusillus,  the  Erigervn  divaricatum,  Dysodia 
chrysanthemoides,  Ellisia  nyctagenea,  and  the  Panicum 
virgatum. 

They  pile  up  the  earth  around  their  dwellings  about  two 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  soil,  thus  protecting  themselves 
against  the  inundations  which,  in  the  rainy  seasons  or  at  the 
melting  of  the  snows,  would  engulf  them  and  their  little 
hopes.  Guided  by  instinctive  foresight,  they  carefully  gather 
all  the  straws  which  are  scattered  over  the  plain,  and  carry 
them  into  their  subterraneous  asylums,  to  protect  them 
against  the  rigors  of  winter.  At  the  approach  of  a  horse 
man,  alarm  is  rapidly  communicated  to  all  the  citizens  of 
this  singular  republic.  All  quit  their  habitations,  and  with 
head  erect,  the  ears  pricked  up  with  anxiety,  and  a  troubled 
stare,  remain  standing  at  the  entrance  of  their  abodes,  or  a* 
the  opening  of  their  conical  hills.  After  a  momentary 
silence,  they  break  forth  into  one  loud  and  repeated  chorus 
of  shrill  barking.  For  some  minutes  life,  motion,  and  rest 
less  agitation  reign  throughout  the  extensive  field  they  oc 
cupy  ;  but  at  the  first  gun-shot,  all  is  tranquil,  every  ani 
mal  disappearing  like  a  flash.  A  kind  of  small  owl,  and  the 
rattlesnake,  appear  to  entertain  amicable  relations  with  the 
prairie-dog,  and  are  commonly  found  at  the  entrance  of  their 


34  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

lodges,  and  in  the  general  fright,  the  three  seek  safety  in  the 
same  asylum.  The  motives  and  nature  of  this  singular  sym 
pathy  are  unknown.  The  wolf  and  the  fox  are  their  great 
est  enemies. 

The  Indian  word  Mankizita-Watpa,  commonly  translated 
White  Earth  River,  signifies,  more  literally,  Smoking  Land 
River ;  and  in  this  region  there  are  incontestable  and  numer 
ous  indications  that  subterranean  and  volcanic  fires  have 
passed  there.  The  water  of  the  river  is  strongly  impregnated 
with  a  whitish  slime.  We  encamped  on  its  shore.  A  heavy 
rain  had  recently  washed  all  the  ravines  and  dry  beds  of  the 
rivulets  and  torrents,  which  are  abundant  throughout  the 
Mauvaises-Terres,  consequently  the  water  was  very  similar 
to  thin  mud.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  We  must  either  use 
this  water  to  prepare  our  evening  repast,  or  retire  without 
tea  or  broth.  This  is  no  easy  sacrifice  in  the  desert,  after 
riding  on  horseback  for  ten  or  eleven  hours  in  the  scorching 
sun.  After  many  fruitless  efforts  to  purify  the  water,  we 
were  obliged  to  use  it  as  it  was.  Hunger  and  thirst  make 
us  less  dainty.  The  mixture  of  mud,  tea,  and  sugar,  was, 
after  all,  palatable  to  our  famished  stomachs.  On  the  n.or- 
row  we  travelled  all  day,  and  found  a  delicious  spring,  where 
we  camped  all  night. 

The  Mauvaises-Terres,  in  the  portions  which  are  traversed 
by  the  Mankizita-Watpa,  are  the  most  extraordinary  of  any 
I  have  met  in  my  journeys  through  the  wilderness.  The 
action  of  the  rains,  snow,  and  winds  upon  the  argillaceous 
soil  is  scarcely  credible ;  and  the  combined  influence  of  these 
elements  renders  it  the  theatre  of  most  singular  scenery. 
Viewed  at  a  distance,  these  lands  exhibit  the  appearance  of 
extensive  villages  and  ancient  castles,  but  under  forms  so  ex 
traordinary,  and  so  capricious  a  style  of  architecture,  that  we 
might  consider  them  as  appertaining  to  some  new  world,  or 


AND    MISSlONAltlKS.  35 

ages  far  remote.  Here  a  majestic  Gothic  tower,  surrounded 
with  turrets,  rises  in  noble  grandeur,  and  there  enormous 
and  lofty  columns  seem  reared  to  support  the  vault  of  heaven. 
Further  on  you  may  descry  a  fort  beaten  by  the  tempest, 
and  surrounded  by  mantellated  walls ;  its  hoary  parapets 
appear  to  have  endured,  during  many  successive  ages,  the 
assaults  of  tempest,  earthquake,  and  thunder.  Cupolas  of 
colossal  proportions,  and  pyramids  which  recall  the  gigantic 
labors  of  ancient  Egypt,  rise  around.  The  atmospherical 
agents  work  upon  them  with  such  effect,  that  probably  two 
consecutive  years  do  not  pass  without  reforming  or  destroy 
ing  these  strange  constructions.  This  clayey  soil  hardens 
easily  in  the  sun,  is  of  a  grayish  hue,  or  occasionally  of  a 
sparkling  white  ;  it  is  easily  softened  when  mixed  with  water. 
The  Mankizita-Watpa  is  the  great  drain  of  the  streams  of 
this  country,  and  corresponds  admirably  to  the  name  bestow 
ed  upon  it  by  the  Indians. 

The  industry  of  the  settler  will  never  succeed  in  cultivat 
ing  and  planting  this  fluctuating  and  sterile  soil— no  harvest 
ever  crown  his  efforts.  But  though  it  offers  no  interest  to 
the  farmer,  and  little  to  the  botanist,  the  geologist  and 
naturalist  may  find  abundant  material  for  study  and  illus 
tration  ;  for  here  are  found  curious  remains  of  the  mastodon 
(the  largest  of  known  quadrupeds),  mingled  with  those  of 
the  mountain-hare.  I  have  seen  well-preserved  skulls, 
horns,  &c.,  so  large  that  two  men  could  hardly  raise  them. 
All  of  these  bore  the  distinct  impress  of  their  primitive 
nature. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  profound  respect, 
Gentlemen, 

Your  most  humble  and  obed't  serv't, 

P.  J.  DK  SMET. 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  IV, 

To  THE  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  ASSOCIATION. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  June  4, 1849. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

It  remains  for  me  to  give  some  details  concerning  the 
Indian  tribes  that  I  was  able  to  visit.  In  none  of  my  pre 
ceding  voyages  had  I  met  the  Ponkahs ;  this  time  I  found 
the  whole  of  this  nation  assembled  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nio- 
brarah — their  favorite  haunt  during  the  fruit  season  and  the 
gathering  of  the  corn  harvest.  The  manner  in  which  they 
accosted  my  travelling  companions  augured  little  good,  and 
was  near  being  attended  with  disastrous  consequences.  It 
appears,  indeed,  that  they  meditated  an  attack  upon  the  lit 
tle  troop  of  white  men  who,  numbering  but  fifteen,  escorted 
a  wagon  filled  with  merchandise  for  the  Fur  Company.  They 
intended,  at  least,  to  pillage  the  convoy  and  kill  one  of  the 
travellers,  under  pretext  that  he  came  from  the  country  of 
the  Pawnees,  where  one  of  their  warriors  had  lost  his  life. 
I  will  present  you  here  the  laconic  formula  of  reasoning  of 
one  of  these  barbarians,  while  in  the  act  of  taking  aim  at 
his  victim.  My  brother  was  killed  by  a  Pawnee  ;  thou  art 
a,  notorious  friend  of  the  Pawnees !  I  must  avenge  hit 
death,  or  recover  the  debt  (value  of  his  body)  in  horses  or  in 
blankets !  To  this  degree,  unfortunately,  has  the  idea  of 
justice  sunk  in  the  Indian  mind.  Has  an  Indian  fallen  by 
the  hand  of  a  white  man,  every  brave  of  that  tribe  consid 
era  himself  justified  in  retaliating  upon  the  first  white  man 
he  chances  to  meet,  without  regard  to  his  country  or  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  37 

part  of  the  world  from  which  he  may  come.  I  was  in  ad 
vance,  but  at  the  first  signal  of  alarm  I  faced  the  point  ot 
danger.  At  once  the  air  resounded  with  reiterated  cries  of 
"  The  Black-gown  has  come  !  The  Black-gown  has  come  /" 
Surprise  and  curiosity  arrest  the  work  of  pillage.  The 
chiefs  ask  an  explanation,  and  order  the  spoilers  to  keep  re 
spectfully  off,  and  restore  what  they  had  already  stolen; 
then  they  press  around  me  to  shake  hands  (a  ceremony  some 
what  lengthy,  for  they  were  about  600  in  number),  and  con 
duct  us  in  triumph  to  our  encampment  on  the  shore  of  the 
Niobrarah.  In  my  turn  I  made  a  little  distribution  of 
tobacco,  which  they  appeared  to  appreciate  more  than  any 
thing  else.  The  calumet  is  smoked  in  token  of  fraternal  good 
feeling,  and  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth  :  they  lavish  upon  me 
as  well  as  upon  my  companions  the  most  touching  marks  of 
kindness  and  respect.  Such  was  the  happy  conclusion  of  a 
meeting  which  at  first  inspired  us  with  such  just  fears.  But 
the  merciful  views  of  Providence  extended  further. 

They  besought  me  to  visit  their  village,  four  miles  from 
our  camp,  in  order  to  pass  the  night  with  them.  I  ac 
cepted  the  invitation  the  more  willingly,  as  it  would  afford 
me  an  opportunity  of  announcing  the  truths  of  Faith.  In 
fact  I  lost  no  time,  and  shortly  after  my  arrival  the  whole 
tribe,  numbering  more  than  a  thousand  persons,  surrounded 
the  " Black-gown"  This  was  the  first  time  that  the  Pon- 
kahs  had  heard  Jesus  Christ  preached  by  the  mouth  of  his 
minister.  The  holy  eagerness  and  attention  which  they  lent 
to  my  words  induced  me  to  prolong  my  instructions  until 
late  in  the  night.  The  next  day  I  baptized  their  little  ones, 
and  when  the  time  of  separation  arrived,  they  besought  me 
with  the  greatest  earnestness  to  renew  my  visit,  and  to  fix  my 
residence  among  them.  We  will  cheerfully  listen  to  the 
Words  of  the  Great  Spirit,  said  they,  and  submit  to  all  Hit 
4 


38  WESTERN 


commands  that  you  manifest  to  us.  Until  their  wishes  can 
be  gratified,  I  considered  myself  happy  to  find  among  them 
a  Catholic  half-breed,  tolerably  well  instructed  in  his  religion, 
who  promised  me  to  serve  as  catechist. 

This  extraordinary  attention  on  the  part  of  the  Indians, 
and  their  avidity  to  hear  the  Word  of  God,  must  appear  sur 
prising  in  a  people  which  seems  to  unite  all  intellectual  and 
moral  miseries.  But  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  breathes  where 
it  will.  His  graces  and  his  light  prompt  and  aid  men  whom 
ignorance,  rather  than  a  perverse  and  disordered  will,  ren 
ders  vicious.  Moreover,  that  same  Spirit  which  obliged  the 
most  rebellious  to  cry  with  St.  Paul,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou 
have  me  to  do  ?"  can  also  soften  the  most  obdurate  hearts, 
warm  the  coldest,  and  produce  peace,  justice,  and  joy,  where 
before  reigned  iniquity,  trouble,  and  disorder.  The  great 
respect,  and  the  marked  attention  which  the  poor  Indians 
testify  on  all  occasions  to  the  missionary  who  appears  among 
them  to  announce  the  Gospel,  are  a  source  of  much  consola 
tion  and  encouragement  to  him.  He  discovers  the  finger  of 
God  in  the  spontaneous  manifestations  of  good-will  offered 
by  these  poor  creatures. 

The  language  of  the  Ponkahs  differs  little  from  that  of 
the  Ottos,  the  Kanzas,  and  the  Osages.  Of  intrepid  and 
tried  courage,  they  have,  notwithstanding  the  paucity  of  their 
numbers,  made  themselves  feared  by  their  more  numerous 
neighbors.  They  may  with  justice  be  styled  the  Flat-Heads 
of  the  Plains,  on  account  of  their  bravery.  Although  at 
tached  by  taste  to  the  wandering  life,  they  have  begun  to 
cultivate  some  fields  of  corn,  of  pumpkins,  and  potatoes. 

Here,  then,  is  a  portion  of  the  vineyard  as  yet  untilled, 
but  which  only  waits  for  a  generous,  charitable  hand  to 
cause  it  to  yield  fruits  worthy  of  the  dews  of  heaven.  Can 
the  Lord  refuse  his  grace  and  his  assistance  to  the  apostolic 


MISSIONARIES.  89 

man,  who  abandons  all  the  advantages  of  civilized  life  in  or 
der  to  teach,  in  the  midst  of  every  species  of  privation,  the 
salutary  and  consoling  words  of  the  Gospel  ?  When  I  reflect 
upon  the  hopes  that  may  be  justly  entertained  of  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  North  and  West  of  the  United  States,  I  cannot 
refrain  from  blessing  the  bounty  and  mercy  of  God,  and 
trembling  at  the  consideration  of  the  terrible  judgments  of 
his  justice.  While  Europe,  shaken  to  the  centre  by  the 
incessant  efforts  of  learned  impiety,  appears  to  have  strength 
or  vigor  only  to  shake  off  the  divine  yoke  which  the  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ  has  rendered  "sweet  and  easy,"  the  forlorn 
inhabitant  of  the  far-distant  wilderness  lifts  his  suppliant 
hands  to  heaven,  and  in  all  the  sincerity  of  his  heart  asks  to 
know  the  true  Faith,  and  to  be  directed  in  the  path  of  true 
happiness.  While  in  the  heart  of  Catholicity  the  priests  of 
the  Most  High  sink  under  oppression,  Providence,  impene 
trable  in  its  views,  is  secretly  preparing  for  them  the  vast 
solitudes  of  another  hemisphere.  There,  perhaps,  the  Di 
vine  Master  will  fix  his  sanctuary,  and  choose  to  himself 
new  worshippers  whose  simple  hearts  will  offer  him  only  an 
oblation  of  gratitude  and  love. 

With  the  greatest  respect,  and  commending  myself  to 
your  kind  prayers, 

I  am,  Gentlemen, 

Your  most  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

P.  J.  DE  SMKT    S.  J 


4:0  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  V, 

To  THE  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  ASSOCIATION. 

ST.  Louis,  June  5, 1849. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

It  is  time  to  pass  to  the  Sioux,  whose  territory  I  reached 
a  few  days  after  my  visit  to  the  Ponkahs.  Mr.  Campbell, 
one  of  the  best  interpreters  in  the  country,  generously  offered 
to  accompany  me  to  the  different  tribes  of  this  nation.  His 
acquaintance  with  the  country  and  the  manners  of  the  In 
dians,  as  well  as  the  respect  and  friendship  which  the  latter 
entertain  for  him,  greatly  facilitated  my  relations  with  them. 
I  must  also  add,  as  a  tribute  of  well-merited  gratitude,  that 
the  officers  of  Fort  Bonis  and  of  Fort  Pierre  received  me 
with  the  most  delicate  hospitality,  and  that  the  concurrence 
of  their  influence  aided  powerfully  to  render  my  intercourse 
with  the  savages  easier  and  more  profitable. 

I  have  several  times  observed,  in  former  letters,  that  the 
Indians  inhabiting  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Missouri,  are 
generally  more  cruel  than  those  sojourning  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Probably  this  arises  from  their  almost 
incessant  wars,  which  inflame  them  with  a  love  of  plunder 
and  a  thirst  for  vengeance.  At  the  epoch  of  my  visit  to  the 
Sioux,  a  troop  of  these  barbarians  were  returning  from  a  war 
against  the  Mahas,  with  thirty-two  human  scalps  torn  from 
defenceless  old  men,  and  from  women  and  children  whose 
husbands  and  fathers  were  off  hunting.  When  they  re-enter 
their  villages,  after  the  combat,  it  is  their  custom  to  attach 
these  horrible  trophies  of  their  shameful  victory  to  the  pointi 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  41 

of  their  lances  or  to  the  bits  of  their  horses.  At  the  sight 
of  these  spoils  the  whole  tribe  shouts  with  joy,  and  every 
one  considers  it  the  highest  gratification  to  assist  at  the 
Scalp  Dance  and  Feast — which  is  celebrated  amid  the  most 
discordant  yells  and  fearful  gestures.  They  plant  a  post 
daubed  with  vermillion  in  the  midst  of  the  camp ;  the  war 
riors  surround  it,  flourishing  in  their  hands  the  bloody  scalps 
which  they  have  brought  back  from  the  field  of  battle  ;  each 
one  howls  his  war-song  to  the  lugubrious  tone  of  a  large 
drum ;  then  giving  in  turn  his  stroke  of  the  tomahawk  on 
the  post,  he  proclaims  the  victims  that  his  hatchet  has  im 
molated,  and  exhibits  ostentatiously  the  scars  of  the  wounds 
which  he  has  received. 

Such  is,  even  at  the  present  day,  the  degraded  condition 
of  the  unfortunate  Indian.  They  never  take  the  field  with 
out  endeavoring  to  draw  down  the  favor  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
either  by  diabolical  rites  or  by  rigorous  fasts,  macerations, 
and  other  corporeal  austerities.  They  even  go  so  far  as  to 
cut  off  joints  of  the  fingers  and  toes.  Add  to  the  thick 
shade  of  heathen  darkness  a  shocking  depravation  of  man 
ners,  and  you  will  have  a  faint  idea  of  the  lamentable  posi 
tion  of  these  wretched  tribes.  Yet  these  same  men  welcomed 
me  with  open  arms,  as  a  messenger  from  the  Great  Spirit ! 
A  vivid  emotion,  depicted  in  every  countenance,  accompa 
nied  their  respectful  attention  to  my  discourse,  while  I  in 
structed  them  in  the  great  truths  of  religion. 

An  event  which  occurred  two  days  after  my  arrival  at 
Fort  Pierre,  contributed  much  to  augment  their  confidence 
in  me.  I  give  it  as  it  occurred.  The  tribe  of  the  Ogallallaha 
had  entered  in  a  hostile  manner  on  the  lands  of  their  neigh 
bors,  the  Absharokes  (or  Crows),  and  had  attacked  them 
The  latter  defended  themselves  bravely,  routed  their  aggres 
sois,  and  killed  ten  or  twelve  warriors.  They  had  even  em 


4:2  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

ployed  a  mode  of  repulsion  which  covered  the  tribe  that 
experienced  its  effects  with  immortal  disgrace :  they  pursued 
the  Ogallallas  with  rods  and  clubs.  This,  according  to  them, 
signifies  that  their  adversaries  were  worth  neither  the  lead  nor 
powder  that  would  be  expended  in  killing  them.  So  shame 
ful  a  defeat  discourages  the  Indian,  and  he  no  longer  dares 
appear  before  such  an  enemy. 

In  this  affair,  the  chief  of  the  vanquished  nation,  named 
the  Red  Fish,  lost  his  daughter,  who  was  carried  off  by  the 
Crows  into  captivity.  Melancholy  and  humbled,  he  deserted 
the  wigwams  of  his  tribe,  which  loss  of  honor  and  the  death 
of  so  many  of  its  warriors  had  overwhelmed  with  mourning 
and  desolation.  He  presented  himself  at  Fort  Pierre  on  the 
morrow  of  my  arrival.  The  object  of  his  journey  was  to  ob 
tain  the  liberty  of  his  daughter,  through  the  mediation  ot 
the  officers  of  the  fort ;  he  offered  eighty  fine  buffalo-robes 
and  his  best  horses  for  her  ransom.  In  his  visit  to  me, 
grasping  my  hand  firmly  in  his,  with  tears  coursing  down 
his  cheeks,  and  heart-broken  with  grief,  he  thus  addressed 
me,  while  sobs  often  interrupted  his  utterance :  "  Black- 
gown,  I  am  a  most  unhappy  father !  I  have  lost  my  be 
loved  daughter.  Pity  me,  for  I  have  learned  that  the  medi 
cine  of  the  Black-gown  (the  prayer)  is  powerful  before  the 
Great  Spirit.  Speak  to  the  Master  of  Life  in  my  favor ,  and 
I  will  still  preserve  hope  of  seeing  my  child." 

At  these  few  words,  which  the  emotion  of  the  aged  man 
rendered  singularly  eloquent,  I  replied,  that  I  sympathized 
with  his  sorrow,  but  that  he  must  himself  prepare  the  way 
for  the  blessing  of  Heaven — and  that  by  virtuous  deeds  he 
might  obtain  from  the  Great  Spirit  the  accomplishment  of 
his  desires.  I  added,  that  without  doubt  the  Master  of  Life 
had  been  offended  by  this  unjust  attack  upon  the  Crows,  of 
which  he  himself  had  been  the  chief  instigator,  in  his  posi- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  43 

tion  as  Great  Chief,  and  that  to  himself  solely  he  must  attrib 
ute  the  misfortune  of  his  child,  and  all  the  other  miseries 
which  had  resulted  from  that  expedition.  I  exhorted  him 
to  abandon  in  future  all  unprovoked  attacks  upon  his  neigh 
bors,  and  to  persuade  his  tribe  to  hearken  to  the  orders  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  which  I  had  come  to  announce  to  them.  I  con 
cluded  by  speaking  to  him  of  the  mercy  of  God,  who  always 
hears  the  voice  of  the  afflicted  when  they  love  and  serve  him. 
I  also  promised  him  the  assistance  of  my  prayers,  and  he  on 
his  part  agreed  to  follow  my  counsels. 

Red  Fish,  returned  soon  after  to  his  nation,  and  collected 
all  the  principal  chiefs,  in  order  to  communicate  to  them 
what  had  passed  at  the  fort,  and  in  particular  his  conversa 
tion  with,  me,  the  Black-gown,  concerning  his  daughter. 
At  that  very  moment  a  cry  of  joy  was  heard  in  the  extremity 
of  the  camp.  They  ran  up  from  all  sides  to  ask  the  cause ; 
at  length  the  good  tidings  are  announced,  that  the  captive 
daughter  has  escaped  safe  and  sound  from  her  enemies.  The 
old  chieftain  scarcely  dares  to  believe  what  he  hears.  He 
rises,  and  on  leaving  his  cabin  he  has  the  unspeakable  con 
solation  of  beholding  once  more  his  beloved  child,  whom 
Providence  had  restored.  Imagine,  if  possible,  his  astonish 
ment  and  delight,  shared  with  him  by  his  tribe.  Every 
hand  was  lifted  to  heaven  to  thank  the  Great  Spirit  for  the 
deliverance  of  the  prisoner.  The  report  flew  quickly  from 
village  to  village,  and  this  coincidence,  that  Divine  Provi 
dence  permitted  for  the  good  of  the  Ogallallahs,  was  to  them 
a  certain  proof  of  the  great  power  of  Christian  prayer,  and 
will,  I  hope,  contribute  to  confirm  these  poor  Indians  in 
their  good  dispositions. 

The  number  of  half-breeds  and  Indians  baptized  among 
the  Sioux  amounts  to  several  hundred.  I  conferred  the  same 
sacrament  upon  six  adults  far  advanced  in  years,  two  of 


44  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

whom  were  over  ninety,  and  dwelt  in  a  little  hut  of  buffalo- 
skins,  in  which  a  poor  fire  with  difficulty  imparted  a  little 
warmth  to  their  members,  chilled  and  stiffened  with  age. 
They  received  me  with  great  joy.  I  spoke  to  them  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  of  the  necessity  of  baptism,  of  the  future  life, 
of  the  blessed  or  miserable  eternity  which  must  follow  this 
state  of  being.  They  listened  with  avidity  to  the  instruc 
tions  which  I  repeated  during  several  days,  and,  in  fine,  re 
ceived  the  sacrament  of  regeneration.  They  were  never 
weary  of  telling  me  again  and  again  that  they  had  never 
ceased  to  love  the  Great  Spirit,  and  that,  being  ignorant  of 
more  suitable  prayers,  they  had  daily  offered  him  the  first 
fruits  of  the  calumet ! 

This  recalls  to  my  mind  a  fact,  insignificant  in  itself,  which 
nevertheless  proved  a  source  of  genuine  consolation  to  me. 
On  my  arrival  in  the  nation  of  the  Brules,  I  was  singularly  sur 
prised  to  find  myself  followed  by  a  youth  about  fifteen  years  of 
age,  whom  my  presence  seemed  to  afford  a  degree  of  pleas 
ure  which  it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  describe.  The 
little  kind  encouragement,  by  which  I  corresponded  to  his 
manifestation  of  contentment,  so  effectually  conciliated  his 
affection  for  me,  that  the  efforts  and  threats  even  of  the  sav 
ages  who  surrounded  me,  could  not  remove  him  any  length 
of  time  from  my  person.  Scarcely  had  they  taken  him  from 
my  side  by  violence,  than  another  path  brought  him  back ; 
he  even  penetrated  into  the  grand  council  of  the  chiefs,  in 
which  the  expeditious  diplomacy  of  the  Brules  agitated  the 
questions  of  which  my  arrival  among  them  required  a  solu 
tion.  Night  came  on,  and  terminating  the  deliberations  of 
the  assembly,  obliged  me  to  withdraw  from  my  new  friend. 
His  narrow  and  flattened  brow,  his  silly  stare  and  extraordi 
nary  gestures,  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  was  of  the 
number  of  those  beings  whose  want  of  reason  is  a  f*afeguard 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  45 

against  the  loss  of  innocence,  and  I  resolved  to  regenerate 
him  on  the  morrow  in  the  salutary  waters  of  baptism.  I 
therefore  caused  the  whole  tribe  to  be  collected,  and  after 
giving  them  a  clear  explanation  of  the  blessings  of  the  sacra 
ment  that  I  was  going  to  confer,  I  caused  them  to  under 
stand  the  happiness  that  was  in  reserve  for  all  eternity  to  a 
being  apparently  so  vile,  and  who  had  hitherto  been  only  an 
object  of  their  contempt,  or  at  least  of  their  compassion. 
These  few  words  produced  a  profound  impression  upon  my 
new  auditory,  and  were  followed  by  numerous  petitions  for 
the  grace  belonging  to  the  Great  Spirit,  like  my  poor  friend 
Paschal  (this  was  the  name  of  the  little  idiot),  who  is  now 
treated  with  respect  almost  amounting  to  veneration  through 
out  his  whole  tribe.  But  not  being  able  to  remain  with 
them  longer  than  a  few  days,  I  contented  myself  with  bap 
tizing  a  great  number  of  their  children;  and  giving  the 
others  a  hope,  that  later  we  would  return  and  visit  them, 
and  that  we  could  then  instruct  them,  and  grant,  in  a  more 
useful  manner,  the  favor  which  they  solicited. 

There  is  a  custom  existing  among  the  Indians,  which  is 
excessively  fatiguing  to  the  stranger  or  to  the  missionary  who 
visits  one  of  their  villages.  As  soon  as  he  arrives,  a  succes 
sion  of  grand  banquets  is  given  in  his  honor,  and  Indian 
politeness  exacts  that  he  accept  all  these  invitations — and 
the  savage  prepares  without  delay  the  best  and  most  delicate 
that  he  has.  The  fat  dog,  which  with  them  replaces  the  fat 
ted  calf,  is  the  most  acceptable  dish,  and  is  reserved  for  great 
occasions.  After  this,  succeed  buffalo-tongues,  ribs,  etc.,  etc., 
and  a  great  variety  of  fruits,  grain,  and  roots. 

In  every  camp  which  I  visited,  I  was  conducted  ceremoni 
ously  from  banquet  to  banquet,  by  the  leading  chiefs.  Every 
where  I  was  presented  with  a  dish  so  filled  with  their  deli> 
cacies  that  each  portion  would  have  sufficed  me  during  several 


4:6  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

days.  All  must  be  consumed.  This  would  be  impossible 
were  it  not  for  the  allowance  of  the  blessed  privilege  of  con 
ducting  one  or  two  eaters  with  us.  In  some  of  the  Sioux 
camps,  the  guests  are  permitted  just  to  touch  the  dish,  and 
then  take  it  home  to  their  cabins. 

In  the  various  camps  which  I  visited,  I  presented  each  one 
of  the  great  chiefs  with  a  medal  of  our  Holy  Father,  Pope 
Pius  IX.  On  this  occasion  I  explained  to  them  the  high 
position  of  the  Great  Chief  of  all  the  Black-gowns — the 
respect,  the  veneration,  and  the  love  that  all  the  nations 
faithful  to  the  Great  Spirit  testify  to  his  vicar  on  earth,  etc., 
etc.  They  immediately  brought  the  calumet,  and  after  hav 
ing  offered  it  first  to  the  Master  of  Life,  imploring  his  bless 
ing,  the  savages,  in  their  engaging  simplicity,  presented  it  to 
his  visible  representative,  entreating  me  to  make  known  to 
him  the  esteem  and  love  which  they  bear  to  him,  and  the 
ardent  desire  they  entertain  to  listen  to  the  Black-gowns  sent 
in  his  name. 

When  distributing  medals  to  the  Indians,  these  explana 
tions  become  necessary ;  for,  being  naturally  inclined  tc 
superstition,  they  often  treat  those  objects  with  more  than 
respect.  A  Sioux  chief  gave  me  a  singular  proof  of  this. 
While  I  was  suspending  the  medal  of  Pius  IX.  to  his  neck^ 
he  testified  an  extraordinary  joy  and  gratitude.  "  1 will  place 
it"  said  he,  "  with  my  War-Manitou  ;  it  will  render  me  as 
prudent  in  councils  during  peace,  as  the  other  has  rendered  me 
strong  in  battle"  I  asked  an  explanation  of  these  words. 
He  at  once  opened  a  little  box,  and  drew  forth  from  it  a 
package,  carefully  wrapped  up  in  buckskin.  He  unrolled  it, 
and,  to  my  great  surprise,  I  saw  a  colored  picture  of  General 
Diebitsch,  in  full  uniform,  and  mounted  on  a  beautiful  war- 
horse.  For  years  the  Russian  had  been  the  Manitou  of  war 
to  the  Sioux  chief;  he  invoked  him,  and  offered  him  hie 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  47 

calumet,  before  all  his  enterprises  against  his  enemies,  and 
attributed  to  him  the  success  of  the  many  victories  he  had 
gained.  I  endeavored  to  disabuse  the  poor  Indian  of  hia 
strange  devotion,  and  have  reason  to  hope  that  my  efforts 
were  not  useless. 

As  stated  already,  I  was  sent  to  the  Sioux  tribes  to  sound 
their  dispositions  in  a  moral  and  religious  point  of  view. 
The  little  account  that  I  have  the  honor  of  presenting  you 
discloses  the  result  of  my  visit  What  I  have  narrated 
touching  these  inhabitants  of  the  desert,  offers  little  encour 
agement  to  the  missionary.  There  is  an  immense  difference 
between  them  and  the  Flat-Heads,  and  numerous  other  nations 
that  occupy  the  regions  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  These 
first  children  of  my  apostolate  have  given  me  consolations 
that  I  should  vainly  seek  among  the  Sioux.  Would,  then,  a 
mission  with  the  latter  prove  destitute  of  success  ?  The  little 
experience  that  I  have  been  able  to  acquire,  and  my  residence 
among  them,  inspire  me  to  trust  more  confidently  in  Him 
who  holds  in  his  hands  the  most  obdurate  hearts  and  the 
most  refractory  wills.  I  hope  that  in  the  course  of  this  yeai 
something  may  be  done  in  favor  of  these  degraded  Indians, 
so  long  left  without  the  aid  of  religion.  The  same  happiness 
will  be  granted  to  the  Black-Feet,  who  already  count  eleven 
hundred  neophytes.  The  pious  Associates  of  the  Propaga 
tion  of  the  Faith  may  contribute  greatly  to  the  accomplish 
ment  of  this  holy  work,  by  their  fervent  prayers. 

I  quitted  the  uplands  of  the  Niobrarah  and  the  Mankizita 
towards  the  end  of  October,  1848,  before  the  season  of  rain 
and  snow.  These  places  are  the  temporary  abodes  to  which 
the  different  tribes  of  Sioux  repair  in  autumn,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  hunting  the  wild  animals,  which  abound  at  that 
time,  and  thus  provide  themselves  with  hides  and  meat  for 
the  approaching  winter.  The  consumption  of  skins  in  Mis- 


4:8  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

souri  must  be  immense,  for  all  Indians  use  them  for  con 
structing  their  huts,  as  well  as  for  the  harness  of  their 
horses  and  their  own  clothing.  Last  year,  110,000  buffalo- 
robes,  with  skins  of  elk,  gazelle,  deer,  big-horn,  otter,  beaver, 
etc.,  and  25,000  salted  tongues,  were  received  in  the  ware 
houses  of  St.  Louis.  This  may  give  you  an  idea  of  the  ex 
traordinary  number  of  buffaloes  killed,  and  of  the  extent  of 
the  vast  wilderness  which  furnishes  pasturage  to  these 
animals. 

We  set  off  in  a  skiff  from  Fort  Bonis,  which  is  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Little  Medicine  River.  Our  trip  was  delightful. 
The  weather  proved  magnificent,  and  the  two  shores  of  the 
Missouri,  teeming  at  this  season  with  an  extraordinary  quan 
tity  of  every  species  of  game,  offered  the  most  graceful  and 
varying  spectacle,  while  it  opened  a  vast  field  to  the  greedi 
ness  and  skill  of  our  hunters. 

At  Council  Bluffs,  the  sky,  which  had  been  hitherto 
clear  and  serene,  suddenly  changed,  to  give  place  to  wind 
and  tempest,  and  thick  clouds  of  snow,  which  accompanied 
us  during  two  days.  We  took  refuge  in  a  dense  forest, 
in  order  to  defend  ourselves  from  the  inclemency  of  the 
storm.  The  wild  honey  which  we  found  there  was  our  prin 
cipal  resource,  one  poplar  alone,  which  we  felled,  furnishing 
us  with  more  than  we  needed. 

We  made  but  little  progress  during  ten  days,  on  account 
of  head  winds,  rain,  and  snow.  Before  arriving  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Grand  Tarkio,  the  Missouri  was  so  covered  with  float 
ing  ice  that,  in  our  frail  bark,  we  were  exposed  to  the  great 
est  danger,  especially  from  the  many  sawyers  with  which  the 
bed  of  the  river  is  thickly  set,  and  which  discover  or  con 
ceal  their  menacing  heads  on  every  side.  These  are  trees,  or 
trunks  of  trees,  which  the  river  uproots  and  washes  from  ita 
banks,  and  whose  roots  get  firmly  fastened  in  the  muddy 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  49 

bed  of  the  river.  As  there  are  no  dikes  or  embankments 
which  can  hinder  the  river  from  overflowing,  it  often  hap 
pens  that  whole  forests  are  uprooted  and  swallowed  in  its 
waves.  These  create  great  embarrassment  and  obstacles  to 
ts  navigation. 

Prudence  forced  us  to  abandon  our  boat.  I  therefore 
hired  a  farmer's  wagon,  which  brought  us  safe  and  sound 
to  St.  Joseph,  after  a  drive  of  two  days  through  a  great 
forest  which  skirts  the  Missouri.  The  steamer  which  I 
hoped  to  meet  there  had  departed  on  the  eve  of  my  arri 
val,  and  thus  the  opportunity  of  a  prompt  return  to  St.  Louis 
appeared  lost  to  me.  I  resolved,  however,  to  exert  myself  to 
the  utmost  to  overtake  the  boat :  this  to  many  would  appear 
folly  ;  the  idea  of  running  after  a  high-pressure  steamboat 
certainly  does  appear  quite  ridiculous.  But  I  relied  upon 
the  numerous  delays  of  the  boat  at  the  different  sand-banks, 
which  were  more  likely  to  take  place,  also,  as  the  season  was 
advancing.  I  calculated  well ;  in  twenty-four  hours  I  was 
on  board. 

For  four  months  I  had  been  night  and  day  exposed  to  the 
open  air,  and,  as  in  all  my  other  excursions,  with  no  bed  but 
a  buffalo-robe.  Yet  my  health  had  been  uninterruptedly 
good,  not  even  suffering  from  the  slightest  attack  of  cold ; 
but  scarcely  was  I  subjected,  daring  one,  day,  to  the  heat  ot 
the  stove  in  the  cabin  of  the  steamboat,  than  I  was  seized 
with  a  violent  sore  throat — it  being  my  first  indisposition 
through  the  whole  of  my  long  journey. 

At  length,  after  four  months'  absence,  I  arrived  without 
other  accident  at  the  University  of  St.  Louis,  where,  enjoy 
ing  with  my  brethren  the  charms  of  the  community  life,  1 
soon  forgot  the  little  fatigues  of  my  expedition. 

P.  S. — I  subjoin  a  list  of  the  principal  forest  trees  found 
5 


50  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

along  the  banks  of  the  Missouri,  hoping  it  may  prove  agree 
able  to  the  amateurs  of  botany  : 

Populus  angulata.  Cornus  sericoa. 

Platanus  occidentalis.  Primus. 

Celtis  crassifolia.  Pyrus  coronarea. 

Gleditflchia  triacanthus.  Castanea  Americana  et  pumila. 

Robinia  pseudacacia.  Quercus  palustris,  macrocarpa  'jt 

Juglans  olivse  formis.  puraila. 

Cornus  Florida.  Betula  nigra,  papyracea  et  lenta. 

Azalia  spinosa.  Sambucus. 

Gymnocladus  Canadensis.  Juglans  squamosa  et  niffra. 

Morus,  rubra  et  alba.  Corylus. 

Laurus  sassafras.  Fraxinus. 

Ulmus  Americana  and  aspera.  Pinus 

Acer  rubrum  et  saccharinuin.  Juniperus  Virginiana. 

Diospyros  Virginiana.  Vaccinium  resinosum. 

Salix.  Magnolia. 

•HHTTB8. 

Berberis  vulgaris.  Laurus  benzoin.    (Spice-bush.) 

Viburnum     (Arrow-wood.)  Burnet  saxifrage. 

Hawthorn.  Vines  of  different  species. 

Vaccinium;  Oxycoccus.  Elkwood. 

I  am,  with  the  most  profound  respect,  and  esteem  the 
most  sincere, 
Gentlemen, 

Your  most  humble  and  most  obed't  serv't, 

P  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  51 


Letter  VI, 

To  THE  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  ASSOCIATION. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Louis,  June  10,  1849. 
GEHTLEMEN  : 

In  order  to  complete  the  observations  which  I  had  the 
honor  of  offering  you  in  my  late  letters  on  the  Western 
tribes  of  Indians  of  the  United  States,  I  purpose  submitting 
to  you  certain  facts  touching  the  actual  condition  of  the  In 
dians  in  Upper  Missouri  and  among  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  facts — such  is,  at  least,  my  opinion — reveal  clearly  the 
melancholy  future  which  at  no  very  remote  epoch  awaits 
these  nations,  if  efficient  means  are  not  employed  for  pre 
venting  the  woes  with  which  they  are  threatened.  My  visit 
to  several  tribes,  and,  above  all,  that  which  I  lately  paid  to 
the  great  Sioux  nation,  have  only  confirmed  the  sad  fore 
bodings  to  which  my  experience,  during  a  prolonged  resi 
dence  among  these  forsaken  children  of  the"  forest,  had  given 
birth.  I  have  communicated  these  views,  in  substance,  to 
an  honorable  agent  of  the  United  States  Government,  who 
is  laboring  with  ardor  and  constancy  in  the  amelioration  of 
the  condition  of  the  Indians,  and  who  joins,  as  much  as  is 
in  his  power,  the  use  of  means  to  the  laudable  wishes  of  his 
heart. 

I  have  traversed  at  several  different  times  the  vast  plains 
which  are  watered  by  the  Missouri  and  its  principal  tributa 
ries,  such  as  the  Platte  or  Nebraska,  Yellow  Stone,  the 
Mankizita-Watpa,  the  Niobrarah,  Teh  an  Sausan,  called 
James  River  by  the  whites,  the  Wassaeha  or  Vermillion,  and 


52  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

the  three  great  superior  forks  that  constitute  the  source  of 
'•.he  Missouri,  viz.,  the  Jefferson,  the  Gallatin,  and  the  Madi- 
»on.  Coasting  along  the  north  and  south  branches  of  the 
Saskatchawan,  I  penetrated  three  hundred  miles  into  the  in- 
,erior  of  the  forests  and  plains  watered  by  the  Athabasca. 
In  every  place  the  whites,  half-breeds,  and  natives,  who  in 
habit  these  regions,  agree  in  saying  that  the  buffalo,  moose, 
or  American  elk,  and  deer  of  all  kinds,  diminish  in  an  alarm 
ing  manner,  and  that  in  a  few  years  these  races  of  animals 
will  have  wholly  disappeared.  The  territory  traversed  by 
the  Athabasca  furnished,  some  years  ago,  abundant  game  to 
the  greater  part  of  the  nations  of  the  Crees,  and  to  a  tribe  of 
Assiniboins,  which,  sixty  years  previous,  had  detached  them 
selves  from  the  main  body  of  their  nation.  Well,  over  this 
vast  extent  of  territory  I  met  but  three  families,  viz. — an  old 
Iroquois  with  his  children  and  grandchildren,  numbering 
about  thirty-seven;  a  family  of  half-breeds  composed  of 
seven  persons ;  and  a  Sioux  with  his  wife  and  children.  The 
Crees  and  the  Assiniboins,  hitherto  the  occupants  of  this  land, 
have  been  forced  to  follow  the  track  of  the  buffalo,  and  are 
beginning  to  intrude  upon  the  territory  of  the  Black-Feet. 
I  resided  a  long  time  among  the  Flat-Heads  and  the  Kalis- 
pels.  I  have  visited  at  different  epochs  the  Koetenays  at  the 
North,  and  the  Shoshonies  or  Snakes  at  the  South.  Their 
vast  territories,  watered  by  the  principal  branches  of  the 
Upper  Columbia  and  the  Rio  Colorado  of  the  West,  were 
formerly  abundantly  provided  with  every  variety  of  game, 
which  furnished  them  with  clothing  and  nourishment. 

But  now  that  the  buffalo  has  disappeared  from  these 
lands,  the  poor  Indians  are  obliged  to  go  ard  pass  a  portion 
of  the  year  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  search  of  their 
only  means  of  subsistence.  Often,  too,  in  pursuit  of  their 
prey,  they  are  drawn  into  the  regions  claimed  by  the  Crows 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  53 

and  Black-Feet,  and  are  thus  obliged  to  open  their  way, 
arms  in  hand.  The  Yantons  and  the  Santies,  Sioux  tribes, 
are  beginning  to  make  inroads  on  the  hunting-grounds  of 
the  Brules,  a  portion  of  the  Sioux  nation.  The  Ponkahs  are 
often  driven  to  the  necessity  of  hunting  in  the  lands  of  the 
Sioux  and  of  the  Cheyennes.  Formerly  the  lowas,  the 
Omahas,  and  the  Ottos  subsisted  principally  on  the  product 
of  their  buffalo-hunts ;  at  present  they  are  reduced  to  the 
most  pitiful  condition,  having  nothing  for  food  but  a  small 
quantity  of  deer,  birds,  and  roots.  Such  is  their  misery 
that  they  are  forced  to  scour  the  country  in  every  direction, 
and  in  little  bands,  most  happy  if  they  escape  the  ambush  of 
an  enemy  more  powerful  than  themselves,  and  who  frequently 
massacre  the  old,  the  women,  and  children.  It  is  not  rare 
here  to  have  to  deplore  similar  cruelties.  Each  year  shows 
an  increase  of  these  revolting  scenes — melancholy  forerun 
ners  of  an  approaching  and  tragical  issue. 

The  Pawnees  and  the  Omahas  are  in  a  state  of  nearly  ab 
solute  destitution.  Surrounded  by  enemies,  where  shall 
they  go  to  hunt  the  wild  animals  which  often  fail  them,  hav 
ing  retired  to  other  sections  ?  It  is  true,  that  for  a  consider 
able  time  it  has  been  customary  among  them  to  cultivate  a 
little  field  of  squashes  and  corn ;  but  often,  also,  when  the 
harvest  appears  to  meet  their  expectation  and  their  toil,  the 
enemy  comes  suddenly  and  wrests  from  them  this  last  pitiful 
resource. 

The  buffalo  is  disappearing  and  diminishing  each  success 
ive  year  on  the  prairies  of  the  Upper  Missouri.  This  doei 
not,  however,  hinder  them  from  being  seen  grazing  in  very 
numerous  herds  in  particular  localities ;  but  the  area  of  land 
that  these  animals  frequent  is  becoming  more  and  more  cir 
cumscribed.  Besides,  they  do  not  remain  in  the  same  place, 
but  change  pasturage,  according  to  the  seasons. 
6« 


54: 


WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Thence  arise  the  incursions  which  the  Sioux  make  intc 
the  territories  of  the  Riccaries,  the  Mandans,  the  Minataries,  I 
the  Crows,  and  the  Assiniboins ;  thence  also  the  mutual  in 
vasions  of  the  Crows  and  the  Black-Feet  in  their  respective 
hunts.  These  depredations  are  committed  by  all  the  wan 
dering  tribes  of  the  desert,  and  give  birth  to  dissensions, 
and  to  incessant  and  bloody  wars,  which  annually  revive  and 
multiply,  to  their  great  detriment  and  misfortune.  It  is  not, 
therefore,  astonishing  that  the  number  of  these  savages  is 
gradually  decreasing.  In  the  plains,  war  and  famine  lend 
their  aid ;  on  the  frontier  of  civilization,  liquors,  vices,  and 
maladies  carry  them  off  by  thousands. 

I  have  visited  the  Black-Feet,  the  Crows,  Mandans,  Assini 
boins,  the  Riccaries,  the  Minataries,  etc.,  who  possess  the 
whole  region  of  the  Upper  Missouri  and  its  tributaries.  The 
condition  of  all  these  savages,  far  from  the  influence  of  all 
religious  and  moral  principles,  renders  them  much  alike— 
ejusdem  farince.  Among  them  all  are  met  the  same  cru 
elty,  the  same  barbarity,  the  same  sloth  and  supineness,  in 
fine,  the  same  degrading  and  revolting  superstitions,  pushed 
to  the  most  remote  limits  which  the  human  mind  abandoned 
to  itself,  and  under  the  empire  of  vile  passions,  can  reach. 

It  is  quite  a  common  observation,  and  I  have  myself 
heard  it  offered  by  several  persons,  that  the  "  religious  as  well 
as  the  social  condition  of  the  Indians  of  these  regions,  is  in 
nowise  capable  of  amelioration."  I  am  far  from  participa 
ting  in  this  opinion.  Let  the  obstacles  arising  from  the  peo 
ple  who  style  themselves  civilized,  be  removed ;  let  all  trade 
in  ardent  spirits,  that  deadly  scourge  of  the  Indian,  be  pre 
vented;  let  missionaries  be  sent,  whose  zeal  is  prompted 
only  by  the  love  of  our  Divine  Master,  and  with  no  object 
but  the  happiness  of  the  poor  souls  intrusted  to  their  care, 
and  I  am  confident  that  in  a  short  time  we  should  have  the 


ANP    MISSIONARIES.  55 

consoling  spectacle  of  a  sensible  improvement  among  them 
My  personal  observations  serve  as  a  foundation  for  these 
hopes.  I  have  had  frequent  interviews  with  the  Black-Feet, 
the  Crows,  the  Assiniboins,  the  Riccaries,  and  the  Sioux, 
They  have  always  lent  the  most  marked  attention  to  all  ray 
words ;  they  have  ever  listened  to  the  holy  truths  which  I 
preached  to  them  with  extreme  pleasure  and  a  lively  interest. 
They  entreated  me  with  the  most  captivating  ingenuousness 
to  take  compassion  on  their  miseries,  to  establish  myself 
among  them,  promising  to  join  a  faithful  practice  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truths  I  should  impart  to  them.  Among 
the  Indians  of  the  great  American  desert,  I  never  found 
even  one  who  presumed  to  rail  against  our  holy  religion. 

To  put  an  end  to  the  cruel  wars  which  decimate  these  na 
tions  ;  to  rescue  so  many  souls  from  the  baneful  consequences 
of  the  idolatry  in  which  they  are  buried ;  to  prevent  the  to 
tal  destruction  of  these  tribes  already  so  wretched,  and  yet 
redeemed  like  ourselves  by  the  precious  blood  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  is  it  not  an  enterprise  worthy  of  inflaming  the 
zeal  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  ?  a  work  worthy  of  claim 
ing  the  efficient  co-operation  and  assistance  of  a  government 
as  powerful  as  is  that  of  the  United  States  ? 

As  to  agriculture,  considered  as  a  means  of  civilization,  its 
introduction  will  always  be  difficult  among  the  Indians,  as 
long  as  there  remains  to  them  a  hope  of  procuring  buffaloes 
or  other  wild  animals.  It  would  prove,  in  my  opinion,  a 
chimera  to  pretend  to  introduce  this  branch  among  them  on 
an  extensive  scale  in  the  beginning.  We  know,  however,  by 
experience,  that,  although  little  habituated  to  the  fatigue  of 
the  assiduous  labor  that  farming  requires,  some  tribes  have 
already  attempted  to  cultivate  their  little  fields.  -This  step 
taken,  each  year,  according  to  the  abundance  of  the  increase, 
the  limits  of  these  little  fields  might  be  extended.  Like 


56  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

their  brethren  who  reside  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they 
would  become  more  and  more  attached  to  the  soil  whose 
productions  would  be  the  result  of  their  toil.  Their  roving 
habits,  the  wars  which  often  spring  from  them,  would  insen 
sibly  give  place  to  a  more  peaceable  and  domestic  life.  The 
animals  which  they  would  raise  replacing  the  buffalo,  would 
insensibly  efface  its  memory  amid  surrounding  plenty. 

During  the  last  ten  years,  a  great  part  of  the  disposable 
funds  of  the  Vice-province  of  Missouri  have  been  employed 
in  the  relief  of  the  Indians.  The  liberality  of  the  Associa 
tion  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  established  at  Lyons, 
and  those  of  our  friends,  have  assisted  us  powerfully  in  con 
verting  and  civilizing  the  tribes  beyond  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains.  Several  of  our  fellow-members  still  pursue  there  the 
same  work  of  charity,  and  many  of  our  Fathers  and  Brothers 
desire  to  visit  the  tribes  which  I  visited  last  year.  An  estab 
lishment  founded  among  them  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
would  be  most  desirable ;  but  the  pecuniary  means  which 
they  have  at  their  disposal  are  very  far  from  answering  to  the 
work  which  they  contemplate.  The  lively  interest  which 
you  take,  gentlemen,  in  the  salvation  and  civilization  of  so 
many  thousands  of  men  in  the  wilderness,  inspires  me  with 
confidence  to  appeal  to  your  generosity,  which  alone  can  fur 
nish  the  means  of  conducting  to  a  happy  conclusion  an 
enterprise  so  vast  and  so  eminently  Catholic. 

There  are  among  these  Indians  several  hundreds  of 
children  of  mixed  blood,  whose  parents  are  anxious  that 
means  of  instruction  should  be  afforded  them.  To  attain 
this,  schools  and  establishments  would  be  necessary,  in  which 
agriculture  could  be  learned ;  and  also  many  children  of 
pure  Indian  blood  could  be  received,  as  the  heads  of  fami 
lies  are  desirous  of  confiding  them  to  the  care  of  the  mis 
sionaries.  A  short  statistic  will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  good 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  57 

which  might  be  done  among  these  Indians.  Among  the 
Black-Feet,  Father  Point  and  myself  baptized  more  than  1 100 
children ;  among  the  "Gens  du  Sang,"  a  tribe  of  Black-Feet,  M. 
Thibaut  baptized  sixty  ;  the  Rev.  M.  Bellecourt,  of  Red  River, 
visited  Fort  Berthold,  on  the  Missouri,  and  baptized  a  good 
number  of  the  children  of  the  Mandans  ;  all  the  savages  pre 
sented  him  their  children  for  baptism.  F.  Hoecken,  in  an  ex 
cursion  made  among  several  tribes  on  the  Missouri,  baptized 
over  400  persons;  M.  Ravoux,  who  visited  some  tribes  of  Sioux 
in  1847,  and  penetrated  as  far  as  Fort  Pierre,  was  listened  to 
everywhere  with  a  consoling  eagerness,  and  baptized  a  great 
many  children.  In  my  late  tour  among  the  Sioux,  the  Pon- 
kahs,  etc.,  I  baptized  more  than  300  children  and  several 
adults. 

From  all  these  facts,  may  we  not  conclude,  with  sufficient 
certainty,  that  these  poor  souls  seem  ripe  for  a  more  peace 
able  life,  and  for  a  blessed  eternity  ? 
I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Gentlemen, 

Yours,  <kc., 

P.  J  Ds  SMET. 


58  WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  I, 

To  THE  CHEVALIER  DIEUDONN£  STAS,  EDITOR  OP  THK  JOUR 
NAL  DE  BRUXELLES. 

BRUSSELS,  June  30, 1853. 
DEAR  SIR  : 

After  many  journeys  in  the  deserts  of  North  America, 
I  am  at  last  in  my  native  land,  happy  to  be  able  to  express 
to  the  benefactors  of  the  poor  Indian  all  the  gratitude  of  the 
missionaries. 

Since  my  last  departure  from  Belgium,  I  have  travelled 
prairies  where  no  mission  had  ever  been  established — indeed, 
where  no  European  probably  had  ever  been. 

We  ascended  the  Missouri  for  about  seven  hundred  and 
thirty  leagues,  and  crossed  a  plateau  of  over  a  hundred,  on 
the  upland  that  separates  the  waters  of  the  Yellowstone 
from  those  of  the  Missouri.  From  the  Yellowstone  we  pro 
ceeded  southwest,  marching  about  three  hundred  leagues  to 
the  Bldck  HiLs  and  Wolf  Mountains,  spurs  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  We  left  these  hills  at  the  great  road  leading 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  California. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  1851,  we  were  on  this  highway, 
trodden  by  the  whites  hastening,  these  latter  years,  to  the 
gold  mines.  The  road  is  fine,  broad,  and  perhaps  the  longest 
in  the  world.  On  the  track  of  the  emigrant  caravans,  you 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  59 

can  travel  easily  from  the  frontier  settlements  to  the  Pacific. 
This  immense  avenue  is  like  a  barn-floor  swept  by  the  winds, 
No  blade  of  grass  springs  up,  so  unceasingly  is  it  trodden  by 
the  feet  of  thousands  of  Americans  and  Europeans  hastening 
to  California.  Our  Indians,  who  had  seen  only  pathless 
wastes,  crossed  at  most  by  a  hunter's  trail,  thought,  on  be 
holding  it,  that  the  whole  nation  of  the  whites  had  passed  over 
it,  and  that  the  land  of  the  sunrise  must  be  depopulated. 
They  could  hardly  believe  me  when  I  told  them  that  the 
multitudes  who  had  gone  were  scarcely  missed. 

Providence  has  supported  my  feeble  courage,  guided  my 
steps,  fructified  the  seed  of  the  gospel  in  lands  which  had 
not  yet  received  them.  After  travelling  many  hundred 
leagues,  I  saw  what  good  could  be  done  among  these  wan 
dering  tribes,  always  at  war,  without  consolation  in  misery, 
because  they  scarcely  know  of  the  hopes  of  eternity.  With 
the  grace  of  God,  I  hope  to  return  next  spring  with  Bishop 
Miege,  the  Vicar-Apostolic.  We  will  be  able  to  found  mis 
sions  for  those  nomade  tribes  on  a  soil  fertile  enough  to  sup 
port  them,  and  thus  removing  occasion  of  war,  let  civiliza 
tion,  with  the  light  of  the  faith,  dawn  on  these  wastes. 

The  limits  of  a  journal  do  not  permit  me  to  enter  into 
details  on  this  expedition  to  the  Great  Desert,  on  which  I 
have  yet  published  but  one  letter ;  but  I  intend  to  publish 
more  in  the  Precis  Historiques,  published  by  Rev.  E.  Terwe- 
coren,  at  the  College  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  Brussels. 
Besides  a  notice  on  the  Mormons,  a  new  sect,  dating  from 
1826,  but  threatening  to  play  in  America  the  part  of  the 
Moslem  in  Asia,  I  am  preparing  notes  to  develop  to  Euro 
peans  the  almost  unknown  state  of  religion  in  that  vast  por 
tion  of  the  world,  and  to  leave  authentic  documents  on  the 
rising  church  of  the  wilderness.  I  will  vary  these  historical 
details  with  notes,  written  in  the  desert,  on  geology 


00  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

zoology,  botany,  the  manners,  religion,  and  language  of  the 
Indians. 

This  will  show  what  civilized  Europeans  are  too  apt  to 
forget,  that  Catholicity,  by  the  very  force  of  her  missions, 
contributes  to  the  civilization  of  nations  and  the  develop 
ment  of  science.  The  government  of  the  United  States 
knows  it,  and  encourages  our  labors.  The  good  to  be  accom 
plished  is  in  every  respect  immense.  The  Catholics  and 
recent  converts  need  priests  to  preserve  the  faith,  the  pagans 
to  learn  the  good  tidings  of  the  gospel.  The  small  number 
of  ministers  of  the  Lord  there  does  not  suffice  for  the  four 
millions  of  Catholics,  and  for  all  the  Indians  who  desire 
ardently  the  visit  of  a  Black-gown,  to  instruct  and  baptize 
them.  I  have  come  to  Europe  to  appeal  to  generous  hearts. 

I  will  express  one  more  desire,  and  express  it  frankly.  I 
come,  too,  to  solicit  alms.  I  am  not  unaware  that  Belgium 
is  constantly  visited  by  missionaries  from  America,  the  Indies, 
and  the  East.  I  am  conscious  that  the  benevolent  can 
scarcely  satisfy  these  repeated  solicitations.  But  Europeans 
cannot  conceive  the  immense  want  of  succors  experienced 
in  these  countries,  to  prevent  defections,  convert  the  heathen, 
form  missionaries,  establish  schools,  build  churches,  &c. 

Consent,  sir,  to  contribute  by  your  estimable  paper,  which 
has  elicited  so  many  generous  works,  to  make  known  thii 
twofold  object  of  my  coming  to  Europe,  where  I  shall  prob 
ably  remain  till  the  close  of  September. 
Your  obed't  serv't, 

P.  J.  Da  SMKT,  S.  J. 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  61 


Lette.  II, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1851. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  Jan.  16,  1852. 
]yf******. 

On  the  7th  of  last  June,  accompanied  by  Father  Christian 
Hcecken,  I  embarked,  at  this  place,  on  board  the  steamer  St. 
Ange,  to  go  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  boat  ran  to  Fort 
Union,  which  is  about  three  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 
River  Yellow  Stone,  on  the  northern  side,  and  about  730 
leagues  northwest  of  St.  Louis.  Several  passengers,  mem 
bers  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  set  out  on  the  same 
occasion,  intending  to  repair  to  the  different  trading-posts 
established  among  the  Indians  of  the  Upper  Missouri.  They 
took  with  them  about  eighty  men ;  these  were  principally 
Canadians,  some  were  Americans,  some  Irish,  German,  Swiss, 
and  Italians,  and  several  "Fran$ais  de  France"  a  title  which 
is  given  them  here,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Franco- 
Americans.  They  went  in  quest  of  earthly  wealth ;  Father 
Hoecken  and  I  in  search  of  heavenly  treasures — to  the  con 
quest  of  souls. 

We  had  had  a  wet  spring.  Up  to  the  moment  of  our  de 
parture  the  rain  had  been  excessive;  the  snows  and  ice, 
which  had  collected  in  heaps  during  the  rigorous  season  o, 
the  more  northern  regions,  detaching  themselves  and  dis 
solving,  in  a  very  short  time  swelled  the  thousand  and  thou 
sand  tributaries  of  the  mighty  Mississippi.  These  rivers,  one 
6 


OZ  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

after  the  other,  precipitated  their  torrents  into  the  "Father  of 
Waters?  and  so  swelled  it  that  it  overflowed,  rolling  its 
muddy  billows  from  upland  to  upland,  over  a  surface  of 
eight,  fifteen,  and  in  several  places  of  twenty  miles  in  width. 
No  longer  knowing  any  bounds,  the  river,  usually  so  grave 
and  sublime,  disappeared.  Beneath  its  waters  also  vanished 
the  verdure  of  the  smiling  plains,  the  stately  forests,  and 
the  varied  spring-flowers  which  so  delight  the  eye  of  the 
traveller.  A  vast  lake  now  covered  all  this  space ;  and  the 
immense  volume  of  water,  which  went  on  continually  en 
larging,  carried  ruin  and  desolation  among  the  numerous 
habitations  which  covered  the  lowlands  on  either  shore.  We 
could  see  the  torrent  descending  with  the  violence  and  rapid 
ity  of  an  avalanche,  overturning  and  sweeping  every  thing 
with  its  angry  waves. 

In  ordinary  times,  the  sawyers  and  sand-banks  are  the 
principal  obstacles  to  navigation  in  the  western  waters ;  they 
had  now  entirely  disappeared,  and  gave  the  pilot  no  anxietv. 
But  other  dangers  had  taken  their  place ;  the  whole  face  of 
the  waters  seemed  covered  with  wrecks;  houses,  barns, 
stables,  fences  of  fields  and  gardens,  were  borne  away,  in 
confusion,  with  thousands  of  uprooted  trees — wood  piled  on 
the  shore  and  lumber-yards,  were  all  afloat.  In  the  midst 
of  these  floating  masses,  whose  dangerous  contact  we  could 
not  always  avoid,  the  St.  Ange  used  her  whole  power  of 
steam  to  stem  an  almost  irresistible  current.  Several  times 
the  boat  was  carried  down ;  twice,  especially,  it  was  a  regular 
contest  between  the  river  and  the  steamer.  The  latter,  for  a 
good  quarter  of  an  hour,,  lay,  as  if  motionless,  in  the  midst 
of  the  angry  waters,  but,  thanks  to  the  quantity  of  tar  and 
resin  with  which  her  furnaces  were  charged,  she  at  last 
triumphed. 

Amid  such  fearful  dangers,  the  remembrance  of  the  objecl 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  63 

of  the  missionary's  voyage  sustains  and  animates  him ;  he 
knows  that  he  is  in  the  hands  of  Him  who  can  "  command 
the  winds  and  the  sea,"  and  that  rarely  has  heaven  permit 
ted  that  a  vessel  bearing  missionaries  should  perish. 

The  inundations  of  the  rivers,  the  continual  rains  of  spring, 
and  the  sudden  transitions  from  heat  to  cold,  are,  in  this 
climate,  sure  precursors  of  malignant  fevers.  The  cholera 
appears  to  assume  an  epidemic  type  in  these  regions.  Dis 
ease,  in  many  forms,  soon  appeared  on  board  the  St.  Ange. 
From  the  moment  of  its  advent  a  mournful  silence  took  the 
place  of  the  rude  shouts  and  boisterous  conversations  of  our 
travellers.  Six  days  had  hardly  elapsed  from  our  departure, 
when  the  boat  resembled  a  floating  hospital.  We  were  500 
miles  from  St.  Louis  when  the  cholera  broke  out  in  the 
steamer.  On  the  tenth,  a  clerk  of  the  American  Fur  Com 
pany,  vigorous,  and  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  was  suddenly 
seized  with  all  the  symptoms  of  cholera,  and  expired  after  a 
few  hours'  illness.  The  following  days  several  others  were 
attacked  with  the  same  malady,  and  in  a  short  time  thirteen 
fell  victims  to  the  epidemic. 

A  bilious  attack  confined  me  to  my  bed  nearly  ten  days. 
Good  Father  Hoecken  devoted  himself  to  the  sick  night  and 
day,  with  a  zeal  at  once  heroic  aud  indefatigable.  He  vis 
ited  them  ;  he  assisted  them  in  their  sufferings;  he  prepared 
and  administered  remedies ;  he  rubbed  the  cholera  patients 
with  camphor;  he  heard  the  confessions  of  the  dying,  and 
lavished  upon  them  the  consolations  of  religion.  He  then 
went  and  blessed  their  graves  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
buried  them  with  the  prayers  and  ceremonies  prescribed  by 
the  Roman  ritual.  This  beloved  brother  had,  naturally,  a 
hardy  constitution,  and  was  habituated  to  a  life  of  privation  ; 
but  the  journeys  and  continued  labors  of  the  mission  among 
the  Indians  had  greatly  weakened  it,  and  his  assiduous  and 


64  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

fatiguing  attentions  to  the  sick  completely  exhausted  him 
In  vain  I  warned  him,  begging  him  to  spare  himself;  hig 
zeal  silenced  every  other  consideration;  instead  of  taking 
precautions  against  exposure,  he  seemed  to  delight  in  it.  It 
gave  me  pain  to  see  him  fulfilling  this  heroic  work  of  charity 
alone ;  but  I  was  in  such  a  state  of  debility  that  I  was  inca 
pable  of  offering  him  the  least  help.  On  the  18th,  fears 
were  entertained  that  my  illness  was  assuming  the  form  of 
cholera.  I  requested  Father  Hcecken  to  hear  my  confession 
and  give  me  extreme  unction,  but  at  the  very  moment  he 
was  called  to  another  sick  person,  who  was  in  extremity. 
He  replied,  going,  "I  see  no  immediate  danger  for  you;  to 
morrow  we  will  see."  He  had  assisted  three  dying  ones 
that  day.  Alas !  never  shall  I  forget  the  scene  that  occurred 
some  hours  later.  Father  Hcecken's  cabin  was  next  to  mine. 
Between  one  and  two  o'clock  at  night,  when  all  on  board 
were  calm  and  silent,  and  the  sick  in  their  wakefulness 
heard  naught  but  the  sighs  and  moans  of  their  fellow-suffer 
ers,  the  voice  of  Father  Hoecken  was  suddenly  heard.  He 
was  calling  me  to  his  assistance.  Awaking  from  a  deep 
sleep,  I  recognized  his  voice,  and  dragged  myself  to  his  pil 
low.  Ah  me  !  I  found  him  ill,  and  even  in  extremity.  He 
asked  me  to  hear  his  confession :  I  at  once  acquiesced  in  his 
desire.  Dr.  Evans,  a  physician  of  great  experience  and  of 
remarkable  charity,  endeavored  to  relieve  him,  and  watched 
by  him,  but  his  cares  and  remedies  proved  fruitless.  I  ad 
ministered  extreme  unction  :  he  responded  to  all  the  prayers 
with  a  recollection  and  piety  which  increased  the  esteem  that 
all  on  board  had  conceived  for  him.  I  could  see  him  sink 
ing.  As  I  was  myself  in  so  alarming  a  state,  and  fearing 
that  I  might  be  taken  away  at  any  moment,  and  thus  share 
his  last  abode  in  this  land  of  pilgrimage  and  exile,  I  besought 
him  to  hear  my  confession,  if  he  were  yet  capable  of  listen 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  65 

ing  to  me.  I  knelt,  bathed  in  tears,  by  the  dying  couch  of 
my  brother  in  Christ — of  my  faithful  friend — of  my  sole 
companion  in  the  lonely  desert.  To  him  in  his  agony,  I,  sick 
and  almost  dying,  made  my  confession !  Strength  forsook 
him :  soon,  also,  he  lost  the  power  of  speech,  although  he 
remained  sensible  to  what  was  passing  around  him.  Resign 
iiig  myself  to  God's  holy  will,  I  recited  the  prayers  of  the 
agonizing  with  the  formula  of  the  plenary  indulgence,  which 
the  Church  grants  at  the  hour  of  death.  Father  Hoecken, 
ripe  for  heaven,  surrendered  his  pure  soul  into  the  hand?  of 
his  Divine  Redeemer  on  the  19th  of  June,  1851,  twelve  days 
after  our  departure  from  St.  Louis.  Who  would  then  have 
foretold  it  ?  So  ardent  were  his  desires  to  labor  for  the  glory 
of  God,  that  he  sighed  for  the  wilderness — he  thirsted  for 
the  salvation  of  souls !  Alas !  how  many  projects  annihi 
lated  !  In  any  other  enterprise  it  would  have  proved  suffi 
cient  motive  for  discontinuing  a  perilous  journey ;  but  the 
desire  of  procuring  God's  glory  endows  man  with  strength 
that  nature  denies  him. 

Father  Christian  Hoecken  was  born  in  Upper  Brabant. 
He  was  only  forty-three  years  old  at  his  death.  The  last  fifteen 
years  of  his  life  were  passed  among  the  Indians,  who  had 
conceived  the  most  profound  veneration  for  him.  He  was 
all  to  them — their  father  in  Christ,  their  physician  in  illness, 
their  counsel  in  difficulties,  their  sincere  and  faithful  friend. 
When  he  could  share  any  thing  with  his  poor  neophytes,  he 
rejoiced  with  all  the  simplicity  of  a  child.  His  only  conso 
lation  was  to  be  among  them.  He  was  an  active  instrument 
in  the  hands  of  God  to  announce  his  holy  word  to  thousands 
of  pagans.  The  churches  that  he  built,  and  the  fervent  con 
gregations  of  Indians  that  he  collected  and  formed,  attest 
his  fervor,  and  the  apostolic  zeal  which  animated  him.  His 
holy  death  crowned  all  his  labors.  A  martyr  of  charity,  ht 
6* 


66  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

exercised  his  sacred  ministry  to  his  very  agony.  Sail,  but 
salutary,  will  ever  be  the  remembrance  of  that  last  solemn 
and  affecting  hour.  What  friends  could  ever  offer,  or  take  a 
more  touching  or  more  religious  farewell  ? 

The  passengers  were  deeply  moved  at  the  sight  of  the 
lifeless  corpse  of  him  who  had  so  lately  been  "  all  to  all,"  ac 
cording  to  the  language  of  the  apostle.  Their  kind  father 
quitted  them  at  the  moment  in  which  his  services  seemed  to 
be  the  most  necessary.  I  shall  always  remember  with  deep 
gratitude  the  solicitude  evinced  by  the  passengers  to  the 
reverend  father  in  his  dying  moments.  My  resolution  not 
to  leave  the  body  of  the  pious  missionary  in  the  desert,  was 
unanimously  approved.  A  decent  coffin,  very  thick,  and 
tarred  within,  was  prepared  to  receive  his  mortal  remains  :  a 
temporary  grave  was  dug  in  a  beautiful  forest,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Sioux,  and  the  burial  was  per 
formed  with  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  Church,  in  the  even 
ing  of  the  19th  of  June,  all  on  board  assisting. 

About  a  month  after,  on  the  return  of  the  St.  Ange 
which  passed  near  the  venerated  tomb,  the  coffin  was  ex 
humed,  put  on  board  of  the  boat,  and  transported  to  the 
Novitiate  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  at  Florissant.  There  re 
pose  the  mortal  remains  of  Father  Hoecken,  with  those  of 
his  brethren.  His  death,  so  precious  in  the  sight  of  God, 
saddened  the  hearts  of  the  passengers,  but  for  many  it  was 
a  salutary  sorrow.  A  great  number  had  not  approached  the 
tribunal  of  penance  during  long  years;  immediately  after 
the  funeral,  they  repaired  one  after  another  to  my  cabin  to 
confess. 

Five  more  passengers  were  also  fatally  attacked,  but  re 
ceived  before  expiring  the  consolations  of  my  ministry.  The 
languor  and  weakness  to  which  the  fever  had  reduced  me, 
quitted  me  insensibly :  after  a  lapse  of  some  days  I  found 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  67 

myself  perfectly  recovered,  so  that  I  was  able  to  celebrate 
mass  on  board  and  devote  my  whole  time  to  the  sick. 

As  the  boat  ascended  the  river  and  penetrated -further  into 
the  country,  attaining  the  higher  and  more  open  portions  ot 
the  Indian  territory,  the  epidemic  gradually  disappeared. 
We  could  again  give  a  little  time  to  the  contemplation  01 
the  beauties  of  the  wilderness,  to  reflections  on  the  future  ol 
these  interesting  solitudes — above  all,  of  their  poor,  despised 
inhabitants.  I  will  describe  them  in  my  future  letters. 
They  will  inform  you  whatever  striking  or  edifying  events 
happened  in  my  relations  with  the  Indians  during  the  long 
and  dangerous  journey  which  I  have  just  terminated. 
Accept,  etc., 

P.  J.  DE  SMET. 

P.  S. — The  following  notice  of  the  death  of  Rev.  If 
Hcecken,  from  "The  Shepherd  of  the  Valley,"  a  weekly 
journal,  is  attributed  to  His  Grace  the  Archbishop  of  St. 
Louis : 

"  The  Rev.  Father  Christian  Hoecken,  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  died  of  cholera,  on  board  the  St.  Ange,  on  the 
Missouri.  Those  only  who  have  had  the  happiness  of  an 
acquaintance  with  the  deceased  can  form  any  idea  of  the  loss 
religion  has  sustained  by  his  death.  To  the  knowledge  of 
several  Indian  languages  he  joined  a  perfect  understanding 
of  the  manners,  prejudices,  and  predilections  of  the  savages. 
1e  showed  the  most  devoted  attention  to  their  interests,  as 
well  temporal  as  eternal.  He  enjoyed  a  robust  constitution, 
united  with  a  great  energy  of  character,  which  induced  him 
to  undertake  without  hesitation  any  work  that  seemed  likely 
to  redound  to  an  increase  of  the  glory  of  God.  The  quali 
ties  which  most  distinguished  him  amid  his  labors  and  pri 
vations  were  his  admirable  frankness,  his  simplicity,  iiii 


68  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

sound  judgment,  an  ever-joyous  and  peaceful  disposition  of 
mind  and  heart,  and  an  imperturbable  contentment,  which 
the  author  of  this  notice  has  never  found  to  the  same  degree 
in  any  individual.  It  would  be  impossible  to  find  a  mission 
ary  more  apostolic,  and  we  are  convinced  that  the  illustrious 
Society  of  which  he  was  a  member,  counts  no  more  faithful 
tad  fervent  religious  among  her  children." 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  69 


Letter  III, 

To   THI  EDITOR   OF  THE   PRECIS   HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS, 
Travels  in  ike  Great  Desert,  1851. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Louis,  January  18,  1852. 


The  mouth  of  the  river  Platte,  or  Nebraska,  is  the  point 
of  division  between  the  Upper  and  Lower  Missouri.  To  the 
early  navigators  on  the  river  it  was  a  kind  of  equinoctial, 
where,  as  at  sea,  the  Neptunian  tribute  was  exacted  of  all 
pork-eaters,  as  all  were  styled  who  visited  the  desert  for  the 
first  time.  No  one  could  escape. 

The  flat  country,  or  the  valley  of  the  Missouri,  is  covered 
with  dense  forests  extending  from  the  bank  of  the  river  to 
the  high  hills  that  skirt  it  on  either  side  for  from  four  to  six 
miles  in  width.  The  forests  are  successively  replaced  by 
flourishing  cities,  fine  villages,  and  thousands  of  beautiful 
farms.  This  alluvial  soil  is  probably  unequalled  on  the 
earth  for  the  richness  of  some  of  its  productions.  The 
wood  is  in  great  demand.  As  the  country  is  settled  and  trade 
becomes  more  important,  steam-mills  increase  and  prepare 
all  kinds  of  timber  and  boards;  the  steamboats,  too,  con 
sume  immense  quantities  of  wood. 

Between  the  Nebraska  and  the  Wasecha,  or  Vermillion, 
for  about  four  hundred  miles  the  forests  are  vast  and  beauti- 
fal,  often  intersected  by  rich  prairies  of  turf  and  verdure. 
This  contrast  delights  the  traveller.  Every  time  he  enters 


70  WESTEKN    MISSIONS 

the  desert  he  cannot  refrain  from  admiring  this  succession  ol 
forests  and  plains,  this  series  of  hills  which  encircle  them 
and  present  such  a  variety  of  forms, — here  and  there  covered 
with  trees  and  underwood  of  a  thousand  kinds,  sometimes 
rising,  bold,  rugged  cliffs,  to  the  height  of  one  or  two  hun 
dred  feet,  and  then  noble  plains,  ascending  gradually,  with 
scattered  groves,  so  pleasing  to  the  sight  that  art  seems  to 
have  crowned  the  work  of  Nature.  We  wonder  that  we  do 
not  see  farms,  barns,  and  fences.  Surely,  one  just  from 
Europe  would  think  himself  on  the  demesne  of  some  great 
lord,  and  would  be  amazed  at  not  seeing  the  mansion  and 
its  appurtenances. 

Nature  seems  to  have  lavished  its  gifts  on  this  region  ;  and 
without  being  a  prophet,  I  can  predict  a  future  far  unlike 
the  past  for  this  desert.  The  words  of  the  Psalmist  will 
be  soon  applied — "The  earth  was  created  for  the  abode 
of  man,  and  to  manifest  the  glory  and  perfection  of  the 
Lord." 

These  plains,  naturally  so  rich  and  verdant,  seem  to  invite 
Jie  husbandman  to  run  the  furrow,  and  promise  an  ample 
reward  to  the  slightest  toil.  Heavy  forests  await  the  wood 
man,  and  rocks  the  stone-cutter.  The  sound  of  the  axe  and 
hammer  will  echo  in  this  wilderness ;  broad  farms,  with  or 
chard  and  vineyard,  alive  with  domestic  animals  and  poul 
try,  will  cover  these  desert  plains,  to  provide  for  thick-com 
ing  cities,  which  will  rise  as  if  by  enchantment,  with  dome 
and  tower,  church  and  college,  school  and  house,  hospital 
and  asylum. 

I  speak  here  principally  of  the  region  from  the  mouth  of 
the  river  Kansas  to  that  of  the  Niobrarah  or  Eau  qui  coule, 
and  extending  beyond  the  Black  Hills,  continuing  along 
their  crest  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  thence  it  follows  south 
wardly  the  already  existing  limits  of  Utah,  New  Mexico,  an^ 


\Nh    MISSIONARIES.  71 

Texas.  This  region  contains  several  large  rivers,  with  nu 
merous  tributaries,  the  principal  of  which  are  the  Platte,  the 
two  rivers  just  named,  and  the  head-waters  of  the  Arkansas, 
Osage,  and  Red.  These  present  the  greatest  inducements  to 
civilization. 

Will  not  the  President  of  the  Republic,  like  some  of  his 
predecessors,  pluck  some  plumes  from  the  Indian  eagle,  once 
the  emblem  of  their  greatness  and  power,  to  place  them  in 
the  crown  composed  of  the  trophies  of  his  administration  f 
In  the  limits  which  I  trace  he  will  find  an  extent  of  country 
vast  enough  to  be  represented  by  three  or  four  stars  more  of 
the  first  magnitude,  which  will  enhance  the  lustre  of  the 
galaxy  of  the  flag  of  the  Union.  This  great  territory  will 
hold  an  immense  population,  destined  to  form  several  great 
and  flourish;  g  States. 

But,  then,  what  will  become  of  the  Indians,  who  have 
already  come  from  afar  to  abide  in  this  land  ?  What  will 
become  of  the  aborigines,  who  have  possessed  it  from  time 
immemorial  ?  This  is,  indeed,  a  thorny  question,  awaken 
ing  gloomy  ideas  in  the  observer's  mind,  if  he  has  followed 
the  encroaching  policy  of  the  States  in  regard  to  the  Indian. 
I  have  remarked  with  pleasure  one  ray  of  hope  in  the  future 
for  these  poor  and  wretched  tribes.  They  readily  send  their 
children  to  school ;  they  make  rapid  progress  in  agriculture, 
and  even  in  several  of  the  most  necessary  mechanical  arts ; 
they  carefully  raise  poultry  and  domestic  animals.  We 
may  then  hope  that  the  sad  remnant  of  these  numerous  na 
tions,  who  once  covered  America,  now  reduced  to  earn  theii 
bread  in  the  sweat  of  their  brow  (for  they  can  no  longer 
ouusist  by  hunting),  will  find  an  asylum,  a  permanent  abode, 
and  will  be  incorporated  with  all  the  rights  of  citizens  oi 
the  Union.  It  is  their  only  remaining  chance  of  well-being 
humanity  and  justice  seem  to  demand  it  for  them.  If  the) 


72  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

are  again  repelled  and  banished  further  inland,  they  wiH 
perish  infallibly.  The  Indians  who  refuse  to  submit  or  ac 
cept  the  definitive  arrangement,  alone  favorable  to  them, 
would  resume  the  wandering  life  of  the  plains,  and  close 
their  sad  existence  as  the  bison  and  other  animals  on  which 
they  live,  vanish. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Mankizitah,  or  White-earth 
River,  the  hills  are  blackened,  and  evidently  owe  this  ap 
pearance  to  subterraneous  fires.  The  soil  is  light  and  sterile 
for  about  a  hundred  miles;  the  high  hills  have  little  verdure, 
and  the  bottom  or  valley  is  very  narrow.  Some  of  the  hills 
may  even  be  called  mountains. 

The  islands  of  the  Missouri  are,  in  general,  well  wooded, 
and  present  on  all  sides  most  agreeable  views.  On  some  is 
found  the  red  cedar,  the  most  durable  wood  of  the  country, 
lasting  longer  than  any  other  when  plunged  in  water  or 
buried  in  earth.  If  we  except  the  space  between  the  Nio- 
brarah  and  Mankizitah,  where  the  low  prairies  are  rare,  and 
where  the  upland  is  almost  entirely  unwooded,  this  district 
has  many  fine  sites,  which  seem  to  invite  the  pioneer,  and 
say,  "The  time  is  not  far  off;  here  you  will  raise  your 
cabin  and  till  your  field."  Coal  is  also  very  abundant,  and 
will  supply  the  failure  of  the  forests. 

From  the  Mankizitah  to  the  great  bend  of  the  Missouri, 
and  thence  to  Fort  Mandan,  and  even  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Yellowstone,  on  both  banks,  the  country  is  very  fine  ;  the 
fertile  soil  gives  most  abundant  crops.  Here  and  there,  on 
the  banks  of  the  great  rivers,  the  forests  are  pretty  fine, 
while  in  the  upland  plains,  as  you  recede  from  the  river, 
the  country  is  destitute  of  trees,  and  even  of  bushes. 

In  my  visits  to  the  Indian  tribes,  I  have  several  times  trav 
ersed  the  immense  plains  of  the  West.  I  have  travelled 
over  various  sections,  from  the  frontiers  to  the  Pacific,  and 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  73 

from  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory,  along  the  Saskatchewan 
and  Athabasca,  to  Great  Salt  Lake,  now  the  head-quarters 
of  the  Mormons.  Every  time  that  I  have  travelled  over 
these  plains,  I  have  found  myself  amid  a  painful  void :  Eu 
rope's  thousands  of  poor,  who  cry  for  bread,  and  wander 
without  shelter  or  hope,  often  occur  to  my  thoughts.  "Un 
happy  poor,"  I  often  cry,  "  why  are  ye  not  here  ?  Your 
industry  and  toil  would  end  your  sorrows.  Here  you  might 
rear  a  smiling  home,  and  reap  in  plenty  the  fruit  of  your 
toil."  Yes,  this  void  exists ;  and  when  I  say  it  must  be  filled 
by  an  industrious  and  persevering  population,  I  concur  with 
the  experience  of  all  travellers. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  sombre 
silence  that  reigns  in  this  vast  desert.  You  may  pass  weeks 
there,  on  the  march,  without  meeting  a  living  soul.  And 
yet  we  become  habituated  to  it — like  it.  Solitude  seems  to 
give  scope  to  man's  intellectual  faculties ;  the  mind  seem* 
more  vigorous,  the  thought  clearer.  It  has  always  seemed 
to  me  that  when  one  travels  over  the  plains,  he  feels  more 
inclined  to  prayer,  meditation,  confidence  in  God,  more  dis 
posed  to  resign  himself  into  the  hands  of  Him  who  alone  is 
our  refuge  amid  perils,  and  who  alone  can  provide  for  all  our 
wants.  Doubtless  the  removal  of  all  bustle  and  business,  the 
constant  dangers  to  which  we  are  exposed  from  wild  animals 
Mid  enemies,  liable  to  be  met  at  every  step,  contribute  to  this. 

It  has  often  been  remarked  that  the  songs  of  the  birds  are 
more  sweet  and  agreeable  here  than  in  the  forests  of  the 
east.  This  phenomenon  is  capriciously  attributed  to  the 
effects  of  society.  From  the  scarcity  of  wood,  the  birds  are 
forced  to  perch  on  the  same  tree,  or  seek  the  same  grove, 
and  thus  teach  each  other.  It  is  commonly  supposed  that 
the  birds  in  Europe  are  better  singers  than  those  in  America: 
can  this  be  attributed  to  any  other  cause  than  that  just  given  ? 
7 


74  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

If  you  would  have  an  idea  of  the  topography,  vastness, 
and  extent  of  our  western  plains,  imagine  France,  Germany, 
Belgium  changed  into  one  single  prairie,  along  water-courses, 
an  1  intersected  here  and  there  by  a  wood  of  small  extent,  or 
by  a  very  small  forest. 

You  will  excuse  these  little  digressions  on  the  localities  I 
have  traversed.  They  will  show,  withal,  to  our  unbelievers 
in  Europe,  that  science  and  civilization  may  find  their  ac 
count  in  voyages  undertaken  for  the  good  of  souls  and  the 
glory  of  the  Church.  And  then,  too,  all  these  fair  and 
varied  objects  make  us  incessantly  bless  heaven,  and  say, 
with  the  Psalmist,  "  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fulness 
thereof." 

At  last  we  reached  the  Great  Bend,  where  the  boat  came 
to  land  opposite  a  camp  of  lantons,  a  powerful  tribe  of  the 
Sioux  nation.  As  soon  as  these  Indians  perceived  us,  they 
broke  out  into  cries  of  joy,  and  honored  our  arrival  by  seve 
ral  volleys  of  musketry.  Their  women  had  prepared  a  great 
quantity  of  dry  wood :  we  accepted  it  thankfully,  and  they 
received  in  return  a  present  of  tobacco,  lead,  flour,  coffee, 
and  sugar — the  articles  they  prize  most. 

The  Indians  gave  us  the  sad  tidings  of  the  ravages  which 
the  small-pox  was  then  causing  at  Post  Bonis  and  its  neigh 
borhood,  near  Little  Medicine  River,  which  empties  into  the 
Missouri  at  the  upper  bay  of  the  Great  Bend.  This  bend  is 
thirty-six  miles  in  circumference,  while  it  is  only  four  miles 
across  by  land.  At  my  request,  the  captain  put  me  ashore, 
and  two  hours  after  I  was  among  the  sick.  I  spent  the 
night  with  them,  giving  them  all  the  consolation  in  my 
power.  Some  believed  that  the  disease  resembled  the  great 
plague  in  London.  The  survivors  long  retained  black  spots. 
Even  during  this  contagious  disease,  the  Indians  retained 
tLeir  old  custom  of  giving  a  last  abode  to  the  dead,  bj 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  75 

placing  the  body,  wrapped  in  a  blanket  or  buffalo-robe,  on 
scaffolds  raised  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  plain.  They  left 
them  thus  exposed  to  the  burning  heat  of  a  July  sun,  the 
most  intense  of  the  year.  The  pestilential  exhalations  oi 
these  corpses  infected  the  air  for  miles  around. 

They  showed  me  in  their  camp  a  little  orphan  boy  who 
had  been  attacked,  and  who,  given  up,  had  been  turned  out 
of  the  lodge  in  the  midst  of  the  night,  during  a  fearful  rain, 
by  his  adoptive  father,  a  cruel  and  unfeeling  man.  He  was 
still  alive  in  the  morning,  when  a  Canadian  perceived  him, 
and,  like  the  good  Samaritan,  carried  him  to  his  hut  and 
lavished  the  most  constant  care  on  him.  I  had  the  pleasure 
to  see  him  recovering,  and  to  baptize  him. 

Some  days  after,  I  was  at  Fort  Pierre,  situated  on  the 
shore,  south  of  the  Missouri,  about  1500  miles  above  St. 
Louis,  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Schicah,  or  Bad  River. 
The  influenza  had  existed  for  some  time  in  the  fort,  and  a 
panic  had  seized  many  at  the  news  that  the  small-pox  was 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  cholera  on  board.  In  fact,  im 
mediately  after  we  started,  the  last  broke  out  and  carried  off 
many.  The  Indians,  awe-struck  at  the  approach  of  danger 
from  this  implacable  scourge,  were  overjoyed  at  my  presence ; 
the  children  of  the  whites  and  of  the  Indians  encamped 
around  the  fort  were  presented  to  me,  to  the  number  of 
eighty-two,  to  be  regenerated  in  the  holy  waters  of  baptism. 

The  same  inquietude  reigned  at  the  post  of  the  Arickaras. 
Some  couriers  had  announced  the  approach  of  the  boat,  and 
spread  alarm  by  reporting  that  there  were  contagious  dis 
eases  on  board.  But  when  the  people  saw  that  all  were  well, 
their  fears  vanished,  and  they  welcomed  the  boat  with  the 
usual  demonstrations  on  such  occasions.  Cries  of  joy  burst 
from  two  thousand  mouths ;  volleys  of  cannon  and  musketry 
rolled  echoing  over  the  plains.  The  scene  was  beautiful  and 


76  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

imposing.  The  fort  stands  on  a  high  hill,  nearly  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  river.  A  long  row  of  Indians,  in 
their  gayest  costumes,  their  faces  daubed  with  various  colors, 
lined  the  shore. 

I  had  galloped  on  in  advance  of  the  boat,  to  have  time  to 
instruct  the  half-breeds  and  Canadians,  and  baptize  all  their 
children.  I  spent  two  days  among  them.  A  great  number 
of  Indians,  learning  of  my  arrival  at  the  fort,  came  to  shake 
hands  with  me  from  respect,  and  to  bid  me  welcome.  At 
the  same  time  they  earnestly  begged  me  to  grant  their  little 
children  the  same  benefit  of  baptism  that  I  had  granted  the 
half-breed  children.  I  yielded  to  their  wishes,  in  conse 
quence  of  the  great  danger  in  which  they  were.  The  num 
ber  of  baptisms  was  about  two  hundred.  Not  long  after,  I 
heard  that  the  cholera  had  swept  through  the  village  of  the 
Arickaras,  and  that  many  of  the  children  had  fallen  victims. 
What  a  consolation,  that,  by  the  sacrament,  I  unlocked  the 
gates  of  heaven  to  them ! 

We  now  bade  farewell  to  the  officers  of  the  fort,  to  plunge 
further  into  the  desert.  Ere  long  we  passed  the  Mandan  vil 
lage,  composed  of  large  huts  covered  with  earth.  This  once 
numerous  nation  is  now  reduced  to  a  few  families,  the  only 
survivors  of  the  small-pox  of  1838.  Their  village  lies  1800 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  two  hundred  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone.  Some  days  after,  we  stopped 
at  Fort  Berthold,  to  land  some  goods  at  the  great  village  of 
the  Minataries,  or  Osier  tribe,  nicknamed  the  Gros  Venires 
of  Missouri.  Their  cabins  are  built  like  those  of  the  Arick 
aras  and  Mandans.  Four  forks,  or  rather  four  forked  trees, 
set  in  the  ground,  about  twenty  feet  apart,  form  a  square. 
These  are  joined  on  top  by  cross-pieces,  over  which  other 
pieces  are  laid  obliquely,  leaving  a  great  opening  in  the  cen 
tre,  to  admit  air  and  give  vent  to  the  smoke ;  these  piecei 


AND   MISSION  AKIES. 

are  woven  together  with  osiers :  the  whole  is  covered 
hay  and  earth — not  with  turf,  however.  An  opening  is  made 
on  one  side  to  receive  the  door,  which  consists  of  a  bison- 
skin.  Before  the  door  is  a  sort  of  alley,  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
long,  inclosed  by  pickets,  and  easily  defended  in  case  of 
attack.  In  the  middle  of  the  lodge,  under  the  upper  open 
ing  which  admits  the  light,  a  hole  about  a  foot  deep  is  dug 
to  answer  as  a  fireplace.  Around  the  lodge  there  are  beds, 
one,  two,  or  three  feet  from  the  floor,  with  doe-skins  as  cur 
tains.  The  whole  village  is  surrounded  by  a  high  and  strong 
pallisade  of  large  trees,  squared. 

The  Minataries  raise  Indian-corn,  squashes,  beans,  and  po 
tatoes.  The  other  permanent  villages  on  the  Missouri  are 
those  of  the  Osages,  Omahas,  Ponkahs,  Pawnees,  Arickaras, 
and  Mandans.  The  Minataries  are  of  the  same  stock  as  the 
Crows,  and  speak  about  the  same  language.  They  say  that 
they  separated  in  consequence  of  a  dispute  between  two 
chiefs,  over  a  bison  that  both  claimed  to  have  killed  on  a 
hunt. 

The  great  chief  of  the  latter  village,  called  Four  Bears,  is 
the  most  civil  and  affable  Indian  that  I  met  on  the  Missouri. 
He  begged  me  to  baptize  his  two  children  and  several  members 
of  his  family.  All  the  children  of  this  tribe  had  been  bap 
tized  by  Rev.  Mr.  Bellecourt,  a  zealous  and  untiring  mission 
ary  of  the  Vicariate  Apostolic  of  Red  River,  which  is  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  Mgr.  Provencher.  Rev.  Mr.  Bellecourt 
has  visited  these  tribes  several  times,  and  met  with  great  suc 
cess  in  disposing  them  in  favor  of  our  holy  religion.  I 
learned,  to  my  consolation,  that  in  all  probability  a  mission 
would  be  soon  established  there,  with  one  or  two  resident 
priests,  under  the  direction  of  Mgr.  Provencher. 

The  place  is  admirably  well  chosen,  and  the  benefits  of 
religion  will  easily  spread  thence  among  the  neighboring 


78  .WESTERN    MISSIONS 

nations,  such  as  the  Mandans,  Arickaras,  and  Assiniboins 
These  tribes  evince  great  eagerness  to  hear  the  word  of  God 
and  to  be  instructed  in  our  holy  faith,  whenever  a  Catholic 
missionary  visits  them.  In  Europe,  the  preachers  and  cate- 
chists  must  use  a  thousand  means  to  win  auditors ;  here  men 
call  priests  to  instruct  them.  They  are  eager  for  this  nour 
ishment  of  the  soul,  this  word  of  God,  that  so  many  othei> 
despise !  What  an  awful  account  of  this  heavenly  benetii 
must  be  one  day  rendered  by  men  of  all  ages,  especially  the 
young,  for  whom  religious  teaching  abounds  in  the  churches, 
colleges,  and  schools  of  Europe  ! 

On  the  14th  of  July,  the  steamboat  St.  Ange  reached  our 
destination,  Fort  Union.  This  post  is  situated  at  48°  N. 
I  had  then  to  make  all  my  preparations  ani  take  all  my  pre 
cautions  for  my  long  journey  on  land.  Ywt,  withal,  I  found 
time  to  instruct  and  baptize  twenty-nine  little  children,  be 
tween  Fort  Union  and  Fort  William,  which  are  only  three 
miles  apart.  I  said  mass  daily  at  the  fort,  and  gave  an 
instruction. 

Yours,  <fc<x, 

P.  J.  DE  SMKT,  8.  J. 


A.ND    MISSIONARIES.  79 


Letter  IV, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1851. 
(CONTINUED.) 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  January  20,  1852. 

SIR: 

The  whole  forenoon  of  the  31st  of  July,  the  day  on  which 
the  Church  celebrates  the  Feast  of  St.  Ignatius,  founder  of 
the  Society  of  Jesus,  was  employed  in  making  preparations 
for  our  journey  into  the  interior  of  the  country.  Mr.  Cul- 
bertson,  superintendent  of  the  forts  on  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Yellowstone  rivers,  is  a  distinguished  man,  endowed 
with  a  mild,  benevolent,  and  charitable  temper,  though,  if 
need  be,  intrepid  and  courageous.  He  has  always  given  me 
marks  of  kindness  and  friendship,  but  most  particularly  in 
this  last  tour.  Being  at  the  head  of  our  troop,  he  was  able 
to  aid  me  in  my  project. 

We  numbered  thirty-two  persons ;  the  greater  part  were 
Assiniboins,  Minatarics,  and  Crows,  who  were  repairing  to 
the  great  Indian  council  to  be  held  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort 
Laramie,  and  \y  the  sAine  route  that  we  had  chosen,  and 
which  was  scarcely  less  than  800  miles  in  length.  Two 
four-wheeled  wagons  and  two  carts,  for  transporting  our  pro 
visions  and  our  baggage,  composed  our  whole  convoy.  The 
four  vehicles  were  in  all  probability  the  first  that  had  ever 
crossed  this  unoccupied  waste.  There  is  not  the  slightest 
perceptible  vestige  of  a  beaten  track  between  Fort  Unioi 


80  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

and  the  Red  Buttes,  which  are  on  the  route  to  Oregon,  and 
161  miles  west  of  Fort  Laramie. 

Having  dined,  we  crossed  the  river  with  our  baggage. 
Following  the  course  of  one  of  the  little  tributaries  of  the 
Yellowstone,  we  advanced  about  six  miles.  We  had  with  us 
a  skilful  hunter,  of  the  Black-Feet  tribe,  and  he  made  a 
happy  commencement  by  bringing  us  two  fine  deer  as  the 
first  fruits  of  his  ability.  The  mosquitoes  attacked  us  on  all 
sides,  leaving  us  no  repose.  We  were  forced  to  combat 
them  continually  with  branches,  handkerchiefs,  and  smoke. 
The  last  is  the  most  efficacious  weapon  for  dissipating  these 
sanguinary  insects,  but  it  is  at  the  same  time  the  most  diffi 
cult  for  the  traveller  to  support.  Night  came  on,  and  brought 
with  it  a  terrible  storm.  The  thunder  rolled  above  our 
heads  and  the  clouds  discharged  torrents  of  water. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we 
resumed  our  route.  We  took  all  possible  precaution  to 
avoid  meeting  any  hostile  band.  The  Indians  who  accom 
panied  us  kept  their  eyes  on  the  earth  to  discover  any  re 
cent  tracks  of  an  enemy.  An  extraordinary  experience 
gives  them  an  admirable  tact  in  detecting  trails  which  are 
imperceptible  to  others.  The  foes  that  our  travelling  com 
panions  dreaded  most  in  the  section  we  were  about  to  trav 
erse,  were  the  Black-Feet  and  the  Sioux.  After  breakfast 
ing  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  source  of  the  Fox  River,  we 
journeyed  from  morning  till  night  over  hilly  and  undulating 
plains,  bounded  b^r  ranges  of  hills  which  stretch  from  the 
Yellowstone  to  the  Missouri.  From  time  to  time  we  descried 
promontories  in  the  distance,  which  serve  as  guides  to  the 
traveller.  At  the  close  of  the  day  we  pitched  our  camp  at 
the  base  of  the  Tetons  of  the  Yellowstone.  These  Tetons 
derive  their  name  Vom  a  group  of  lofty  hills  situated  in  one 
of  those  delightful  valleys  which  are  numerous  in  thesa 


AND   MISSION  A  KIES.  81 

parts,  ani  which,  being  surrounded  by  trees  and  shrubbery 
of  various  kinds,  form  a  most  agreeable  contrast  to  the  plaini 
that  we  had  just  left  behind  so  destitute  of  wood  and  water. 
Wild  fruit,  such  as  plums,  cherries,  gooseberries,  sorbs,  buf 
falo-berries,  or  Shepherdia  angelica,  abound.  Among  thf 
vegetables  and  roots  we  noticed  the  Psoralea  esculenta,  or 
Breadroot :  its  white  apple,  and  its  charming  white,  oval  bios 
som,  nearly  three  inches  in  circumference,  is  universally 
found  in  this  uncultivated  solitude,  and  would  deserve  a  place 
in  a  garden  of  choice  plants ;  the  savages  value  it  highly. 
The  wild  onion  and  the  sweet  onion  bear  handsome  flowers ; 
these  plants  would  undoubtedly  improve  with  culture.  The 
roots  of  the  water-arrow  (Sagittaria  rigida),  and  those  of 
the  wild  Lily  of  the  Valley  (Convallaria  borealis),  are 
equally  prized  by  the  Indians,  who  call  them  Swan  potatoes. 
Peanuts  are  also  a  delicious  and  nourishing  root,  found  com 
monly  in  low  and  alluvial  lands.  The  above-named  roots 
form  a  considerable  portion  of  the  sustenance  of  these  In 
dians  during  winter.  They  seek  them  in  the  places  where 
the  mice  and  other  little  animals,  in  particular  the  ground- 
squirrel,  have  piled  them  in  heaps. 

The  musquitoes  tormented  us  greatly  during  the  day.  They 
especially  worried  our  horses  and  mules,  which  were  literally 
covered  with  them.  For  us,  we  had  taken  measures  against 
their  attacks  by  covering  our  heads  with  sacks  formed  of 
coarse  gauze. 

The  distance  between  the  Tetons  and  Fort  Union  is  about 
eighty  miles.  We  saw  very  few  deer,  and  from  time  to  time 
an  antelope  or  buck  was  roused  from  repose  and  fled  at  our 
approach.  Traces  of  several  kinds  of  bear,  especially  the 
grizzly  bear,  are  very  common ;  the  latter  are  found  in  the 
woody  places  and  along  the  streams  and  rivulets.  We  sue 
oeeded  in  killing  three,  not  without  great  effort  and  danger 


82  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

Outf  nunter  brought  us  two  fine,  fat  antelopes,  which  were 
sooa  dressed  and  served  up  for  our  supper.  One  of  the  In 
dians  killed  a  skunk  (Mephitis  Americana).  The  strong 
odor  of  this  animal  is  intolerable  to  the  whites ;  the  savages, 
on  the  contrary,  appear  to  like  it,  and  deem  its  flesh  exquisite. 
How  true  is  the  proverb  :  JDe  gustibus  non  disputandum  ! — 
there  is  no  accounting  for  tastes. 

On  the  2d  of  August  we  set  out  at  break  of  day,  and 
were  fanned  by  a  refreshing  breeze.  The  country  through 
which  we  progressed  was  full  of  interest :  the  valleys'were 
covered  with  a  luxuriant  verdure,  intermingled  with  flowers 
of  various  hues.  Groves  of  cotton-wood,  elm,  and  ash,  as 
well  as  groups  of  service-trees  and  cherry-trees,  offered 
themselves  along  the  beds  of  dry  rivers  and  streamlets.  We 
ascended,  step  by  step,  the  hills  which  separate  the  waters  of 
the  Missouri  from  those  of  the  Yellowstone,  like  so  many 
insuperable  barriers  furrowed  with  profound  ravines.  We 
triumphed  over  these  obstacles  with  grea*  Difficulty,  and  at 
sngth  attained  the  summit  of  the  hills.  There  a  most  mag 
nificent  spectacle  unrolled  itself  before  our  eyes.  Nature 
has  accumulated  in  this  spot  a  great  variety  of  her  most  fan 
tastical  caprices.  On  one  side  is  displayed  a  succession  of 
beautiful  prairies,  here  and  there  interrupted  with  groves  of 
stunted  trees  and  shrubs,  and  terminating  in  verdant  hills 
dotted  with  groups  of  cedar  and  pine ;  on  the  other  are 
shapeless  heaps  of  red  and  white  clay  and  piles  of  stones, 
which,  viewed  at  a  distance,  resemble  brick-kilns,  from  their 
peculiar  color :  although  thrown  together  without  any  appa 
rent  order,  they  add  much  interest  to  the  landscape. 

The  region  through  which  we  passed  for  several  days  fur 
nished  evident  proofs  that  it  has  been  strongly  volcanic,  even 
at  a  very  recent  date,  for  the  surface  is  still  covered  with 
lava  and  scoriae.  I  counted  as  many  as  seventy  conical  hill* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  83 

from  twenty  to  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  grouped  in  one  sin 
gle  plain  and  in  the  space  of  from  four  to  five  miles :  they 
had  evidently  gone  through  the  ordeal  of  fire.  Some  of 
these  hills  were  composed  of  cinders  that  the  earth  in  her 
fiery  convulsions  appeared  to  have  vomited  from  her  centre. 
Several  times,  after  having  gained  some  miles  on  the  heights, 
we  found  ourselves  suddenly  facing  an  almost  perpendiculai 
descent,  formed  of  rock  and  white  clay,  down  which  we  had 
to  let  our  vehicles  by  hand.  We  then  entered  into  a  chain 
of  valleys  and  fertile  prairies  watered  by  springs  and  rivulets, 
and  embellished  with  the  cotton-wood,  elm,  ash,  cedar,  and 
pine ;  in  other  places  the  summits  of  the  hills  are  remark 
able  for  their  beauty,  and  the  rich  undulating  plains  for  their 
abundant  verdure. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  our  march  we  descried  thousands  of 
bison ;  the  whole  space  between  the  Missouri  and  the  Yel 
lowstone  was  covered  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Hith 
erto  the  musquitoes  had  greatly  tormented  us,  but  now  they 
entirely  vanished.  We  sought  the  cause  of  this  phenome 
non.  The  Indians  told  us  that  the  absence  of  our  winged 
enemies  was  owing  to  the  prodigious  number  of  buffaloes 
which  were  grazing  in  the  neighboring  plains,  and  which  at 
tracted  these  insects.  In  fact,  we  saw  these  noble  animals 
throwing  the  earth  on  their  bodies  by  means  of  their  horns 
and  feet,  or  rolling  themselves  in  the  sand  and  dust,  and  thus 
filling  the  air  with  clouds,  in  the  endeavor  to  rid  themselves 
of  their  vexatious  followers.  The  lot  of  these  animals  ap 
peared  bad  enough,  for  they  were  pursued  day  and  night. 
During  a  whole  week  we  heard  their  bellowings  like  the 
noise  of  distant  thunder,  or  like  the  murmurs  of  the  ocean- 
waves  beating  against  the  shore.  It  may  be  said  that  it  ii 
the  country  in  which  the  buffalo  and  herds  of  deer  are  gen 
erally  found  in  the  greatest  abundance.  A  good  hunter 


84  WESTERN    MISSIONS. 

might  easily  kill  here,  in  the  course  of  a  day,  several  cows, 
deer  a  mountain-goat,  a  red-tailed  and  a  black-tailed  buck, 
an  antelope,  hares,  and  rabbits.  He  might  fire  twice  upon 
a  grizzly  bear,  and  perhaps  meet  a  gray  and  a  silver  fox. 
To  this  list  of  animals  we  may  add  the  beaver,  otter,  badger, 
prairie-dog,  and  several  kinds  of  wild  fowl,  principally  pheas 
ants  and  grouse.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  our  hunters  possess 
the  power  of  selecting  a  repast.  In  truth,  we  regaled  our 
selves  with  what  was  most  delicate,  and  left  a  great  quantity 
of  flesh  in  the  plains  for  the  benefit  of  the  vultures  and 
wolves,  whose  howlings  and  rejoicings  already  resounded  on 
every  side. 

An  Assiniboin  gave  us  a  singular  proof  of  his  dexterity  in 
the  chase ;  I  cannot  forbear  mentioning  it.  Alone  and  on 
foot,  he  stealthily  approached  a  large  herd  of  bison  cows. 
As  soon  as  he  was  near  enough  to  them  to  allow  of  their 
hearing  him,  he  began  to  imitate  the  cry  of  a  young  calf. 
At  once  the  cows  ran  towards  the  place  of  concealment  of 
the  ingenious  hunter,  and  he  killed  one  of  them.  The  troop, 
alarmed,  withdrew  hastily  and  in  great  disorder.  He  re 
loaded  his  rifle  and  renewed  his  cry ;  the  cows  stopped,  re 
turned  as  if  by  enchantment,  and  he  killed  a  second.  The 
Assiniboin  assured  us  that  he  could  easily  have  taken  more 
by  the  same  stratagem,  but  thinking  two  cows  were  enough 
for  us,  he  suffered  the  rest  to  go. 

Travellers  in  these  upper  regions  enjoy  an  excellent  appe 
tite.  I  have  been  more  than  once  astonished  at  the  enor 
mous  quantity  of  meat  that  a  man  is  capable  of  consuming 
without  injury  to  his  health ;  it  would  hardly  be  credited  in 
Europe.  One  and  even  two  buffalo-tongues,  a  side  of  veni- 
Bon  or  other  meat,  and  some  additional  trifles,  are  not  con 
sidered  a  large  portion  for  one  meal. 

On  the  7th  of  August  we  crossed  lands  intersected  wit! 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  85 

numerous  ravines  and  dried  streams.  The  soil  was  much 
lighter  than  that  we  last  trod ;  it  was  covered  with  a  species 
of  wild  artemisia,  or  wormwood — an  infallible  mark  of  ster 
ility.  The  aspect  of  all  the  ravines,  shores,  and  beds  of 
rivers  and  streams,  as  well  as  that  of  every  eminence,  proves 
that  there  are  numerous  veins  of  mineral  coal  in  this  section. 
The  observations  that  I  made  on  the  quality  of  the  soil,  in 
duce  me  to  believe  that  these  deposits  of  coal  extend  as  far 
as  the  numerous  coal  mines  which  exist  in  the  territories 
watered  by  the  Saskatchewan  and  Athabasca  Lake,  of  which 
I  have  already  spoken,  in  my  letters  in  1845  and  1846,  after 
travelling  over  those  places. 

Evident  tokens  convince  the  traveller  that  the  immense 
plains  that  he  is  crossing,  and  on  which  not  even  a  shrub 
grows,  have  not  always  been  destitute  of  wood.  Petrified 
trunks  and  entire  trees  frequently  meet  the  eye.  Astonish 
ment  and  admiration  seize  the  mind,  and  excite  conjectures 
concerning  the  manner  in  which  these  changes  have  been 
wrought.  But  what  answer  offer  to  the  question,  "Why 
are  not  these  lands  wooded  as  they  must  have  been  in  for- 
rnsr  times  ?"  The  steppes  of  Asia,  the  pampas  of  South 
America,  and  the  western  prairies  of  this  hemisphere,  seem 
to  possess  a  common  and  uniform  character ;  generally  speak 
ing,  they  have  neither  trees  nor  shrubs  on  them.  Some 
observers  attribute  it  to  the  action  of  frequent  fires  which 
have  passed  over  these  localities ;  others  to  the  change  un 
dergone  in  the  climate,  or  to  the  natural  sterility  of  the  soil ; 
and,  in  fine,  there  are  some  who  pretend  that  some  operation 
or  convulsion  of  nature  hns  destroyed  the  forests  which  for 
merly  existed  here,  and  has  reduced  them  to  their  present 
condition.  I  have  examined  different  localities;  and  the 
enormous  heaps  of  shells  of  the  testaceous  kind  and  of  the 
genus  muscula,  which  I  found  some  feet  distant  from  the 


86  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

summits  of  the  loftiest  hills,  and  which  were  incorporated  in 
alluvial  earth,  and  mingled  with  sand  and  water-worn  peb 
bles,  convince  me  that  this  portion  of  land  has  undergone 
changes  as  great  as  they  are  amazing. 

On  the  same  day  we  traversed  a  mountainous  elevation 
which  stretches  as  far  as  the  Owl-head  Buttes.  These  buttes 
or  mounds,  in  this  ocean-like  prairie,  serve  as  guides  to  the 
warrior,  the  traveller,  and  the  hunter,  who  can  perceive  them 
thirty  miles  off.  From  the  summit  of  this  extensive  eminence 
we  contemplated,  with  pleasing  wonder,  the  "  White  Earth 
country,"  or  clay  plains  of  the  Yellowstone.  From  south  to 
north  they  measure  from  thirty  to  forty  miles.  When  on 
this  height,  the  imagination  discovers  the  ruins  of  ancient 
villages,  and  one  seems  to  see  confused  rows  of  broken  col 
umns,  forts  with  their  turrets  and  bastions,  towers,  domes, 
walls  in  decay,  castles,  and  edifices  of  every  sort.  Some  of 
these  pillars  of  red  and  white  hardened  clay  rise  to  an  eleva 
tion  of  from  50  to  100  feet.  It  would  have  gratified  me 
much  to  have  passed  one  or  two  dfjys  in  an  attentive  exam 
ination  of  these  volcanic  productions.  I  presume  that  the 
soil  is  not  unlike  that  near  the  White  Earth  River,  a  tribu 
tary  of  the  Missouri,  aud  that  it  contains  the  same  species  of 
interesting  fossils. 

Similar  tracts,  which  have  ceased  to  be  volcanic,  are  found 
in  the  environs  of  the  superior  sources  of  the  Rivers  Arkan 
sas,  Platte,  etc.,  and  of  the  Big  Horn,  a  branch  of  the  Yel 
lowstone.  Near  the  source  of  the  River  Puante,  which 
empties  into  the  Big  Horn,  and  the  sulphurous  waters  of 
which  have  probably  the  same  medicinal  qualities  as  the 
celebrated  Blue  Lick  Springs  of  Kentucky,  is  a  place  called 
Colter's  Hell — from  a  beaver-hunter  of  that  name.  This 
locality  is  often  agitated  with  subterranean  fires.  The  sul 
phurous  gases  which  escape  in  great  volumes  from  the  burn- 


AND    MI-SIONARIKS.  87 

ing  soil  infect  the  atmosphere  tor  several  miles,  and  rendei 
the  earth  so  barren  that  even  the  wild  wormwood  cannot 
grow  on  it.  The  beaver-hunters  have  assured  me,  that  the 
underground  noises  and  explosions  are  often  frightful.  How 
ever,  I  think  that  the  most  extraordinary  spot  in  this  respect, 
and  perhaps  the  most  marvellous  of  all  the  northern  half  of 
this  continent,  is  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
between  the  43d  and  45th  degrees  of  latitude  and  109th  and 
lllth  degrees  of  longitude,  that  is,  between  the  sources  of 
the  Madison  and  Yellowstone.  It  reaches  more  than  a  hun 
dred  miles.  Bituminous,  sulphurous,  and  boiling  springs, 
are  very  numerous  in  it.  The  hot  springs  contain  a  large 
quantity  of  calcareous  matter,  and  form  hills  more  or  less 
elevated,  which  resemble  in  their  nature,  perhaps,  if  not  in 
their  extent,  the  famous  springs  of  Pemboukkalesi,  in  Asia 
Minor,  so  well  described  by  Chandler.  The  earth  is  thrown 
np  very  high,  and  the  influence  of  the  elements  causes  it  to 
take  the  most  varied  and  the  most  fantastic  shapes.  Gas, 
vapor,  and  smoke  are  continually  escaping,  by  a  thousand 
openings,  from  the  base  to  the  summit  of  the  volcanic  pile; 
the  noise  at  times  resembles  the  steam  let  off  by  a  boat. 
Strong  subterranean  explosions  occur  like  those  in  "  Colter's 
Hell."  The  hunters  and  the  Indians  speak  of  it  with  a  su 
perstitious  fear,  and  consider  it  the  abode  of  evil  spirits,  that 
is  to  say,  a  kind  of  hell.  Indians  seldom  approach  it  with 
out  offering  some  sacrifice,  or,  at  least,  without  presenting 
the  calumet  of  peace  to  the  turbulent  spirits,  that  they  may 
be  propitious.  They  declare  that  the  subterranean  noises 
proceed  from  the  forging  of  warlike  weapons :  each  eruption 
of  earth  is,  in  their  eyes,  the  result  of  a  combat  between  the 
infernal  spirits,  and  becomes  the  monument  of  a  new  victory 
or  calamity.  Near  Gardiner  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Yel 
lowstone,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  region  I  have  just  been 


88  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

describing,  there  is  a  mountain  of  sulphur.  I  have  this  re 
port  from  Captain  Bridger,  who  is  familiar  with  every  one  of 
these  mounds,  having  passed  thirty  years  of  his  life  near 
them. 

From  the  Owl  Buttes,  where  we  encamped  on  the  7th  of 
August,  to  the  source  of  the  Immel,  a  distance  of  nearly 
thirty  miles,  we  travelled  on  the  highlands.  The  surface 
was  rugged,  cut  by  deep  ravines,  and  excessively  difficult  to 
pass  with  our  vehicles.  At  every  step  we  met  volcanic  re 
mains.  For  two  days  our  route  offered  on  the  right  and  left 
burnt  hills,  some  of  which  were  covered  with  lava  and  sco 
riae,  and  had  evidently  been  craters,  whence  volcanic  matter 
had  been  ejected  into  the  neighboring  plain. 

At  the  decline  of  the  same  day,  we  were  witnesses  of  a 
singularly  beautiful  phenomenon.  The  moon  was  surround 
ed  by  four  circles ;  the  first  was  of  a  beautiful  azure,  the 
second  a  rich  purple,  and  the  third  white,  while  the  fourth 
was  obscure  or  black.  In  the  midst  of  all  these  circles  the 
queen  of  night  shone  brilliantly.  The  savages  augured  from 
this  sign,  that  some  hostile  band  was  near,  and  passed  the 
whole  night  in  arms,  watching. 

On  the  10th  we  quitted  the  highlands  and  advanced  about 
twenty  miles,  over  a  barren,  rugged  space,  excavated  by 
rains.  A  kind  of  salamander,  vulgarly  called  "  horned  frog," 
lizards,  and  rattlesnakes,  were  most  abundant.  I  give  you 
the  information  I  gathered  from  the  Indians  concerning  the 
antidotes  they  employ  for  curing  the  bite  of  the  last-named 
reptile.  Blackroot  (Pterocaulon)  is  regarded  by  them  as  a 
sovereign  remedy  against  the  wound  inflicted  by  this  most 
venomous  serpent,  and  Providence  has  rendered  it  very  plen 
tiful,  precisely  in  those  places  in  which  these  snakes  are 
found.  The  remedy  is  truly  side  by  side  with  the  ill — for  it 
is  sufficient  to  chew  the  weed  and  apply  it  to  the  wound, 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  89 

when  the  swelling  is  arrested  and  disappears.  When  an  In 
dian,  his  horse,  or  his  dog,  has  been  bitten  by  one  of  these 
serpents,  thsy  pursue  the  reptile,  which  dies  almost  directly 
after  having  given  its  bite.  They  open  its  stomach,  take 
out  the  blood  that  it  has  swallowed  and  apply  it  to  the 
wound ;  the  swelling  subsides  at  once,  and  the  dangerous 
effects  of  the  poison  are  prevented.  When  the  swelling  is 
considerable,  the  Indians  use  the  sharp  bones  and  the  teeth 
of  the  rattlesnake  to  pick  and  open  the  swollen  skin,  and  by 
this  means  they  dissipate  or  remove  the  inflammation.  The 
copperhead-snake  has  a  poison  so  subtle,  that  its  breath  alone 
causes  death  to  him  who  inhales  it.  Its  tongue  is  not  forked 
like  that  of  other  snakes ;  it  is  of  a  triangular  shape.  When 
the  reptile  is  startled  and  provoked,  his  head  flattens,  and 
he  throws  from  his  mouth  a  great  quantity  of  yellow  poison, 
and  then  blows  till  he  expires. 

On  the  llth  we  arrived  at  the  upper  portion  of  a  gently 
sloping  plain.  Having  crossed  it,  we  found  ourselves  at  Fort 
Alexander,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  at 
a  short  distance  from  the  little  river  Rosebud.  Fort  Alex 
ander  is  one  hundred  miles  distant  from  Fort  Union.  The 
winter,  it  is  said,  is  extremely  severe  in  these  regions,  com 
mencing  in  November,  and  only  terminating  in  the  month 
of  April. 

Accept,  <fec., 

P.  J.  D«  SMKT,  8. 1 


90  WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  V, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  Jan.  24,  1852. 
{£***** . 

After  remaining  six  days  at  Fort  Alexander,  allowing 
our  animals  time  to  repose,  and  also  awaiting  the  arrival  of 
a  barge  belonging  to  the  American  Fur  Company,  which 
was  freighted  with  some  of  our  effects,  we  passed  over  the 
Yellowstone  on  the  17th  of  August,  at  about  two  o'clock. 
We  passed  over  a  high  and  very  level  plain :  for  a  distance 
of  five  miles  the  soil  is  light,  sandy,  and  entirely  covered 
with  green  toads,  as  the  voyageurs  call  different  kinds  of 
cactus — plants  that  are  noted  for  the  splendor  of  their  flowers, 
and  for  their  grotesque  and  varied  shapes.  The  round  and 
the  oval,  about  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  abound  in  this  plain, 
and  are  set  with  long  thorns,  hard,  and  as  fine  and  sharp  as 
needles.  When  trampled  by  the  horses'  feet,  these  thorns 
spring  up  and  adhere  to  the  legs  and  belly  of  the  animais, 
and  thus  render  them  furious  and  unmanageable.  We  soon 
arrived  in  Rosebud  Valley,  and  continuing  our  route  until 
sunset,  we  encamped  on  the  borders  of  a  little  river  bearing 
the  same  name,  and  quite  near  a  beautiful  pond,  over  which 
a  new  dam  had  been  constructed  by  the  beavers. 

This  section  of  the  country  offered  us  frequent  occasions 
of  admiring  the  labors  and  ingenious  industry  of  these  in 
telligent  animals.  They  are  more  numerous  here  than  in 
any  other  district  1  have  visited,  and  I  am  told  that  then 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  91 

preservation  is  chiefly  attributable  to  the  continual  excur- 
lions  of  war-parties,  either  Sioux,  Assiniboins,  or  Black-Feet, 
all  implacable  enemies  of  the  Crows,  and  these  prevent  the 
huntsman  and  the  savages  from  hazarding  a  chase  in  these 
parts.  At  present,  the  fur  of  the  beaver  is  of  so  little  value 
that  their  search  is  almost  abandoned.  In  ancient  times  the 
Crows  held  the  beaver  in  the  highest  veneration,  because 
this  ration  imagined  that  they  became  beavers  after  death. 
This  article  of  their  creed  entailed  the  loss  of  his  scalp  tc 
many  a  bold  huntsman  among  the  whites,  for  every  Crow 
Indian  considered  himself  bound  to  protect,  defend,  and 
avenge,  even  with  death,  the  spirits  of  his  near  relations,  in 
their  second  state  of  existence.  During  late  years  this  dog 
ma  of  faith  has  been  erased  from  their  religious  code,  to  the 
great  detriment  certainly  of  the  poor  beavers.  Such  super 
stitions  will  never  wholly  disappear  until  the  Catholic  faith 
enlightens  these  wilds,  over  which  the  darkness  of  paganism 
still  hangs. 

For  four  days  we  continued  ascending  the  valley  of  the 
Rosebud,  about  one  hundred  miles,  as  high  as  the  sources 
of  the  river.  There  again  we  found  the  soil  light  and  sandy ; 
it  was  covered  with  wild  rose-bushes,  cactus,  and  artemisia 
of  several  varieties,  and  intersected  with  ravines  which  were 
exceedingly  difficult  to  be  crossed  with  baggage- wagons. 
The  shores  of  this  river  relieve  the  eye  with  an  occasional 
group  of  cotton- wood,  intermingled  with  plum,  cherry,  and 
service  trees,  which  thrive  here  in  undisturbed  plenty. 

The  Little  Wolf  Mountains,  whose  rivulets  give  rise  to  the 
Rosebud  River,  have  in  general  a  charming  appearance  in 
their  hills  and  acclivities — and  in  their  combined  aspect  as  a 
whole  chain.  The  absence  of  water,  especially  of  spring- 
water,  is  a  painful  privation  to  travellers  in  this  season  of 
the  year.  We  found,  indeed,  some  holes  of  stagnant  water 


92  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

in  the  dry  beds  of  the  rivers,  but  the  taste  is  almost  insup 
portable.  The  buffalo-herds  are  less  numerous  here  than  in 
the  lands  lying  further  north,,  owing  no  doubt  to  bands  oi 
warriors  that  roam  over  the  space.  Yet  we  perceived  at 
every  moment  large  troops  of  stags,  and  a  great  many  deer  and 
mountain-sheep.  We  remarked  recent  traces  of  enemies — 
such  as  the  slain  carcasses  of  very  dangerous  wild  animals, 
the  impress  of  human  feet  in  the  sand,  concealed  encamp 
ments,  and  half-quenched  fires.  Consequently  we  redoubled 
our  vigilance,  in  order  to  avoid  a  perilous  surprise.  A  beau 
tiful  chiefs-coat,  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  trimmed  with  gold 
lace,  suspended  from  the  branch  of  a  tree,  was  perceived 
waving  in  the  air  like  a  floating  banner.  There  was  a  race 
to  win  the  prize;  an  Assiniboin  having  carried  it  off,  it  was 
most  carefully  scrutinized.  The  conclusion  was,  that  it  had 
been  offered  only  the  day  before  by  some  Black-Foot  chief. 
These  Indians,  when  on  the  war-path,  frequently  make  such 
offerings  either  to  the  sun  or  to  the  moon,  hoping  thus  to 
render  them  propitious,  so  that  through  their  intervention 
they  may  obtain  many  scalps  and  horses.  The  most  precious 
objects  which  they  possess  and  which  they  esteem  most,  are 
often  thus  sacrificed.  The  Mandans,  the  Arickaras,  and  their 
neighbors,  go  gtill  further :  they  cut  off  fingers,  and  make 
deep  incisions  in  the  fleshy  parts  of  the  body  before  starting 
for  war,  in  order  to  obtain  the  same  favors  of  their  fal&e 
gods.  On  my  last  visit  to  these  Riccaries,  Minataries,  and 
Mandans,  I  could  not  discern  a  single  man  at  all  advanced 
in  years  whose  body  was  not  mutilated,  or  who  possessed 
his  full  number  of  fingers.  How  profound  their  ignorance ! 
How  fearful  the  idolatry  in  which  these  unhappy  tribes  are 
plunged  !  To  this  sombre  picture  we  may  add  a  passionate 
love  of  gaming,  which  consumes  the  hours  which  should  be 
devoted  to  necessary  repose  ;  a  sloth  which  nothing  but  hun* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  93 

ger  can  arouse ;  an  innate  inclination  to  dissimulation,  glut 
tony,  and  to  whatever  can  flatter  sensuality.  And  still, 
amid  this  ocean  of  miseries,  they  feel  an  indescribable  need 
of  invoking  a  power  superior  to  man  :  they  listen  attentively 
to  any  instruction  which  reveals  to  them  the  means  of  pro 
curing  his  favor,  and  give  them  information  of  his  attributes. 
They  love  the  missionary,  and  ever  listen  to  him  with  de 
light  ;  and  in  his  quality  of  priest  receive  him  with  friend 
ship  and  respect.  To  judge  by  the  respect  and  friendship 
shown  me  as  a  priest,  on  all  occasions  and  circumstances,  by 
the  Indians  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  I  am  satisfied  that  if  a 
few  zealous  priests  were  stationed  here,  they  would  soon  be 
come  generous  Christians,  full  of  zeal  and  ardor  for  the  glory 
of  our  God  and  his  holy  law.  **  They  would  know  their 
Father  who  is  in  heaven,  and  Him  whom  he  has  sent  on 
earth  ;"  they  would  become  faithful  disciples  of  the  Redeem 
er,  who  so  ardently  desires  the  salvation  of  all,  and  who  did 
not  disdain  to  shed  his  blood  for  them  on  the  cross. 

On  the  22d  of  August  we  quitted  the  valley  of  the  Rose 
bud,  and  crossed  the  mountainous  train  which  separates  it 
from  Tongue  River.  The  crest  of  this  chain  presents  a  con 
tinuation  of  sandstone  cliffs,  under  a  multitude  of  varied  and 
fantastical  shapes.  The  sides  are  almost  perpendicular,  and 
consequently  very  difficult  to  ascend  or  descend  with  our 
wagons.  The  aid  of  every  arm  was  necessary  to  sustain  the 
teams.  For  several  days  we  had  to  camp  by  a  pond  filled 
with  disgusting  water.  How  agreeable  the  contrast  to  find 
ou, selves  on  the  borders  of  this  beautiful  river,  the  waters  of 
w&ich  are  pure  as  crystal !  How  eagerly  did  we  allay  our 
burning  thirst !  The  horses  and  mules  appeared  to  rejoice, 
neighing  and  rearing  with  impatience;  as  soon  as  their  bri 
dles  were  loosened,  they  plunged  into  the  waves,  and  in 
dulged  in  long  draughts.  When  the  whole  caravan  hac* 


94  WJsSTERN    MISSIOXv 

assuaged  their  thirst,  we  continued  our  route.  We  traversed 
an  undulating  plain  ;  and  perceiving  in  the  distance  a  promi 
nent  point  of  land  which  appeared  sparkling  with  crystals, 
we  named  it  Diamond  Hill.  It  was  covered  with  enormous 
masses  of  mica.  For  the  first  time  since  we  left  Fort  Alex 
ander  we  breakfasted  beside  beautiful  springs  of  fresh  water, 
the  most  remarkable  in  the  country.  After  advancing  about 
twenty-three  miles  that  day,  we  camped  on  the  banks  of 
Tongue  River.  There  we  had  a  new  occasion  to  recall  and 
arrange  our  recollections  of  the  land  we  had  seen.  Coal 
also  appears  as  abundant  south  of  the  Yellowstone  as  above 
it ;  we  met  it  everywhere.  The  slopes  of  the  hills  are  well 
wooded  with  larch  and  pines  of  every  variety  up  to  the  very 
summit,  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Little  Wolf 
chain.  This  we  left  for  that  of  the  Great  Wolf,  which  we 
reach  before  arriving  at  the  Black  Hills.  These  mountains 
form  spurs  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  the  principal  summits 
are  over  13,000  feet  high.  On  the  23d  we  left  Tongue 
River.  For  ten  hours  we  marched  over  mountain  and  val 
ley,  following  the  course  of  one  of  its  tributaries,  making, 
however,  only  about  twenty-Jive  miles.  On  the  day  follow 
ing  we  crossed  a  chain  of  lofty  mountains  to  attain  the 
Lower  Piny  Fork,  nearly  twenty  miles  distant.  We  arrived 
quite  unexpectedly  on  the  borders  of  a  lovely  little  lake 
about  six  miles  long,  and  my  travelling  companions  gave  it 
my  name.  There  our  hunters  killed  several  wild  ducks.  On 
quitting  the  lake,  we  discovered  another  elevated  portion  of 
land  on  which  red  mounds  and  scoriae,  volcanic  remains,  are 
scattered  in  all  directions,  as  far  as  the  Upper  Piny  Fork ; 
and  there  petrified  trees  are  met  with  at  every  step.  To 
wards  evening  we  encamped  at  the  base  of  a  mountain,  after 
advancing  about  twenty-five  miles,  and  thought  ourselves 
favored  in  finding  a  pool  of  water.  The  next  twenty-fonf 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  95 

miles  were  taken  in  the  direction  of  Sandy  River,  through 
undulating  plains  and  mountainous  hills. 

On  the  27th  of  August  we  reached  Powder  River,  one  of 
the  principal  tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone.  Our  wagonere 
will  not  soon  forget  the  difficulty  of  conducting  their  teams 
through  this  last  route,  for  it  was  a  very  miserable,  elevated, 
sterile  plain,  covered  with  wormwood  and  intersected  with 
countless  ravines,  and  they  vowed  they  would  never  be 
caught  driving  a  wagon  there  again. 

The  valley  of  the  Powder  River,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Buttes  aux  Callebasses,  which  are  in  sight,  is  three  or 
four  miles  wide.  Although  the  soil  was  light,  the  verdure 
was  fine  and  the  grazing  abundant.  The  part  where  I 
crossed  the  valley  is  well  wooded,  and  they  told  me  that 
wood,  especially  cotton-wood  and  fruit  trees,  is  abundant  all 
along  the  river.  This  valley  forms  a  beautiful  contrast  with 
the  high  plains  of  these  parts,  which  are  the  very  picture  of 
aridity  and  desolation,  with  naught  but  weeds,  rocks,  and 
deep  ravines. 

Here  we  happened  to  meet  with  three  young  Indians  of 
the  Crow  tribe.  They  had  been  on  the  lookout  for  a  Sioux 
camp,  intending  to  steal  horses,  but  had  not  succeeded. 
These  young  men  advised  us  to  pursue  the  vale  of  a  little 
river  which  they  pointed  out  to  us,  assuring  us  that  by 
taking  that  direction  we  should  soon  arrive  at  Fort  Laramie. 
I  was  surprised  at  this  counsel,  for  the  course  of  the  valley 
was  southwest ;  however,  we  followed  the  route  indicated  by 
the  Crows.  This  proved  the  most  rugged  and  difficult  pan 
of  our  journey,  hence  we  styled  it  "  the  valley  of  a  thousand 
miseries."  A  name  could  not  have  been  better  chosen. 
Imagine  a  river  with  perpendicular  banks,  winding  in  a  ser 
pentine  course  through  a  narrow  valley,  so  that  in  a  distance 
of  three  miles  we  were  obliged  to  cross  it  ten  or  twelve 


06  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

times,  with  carts  and  wagons,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  kih 
ing  our  horses  and  mules  and  destroying  our  vehicles.  Tin 
soil,  too,  was  sterile,  and  as  we  journeyed  on  water  became 
scarce — on  the  fifth  day  it  failed  completely,  and  it  did  again 
on  the  last.  The  night  that  ensued  was  a  hard  trial,  for 
after  so  long  a  march  we  had  not  a  drop  of  water  to  quench 
our  burning  thirst. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  having  traversed  three  chain?  oi 
hills,  we  gradually  attained  the  summit  of  the  Black  Hills 
We  had  one  cart  less,  and  one  heavy  wagon  so  broken  thai 
it  had  to  be  tied  together  with  strips  of  raw  buffalo-hide. 
From  the  summit  we  were  so  happy  as  to  perceive  a  distant 
lake.  We  eagerly  hastened  in  that  direction,  for  we  were 
consumed  with  thirst,  and  had  serious  fears  for  our  beasts  of 
burden,  which  were  slackening  their  weary  pace.  To  our 
astonishment,  we  directly  perceived  that  we  were  still  at  a 
great  distance  from  Fort  Laramie.  Instead  of  being  near 
that  fort,  in  accordance  with  the  assurances  of  the  three 
Crows,  we  discovered  ourselves  in  sight  of  the  Red  Buttes, 
twenty-five  miles  off.  This  is  a  well-known  spot  on  the 
**  Great  Oregon  Route,"  and  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles 
feom  Fort  Laramie.  On  the  top  of  the  Black  Hills  I  left  a 
little  souvenir  of  my  passage, — on  a  very  high  rock  of  a  re- 
naaifcable  form,  I  carved  a  large  and  handsome  cross.  Ah  ! 
»ay  the  Indian  tribes  scattered  throughout  the  wild  solitude 
soon  learn  the  great  truths  which  this  holy  emblem  an 
nounces  !  May  they  soon  leave  the  bondage  in  which  error 
has  chained  them  during  innumerable  ages! 

Tke  whole  region  over  which  we  passed,  south  of  the  Yel 
lowstone,  offers  only  feeble  hopes  to  civilization.  The  soil  is 
light,  wood  scarce,  and  water  wanting  during  a  large  portion 
of  the  year.  It  is  a  country  favorable  solely  to  hunters  and 
wandering  tribes.  All  the  animals  common  in  the  wilder- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  97 

ness  abound,  and  during  long  years  to  come  they  will  rest 
undisturbed  in  their  possessions.  When  all  the  fertile  tracts, 
yet  vacant  in  the  immense  Indian  territory,  will  be  occupied, 
then  only  will  the  lands  below  the  Yellowstone  attract  atten 
tion  ;  then  alone  will  necessitous  and  persevering  industry 
succeed  in  drawing  any  considerable  portion  of  this  region 
from  its  present  barrenness. 

In  the  neighborhood  and  along  the  base  of  the  Black 
Hills  there  lies  a  very  extensive  tract  of  fertile  and  tillable 
land.  The  verdure  is  rich  and  abounds  in  all  the  valleya, 
and  these  valleys  penetrate  the  mountains  like  so  many 
veins,  where  millions  of  domestic  animals  might  be  raised ; 
for  the  springs  and  rivulets  so  seldom  occurring  in  the  cen 
tral  section  between  the  Yellowstone  and  the  Black  Hills, 
are  very  numerous  in  the  interior  and  at  the  base  of  these 
mountains.  There  are  also  a  great  many  sites  favorable  to 
the  erection  of  mills.  The  climate  is  reputed  delightful,  and 
the  noble  forests  of  cedar  and  pine  would  abundantly  supply 
the  necessities  of  a  population.  Mines  of  lead  and  iron  are 
very  numerous. 

The  2d  day  of  September  we  found  ourselves  on  the 
"  Great  Route  to  Oregon,"  over  which,  like  successive  ocean 
surges,  the  caravans,  composed  of  thousands  of  emigrants 
from  every  country  and  clime,  have  passed  during  these  lat 
ter  years  to  reach  the  rich  gold  mines  of  California,  or  to 
take  possession  of  the  new  lands  in  the  fertile  plains  and  val 
leys  of  Utah  and  Oregon.  These  intrepid  pioneers  of  civil 
ization  have  formed  the  broadest,  longest,  and  most  beautiful 
road  in  the  whole  world — from  the  United  States  to  the  Pa 
cific  Ocean.  On  the  skirts  of  this  magnificent  way  there  is 
an  abundance  of  grass  for  supplying  the  cattle  and  animals 
appertaining  to  the  caravans  which  are  incessantly  travelling 
on  it,  from  early  spring  to  autumn,  every  succeeding  year. 
9 


98  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

Our  Indian  companions  who  had  never  seen  but  the  nar 
row  hunting-paths,  by  which  they  transport  themselves  and 
their  lodges,  were  filled  with  admiration  on  seeing  this  noble 
highway,  which  is  as  smooth  as  a  barn-floor  swept  by  the 
winds,  and  not  a  blade  of  grass  can  shoot  on  it  on  account 
of  the  continual  passing.  They  conceived  a  high  idea  of 
the  countless  White  Nation,  as  they  express  it.  They  fan 
cied  that  all  had  gone  over  that  road,  and  that  an  immense 
void  must  exist  in  the  land  of  the  rising  sun.  Their  coun 
tenances  testified  evident  incredulity  when  I  told  them  that 
their  exit  was  in  nowise  perceived  in  the  lands  of  the  whites. 

They  styled  the  route  the  Great  Medicine  Road  of  the 
Whites.  The  term  medicine  is  applied  by  them  to  whatever 
they  find  grand,  religious,  mysterious,  or  incomprehensible. 
They  visited  and  examined  in  detail  all  the  forsaken  camp 
ing-grounds  on  the  way ;  they  brought  a  great  variety  of 
objects  to  me  to  have  their  use  and  signification  explained ; 
they  filled  their  pouches  with  knives,  forks,  spoons,  basins, 
coffee-pots,  and  other  cooking  articles,  axes,  hammers,  etc. 
With  the  bits  of  earthen  ware  which  bore  any  figure  or  in 
scription,  they  fabricated  some  ornament  for  their  necks 
and  ears.  How  wonderful  will  be  the  accounts  given  of  the 
Great  Medicine  Road  by  our  unsophisticated  Indians  when 
they  go  back  to  their  villages,  and  sit  in  the  midst  of  an  ad 
miring  circle  of  relatives. 

But  these  relics  collected  by  our  savage  friends  were  not 
the  sole  vestiges  of  the  great  multitude  of  emigrants  who, 
in  search  of  gold,  had  crossed  this  vast  plain  with  a  rare 
courage  and  unheard-of  fatigues  and  difficulties.  The 
bleached  bones  of  domestic  animals  disseminated  profusely 
along  the  route ;  the  rising  mound  hastily  made  over  the 
grave  of  a  parent  or  a  friend  deceased  during  the  long  jour 
ney,  and  the  tribute  offered  to  memory  in  a  coarse  and 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  99 

rudely -carved  inscription  on  a  narrow  strip  of  board  or  on  a 
stone,  with  other  graves  which  offered  no  such  testimonial 
of  affection,  furnish  ample  and  melancholy  proofs  that  death 
had  considerably  thinned  their  ranks.  By  such  disasters 
thousands  of  emigrants  have  found  themselves  suddenly  ar 
rested,  and  been  mocked  in  the  nattering  hope  of  wealth  and 
pleasure. 

The  countless  fragments  of  conveyances,  the  heaps  of  pro 
visions,  tools  of  every  kind,  and  other  objects  with  which 
the  emigrants  must  have  provided  themselves  at  great  ex 
pense,  but  which  the  most  impatient,  eager  to  outstrip  others 
in  the  Western  Eldorado,  had  forsaken  and  cast  aside, 
testify  to  that  bold  recklessness  with  which  they  hazard 
every  thing  in  this  enterprise  which  has  proved  fatal  to 
thousands.  The  picture  traced  by  Thornton  in  his  Journal 
of  1848,  is  the  most  shocking  that  can  be  contemplated. 
Arrived  in  the  arid  lands  of  California,  the  famine  had  at 
first  reduced  them  to  eating  their  horses  and  mules ;  soon 
they  had  recourse  to  dead  bodies ;  then  the  dying  were  not 
spared,  and  at  last  they  actually  devoured  each  other! 
What  a  salutary  proof  of  the  uncertainty  that  accompanies 
the  grandest  perspectives  in  the  life  of  man,  and  of  the  de 
ceptions  that  unveil  to  him  his  native  weakness ! 

We  followed  the  great  road  south  of  the  Platte  to  the 
foot  of  the  Great  Black  Hills.  On  this  road  we  found  our 
selves  relieved  from  those  obstacles  which  had  so  often  en 
dangered  our  vehicles  and  our  animals.  After  eight  days' 
journey  along  the  Platte,  we  arrived  at  Fort  Laramie  without 
the  least  trouble  or  accident.  The  commander  of  the  fort 
informed  us  that  the  Great  Council  was  to  take  place  at  the 
mouth  of  Horse  Kiver,  in  a  vast  plain  situated  nearly  thirty- 
five  miles  lower  down  on  the  Platte.  The  next  day  I  ac 
cepted  the  polite  invitation  of  the  respected  Col.  Campbell, 


100  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

and  took  a  seat  in  his  carriage.  We  arrived  at  the  plain  of 
the  intended  council  about  sunset.  There  the  superintend 
ent,  Col.  M.  Mitchell,  received  me  with  warm  friendship  and 
cordiality,  and  insisting  that  I  should  become  his  guest  dur 
ing  the  whole  time  of  the  council.  All  the  others  showed 
me  great  respect. 

In  this  immense  plain  above-mentioned,  we  found  about 
a  thousand  lodges,  that  is  to  say,  ten  thousand  Indians, 
representing  Sioux,  Sheyennes,  and  Rapahos,  with  several 
deputations  from  the  Crows,  Snakes,  or  Soshonies,  Arickaras, 
Assiniboins,  and  Minataries.  I  purpose  entertaining  you  in 
my  next  with  the  object  of  the  council,  and  of  my  inter 
views  with  the  Indians. 

Accept,  etc., 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J. 

P.  S. — I  subjoin  a  list  of  the  animals  killed  by  our  hunt 
ers  from  the  1st  of  August  till  the  9th  of  September,  1851 : 
2  deer,  11  antelopes,  37  bison  cows,  22  bulls,  3  bears,  2  stags, 
7  Rocky-Mountain  sheep,  2  badgers,  2  polecats,  1  porcupine, 
1  wol£  17  hares  and  rabbits,  13  ducks,  18  heathcock,  16 
pheasant*. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  101 


Letter  VI, 

To  THE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS 
Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1851. 

UKIVBBSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  January  26,  1852. 


During  the  eighteen  days  that  the  Great  Council  lasted, 
the  union,  harmony  and  amity  that  reigned  among  the 
Indians  were  truly  admirable.  Implacable  hatreds,  heredi 
tary  enmities,  cruel  and  bloody  encounters,  with  the  whole 
past,  in  fine,  were  forgotten.  They  paid  mutual  visits, 
smoked  the  calumet  of  peace  together,  exchanged  presents, 
partook  of  numerous  banquets,  and  all  the  lodges  were  open 
to  strangers.  A  practice  occurring  but  on  the  most  amicable 
and  fraternal  occasions  was  seen  —  this  is,  the  adopting  of 
children  and  of  brothers  on  each  side.  There  was  a  perfect 
unanimity  of  views  between  Col.  Mitchell,  superintendent 
of  the  Indian  Territory,  and  Major  Fitzpatrick,  and  nothing 
was  omitted  to  foster  these  germs  of  peace.  The  object  of 
the  assembly  was  a  distinguished  proof  of  the  highest 
benevolence  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  Government, 
as  well  as  of  the  sincere  desire  of  establishing  a  lasting  peace 
among  tribes  hostile  to  each  other,  and  of  obtaining  a  right 
of  passage  through  their  possessions  for  the  whites,  and 
making  the  Indians  compensation  for  injuiies  and  losses  the 
latter  may  have  sustained  from  the  whites. 

At  the  opening  of  the  council,  the  superintendent  made 
known  to  the  savages   that  the  object  of  the  assembly  was 

9« 


102  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

the  acceptation  by  them  of  the  treaty,  such  as  it  had  been 
prepared  beforehand,  with  the  consent  of  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  This  treaty  was  read  sentence  by  sen 
tence,  and  distinctly  explained  to  the  different  interpreters, 
that  they  might  have  the  exact  and  legitimate  meaning  of 
each  article.  The  preamble  explains  that  it  is  a  treaty 
between  the  agents  named  on  one  side  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  and  on  the  other  by  the  chiefs  or  braves 
of  the  Indian  nations  that  reside  south  of  the  Missouri,  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  north  of  the  boundary  line  of 
Texas  and  Mexico,  viz.:  The  Sioux  or  Dacotahs,  the  She- 
yennes,  the  Arapahos,  the  Crows,  the  Minataries,  the  Mandans, 
and  Arickaras.  The  principal  articleswere : 

Art.  1st. — The  Indians  recognize  and  admit  the  right  of 
the  United  States  to  form  roads  and  establish  military  posts 
in  their  territory.  Art.  2d. — Solemn  obligations  agreed 
upon  for  the  maintenance  of  peace,  and  for  repairing  the 
damages  and  losses  sustained  by  the  whites  on  the  part  of 
Ihe  Indians.  Art.  3d. — Indemnity  accorded  to  the  Indians 
for  the  destruction  caused  in  their  hunting-grounds,  their 
forests,  pasturages,  etc.,  by  travellers  from  the  States  who 
cross  their  lands.  The  present  of  $50,000  is  granted  to 
them  on  this  ground.  Art.  4th. — During  fifteen  coming 
years,  $50,000  will  be  annually  paid  in  objects  and  gifts 
which  may  prove  useful  or  necessary  to  the  Indians. 

The  treaty  was  signed  by  the  agents  of  the  United 
States,  and  by  all  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  different  nations 
who  were  present.  Another  treaty  in  favor  of  the  half- 
breeda  and  the  whites  residing  in  the  country  was  proposed, 
to-wit :  That  a  tract  of  country  be  assigned  them  for  their 
use,  in  order  to  form  agricultural  establishments  and  colonies, 
and  that  they  should  obtain  the  assistance  of  the  Govern 
ment  of  the  United  States  in  the  execution  of  their  project 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  103 

This  is  the  sole  means  of  preserving  union  among  all  those 
wandering  and  scattered  families,  which  become  every  year 
more  and  more  numerous,  and  of  establishing  them  in  one 
or  two  colonies,  with  churches  and  schools,  for  their  general 
instruction  and  well-being. 

With  a  few  exceptions,  all  the  half-breeds  are  baptized 
and  received  as  children  of  the  Church.  During  twenty 
years  they  have  petitioned  to  have  Catholic  priests,  and  have 
manifested  their  good-will  to  meet  the  wants  of  their  mission 
aries,  and  to  maintain  them.  If  ecclesiastical  superiors  are 
not  aided  to  make  timely  provision,  it  is  to  be  feared  that 
the  care  of  these  new  colonies  will  pass  under  the  direction 
of  men  who  will  spare  no  exertion  to  extinguish  in  the  hearts 
of  the  courageous  and  simple  people  the  germs  of  faith,  and 
the  good  wishes  they  entertain  in  favor  of  our  holy  religion. 
The  question,  "  Shall  they  have  priests  ?"  involves  the  salva 
tion  of  several  thousand  souls.  It  must  be  soon  decided  ;  it 
is  already  agitated,  and  unless  Catholic  missionaries  are  sent 
there,  I  repeat  it,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  persons  hostile  to  the 
true  faith  may  take  possession  of  the  ground. 

On  the  second  Sunday  of  September,  Feast  of  the  Exalta 
tion  of  the  Cross,  three  days  after  my  arrival,  some  lodges 
of  buffalo-hides  were  arranged  and  ornamented  as  a  sanctu 
ary,  on  the  plain  of  the  Great  Council.  Under  this  tent  I 
had  the  happiness  of  offering  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  in  presence 
of  all  the  gentlemen  assisting  at  the  council,  of  all  the  half- 
bloods  and  whites,  and  of  a  great  concourse  of  Indians. 
After  my  instruction,  twenty-eight  children  (half-bloods),  and 
five  adults,  were  regenerated  in  the  holy  waters  of  baptism, 
with  all  the  ceremonies  prescribed  by  the  Church. 

The  Canadians,  French,  and  half-breeds  who  inhabit  the 
Indian  territory,  treat  all  the  priests  who  visit  them  with 
great  kindness,  attention,  and  respect.  It  is  truly  afflicting 


104: 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


to  meet  them  in  this  wilderness,  like  so  many  strayed  sheep. 
By  the  zealous  efforts  of  two  good  clergymen,  fine  missions 
could  be  founded  among  them — these  would  furnish  cate- 
chists,  and  these  latter  would  labor  in  concert  with  the 
priests  for  the  conversion  of  so  many  benighted  pagans,  who 
wander  forsaken  in  the  deserts,  and  destitute  of  religious  hope 
and  consolation. 

During  the  two  weeks  that  I  passed  in  the  plain  of  the 
Great  Council,  I  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  different  tribes 
and  bands  of  savages,  accompanied  by  one  or  more  of  their 
interpreters.  These  last  were  extremely  obliging  in  devoting 
themselves  to  my  aid  in  announcing  the  gospel.  The  Indians 
listened  eagerly  to  my  instructions.  Each  time  that  I 
addressed  them  concerning  the  particular  vices  which  I  knew 
reigned  among  them,  they  owned  their  faults  with  admirable 
simplicity  and  candor,  free  from  all  human  respect.  During 
an  instruction  in  the  camp  of  the  Ogallallahs,  a  Sioux  tribe, 
in  which  I  explained  to  them  the  ten  commandments,  when 
I  arrived  at  the  sixth  and  seventh,  a  general  whispering  and 
embarrassed  laugh  took  place  among  my  barbarous  auditory. 
I  inquired  the  reason  of  this  conduct,  and  explained  to  them 
that  the  law  I  came  to  announce  to  them  was  not  mine,  but 
God's,  and  that  it  was  obligatory  on  all  the  children  of  men  ; 
that  the  word  of  God  required  all  their  attention  and 
respect:  that  those  who  observe  his  commandments  will 
have  eternal  life,  while  the  prevaricators  of  his  holy  law  shall 
receive  hell  and  its  torments  as  their  lot.  The  great  chief 
at  once  rose  and  replied  :  "  Father,  we  hear  thee  ;  we  knew 
not  the  words  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  we  acknowledge  our 
ignorance.  We  are  great  liars  and  thieves;  we  have  killed  ;  we 
have  done  all  the  evil  that  the  Great  Spirit  forbids  us  to  do;  but 
we  did  not  know  those  beautiful  words ;  in  future  we  will  trj 
to  live  better,  if  thou  wilt  but  stay  with  us  and  teach  us." 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  105 

They  besought  me  to  explain  baptism  to  them,  as  several 
of  them  had  been  present  when  I  baptized  the  half-blood 
children.  I  complied  with  their  request,  and  gave  them  a 
lengthy  instruction  on  its  blessings  and  obligations.  All 
then  entreated  me  to  grant  this  favor  to  their  infants.  The 
next  day  the  ceremony  took  place  ;  239  children  of  the 
Ogallallahs  (the  first  of  their  tribe)  were  regenerated  in  the 
holy  waters  of  baptism,  to  the  great  joy  and  satisfaction  oi 
the  whole  nation.  I  held  daily  conferences  on  religion, 
sometimes  with  one  band  of  Indians,  sometimes  with  another. 
They  all  listened  with  great  attention,  and  unanimously 
expressed  the  wish  to  be  supplied  with  Catholic  missionaries. 

Among  the  Rapahos,  I  baptized  305  little  ones;  among 
the  Sheyennes,  253  ;  and  among  the  Brules  and  Osage  Sioux, 
'280 ;  in  the  camp  of  the  Painted  Bear,  56.  The  number  of  the 
half-bloods  that  I  baptized  in  the  plain  of  the  Great  Council 
and  on  the  River  Platte,  is  61.  In  the  different  forts  on  the 
Missouri,  I  baptized,  during  the  months  of  June  and  July 
last,  392  children.  Total  number  of  baptisms,  1586.  A 
great  number  died  shortly  after,  in  consequence  of  diseases 
which  reigned  in  the  Indian  camps. 

I  witnessed,  for  the  first  time,  a  singular  rite,  to  which  the 
Sheyennes  attach  as  much  importance  as  the  Asiatic  tribes 
do  to  circumcision  ;  this  is  the  "  ear-cutting  of  the  children." 
This  custom  appears  to  be  common  among  all  the  tribes  of 
the  Upper  Missouri,  and  probably  in  other  places,  though 
there  may  be  perhaps  some  variety  in  the  form  of  the  cere 
mony.  Among  the  Sheyennes,  the  mother  chooses  the 
operator,  and  puts  the  knife  into  his  hands.  She  extends 
the  child  on  the  skin  of  some  animal,  carefully  prepared  and 
painted,  and  which  the  Canadians  call  pare  fleche.  While 
one  of  the  relations  or  friends  holds  the  infant  in  a  quiet  pos 
ture,  the  operator  makes  five  incisions  in  the  rim  of  each  ear. 


106  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

These  incisions  are  destined  to  receive  and  carry  ornaments. 
The  mother  makes  a  present  of  a  horse  to  the  operator,  and 
another  present  to  each  one  of  the  assistants. 

In  the  same  place,  rudely  arranged  for  the  occasion,  and 
composed  of  six  lodges,  each  lodge  consisting  of  twenty  hides 
of  bison  cow,  we  witnessed  another  ceremony.  The  So- 
shonies,  or  Snake  Indians,  had  scarcely  quitted  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  repair  to  the  Great  Council,  when  they  were 
pursued  and  attacked  by  a  party  of  Sheyennes,  who  killed 
two  of  their  men,  and  carried  away  their  scalps.  The  She 
yennes  must  pay,  or  "  cover  the  body,"  which  is  a  satisfaction 
required  by  the  savages  on  such  occasions,  before  they  can 
accept  the  calumet  of  peace,  or  smoke  it  together.  On  this 
day  the  principal  braves  of  the  Sheyenne  nation,  and  forty 
warriors  of  the  Soshonies,  were  assembled.  Several  orations 
were  delivered  as  preliminaries  of  peace. 

Then  followed  a  feast,  of  which  all  partook.  It  consisted 
simply  of  corn,  crushed  and  thoroughly  boiled.  The  dogs 
were  spared  this  time,  for  the  Soshonies  are  an  exception  to 
the  common  rule  among  the  Indians ;  that  is,  they  never  eat 
dog-flesh.  The  feast  over,  the  Sheyennes  brought  suitable 
presents  of  tobacco,  blankets,  knives,  pieces  of  red  and  blue 
cloth,  and  deposited  them  in  the  centre  of  the  circle.  The 
two  scalps  were  also  exposed,  and  then  returned  to  the 
brothers  of  the  two  wretched  victims,  who  were  seated  at  the 
head  of  the  circle,  between  the  two  chiefs  of  their  nation. 
The  brothers  were  solemnly  assured  that  the  "  scalp-dance"* 
did  not  take  place.  They  wore,  however,  a  very  sombre  air, 

*  Tliis  ceremonj,  which  is  an  essential  condition,  consists  of  dances 
and  songs.  The  latter  recount  all  the  exploits  of  the  braves.  The 
ceremony  is  renewed  every  day,  and  often  lasts  several  weeks.  Women, 
old  and  young,  as  well  as  children,  can  take  part;  and,  itt  fact,  th« 
women  make  most  noise  and  exertion. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  107 

and  OD  accepting  the  scalps  were  deeply  affected.  How 
ever,  they  embraced  the  murderers,  received  the  donations, 
and  distributed  the  larger  portion  of  them  to  their  compan 
ions.  After  this,  the  usual  signs  of  peace  and  amity,  present* 
and  reciprocal  adoptions  of  children,  were  interchanged ; 
their  orators  employed  all  their  eloquence  to  strengthen  the 
good-feeling  which  appeared  to  reign  in  the  assembly,  and 
to  render  it  lasting.  The  next  night  the  Sheyennes  visited 
the  lodges  of  the  Soshonies,  who  were  encamped  beside  my 
little  tent.  Songs  and  dances  were  prolonged  till  daylight, 
and  prevented  me  from  sleeping.  These  amusements  among 
the  Indians  are  perfectly  innocent.  I  have  never  been  able 
to  detect  the  slightest  gesture  that  could  offend  modesty. 
During  my  waking  hours  that  night  I  reflected  on  the  excel 
lent  dispositions  of  these  pagans,  and  thought,  could  the 
clergy  of  Europe  but  know  them,  they  would  eagerly  hasten 
hither  to  gladden  our  Holy  Mother,  the  Church,  with  thou 
sands  of  new  children. 

During  this  assembly,  as  on  other  occasions,  I  frequently 
remarked  the  skill  and  facility  with  which  the  Indians  com 
municate  their  ideas  by  signs  and  gestures.  Their  move 
ments  are  highly  expressive,  and  appear  to  be  reduced  to  a 
language  as  perfect  and  communicable  as  that  of  the  deaf 
and  dumb  among  us.  By  means  of  these  signs  an  Indian 
will  relate  the  chief  events  of  his  life.  This  mute  speech 
may  be  styled  a  language  of  precaution  and  defence,  for 
when  they  meet  in  the  desert,  in  their  excursions,  they  make 
signs  while  yet  very  far  apart,  before  they  approach.  They 
immediately  know  with  whom  they  have  to  deal,  and  01 
what  there  is  in  question.  They  have,  however,  still  more 
remarkable  modes  of  communicating  thought.  The  large 
figures  displayed  on  their  buffalo-robes  are  hieroglyphics,  ai 
easily  understood  by  an  intelligent  Indian  as  written  word* 


108  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

are  by  ourselves;  and  they  often  contain  the  narrative  of 
some  important  event.  This  is  not,  however,  because  words 
are  wanting  in  their  various  dialects,  which  are  quite  copious 
and  expressive. 

I  attended  the  council  from  the  outset  to  the  close.  As  I 
have  already  stated,  ten  thousand  Indians,  belonging  to  dif 
ferent  tribes,  many  of  which  had  been  at  war  from  time  im 
memorial,  met  on  the  same  plain.  During  the  twenty-three 
days  of  the  assembly  there  was  no  disorder :  on  the  contrary, 
always  peaceable  and  tranquil,  which  is  saying  much  for 
Indians.  They  seemed  all  to  form  but  a  single  nation.  Po 
lite  and  kindly  to  each  other,  they  spent  their  leisure  hours 
in  visits,  banquets,  and  dances ;  spoke  of  their  once  intermi 
nable  wars  and  divisions  as  past  things,  to  be  absolutely  for 
gotten,  or  "buried,"  according  to  their  expression.  There 
was  not  a  remark  in  all  their  conversations  to  displease  ; 
never  did  the  calumet  pass  in  peace  through  so  many  hands. 
To  convey  an  idea  of  the  importance  of  this  action,  I  must 
observe,  that  smoking  the  calumet  together  is  equivalent  to 
a  treaty  confirmed  by  oath,  which  no  one  can  contravene 
without  dishonoring  himself  in  the  eyes  of  all  his  tribe.  It 
was  really  a  touching  spectacle  to  see  the  calumet,  the 
Indian  emblem  o'f  peace,  raised  heavenward  by  the  hand  of  a 
savage,  presenting  it  to  the  Master  of  life,  imploring  his  pity 
on  all  his  children  on  earth,  and  begging  him  to  confirm  the 
good  resolutions  which  they  had  made. 

Notwithstanding  the  scarcity  of  provisions  felt  in  the 
camp  before  the  wagons  came,  the  feasts  were  numerous  and 
well  attended.  No  epoch  in  Indian  annals,  probably,  shows 
a  greater  massacre  of  the  canine  race.  Among  the  Indians 
the  flesh  of  the  dog  is  the  most  honorable  and  esteemed  o! 
all  viands,  especially  in  the  absence  of  bison  and  other  ani 
mals.  On  the  present  occasion  it  was  a  last  resource.  The 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  109 

carnage  then  ma}7  be  conceived.  I  was  invited  to  several  of 
these  banquets ;  a  great  chief,  in  particular,  wished  to  give 
me  a  special  mark  of  his  friendship  and  respect  for  me.  He 
had  filled  his  great  kettle  with  little  fat  dogs,  skins  and  all. 
He  presented  me,  on  a  wooden  platter,  the  fattest,  well 
boiled.  I  found  the  meat  really  delicate,  and  I  can  vouch 
that  it  is  preferable  to  sucking-pig,  which  it  nearly  resembles 
in  taste. 

The  Indians  regaled  me  several  times  with  a  dish  highly 
esteemed  among  them.  It  consists  of  plums,  dried  in  the 
sun,  and  afterwards  prepared  with  pieces  of  meat,  like  a 
stew.  I  must  own  that  I  found  it  quite  palatable.  But  hear 
what  I  learned  subsequently,  as  to  their  manner  of  preparing 
it.  When  an  Indian  woman  wishes  to  preserve  the  plums, 
which  grow  in  profusion  here,  she  collects  a  great  quantity, 
and  then  invites  her  neighbors  to  her  lodge  to  pass  an 
agreeable  afternoon.  Their  whole  occupation  then  consists 
in  chatting  and  sucking  the  stones  from  the  plums,  for  they 
keep  only  the  skins,  which,  after  being  sun-dried,  are  kept 
for  grand  occasions. 

The  wagons  containing  the  presents  destined  by  the  gov 
ernment  to  the  Indians,  reached  here  on  the  20th  of  Sep 
tember.  The  safe  arrival  of  this  convoy  was  an  occasion  of 
general  joy.  Many  were  in  absolute  destitution.  The  next 
day  the  wagons  were  unloaded  and  the  presents  suitably 
arranged.  The  flag  of  the  United  States  floated  from  a  tall 
staff  before  the  tent  of  the  superintendent,  and  a  discharge  of 
cannon  announced  to  the  Indians  that  the  division  of  the 
presents  was  about  to  take  place.  Without  delay,  the  occu 
pants  of  the  various  camps  flocked  in, — men,  women,  and 
children, — in  great  confusion,  and  in  their  gayest  costume, 
daubed  with  paints  of  glaring  hues,  and  decorated  with  all 
the  gewgaws  they  could  boast.  They  took  the  respective 
10 


110  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

places  assigned  to  each  particular  band,  thus  forming  an  im 
mense  circle,  covering  several  acres  of  land,  and  the  mer 
chandise  was  displayed  in  the  centre.  The  view  of  such  an 
assembly  would  give  an  interesting  theme  to  a  Hogarth  or  a 
Cruikshank. 

The  great  chiefs  of  the  different  nations  were  served  first, 
and  received  suits  of  clothes.  You  may  easily  imagine 
their  singular  movements  on  appearing  in  public,  and  the 
admiration  which  they  excited  in  their  comrades,  who  were 
never  weary  inspecting  them.  The  great  chiefs  were,  for 
the  first  time  in  their  lives,  pantalooned ;  each  was  arrayed 
in  a  general's  uniform,  a  gilt  sword  hanging  at  his  side. 
Their  long,  coarse  hair  floated  above  the  military  costume, 
and  the  whole  was  crowned  by  the  burlesque  solemnity  of 
their  painted  faces. 

Colonel  Mitchell  employed  the  Indians  as  his  agents  in 
distributing  the  presents  to  the  various  bands.  The  arrange 
ments  were  characterized  by  benevolence  and  justice.  The 
conduct  of  this  vast  multitude  was  calm  and  respectful. 
Not  the  slightest  index  of  impatience  or  of  jealousy  was  ob 
served  during  the  distribution  ;  each  band  appeared  indiffer 
ent  until  its  portion  was  received.  Then,  glad,  or  satisfied, 
but  always  quiet,  they  removed  from  the  plain  with  their 
families  and  their  lodges.  They  had  heard  the  good  news 
that  the  bison  were  numerous  on  the  south  fork  of  the 
Platte,  three  days'  march  from  the  plain,  and  they  hastily 
turned  their  steps  in  that  direction,  resolved  to  make  the 
buffaloes  atone  for  the  hunger  they  had  recently  suffered  on 
the  great  council  plain. 

This  assembly  will  form  an  era  among  them,  and  I  trust 
will  be  ever  dear  to  their  memories.  It  closed  on  the  23d 
of  September. 

The  happy  results  of  this  council  are,  no  doubt,  owing  to 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  Ill 

the  prudent  measures  of  the  commissaries  of  government, 
and  more  especially  to  their  conciliatory  manners  in  all  their 
intercourse  and  transaction  with  the  Indians.  The  council 
will  doubtless  produce  the  good  effects  they  have  a  right  to 
expect.  It  will  be  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  for  the 
Indians — an  era  of  peace.  In  future,  peaceable  citizens  may 
cross  the  desert  unmolested,  and  the  Indians  will  have  little 
to  dread  from  the  bad  white  man,  for  justice  will  be  rendered 
to  him. 

Accept,  &c., 

P.J.  DE  SMKT,8.J. 


112 


WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  VII, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Journey  to  the  Great  Desert  in  1851. 

UNIVEBSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  Jan.  30,  1852. 


Quite  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  23d  of  September  I 
bade  farewell  to  the  Creoles,  Canadians,  and  half-bloods.  I 
exhorted  them  to  live  well,  and  to  pray  to  God,  and  to  hope 
that  he  would  soon  send  them  spiritual  succor  for  their  tem 
poral  and  eternal  happiness,  and  that  of  their  children.  I 
shook  hands  for  the  last  time  with  the  great  chiefs  and  with 
a  large  number  of  Indians,  and  addressed  them  some  en 
couraging  words,  and  promised  to  plead  their  cause  with 
the  great  chiefs  of  the  Black-gowns,  and  make  known  the 
desire,  good  intentions,  and  hopes  they  had  expressed  to  me, 
while  they  would  daily,  in  all  sincerity  of  heart,  implore  the 
"Master  of  Life"  to  send  them  zealous  priests  to  instruct 
them  in  the  way  of  salvation,  which  Jesus  Christ,  his  only 
Son,  came  to  trace  to  his  children  on  earth. 

I  directed  my  course  towards  "the  springs,"  situated  about 
fourteen  miles  distant,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  trading-house 
at  Robidoux,  for  Colonel  Mitchell  had  named  this  as  the 
rendezvous  for  all  those  who  proposed  going  directly  to  A,he 
United  States.  On  the  24th,  before  sunrise,  we  set  out  in 
good  and  numerous  company.  I  visited,  in  my  way,  twc 
trading-houses,  in  order  to  baptize  five  half-blood  children, 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  113 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  passed  the  famous  Chimney- 
rock,  so  often  described  by  travellers.  I  had  already  seen  it, 
iu  1840  and  1841,  in  my  first  visit  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  mentioned  it  in  iny  letters.  I  found  it  considerably  di- 
miuished  in  height. 

We  cast  a  last  look  upon  the  singular  productions  of 
nature,  the  Castle  and  the  Tower,  which  are  near  the  Chim 
ney,  and  resemble  the  ruins  of  lordly  residences  scattered 
over  several  acres,  and  presenting  a  very  elevated  and  broken 
surface,  amid  a  level  plain. 

Arrived  on  the  Platte,  at  the  place  known  as  Ash  Hollow, 
v\e  turned  our  steps  towards  the  South  Fork,  fifteen  miles 
away,  over  a  beautiful  rolling  country  of  great  elevation. 
Here  we  met  the  Prince  P.,  accompanied  only  by  a  Prussian 
officer,  on  their  way  to  enjoy  a  hunt  in  the  Wind  River 
Mountains.  We  exchanged  our  little  news,  and  received 
with  pleasure  the  interesting  information  which  the  prince 
gave  us.  His  excellency  must  be  indeed  courageous,  to 
undertake  at  his  age  so  long  a  journey  in  such  a  wilderness} 
with  but  one  man  as  suite,  and  in  a  wretched  little  open 
wagon,  which  carried  the  prince  and  his  officer,  as  well  as 
their  whole  baggage  and  provisions.  Later,  I  learned  that 
the  prince  intends  to  choose  a  location  suited  to  agriculture, 
for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  German  colony. 

We  live  in  an  age  when  wonders  multiply ;  we  cannot  say 
what,  in  the  way  of  colonization,  may  not  come  to  pass  in  a 
short  time,  after  witnessing  the  success  of  the  Mormons,  who 
in  less  than  five  years  have  changed  the  face  of  a  frightful 
desert,  and  live  there  in  great  abundance.  Yet  I  am  free  to 
maintain,  that  if  the  prince  has  really  formed  the  plan  as 
cribed  to  him,  which  I  scarcely  credit,  I  pity  from  the  bot 
tom  of  my  heart  those  who  first  embark  in  the  expedition, 
The  enemies  whom  they  would  have  to  meet  are  still  to« 
10* 


114  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

powerful :  Crows,  Black-Feet,  Sioux,  Sheyennes,  Rapahos,  ana 
Snakes,  are  the  most  feared  and  warlike  of  the  desert. 

A  colony  established  in  such  a  neighborhood,  and  against 
the  will  of  the  numerous  warlike  tribes  in  the  vicinity  ol 
those  mountains,  would  run  great  dangers  and  meet  heavy 
obstacles.  The  influence  of  religion  alone  can  prepare  these 
parts  for  such  a  transformation.  The  threats  and  promises 
of  colonists,  their  guns  and  sabres,  would  never  effect  what 
can  be  accomplished  by  the  peaceful  word  of  the  Black- 
gown,  and  the  sight  of  the  humanizing  sign  of  the  cross. 

From  the  crossing  of  the  South  Fork  to  the  junction  of 
the  Great  Forks,  the  distance  is  reckoned  to  be  seventy-five 
miles,  and  thence  to  Fort  Kearney  one  hundeed  and  fifty 
miles.  Wood  is  very  rare  between  the  Platte  and  the  Ne 
braska.  From  the  junction  of  the  two  Forks  to  the  mouth 
of  the  valley  is  six  or  eight  miles  wide,  while  the  bed  of  the 
river  is  about  two  miles  in  width.  In  the  spring,  at  the 
'melting  of  the  snows,  when  this  river  is  high,  it  presents  a 
magnificent  sheet  of  water,  with  numerous  isles  and  islets 
covered  with  verdure,  and  skirted  with  cotton-trees  and  wil 
lows.  In  the  autumn,  on  the  contrary,  it  loses  all  interest 
and  beauty.  Its  waters  then  escape  into  a  great  number  of 
almost  imperceptible  passages  and  channels  among  the  sand 
banks  which  cover  the  bed  through  its  whole  length  and 
extent. 

When  wood  fails,  as  frequently  happens  on  the  banks  of 
the  Platte  or  Nebraska,  the  meals  are  cooked  at  fires  of  bison- 
dung,  which,  when  dried,  burns  like  turf. 

The  soil  of  the  Nebraska  is  in  general  rich  and  deep,  min 
gled,  however,  with  sand  in  several  localities.  There  is  a 
great  variety  of  grasses,  which  with  numerous  shrubs,  cov 
ered  with  flowers  of  dazzling  beauty,  present  a  wide  field  of 
study  to  the  lover  of  botany.  As  we  retire  from  the  vale,  a 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  115 

very  sensible  change  is  perceptible  in  the  productions  of  the 
soil :  instead  of  the  former  robust  and  vigorous  vegetation, 
the  plains  are  overgrown  with  a  short,  crisp  grass;  however, 
it  is  very  nourishing,  and  eagerly  sought  by  the  herds  of 
buffalo  and  couutiass  wild  animals  that  graze  on  them. 

We  arrived  at  Fort  Kearney  on  the  2d  of  October,  where 
Colonel  Mitchell,  the  superintendent,  held  a  conference  with 
a  deputation  of  some  twenty  Pawnee  chiefs  and  braves. 
They  expressed  their  regret  that,  not  having  assisted  at  the 
great  council,  they  found  themselves  excluded  from  the  ad 
vantages  that  the  treaty  would  secure  to  the  other  nations, 
and  had  no  share  in  the  presents  made  by  the  government. 
They  all  made  solemn  promises  to  adhere  to  the  spirit  of  the 
treaty,  and  to  execute  the  orders  of  their  "  Great  Father  the 
President,"  who  desired  that  they  should  live  peaceably  with 
all  their  neighbors,  and  decreed  the  cessation  of  all  depreda 
tions  exercised  against  travellers  from  the  United  States  who 
cross  this  territory.  These  Pawnee  chiefs  and  warriors  re 
ceived  with  all  the  politeness  of  Indian  customs  the  various 
deputations  which  accompanied  us  on  their  way  to  Wash 
ington, — that  is,  the  Sioux,  Cheyennes,  and  Rapahos,  hither 
to  their  mortal  enemies, — regaling  them  with  banquets, 
dances,  and  songs.  "  My  heart  leaps  witU  joy,"  shouted  a 
chief  of  the  Pawnee  Wolves,  "  because  I  find  myself  in  pres 
ence  of  those  that  from  my  infancy  I  have  been  taught  to 
consider  as  my  mortal  foes.  Sheyennes,  I  and  my  warriors 
have  made  many  incursions  into  your  territories,  to  steal 
vour  horses,  and  rob  you  of  your  scalps.  Yes,  my  heart 
Dounds  with  delight,  for  it  had  never  dreamed  of  meeting 
yon  face  to  face,  and  of  touching  yonr  hand  in  friendship. 
You  see  me  here  poor — I  have  not  a  horse  to  mount.  Well, 
I  will  gladly  go  on  foot  the  remainder  of  my  days,  if  the 
tomahawk  is  to  be  buried  by  all."  He  offered  the  calumet 


116  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

to  all  the  deputies,  and  several  accepted  it.  A  young  She 
yenne  chief,  named  "  He  who  mounts  the  clouds,"  refused  to 
touch  it,  and  thus  answered  the  Pawnee  :  "  Neither  thou  nor 
thy  people  have  invited  me  into  your  territory.  My  father," 
added  he,  pointing  to  the  superintendent,  "  requested  me  to 
follow  him,  and  I  follow  him :  I  accept  not  thy  calumet  of 
peace,  lest  I  betray  thee.  Perchance  while  I  now  speak  to 
thee,  our  brave  warriors  seek  the  lodges  of  thy  tribe.  No  ! 
I  will  not  deceive  thee,  therefore  know  that  peace  exists  not 
between  me  and  thee.  I  speak  thus  fearlessly  and  clearly, 
for  I  stand  beneath  the  banner  of  my  father." 

The  allusions  of  the  Sheyenne  seemed  not  to  mar  the  ex 
isting  harmony ;  the  dances,  songs,  speeches,  and  banquets 
were  kept  up  till  late  in  the  night. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  Indian  deputies. 

The  Sheyenne  envoys  are  —  Voki  vokammast,  or  Th< 
White  Antelope ;  Obalawska,  or  Red  Skin ;  and  Voive 
atoish,  or  The  man  that  mounts  the  clouds. 

The  Rapaho  deputies  are — JWehunutah,  or  Eagle's  Head ; 
Nocobotha,  or  The  Tempest ;  and  FasA,  or  Friday. 

The  Sioux  deputies  are — Haboutzelze,  or  The  Unicorn  ; 
Kaive  ou  neve,  or  The  Little  Chief ;  Pouskawit  cah  cah,  or 
The  Shellman  ;  Chakahakeechtah,  or  The  Watchful  Elk  ;  and 
Mawgah,  or  the  Goose ;  the  last  belongs  to  the  Black-Foot 
Sioux. 

The  two  Ottos  and  their  wives,  who  joined  us  afterwards, 
were,  Wah-rush-a-menec,  or  the  Black  Deer ;  and  his  wife, 
JHfookapec,  or  the  Eagle's  Plume  :  Wah-sho-chegorah,  or  The 
Black  Bear;  and  his  wife,  Hou  ohpec,  or  The  Singing  Bird. 

At  Fort  Kearney  we  parted  with  Colonel  Mitchell  and  his 
suite,  who  took  the  route  to  Table  River.  I  joined  Major 
Fitzpatrick  and  the  deputies,  and  we  continued  on  the  south 
ern  route,  which  crosses  the  Indian  territory. 


AND   MISSIONARIES. 


117 


The  country  between  the  frontiers  of  Missouri  and  the 
Great  Blue  River  presents  a  remarkable  uniformity  in  all  ita 
leading  features.  Clay  soil,  rolling  prairies,  and  the  shores 
of  the  river  well  wooded.  You  meet  forests  of  oak  and  nut 
trees  of  all  varieties,  with  maple  and  cotton-wood  and  a 
variety  of  trees  found  in  the  east.  The  hill-sides  in  several 
places  abound  in  fine  springs  of  water,  surrounded  by  beau 
tiful  groves,  arranged  with  as  much  order  and  taste  as  if 
planted  by  the  hand  of  man.  While  a  luxuriant  turf,  enam 
elled  with  fragrant  flowers,  replaces  the  briars  and  underwood, 
the  prairies  on  all  sides,  surrounded  by  forests  which  pro 
tect  the  water-courses,  present  to  the  sight  an  ocean  of  ver 
dure  adorned  with  flowers,  agitated  by  the  wind,  and  per 
fuming  the  air  with  a  thousand  odors. 

The  vale  of  the  Kanzas  is  broad,  of  a  deep,  brown  vege 
table  soil :  the  same  remark  may  be  made  of  the  valleys  of 
the  remaining  rivers  of  this  territory,  all  of  which  are  suit 
able  for  agriculture.  The  streams  of  water  are  clear ;  they 
run  over  pebbly  beds,  between  high  banks,  and  teem  with 
fine  fish. 

Major  Fitzpatrick  preferred  taking  the  southern  route,  in 
order  to  give  our  friends,  the  Indian  deputies,  an  opportunity 
of  witnessing  the  progress  that  the  tribes  are  capable  of 
making  in  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts.  He  wished  to 
convince  them  that  labor  and  its  results  gradually  conduct 
10  happiness  and  ease,  and  convince  them  that  by  adopting 
habits  of  industry  man  is  freed  from  the  necessity  of  wander 
ing  from  place  to  place  to  obtain  subsistence. 

We  reached  St.  Mary's,  among  the  Potawatomies,  on 
the  1 1th  of  October.  Bishop  Miege,  and  the  other  Fathers  of 
the  Mission,  received  us  with  great  cordiality  and  kindness. 

To  give  the  Indian  deputies  a  relish  for  labor  by  the  tast 
ing  of  the  various  products  of  farming,  a  quantity  of  vegeta- 


118  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

bles  and  fruits  were  set  before  them.  Potatoes,  carrots,  tur 
nips,  squashes,  parsneps,  melons,  with  apples  and  peaches, 
graced  the  board,  and  our  forest  friends  did  them  most  ample 
honor.  One  of  the  chiefs,  "  Eagle  Head,"  said  to  me,  "  Now, 
Father,  we  comprehend  thy  words.  Thon  hast  told  us  that 
in  a  few  years  the  buffaloes  would  disappear  from  our  terri 
tory ;  that  we  must  take  measures  against  the  day  of  need  ; 
that  then  we  can  reap  from  the  earth  subsistence  and  even 
plenty  for  our  children.  When  thou  wast  speaking  to  us, 
our  ears  were  shut ;  now  they  are  opened,  for  we  have  eaten 
the  products  of  the  soil.  We  see  here  a  happy  people,  well 
fed  and  well  clothed.  We  hope  that  the  great  Father  (the 
Bishop)  will  take  pity  on  us  and  on  our  children.  We  wish 
to  have  Black-gowns  with  us,  and  we  will  cheerfully  attend 
to  their  words." 

The  day  after  was  Sunday,  and  all  attended  High  Mass. 
The  church  was  well  filled.  The  choir,  composed  of  half- 
bloods  and  Indians,  sung  admirably  the  Gloria,  the  Credo, 
and  several  hymns.  The  Rev.  Father  Gailland  delivered  a 
sermon  in  Potawatomie,  which  lasted  three  quarters  of  an 
hour,  and  the  number  of  communicants  was  large.  All  this, 
joined  with  the  attention,  modesty,  and  devotion  of  the 
whole  auditory,  some  with  prayer-books  and  others  with 
beads,  made  a  profound  and,  I  hope,  durable  impression  on 
the  minds  of  our  Indians  of  the  plains.  During  several  days 
they  never  ceased  talking  with  me  and  questioning  on  all 
they  had  seen,  calling  it  the  doctrine  that  renders  men  happy 
here  and  conducts  them  to  heaven.  We  found  the  Mission 
in  a  flourishing  state ;  the  two  schools  are  well  attended  ;  a 
community  of  religious  of  the  Sacred  Heart  have  concili 
ated  the  affection  of  the  women  and  girls  of  the  nation,  and 
are  working  among  them  with  the  greatest  success.  The 
Potawatomies  approach  their  residences  nearer  and  nearer  fc 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  119 

the  church  and  to  their  "  Good  Fathers,"  and  have  resolutely 
commenced  cultivating  the  ground  and  raising  domestic  ani 
mals.  Every  Sunday  the  Fathers  have  the  consolation  of 
contemplating  a  beautiful  congregation  of  Indians  assembled 
in  the  wood-built  cathedral,  and  on  an  average  one  hundred 
and  twenty  piously  approaching  the  Holy  Communion.  We 
spent  two  days  visiting  the  Mission.  The  Indian  chiefs 
quitted  the  establishment  with  hearts  overflowing  with  de 
light,  and  in  the  consoling  expectation  of  Laving  similar 
happiness  in  their  own  tribes  at  no  very  distant  future.  God 
grant  their  hopes  may  be  realized ! 

The  weather  was  fine,  and  in  three  days  we  attained 
Westport  and  Kanzas  on  the  Missouri. 

On  the  16th  of  October  we  took  places  on  board  the 
steamboat  Clara.  Our  Indian  deputies  had  never  seen  a  vil 
lage  or  settlement  of  whites  except  what  they  had  sees  at 
Fort  Laramie  and  at  Fort  Kearney ;  they  knew  nothing  of 
the  manner  in  which  houses  are  constructed,  hence  they 
were  in  constant  admiration  ;  and  when  for  the  first  time 
they  saw  a  steamboat  their  wonder  was  at  its  height,  although 
they  appeared  to  entertain  a  certain  fear  as  they  stepped  on 
board.  A  considerable  time  elapsed  before  they  became  ac 
customed  to  the  noise  arising  from  the  escape  of  steam,  and 
the  bustle  that  took  place  at  the  ringing  of  bells,  etc.  They 
called  the  boat  a  "fire-canoe"  and  were  transported  with 
delight  at  the  sight  of  another  boat  ascending  with  a  small 
boat  behind,  which  they  called  a  "pappoose"  or  little  child. 
When  their  apprehensions  of  danger  had  subsided,  their  cu 
riosity  augmented  ;  they  took  the  liveliest  interest  in  what 
ever  they  saw  for  the  first  time.  They  were  in  grand  cos 
tume  and  seated  themselves  on  the  promenade  deck ;  as  the 
boat  approached  the  several  towns  and  villages  in  her  prog 
ress,  they  hailed  each  with  shouts  and  songs. 


120  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

On  the  22d  of  October  we  reached  St.  Louis.  A  few 
days  after  all  the  members  of  the  Indian  deputation  wer« 
invited  to  a  banquet  given  in  our  University.  They  were 
highly  pleased  at  the  reception  given  them  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Provincial,  and  overjoyed  at  the  encouraging  hope 
that  he  gave  them  of  having  Black-gowns  among  them — a 
hope  perhaps  soon  to  be  realized. 

Recommending  the  poor  Indian  to  your  prayers,  I  beg 
you  to  believe  me  with  profound  respect, 
Yours,  etc.,  etc., 

P.  J.  DE  SMKT,  S.  J. 

NOTE. — The  word  "  Medicine"  is  frequently  found  in  letters  written 
on  the  religious  ideas,  practices,  and  customs  of  the  North  American 
Indians.  It  is  necessary  to  know  the  signification  that  the  Indiana 
themselves  attach  to  this  word. 

The  term  Wah-kon  is  employed  by  the  Indians  to  express  any  thing 
that  they  cannot  understand,  whether  supernatural,  natural,  or  me 
chanical.  A  watch,  an  organ,  a  steamboat,  or  any  thing  in  fine,  the 
operations  of  which  exceed  their  capacity  to  understand,  is  called  Wah- 
kon.  God  is  called  Wah-kou-tonga,  or  the  Great  Incomprehensible. 
The  word  Tonga  in  Sioux  means  great  or  large. 

Wah-kon  means,  properly,  incomprehensible,  inexpressible.  It  is 
badly  translated  by  the  whites,  who  always  render  it  medicine ;  thus, 
for  example,  the  word  Wah-kon-touga,,  or  God,  has  been  translated 
O-reat  Medicine  ! 

The  word  medicine  has  since  been  so  universally  applied  to  the  differ 
ent  religious  and  superstitious  ceremonies  of  the  Indians,  that  all  trav 
ellers  use  it  when  writing  of  the  natives. 

The  word  medicine,  when  applied  to  Indian  ceremonies,  whether  re 
ligious  or  superstitious,  has,  however,  no  relation  to  the  treatment  of 
the  body,  but  it  has  been  so  commonly  adopted  that  I  am  forced  to  use 
t  when  speaking  of  the  Indians.  Thence  are  derived  the  compounds, 
"  medicine-feast,"  "  medicine-dance,"  "  mediciue-man,"  etc.,  and  also 
"  medicine-bag,"  or  sack,  containing  idols,  charms,  and  other  supersti 
tious  articles. 

My  intention  in  giving  this  little  note  is  to  distinguish  between  medi- 
oine  used  in  the  sense  of  medicament,  and  the  same  word  applied  tc 
tharins,  religious  invocations,  and  ceremonies. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  121 


Letter  VIII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OP  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Shipwreck  of  the  5th  of  December,  1853. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Louis,  Jan.  1, 1854. 
MY  DEAR  BROTHERS  : 

I  profit  by  my  earliest  leisure  moments,  to  inform  you 
that  we  happily  arrived  at  our  place  of  destination  on  the 
27th  day  of  December. 

I  wish  you  and  your  dear  children  a  happy  and  prosper 
ous  New  Year,  and  I  implore  God  to  pour  down  upon  you 
daily  his  choicest  favors  and  blessings.  I  can  never  forget 
the  fraternal  attachment  and  extreme  goodness  manifested  to 
me  so  continually  during  my  short  visit  to  the  land  of  my 
nativity. 

I  inclose  you  a  little  sketch  of  my  long  and  dangerous 
voyage.  As  I  am  overwhelmed  with  business,  I  am  forced 
to  write  in  haste — currente  calamo. 

The  17th  of  November,  the  day  on  which  I  bade  you  fare 
well,  will  not  soon  be  effaced  from  my  memory.  The  fol 
lowing  day  I  rejoined  Mgr.  Miege  and  his  companions,  at 
Paris.  The  eight  young  men  who  accompanied  me  had 
only  two  days  to  allow  them  a  cursory  view  of  this  great 
city,  or  interminable  fair.  They,  however,  visited  its  most 
splendid  palaces,  and  its  principal  monuments,  with  the  pub 
lic  squares  of  this  extensive  and  wonderful  capital,  and  the 
palaces  and  gardens  of  Versailles. 
11 


1^2  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

On  the  second  we  arrived  at  Havre,  so  as  to  be  ready  to 
embark  thence  on  the  morrow.  The  whole  day  was  em 
ployed  in  collecting  our  trunks,  boxes,  and  cases,  which  were 
in  the  different  offices  of  the  port,  and  in  making  prepara 
tions  for  our  voyage.  The  American  steamer  was  already  in 
the  roadstead,  about  two  leagues  from  the  city,  and  a  smal) 
towboat  was  waiting  to  conduct  her  passengers  to  her.  I 
had  left  my  thirteen  companions  for  an  hour,  to  go  in  search 
of  three  boxes  at  the  custom-house,  and  have  them  trans 
ported  directly  on  board  of  the  Humboldt.  On  my  arrival 
at  the  proper  place  of  embarking,  all  the  passengers  were 
there  in  readiness,  except  my  company.  I  immediately  sent 
some  eight  or  ten  persons  in  search  of  them,  who  searched 
all  the  streets  and  wharves  of  Havre  for  six  hours,  without 
procuring  the  least  information  concerning  them.  The  mo 
ment  named  for  sailing  arrived !  when  a  gendarme,  to  whom 
I  had  addressed  myself  as  a  last  resource,  and  the  surest, 
after  all,  hastened  to  draw  me  from  my  embarrassment  by 
informing  me  that  the  young  gentlemen  that  were  giving 
me  so  much  solicitude  had  been  on  the  Humboldt  the  last 
six  hours,  and  that  they  also  were  in  great  anxiety  concern 
ing  my  delay.  In  a  word,  they  had  mistaken  their  course  in 
the  labyrinth  of  wharves  at  Havre,  and  thinking  they  had 
not  a  moment  to  spare,  had  hired  two  little  boats  to  convey 
them  to  the  steamer.  I  hastened  to  join  them,  and  reached 
the  ship  at  the  moment  they  were  heaving  the  anchor  to  put 
to  sea. 

I  found  gendarmes  on  board,  in  search  of  some  suspected 
individuals.  It  was  said  that  these  agents  had  received 
strict  orders  to  examine  all  the  passports  carefully.  My 
travelling  companions  were  all  provided,  except  one,  who  had 
joined  me  in  Paris,  with  the  consent  of  his  parents.  I  was 
not  without  anxiety  in  his  regard  ;  but  our  young  deserter, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  123 

M.  M****,  disguised  as  a  cabin-boy,  played  his  part  per 
fectly  ;  he  held  the  lantern  to  aid  the  police-officers  in  a  man 
ner  to  do  honor  to  the  most  skilful  cabin-boy,  during  theii 
whole  visit  to  the  saloons  and  cabins.  All  the  passengers  pass 
ed  in  review,  all  the  passports  were  minutely  criticised ;  but 
the  agents  paid  no  attention  to  the  handsome  lantern-bearer, 
who  always  remained  close  by  them,  and  thus  quietly  escapeu 
their  scrutiny.  My  anxiety,  however,  did  not  subside  untL 
I  saw  the  gentlemen  leave  our  decks. 

Without  a  moment's  delay,  two  discharges  of  cannon 
announce  the  departure  of  the  Humboldt.  Every  officer, 
pilot,  and  sailor  is  at  his  post.  The  whistling  of  the  steam- 
engine  is  heard  for  the  last  time,  so  shrill  that  it  penetrates 
the  very  heart  of  the  town  :  it  is  the  signal  of  the  engineer. 
The  captain  with  his  speaking-trumpet  orders  the  departure, 
and  the  steamer  steers  her  course  in  the  direction  of  South 
ampton  and  Cowes — places  between  the  Isle  of  Wight  and 
the  coasts  of  England,  where  English  passengers  and  the 
English  mails  are  received.  It  was  only  in  the  evening  of 
the  23d  that  she  took  the  direction  of  New  York. 

For  fourteen  days  the  Humboldt  combated  against  a 
stormy  sea  and  violent  west  wind ;  Neptune  received  this  time 
a  double  tribute  from  those  who  were  so  bold  as  to  hazard 
crossing  his  domain  in  this  season  of  the  year.  The  greatest 
sufferer  was  Bishop  Miege,  who  kept  his  bed  constantly. 
The  next  was  young  Fortune  Hegel,  of  Brussels,  who  has  too 
weak  a  stomach  ever  to  make  a  good  sailor  ;  he  supported 
this  misery  with  great  fortitude,  never  regretting  that  he  had 
left  his  quiet  home  for  some  years.  All  the  others  escaped 
tolerably  ;  as  to  myself,  I  felt  almost  no  inconvenience  from 
sea-sickness  during  the  whole  voyage.  To  the  violent  storms 
of  wind  we  must  add  several  other  disagreeable  circumstan 
ces  :  the  steam-engine  got  out  of  order  several  times,  and  the 


124  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

boilers  threatened  to  blow  us  in  the  air ;  the  coal  was  of  a 
bad  quality,  and  that,  even,  began  to  become  scarce  on  the 
twelfth  day  of  our  voyage.  We  were  obliged  to  deviate 
from  our  ordinary  route,  to  get  a  supply  of  coal  at  Halifax, 
a  seaport  of  Nova  Scotia.  This  neglect  on  the  part  of  the 
company  was  extremely  fatal  in  its  consequences. 

In  the  forenoon  of  the  6th  of  December,  about  five  leagues 
from  port,  a  fisherman  presented  himself  on  board  as  a  pilot, 
and  declared  to  the  captain,  who  demanded  his  certificates, 
•*  that  his  papers  were  either  in  his  boat,  or  at  his  own  house." 
The  captain  relied  upon  his  word,  and  intrusted  him  with 
the  management  of  the  ship.  Against  the  expressed  opinion 
of  the  officers,  the  false  pilot  changed  the  boat's  direction, 
and  notwithstanding  their  reiterated  remonstrances,  he  per 
sisted  in  his  obstinacy.  An  hour  and  a  half  afterwards,  the 
Humboldt  struck  on  the  dangerous  rocks  called  "  The  Sisters," 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Devil's  Island.  It  was  half-past  six 
in  the  morning — the  greater  number  of  the  passengers  were 
still  in  their  berths.  The  shock  was  terrific  ;  I  was  walking 
on  the  deck  at  the  moment.  Discovering  directly  great 
pieces  of  wood  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  I  has 
tened  to  warn  all  my  companions  of  their  danger,  for  they 
were  also  still  in  their  beds.  Young  Hegel  having  been 
intrusted  to  me  by  his  father,  I  took  him  by  my  side  as  long 
as  the  danger  lasted,  and  kept  a  rope  in  my  hand  for  the 
purpose  of  lowering  him  into  the  first  life-boat  that  should 
be  launched.  All  had  been  startled  from  sleep.  Fear  had 
palsied  every  heart ;  and  while  the  water  was  pouring  into  the 
vessel  by  torrents,  fire  broke  out.  It  was  got  under  but  by 
great  exertion,  through  the  presence  of  mind  and  manly  ener 
gy  of  the  first  engineer ;  after  great  efforts,  they  succeeded  in 
extinguishing  it.  As  if  all  things  conspired  to  our  destruc 
tion,  a  fog  arose,  so  thick  that  we  could  not  see  thirty  paces 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  125 

from  the  vessel.  The  whole  power  of  the  steam-engine  was 
exerted  in  an  attempt  to  gain  the  shore,  six  miles  distant 
The  boat  soon  inclined  to  the  larboard  side,  where  she  had 
sprung  a  leak,  and  began  to  go  down.  Every  arm  set  to 
work  to  aid  in  launching  the  small-boats.  Had  not  the  cap 
tain  exhibited  great  presence  of  mind  and  an  extraordinary 
firmness,  there  would  have  been  much  tumult  and  disorder. 
There  was  a  rush  to  get  in  first,  but  happily  we  were  not 
obliged  to  resort  to  this  means  of  saving  ourselves.  While 
the  greater  number  believed  that  all  was  lost,  and  I  among 
the  rest,  the  ship  touched  again,  in  a  few  fathoms  of  water, 
and  rested  on  a  rock.  We  were  saved  ! 

Immediately  after  the  shipwreck,  the  fog  rose,  and  we 
then  discovered,  for  the  first  time  and  to  our  joyful  surprise, 
that  the  shore  was  only  one  hundred  feet  from  us.  The  sea 
was  calm,  the  wind  lowered,  and  the  sun  rose  majestically. 
It  was  the  announcement  of  a  return  of  fine  weather,  which 
left  us  at  Havre  de  Grace,  and  now  accompanied  us  until  we 
reached  Missouri.  We  had  the  good  fortune  and  the  time 
to  save  all  our  trunks,  travelling  bags,  and  boxes.  The  loss 
of  the  ship  and  cargo  was  estimated  at  $600,000. 

We  had  for  travelling  companions  on  the  Humboldt,  Jews, 
Infidels,  and  Protestants  of  every  shade.  Some  of  the  voy 
agers  were  imbued  with  very  strong  prejudices  against  the 
Catholic  faith,  but  in  particular  against  Jesuits.  The  wreck 
of  the  Humboldt  was  even  attributed  to  our  presence,  and  it 
was  maliciously  proposed  to  oblige  us  to  quit  as  soon  as 


A  few  hours  after  the  wreck,  a  steamboat  from  Halifax 
came  to  our  aid.  The  Archbishop  of  that  city  treated  ua 
with  great  kindness,  and  insisted  that  Mgr.  Miege  and  myself 
should  become  his  guests  during  our  stay.  The  next  morn 
ing  we  had  the  consolation  of  offering  the  sacrifice  of  mas/ 


126  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

in  the  cathedral,  and  my  companions  all  received  Holy  Com* 
raunion,  to  thank  the  Almighty  and  our  Lady  for  having 
saved  us  amid  so  many  perils,  and  especially  shipwreck, 
where  our  life  was  in  danger.  Such  circumstances  are  well 
suited  to  convince  us  that  we  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord, 
who  protects  us  and  preserves  our  life,  or  calls  us,  as  he  wills, 
before  his  tribunal. 

Halifax  numbers  about  25,000  souls,  one  third  of  whom 
are  Catholics,  and  contains  three  Catholic  churches,  two  con 
vents,  and  four  schools. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Con 
ception,  after  the  celebration  of  mass,  we  heard  that  the 
steamship  Niagara,  of  the  Liverpool  and  Boston  line,  was  in 
sight.  At  each  trip  she  stops  at  Halifax,  remaining  two 
hours.  All  the  passengers  of  the  Humboldt,  including  those 
that  we  took  in  from  England,  went  on  board,  making  the 
total  of  passengers  more  than  four  hundred. 

Among  those  already  on  the  Niagara,  was  a  little  man, 
with  an  ape-like  face  and  a  goatish  beard,  who  called  himself 
Francis  Tapon,  a  self-nominated  apostle,  and  self-commis 
sioned  to  teach  a  new  religion  to  the  universe.  Francis 
declared  himself  an  enemy  of  all  existing  creeds,  but  above 
all  to  the  Pope  and  the  Jesuits.  When  quitting  Liverpool, 
he  declared  openly  and  aloud  that  he  would  kill  the  first 
Jesuit  that  he  might  meet  on  American  soil !  In  fact,  he 
was  so  violent  that  the  captain  prudently  took  from  him  his 
gun,  pistols,  and  poniards.  The  moment  I  set  foot  on  the 
Niagara,  I  was  informed  of  these  interesting  particulars.  I 
advised  my  young  friends  to  avoid  Mr.  Francis  Tapon,  and 
pay  no  sort  of  attention  to  his  words  or  movements.  He  pro 
claimed  from  the  deck  the  programme  of  his  new  gospel, 
that  '*  was  to  succeed  all  religions."  Those  who  heard  him 
shrugged  their  shoulders,  saying,  "  The  man  is  crazy."  On 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  127 

arriving  at  Boston,  he  made  several  ablutions,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  the  passengers,  saying  that  he  u  was  washing 
of  the  last  filth  of  JEurope"  Mr.  Tapon  at  last  reached  the 
city,  and  we  lost  sight  of  him,  without  receiving  a  blow. 

He  is  but  a  fanatic  more  for  these  States,  which  have 
already  unfortunately  received  thousands  from  all  the  various 
countries  of  Europe.  These  creatures  begin  to  agitate,  to 
harangue,  to  seek  to  change  the  Constitution,  and  make  the 
United  States  a  land  of  proscription,  especially  against  the 
Catholics. 

But  let  us  resume  our  journey  of  voyage.  We  had  fine 
weather,  and  a  pleasant  trip  from  Halifax  to  Boston,  which 
we  reached  at  night.  Our  Fathers  received  us  with  open 
arms  and  extraordinary  charity,  in  which  all  their  parishion 
ers  joined, — I  will  add  to  the  praise  of  the  German  congre 
gation  in  particular,  that  during  our  stay  at  Boston  they 
loaded  our  tables  with  poultry,  choice  vegetables,  cakes,  and 
fruits.  This  parish  numbers  about  3000  Catholics,  and  they 
are  distinguished  in  the  city  by  their  piety  and  zeal. 
Although  Boston  contains  a  Catholic  population  of  nearly 
75,000  souls,  there  are  but  fifteen  priests,  and  only  four  or 
five  Catholic  schools.  The  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  from 
Namur,  have  a  very  flourishing  establishment  here,  and  are 
doing  immense  good.  Their  houses  in  America  are  very 
successful,  and  their  subjects  are  asked  for  in  many  of  our 
large  towns.  In  Cincinnati  these  good  sisters  teach  2000 
children  and  youth. 

I  accompanied  young  Hegle  as  far  as  St.  John's  College, 
at  Fordham,  according  to  the  wishes  of  his  father,  who  had 
intrusted  him  to  my  care  for  this  purpose.  We  are  always 
astonished  at  the  rapid  increase  of  New  York,  the  great  me 
tropolis  of  the  United  States,  in  commerce  and  population. 
Its  inhabitants,  who  number  more  than  700,000,  are  the 


128  WESTERN    MISSIOiNS 

descendants  or  representatives  of  every  nation  beneath  the 
sun.     The  Catholics  number  about  200,000. 

I  returned  to  Boston  on  the  14th.  The  day  following,'  my 
companions  (who  were  quite  recovered  from  their  fatigue) 
and  myself  quitted  this  city.  Their  astonishment  was  un 
ceasing  at  all  they  saw  in  Boston,  which  is  styled  the  Athens 
of  America.  Its  commerce  is  very  great,  and  its  population 
exceeds  150,000. 

We  risked  ourselves  on  the  railroad,  by  Buffalo,  Cleveland, 
and  Columbus,  as  far  as  Cincinnati — a  distance  of  seven 
hundred  and  seventy  miles — and  passed  over  it  in  fifty-two 
hours,  comprehending  all  the  delays  experienced  at  the  nu 
merous  stations.  We  changed  cars  six  times  in  this  distance. 
Be  not  astonished  at  the  word  *' risk"  for  accidents  on  all 
the  routes  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  often  frightful. 
To-day,  it  may  be  that  a  bridge  has  been  left  open — a  hair- 
brained  or  intoxicated  engineer  pays  no  attention,  and  loco 
motive  and  cars  are  precipitated  into  the  water ;  to-morrow 
two  trains  will  meet  in  collision,  dashing  into  each  other  with 
all  the  velocity  that  steam  can  create.  In  a  word,  there  are 
all  kinds  of  accidents.  When  they  occur,  a  list  is  given  of 
the  killed  and  disabled,  which  is  often  a  very  considerable 
one,  curious  inquiries  are  made,  and  some  days  after  there 
is  no  further  mention  of  the  affair. 

At  Cincinnati  our  Fathers  were  most  delighted  to  see  us 
arriving  with  thirteen  new  and  youthful  companions,  full  of 
fervent  zeal  to  labor  in  this  vast  vineyard  of  the  Lord.  As 
we  approached  St.  Louis,  I  breathed  more  freely ;  I  was  no 
longer  harassed  with  anxiety — indeed  I  had  but  one  step  to 
take,  and  I  should  be  at  home.  However,  this  "step"  meas 
ured  seven  hundred  miles,  five  hundred  and  thirty  of  which 
were  to  be  passed  on  the  Ohio,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy 
on  the  Mississippi,  and  these  rivers  give  an  annual  list  of 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  129 

fearful  accidents.  We  entered  the  steamer  on  the  Ohio,  and 
on  the  morning  of  the  21st  found  ourselves  cordially  wel 
comed  by  our  Fathers  of  Louisville,  Kentucky.  Continuing 
our  descent  on  the  22d,  we  arrived  at  the  junction  of  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  without  accident. 

My  young  companions  were  never  weary  of  admiring  the 
graceful  and  varied  scenery  of  the  lovely  Ohio,  now  gratify 
ing  the  sight  by  a  chain  of  romantic  elevations,  then  by  a 
succession  of  rich  lowlands,  adorned  with  well-cultivated  auc1 
extensive  farms  ;  and  the  attention  arrested  also  by  a  succes 
sion  of  flourishing  villages  and  cities. 

The  Mississippi  is  also  more  dangerous  than  the  Ohio ; 
exacting  from  its  navigators  during  the  winter  many  pre 
cautions,  for  the  river  is  then  low,  full  of  sand-banks,  saw 
yers,  and  floating  ice.  We  were  several  times  in  danger, 
and  three  different  times  our  boat  ran  aground,  and  we  be 
lieved  her  lost.  On  our  way  we  saw  the  wrecks  of  five  boats. 
Five  Lazarists,  who  shared  our  disasters  in  the  Humboldt, 
arrived  in  St.  Louis  some  days  before  us,  but  only  after  hav 
ing  undergone  a  second  shipwreck,  and  having  been  immersed 
in  water  to  the  neck. 

On  the  26th  we  reached  St.  Louis  in  safety,  and  animated 
with  joyful  and  grateful  sentiments  on  finding  ourselves  at 
our  destination.  An  hour  after  my  arrival  I  had  the  comfort 
of  celebrating  mass,  in  thanksgiving  for  the  special  protec 
tion  and  blessings  extended  to  us  in  our  journey  from  Ghent 
U>  St.  Louis. 

Believe  me,  dear  brothers, 

Your  devoted  brother, 

P.  J.  DB  Sim, 


130  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  IX, 

To  THE  EDITOR  oy  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

The  Crazy  Bear,  an  Assiniboin  Chief. 
CINCINNATI,  COLLEGE  OF  ST.  XAVIEK,  July  28,  1854. 
REV.  AND  DEAR  FATHER: 

Vocations,  alas  !  are  still  extremely  rare  ;  we  must  have 
ecclesiastics  from  Europe  to  go  to  the  aid  of  the  benighted 
Indians,  who  are  without  guide  or  pastor,  and  always  desirous 
and  anxious  for  them.  I  annually  receive  letters  and  most 
pressing  invitations  from  the  chiefs  of  the  Indian  tribes  on 
the  Upper  Missouri  and  among  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  following  is  a  faithful  translation  of  a  letter  I  received 
from  a  great  chief  of  the  Assiniboins.  They  occupy  the 
plains  of  the  Yellowstone  and  of  the  Missouri :  they  number 
about  1500  lodges,  and  speak  the  Sioux  language.  My  cor 
respondent  and  petitioner  is  the  great  chief,  "the  Bear." 
He  was  one  of  the  deputation  of  chiefs  who  accompanied  mo 
to  the  Great  Council  in  1851. 

"  To  the  Medicine-man  of  the  White  Nation. 

**  BLACK-GOWN,  FATHER,  AND  FRIEND  : 

"  I  was  so  happy  as  to  become  acquainted  with  you  at 
Fort  Union,  in  the  summer  of  1851 ;  but  I  was  then  igno 
rant,  in  a  great  degree,  of  the  motives  of  your  visit  among 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  131 

as,  and  hence  I  could  not  discover  to  you  my  inmost  feel 
ings  and  explain  to  you  my  thoughts.  At  Fort  Union  you 
preached  to  us— telling  us  of  the  Great  Spirit  and  his  law. 
You  said  you  would  like  to  come  and  teach  us,  so  as  to  ame 
liorate  the  mental  and  moral  condition  of  our  tribes.  I 
think,  also,  that  you  gave  us  reason  to  expect,  that  after  two 
or  three  winters  some  Black-gowns  would  come  and  establish 
themselves  among  us,  in  order  to  show  us  how  to  live  well, 
and  how  to  train  up  our  children.  Afterwards  we  travelled 
together  as  far  as  the  Platte.  During  that  journey,  and 
since  my  return  from  Fort  Laramie,  I  have  learned  and 
heard  much  of  the  beautiful  Word  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
which  you  first  made  known  to  us.  Now,  I  am  persuaded 
that  this  Word  would  change  our  state  and  render  us  happy. 
At  the  Great  Council,  our  great  Father  (Colonel  Mitchell, 
superintendent  of  Indian  Territory)  told  us  that  some  Black- 
gowns  would  come  and  live  among  us  in  the  course  of  four 
or  five  years.  Black-gown,  five  years  are  long  to  wait!  In 
this  long  interval  I  and  many  of  my  children  may  have  en 
tered  the  land  of  spirits.  Take  pity  on  us !  The  Black- 
gowns  ought  not  to  delay  their  coming  so  long.  I  am 
growing  old :  before  I  die  I  should  like  to  begin  the  work, 
and  then  I  could  depart  satisfied.  My  country  is  tranquil, 
we  are  at  peace  with  all  the  surrounding  tribes — our  ancient 
enemies,  the  Black-Feet,  are  the  only  ones  we  have  to  fear ; 
but  we  can  protect  you.  All  my  nation  call  aloud  for  the 
Black -gown,  and  invite  him  to  come  with  all  speed :  I  sin 
cerely  hope  that  our  expectation  may  not  be  deceived.  We 
know  that  the  Black-gowns  devote  themselves  to  the  happi 
ness  and  well-being  of  the  Indians.  If  to  hasten  the  project 
pecuniary  aid  be  wanting,  I  will  cheerfully  give  a  portion  o* 
the  annuities  of  my  tribe  to  meet  this  deficiency. 

44 1  see  the  buffaloes  decrease  every  year.     What  will  be- 


132  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

come  of  us  without  help  ?    If  our  children  are  not  instructed 
in  time,  they  will  disappear  like  the  game. 

"  I  have  learned  that  the  '  Long  Knives'  (the  Americana) 
have  bought  the  lands  of  the  Chippeways,  Sioux,  and  Win- 
nebagoes,  as  far  as  the  Red  River,  and  of  the  Pawnees, 
Omahas,  and  Ottos,  on  the  Missouri.  The  whites  are  ap 
proaching  us  on  the  north  and  on  the  west,  which  is  a  new 
motive  for  hastening  the  arrival  of  the  Black-gown  among  us, 

u  I  hope  my  words  will  reach  you,  and  that  you  will  think 
of  us  and  our  destitute  situation.  Do  this,  Black-gown,  at 
the  request  of  your  friend, 

"THE  BEAR,  Chief  of  the  Assiniboins." 

Remember  me  to  Father  Provincial  and  the  Fathers  of  St. 
Michael's.  In  union  with  your  holy  sacrifices,  I  have  the 
honor  to  be, 

Rev.  and  dear  Father, 

Your  devoted  brother  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J. 

P.  S. — At  this  time  thousands  of  whites  arc  settling  in 
the  Indian  Territory  from  the  Kansas  to  the  Running  Water, 
and  two  large  territories  have  been  erected  by  Congress, 
called  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  It  is  not  yet  known  what 
arrangements  will  be  taken  for  the  protection  of  the  differ 
ent  aboriginal  nations  that  are  found  in  them ;  it  is  much 
feared  that  they  will  be  exiled  further  into  the  western  wilds. 
You  can  see  what  I  said  in  my  second  letter,  in  January, 
1852. 

The  sect  of  Mormons  is  making  extraordinary  progress  in 
the  United  States.  I  will  endeavor  to  send  you  some  new 
and  original  details  on  them,  which  I  am  actually  preparing. 

The  agitation  and  prejudices  against  our  holy  religion  arc 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  133 

so  great  here  just  now,  that  Catholic  papers  from  Europe 
can  scarcely  reach  us.  We  are  on  the  eve  of  great  difficul 
ties.  The  anti-Catholic  spirit  increases  daily.  All  the  ene 
mies  of  our  holy  religion  are  leagued  against  her.  As  in  all 
persecutions,  they  seek  to  excite  the  masses  by  atrocious  lies 
and  calumnies.  Within  the  last  few  days  three  Catholic 
churches  have  been  destroyed,  and  every  paper  speaks  of 
«ome  new  exhibition  in  some  part  or  other.  European  dem 
agogues  labor  with  all  their  might  to  establish  on  the  Amer 
ican  soil  their  maxims  of  intolerance  and  persecution.  GJ 
mil  tyrants,  they  are  the  most  terrible  and  fearful 

II 


134  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  I, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OP  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUBBILS. 
Religious  Opinions  of  the  Assiniboint. 

CINCINNATI,  COLLEGE  OF  ST.  XAVIEB,  July  28, 1854. 
BKV.  AND  DEAR  FATHER: 

In  my  last  letter,  dated  the  16th  of  this  month,  when 
sending  you  the  translation  of  the  address  of  the  Bear,  the 
great  Assiniboin  chief,  I  promised  you  a  sketch  of  the  reli- 
g/ous  and  superstitious  opinions  of  that  nation.  1  will  now 
fulfil  my  promise. 

I  here  propose  acquainting  you  with  the  religious  worship 
and  moral  code  of  the  Assiniboins  :  it  may  be  considered  as 
the  type  of  the  superstitious  creed  of  the  greater  portion  of 
the  barbarous  tribes  which  roam  over  the  forests  and  prairies 
of  the  Upper  Missouri. 

Shrouded  in  idolatrous  darkness,  these  people  have  no 
clear  idea  of  their  origin  or  end.  Upon  the  momentous 
questions,  "  Whence  came  I  ?"  and  "  What  is  my  future  des 
tiny  ?"  there  are  various  conjectures,  even  among  those  na 
tions  who  have  received  even  a  feeble  light  concerning  the 
eternal  verities  of  the  Gospel.  All  the  Indians  admit  the 
existence  of  the  Great  Spirit,  viz.,  of  a  Supreme  Being  who 
governs  all  the  important  affairs  of  life,  and  who  manifests 
his  action  in  the  most  ordinary  events.  They  have  no  cor 
rect  notion  of  the  immutability  of  God.  They  think  they 
eaii  obtain  his  favors  in  the  accomplishment  of  their  projects. 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  135 

whatever  be  their  nature,  by  presents,  corporeal  macerations, 
penances,  fasts,  &c.  Thus  every  spring,  at  the  first  peal  of 
thunder,  which  they  call  the  voice  of  the  Great  Spirit,  speak 
ing  from  the  clouds,  the  Assiniboins  offer  it  sacrifices ; — some 
burn  tobacco,  and  present  to  the  Great  Spirit  the  most  ex 
quisite  pieces  of  buffalo-meat,  by  casting  them  into  the  fire ; 
while  others  make  deep  incisions  in  the  fleshy  parts  of  their 
bodies,  and  even  cut  off  the  first  joints  of  their  fingers,  tc 
offer  them  in  sacrifice.  Thunder,  next  to  the  sun,  is  theii 
Great  Wah-kon.*  They  hear  it,  and  after  a  storm  they 
sometimes  perceive  the  effects  of  the  lightning  on  the  trees, 
on  their  horses,  and  on  man  ;  hence  it  is  an  object  of  dread 
and  they  endeavor  to  appease  it. 

It  is  rare  that,  during  the  course  of  a  year,  a  family  is  not 
visited  by  some  calamity ;— disease;  death,  either  natural  or  at 
the  hands  of  their  foes ;  the  loss  of  their  horses,  their  richest 
treasure,  by  robbery ;  in  fine,  the  scarcity  of  game,  which 
condemns  them  to  rigorous  fasts,  and  sometimes  even  to 
famine.  At  the  least  misfortune  the  father  of  a  family  pre 
sents  the  calumet  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and,  in  prayer,  im 
plores  him  to  take  pity  on  him,  his  wives,  and  children.  He 
promises  to  give  him  a  part  of  all  he  possesses,  at  the  first 
peal  of  thunder  in  the  spring.  When  it  is  practicable,  the 
various  camps  collect,  as  soon  as  winter  is  over,  to  offer  their 
gifts  and  sacrifices  in  union.  This  is  the  religious  ceremony 
par  excellence.  The  Assiniboins  attach  the  highest  impor 
tance  to  it  They  often  speak  of  it  in  the  course  of  the  year, 
and  look  forward  to  its  immediate  arrival  with  joy,  respect, 
and  veneration.  Sometimes  three  or  four  hundred  lodges  of 
families  assemble  in  one  locality.  One  sole  individual  ii 
named  the  high-priest,  and  directs  all  the  ceremonies  of  the 

*  Incomprehensible.    See  note,  p.  120. 


136  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

festival.  A  species  of  hall  is  constructed,  with  about  thirty 
lodges,  of  skins  of  the  buffalo.  Each  lodge  is  composed  of 
twenty  or  twenty-four  skins,  stretched  over  a  number  of 
posts,  seven  or  eight  feet  high.  On  the  top  of  these  posts 
several  hundred  perches  are  fastened,  and  on  these  each 
family  hangs  the  articles  that  it  intends  to  offer  in  sacrifice. 
These  consist  of  skins  of  animals,  richly  embroidered  with 
porcelain  or  glass  beads,  adorned  with  feathers  of  every  hue  ; 
many-colored  collars,  clothes,  and  ornaments  of  all  kinds, 
making  a  rich  and  varied  "  great  Indian  exhibition."  Oppo 
site  to  this  hall  they  raise  a  high  pole,  to  which  all  the  chiefs 
and  braves  hang  their  medicine-bags,  containing  the  idols, 
their  arrows,  quivers,  trophies  won  from  their  enemies, 
especially  scalps.  This  pole  is  a  tree,  stripped  of  its  bark, 
and  thirty  or  forty  feet  high.  Men,  women,  and  children,  in 
a  spirit  of  religion,  join  in  raising  and  planting  it,  amid  the 
acclamations  of  the  tribe. 

After  these  preliminaries,  the  ceremony  begins  with  a 
harangue  and  a  prayer  to  the  Great  Spirit  by  the  high- 
priest.  He  implores  him  to  accept  their  gifts,  to  take  pity 
on  them,  protect  them  against  sickness,  accidents,  and  mis 
fortunes  of  all  kinds,  and  to  give  them  a  plenteous  hunt, 
plenty  of  bison,  stag,  deer,  bighorns,  wild-goat,  <fec.,  and  to 
aid  them  in  their  wars  and  excursions  against  their  enemies. 
Then  he  offers  the  calumet  to  the  Great  Spirit,  to  the  sun, 
to  each  of  the  four  cardinal  points,  to  the  water,  and  the 
land,  with  words  analogous  to  the  benefits  which  they  obtain 
from  each.  The  sacred  calumet  is  then  passed  to  all  the 
chiefs  and  warriors,  who  draw  two  or  three  whiffs  of  smoke, 
which  he  puffs  out  towards  heaven,  at  the  same  time  eleva 
ting  the  pipe.  The  day  finishes  with  the  great  "  medicine 
dance,"  and  a  variety  of  dances  in  honor  of  the  animals 
which  I  have  named.  In  these  last  they  try  to  imitate,  as 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  137 

much  as  possible,  the  cries  and  movements  of  those  animals. 
Men  alone  perform  this  dance. 

The  second  day  is  devoted  to  representations ;  that  is,  the 
jugglers,  or  medicine-men,  perform  their  tricks.  Some  of 
these  men  succeed  in  imposing  on  these  simple  and  credu 
lous  souls,  who  discover  the  supernatural  in  every  thing  that 
they  do  not  understand  :  this  is  great  or  little  Wah-kon,  as  it 
is  more  or  less  incomprehensible.  Most  of  these  representa 
tions  are  mere  feats  of  legerdemain,  which  would  scarcely 
excite  a  smile  of  mirth  or  the  least  astonishment  in  a  cir 
cle  of  civilized  persons.  During  their  execution  the  men 
and  women  accompany  the  jugglers  in  a  kind  of  chant, 
which  consists  of  words  analogous  to  the  feast,  but  it  is  diffi 
cult  to  define  what  they  say,  amid  their  modulations  of  tone. 

The  third  day  is  consumed  in  dances  and  banquets,  in 
which  all  can  participate.  It  is  highly  amusing  to  witness 
this  spectacle.  Among  the  meats,  dogs  are  particularly 
numerous — little  and  big,  roasted  and  boiled,  whole  or  en 
appalas',  these  form  the  principal  viands  of  the  great  re 
ligious  banquet.  Dishes  of  other  meats,  with  roots,  corn, 
wheat,  sugar,  <fec.,  are  added.  All  the  pots  and  kettles  of 
the  whole  tribe,  of  every  form  and  dimension,  are  placed 
over  a  long  row  of  fires.  The  braves  distribute  these  meats 
with  admirable  order,  giving  to  each  one  his  share.  These 
portions  disappear  with  truly  wonderful  celerity. 

The  Assiniboins  have  two  kinds  of  dances  for  this  feast. 
Most  of  them  dance  some  rounds  for  amusement,  and  leave 
the  circle  when  they  choose ;  but  a  band  of  young  men  form 
the  great  religious  dance,  and  make  a  vow  to  the  thunder,  or 
voice  of  the  Great  Spirit.  Then  they  perform  various 
dances,  which  last  three  whole  days  and  nights,  with  only 
slight  intervals,  without  their  taking  the  least  nourishment 

or  refreshment.      I  have  this  from  a  credible  eye-witnew 
120 


138  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

This  extraordinary  act  is  penitential,  or  rather,  propitiatory, 
to  obtain  from  the  Great  Spirit  success  in  war.  The  camp, 
on  this  occasion,  assumes  a  new  life.  All  the  garments  and 
articles  prepared  during  the  winter,  from  the  embroidered 
leggin  and  moccasin  to  the  eagle-plumed  headpiece,  adorn 
their  bodies  for  the  first  time,  and  the  whole  assembly  ap 
pears  quite  brilliant ;  the  camp  acquires  a  new  life.  Those 
who  are  not  at  the  moment  occupied  in  the  religious  obser 
vances,  spend  their  time  in  games  and  often  very  spirited 
conversation.  The  feast  lasts  about  ten  days.  Before  sep 
arating,  each  person  tears  or  cuts  the  article  which  he  sacri 
ficed,  so  that  no  one  can  be  tempted  to  take  possession  of  it. 
This  last  act  performed,  the  different  companies  separate  to 
their  own  hunting-grounds. 

They  have  some  other  religious  practices  and  ceremonies, 
which  I  observed  on  my  visit,  and  which  are  curious  enough 
to  be  noticed  here. 

The  sun  is  honored  and  worshipped  by  the  greater  num 
ber  of  the  Indian  tribes  as  the  author  of  light  and  heat. 
The  Assiniboins  consider  it  likewise  to  be  the  favorite  resi 
dence  of  the  Master  of  Life.  They  evidence  a  great  respect 
and  veneration  for  the  sun,  but  rarely  address  it.  On  great 
occasions  they  offer  it  their  prayers  and  supplications,  but 
only  in  a  low  tone.  Whenever  they  light  the  calumet,  they 
offer  the  sun  the  first  whiffs  of  its  smoke. 

The  Indians  regard  a  solar  eclipse  as  the  forerunner  of 
§ome  great  disaster;  and  if  a  juggler  can  ascertain  from  a 
white  man  the  period  of  the  arrival  of  an  eclipse,  he  is  sure 
to  make  use  of  it  to  display  his  Wah-kon,  or  supernatural 
knowledge.  At  the  moment  of  the  eclipse  the  Indians  rush 
out  of  their  lodges,  armed  in  full.  They  fire  their  guns, 
discharge  their  arrows  in  the  air,  and  shout  and  howl,  in 
order  to  frighten  and  o'.*t  to  flight  the  enemy  of  the  Mastei 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  139 

of  Life.  Their  pretended  success  is  followed  by  great  re 
joicings. 

The  bear  is  the  terror  of  all  American  Indians,  for  he 
causes  the  most  serious  accidents,  and  is  excessively  danger 
ous,  if  he  be  encountered  in  a  thick  forest.  Every  year  some 
savage  is  killed  or  crippled  in  a  fight  with  a  bear.  They  ad 
dress  it  prayers  and  invocations ;  they  offer  it  sacrifices  of 
tobacco,  belts,  and  other  esteemed  objects ;  they  celebrate 
feasts  in  its  honor,  to  obtain  its  favors  and  live  without  acci 
dent.  The  bear's  head  is  often  pieserved  in  the  camp  during 
several  days,  mounted  in  some  suitable  position,  and  adorned 
with  scraps  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  trimmed  with  a  variety  of 
necklaces,  collars,  and  colored  feathers.  Then  they  offer  it 
the  calumet,  and  ask  that  they  may  be  able  to  kill  all  the 
bears  they  meet,  without  accident  to  themselves,  in  order  to 
anoint  themselves  with  his  fine  grease  and  make  a  banquet 
of  his  tender  flesh. 

The  wolf  is  also  more  or  less  honored  among  the  Indians. 
Most  of  the  women  refuse  to  dress  its  skin,  at  any  price. 
The  only  reason  that  I  could  discover  for  this  freak  is,  that 
the  wolves  sometimes  get  mad,  bite  those  they  meet,  and 
give  them  the  hydrophobia.  It  is,  doubtless,  to  escape  this 
terrible  disease,  and  to  avoid  the  destruction  of  their  game, 
that  the  Indians  make  it  presents  and  offer  it  supplications 
and  prayers.  In  other  cases  he  is  little  feared.  He  seldom 
injures  men,  but  is  formidable  to  the  animals,  and  makes 
great  ravages  among  them,  especially  among  bison  calves, 
kids,  deer,  antelopes,  hares,  <kc. 

The  "little  medicine- wolf"  is  in  great  veneration  among 
the  Assiniboins.  He  ordinarily  approaches  the  camp  during 
the  night.  As  soon  as  an  Indian  hears  his  barks,  he  counts 
the  number  with  care ;  he  remarks  whether  his  voice  is 
feeble  or  strong,  and  from  what  point  of  the  compass  it 


140  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

comes.  These  observations  then  become  the  subject  of  dis 
cussion  to  the  jugglers.  What  are  the  prognostics  f  Why, 
the  "little  medicine-wolf"  announces  to  them  that  on  the 
morrow  they  may  expect  a  visit  from  a  friend  or  from  an 
enemy,  or  perhaps  a  herd  of  buffalo.  The  Indians  fre 
quently  regulate  their  movements  or  marches  by  these  indi 
cations  ;  and  if,  as  occasionally  happens,  they  result  accord 
ing  to  the  explanation  of  the  barks,  the  little  wolf  is  favored 
with  the  ceremony  of  a  grand  feast ! 

The  belief  in  ghosts  is  very  profound,  and  common  in  all 
these  tribes.  Indians  have  often  told  me,  seriously,  that 
they  had  met,  seen,  and  conversed  with  them,  and  that  they 
may  be  heard  almost  every  night  in  the  places  where  the 
dead  are  interred.  They  say  they  speak  in  a  kind  of  whis 
tling  tone.  Sometimes  they  contract  the  face  like  a  person 
in  an  epileptic  fit.  Nothing  but  the  hope  of  gain  could  ever 
induce  an  Indian  to  go  alone  in  a  bury  ing-ground  at  night. 
In  such  a  case,  love  of  gain  might  triumph  over  the  fear  ot 
ghosts ;  but  an  Indian  woman  would  never  be  induced,  on 
any  condition,  to  enter  one. 

The  Assiniboins  esteem  greatly  a  religious  custom  of  as 
sembling  once  or  twice  in  the  year  around  the  tombs  of  their 
immediate  relatives.  These  sepulchres  are  raised  on  a  species 
of  scaffold,  about  seven  or  eight  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
soil.  The  Indians  call  the  dead  by  their  names,  and  offer 
them  meats  carefully  dressed,  which  they  place  beside  them. 
They  take  care,  however,  to  consume  the  best  pieces  them 
selves, — after  the  custom  of  the  priests  of  the  idols  of  old, 
who  offered  their  false  gods  the  heart,  blood,  entrails,  and 
indigestible  parts,  reserving  to  themselves  the  most  delicate 
portions  of  the  victim.  The  ceremony  of  burying  the  dead, 
among  the  Indians,  is  terminated  by  the  tears,  wailings, 
howlings,  and  macerations  of  all  present.  They  tear  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  141 

hair,  gash  their  legs,  and  at  last  the  calumet  is  lighted,  for 
this  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  every  rite.  They  offer  it  to 
the  shades  of  the  departed,  and  entreat  them  not  to  injure 
the  living.  During  their  ceremonious  repasts,  in  their  ex 
cursions,  and  even  at  a  great  distance  from  their  tombs,  they 
send  to  the  dead  puffs  of  tobacco-smoke  and  burn  little 
pieces  of  meat  as  a  sacrifice  in  their  memory. 

The  religious  worship  of  the  Assiniboins  embraces  a  great 
variety  of  practices  too  lengthy  to  recount — they  all  bear 
the  same  characteristics.  I  will  add,  however,  one  remark 
able  point.  Each  savage  who  considers  himself  a  chief  or 
warrior,  possesses  what  he  calls  his  Wah-kon,  in  which  he 
appears  to  place  all  his  confidence.  This  consists  of  a  stuffed 
bird,  a  weasel's  skin,  or  some  little  bone  or  the  tooth  of  an 
animal ;  sometimes  it  is  a  little  stone,  or  a  fantastical  figure, 
represented  by  little  beads  or  by  a  coarsely  painted  picture. 
These  charms  or  talismans  accompany  them  on  all  their  ex 
peditions,  for  war  or  hunting — they  never  lay  it  aside.  In 
every  difficulty  or  peril  they  invoke  the  protection  and  as 
sistance  of  their  Wah-kon,  as  though  these  idols  could  really 
preserve  them  from  all  misfortunes.  If  any  accident  befalls 
an  idol  or  charm,  if  it  is  broken  or  lost,  it  is  enough  to  arrest 
the  most  intrepid  chief  or  warrior  in  his  expedition,  and 
make  him  abandon  the  most  important  enterprise  in  which 
he  may  be  engaged.  It  is  true  that  they  have  a  conviction 
that  all  assistance  should  come  from  the  Great  Spirit ;  but 
as  they  can  neither  see  nor  touch  him,  they  invoke  him 
through  their  favorite  tutelary  idols.  If  it  happen  (though 
the  case  is  very  rare)  that  an  individual  should  profess  not 
to  believe  in  any  kind  of  Wah-kon,  he  is  regarded  among 
the  Indians  very  much  as  an  infidel  or  an  atheist  would  be 
in  a  Catholic  country.  They  point  ai  him  and  avoid  him. 
In  regard  to  the  future  state,  they  believe  that  the  souls  of 


14:2  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

the  dead  migrate  towards  the  South,  where  the  climate  is 
mild,  the  game  abundant,  and  the  rivers  well  stocked  with 
fish.  Their  hell  is  the  reverse  of  this  picture :  its  unfortunate 
inmates  dwell  in  perpetual  snow  and  ice,  and  m  the  complete 
deprivation  of  all  things.  There  are,  however,  many  among 
them  who  think  death  is  the  cessation  of  life  and  action,  and 
that  there  is  naught  beyond  it.  As  they  feel  uncertain 
which  is  true,  they  seem  to  attach  no  great  importance  to 
either.  They  seldom  speak  of  it;  they  manifest  their  views 
to  those  whites  who  inquire  of  them,  and  in  whom  they  feel 
confidence. 

The  moral  principles  of  the  Assiniboins  are  few  in  num 
ber.  Their  opinions  concerning  good  and  evil  have  little 
precision.  The  social  position  is  respected  among  them  to  a 
certain  degree.  Fear,  on  almost  every  occasion,  governs  and 
determines  the  conduct  of  the  Indian.  If  he  has  any  ground 
to  suspect  that  another  intends  to  take  his  life,  he  seizes  the 
earliest  opportunity  of  killing  that  person,  provided  he  can 
do  so  without  endangering  his  own  life.  This  case  is  not 
looked  upon  as  murder,  but  as  a  justifiable  self-defence.  The 
crime  of  murder,  properly  so  called,  is  not  known  among 
them.  They  never  kill,  except  in  quarrels,  to  avenge  or  to 
defend  themselves,  and  custom  with  them  justifies  the  act. 
To  behave  otherwise,  according  to  their  received  views, 
would  be  regarded  as  an  act  of  folly. 

Theft,  among  the  Assiniboins,  is  only  considered  disgrace 
ful  when  it  is  discovered ;  tiien  shame  and  infamy  are  at 
tached  rather  to  the  awkwardness  of  the  thief,  for  having 
taken  his  measures  so  ill.  The  old  women  are  acknowledged 
the  most  adroit  thieves  in  the  country ;  nevertheless,  it  is 
only  just  to  add  that  the  men  seldom  omit  stealing  any  ob- 
ect,  if  it  can  prove  useful  to  them. 

Adultery  is  punished  with  death  in  almost  every  case, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  143 

The  seducer  seldom  escapes,  if  the  husband  and  his  family 
have  the  power  and  the  courage  to  execute  this  law.     Hence 
his  crime  is  rather  uncommon.     The  woman  is  sometimes 
illed,  but  always  severely  punished.     The  husband  causes 
in-  head  to  be  closely  shaved,  and  her  person  painted  over 
with  a  heavy  coat  of  vermilion  mixed  with  bear's  grease; 
he  is  then  mounted  on  a  horse,  the  mane  and  tail  of  which 
have  been  cut  off,  and  the  whole  body  also  daubed  with  ver 
milion  ;  an  old  man  conducts  her  all  around  the  camp  and 
proclaims  aloud  her  infidelity ;  at  last  he  commits  her  to  the 
hands  of  her  own  relatives,  who  receive  the  culprit  with  a 
good  beating.     A  woman  cannot  be  subjected  to  a  more  de 
grading  punishment. 

An  Assiuiboin  has  no  scruple  in  lying,  when  he  can  obtain 
any  advantage  from  it :  he  rarely  tells  falsehoods  in  jest.  In 
regard  to  theft,  falsehood,  and  adultery,  the  Assiniboins  differ 
from  the  Indians  near  the  Rocky  Mountains,  especially  the 
Flat-Heads  and  the  Pends  d'oreilles,  who  detest  these  vices. 
It  may  be  observed  that  the  Assiniboins  have  been  in  rela 
tions  with  the  whites  during  a  succession  of  years. 

False  oaths  are  very  rare  among  the  Indians,  when  their 
promises  are  assumed  with  any  solemnity.  The  objects  by 
which  the  Assiuibom  swears  are  his  gun,  the  skin  of  the  rat 
tlesnake,  a  bear's  claw,  and  the  Wah-kon  that  the  Indian  in 
terrogates.  These  various  articles  are  placed  before  him, 
and  he  says,  "  In  case  my  declaration  prove  false,  may  my 
gun  fire  and  kill  me,  may  the  serpent  bite  me,  may  the  bears 
tear  and  devour  my  flesh,  may  my  Wah-kon  overwhelm  me 
with  misery."  A  circumstance  in  which  perjury  could  save 
his  life,  is  the  only  one  in  which  a  savage  would  be  tempted 
to  commit  it.  In  extraordinary  and  very  important  affairs, 
which  demand  formal  promises,  they  call  upon  the  thunder 
to  witness  their  resolution  of  accomplishing  the  articles  pro- 


144  WKSTKKN    MISSIONS 


and  accepted.  The  whole  vocabulary  of  the  Assini- 
boin  and  Sioux  language  contains  but  one  single  word  which 
can  be  considered  insulting  or  as  blasphemous.  This  word 
expresses  the  wish  that  the  person  or  thing  in  question  may 
become  ugly,  as  we  would  say  in  French  *  Le  Monstre,"  or 
in  Flemish  "Gy  leelyke  beest"  The  name  of  the  Great 
Spirit  is  never  pronounced  in  vain,  but  always  with  highest 
marks  of  veneration.  In  this  respect  the  language  of  the 
poor  Indian  is  more  noble  than  the  more  polished  tongues  of 
many  civilized  nations,  where  there  is  ever  on  the  swearer's 
lips  curses  and  blasphemies,  and  where  men  mingle  in  all 
their  conversation  the  name  of  the  Almighty  !  Such  an 
individual  would  not  only  excite,  horror  in  the  Indian,  but 
would  even  excite  his  terror. 

The  Sioux,  or  Dacotahs,  of  whom  the  Assiniboins  are  a 
branch,  pretend  that  thunder  is  an  enormous  bird,  and  that 
the  muffled  sound  of  the  distant  thunder  is  caused  by  a 
countless  number  of  young  birds  !  The  great  bird,  they 
say,  gives  the  first  sound,  and  the  young  ones  repeat  it  :  this 
is  the  cause  of  the  reverberations.  The  Sioux  declare  that 
the  young  thuuderers  do  all  the  mischief  like  giddy  youth, 
who  will  not  listen  to  good  advice  ;  but  the  old  thuuderer,  or 
big  bird,  is  wise  and  excellent,  he  never  kills  or  injures  any  one  ! 

The  Assiniboius  dread  vampires  and  bats.  Should  these 
fly  near  a  man,  it  is  an  omen  of  evil.  The  \Vill-with-a-wisp 
is  also  a  great  terror  to  them.  The  man  who  sees  one  dur 
ing  the  night,  is  certain  that  death  is  about  to  carry  away 
tome  cherished  member  of  his  family. 

They  believe  in  dreams.  According  to  them,  good  dreamt 
oome  fro^m  a  spirit  that  loves  them,  and  desires  to  give  them 
food  advice;  bad  dreams,  in  particular  the  night-mare, 
render  them  sad  and  melancholy,  and  lead  them  to  dread  the 
arrival  of  painful  events. 


AXD   MiaglOXARIES.  145 


Not  a  day  passes  in  an  Indian  family  without  some  one 
having  seen  or  heard  something  that  augurs  evil  This 
always  excites  an  anxiety:  hence  their  superstitions  become 
a  kind  of  torment 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  dear  Father, 

Your  devoted  Serv't  and  Bro.  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  Dz  SMCT,  S.  J. 

P.  S.  —  I  hope  to  send  you,  in  a  few  days,  some  account  oi 
Tidian  hunts,  and  especially  of  a  great  bison-hunt  made  by 
the  Assiniboins  in  a  kind  of  incl«jsure  or  park.  If  possible, 
I  will  add  a  sketch,  to  enable  you  to  understand  what  I  try 
to  describe. 

The  thermometer  stands  here  at  96°,  and  even  102°.  I 
am  afraid  my  style  shows  it.  The  heat  is  so  excessive  that 
several  persons  have  fallen  dead  in  the  streets. 

I  hope  you  have  received  my  itinerary,  my  letter  on  our 
shipwreck  on  the  Humboldt,  and  the  address  sent  me  by  the 
Bear,  the  Aseiniboin  chief.  Please  acknowledge  receipt  of 
nil  my  letter*. 

U 


14:6  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  II, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

Indian  Hunts: 

CINCINNATI,  COLLEGE  OF  ST.  XAVIEB,  August  3, 1864. 
REV.  AND  VERY  DEAR  FATHER  ! 

According  to  promise,  I  proceed  to  offer  you  the  de 
scription  of  a  hunt.  If  I  succeed  in  making  my  narration 
intelligible,  I  shall  be  satisfied,  and  shall  not  regret  devoting 
iny  time  to  the  writing  of  it. 

To  be  a  good  hunter  and  a  good  warrior  are  the  two  qual 
ities  par  excellence  that  constitute  a  great  man  among  all  the 
nomadic  tribes  of  North  America.  In  this  communication 
I  shaJi  limit  myself  to  the  manner  of  conducting  a  hunt. 

The  chase  absorbs  the  whole  attention  of  the  savage.  The 
knowledge  that  he  has  acquired,  by  long  experience,  of  the 
nature  and  instinct  of  animals,  is  truly  marvellous.  He  is 
occupied  with  it  from  his  tender  infancy.  As  soon  as  a  child 
is  capable  of  managing  a  little  bow,  it  is  the  first  instrument 
his  father  puts  into  his  hands,  to  teach  him  how  to  hunt  lit 
tle  birds  and  small  animals.  The  young  Indians  are  initiated 
in  all  their  stratagems.  They  are  taught  with  as  much  care 
how  to  approach  and  kill  the  animals,  as  in  civilized  society 
a  youth  is  instructed  in  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic. 

An  expert  Indian  hunter  is  acquainted  minutely  with  the 
habits  and  instincts  of  all  the  quadrupeds  which  form  the 
object  of  the  chase.  He  knows  their  favorite  haunts.  It  is 
essential  for  him  to  distinguish  what  kind  of  food  an  animal 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  14:7 

first  seeks,  and  the  most  favorable  moment  of  quitting  his 
lair  for  procuring  nourishment.  The  hunter  must  be  familiar 
with  all  the  precautions  that  are  necessary  to  elude  the 
attentive  ear  and  watchful  instincts  of  his  intended  victims; 
he  must  appreciate  the  footstep  that  has  passed  him,  the 
time  that  has  elapsed  since  it  passed,  and  the  direction  it 
has  pursued.  The  atmosphere,  the  winds,  rain,  snow,  ice, 
forests,  and  the  water,  are  the  books  which  the  Indian  reads, 
consults,  and  examines,  on  leaving  his  cabin  in  pursuit  of 
game. 

The  tribes  of  the  desert  find  their  subsistence  in  the 
chase ;  the  flesh  of  animals  affords  them  food,  and  the  skins 
clothing.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  whites,  the  method  of 
killing  the  different  species  of  animals  was  very  simple,  con 
sisting  ordinarily  of  stratagems  and  snares.  They  still  have 
recourse  to  the  primitive  method  in  the  hunt  for  large  ani 
mals,  when  they  have  no  horses  capable  of  pursuing  them, 
and  powder  and  ball  for  killing  them  are  wanting. 

The  trap  prepared  for  the  bison  is  an  inclosure  or  pen, 
and  is  one  of  the  more  early  ways,  and  perhaps  the  most  re 
markable  in  its  execution ;  it  demands  skill,  and  gives  a 
high  idea  of  the  sagacity,  activity,  and  boldness  of  the  In 
dian.  As  on  all  other  occasions  of  moment,  the  jugglers 
are  consulted,  and  the  hunt  is  preceded  by  a  great  variety  of 
superstitious  practices.  I  witnessed  one  of  these  hunts  at 
the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  of  this  I  will  en 
deavor  to  give  you  a  faithful  detail. 

The  bisons  roam  the  prairies  in  herds  of  several  hundreds, 
and  often  of  several  thousands.  On  many  of  my  travels  I 
have  seen  with  my  own  eyes,  a£  far  as  I  could  discern  on 
these  immense  plains,  thousands  and  thousands  of  these  no 
ble  animals  moving  slowly,  like  an  interminable  troop,  in 
one  direction,  and  browsing  the  grass  as  they  progress, 


14:8  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

They  have  a  fearful  appearance ;  their  hairy  heads  inspire 
with  terror  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  pacific  habits  of 
this  noble  quadruped.  Indeed,  such  is  their  timidity  that 
one  man  can  put  to  flight  the  most  numerous  herd.  When 
alarmed,  the  tramp  of  their  hoofs,  their  bellowings,  and  the 
columns  of  dust  which  they  raise,  resemble  the  deep  mur 
murs  of  a  tempest  mingled  with  peals  of  thunder,  lessening 
as  they  grow  more  remote.  The  flesh  of  the  bison  is  much 
esteemed  and  very  nourishing ;  it  is  deemed  the  daily  bread 
of  all  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  great  plains. 

A  tribe  that  has  few  guns,  few  horses  to  run  down  the 
animals,  which  needs  provisions,  and  skins  for  clothing  (and 
such  was  the  condition  of  our  Assiniboins),  must  employ  the 
old  or  primitive  method  of  hunting,  which  has  existed  from 
time  immemorial. 

The  Indians  whom  I  saw  engaged  in  it  were  encamped  on 
a  suitable  place  for  the  construction  of  a  park  or  inclosure 
The  camp  of  which  I  speak  contained  about  three  hundred 
lodges,  which  represents  2000  or  3000  souls.  They  had  se 
lected  the  base  of  a  chain  of  hills,  whose  gentle  slope  pre 
sented  a  narrow  valley  and  a  prairie,  in  which  all  the  lodges 
were  ranged.  Opposite  the  hills  there  was  a  fine  large  prairie. 

After  the  construction  of  the  lodges,  a  great  council  is 
held,  at  which  all  the  chiefs  and  all  the  hunters  assist.  They 
first  choose  a  band  of  warriors  to  hinder  the  hunters  from 
leaving  the  camp,  either  alone  or  in  detached  companies, 
lest  the  bisons  be  disturbed,  and  thus  be  driven  away  from 
the  encampment.  The  law  against  this  is  extremely  severe  ; 
no*  only  all  the  Indians  of  the  camp  must  conform  to  it, 
bi  -  it  reaches  to  all  travellers,  even  when  they  are  ignorant 
of  the  encampment  or  do  not  know  that  there  is  a  hunt  in 
ftfdtemplation.  Should  they  frighten  the  animals,  they  are 
*Lf*»  punishable ;  however,  those  of  the  camp  are  more  rig- 


AND   MISSIONARIES. 


149 


orously  chastised  in  case  they  transgress  the  regulation. 
Their  guns,  their  bows  and  arrows,  are  broken,  their  lodges 
cut  in  pieces,  their  dogs  killed,  all  their  provisions  and  their 
hides  are  taken  from  them.  If  they  are  bold  enough  to  re 
sist  the  penalty,  they  are  beaten  with  bows,  sticks,  and  clubs, 
and  this  torment  frequently  terminates  in  the  death  of  the 
unhappy  aggressor.  Any  one  who  should  set  fire  to  the 
prairie  by  accident  or  imprudence,  or  in  any  way  frighten 
off  the  herd,  would  be  sure  to  be  well  beaten. 

As  soon  as  the  law  is  promulgated,  the  construction  of  the 
pen  is  commenced.*  Everybody  labors  at  it  with  cheerful 
ardor,  for  it  is  an  affair  of  common  interest,  on  which  the 
subsistence  of  the  entire  tribe  during  several  months  will 
depend.  The  pen  has  an  area  of  about  an  acre.  To  inclose 
it  in  a  circular  form,  stakes  are  firmly  fixed  in  the  ground, 
and  the  distance  between  them  filled  with  logs,  dry  boughs, 
masses  of  stone — in  short,  with  whatever  they  can  find  that 
will  answer  the  purpose.  The  circular  palisade  has  but  one 
opening ;  before  this  opening  is  a  slope  embracing  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  between  the  hills:  this  inclined  plane  grows 


•  Plan  of  the  Pen.— A  BC,  Pen ;  A  C,  Opening ;  D,  Slope  ;  A  E  and 
C  F,  Hilb  and  Fences  j  G,  Medicine-mast. 
130 


150  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

wider  as  it  diverges  from  the  circle ;  at  its  two  sides  tner 
continue  the  fence  to  a  long  distance  on  the  plain. 

As  soon  as  these  preparations  are  completed,  the  Indians 
elect  a  grand-master  of  ceremonies  and  of  the  pen.  He  is  gen 
erally  an  old  man,  a  distinguished  personage,  belonging  to 
Wah-kon,  or  medicine-band,  and  famous  in  the  art  of  jug 
glery,  which  the  Indians,  as  I  have  remarked,  deem  a  super 
natural  science.  His  office  it  is  to  decide  the  moment  for 
driving  the  bisons  into  the  inclosure,  and  give  the  signal  for 
the  commencement  of  the  hunt.  He  plants  the  medicine- 
mast  in  the  centre  of  the  park,  and  attaches  to  it  the  three 
charms  which  are  to  allure  the  animals  in  that  direction,  viz., 
a  streamer  of  scarlet  cloth  two  or  three  yards  long,  a  piece 
of  tobacco,  and  a  bison's  horn.  Every  morning  at  the  early 
dawn  he  beats  his  drum,  intones  his  hymns  of  conjuration, 
consults  his  own  Wah-kon,  and  the  manitous  or  guiding- 
spirits  of  the  bisons,  in  order  to  discover  the  favorable  mo 
ment  for  the  chase. 

The  grand-master  has  four  runners  at  his  disposal,  who  go 
out  daily  and  report  to  him  the  true  result  of  their  observa 
tions  ;  they  tell  at  what  distance  from  the  camp  the  animals 
are,  their  probable  number,  and  in  what  direction  the  herd 
is  marching.  These  runners  frequently  go  forty  or  fifty 
miles  in  different  directions.  In  all  their  courses  they  take 
with  them  a  Wah-kon  ball,  which  is  intrusted  to  them  by 
the  grand  master :  it  is  made  of  hair  and  covered  with  skin. 
When  the  runners  think  that  the  suitable  moment  has  ar 
rived,  they  immediately  dispatch  a  man  of  their  number  to 
the  grand-master,  with  the  ball  and  the  good  news.  So 
long  as  the  mysterious  ball  is  absent,  the  master  of  ceremo 
nies  cannot  take  food  ;  he  prolongs  this  rigorous  fast  by  ab- 
itaining  from  every  meat  or  dish  that  does  not  come  from 
x>me  animal  killed  on  the  area  of  the  park,  until  the  hunt  is 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  151 

over;  and  as  they  often  remain  a  month  or  more  awaiting 
the  most  favorable  moment  of  beginning,  the  grand-raastel 
must  find  himself  reduced  to  very  small  rations,  unless  he 
makes  some  arrangement  with  his  conscience.  It  is  proba 
ble  that  he  eats  stealthily  at  night,  for  he  has  no  more  ap 
pearance  of  fasting  than  his  brethren  of  the  camp. 

Let  us  now  suppose  all  to  be  in  readiness,  and  the  circum 
stances  all  favorable  to  the  hunt.  The  grand-master  of  the 
park  beats  his  drum,  to  announce  that  the  bisons  are  in  nu 
merous  herds  at  about  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distance.  The 
wind  is  favorable,  and  comes  directly  from  the  point  in  which 
the  animals  are.  Immediately  all  the  horsemen  mount  their 
coursers ;  the  foot-soldiers,  armed  with  bows,  guns,  and 
lances,  take  their  positions,  forming  two  long  oblique  diverg 
ing  rows,  from  the  extremity  of  the  two  barriers  which 
spring  from  the  entrance  of  the  pen  and  extend  into  the 
plain,  and  thus  prolong  the  lines  of  the  inclosure.  When 
the  footmen  are  placed  at  distances  of  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  the 
horsemen  continue  the  same  lines,  which  separate  in  propor 
tion  as  they  extend,  so  that  the  last  hunter  on  horseback  is 
found  at  about  two  or  three  miles  distance  from  the  pen,  and 
at  very  nearly  the  same  distance  from  the  last  hunter  of  the 
other  line,  in  an  opposite  direction.  When  men  are  want- 
ng,  women  and  even  children  occupy  stations. 

After  the  formation  of  these  two  immense  lines,  one  single 
Indian,  unarmed,  is  sent  upon  the  best  courser  in  the  camp 
in  the  direction  of  the  buffaloes,  to  meet  them.  He  ap 
proaches,  against  the  wind,  and  with  the  greatest  precaution. 
At  the  distance  of  about  one  hundred  paces  he  envelops 
himself  in  a  buffalo-hide,  the  fur  turned  outside,  and  also 
envelops  his  horse  as  much  as  possible  in  the  same  manner, 
and  then  makes  a  plaintive  cry  in  imitation  of  that  of  a 
bison  calf.  As  if  by  enchantment,  this  cry  attracts  the  at- 


152  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

tention  of  the  whole  herd  ;  after  some  seconds,  several  thou 
sands  of  these  quadrupeds,  hearing  this  pitiful  plaint,  turn 
towards  the  pretended  calf.  At  first  they  move  slowly,  ther 
advance  into  a  trot,  and  at  last  they  push  forward  in  full 
gallop.  The  horseman  continually  repeats  the  cry  of  the 
calf,  and  takes  his  course  towards  the  pen,  ever  attentive  tc 
keep  at  the  same  distance  from  the  animals  that  are  follow 
ing  him.  By  this  stratagem  he  leads  the  vast  herd  of  bisons 
through  the  whole  distance  that  separates  him  from  his  com 
panions,  who  are  on  the  qui  vive,  full  of  ardor  and  impa 
tience  to  share  with  him  in  his  sport. 

When  the  buffaloes  arrive  in  the  space  between  the  extrem 
ities  of  the  two  lines,  the  scene  changes ;  all  assumes  an  ap 
pearance  of  eagerness.  The  hunters  on  horseback,  giving 
rein  to  their  steeds,  rejoin  each  other  behind  the  animals. 
At  once  the  scent  of  the  hunters  is  communicated  among 
the  frightened  and  routed  animals,  which  attempt  to  escape 
in  every  direction.  Then  those  on  foot  appear.  The  bisons, 
finding  themselves  surrounded  and  inclosed  on  all  sides,  ex 
cept  the  single  opening  into  the  circular  pen  before  them, 
low  and  bellow  in  the  most  frightful  manner,  and  plunge 
into  it  with  the  speed  of  fear  and  desperation.  The  lines  of 
hunters  close  in  gradually ;  and  space  becomes  less  necessary 
as  the  mass  of  bisons  and  the  groups  of  hunters  become 
more  and  more  compact.  Then  the  Indians  commence  firing 
their  guns,  drawing  their  arrows,  and  flinging  their  lances. 
Many  animals  fall  under  the  blows  before  gaining  the  pen  . 
the  greater  number,  however,  enter.  They  discover,  only 
oo  late,  the  snare  that  has  been  laid  for  them.  Those  in 
front  try  to  return,  but  the  terrified  crowd  that  follow  forces 
them  to  go  forward,  and  they  cast  themselves  in  confusion 
into  the  inclosure,  amid  the  hurrahs  and  joyful  shouts  of  the 
whole  tribe,  intermingled  with  the  firing  of  guns. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  153 

As  soon  as  all  are  penned,  the  buffaloes  are  killed  with  ar 
rows,  lances,  and  knives.  Men,  women,  and  children,  in  an 
excitement  of  joy,  take  part  in  the  general  butchery,  and 
the  flaying  and  cutting  up  of  the  animals.  To  look  at  them 
without  disgust  in  this  operation,  one  must  have  been  a 
little  habituated  to  their  customs  and  manners.  While  men 
cut  and  slash  the  flesh,  the  women,  and  children  in  particu 
lar,  devour  the  meat  still  warm  with  life — the  livers,  kidneys, 
brains,  &c.,  seem  irresistible  attractions:  they  smear  their 
faces,  hair,  arms,  and  legs  with  the  blood  of  the  bisons; 
confused  cries,  clamorous  shouts,  and  here  and  there  quar 
rels,  fill  up  the  scene.  It  is  a  picturesque  and  savage  scene, 
a  very  pandemonium — a  sight  very  difficult  to  depict  by 
words  or  to  recount  in  minute  details.  In  the  hunt  which  I 
have  just  described,  and  at  which  I  was  present,  six  hundred 
bison  were  taken. 

After  the  butchery,  the  skins  and  the  flesh  are  separated 
into  piles,  and  these  piles  are  divided  among  the  families,  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  which  they  are  composed.  The 
meat  is  afterwards  cut  in  slices  and  dried;  the  bones  are 
bruised  and  their  grease  extracted.  The  dogs  also  receive 
their  portion  of  the  feast,  and  devour  the  remains  on  the 
arena  of  the  pen.  Two  days  after  the  hunt  not  a  vestige  ol 
the  carnage  remained.  Before  separating,  the  Indians  pass 
several  days  in  dancing  and  mirth.  One  of  your  Keysers  or 
Ver  Broeckhovens  should  assist  at  one  of  these  spirited,  pic 
turesque  scenes  of  the  Great  Desert ;  he  would  find  a  new 
subject  for  a  painting. 

The  old  proverb  says,  "  One  half  of  the  world  knows  not 
how  the  other  half  lives."  The  American  Indians,  who  live 
on  the  spontaneous  products  of  the  soil  may  say  as  much  :  the 
countless  herds  of  bison  that  roam  over  the  vast  plains,  serva 
as  daily  bread  to  the  numerous  tribes  of  the  Great  Desert. 


154  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

The  Soshocos  are  the  most  degraded  of  the  races  of  this 
vast  continent.  The  Americans  call  them  " Poor  Devils" 
and  the  French  and  Canadian  voyageurs  denominated  them 
u  les  dignes  de  pitie?  They  roam  over  the  desert  and  bar 
ren  districts  of  Utah  and  California,  and  that  portion  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  which  branches  into  Oregon.  In  my  mis 
sions  and  journeys  I  have  sometimes  met  with  families  of 
these  wretched  Soshocos,  who  are  really  worthy  of  pity.  I 
was  so  happy  as  to  baptize  several  of  their  sick  children  just 
before  they  diedi 

While  the  Indians  of  the  plains,  who  live  on  the  flesh  of 
animals,  become  tall,  robust,  active,  and  generally  well-clad 
with  skins,  the  Soshoco,  who  subsists  chiefly  on  grasshoppers 
and  ants,  is  miserable,  lean,  weak,  and  badly  clothed  ;  he 
inspires  sentiments  of  compassion  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
traverse  the  unproductive  region  which  he  occupies. 

After  having  described  to  you  the  inclosure  hunt,  as  prac 
ticed  by  the  Assiniboins,  I  will  show  you  the  reverse  of  the 
picture,  by  describing  the  great  grasshopper  hunt  practiced 
among  the  Soshocos.  This  hunt  deserves  mention,  I  think, 
especially  as  a  contrast  to  the  other. 

The  principal  portion  of  the  Soshoco  territory  is  covered 
with  wormwood,  and  other  species  of  artemisia,  in  which  the 
grasshoppers  swarm  by  myriads  ;  these  parts  are  consequently 
most  frequented  by  this  tribe.  When  they  are  sufficiently 
numerous,  they  hunt  together.  They  begin  by  digging  a 
hole,  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  diameter  by  four  or  five  deep  • 
then,  armed  with  long  branches  of  artemisia,  they  surround 
a  field  of  four  or  five  acres,  more  or  less,  according  to  the 
number  of  persons  who  are  engaged  in  it.  They  stand 
about  twenty  feet  apart,  and  their  whole  work  is  to  beat  the 
ground,  so  as  to  frighten  up  the  grasshoppers  and  make  them 
bound  forward.  They  chase  them  towards  the  centre  b} 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  155 

degrees — that  is,  into  the  hole  prepared  for  their  reception. 
Their  number  is  so  considerable  that  frequently  three  or  four 
acres  furnish  grasshoppers  sufficient  to  fill  the  reservoir  or 
hole. 

The  Soshocos  stay  in  that  place  as  long  as  this  sort  of  pro 
vision  lasts.  They,  as  well  as  other  mortals,  have  their 
tastes.  Some  eat  the  grasshoppers  in  soup,  or  boiled ;  others 
crush  them,  and  make  a  kind  of  paste  from  them,  which 
they  dry  in  the  sun  or  before  the  fire  :  others  eat  them  en 
appalas — that  is,  they  take  pointed  rods  and  string  the  largest 
ones  on  them  ;  afterwards  these  rods  are  fixed  in  the  ground 
before  the  fire,  and,  as  they  become  roasted,  the  poor  Soshocos 
regale  themselves  until  the  whole  are  devoured. 

As  they  rove  from  place  to  place,  they  sometimes  meet 
with  a  few  rabbits,  and  take  some  grouse,  but  seldom  kill 
deer  or  other  large  animals. 

The  contrast  between  the  Indian  of  the  plain  and  the  des 
titute  Soshoco,  is  very  striking ;  but  poor  as  he  is,  like  the 
Hottentot,  he  loves  devotedly  his  native  soil. 

I  shall  soon  leave  Cincinnati  for  Louisville,  in  Kentucky, 
and  then  for  St.  Louis ;  from  thence,  in  order  to  comply 
with  your  request,  I  shall  continue  my  Indian  memoirs. 
Among  other  things,  I  will  give  you  the  description  of  the 
peace  expedition  sent  by  the  Crows  to  the  Black-Feet.  I 
collected  the  facts  on  the  spot,  in  my  mission  of  1851 ;  for 
\n  tne  superstitious  and  religious  ideas  and  practices  of  the 
savages,  in  their  expeditions  of  war  and  hunting,  their  char 
acter  and  manners  are  best  described.  I  will  give  you  these 
Mirious  details  with  as  much  fidelity  as  I  can. 
Rev.  and  dear  Father, 
Your  devoted  servant  and  brother  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J. 


156  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  III, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Indian  Warfare. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Loins,  August,  1854. 
REV.  AND  DEAR  FATHER  : 

In  my  last  I  spoke  of  the  Indian  hunting  in  the  Grea 
Desert.  I  will  give  you,  to-day,  some  general  observations 
on  their  wars,  and  especially  what  I  could  learn  of  an  un 
happy  peace  expedition,  during  my  last  visit  to  the  Crows. 

It  may  be  said  that  war  is  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  an  Indian's 
glory.  The  ambition  of  becoming  a  great  warrior  absorbs 
all  his  attention,  all  his  talents,  all  his  bravery ;  it  is  often 
the  object  of  all  his  voluntary  sufferings.  His  prolonged 
fasts,  his  long  war-paths,  penances,  and  macerations,  and  his 
religious  observances,  have  principally  this  sole  end.  To  wear 
an  eagle's  plume,  the  emblem  of  an  Indian  warrior,  is  in  his 
eyes  supreme  honor,  and  the  most  magnificent  of  ornaments ; 
for  it  betokens  that  he  has  already  distinguished  himself  in 
battle.  Generally  at  the  age  of  seventeen  or  eighteen  years, 
after  the  first  fast,  and  after  having  selected  his  wah-kon, 
manitou,  or  tutelary  spirit,  the  youthful  savage  joins  the  war- 
parties,  which  are  composed  solely  of  volunteers. 

A  chief,  or  a  partisan,  who  wishes  to  form  a  war-party, 
presents  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  camp,  tomahawk  in 
hand,  and  painted  with  vermilion,  the  symbol  of  blood.  He 
intones  his  war-song :  this  kind  of  song  is  short.  The  war- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  157 

chief  proclaims  with  emphasis  his  lofty  deeds,  his  patriotic 
and  martial  ardor — the  sentiments  and  motives  which  prompt 
him  to  vengeance.  His  song  is  accompanied  with  the  dram 
and  the  sischiquoin,  or  gourd  filled  with  little  pebbles.  He 
stamps  on  the  ground,  as  though  he  could  shake  the  earth  to 
the  centre.  All  the  youth  listen  to  him  with  attention,  and 
any  one  who  rises  becomes  a  volunteer  in  his  party ;  he, 
in  his  turn,  intones  his  war-song,  and  this  ceremony  has  the 
force  of  a  solemn  pledge,  from  which  a  young  man  cannot 
honorably  withdraw.  Each  volunteer  arms  and  equips  him 
self  with  all  that  will  be  necessary  for  him  in  his  expedi 
tions.  The  whole  force  of  public  opinion  among  the  Indians 
appears  to  be  concentrated  on  this  point.  The  narration  ot 
their  adventures  and  of  their  valorous  deeds,  their  dances, 
their  religious  ceremonies,  the  speeches  of  their  orators  in 
their  public  assemblies ;  whatever,  in  fine,  that  can  serve  to 
inflame  ambition  in  the  mind  and  heart  of  a  barbarian,  is 
referred  to  the  idea  of  being  one  day  distinguished  in  war. 

I  have  now  to  speak  of  the  Crows.  Among  all  the  tribes 
of  the  northwest  portion  of  North  America,  this  nation  is 
considered  as  the  most  warlike  and  valiant.  It  counts  about 
four  hundred  and  eighty  lodges,  ten  individuals  to  a  lodge, 
and  roams  over  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  principally 
in  the  region  of  the  Wind  River  Mountains,  or  Black  Hills, 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  race  is  one  of  the  noblest 
in  the  desert ;  they  are  tall,  robust,  and  well-formed,  have  a 
piercing  eye,  aquiline  nose,  and  teeth  of  ivory  whiteness.  If 
they  are  considered  as  superior  in  intelligence  to  all  their 
neighbors,  they  also  surpass  them  in  their  wah-kon,  or  super- 
titious  ideas  and  ceremonies,  which  reign  in  all  their  move 
ments  and  actions.  In  illustration,  I  will  cite  the  following 
trait,  of  which  I  was  innocently  and  ignorantly  the  cause. 
In  1840,  I  first  met  the  Crows,  in  the  valley  of  the  Big 
14 


158  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Horn,  a  tributary  of  the  Yellowstone.  In  my  quality  of 
Black-gown,  they  received  me  with  all  possible  demonstra 
tions  of  respect,  and  with  a  sincere  joy.  I  had  with  me  a 
stock  of  lucifer-matches,  which  I  used  from  time  to  time  to 
light  my  pipe,  and  the  calumet  used  in  the  Great  Council. 
The  effect  of  these  matches  surprised  them  greatly ;  they 
had  never  seen  any.  They  conversed  about  them  in  all  the 
lodges,  and  called  them  the  mysterious  fire  which  the  Black- 
gown  carried.  I  was  at  once  considered  the  greatest  medi 
cine-man  that  had  ever  visited  their  tribe.  They  consequently 
treated  me  with  distinguished  respect,  and  listened  to  all  I 
said  with  the  greatest  attention.  Before  my  departure,  the 
chiefs  and  principal  warriors  of  the  council  requested  me  to 
leave  them  a  portion  of  my  matches.  Unconscious  of  the 
superstitious  ideas  which  they  attached  to  them,  I  readily 
distributed  them,  reserving  only  what  was  necessary  for  my 
journey.  In  1844  I  visited  them  again.  The  reception 
they  gave  me  was  most  solemn.  I  was  lodged  in  the  largest 
and  finest  lodges  of  the  camp.  All  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
were  habited  in  their  embroidered  moccasins,  laggins,  and 
bnckskin  shirts  ornamented  with  beads  and  porcupine  quills, 
while  eagle's  feathers  crowned  their  heads,  and  they  con 
ducted  me  in  grand  ceremony  from  lodge  to  lodge.  That  1 
might  participate  in  a  grand  banquet,  I  was  provided  with 
my  band  of  eaters,  who  would  do  honor  to  the  viands  and 
eat  for  me.  One  of  the  great  chiefs  testified  a  special  friend 
ship  for  me.  "It  is  to  thee,  Black-gown,"  said  he  to  me, 
"  that  I  owe  all  my  glory  in  the  victories  I  have  gained  over 
my  enemies."  His  language  astonished  me  greatly,  and  I 
begged  him  to  explain.  Without  delay  he  took  from  his 
neck  his  wah-kon,  or  medicine-bag,  wrapped  in  a  bit  of  kid. 
He  unrolled  it,  and  displayed  to  my  wondering  view  the 
remnant  of  the  matches  I  had  ijiven  him  in  18401  "I  use 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  159 

them,"  said  he,  "  every  time  I  go  to  battle.  If  the  myste 
rious  fire  appears  at  the  first  rubbing,  I  dart  upon  my 
enemies,  sure  of  obtaining  victory."  I  had  considerable  diffi 
culty  in  disabusing  their  minds  of  this  singular  superstition. 
As  you  see,  it  requires  little  to  acquire  a  reputation  among 
the  Indians  :  with  a  few  lucifer-matches,  you  may  be  a  great 
man  among  the  Crows,  and  receive  great  honors. 

The  Crows  have  been  invested  during  several  years, 
on  the  north  by  the  Black-Feet,  on  the  east  by  the  Assini- 
boins  and  Crees,  and  on  the  south  by  the  Sioux.  Each  of 
these  invading  nations  being  more  numerous  than  the  nation 
invaded,  the  Crows  were  necessarily  engaged  in  perpetual 
war,  sometimes  with  one  and  sometimes  with  the  other  of 
these  tribes.  Hence  the  last  ten  years  show  a  great  diminu 
tion  in  their  population,  which  numbers  at  the  present  time 
not  more  than  four  hundred  warriors. 

Occasionally  the  Crows  have  enjoyed  peace  with  the  tribes 
of  the  Black-Feet,  Sioux,  Bonacks,  Assiuiboins,  etc. ;  and  it 
is  a  quite  remarkable  fact,  that  they  have  never  been  the  first 
to  violate  a  treaty  of  peace,  except  in  the  following  instance, 
which  I  will  narrate  in  full. 

In  1843,  the  great  chief  of  the  nation  was  known  by  the 
title  of  Tezi-Goe,  a  word  which  sounds  bad  enough,  meaning 
Rotten  Belly.  He  was  as  much  renowned  for  his  bravery  in 
war  as  for  his  wisdom  in  council,  and  the  patriotic  love  that 
he  testified  to  the  whole  nation.  Seeing  with  pain  the  great 
losses  that  the  continual  incursions  of  so  many  enemies 
caused  hh  tribe,  he  resolved  to  conclude  a  solemn  treaty  of 
peace,  if  not  with  all,  at  least  with  a  great  part  of  the  Black- 
Feet.  He  made  all  suitable  arrangements,  and  convoked  his 
council,  to  deliberate  on  the  most  prompt  and  the  most  effi- 
sacious  means  of  success  in  his  great  design.  All  the  war 
riors  hastened  to  his  aid.  After  having  discussed  the  dif- 


160  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

ferent  points,  ii  was  unanimously  decided  that  a  party  of 
twenty-five  braves  should  repair  to  the  Black-Feet  camp,  to 
offer  them  the  calumet  of  peace. 

The  guide  chosen  to  conduct  the  band  was  one  of  the 
nation  of  Black-Feet,  taken  prisoner  by  the  Crows  some 
years  before,  and  hitherto  retained  in  captivity.  In  order  to 
attach  him  more  securely  to  the  good  cause,  the  Crows* 
granted  him  his  liberty,  with  the  title  of  brave,  and  the  per 
mission  to  wear  the  eagle's  plume.  He  was,  besides,  loaded 
with  presents,  consisting  of  horses,  arms,  and  ornaments  of 
every  kind.  Having  received  his  instructions,  he  set  out 
joyfully  and  with  signs  of  gratitude,  fully  resolved  to  neglect 
nothing  to  obtain  and  consolidate  an  honorable  and  lasting 
peace  between  the  two  nations.  A  place  had  been  desig 
nated  in  which  the  two  tribes  might  meet  as  friends  and 
brothers,  to  celebrate  the  grand  event.  The  deputation, 
therefore,  set  out  for  the  Black-Feet  camp  of  four  hun 
dred  lodges,  commanded  by  the  great  chief  "Spotted 
Deer,"  or  Ponukah-kitzi-Pemmy,  which  they  found  encamped 
in  the  valley  of  the  Maria  River,  a  pretty  large  branch 
of  the  Missouri  River,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Great 
Falls. 

About  a  month  before  the  departure  of  this  expedition, 
two  Crows  had  been  killed,  near  their  own  camp,  and  their 
scalps  carried  away,  by  a  war-party  of  Black-Feet.  The  two 
brothers  of  these  unfortunate  victims  fasted,  and  took  their 
oaths  according  to  custom.  These  oaths  consisted  in  vowing 
that  they  would  each  kill  a  Black-Foot,  the  first  good  chance. 
They  communicated  their  intentions  to  no  one.  The  bravery 
and  determination  of  these  two  men  were  well  known. 
They  were  elected  to  join  the  band  of  deputies,  and  promised 
ostensibly  to  forget  their  private  wrongs  for  the  public  wel 
fare  ;  but  in  secret  they  renewed  their  first  intentions,  fore- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  161 

teeing  that  this  excursion  would  probably  furnish  an  occasion 
of  avenging  the  double  murder  of  their  brothers. 

TB  e  band  progressed  slowly,  using  many  precautions,  and 
redoubling  them  as  they  approached  the  camp  of  the  Black 
Feet.  When  within  a  few  days'  distance  from  it,  they  sep 
arated  in  compai  ies  of  two  or  three,  to  scour  the  couutry 
and  assure  themselves  whether  any  Black-Feet  parties  were 
out  of  the  village.  In  the  course  of  the  day  the  two  brothers 
stayed  together,  and  discovered  two  Black-Feet  Indians  re 
turning  from  the  chase,  with  several  horses  laden  with  buf 
falo-meat.  Having  with  them  a  calumet-handle,  they  ad 
vanced  boldly  towards  their  enemies,  and  offered  them  the 
pape,  as  on  similar  occasions.  The  Black-Feet  Indians  re 
ceived  the  calumet,  and  were  informed  that  a  great  deputa 
tion,  commissioned  on  the  part  of  the  Crows,  was  repairing 
to  their  village,  with  pacific  intentions.  They  acted  with 
so  much  address,  that,  after  some  moments,  the  Black-Feet 
were  entirely  reassured,  and  conceived  no  suspicions  nor  suf 
fered  the  least  anxiety.  One  of  them  presented  his  gun  to 
one  of  the  two  Crows,  and  the  other  gave  his  horse  to  the 
second.  They  took  the  same  way  together  towards  the 
camp,  but  their  path  led  through  a  deep  and  lonely  ravine. 
There  the  snare  was  discovered.  The  two  Black-Feet  sud 
denly  received  mortal  blows,  and  were  thus  cowardly  assassi 
nated  by  the  two  Crows,  who  scalped  their  victims.  They 
then  killed  the  horses  with  arrows,  and  concealed  their  car 
casses  beneath  the  underwood  and  briers.  The  two  scalps 
were  carefully  secured  in  their  bullet-bags.  Having  removed 
all  traces  of  blood  from  their  habiliments,  they  rejoined  their 
companions,  without  making  known  the  cruel  act  of  private 
vengeance  they  had  consummated,  secretly  and  in  violation 
of  all  received  Indian  usages.  The  day  which  followed  this 
atrocious  crime  the  deputation  made  a  solemn  entrance  into 
140 


162  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

the  camp  of  the  Black-Feet,  and  were  received  by  the  chiefs 
and  braves  with  the  greatest  cordiality,  and  with  every  atten 
tion  of  Indian  hospitality. 

The  Black-Feet  declared  themselves  favorable  to  the 
treaty  of  peace.  They  received  joyfully  the  proposition 
which  the  Crows  made  by  their  guide  and  interpreter,  the 
recent  prisoner.  All  the  politeness  and  attention  of  which 
Indians  are  capable  were  lavished  upon  the  deputies.  Thev 
were  invited  to  a  great  number  of  feasts,  to  amusements  and 
public  sports,  which  lasted  late  in  the  night.  They  were 
afterwards  distributed  to  the  lodges  of  the  principal  chiefs, 
in  order  to  repose  after  their  fatiguing  journey. 

The  inclination  to  steal  is  very  common  among  the 
women  of  several  tribes  of  the  Northwest.  The  Black-Feet 
women  share  largely  in  this  bad  reputation.  One  of  these 
feminine  pilferers,  favored  by  the  darkness  of  night,  silently 
entered  the  lodges  where  the  Crows  were  peaceably  sleeping. 
She  relieved  their  pouches  of  all  that  could  prove  valuable 
to  her.  While  searching,  she  laid  her  hand  upon  a  damp, 
hairy  object,  and  instantly  perceived  it  to  be  a  scalp.  She 
seized  it,  quitted  the  camp  in  the  greatest  possible  silence, 
and,  by  the  glimmering  of  the  watchfire  which  was  burning 
in  the  middle  of  the  camp,  examined  the  bloody  trophy.  It 
is  very  difficult  to  move  an  Indian,  for  he  is  habituated  to 
strange  sights.  Such  an  event  would  have  spread  alarm 
among  white  men,  but  it  only  tended  to  render  the  Indians 
more  circumspect  and  more  prudent  in  taking  measures. 
The  woman,  after  reflecting  a  moment,  turned  her  steps  to 
wards  the  lodge  of  the  great  chief,  awoke  him,  and  commu 
nicated  to  his  ear  in  the  softest  whisper  the  important  discov 
ery  she  had  made.  He  lighted  a  pine  torch,  in  order  to  ex 
amine  the  scalp.  At  the  first  glance  he  recognized  it  as  that 
of  a  young  hunter  who  had  not  yet  come  back  from  the  chase, 


AND   MISSION  ARIES.  163 

The  chief  instantly  formed  his  plan.  He  made  signs  ta 
the  woman  to  follow  him,  recommended  her  to  retire  to  her 
own  lodge,  because  nothing  could  be  done  before  daylight, 
and  forbade  her  to  divulge  her  secret,  or  to  excite  the 
slightest  suspicion.  He  feared  that  in  the  confusion  which 
would  probably  arise,  and  sheltered  by  the  darkness,  some  of 
the  Crows  might  escape. 

The  Spotted  Deer  then,  alone  and  noiselessly,  made  the 
rounds  of  his  camp.  He  aroused  his  bravest  warriors,  to  the 
number  of  twenty  or  thirty,  by  a  single  touch,  and  also  those 
whom  he  desired  to  consult  in  this  circumstance.  They  fol 
lowed  him,  asking  no  questions,  and  were  conducted  to  a 
solitary  place  in  the  vicinity  of  the  camp.  There,  forming  a 
circle  and  lighting  a  torch,  the  chief  displayed  the  scalp,  and 
related  to  them  the  adventure  of  the  woman. 

The  youngest  of  his  counsellors  desired  instant  revenge  on 
the  Crows,  but  the  prudent  chief  represented  to  them  that 
the  night  was  not  a  favorable  time  ;  besides,  that  having 
smoked  together  the  calumet  of  peace,  to  kill  them  in  their 
own  lodges,  and  in  the  very  camp  of  the  Black-Feet,  would 
be  at  variance  with  all  their  customs  and  practices,  and 
would  draw  upon  them  the  contempt  of  all  other  Indian 
nations.  He,  however,  commanded  them  to  hold  themselves 
armed  and  ready  at  daybreak. 

The  Crows  rose  early.  They  were  somewhat  surprised  to 
see  the  lodges  they  occupied  surrounded  by  a  band  of  four 
or  five  hundred  warriors,  armed  and  mounted  on  their 
fleetest  coursers,  and  with  countenances  far  from  friendly,  as 
on  the  previous  eve.  But  Indians  are  not  easily  discon 
certed  ;  they  awaited  the  result  in  silence.  As  soon  as  the 
daylight  appeared  in  the  camp,  the  Spotted  Deer  convened 
a  grand  council  and  summoned  the  Crow  deputies  to  ap 
pear.  They  at  once  obeyed,  and  took  their  places  with  th« 


164:  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

air  of  haughty  indifference,  peculiar  to  the  Indian,  in  the 
centre  of  a  circle  of  enemies  who  were  burning  with  ven 
geance.  When  all  were  in  order,  the  Spotted  Deer  arose, 
and  thus  addressed  the  Crows  :  "  Strangers,  only  yesterday 
you  arrived  in  our  camp.  You  declared  yourselves  the 
deputies  of  your  principal  chiefs,  sent  to  conclude  with  us, 
hitherto  your  foes,  a  solid  and  durable  treaty  of  peace.  We 
listened  to  your  message.  Your  words  and  propositions 
seemed  reasonable  and  advantageous.  All  our  lodges  have 
been  open  to  you ;  you  have  shared  in  our  feasts  and  hospi 
tality  ;  you  joined  in  our  games.  Yesterday  we  had  the  inten 
tion  of  showing  you  to-day  still  greater  liberality.  But,  before 
discoursing  further,  I  have  one  single  question  to  ask  you. 
Crows !  I  must  have  an  answer ;  and  that  answer  will  de 
cide  whether  peace  be  possible,  or  whether  a  war  of  destruc 
tion  must  continue."  Then  drawing  the  scalp  from  the  bullet- 
pouch,  and  displaying  it  before  them,  he  cried,  "Tell  me, 
Crows,  whose  hair  is  this  ?  Who  among  you  claims  this 
trophy  ?"  Those  of  the  Crows  who  were  ignorant  of  the 
affair,  looked  on  with  amazement,  and  could  only  imagine 
that  the  Black-Feet  sought  a  pretext  for  quarrelling.  No 
one  replied.  The  chief  resumed :  "  Will  no  one  answer  ? 
Must  I  call  a  woman  to  question  these  Crow  braves  ?"  Then 
beckoning  to  the  stealer  of  the  scalp,  he  said  to  her,  "  Show 
us  to  which  warrior  this  trophy  belongs."  Without  hesita 
tion,  she  pointed  to  one  of  the  brothers.  Every  eye  waa 
fixed  upon  him.  The  chief,  Spotted  Deer,  approaching  the 
murderer,  said  to  him,  "  Knowest  thou  this  scalp  ?  Didst  thou 
take  it  ?  Fearest  thou  now  to  avow  it  ?"  With  one  bound 
the  young  Crow  placed  himself  opposite  the  chief,  and  shout 
ed,  *'  Spotted  Deer,  I  fear  not !  It  is  I  who  took  the  scalp  ! 
If  I  endeavored  to  conceal  it,  I  did  so  with  the  desire  of 
doing  more  evil !  Thou  askest  whose  hair  is  this.  Look  at 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  165 

the  hairy  fringe  of  thy  shirt  and  tliy  leggins.  In  my  turn, 
I  ask,  whose  hair  is  that  ?  Belongs  it  not  to  my  two  broth 
ers,  slain  by  thee  or  thine,  hardly  two  moons  ago  ?  or  be« 
longs  it  not  to  the  relations  of  some  Crow  here  present  \ 
Tis  vengeance  brings  me  here  !  My  brother  holds  in  his 
shot-bag  the  companion  of  this  scalp.  We  determined,  be 
fore  leaving  the  camp,  to  cast  into  thy  face  these  bloody 
tufts,  at  the  same  moment,  as  our  challenge  of  defiance." 

This  language  determined  the  Black-Feet.  "Young man, 
thou  hast  spoken  well,"  replied  the  Spotted  Deer ;  "  thou  art 
valiant  and  fearest  not  death,  which  will  strike  thee  and  thy 
companions  in  a  few  moments.  Yet  we  have  smoked  the 
calumet  together.  It  is  not  suitable  that  the  ground  on 
which  that  ceremony  took  place  should  drink  thy  blood. 
See,  Crows,  the  hill  before  you !  It  is  in  the  way  that  leads 
to  your  lodges.  So  far  we  allow  you  to  go.  When  you  get 
there,  we  will  pursue  you.  Go  on,  and  leave  us." 

The  Crows  instantly  left  the  place,  and  advanced  towards 
the  hill  designated  by  the  Black-Foot  chief,  determined  to 
sell  their  lives  dearly  in  this  unequal  combat.  Their  ene 
mies  mounted  their  horses,  and  awaited  with  ardor  the  order 
for  the  pursuit. 

As  soon  as  the  Crows  reached  the  hill,  the  terrific  war- 
whoop— the  Sassaskivi— resounded  through  the  camp.  The 
Black-Feet,  burning  to  avenge  the  outrage  received,  rushed 
forward  with  the  greatest  impetuosity.  The  Crows,  after 
running  some  moments,  found  a  deep  ravine  excavated  in  the 
plain  by  the  running  waters :  judging  the  position  favorable, 
they  took  refuge  in  it,  and  maintained  themselves  for  some 
time.  As  soon  as,  in  their  first  ardor,  the  Black-Feet  ap 
proached  the  ravine  to  dislodge  them,  a  general  discharge 
of  muskets  and  arrows  from  the  Crows  killed  eighty  Black- 
Feet,  and  wounded  a  great  number.  This  discharge  routed 


166  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

them,  and  forced  them  to  draw  off.  The  Black-Feet  dis 
mounted,  and  on  foot  there  were  several  skirmishes  between 
the  two  bands ;  but  all  were  disadvantageous  to  the  Black- 
Feet,  for  the  Crows  were  protected  in  the  hole,  and  only 
showed  their  heads  through  necessity,  while  their  enemies 
fought  in  the  open  plain.  A  great  number  of  Black-Feet 
lost  their  lives  in  these  different  attempts,  while  the  Crows 
lost  not  a  man.  Spotted  Deer,  seeing  the  danger  and  the 
useless  destruction  of  so  many  warriors,  made  an  appeal  to 
his  braves.  He  proposed  to  them  to  place  himself  at  their 
head,  and  to  fall  simultaneously  on  their  enemies.  His  propo 
sition  was  accepted ;  the  war-whoop  resounded  anew  through 
the  bloody  plain ;  they  attacked  the  Crows  en  masse,  and 
after  having  discharged  on  them  their  guns  and  arrows, 
armed  only  with  their  daggers  and  tomahawks,  they  darted 
with  confused  violence  into  the  ravine,  and  in  a  few  moments 
horribly  massacred  the  whole  band.  In  this  last  attack,  it 
is  worth  noting  that  not  a  single  Black-Foot  lost  his  life. 

The  combat  ended,  the  scalps  were  carried  off  by  the  war 
riors  who  had  most  distinguished  themselves  in  the  affair. 
The  women  cut  the  corpses  of  their  slain  in  such  small  pieces, 
that  it  would  be  difficult  to  detect  among  them  the  smallest 
trace  of  the  human  form.  The  scalps,  with  all  the  torn 
scraps  of  flesh,  were  then  attached  as  trophies  to  the  extrem 
ities  of  poles  and  lances,  and  triumphantly  borne  through 
the  camp,  mid  chants  of  victory,  yells  of  rage,  with  howling 
and  vociferations  against  their  enemies.  There  was  also  a 
general  mourning,  caused  by  the  loss  of  so  many  warriors 
fallen  in  this  horrible  engagement.  Since  that  day,  war  con 
tinues  without  relaxation  to  the  present  time. 

This  shocking  recital  I  learned  in  1851,  on  that  very  battle 
field,  and  from  a  chief  who  was  in  the  engagement. 

I  request  you,  in  a  special  manner,  to  pray  very  particu- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  167 

larly  for  these  poor  Indians.  During  fourteen  years  they 
have  implored  the  favor  of  having  some  of  our  Fathers  sent 
to  them.  The  scripture,  "  They  asked  bread,  and  there  was 
none  to  break  it  to  them,"  may  be  justly  quoted  in  regard 
to  them.  In  my  short  visits  to  them  I  have  been  touched 
with  their  affability,  their  beneficent  hospitality,  and  the  re 
spectful  attention  they  gave  to  my  instructions.  I  augur 
very  favorably  of  their  good  dispositions,  and  am  convinced 
that  two  or  three  fervent  and  zealous  missionaries  could 
gather  consoling  fruits  for  religion  from  these  barbarians, 
who  sigh  to  know  and  practice  the  Gospel  of  Peace.  Since 
my  last  interview  with  them,  in  1851,  I  have  received  sev 
eral  letters  from  them. 

Do  not  forget  me  in  your  prayers,  and  be  so  good  as  to 
remember  me  to  the  Fathers  and  Brothers  of  St.  Michael'i 
College. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  most  profound  respect 
and  esteem, 

Rev.  and  dear  Father, 

Your  most  devoted  servant  and  brother  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  DJC  LAIT,  a  J 


168  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XIII, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
TcJiatJca. 

REVEREND  FATHER  : 

You  have  received  the  address  of  Matau-Witko,  or  the 
Bear,  the  present  chief  of  the  Assiniboins.  This  has  shown 
the  favorable  dispositions  entertained  by  that  chief  for  our 
holy  religion.  I  spoke  to  you  of  their  hunts,  of  an  expedi 
tion  of  peace  arid  war  sent  by  the  Crows,  or  Absharokays,  to 
the  Black-Feet,  or  Ziarzapas*  their  inveterate  enemies.  I 
have  described  the  Assiniboin  worship,  which,  in  regard  to 
ceremonies,  superstitious  practices,  and  various  points  of  be 
lief,  resembles  all  others  in  use  among  the  different  Indian 
tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri. 

These  details  must  have  given  you  an  idea  of  the  depth  of 
heathen  darkness  in  which  the  North  American  Indians  are 
yet  shrouded.  How  worthy,  alas !  are  they  of  exciting 
Christian  compassion  and  devotedness !  How  noble  the 


*  The  Black-Feet  are  one  of  the  most  powerful  tribes  in  the  new  ter 
ritory  of  Nebraska.  They  number  about  10,000.  Their  war  and  hunt 
ing  parties  go  as  far  north  as  52°,  and  cover  all  the  valley  of  the  Upper 
Missouri  and  its  tributaries  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  103°  north. 

I  have  already  given  a  table  of  the  different  tribes  of  the  Upper  Mis 
souri,  and  of  the  Sioux,  as  well  as  some  notions  on  the  bands,  territo 
ries,  language,  names,  names  of  principal  chiefs,  and  explained  the 
word  wah-kou  or  medicine. 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  169 

mission  of  rescuing  the  minds  and  hearts  of  this  despised 
and  forlorn  race  from  the  degrading  superstitions  and  infa 
mous  cruelties  to  which  they  are  abandoned  :  of  sowing  in 
that  uncultivated  soil  the  mustard-seed,  which  will  spring  up 
and  bear  the  immortal  blossoms  of  present  and  future 
happiness  ! 

Some  of  our  Fathers  are  already  engaged  in  this  noble 
task.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  a  greater  number  may  be 
inspired  to  join  them  in  bearing  the  torch  of  faith  to  all  the 
nations  which  desire  it,  and  incessantly  implore  Black-gowns. 
I  speak  from  actual  knowledge  when  I  say  that  most  of  the 
nations  of  the  Great  Desert  manifest  a  desire  for  instruction, 
and  listen  willingly  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 

To  initiate  you  still  further  in  the  knowledge  of  Indian 
manners  and  customs,  I  have  thought  that  you  would  be 
pleased  to  receive  a  sketch  of  the  life  of  the  most  renowned 
chief  of  the  Assiniboins.  He  was  a  crafty,  cruel,  deceitful 
man,  a  bad  Indian,  in  every  sense  of  the  word ;  his  whole 
life  was  full  of  horrors.  For  forty  years  he  led  his  tribe  in 
the  forest.  At  the  commencement  of  his  career,  his  band 
numbered  over  2000.  He  led  them  from  war  to  war,  some 
times  with  success,  often  with  reverse.  Disease  thinned  the 
band — poison  and  battle  wasted  them  like  snow.  When 
they  were  but  a  handful,  he  beheld  the  remnant  of  his  gal 
lant  band  disperse,  and  seek  an  asylum  in  a  more  powerful 
and  numerous  camp.  He  died  as  he  had  lived.  Either  from 
fear,  jealousy,  or  hatred,  he  had  recourse  to  poison  to  rid 
himself  of  all  who  opposed  him.  Pursued  by  remorse  and 
despair,  he  used  the  same  means  to  put  an  end  to  his  own  cays. 
He  died  in  most  terrible  convulsions.  This  story  will  show 
you  that  the  Indians,  too,  have  their  Neros  and  Caligulas. 

All  the  accounts  that  I  have  read  on  the  statistics  of  the 
Indians,  show  that  their  numbers  constantly  decrease.  To 
15 


170  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

what  is  this  remarkable  decline  to  be  ascribed  ?  The  history 
of  the  Assiniboin  tribe,  led  by  this  wicked  chief,  is  more  or 
less  the  history  of  the  decline  of  the  other  tribes.  Ambi 
tious  chiefs  and  partisans  keep  up  incessant  wars  in  their 
tribes,  and  unknown  diseases  thin  them.  Then  comes  the 
acquaintance  with  the  whites ;  the  Indians  learn,  and  easily 
adopt,  the  vices  and  excesses  of  the  pioneers  of  our  civiliza 
tion.  The  spirituous  liquors,  which  they  offer  the  Indians 
in  abundance — more  terrible  than  war — sweeps  them  off  by 
hundreds,  and  they  disappear,  leaving  behind  them  only  sad 
mounds,  as  tombs,  which  dot  the  plains  and  highlands  by 
the  river-side,  till  the  plough  at  last  levels  these  last  vestiges 
of  a  race. 

If  time  permits,  I  will  hereafter  give  some  details  on  the 
actual  condition  of  the  Indian  tribes  under  the  domination 
of  the  great  Republic.  The  government  has  just  organized, 
in  the  western  desert,  two  new  territories — Kanzas  and 
Nebraska.*  They  embrace  an  extent  of  neither  more  nor 
less  than  between  five  and  six  hundred  thousand  square  miles. 
They  will  then  be  divided  into  several  States,  and  each  of 
these  States  will  be  larger  than  France.  Whites  are  already 
pouring  in  in  thousands,  all  hastening  to  take  possession  of 
the  best  sites.  The  law  has  just  passed ;  no  steps  are  yet 


*  Nebraska  Territory  extends  to  49°  north,  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  United  States  ;  on  the  south,  the  line  of  40°  separates  it  from 
Kanzas ;  its  eastern  limit  is  the  White  Eiver  and  the  Missouri,  which 
separate  it  from  Minnesota  and  Iowa  -,  on  the  west,  it  extends  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

Kansas  Territory  extends  three  degrees,  or  208  miles,  further  south ; 
on  the  east  is  the  State  of  Missouri ;  on  the  north,  the  37th  degree  sepa 
rates  it  from  the  Cherokee  Reservation ;  on  the  west,  it  is  bounded  by 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

These  two  territories  contain  over  500,000  square  miles,  or  forty 
times  the  surface  of  Belgium. 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  171 

taken  to  protect  the  Indians,  and  already  fifty  new  towni 
and  villages  are  in  progress ;  barns,  farms,  mills,  &c>,  rise 
on  all  sides  as  though  by  enchantment.  I  did  not  then 
think  that  the  moment  of  invasion  was  so  near. 

The  narrative  with  which  I  will  entertain  you  to-day  is 
well  known  in  all  the  region  where  the  scenes  occurred.  I 
have  it  from  two  most  reliable  sources — that  is  to  say,  from 
a  man  of  tried  probity  and  veracity,  Mr.  Denig,  of  the  St. 
Louis  Fur  Company,  and  from  a  worthy  Canadian  inter 
preter.  Both  resided  many  years  among  the  Assiniboins, 
and  knew  the  subject  of  the  story,  and  witnessed  many  of 
his  acts. 

This  hero  is  Tchatka  or  Gaucher,  an  Assiniboin  chief.  He 
exercised,  during  his  long  career,  more  power  over  the  band 
or  tribe  that  he  led  and  governed,  than  any  other  savage 
Nestor  whose  history  I  have  learned.  He  had  received  sev 
eral  names ;  but  that  of  Gaucher,  or  Awkward,  is  that  by 
which  he  was  known  among  the  voyageurs*  and  fur-traders. 
His  other  names  were,  Wah-kon-kangta,  or  the  Great  Medi 
cine  ;  Mina-Yougha,  or  the  Knifeholder ;  and  Tatokah-nan, 
or  the  Kid.  These  titles  were  bestowed  on  him  at  different 
periods  of  his  life,  in  memory  of  some  remarkable  deed  by 
which  he  had  distinguished  himself,  and  which  will  appear 
in  the  course  of  my  narrative. 

The  family  of  Tchatka  was  very  numerous,  and  enjoyed 
great  influence.  As  the  members  purposed  electing  him 
their  chief,  and  conductor  of  the  camp,  as  soon  as  he  should 
attain  his  majority,  he  attracted  the  attention  of  the  north 
ern  fur-traders  of  Upper  Canada  and  the  Hudson  Bay  Com 
pany's  territory.  The  intimacy  which  he  cultivated  with 


*  I  use  the  word  royxgeur,  a  Canadian  term,  adopted  in  English  U 
designate  the  white  hunters  of  the  West,  a  peculiar  set  of  men. 


172  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

the  whites,  united  to  a  high  degree  of  native  cunning,  proved 
the  means  of  his  acquiring  many  arts,  which  gave  him  on  hit 
return  a  kind  of  distinction  among  his  people.  He  had  also 
obtained,  by  means  of  a  white  man,  a  quantity  of  poison, 
and  had  learned  its  properties  and  use.  Tchutka  was  an  un 
principled,  deceitful,  cunning,  cowardly  man.  Although 
young  and  vigorous,  he  always  kept  out  of  danger.  While 
the  warriors  of  his  tribe  were  fighting  in  the  plain,  he  would 
be  seated  on  a  hill  or  some  other  spot  from  which  he  could 
observe  all  that  passed.  He  had  been  initiated  into  all  the 
tricks  of  the  jugglers.  He  never  performed  incantation  and 
juggleries  without  a  good  horse  beside  him,  on  which  he 
sprang  in  case  of  defeat.  He  was  always  the  first  to  escape, 
abandoning  the  combatants  to  their  own  luck,  and  got  off  as 
well  as  he  could.  As  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel,  he  became 
chief  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  lodges,  or  about  twelve 
hundred  warriors.  The  great  confidence  which  they  had  in 
their  leader  seems  to  have  been  the  cause  of  his  great  suc 
cess  in  the  war  against  the  Black-Feet  and  other  enemies  ot 
the  nation. 

As  soon  as  Tchatka  had  attained  the  requisite  age,  he 
used  every  effort  to  attain  his  object  and  satisfy  his  ambition. 
He  calculated  the  advantages  and  ascendency  he  would  ob 
tain  over  the  people  by  becoming  initiated  in  the  great  band 
of  medicine-men  or  jugglers,*  and  he  pretended  to  the  gift 

*  The  Wah-kons,  or  Medicine-men,  among  the  American  Indians, 
and  the  Panomoosi  of  Northern  Asia,  belong  to  the  same  class.  In  both 
hemispheres  these  charlatans  pretend  to  heal  diseases  by  witchcraft ; 
they  predict  the  issue  of  wars  and  hunts.  In  all  cases  they  pretend  to 
oe  inspired  by  Manitous ;  that  is,  divinities  or  spirits.  They  generally 
retire  to  the  depth  of  the  foreste,  where  they  pretend  to  fast  for  several 
days,  and  often  practice  very  vigorous  penances,  consisting  especially  in 
corporal  macerations ;  then  they  beat  the  drum,  dance,  sing,  smoke, 
cry,  and  howl  like  wild  beasts.  All  these  preparatives  are  accompanied 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  173 

of  prophecy.  A  second  motive  for  this  initiation  was,  that 
he  might  thereby  conceal  his  want  of  bravery — a  quality  in 
dispensable  in  a  chief.  Many  remarkable  stories  are  related 
of  his  exactitude  in  predicting  future  events,  and  for  whict 
the  simple  savages  could  give  no  explanation. 

Tchatka  was  not  ignorant  that  there  were  several  persona 
in  the  tribe  whose  influence  was  great,  who  were  older  than 
he,  and  who  had  acquired  by  their  valor  in  war,  and  by  their 
wisdom  in  the  council,  real  titles  to  the  dignity  of  great  chief. 
In  order  to  arrogate  to  himself  the  sole  government  of  the 
camp,  he  conceived  the  frightful  design  of  getting  rid  of  his 
competitors.  He  brought  to  the  execution  of  his  project  all 
his  cunning  and  deceit.  I  have  already  alluded  to  the 
poisons  in  his  possession.  By  secret  experiments  he  became 
well  informed  concerning  their  power  and  influence.  He 
administered  it  himself,  or  by  the  hands  of  others,  so  adroit 
ly  that  not  the  least  suspicion  was  excited.  His  character 
of  prophet  came  to  his  aid.  He  predicted  to  his  victims, 
often  several  weeks  and  months  before  the  event,  that  they 
had  not  long  to  live,  according  to  the  revelations  of  his 
Wah-kon,  and  manitous  or  spirits.  The  accomplishment  of 
this  species  of  prediction  established  his  reputation ;  he  ob 
tained  the  title  of  "  Strong  in  Jugglery."  The  poor  savages 
regarded  him  with  fear  and  respect — as  a  being  who  could 
at  his  will  dispose  of  life.  Many  made  him  presents  of 

by  a  host  of  furious  actions,  and  such  extraordinary  contortions  of  body, 
that  they  would  seem  possessed.  These  jugglers  are  visited  secretly  by 
night,  by  accomplices  in  their  craft  and  hypocrisy,  who  carry  them  all 
the  news  of  the  village  and  its  neighbornood.  By  these  means  the  jug 
glers,  on  leaving  the  forest  and  returning  to  the  village,  easily  impose 
on  the  credulous.  The  first  part  of  their  predictions  consists  in  giving 
an  exact  account  of  all  the  events  of  the  village  since  their  departure— 
marriages,  deaths,  rwtariis  from  the  war  or  the  hunt,  and  all  other  r« 
raarkable  items. 


174  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

horses  and  other  objects,  in  order  to  escape  figuring  on  tie 
list  of  his  fatal  predictions. 

The  most  influential  and  courageous  personage  of  the 
Assiniboins,  the  principal  obstacle  to  the  ambition  of  Gau- 
cher  or  Tchatka,  was  his  own  uncle.  To  a  lofty  stature,  his 
uncle  joined  a  bravery,  a  boldness,  and  a  violence  which  no 
one  dared  oppose.  He  bore  the  name  of  the  Walking  Bow, 
or  Itazipa-man.  He  was  renowned  for  his  valorous  deeds  in 
combat  His  robe,  his  casque,  his  clothing,  his  tomahawk, 
lance,  and  even  the  bridle  and  saddle  of  his  steed,  were 
adorned  with  scalps  and  trophies  taken  from  his  enemies. 
He  was  surnamed  The  One-eyed,  or  Istagon,  because  he  had 
lost  an  eye  in  battle  by  an  arrow. 

Tchatka  was  jealous  of  the  power  of  Istagon,  and  of  the 
influence  the  latter  exercised  over  the  whole  tribe.  Hither 
to  he  had  not  attempted  the  life  of  his  uncle ;  as  he  feared 
his  anger,  he  desired  to  assure  himself  of  his  protection. 
He  needed  him  as  long  as  those  were  living  who  might  op 
pose  his  ambitious  march,  the  success  of  which  was  so  little 
merited  on  his  part:  no  deed  of  arms,  no  trophy  gained 
from  the  enemy,  could  authorize  him  to  carry  his  preten 
sions  higher.  By  his  arts  and  flattery,  by  an  assiduous  at 
tention  and  feigned  submission  to  the  smallest  desires  of  the 
chie^  the  cunning  young  man  succeeded  in  gaining  the 
friendship  and  confidence  of  his  uncle.  They  saw  each  other 
more  frequently  :  they  gave  each  other  feasts  and  banquets, 
in  which  the  greatest  harmony  seemed  to  reign.  One  even 
ing  Tchatka  presented  his  guest  a  poisoned  dish  :  the  latter, 
according  to  the  Indian  custom,  ate  the  whole.  Knowing, 
by  experience,  that  in  a  few  hours  the  ingredient  would  pro 
duce  its  effects,  Tchatka  invited  all  the  principal  braves  and 
soldiers  of  the  camp  to  repair  to  his  lodge,  announcing,  that 
he  had  an  affair  of  the  highest  importance  to  communicatt 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  175 

to  them.  He  placed  his  Wah-kon  in  the  most  suitable  and 
most  conspicuous  part  of  his  lodge.  This  Wah-kon  of  Gau« 
cher's  consisted  of  a  stone,  painted  red,  and  surrounded  by  a 
little  fence  of  small  sticks  about  six  inches  in  length.  It 
lay  at  a  little  distance  from  the  fire,  which  was  burning  in 
the  centre  of  the  lodge,  and  opposite  the  place  where  he  sat. 
It  had  occupied  this  place  for  several  years. 

As  soon  as  the  whole  assembly  were  arranged,  Tchatka 
disclosed  his  Wah-kon.  He  declared  to  them  that  the  thun 
der,  during  a  nocturnal  storm,  had  launched  this  stone  into  the 
middle  of  his  lodge;  that  the  voice  of  the  thunder  had  told 
him  that  it  possessed  the  gift  and  the  spirit  of  prophecy ; 
that  the  Wah-kon  stone  had  announced  that  a  great  event 
was  about  to  take  place  in  the  camp ;  for  that  very  night 
the  most  valiant  brave  of  the  tribe  would  struggle  in  the 
arms  of  death,  and  that  another,  more  favored  than  he  by 
the  spirits,  would  take  his  place,  and  would  be  proclaimed 
great-chief  of  the  camp ;  that  at  the  very  moment  the  chief 
expired,  the  Wah-kon  stone  would  vanish,  and  accompany 
the  spirit  of  the  deceased  into  the  country  of  souls. 

A  mournful  silence  succeeded  this  singular  declaration.  As 
tonishment,  mingled  with  superstitious  dread,  was  depicted  on 
the  faces  of  all  those  who  composed  the  assembly.  No  one 
dared  to  contradict  the  discourse  of  Tchatka,  or  call  in  doubt 
his  words.  Besides,  on  so  many  other  occasions  his  predic 
tions  had  been  realized  at  the  appointed  time.  He  whose 
death  had  been  foretold,  without  being  named,  was  present. 
As  several  occupied  nearly  as  high  a  rank  as  himself  in  the 
camp,  and  shared  the  power  in  concert  with  Istagon,  the 
latter  did  not  at  first  apply  to  himself  exclusively  the  an 
nouncement  of  death  which  had  just  been  made  so  mysteri 
ously.  He  did  not  yet  feel  the  effects  of  the  poisoned  dish,, 
and  had  not  even  the  slightest  suspicion  on  the  subject 


176  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Each  withdrew  to  his  own  lodge ;  but  dark  apprehension? 
troubled  their  minds,  and  agitation  controlled  their  hearts, 
Who  will  be  the  victim  announced  \ 

Towards  midnight  a  messenger  informed  Gaucher  that 
Lis  uncle  and  friend  was  very  sick,  and  wished  positively  to 
speak  with  him.  The  uncle  suspected  the  perfidy  of  his 
nephew,  and  was  resolved  to  stretch  him  dead  at  his  feet 
while  he  yet  possessed  sufficient  strength.  The  wily  Tchatka 
answered  the  messenger,  "  Go,  tell  Istagon  that  my  visit  to 
him  would  prove  useless.  I  could  not  possibly  at  this  mo 
ment  quit  my  lodge  and  my  Wah-kon." 

In  the  mean  time  a  great  tumult  and  great  confusion  arose 
throughout  the  camp;  consternation  became  general.  In 
his  horrible  convulsions,  and  before  they  had  deprived  him 
of  the  use  of  speech,  Istagon  declared  to  the  braves  who  first 
answered  his  call,  that  he  suspected  Tchatka  of  being  the 
cause  of  his  death.  They  at  once  uttered  shrieks  of  rage 
and  vengeance  against  the  latter,  and  hastened  to  his  lodgo 
to  execute  their  threats.  Tchatka,  apparently  grieved  and 
melancholy,  on  account  of  the  unhappy  lot  of  his  uncle, 
and  trembling  with  fear  at  the  sight  of  so  many  uplifted 
tomahawks,  besought  these  avengers  of  Istagon  to  suspend 
their  wrath  and  deign  to  listen  to  him.  "Relations  and 
friends,"  said  he,  "  Istagon  is  my  uncle ;  the  same  blood 
flows  in  our  veins ;  he  has  ever  loaded  me  with  marks  of 
his  friendship  and  his  confidence.  How  then  could  I  injure 
him  f  A  few  moments  ago  you  saw  him  vigorous  with 
health ;  now  that  he  is  grappling  with  death  you  come  to 
discharge  your  vengeance  upon  me !  What  have  I  done  to 
deserve  it  1  I  predicted  the  event !  How  could  I  help  doing 
so?  Such  was  the  decree  of  my  great  Wah-kon!  Ap« 
proach,  and  observe  it  closely,  for  I  announced  at  the  sam« 
time  that  my  Wah-kon  would  disappear,  in  order  to  accom 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  177 

pany  the  soul  of  the  chief  into  the  region  of  spirits.  If  my 
word  is  accomplished,  and  my  Wah-kon  stone  disappears,  is 
f  not  an  evident  sign  that  the  death  of  Istagon  is  rather  a 
lecree  of  the  manitous  than  a  treachery  on  my  part  ?  Wait, 
and  judge  for  yourselves."  These  few  words  had  the  desiiV 
effect ;  they  seated  themselves  as  sentinels  around  the  mys 
tenons  stone.  Neither  calumet  nor  dish  was  handed  round 
in  this  mute  circle — silent  in  appearance,  but  tumultuous  in 
reality,  for  their  hearts  were  agitated  with  different  emo 
tions,  to  which  the  discourse  of  the  perfidious  Tchatka  had 
given  rise. 

During  the  two  hours  that  this  scene  lasted,  the  fire 
gradually  became  dim,  and  shed  only  a  few  feeble  glimmer 
ings,  which  were  from  time  to  time  reflected  from  these 
sombre  and  sinister  faces.  In  the  interval,  some  runners 
arrived,  to  announce  the  progress  of  the  malady.  "  Istagon 
is  in  convulsions,  and  utters  naught  but  shrieks  of  rage  and 
despair  against  his  nephew — his  convulsions  grow  more  fee 
ble — he  is  losing  his  speech — he  can  only  be  heard  with 
difficulty — he  is  in  agony — Istagon  is  dead."  Cries  of  dis 
tress  accompanied  this  last  message.  At  the  same  instant 
the  mysterious  stone  burst  into  a  thousand  fragments,  with  a 
noise  like  thunder,  which  palsied  all  the  assistants  with  fear. 
In  scattering,  it  filled  the  lodge  with  cinders  and  fire,  and 
wounded  severely  the  nearest  of  the  observers.  Stunned 
and  frightened,  all  took  flight  from  this  scene  of  prodigies. 
The  indignation  and  revenge  which  animated  them  a  mo 
ment  before  against  Tchatka,  gave  place  to  fear,  mingled 
with  awe  and  respect  for  him,  and  they  no  longer  dared 
approach  him.  The  supernatural  power  of  the  Wah-kon  was 
acknowledged,  and  he  who  had  received  it  from  the  thunder 
was  honored  throughout  the  camp  with  the  title  of  Wan- 
kon-Tangka,  that  is,  Great  Medicine. 


178  WESTEfcN  MISSIONS 

This  pretended  supernatural  affair  is  thus  explained :  The 
wily  savage  had  been  a  long  time  preparing  the  part  he  in 
tended  performing.  Some  days  beforehand  he  pierced  the 
stone,  and  charged  it  with  nearly  a  pound  of  powder.  A 
train  of  powder,  carefully  covered  over,  conducted  from  the 
place  in  which  he  was  seated  to  the  hole  excavated  in  the 
stone — a  distance  of  six  or  eight  feet.  He  seized  a  favorable 
instant  for  lighting  a  piece  of  tinder,  and  at  the  very  mo 
ment  that  the  death  of  the  "  One-eyed"  was  announced,  he 
fired  the  train — the  stone  exploded. 

All  these  subtle  and  perfidious  means  of  Gaucher  must 
appear  very  simple  in  the  civilized  world,  where  poison  and 
powder  are  so  often  employed  in  all  manner  of  crimes  and 
misdemeanors ;  but  among  the  Indians  the  case  was  widely 
different.  They  were  then  ignorant  of  the  destructive  power 
of  these  two  articles.  It  is  not,  therefore,  astonishing  that 
they  saw  only  Wah-kon — that  is  to  say,  the  supernatural  and 
incomprehensible — in  all  this. 

At  his  death,  Istagon  left  a  great  number  of  friends,  espe 
cially  among  the  warriors,  who  were  sincerely  attached  to 
him  on  account  of  his  bravery.  Several  among  them,  less 
credulous  perhaps  than  the  others,  eyed  Tchatka  with  stern 
and  threatening  looks  every  time  that  he  appeared  in  public. 
But  as  he  lived  retired,  rarely  quitting  his  lodge,  their  dis 
dain  and  aversion  for  him  were  not  much  remarked.  Besides, 
as  I  have  already  observed,  he  had  a  numerous  band  of  rela 
tives  ;  the  members  of  his  family,  on  whom  he  could  rely, 
with  his  partisans,  formed  a  fourth  part  of  all  the  camps,  or 
about  eighty  lodges. 

Tchatka  was  well  persuaded  that  a  politic  stroke  was  still 
necessary  to  gain  the  undecided,  the  discontented,  and  the 
incredulous.  Circumstances  seemed  to  favor  this  measure ; 
he  resolved  to  have  recourse  to  it  while  the  prodigy  of  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  179 

stone  was  still  fresh  in  their  memory.  It  has  occasionally 
happened,  too,  that  on  the  death  of  a  chief,  a  numerous 
camp  divides  into  different  companies,  above  all  if  there 
had  existed  any  anterior  discord.  Tchatka,  therefore,  shut 
himself  in  his  lodge  during  several  days,  without  communi 
cating  openly  with  any  one.  The  camp  expected  something 
marvellous.  The  causes  of  this  long  retreat  were  discussed ; 
they  lost  themselves  in  conjectures ;  all,  however,  were  fully 
persuaded  that  some  new  manifestation,  either  good  or  evil, 
would  be  the  result.  On  the  fifth  day  of  Tchatka's  retreat, 
a  general  uneasiness  was  manifested  among  the  savages,  and 
they  spoke  of  dividing. 

What  was  the  famous  Tchatka,  the  Great  Medicine — the 
hope  of  some,  and  the  terror  of  others — doing?  Nothing 
else  than  making  a  drum,  or  tchant-cheega-kabo,  of  such 
dimensions  that  never  any  Indian  had  imagined.  Some  time 
beforehand,  m  the  premeditation  of  his  exploit,  he  had 
secretly  sawed  a  piece  of  an  enormous  hollow  tree,  very  suit' 
able  to  his  design.  Its  height  three  feet,  and  its  breadth 
two,  his  drum  resembled  a  churn.  One  end  was  covered 
with  goatskin,  and  the  other  only  with  wood.  He  employed 
several  days  in  cutting  and  scraping  the  interior  of  this 
famous  instrument,  in  order  to  render  it  lighter.  On  the 
exterior  of  this  tchant-cheega-kabo,  he  painted  the  figures  of 
a  grizzly  bear,  of  a  tortoise,  of  a  bison  bull — three  superior 
genii  in  the  catalogue  of  the  Indian  manitous.  Between 
these  figures  were  painted  human  heads,  without  scalps,  fill 
ing  every  space,  about  eighty  in  number.  On  the  skin  ot 
the  drum,  a  chief  of  the  Black-Feet  tribe  was  represented, 
without  a  scalp,  in  black,  and  daubed  with  vermilion. 

He  had  finished  his  work,  and  made  all  his  preparations, 
At  midnight  the  voice  of  Tchatka  was  heard,  with  the  muf 
fled  sound  of  his  tchant-cheega,  which  resounded  through  th« 


180  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

camp.  As  though  just  coming  fortk  from  an  ecstasy,  h« 
offered  aloud  his  thanksgivings  and  his  invocations  to  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  to  all  his  favorite  manitous,  to  thank  them 
for  the  new  favors  with  which  they  had  just  crowned  him,  the 
effects  of  which  were  to  reflect  upon  the  whole  tribe.  With 
out  delay,  every  one  listened  to  his  call,  and  repaired  to  his 
lodge.  Observing  the  usual  customs,  the  counsellors,  the 
principal  among  the  braves  and  soldiers,  entered  the  first,  am' 
soon  filled  his  abode ;  while  hundreds  of  the  curious,  old 
and  young,  collected  and  besieged  it  without.  Curiosity  is 
at  its  highest  pitch :  they  are  on  fire  to  learn  the  explana 
tion  of  the  mysterious  news  ;  they  wait  with  anxious 
impatience. 

As  a  preliminary,  Tchatka  intoned  a  beautiful  war-song, 
without  paying  the  slightest  attention  to  the  multitude  which 
pressed  around  him.  In  his  quality  of  medicine-man,  his 
head-dress  was  made  of  swan's-down ;  his  face  and  his  breast 
were  painted  in  figures  of  different  colors;  his  lips,  dyed 
with  vermilion,  indicated  that  he  thirsted  for  blood,  and 
breathed  the  spirit  of  war.  When  he  perceived  that  the 
whole  band  was  around  him,  he  arose,  and  with  the  voice  of 
a  stentor,  addressed  the  assembly. 

"  I  dreamed,"  said  he,  "  friends  and  warriors,  I  dreamed  ! 
During  five  days  and  five  nights,  I  was  admitted  into  the 
land  of  spirits  ;  living,  I  walked  among  the  dead.  My  eyes 
have  witnessed  frightful  scenes ;  my  ears  have  heard  fright 
ful  moans,  sighs,  lamentations,  and  howliugs !  Have  you 
courage  to  listen  to  me  ?  Can  I  suffer  you  to  become  the 
victims  of  your  most  cruel  enemies  ?  For,  know  that  danger 
is  near — the  enemy  is  not  far  distant !" 

An  aged  man,  whose  white  hairs  announced  seventy  win 
ters,  the  grand  counsellor  of  the  nation,  and  a  juggler,  replied 

"  A  man  who  loves  his  tribe,  conceals  nothing  frow  th« 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  181 

people.  When  danger  is  at  hand,  he  speaks;  when  the 
enemy  is  in  sight,  he  goes  out  to  meet  him.  You  say  you 
have  visited  the  region  of  souls ;  I  believe  in  your  words.  I 
also,  in  my  dreams,  have  frequently  conversed  with  the  ghosts 
of  (he  departed.  Tchatka,  though  young  has  given  us  ex 
traordinary  proofs  of  his  power;  the  last  hour  of  Istagon 
was  terrible,  but  who  dares  rise  to  blame  you  ?  You  only 
predicted  the  two  events :  the  chief  died,  and  the  Wah-kou 
disappeared.  I  also  performed  wonders  in  my  youth.  Now 
I  am  old ;  but  although  my  limbs  begin  to  be  feeble,  I  have 
yet  a  clear  mind.  We  will  listen  to  your  words  with  atten 
tion,  and  then  we  will  decide  on  the  course  we  ought  to  take. 
I  have  spoken." 

The  speech  of  the  old  man  had  a  favorable  effect  on  the 
whole  assembly.  Perhaps  he  was  in  Tchatka's  secret.  All 
the  succeeding  orations  manifested  a  feeling  of  inclination  to 
the  murderer.  The  latter,  reassured  concerning  the  dispo 
sitions  in  regard  to  him,  continued  his  recital  with  firmness 
and  showed  confidence  respecting  his  future  plans. 

"  Let  those  who  have  ears,  hearken  to  me !  those  who 
have  not,  are  free  to  go  !  You  know  me.  I  am  a  man  ol 
few  words,  but  what  I  advance  is  true,  and  the  events  which 
I  predict  arrive.  During  five  days  and  five  nights  my  spirit 
was  wafted  amid  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  especially  of  our 
relatives  and  friends — of  our  friends  whose  bones  are  whiten 
ing  on  the  plains,  and  which  the  wolves  drag  into  their  laira 
— of  our  friends  who  still,  unavenged,  wander  up  and  down, 
amid  swamp,  and  snow,  and  ice,  in  sterile  and  forsaken 
deserts,  which  produce  neither  fruit,  nor  root,  nor  animal,  to 
subsist  on.  It  is  a  place  of  darkness,  wi  ve  sunlight  never 
enters.  They  are  subject  to  all  privations — cold,  hunger, 
thirst.  We,  their  friends,  their  relatives,  their  brethren,  are 
the  cause  of  their  long  sufferings  and  fearful  woes.  Their 
16 


182  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

sighs  and  moans  were  unsupportable.  I  trembled  in  every 
limb ;  my  hair  stood  erect  on  my  head ;  I  believed  my  lot 
fixed  with  theirs ;  when  a  kindly  spirit  touched  my  hand 
and  said :  '  Tchatka,  return  to  the  place  which  thou  hast  left ; 
return  to  thy  body,  for  it  is  not  yet  time  for  thee  to  enter  the 
land  of  spirits.  Return,  and  thou  shalt  be  the  bearer  of 
good  news  to  thy  nation — the  shades  of  thy  deceased  rela 
tions  shall  be  avenged,  and  their  deliverance  is  nigh.  In  thy 
lodge  thou  wilt  find  a  drum,  painted  with  figures  that  soon 
thou  shalt  learn  to  know.'  At  this  instant  the  spirit  left  me. 
Coming  forth  from  my  dream,  I  found  my  drum,  painted  as 
you  now  behold  it.  When  my  body  was  restored  to  anima 
tion,  I  found  that  I  had  not  changed  position.  During  four 
days  and  four  nights  I  had  the  same  vision,  varied  sometimes, 
but  always  accompanied  with  complaints  and  reproaches 
concerning  our  recent  defeats  by  our  enemies,  the  Black-Feet. 
The  fifth  night,  the  manitou  addressed  me  anew,  and  said : 
*  Tchatka,  henceforth  the  tchant-cheega-kabo  shall  be  thy 
Wah-kon.  Arise,  follow  without  delay  the  war-path  which 
leads  to  the  Black-Feet.  At  the  source  of  the  Milk  River 
thirty  lodges  of  the  enemies  are  encamped.  Set  out  instant 
ly,  and  after  five  days'  march  thou  shalt  reach  the  camp. 
On  the  sixth  thou  shalt  make  a  fearful  carnage.  Every 
head  painted  on  the  drum  represents  a  scalp,  and  the  taking 
cf  these  scalps  will  appease  the  manes  of  thy  deceased 
parents  and  friends.  Then  only  will  they  be  enabled  to  quit 
the  frightful  abode  where  thou  beholdest  them,  to  enter  the 
beauteous  plains  where  plenty  reigns,  and  where  suffering 
and  privation  are  unknown.  At  this  moment  a  Black-Feet 
war-party  is  prowling  around  the  camp.  They  sought  a 
favorable  moment,  but  not  finding  it,  have  gone  in  search  ol 
a  weaker  enemy.  Set  out,  then,  without  delay ;  thou  shalt 
find  an  easy  victory ;  thou  shalt  find  in  the  Black-Feet  camp 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  183 

only  old  men,  women,  and  children.*  Such  were  the  words 
of  the  manitou,  and  he  disappeared.  I  returned  to  my  body. 
I  recovered  my  senses.  I  have  told  you  all."*  Thus  spoke 
this  extraordinary  man. 

Before  continuing  the  strange  history  of  Tchatka  and  ol 
his  predictions,  it  will  be  necessary  to  explain  that  he  gained 
over  to  his  cause  and  person  several  active  young  men,  the 
best  runners  in  the  camp.  From  them  he  obtained  in  secret 
all  the  news  and  information  that  they  could  gather  in  theii 
long  expeditions,  either  as  to  the  hunt,  or  as  to  the  proximi 
ty,  number,  and  position  of  the  enemy.  The  juggler,  as 
soon  as  he  is  informed,  makes  his  medicine  or  incantations, 
and  then  prophecies  to  the  people,  who,  not  suspecting  the 
trick,  deem  all  supernatural  that  comes  from  the  impostor's 
mouth. 

Let  us  continue :  the  discourse  of  Tchatka  (for  we  will  so 
style  him  in  our  narrative,  although  he  had  now  received 
that  of  Wah-kon-Tangka  or  Great  Medicine)  had  produced 
the  effect  he  desired  on  all  his  auditory.  The  Assiniboins 
entertained  a  mortal  hatred  against  the  Black-Feet;  this 
detestation  had  been  transmitted  from  father  to  son,  and 
augmented  by  continual  aggressions  and  reprisals.  We  may 
form  an  idea  of  the  propensity  that  Indians  have  for  war, 
from  the  expression  which  they  use  to  designate  it.  They 
call  it  "  The  Breath  of  their  Nostrils."  Each  family  num 
bered  some  member  slain  by  their  dreadful  adversary. 


*  Many  of  our  Indian  tribes  celebrate,  towards  the  close  of  winter 
the  "  Feast  of  Dreams."  The  ceremonies  are  often  prolonged  to  ten 
days  or  a  fortnight.  They  might  rather  be  termed  Bacchanalia  or  Car 
nival.  Even  the  Indians  call  it  the  "  Feast  of  Madmen."  These  ar« 
days  of  great  disorder ; — when  all  they  dream  or  pretend  to  dream  must 
be  executed.  Dances,  songs,  and  music  form  the  principal  ceremouiei 
of  th«  feast. 


184  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

Tchatka's  words  aroused  in  their  hearts  the  most  violent 
thirst  of  vengeance.  The  sassaskwi,  or  war-whoop,  was  the 
unanimous  response  of  all  the  warriors  in  the  camp.  They 
lighted  bonfires,  formed  groups  for  chanting  invocations  to 
their  manitous,  and  executed  the  scalp-dance.  Then  each 
one  examined  his  arms,  and  the  whole  scene  changed  into 
a  vast  workshop.  The  soldiers  sharpened  the  double-edged 
knives  and  daggers,  filed  anew  the  lances  and  arrows,  ver 
milioned  the  battle-axes  and  the  tomahawks,  bridled  and 
saddled  the  horses ;  while  the  women  mended  and  prepared 
the  moccasins,  the  leggins,  and  the  sacks  of  provisions  ne 
cessary  for  the  journey.  As  though  it  were  a  grand  gala 
occasion,  every  one  daubed  his  face  with  vermilion,  accord 
ing  to  his  fancy,  and  arrayed  himself  in  his  handsomest 
ornaments.  Never  had  so  lively  and  so  unanimous  an  en 
thusiasm  appeared  in  the  tribe.  All  relied  implicitly  on  the 
promises  of  Tchatka,  and  counted  on  certain  victory.  The 
warriors  felicitated  themselves  on  having  at  last  found  an 
opportunity  to  efface  the  shame  and  opprobium  inflicted  on 
the  nation,  and  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  kindred.  The 
camp  breathed  naught  but  war.  The  man  who  had  set  all 
in  motion  remained  silent  and  alone.  Tranquil  in  his  lodge, 
beside  his  big  drum,  he  would  neither  take  part  in  the  public 
rejoicings,  nor  join  in  the  singing  and  dancing  the  war-dance. 
When  the  war-party  was  formed,  and  ready  to  depart, 
several  old  men  and  soldiers  were  deputed  to  Tchatka,  to 
ask  him  to  take  the  lead,  and  conduct  the  enterprise  in  per 
son.  He  replied :  "  You  have  seen  that  the  two  events 
that  I  predicted  have  drawn  upon  me  the  ill-will  of  a  great 
number.  I  am  young — I  am  no  warrior — choose  an  older 
and  more  experienced  man  than  I  to  lead  the  braves  to 
battle.  I  will  stay  here ;  leave  me  to  my  dreams  and  my 
drum."  The  deputies  reported  his  response  to  their  com- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  185 

rades ;  but  the  latter  insisted  anew  that  Tchatka  be  of  the 
company.  A  new  deputation,  composed  this  time  of  the 
nearest  relatives  of  Istagon,  sought  Tchatka  in  the  name  o» 
the  whole  camp,  and  announced  to  him  that  henceforward 
he  should  be  their  war-chief,  and  all  promised  him  respect 
and  obedience.  After  some  hesitation,  Tchatka  surrendered 
to  their  entreaties,  saying :  "  Friends  and  relations,  I  forget 
the  wrongs  that  I  have  endured.  If  my  predictions  are  ac 
complished — if  we  find  the  camp  of  the  Black-Feet  which  I 
have  designated — if  we  tear  from  the  enemy  as  many  scalps 
as  are  on  my  drum,  will  you  in  future  believe  in  niy  great 
medicine  ?  If  I  declare  to  you  that  on  the  second  day  after 
our  departure  we  shall  detect  the  trail  of  the  war-party  that 
has  passed  near  our  camp — if  we  slay  on  the  battle-field  the 
great  chief  of  the  Black-Feet,  and  you  see  him  as  he  is 
painted  on  my  drum,  without  a  scalp  and  without  hands ; — it 
all  this  be  accomplished  literally,  will  you  in  future  respond 
to  my  call  ?"  They  all  accepted  his  conditions. 

Immediately  Tchatka  arose,  intoned  his  war-song  to  the 
sound  of  his  drum,  and  to  the  acclamations  of  the  whole 
tribe.  He  then  joined  his  band,  but  without  arms,  not  even 
a  knife.  He  ordered  them  to  fasten  his  drum  on  the  back 
of  a  good  horse,  which  he  had  led  beside  him  by  one  of  his 
faithful  spies  and  runners,  by  the  bridle. 

In  order  to  understand  better  the  issue,  it  may  not  be 
irrelevant  to  say  a  few  words  on  the  Indian  chiefs.  Each 
nation  is  divided  into  different  bands  or  tribes,  and  each 
tribe  counts  several  villages.  Every  village  has  its  chief,  to 
whom  they  submit,  in  proportion  to  the  respect  or  terror 
which  his  personal  qualities  inspire.  The  power  of  a  chief  is 
sometimes  merely  nominal ;  sometimes,  also,  his  authority  is 
absolute,  and  his  name,  as  well  as  his  influence,  extends  be 
yond  the  limits  of  his  own  village,  so  th:;t  the  whole  tribe  to 


1S6  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

which  he  belongs  acknowledge  him  as  their  head.  This 
was  the  case  among  the  Assiniboins  in  the  time  of  Tehatka. 
Courage,  address,  and  an  enterprising  spirit  may  elevate 
every  warrior  to  the  highest  honors,  especially  if  his  father 
or  an  uncle  enjoyed  the  dignity  of  chief  before  him,  and  that 
he  has  a  numerous  family  ready  to  maintain  his  authority 
and  avenge  his  quarrels.  Yet  when  the  seniors  and  war 
riors  have  installed  him  with  all  the  requisite  ceremonies,  it 
must  not  be  supposed  that  he,  on  this  account,  arrogates  to 
himself  the  least  exterior  appearance  of  rank  or  dignity.  He 
is  too  well  aware  that  his  rank  hangs  by  a  frail  thread,  which 
may  quite  easily  be  broken.  He  must  gain  the  confidence 
of  his  uncertain  subjects,  or  retain  them  by  fear.  A  great 
many  families  in  the  village  are  better  off  than  the  chief; — 
dress  better,  are  richer  in  arms,  horses,  and  other  possessions. 
Like  the  ancient  German  chiefs,  he  gains  the  confidence  and 
attachment  of  his  soldiers,  first,  by  his  bravery,  more  fre 
quently  by  presents,  which  only  serves  to  impoverish  him 
the  more.  If  a  chief  does  not  succeed  in  gaining  the  love  of 
his  subjects,  they  will  despise  his  authority  and  quit  him  at 
the  slightest  opposition  on  his  part ;  for  the  customs  of  the 
Indians  admit  no  conditions  by  which  they  may  enforce 
respect  from  their  subjects. 

It  rarely  happens,  among  the  Western  tribes,  that  a  chief 
attains  great  power,  unless  he  is  at  the  head  of  a  numerous 
family.  I  have  sometimes  seen  whole  villages  composed  of 
the  descendants  and  relatives  of  the  chief.  This  kind  of 
nomadic  community  has  a  certain  patriarchal  character,  and 
is  generally  the  best  regulated  and  the  most  pacific.  The 
chief  is  less  a  master  than  a  father,  who  reigns  in  a  numer 
ous  household  by  the  wish  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  render 
all  happy.  It  may  be  said  in  general  of  the  Indian  na 
tions,  that  tribes  little  united  with  each  other,  rent  even  by 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  187 

discord  and  jealousy,  can  possess  little  power  and  exercise 
it  less. 

Let  us  return  to  Tchatka,  the  grand  chief-elect  of  th* 
principal  band  of  the  Assiniboins.  He  found  himself  in 
command  of  four  hundred  warriors.  They  marched  the 
rest  of  the  night,  and  during  the  whole  of  the  next  day, 
with  the  greatest  precautions  and  in  the  best  order,  so  as  to 
prevent  all  surprise.  Some  scouts  alone  ran  over  and  beat 
the  surrounding  country,  leaving  in  their  passage  signals  and 
rods  planted  in  the  earth,  and  inclined  in  such  a  manner  a» 
to  indicate  the  route  that  the  little  army  ought  to  follow. 
About  evening  they  descried  a  thick  wood,  on  the  border  of 
a  little  stream,  and  there  erected,  hastily,  a  kind  of  parapet, 
or  defence,  with  the  dried  branches  and  trunks  of  trees,  and 
thus  passed  behind  it  a  peaceful  night.  In  the  morning 
they  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  an  innumerable  herd 
of  bisons,  and  stopped  some  instants  to  renew  their  stock  of 
provisions.*  Towards  nightfall  a  faithful  scout  returned  and 
communicated  secretly  with  Tchatka.  After  marching  still 
several  miles,  the  chief,  with  the  beating  of  his  drum,  Wah- 
kon,  collected  all  his  warriors,  and  pointing  with  his  finger 
to  a  high  hill,  some  miles  distant,  he  informed  them  that 


*  I  have  often  spoken  of  the  bisons,  improperly  called  buffaloes, 
without  mentioning  the  great  use  which  the  Indians  make  of  this  in 
teresting  animal.  They  supply  almost  all  the  necessaries  of  life.  Their 
skins  form  lodges  or  dwellings,  and  serve  as  clothing,  litters,  bridles,  and 
saddle  coverings,  vessels  to  hold  water,  boats  to  cross  lakes  and  rivers ; 
with  the  hair,  the  Indians  make  their  cordage ;  with  the  sinews,  bow 
strings  and  thread  for  clothes,  as  well  as  glue ;  the  shoulder-blade  ia 
spade  and  pickaxe.  The  bison  is  their  daily  bread,  their  chief  food. 
The  dung  of  the  animal,  called  bois-de-vache,  furnishes  abundant  fuel 
Last  year  100,000  buffalo-skins  were  sent  from  the  desert  to  the  ware 
houses  of  St.  Louis.  With  the  proceeds  the  Indians  obtain  arms  anJ 
ali  they  need. 


188  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

there  they  would  trace  the  war-party  of  the  Black-Feet,  of 
which  he  had  dreamed  before  leaving  the  camp.  Several 
horsemen  set  out  without  delay  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy. 
At  the  spot  indicated  they  found  the  path  tracked  by  nearly 
a  hundred  horses.  All  the  warriors  redoubled  their  zeal, 
ardor,  and  confidence  in  their  new  chief.  The  two  succeed 
ing  days  offered  nothing  very  singular.  They  again  stopped 
in  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day,  without  discovering  the  small 
est  vestige  of  proximity  to  the  hostile  camp  they  sought. 
The  watchful  scouts  were  gone,  during  the  day,  in  different 
directions,  without  bringing  back  the  least  news,  except  the 
one  who  had  been  in  secret  communication  with  Tchatka. 
Several  of  the  most  ancient  of  the  warriors  murmured  boldly, 
saying,  "  that  the  day  predicted  by  the  chief,  on  which  they 
would  surely  see  the  enemy,  had  passed." 

But  Tchatka  silenced  them  all,  replying  to  them :  "  You 
seem  still  to  doubt  my  words — the  time  is  not  past!  Rather 
say,  the  time  is  arrived.  You  appear  still  young  in  experi 
ence — and  yet  a  great  many  winters  are  beginning  to  whiten 
your  heads.  Where  do  you  think  you  will  find  the  lodges 
of  your  enemies  ?  Is  it  in  the  open  plain,  or  on  the  summit 
of  an  elevation  ?  With  a  single  glance  of  the  eye  we  perceive 
all  that  is  there,  and  is  it  there  you  preterd  to  discover  them  ; 
and  that,  too,  in  a  moment  in  which  those  who  should  pro 
tect  their  wives  and  children  are  afar  ?  The  bear  and  the 
jaguar  hide  their  little  ones  in  their  dens,  or  in  the  depth  of 
impenetrable  forests ;  the  wolf  hides  them  in  a  hole ;  the 
goat  and  the  deer  cover  them  with  hay.  When  you  hunt 
the  deer,  do  you  not  peep  through  the  trees  and  the  briars  ? 
In  the  fox  and  the  badger  hunt,  you  seek  their  lairs.  Let 
some  one  go  and  examine  the  little  point  of  forest  near  the 
large  rock,  at  the  end  of  the  plain  in  which  we  are." 

instantly,  several  of  the  most  courageous  and  the  most 


AND   MISSION AEIE8.  189 

experienced  in  the  stratagems  of  warfare  were  sent  to  the 
discovery.  Favored  by  the  night,  and  with  all  possible  pre 
cautions,  they  entered  the  little  wood,  and  made  all  their  ob 
servations  without  being  perceived.  In  the  silence  of  mid 
night,  they  reported  their  news  to  Tchatka  and  his  com 
panions  --'*  that  they  had  discovered  the  Black-Feet  en 
campment  in  the  place  indicated  by  the  chief;  that  the 
lodges  were  occupied  solely  by  old  men,  women,  and  chil 
dren  ;  that  they  could  not  hear  the  voices  of  any  youth  ;  and 
that  all  the  horses  were  gone."  This  account  filled  these 
barbarous  hearts  with  joy.  The  rest  of  the  night  was  passed 
in  songs  and  dances  to  the  sound  of  the  great  drum,  in  jug 
gleries  and  invocations  to  the  manitous  who  had  inspired 
Tchatka  during  his  five  days  and  five  nights  of  dreams,  and 
which  had  conducted  his  spirit  into  the  regions  of  souls. 

At  the  break  of  day  the  four  hundred  Assiniboin  war 
riors  surrounded  the  thirty  feeble  wigwams  of  the  Black- 
Feet.  The  cry  of  war  and  of  vengeance,  which  they  shouted 
simultaneously,  like  so  many  bloodthirsty  furies,  awakened 
and  filled  with  dreadful  fear  those  unhappy  mothers  and 
children  left  unprotected  there.  In  accordance  with  their 
expectations,  the  Assiniboins  found  few  men  in  the  camp ; 
all  had  gone  with  the  war-party  of  which  I  have  made  men 
tion.  The  small  number  of  Black-Feet  youth  defended 
themselves  with  desperate  bravery  ;  but  they  could  not  long 
resist  so  many  enemies.  The  combat  was  short ;  the  car 
nage  bloody  and  hideous.  Old  men,  women,  and  children, 
fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  cruel  Assiniboins.  Only  two  young 
Black-Feet  escaped  this  shocking  butchery.  An  Assiniboin 
who  participated  in  the  combat  gave  the  recital  of  it  to  M. 
Denig,  and  declared  that  with  his  own  hand  he  had  killed 
fourteen  children  and  three  women.  M.  Denig  asked  him  if 
he  had  killed  them  all  with  arrows.  "  Some  of  them,"  an- 


190  WESTERN  MISSIONS 

Bwered  he ;  "  but  failing  in  arrows,  I  had  recourse  to  the 
tomahawk  and  the  dagger."  He  added,  at  the  same  time, 
that  they  tore  from  the  arms  of  their  mothers,  and  took 
with  them  a  great  number  of  little  children,  and  that  on 
their  way,  amid  their  songs  and  the  scalp-dances,  they 
amused  themselves  with  flaying  them  alive  and  running 
pointed  sticks  through  their  bodies,  in  order  to  roast  them 
alive  before  the  fire.  The  piercing  shrieks  of  these  little 
creatures  fell  upon  the  ear  of  these  barbarians,  amid  their 
inhuman  orgies,  like  the  sweetest  and  most  delightful  mel 
ody.  All  that  a  pitiless  and  savage  heart  could  invent  oi 
torture,  was  put  in  practice  on  this  occasion.  The  Assini- 
boins  declare  that  they  satiated  themselves  with  cruelty,  to 
satisfy  the  manes  of  their  deceased  parents  and  kindred, 
and  their  implacable  and  long-wished-for  vengeance  against 
the  greatest  of  their  enemies,  the  Black-Feet.  The  number 
of  scalps  taken  surpassed  greatly  the  number  of  heads  paint 
ed  on  the  drum. 

When  returning  to  their  own  grounds,  at  the  first  en 
campment  which  they  made,  one  of  the  warriors  remarked, 
and  loud  enough  for  Tchatka's  ear,  "  that  the  Black-Foot 
chief  had  neither  been  seen  nor  slain."  The  chief  replied : 
"  Our  work  is  not  yet  finished ;  we  will  therefore  have  an 
other  encounter  before  repairing  to  our  homes.  The  Black- 
Foot  chief  shall  die  !  I  saw  him  scalped  in  my  dream :  such 
he  was  painted  on  the  drum  by  the  manitous.  His  scalp 
shall  be  taken  from  him  with  his  own  knife." 

A  gentle  shower  fell  during  the  night ;  a  heavy  fog  ob 
scured  the  sky  during  the  morning,  which  obliged  the  whole 
company  of  warriors  to  remain  together,  in  order  not  to  lose 
their  way.  After  some  hours'  march,  the  sound  of  a  gun 
discharged  in  front  of  the  line,  informed  those  who  brought 
up  the  rear  that  an  attack  had  commenced.  Every  oni 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  191 

pressed  forward  to  join  the  combatants.  It  was  a  rencontre 
with  a  troop  of  twenty  or  thirty  Black-Feet  that  the  fog  had 
separated  from  their  companions.  Notwithstanding  all  the 
manoeuvres  of  Tchatka  to  shelter  himself  from  danger,  he 
found  himself  enveloped  in  the  midst  of  the  fight,  ignorant 
which  way  to  turn.  The  Black-Feet  defended  themselves 
courageously,  but  they  were  forced  to  yield  to  the  superior 
number  of  adversaries.  Several  escaped  by  means  of  the 
fog,  which  covered  them  from  view. 

In  the  heat  of  the  engagement,  Tchatka's  horse  was  killed 
under  him ;  the  horseman  and  his  steed  rolled  in  the  dust. 
At  the  same  instant  a  Black -Foot,  of  lofty  stature  and  pro 
digious  strength,  hurled  his  lance  at  him,  which  only  grazed 
the  head  of  his  enemy,  and  struck  deep,  quivering  in  the 
earth.  Then  he  attacked  him,  knife  in  hand.  Tchatka  rose 
rapidly  from  his  fall,  and,  coward  as  he  was,  in  self-defence 
he  displayed  skill  and  strength.  He  seized  the  arm  of  his 
terrible  adversary,  and  used  every  effort  to  wrest  the  knife. 
As  the  combat  in  front  of  the  line  had  ceased,  the  Assini- 
boins,  perceiving  the  absence  of  their  chief,  returned  to  look 
for  him.  They  found  him  prostrate,  and  still  combating 
with  this  powerful  enemy.  The  Black-Foot  now  disen 
gaged,  raised  his  arm  to  plunge  his  knife  into  the  heart  of 
Tchatka,  when  he  received  the  blow  of  a  tomahawk  on  his 
skull,  which  stretched  him  without  consciousness  beside  his 
vanquished  adversary.  The  latter,  in  his  turn,  seized  the 
murderous  instrument  and  finished  the  Black-Foot.  On 
rising  he  shouted  :  "  Friends,  behold  the  chief  of  the  Black- 
Feet,  for  his  medal  reveals  and  proclaims  him !  I  hold  in 
my  hand  the  knife  of  Mattan  Zia  (Bear's-Foot),  whose 
mighty  deeds  you  know,  and  who  has  been,  during  many 
years,  the  terror  of  our  nation."  With  the  same  blood- 
itained  knife  he  scalped  him  and  cut  off  his  two  hands,  in 


L92  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

in  order  to  accomplish  the  last  point  of  his  great  prophecy, 
which  will  be  repeated  from  father  to  son  among  the 
Assiniboins,  to  the  last  generation.  On  this  occasion 
Tchatka  received  the  third  name,  Minayougha,  or  the  Knife- 
holder. 

The  whole  tribe  gave  themselves  up  to  a  delirium  of  joy, 
which  I  could  not  describe,  when  the  expedition  returned 
with  so  many  trophies  gained  from  their  most  cruel  enemies. 
The  dances  and  incantations  to  the  sound  of  the  mysterious 
drum,  and  the  public  rejoicing  which  commonly  accompany 
the  scalps,  were  renewed  a  hundred  times  during  the  space 
of  a  single  moon.  The  glory  of  Tchatka  and  his  manitous 
was  chanted  in  the  whole  camp.  They  announced  him, 
with  the  highest  acclamations,  the  Minayougha  and  the 
Wah-kon-Tangka  par  excellence,  whom  none  could  resist.  He 
lost  none  of  the  advantages  which  he  had  gained  in  public 
opinion  by  his  profound  and  cruel  stratagem.  The  whole 
command  of  the  tribe  was  intrusted  to  him,  and  never 
chief  among  the  Assiniboins  attracted  so  much  respect  and 
fear. 

Like  a  true  bashaw,  or  modern  Mormon,  he  selected  three 
wives  at  once,  without  even  consulting  them.  Two  of  these 
had  been  already  betrothed  to  two  young  and  very  influen 
tial  warriors.  Notwithstanding  their  protest,  the  parents 
believed  themselves  honored  in  being  allied  to  the  family  of 
the  great  chief,  by  the  choice  which  he  made  of  their  daugh 
ters,  and  they  were  conducted  to  the  lodge  of  Tchatka.  To 
maintain  peace  in  his  new  household,  and  put  the  discon 
tented  in  good-humor,  by  destroying  every  hope,  he  gave 
orders  to  one  of  his  partisans  to  poison,  in  secret,  his  two 
competitors.  The  better  to  shield  himself  from  all  suspicion, 
he  set  off  in  the  chase.  On  his  return,  they  gave  him  the 
news  of  their  death.  He  contented  himself  by  saying, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  193 

"that  those  who  were  capable  of  contradicting  him  in  the 
smallest  trifles,  or  who  presumed  to  despise  his  power,  were 
in  imminent  danger  of  death." 

In  this  manner  the  principal  accomplice  associated  with 
Tchatka,  for  executing  his  numerous  poisonings,  fulfilled  his 
mandates.  We  shall  say  a  word  concerning  the  relations  in 
which  these  two  detestable  men  stood.  The  hidden  abettor 
was  a  near  relative  of  the  chief.  He  was  about  five  feet  in 
height,  and  of  a  robust  and  vigorous  frame.  He  had  lost  an 
eye  in  a  quarrel  with  a  young  man  ;  over  the  other  hung  a 
great  flap  of  flesh,  beginning  from  the  middle  of  his  fore 
head,  and  extending  as  far  as  his  under-jaw.  He  had  a  flat 
nose,  thick  lips,  a  large,  gaping  mouth,  which  displayed  two 
rows  of  oval  teeth,  as  white  as  ivory.  He  concealed  lightly 
his  ugly  frontispiece  under  tufts  of  thick,  filthy  black  hair, 
matted  together  with  gum  and  resin,  mingled  with  vermil 
ion.  For  several  years,  when  he  visited  Fort  Union,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  he  was  the  terror  of  all  the  chil 
dren,  for  it  was  impossible  to  meet  a  human  face  more  fright 
ful  and  more  loathsome.  Undoubtedly,  the  marks  of  con 
tempt  that  he  everywhere  received,  on  account  of  his  ex 
terior,  excited  in  him  the  inveterate  hatred  that  he  bore  to 
his  race.  The  artful  Tchatka,  perceiving  some  advantages 
that  he  might  draw  from  a  man  of  this  nature,  in  the  execu 
tion  of  his  designs,  had  long  before  taken  him  as  associate. 
He  always  treated  him  with  kindness,  made  him  presents, 
sought  his  confidence  on  various  occasions,  and  flattered  his 
vicious  inclinations.  He  could,  in  consequence,  always  rely 
upon  this  man,  when  there  was  occasion  to  injure  his  equa'js, 
and  the  poison  had  been  administered  so  adroitly  to  the  two 
young  warriors  that  neither  he  nor  Tchatka  were  suspected. 
On  the  contrary,  ;n  the  opinion  of  the  whole  tribe,  a  new 
gem  had  been  added  to  the  brilliant  reputation  of  Wah-kon- 
17 


194  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Tangka,  who  could,  when  distant  or  near,  control  the  lives  of 
his  subjects. 

During  the  first  years  that  Tchatka  found  himself  at  the 
head  of  his  tribe,  success  very  generally  crowned  all  his  un 
dertakings,  and  his  renown  passed  into  all  the  neighboring 
tribes.  However,  it  sometimes  happened  that  his  warriors 
were  beaten.  On  such  occasions  he  was  always  the  first  to 
take  flight,  giving  for  excuse  to  his  comrades  that  his  great 
medicine  (his  drum)  carried  him  away  in  spite  of  himself. 
It  was  most  prudent  to  credit  his  word,  for  should  any  one 
be  so  rash  as  to  doubt,  he  would  be  scarcely  sure  of  escaping 
the  sudden  and  mysterious  death  which  seemed  promptly  to 
attack  all  his  enemies  in  his  own  camp. 

In  1830,  after  having  predicted  success,  he  experienced 
his  first  great  defeat,  on  the  part  of  the  Black-Feet,  leaving 
on  the  plain  beyond  sixty  warriors  slain,  and  nearly  an  equal 
number  wounded.  From  this  moment  dates  the  commence 
ment  of  his  fall ;  the  prestige  which  hitherto  surrounded  his 
name  and  his  deeds  began  to  fail.  About  this  time  the  fur- 
company  had  received  a  new  and  very  large  stock  of  pro 
visions  at  Fort  Union.  It  had  been  furnished  during  two 
years  with  merchandise,  for  executing  the  treaty  among  the 
Indian  nations  in  Upper  Missouri. 

In  hopes  of  repairing,  in  some  manner,  the  great  loss  that 
he  had  just  undergone,  to  arouse  the  dejected  courage  of  his 
soldiers,  to  "  cover  the  dead," — that  is  to  say,  to  put  an  end  to 
the  mourning  in  the  families  which  had  lost  near  kindred  in 
the  last  battle,  Tchatka  promised  them  boldly,  "that  he 
would  render  them  all  rich,  and  would  load  them  with  an 
abundance  of  spoils,  so  that  all  the  horses  of  the  tribe  would 
not  be  able  to  carry  them.  He  had  been  favored  with  a 
new  dream, — a  dream  which  will  not  deceive  them,  provided 
they  enter  into  his  designs,  and  that  they  be  faithful  in  the 


AND  MISSIONAKIES.  195 

execution  of  his  orders."  He  had  formed  the  project  ol 
seizing  Fort  Union,  with  a  band  of  two  hundred  select  war 
riors.  Tchatka  presented  himself  there.  He  affected  a 
singular  friendship  for  the  whites.  He  attempted  to  make 

the  superintendent,  M.  M ,  believe  that  he  was  en  route, 

with  his  band,  for  the  country  of  the  Minataries  of  Missouri, 
their  enemies ;  that  they  had  need  of  some  munitions  of 
war;  and  that  they  intended  continuing  on  their  way  at 
daybreak.  Hospitality  was  kindly  accorded  to  them.  The 
chief  played  his  part  so  well,  that  the  ordinary  precaution  of 
disarming  guests,  and  putting  their  weapons  under  lock  and 
key,  was  neglected  on  this  occasion.  The  plan  that  Tchatka 
had  developed  to  his  warriors,  was,  to  retire  to  the  different 
chambers  of  the  fort,  and  to  massacre,  during  their  sleep,  at 
a  given  signal,  all  those  who  occupied  them.  By  a  happy 
incident,  some  days  previous  to  this  enterprise,  all  the  Cana 
dian  employees  at  the  fort,  to  the  number  of  about  eighty, 
had  come  to  Fort  Union  for  goods  to  trade  with  the  Crows 
and  the  Black-Feet.  Notwithstanding  this  strong  reinforce 
ment,  the  savages  might  have  succeeded  in  their  design. 
An  Assiniboin  had  a  sister  married  to  one  of  the  merchants 
from  the  North.  Desirous  of  saving  the  life  of  his  sister, 
and  of  sheltering  her  in  the  m&lee  which  was  to  take  place, 
he  communicated  to  her,  under  the  strictest  secrecy,  the  in 
tentions  of  the  chief,  inviting  her  to  come  and  pass  the  night 
in  his  room,  that  he  might  the  better  protect  her.  The 
woman  promised  to  follow  him ;  but  went  immediately  to 
warn  her  husband  against  the  danger  which  menaced  him 
as  well  as  all  the  whites  at  the  fort.  The  husband  an 
nounced  the  plot  to  the  superintendent  and  to  all  the  gentle- 
men  in  charge. 

The  employees,  one  after  the  other,  were  called,  without 
arousing  the  least  suspicion.    They  quitted  their  apartment* 


196  "WESTERN    MISSIONS 

quietly,  were  armed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  toot  posses 
sion  of  the  two  bastions  and  of  all  the  important  points  of 
the  fort.  When  all  the  precautions  were  taken,  Tchatk? 
and  the  principal  braves  of  his  band  were  invited  to  repair 
to  the  parlor  of  the  commandant,  who  openly  reproached 
them  with  their  black  treachery.  Giving  no  heed  to  their 
protestations,  he  gave  them  their  choice,  either  to  quit  the 
fort  without  blows,  or  to  be  chased  from  it  by  the  big  guns 
(cannon),  which  were  levelled  at  them.  Tchatka  accepted 
the  former  without  hesitation,  and  instantly  withdrew,  con 
fused  and  vexed  at  having  lost  so  fine  an  opportunity  of  en 
riching  himself  and  his  tribe,  at  having  failed  in  his  promise, 
and  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  pretended  dream. 

Tchatka  had  exhausted  all  his  medicine  sack,  or  provision 
of  poisons.  His  former  Northern  friends  had  refused  to 
furnish  him  any  more.  He  was  absolutely  determined  on 
procuring  some,  for  poison  was  his  only  means  of  getting 
rid  of  those  who  opposed  his  ambition  or  contradicted  him 
in  his  plans.  He  performed  his  diabolical  deeds  with  such 
skill  and  secrecy,  that  the  Indians  were  firmly  persuaded 
that  their  chief  had  only  to  will  it,  and  they  would  die. 
Hence  their  abject  submission  to  his  every  and  least  caprice. 
This  people,  formerly  free  as  air,  was  reduced,  during  a  suc 
cession  of  years,  to  the  condition  of  slaves  to  the  most  cow 
ardly  and  pitiless  tyrant. 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1836,  Tchatka  presented  himself 
again  at  Fort  Union,  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  hunters.  They 
went  there  to  sell  their  peltry, — viz.,  buffalo-robes,  beaver- 
skins,  and  the  fur  of  badgers,  foxes,  bears,  deer,  goats,  and 
big-horns ;  in  a  word,  the  fruits  of  their  hunting  excursions, 
in  exhange  for  tobacco,  ornaments,  blankets,  guns,  ammuni 
tion,  knives,  daggers,  and  lances.  A  large  portion  of  the 
peltry  belonged  to  Tchatka.  He  offered  them  to  a  mer- 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  197 

chant  for  a  very  small  quantity  of  tobacco,  telling  him,  se 
cretly,  "that  he  was  in  absolute  want  of  poison,  whatever  it 
might  cost,"  and  begging  him  to  procure  a  large  amount ; 
"  without  which,  the  charm  which  surrounded  him  among 
his  people  would  abandon  him  hopelessly."  His  proposition 
was  heard  with  great  horror.  He  only  received  in  reply 
severe  representations  on  the  baseness  of  his  conduct  and  on 
his  infamous  and  frightful  proceedings.  But  these  were  in 
effectual  on  his  perverted  heart,  hardened  by  an  astonishing 
succession  of  unheard-of  crimes  and  atrocities.  He  left  the 
fort  with  evident  tokens  of  discontent,  at  having  been  frus 
trated  in  his  attempt. 

During  the  two  years  which  succeeded,  Tchatka  conducted 
several  war-parties,  sometimes  with  success  and  sometimes 
with  reverses.  It  was  perceptible  that  his  years  were  ad 
vancing;  that  his  mauitous  were  less  faithful  than  formerly  ; 
that  his  predictions  were  no  longer  realized  ;  that  those  who 
criticised  his  arrangements  lived,  notwithstanding.  Several 
even  dared  to  defy  his  power. 

In  the  spring  of  1838,  the  small-pox  (it  was  not  well 
known  how)  was  communicated  to  the  Indian  tribes  in  Upper 
Missouri.  The  ravages  of  this  disease  entirely  changed  the 
position  which  Tchatka  had  hitherto  held  among  the  In 
dians.  The  fine  camp  of  Tchatka,  composed  of  twelve  hun 
dred  warriors,  was  reduced,  in  this  single  season,  to  eighty 
men  capable  of  bearing  arms.  Other  tribes  experienced 
trials  still  more  severely.  This  scourge  counted  more  than 
10,000  victims  among  the  Crows  and  the  Black-Feet ;  the 
Minataries  were  reduced  from  one  thousand  to  five  hundred ; 
the  Mandans,  the  noblest  among  the  races  in  the  Upper 
Missouri,  counting  six  hundred  warriors  before  the  epidemic, 
were  reduced  to  thirty-two,  others  say  to  nineteen  solely! 

A.  great  number  committed  suicide,  in  despair  ;  some  with 
170 


198  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

their  lances  and  other  warlike  instruments,  but  the  greater 
part  by  throwing  themselves  from  a  high  rock  which  over 
looks  the  Missouri. 

In  the  course  of  the  following  year,  Tchatka  formed  th« 
design  of  seizing,  by  stratagem,  the  large  village  of  the  Man- 
dans,*  and  of  taking  all  the  horses  and  effects  which  they 
could  find  in  it. 

The  village  of  the  Mandans  was  then  permanent,  and  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  present  site  of  Fort  Clark.  About 
five  miles  lower  dwelt  the  Arickaras,  new  allies  and  friends  ot 
the  Mandans,  who  numbered  about  five  hundred  warriors, 
and  had  escaped  the  contagion,  because  they  were  absent  in 
the  hunting-grounds  when  the  scourge  broke  out. 

Tchatka  was  ignorant  of  the  circumstances  of  the  position 
of  the  Arickaras,  in  respect  to  the  Mandans,  and  had  scarcely 
given  a  thought  to  the  proximity  of  the  two  tribes.  Having 
collected  the  sad  remnant  of  his  warriors,  he  communicated 
to  them  the  design  he  had  formed.  "  We  will  go,"  said  he, 
"  to  offer  the  calumet  of  peace  to  the  Mandans.  They  will 
accept  it  with  joy,"  added  he,  "for  they  are  feeble,  and  have 
the  hope  of  finding  in  us  a  protection  against  the  Sioux,  their 
most  furious  enemies.  As  soon  as  we  are  admitted  in  the 
village,  under  these  appearances  of  friendship,  we  will  scatter 
ourselves  here  and  there  throughout  their  lodges,  then,  by  a 
simultaneous  movement,  we  will  fall,  with  cutlass  and  dag- 

*  I  have  mentioned  the  Mandans,  and  some  of  their  traditions,  in 
several  of  my  letters.  Their  Indian  name  is  See-pohs-ka-nu-ma-ka-kee, 
which  signifies  a  partridge.  They  have  a  remarkable  tradition  concern 
ing  the  deluge.  On  a  high  hill  existing  in  their  territory,  they  say  that 
the  big  canoe  (the  ark)  rested.  Every  year,  when  the  willow  buds, 
they  celebrate  this  event  by  grand  festivals  and  noisy  ceremonies. 
Their  tradition  says  that  the  branch  brought  back  to  the  great  canoe  by 
the  bird  was  a  willow-branch,  full  of  leaves.  The  bird  they  allude  U 
waa  the  dove,  and  it  is  forbidden,  in  their  religious  code,  to  kill  it. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  19& 

ger,  on  all  that  remain  of  the  Mandans.  They  cannot  escape 
us.  All  that  they  possess  will  belong  to  us."  The  plan  ap 
peared  practicable  to  them.  Desiring  to  do  something 
which  might  ameliorate  their  condition,  the  Assiniboins  ac 
cepted  heartily  the  proposition  of  their  chief. 

The  secret  of  this  expedition  was  confided  to  no  one. 
They  passed  by  Fort  Union,  so  as  to  procure  powder,  aa 
well  as  the  balls  necessary,  and  a  few  pounds  of  tobacco, 
"  wherewith  to  smoke  peace."  Arrived  in  sight  of  the  vil 
lage,  they  stopped,  and  made  signals  of  friendship  to  the 
Mandans,  requesting  them  to  come  and  join  them.  Tchatka 
placed  himself  on  a  high  hill,  and  beating  his  drum,  he 
chanted  his  invocations  to  his  manitous.  He  deputed  twelve 
men  of  his  tribe,  bearing  a  little  flag  and  the  calumet  of 
peace,  with  orders  to  smoke  it  when  half  way  between  him 
and  the  village.  Through  good  fortune  for  the  Mandans, 
some  Arickaras,  friends  and  allies,  when  returning  from  the 
chase,  had  stopped  among  them.  Of  all  the  nations  of  the 
Upper  Missouri,  the  Arickaras  are  considered  the  most  de 
ceitful  and  treacherous.  Tchatka,  without  suspecting  it, 
found  himself  taken  in  his  own  nets.  He  came  to  over 
throw  the  little  Mandan  tribe,  and  then  return  laden  with 
booty  and  with  scalps.  He  fell  into  the  snare  which  he  had 
spread  for  others,  and  found  himself  at  the  mercy  of  worthy 
competitors. 

After  the  Assiniboin  deputies  had  smoked  the  calumet 
with  the  Mandans,  the  Arickaras  set  forth  with  all  haste  tc 
go  and  announce  to  their  chiefs  this  sudden  and  unforeseen 
reconciliation.  The  occasion  was  very  favorable.  Imme 
diately  the  war-whoop  resounded  throughout  the  camp  ol 
the  Arickaras.  A  few  moments  sufficed  to  saddle  their 
horses  and  arm  themselves.  They  had  evidently  a  great 
advantage  over  their  adversaries.  Hidden  by  a  headland 


200  WESTEEN   MISSIONS 

of  the  forest,  in  the  low  valley,  or  bottom  of  the  Missouri, 
they  filed  silently,  and  without  being  perceived,  into  the 
village  of  the  Mandans. 

The  ceremony  of  smoking  the  calumet  of  peace  is  ordi 
narily  prolonged  during  several  hours.  First  takes  place  a 
friendly  interchange  of  news,  a  conversation  in  which  each 
party  boasts  his  lofty  deeds,  or  the  exploits  he  has  achieved 
over  his  enemies,  an  exposition  which  is  intended  to  excite 
the  admiration  of  the  opposite  party.  They  then  pass  to 
speeches,  in  which  the  points  in  question  are  to  be  discussed. 
If  the  calumet  is  accepted,  and  passes  from  mouth  to  mouth, 
the  resolutions  are  ratified  and  peace  is  concluded. 

They  were  at  this  point,  and  were  disposing  themselves  to 
enter  the  village  together,  when  suddenly  the  Arickaras  pre 
sented  themselves  and  shouted  their  war-cry.  At  the  first 
discharge  of  guns  and  arrows,  the  twelve  Assiniboin  deputies 
lost  their  lives.  Their  scalps  were  at  once  taken  off  and 
their  bodies  horribly  mutilated.  It  was  the  affair  of  a  rno 
ment.  About  three  hundred  Arickaras,  shouting  cries  of 
victory,  mingled  with  imprecations,  directed  their  steps  to 
wards  the  hill,  in  order  to  continue  the  massacre  of  the 
Assiuiboins.  At  the  first  signal  of  attack,  Tchatka  sprang  to 
his  horse  and  fled.  The  greater  part  of  the  Assiniboins, 
being  on  foot,  were  easily  overtaken  by  their  enemies  on 
horseback,  and  soon  fell  under  the  blows  of  the  latter. 
Many  among  them,  however,  defended  themselves  like  braves. 
Notwithstanding  their  great  inferiority  in  number,  they 
killed  three  Arickaras ;  and,  although  wounded,  were  so 
nappy  as  to  gain  the  forest,  and  escape  the  slaughter. 

After  the  battle,  the  corpses  of  fifty-three  Assiniboins  re 
mained  stretched  on  the  plain,  a  prey  for  vultures  and  wolves. 
But  where  is  their  leader,  the  great  chief  of  the  Assiniboins  ? 
Where  was  he  during  the  fight  ?  This  famous  Tchatka,  this 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  201 

Wah-kon-Tangka,  this  Minayougha,  this  hero  of  the  great 
drum  had  been  the  first  to  fly  on  his  fleet  horse.  But  the 
Arickaras  had  fresher  animals,  and  pressed  on  in  hot  pursuit. 
As  they  gained  on  him  they  fired  repeatedly,  and  at  last 
killed  his  horse  beneath  him.  Tchatka  rose  instantly.  The 
forest  is  before  him  ;  if  he  can  reach  it,  there  is  yet  a  shadow 
of  hope.  He  spares  no  effort ;  fear  leads  him  wings ;  old  aa 
he  is,  he  takes  the  start  and  gains  the  goal  before  his  most 
impetuous  enemies  in  the  pursuit  can  reach  him.  Some  of 
his  own  soldiers,  witnesses  of  this  famous  running-match, 
conferred  on  him  the  name  of  Ta-to-kah-nan,  or  the  wild- 
goat,  the  fleetest  animal  of  our  plains. 

Tchatka  rejoined  his  soldiers  in  the  forest.  Thirty  only 
had  escaped  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  of  the  Arick 
aras  ;  the  greater  number  were  wousded,  and  some  of  them 
mortally.  They  were  the  feeble  remains,  the  last  men  of  a 
band  of  twelve  hundred  warriors.  Tchatka  hung  his  head, 
and  hardly  dared  to  look  at  them.  All  his  nation  had  dis 
appeared.  Two  of  his  sons  fell  in  the  last  combat.  His 
tchant-cheega-kabo,  or  great  drum,  was  in  the  hands  of  hia 
enemies ;  his  favorite  horse  killed.  He  had  no  longer  a 
band,  over  whom  he  could  exert  his  influence,  and  accom 
plish  his  execrable  intentions  of  poisoning. 

After  this  defeat,  the  band  of  Tchatka  having  become  too 
reduced  to  form  a  camp,  was  united  to  the  "  Gens  du  nord" 
or  Northern  people,  as  they  termed  them  ;  that  is,  to  another 
great  branch  of  the  Assiniboins.  From  that  time  Tchatka 
no  longer  mingled  with  public  affairs.  However,  he  always 
continued  to  pass  for  a  great  medicine-man,  and  was  some 
times  consulted,  particularly  on  great  and  dangerous  occa 
sions.  He  never  ceased,  until  his  death,  to  inspire  all  whc 
approached  him  with  a  certain  respect,  mingled  with  feai 
and  terror. 


202  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

"  As  we  live,  so  we  die,"  says  the  proverb.  The  end  01 
this  wicked  chief  was  not  less  remarkable  than  his  whole 
life.  What  follows  I  have  from  an  eye-witness.  I  cite  the 
authority  of  Mr.  Denig,  an  intimate  friend,  and  a  man  of 
high  probity,  from  whom  I  have  received  all  the  information 
that  I  have  offered  you  concerning  the  Assiniboins,  and  who 
resided  among  them  during  twenty-two  years. 

In  the  autumn  of  1843,  the  "Northern  People"  repaired 
to  Fort  Union  to  make  exchanges  in  trade  with  their  pelfry. 
The  first  who  presented  himself  at  the  entrance  of  the  fort, 
to  shake  hands  with  M.  Denig,  was  old  Tchatka.  "  Brother," 
said  he,  laughing,  "  I  came  to  the  fort  to  die  among  the 
whites !"  M.  Denig,  attaching  no  importance  to  these  words, 
the  aged  man  repeated  them  to  him  anew.  "Did  you  un 
derstand  what  I  said  ?  This  is  my  last  visit  to  the  fort.  I 
shall  die  here !"  M.  Denig  then  inquired  concerning  the 
health  of  Tchatka— whether  he  felt  ill.  He  spoke  of  it  to 
other  Indians,  but  all  assured  him  that  Tchatka  was  in  good 
health  as  usual ;  they  added,  however,  that  before  quitting 
the  village  he  had  predicted  to  them,  "  that  his  last  hour 
was  approaching,  and  that  before  the  next  sunset  his  spirit 
would  be  in  the  region  of  souls."  The  gentlemen  of  the 
fort,  informed  of  this  news,  ordered  Tchatka  to  be  called, 
and  questioned  him  concerning  his  strange  declaration. 
They  also  feared  some  artifice  on  his  part,  and  recalled  the 
tricks,  deceits,  and  cruelties  that  he  had  practiced  on  his 
tribe,  as  well  as  his  black  treason,  and  his  odious  plots 
against  the  occupants  of  the  fort,  in  1831.  He  declared 
positively  to  these  gentlemen  that  he  was  quite  well ;  that 
he  experienced  no  kind  of  indisposition.  He  added :  "  I 

r*7«ftt  to  5*oui  niy  hour  is  come — my  manitous  call  me I 

have  seen  them  in  my  dream — I  must  depart'     Yes,  to 
morrow  my  spirit  will  take  flight  into  the  land  of  ghosts  I* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  203 

In  the  evening  he  took  a  good  supper,  and  slept  peacefully 
after,  while  the  other  Indians  amused  themselves  during  the 
whole  night  On  the  morrow,  Tchatka  presented  himsel. 
once  more  at  the  office  of  Mr.  Denig,  and  had  a  slight  spit 
ting  of  blood.  They  tried  to  make  him  take  some  remedy, 
but  he  refused,  saying :  "  All  is  useless— henceforth  life  is 
insupportable  to  me— I  will  and  I  must  die —I  have  told 
you  so."  A  little  time  after  he  left  the  fort  with  the  other 
Indians,  and  went  to  the  margin  of  the  river.  He  soon  had 
a  second  attack,  more  violent  than  the  first.  They  placed 
him  on  a  sleigh,  intending  to  transport  him  to  the  Indian 
camp,  but  he  died  on  the  way,  in  the  most  terrible  convul 
sions.  It  was,  according  to  all  appearances,  the  same  "  grand 
medicine"  which  he  had  administered  on  a  great  number  of 
occasions  to  his  unfortunate  victims,  during  his  sad  and  long 
administration  as  chief,  that  at  last  terminated  his  own 
career. 

The  lifeless  body  of  this  too  famous  chief  was  carried  in 
great  ceremony  into  the  Indian  village,  twenty-two  miles 
distant  from  the  fort.  The  whole  tribe  assisted  at  his  obse 
quies.  The  corpse,  after  being  painted,  ornamented  with 
their  richest  decorations,  and  wrapped  in  a  scarlet-colored 
blanket  and  a  beautiful  buffalo-robe  embroidered  with  porcu 
pine*  quills,  was  at  last  elevated  and  fastened  between  two 
branches  of  a  large  tree,  amid  the  tears,  cries,  and  lamenta 
tions  of  the  multitude. 

Such  was  the  ascendency  that  his  name  and  deeds  exerted 
over  the  minds  of  the  whole  Assinifroin  tribe,  that  the  place 
where  his  mortal  remains  repose  is  at  the  present  day  an 

*  En  pore-epic  is  the  term  of  the  voyagewrt.  The  long  quills  of  the 
»nimal  resemble  those  of  a  bird,  and  are  stripped  off  by  the  women  1* 
threads,  for  embroidering. 


204:  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

object  of  the  highest  veneration.  The  Assiniboins  never 
pronounce  the  name  of  Tchatka  but  with  respect.  They 
believe  that  his  shade  guards  the  sacred  tree ;  that  he  has 
power  to  procure  them  abundance  of  buffalo  and  other 
animals,  or  to  drive  the  animals  from  the  country.  Hence, 
whenever  they  pass  they  offer  sacrifices  and  oblations;  they 
present  the  calumet  to  the  tutelary  spirits  and  manes  of 
Tchatka.  He  is,  according  to  their  calendar,  the  Wah-kon- 
Tangka  par  excellence,  the  greatest  man  or  genius  that  ever 
visited  their  nation.  The  Assiniboins  never  bury  their  dead. 
They  bind  the  bodies  with  thongs  of  raw  hide  between  the 
branches  of  large  trees,  and  more  frequently  place  them  on 
scaffolds,  to  protect  them  from  the  wolves  and  other  wild 
animals.  They  are  higher  than  a  man  can  reach.  The  feet 
are  always  turned  to  the  west.  There  they  are  left  to  decay. 
When  the  scaffolds  or  the  trees  to  which  the  dead  are  at 
tached  fall,  through  old  age,  the  relatives  bury  all  the  other 
bones,  and  place  the  skulls  in  a  circle  in  the  plain,  with  the 
faces  turned  towards  the  centre.  They  preserve  these  with 
care,  and  consider  them  objects  of  religious  veneration.  You 
will  generally  find  there  several  bison  skulls.  In  the  centre 
stands  the  medicine-pole,  about  twenty  feet  high,  to  which 
Wah-kons  are  hung,  to  guard  and  protect  the  sacred  de 
posit.  The  Indians  call  the  cemetery  the  village  of  the 
dead.  They  visit  it  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  to  con 
verse  affectionately  with  their  deceased  relatives  and  friends, 
and  always  leave  some  present. 

The  Assiniboins  give  their  name  to  the  Assiniboin  River, 
the  great  tributary  of  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  in  the 
English  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  territory.  The  word  As 
siniboin  signifies  stone-cooking  people.  This  tribe  had,  in 
former  times,  for  want  of  better  utensils,  the  custom  of  boil 
ing  their  meat  in  holes  dug  in  the  ground  and  lined  with 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  205 

raw  skins.  The  water  and  the  meat  were  put  together  in 
these  holes ;  then  large  red-hot  stones  were  cast  in  until  the 
meat  was  boiled.  This  custom  is  now  almost  obsolete,  since 
they  get  pots  from  the  whites.  The  original  mode  is  used, 
however,  on  great  occasions  or  medicine-feasts.  The  Assini- 
boin  language  is  a  dialect  of  the  Dacotah  or  Sioux.  They 
separated  from  this  great  nation  for  a  trifle — a  quarrel  be 
tween  two  women,  wives  of  the  great  chiefs.  A  buffalo  had 
been  found  by  these  two  women ;  each  of  them  persisted  in 
having  the  whole  heart  of  the  animal ;  from  words  they 
came  to  fisticuffs ;  and  in  +heir  rage  they  used  their  nails 
and  teeth.  The  two  great  chiefs  had  the  folly  to  take  part 
with  their  better-halves  in  the  quarrel,  and  separated  in  last 
ing  discontent.  From  that  epoch  the  two  tribes  have  been 
at  war. 

In  this  last  short  recital,  I  furnish  your  poets  with  materi 
als  for  a  new  Iliad.  The  two  great  chiefs  possessed,  with 
out  doubt,  names  more  sonorous  than  those  of  Achilles  and 
Agamemnon.  I  leave  you  to  continue  the  similitude. 

P.  J.  D«  SMKT,  8.  J. 
IS 


206  WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  XIV, 

To   THE  EDITOR   or  THE   PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS, 
Indian  Question. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Louis,  Dec.  30,  1854. 
REVEREND  FATHER: 

The  "  Indian  Question"  has  been  much  agitated  in  the 
United  States  during  the  course  of  this  year.  Two  great 
Territories,  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  well  henceforth  form  a 
portion  of  the  great  Confederation.  They  embrace  all  that 
part  of  the  wilderness  included  between  the  confines  of  the 
State  of  Missouri  and  the  forty-ninth  degree  of  north  lati 
tude,  and  extend  westward  to  the  summit  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains. 

Questions  concerning  the  future  of  the  Indians  have  fre 
quently  been  laid  before  me  by  persons  who  appear  inter 
ested  in  the  destiny  of  these  poor  creatures.  Knowing  the 
affection  and  the  interest  which  you,  Reverend  Father,  en 
tertain  for  them,  I  propose  giving  you  my  views  and  appre 
hensions  in  regard  to  them — views  and  apprehensions  which 
I  have  long  entertained.  I  have  already  said  a  few  words 
on  the  subject,  in  a  letter  written  in  1851,  and  inserted  in 
the  fortieth  number  of  your  Precis  Historiques.  In  the 
course  of  that  same  year  I  received  a  letter  from  a  much 
respected  gentleman  in  Paris,  who  requested  me  to  give  him 
some  details  of  the  condition  and  present  state  of  the  Indian 
tribes  of  North  America.  I  will  give  you  in  this  letter  th« 


AND  MI8SIONAEIE8.  207 

questions  of  that  correspondent,  and  my  replies.  I  will  add 
what  has  passed  since ;  above  all,  the  resolutions  taken  and 
the  treaties  concluded,  from  1851  till  December  of  the  year 
1854,  between  the  American  government  and  the  aborigines. 
First  Question. — Do  you  think  that  the  aborigines  west 
of  the  Mississippi  will  be  exterminated  like  those  east  of  that 
river  ?  In  other  words,  will  the  Indians  west  of  the  Missis 
sippi  share  the  same  fate  as  their  brethren  east  of  it  ? 

Reply. — The  same  lot  that  the  Indians  east  of  the  Missis 
sippi  have  experienced,  will  at  no  distant  day  overtake  those 
who  dwell  on  the  west  of  the  same  river.  As  the  white 
population  advances  and  penetrates  into  the  interior,  the 
aborigines  will  gradually  withdraw.  Already,  even  (in  1851), 
it  is  perceptible  that  the  whites  look  with  a  covetous  eye  on 
the  fertile  lands  of  the  Delawares,  Potawatomies,  Shawnees, 
and  others  on  our  frontiers,  and  project  the  organization  of  a 
new  Territory— Nebraska.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if,  in  a 
few  years,  negotiations  were  entered  upon  for  the  purchase 
of  those  lands,  and  the  removal  of  the  Indians,  who  will  be 
forced  to  retire  further  west.  The  great  openings  offered  to 
emigration  by  the  definitive  arrangement  of  the  "Oregon 
Question,"  as  well  as  the  acquisition  of  New  Mexico,  Califor 
nia,  and  Utah,  have  alone,  thus  far,  hindered  any  efforts  for 
extinguishing  the  Indian  titles  or  rights  to  the  lands  situated 
immediately  west  of  the  State  of  Missouri,  and  those  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  the  River  Missouri,  between  the  Rivers 
Kansas  and  Platte,  and  probably  as  high  as  the  Niobrarah  or 
Eau-qui-court. 

Second  Question. — In  case  the  Indians,  having  formed  a 
constitution  for  their  own  government,  should  find  them 
selves  in  the  territory  of  one  of  the  United  States  of  Ameri 
ca,  would  there  not  be  reason  to  fear  that  these  rising  com 
munities  would  be  treated  with  the  same  barbarity  and 


208  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

injustice  as  were  the  Cherokees,  who,  contrary  to  all  equity, 
were  deprived  of  their  territory  by  the  State  of  Georgia,  and 
transported  to  the  lands  of  Upper  Arkansas  ? 

Reply. — I  answer  in  the  affirmative.  In  a  few  years 
hence  (1851),  treaties  will  probably  be  concluded  with  those 
tribes  for  "reserves,"  that  is  to  say,  for  portions  of  their 
lands  set  apart  for  their  future  residences.  But,  although 
the  letter  of  the  treaty  guarantees  them  such  "  reserves," 
you  may  rest  assured,  that  as  soon  as  the  necessities  of  a 
thriving  white  population  will  demand  these  lands,  the 
whites  will  find  pretexts  for  dispossessing  the  Indians.  This 
is  accomplished,  either  by  negotiation  or  nominal  purchase, 
or  by  rendering  their  situation  so  painful,  that  they  find  no 
alternative  but  a  transfer  or  emigration. 

Third  and  Fourth  Questions. — When  the  Territory  of 
Oregon  is  incorporated  as  one  of  the  States  of  the  Union, 
could  not  the  missionaries  of  that  region  organize  the  con 
verted  tribes  into  districts  and  distinct  counties,  peopled 
with  American  citizens  of  Indian  origin  ?  Then  the  proper 
ty  of  the  Indians  would  become  inviolable,  and  the  mission 
aries  would  have  time  to  persuade  them  to  abandon  their 
wandering,  hunter  life,  and  embrace  the  pastoral ;  after  a 
time  they  would  cultivate  the  soil,  without  being  disturbed 
oy  the  pretensions  of  the  whites. 

Reply. — When  Oregon  takes  her  place  as  a  State  in  the 
Union,  she  will  follow  the  same  policy  that  has  been  hither 
to  followed  by  the  other  States ;  that  is,  she  will  subject  all 
the  inhabitants  to  her  jurisdiction  and  laws.  The  policy  of 
the  United  States  has  ever  been  to  remove  the  Indians  from 
each  new  State  as  soon  as  it  is  admitted  as  a  part  of  the 
Confederation ;  and  in  case  portions  of  the  tribes  remain  on 
their  lands,  as  was  the  case  in  the  States  of  New  York,  In- 
diatia,  Michigan,  and  Ohio,  the  situation  of  the  Indians  is 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  209 

extremely  disagreeable,  their  progress  very  slow.  Comparing 
themselves  with  the  whites  who  surround  them,  and  whom 
they  see,  ordinarily,  so  enterprising  and  industrious,  they 
generally  experience  a  sentiment  of  inferiority,  which  over 
whelms  and  discourages  them.  The  Stockbridges  (Mohe- 
gans),  who  enjoyed,  for  several  years,  all  the  rights  of 
citizens  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  petitioned  the  authorities 
to  relieve  them  from  their  obligations  as  such,  and  earnestly 
solicited  the  government  to  grant  them  an  abode,  either  in 
Minnesota  or  west  of  Missouri.  Even  those  who  live  in  the 
"reserves,"  fine  sections  of  land  granted  and  secured  by 
special  treaties,  in  Illinois,  Michigan,  Indiana,  and  Ohio,  find 
ing  themselves  strangers  on  their  native  soil,  sold  all  they 
had,  and  rejoined  their  tribes  in  the  West.  The  neighbor 
hood  of  the  whites  had  become  intolerable  to  them.  When 
the  lands  of  the  Indians  cease  to  be  valuable,  and  the  whites 
will  and  can  do  without  them,  then  only  will  the  Indiana 
enjoy  the  privilege  of  retaining  them. 

Fifth  Question. — The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  law 
of  the  27th  of  September,  1850:  "It  is  granted  to  each 
inhabitant,  or  occupant  of  public  land,  including  herein  the 
half-breeds  above  eighteen  years  of  age,  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  or  having  made  a  declaration  of  intention  to  become 
citizens,  or  who  shall  make  such  declaration  either  before  the 
1st  of  December,  1851,"  <fec.  Remark  that  this  law  proves 
two  things  :  first,  that  there  are  half-breeds  in  Oregon  ;  sec 
ond,  that  the  half-breeds  have  the  rights  of  white  citizens. 
Do  you  not  think  that  at  some  future  day,  say  in  the  course 
of  a  century,  Oregon  will  be  peopled  solely  by  a  heteroge 
neous  race,  with  striking  traits  of  a  mixed  race  of  Indian 
and  white  blood,  and  a  remnant  of  the  aborigines  in  the 
defiles  or  valleys  of  the  mountains,  like  the  Celts  of  Scotland 
and  the  Araucanians  of  Chili  ?  Then  Oregon  would  enter 
18* 


210  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

in  the  category  of  all  the  Spanish  States  of  South  America, 
in  which  the  red  men,  far  from  being  exterminated,  have,  on 
the  contrary,  used  efforts  to  assimilate  themselves  to  the 
whites. 

Reply. — I  answer  to  this  last  question,  that  in  case  the 
missionaries  should  collect  the  half-breeds  with  the  most 
docile  Indians,  in  districts  or  counties,  under  this  territorial 
law  of  Oregon,  and  give  the  youth  an  education,  both  religious 
and  agricultural,  the  result  would  be  a  greater  mingling  of 
Indian  and  white  blood,  and  thus  the  future  population  of 
Oregon  would  be  in  some  manner  heterogeneous. 

The  future  prospect  of  the  Indian  tribes  is  very  dark  and 
melancholy.  Placed,  as  they  are,  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  United  States,  surrounded  on  every  side  by  whites,  their 
ruin  appears  certain.  These  savages  disappear  insensibly  as 
the  emigrations  of  the  whites  succeed  each  other  and  ad 
vance.  In  fifty  years  there  will  be  few  traces  of  the  native 
races  in  the  western  portion  of  this  hemisphere.  Where 
are  those  powerful  tribes  which,  at  the  commencement  of 
this  age,  dwelt  in  the  extensive  and  beautiful  region,  now 
divided  among  the  States  of  the  West  ?  Remnants  only 
exist  on  our  western  frontiers.  In  our  own  day  the  same 
causes  are  in  full  play,  and  produce  the  same  effects.  And 
for  the  last  four  years,  the  great  tide  of  European  emigra 
tion  but  makes  the  effect  more  certain.  These  emigrations 
multiply  more  and  more  in  the  present  day,  and  succeed 
like  the  waves  of  ocean.  They  must  find  room ;  that  room 
is  the  West. 

Such  are  the  responses  which  I  gave  in  1851  to  M.  D . 

In  the  space  of  three  years,  what  was  simply  an  opinion  has 
become  a  fact.  My  answer  to  the  second  question  has  been 
literally  verified. 

In  the  course  of  this  year,  1854,  treaties  were  concluded 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  211 

with  the  Omahas,  the  Ottoes,  and  Missouris,  the  Sacs,  the 
Foxes  of  Missouri,  the  lowas,  the  Kicapoos,  the  Shawnees, 
and  the  Delawares,  as  well  as  with  the  Miarais,  the  Weas, 
the  Piankeshaws,  the  Kaskaskias,  and  the  Peorias.  By 
these  treaties,  these  different  tribes  cede  to  the  United  States 
the  most  extensive  and  most  advantageous  portions  of  theii 
respective  territories,  and  retain,  as  we  have  already  said,  but 
a  limited  and  circumscribed  demesne,  termed  a  "  reserve," 
for  the  wants  of  each  particular  tribe,  and  intended  as  their 
future  residence. 

We  remark  daily  in  the  newspapers,  that  great  numbers 
of  emigrants  are  spreading  already  over  the  territories  ceded  ; 
yet  the  conditions  precedent  of  the  treaties  between  the  gov 
ernment  and  many  of  the  tribes,  expressly  forbid  the  whites 
to  settle  there  before  the  survey  and  sale  of  the  lands  to  the 
profit  of  the  Indians.  Notwithstanding  these  conditions, 
the  whites  settle  there,  and  even  defy  the  authorities  to  de 
ter  them. 

The  new  organization  of  the  Territories  of  Kansas  and  Ne 
braska  abrogates  the  protecting  "  intercourse  laws."  There 
by  it  has  overthrown  the  feeble  barrier  which  opposed  the 
introduction  of  intoxicating  liquors,  which  the  inhabitants 
so  expressively  define  by  the  term  "  Indian  fire-water."  In 
a  few  short  years  these  little  "  reserves,"  or  Indian  settle 
ments,  will  be  surrounded  by  a  white  population  ;  these 
whites,  being  for  the  most  part  vicious  and  corrupt,  will 
introduce  and  furnish  liquors  in  abundance,  in  ord^r  to  sat 
isfy  the  depraved  taste  of  the  Indian.  In  all  this  the  sole 
object  is  to  deprive  these  unfortunate  men  of  all  that  remains 
to  them  in  land  and  money.  In  this  position  of  affairs,  I 
cannot  conceive  how  the  Indians  can  be  protected  against 
the  dangerous  influences  which  will  inevitably  surround 
them  on  all  sides.  Ere  long  (perhaps  by  the  close  of  1856) 


212  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

the  delegates  of  the  Territory  of  Kansas  will  knock  at  the 
door  of  Congress  for  admittance  into  the  Union.  If  this 
request  be  granted,  we  may  at  once  bid  farewell  to  the 
independence  of  the  Indians  and  the  maintenance  of  their 
"reserves."  The  new  State  will  directly  establish  her  juris 
diction  over  all  the  inhabitants  found  within  her  limits 
Although  the  Indians  appear  to  be  necessarily  protected  by 
the  general  stipulations  accorded  on  the  part  of  the  govern 
ment  itself,  constant  experience  demonstrates  that  they  can 
not  exist  within  the  limits  of  a  State,  unless  they  become 
citizens  thereof.  Witness  the  Creeks  and  Cherokees  in  the 
State  of  Georgia,  who  at  one  time  were  on  the  point  of 
bringing  the  General  Government  and  the  State  into  conflict. 
In  several  of  the  late  treaties  that  I  have  mentioned,  the 
Indians  have  renounced  their  permanent  annuities,  and,  in 
exchange,  have  consented  to  accept  considerable  sums  for  a 
limited  number  of  years,  and  payments  at  fixed  terms. 
However  liberal  be  the  annuity,  the  Indian  never  lays  any 
thing  aside  for  his  future  necessities :  this  is  his  character. 
He  lives  from  day  to  day.  All  is  expended  in  the  course  of 
the  year  in  which  the  payment  is  made.  Let  us  suppose, 
therefore,  that  the  amount  of  the  last  payment  has  been 
poured  forth,  what  will  consequently  become  of  those  poor 
tribes  ?  Here,  it  appears  to  me,  is  the  solution  of  the  prob 
lem  :  they  must  either  perish  miserably,  or  sell  their  re 
serves,  or  go  and  rejoin  the  wandering  bands  of  the  plains, 
or  cultivate  the  soil.  But,  observe  well,  they  are  surrounded 
by  whites  who  contemn  them,  hate  them,  and  who  will  de 
moralize  them  in  a  very  short  time.  If  it  be  asked,  to  what 
must  be  attributed  the  improvidence  of  the  tribes,  which 
neglect  to  exhange  their  permanent  annuities  for  sums  to  be 
paid  at  limited  terms,  but  of  greater  length  ?  The  reason  in 
found  in  the  disparity  of  the  parties  who  make  the  treaty 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  213 

On  one  side  stands  a  shrewd  and,  perhaps,  unscrupulous  gov 
ernment  officer ;  on  the  other,  a  few  ignorant  chiefs,  accom 
panied  by  their  half-breed  interpreters,  whose  integrity  is  far 
from  being  proverbial. 

Adding  to  these  facts  the  ravages  caused  every  year  by 
the  small-pox,  the  measles,  the  cholera,  and  other  maladies, 
as  well  as  their  incessant  wars  and  divisions,  I  think  I  may 
repeat  the  melancholy  foresight,  that,  in  a  few  years,  there 
will  remain  but  very  feeble  vestiges  of  those  tribes  in  the 
reserves  guaranteed  to  them  by  the  late  treaties.  At  this 
moment  the  agents  continue  to  make  new  treaties,  by  which 
the  government  proposes  to  purchase  the  lands  of  the  Osages, 
Potawatomies,  and  several  other  tribes. 

Since  the  discovery  of  America  the  system  of  removing 
and  of  exiling  the  Indians  further  inland  or  in  the  interior, 
has  been  assiduously  exercised  by  the  whites  in  this  portion 
of  the  continent.  In  the  early  times,  they  went  by  slow  de 
grees  ;  but  as  the  European  colonies  multiplied  and  increased 
in  power,  the  system  has  been  pushed  with  more  vigor.  At 
present,  this  same  policy  marches  with  gigantic  steps.  Re 
sistance  on  the  part  of  the  natives  but  hastened  their  ruin. 
The  diama  of  population  reaches  its  last  scene  at,  the  east 
and  west  bases  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  a  few  years  the 
curtain  will  fall  over  the  Indian  tribes  and  veil  them  forever. 
They  will  live  only  in  history.  The  whites  continue  to 
spread  like  a  torrent  over  California,  over  Washington,  Utah, 
and  Oregon  ;  over  the  States  of  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa, 
Texas,  and  New  Mexico  ;  and  lastly,  over  Kanzas  and  Ne 
braska.* 

*  On  the  1st  of  August,  1854,  in  the  Territories  of  Kanzas  and  Ne 
braska,  then*  was  not  a  town  or  village  of  whites.  On  the  80th  of 
December,  of  the  same  year,  thirty  or  forty  sites  had  been  chosen  for 
tuilditg  villages  and  towns  without  delay.  Labor  was  begun  at  many 


214  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Within  a  recent  period,  and  since  I  have  resided  in 
America,  all  these  States  and  these  Territories  were  still  the 
exclusive  domain  of  the  Indians.  As  the  whites  settle  and 
multiply  in  them,  the  Indians  disappear,  and  seem  to  die  out. 
The  immense  regions  that  I  have  Just  named  include  severa. 
millions  of  square  miles. 

Father  Felix  Martin  wrote  me  recently  from  Canada :  j 
u  The  Indian  Missions  are  reduced  almost  to  nothing.  They 
follow  in  the  train  of  those  sad  tribes  which  are  no  more 
what  they  once  were.  It  is  like  a  body  which  gradually 
sinks  in  itself.  It  is  losing  its  grandeur,  its  force,  its  primi 
tive  forms.  They  have  lost  the  character  of  nations ;  they 
are  individualities,  with  some  ancient  traditions,  and  even 
these  traces  are  gradually  becoming  effaced." 

If  the  poor  and  unfortunate  inhabitants  of  the  Indian  Ter- 
itory  were  treated  with  more  justice  and  good  faith,  they 
would  cause  little  trouble.  They  complain,  and  doubtless, 
justly,  of  the  dishonesty  of  the  whites.  These  banish  them 
from  their  native  soil,  from  the  tombs  of  their  fathers,  to 
which  they  are  devotedly  attached,  and  from  their  ancient 
hunting  and  fishing  grounds :  they  must  consequently  seek 
what  is  wrested  from  them,  and  build  their  cabins  in  another 
and  a  strange  clime.  But  they  are  scarcely  at  ease  in  their 
new  abode  when  they  are  removed  a  second  and  third  time. 
With  each  successive  emigration,  they  find  their  grounds  re 
stricted,  their  hunts  and  fishing-places  less  abundant.  Yet, 
in  all  the  treaties,  the  agents  promise  them,  on  the  part  of 
the  President,  whom  they  call  their  Great  Father,  protection 
and  privileges  that  are  never  realized.  Is  it,  therefore,  aston 
ishing  that  the  savages  give  the  whites  the  name  of  forked- 
points  ;  houses  are  building,  farms  laid  out.  All  is  life  and  activity  ia 
these  virgin  territories. 


AKD   MISSION  ABIES.  215 

tongues,  or  liars?  They  say  that  the  whites  "march  in 
winding  tracks  to  attain  their  objects;"  that  their  declara 
tions  of  friendship,  all  beautiful  and  favorable  as  they  appear, 
"  never  entered  their  hearts,"  and  pass,  ever  with  the  same 
facility,  "  from  the  end  of  the  tongue ;"  that  they  approach 
the  Indian,  "  a  smile  on  their  lips,"  take  him  by  the  hand, 
to  deceive  him  more  easily,  inebriate  him,  and  corrupt  his 
children.  "Like  serpents,"  said  Black-Hawk,  in  his  famous 
speech,  "  they  have  glided  in  among  us ;  they  have  taken 
possession  of  our  hearth-stones.  The  opossum  and  the  deer 
have  disappeared  at  their  approach.  We  are  overwhelmed 
with  misery.  The  very  contact  of  the  whites  has  poi 
soned  us." 

These  complaints  and  lamentations  have  been  a  thousand 
times  repeated,  in  vain,  in  the  speeches  of  the  Indian  orators, 
when  the  agents  of  the  United  States  government  endeavor 
to  make  propositions  for  the  purchase  of  their  lands.  A 
feeble  ray  of  hope  for  the  preservation  of  a  great  number  of 
Indians  is  left,  if  the  law  proposed  by  Senator  Johnson  is 
adopted  in  sincerity  on  both  sides,  by  the  government  and 
by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Johnson  proposes  to  establish  three 
territorial  governments  in  the  Indian  Territory  inhabited  by 
the  Choctaws,  Creeks,  Cherokees,  the  Chickasaws,  and  other 
tribes,  with  the  provision  of  being  admitted  later  as  distinct 
members  of  the  Confederated  United  States.  On  the  25th 
of  last  November,  Harkins,  chief  among  the  Choctaws,  ad 
dressed  a  speech  on  this  subject  to  his  nation,  assembled  in 
council.  Among  other  things,  he  said  to  them :  "  I  appeal 
to  you,  what  will  become  of  us  if  we  reject  the  proposition  of 
Senator  Johnson  ?  Can  we  hope  to  remain  a  people,  always 
separate  and  distinct  ?  This  is  not  possible.  The  time  must 
come ;  yes,  the  time  is  approaching,  in  which  we  shall  be 
•wallowed  up;  and  that,  notwithstanding  our  just  claims  I 


21.6  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

I  speak  boldly.  It  is  a  fact ;  our  days  of  peace  and  happi 
ness  are  gone,  and  forever.  No  opposition,  on  our  part,  can 
ever  arrest  the  march  of  the  United  States  towards  grandeur 
and  power,  nor  hinder  the  entire  occupation  of  the  vast 
American  continent.  We  have  no  power  nor  influence  over 
the  most  minute  project  of  this  government.  It  looks  upon 
and  considers  us  in  the  light  of  little  children,  as  pupils 
under  its  tutelage  and  protection ;  it  does  with  us  as  seems 
to  it  good.  Can  the  Choctaws  change  the  face  of  things  ? 
If  the  desire  of  life  is  not  extinct  in  our  hearts ;  if  we  will 
preserve  among  us  the  rights  of  a  people,  one  sole  means  re 
mains  to  us  :  it  is  to  instruct  and  civilize  the  youth,  promptly 
and  efficaciously.  The  day  of  fraternity  has  arrived.  We 
must  act  together,  and  by  common  consent.  Let  us  atten 
tively  consider  our  critical  situation,  and  the  course  now  left 
us.  One  false  step  may  prove  fatal  to  our  existence  as  a 
nation.  I  therefore  propose  that  the  council  take  this  sub 
ject  into  consideration,  and  that  a  committee  be  named  by 
it  to  discuss  and  deliberate  on  the  advantages  and  disadvan 
tages  of  the  proposition  made  to  the  Choctaws.  Is  it  just 
and  sage  for  the  Choctaws  to  refuse  a  liberal  and  favorable 
offer,  and  expose  themselves  to  the  destiny  of  the  Indians  ot 
Nebraska  ?" 

According  to  news  received  recently,  through  a  journa 
published  in  the  Indian  country,  the  speech  of  the  chief  ha 
produced  a  profound  impression,  and  was  loudly  applaude^ 
by  all  the  counsellors.     All  the  intelligent  Choctaws  approv 
the  measure.     The  Protestant  missionaries  oppose  the  bil 
and  employ  all  their  artifices  and  influence  to  prevent  its 
success.      Harkins  proposes   their  expulsion.      "It  is   our 
money,"  said  he,  "  that  these  mercenaries  come  here  to  get. 
Surely,  our  money   can  get  us  better  teachers.      Let  us, 
therefore,  try  to  procure  good  missionaries,  with  whom  we 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  217 

can  live  in  harmony  and  good  understanding;  who  will  give 
us  the  assurance  that  their  doctrine  is  based  on  that  of  the 
apostles  and  of  Jesus  Christ." 

The  Chickasaws  are  represented  as  opposed  to  Senator 
Johnson's  measure.  We  trust,  however,  that  the  vote  of 
the  majority  will  prove  favorable,  and  that  the  three  terri 
torial  States  will  be  established.  It  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  last 
attempt  and  a  last  chance  of  existence  for  the  sad  remnants 
of  the  poor  Indians  of  America. 

It  is,  I  will  say,  if  I  may  here  repeat  what  I  wrote  in  my 
second  letter  in  1853,  their  only  remaining  source  of  happi 
ness:  humanity  and  justice  seem  to  demand  it.  If  they  are 
again  repulsed,  and  driven  inland,  they  will  infallibly  perish. 
Such  as  refuse  to  submit,  and  accept  the  definitive  arrange 
ment,  the  only  favorable  one  left,  must  resume  the  nomade 
life  of  the  praries,  and  close  their  career  with  the  vanishing 
buffaloes  and  other  animals. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Rev.  Father, 

Your  very  humble  and  devoted 

Servant  and  brother  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  DE  SMEI,  8.  J. 
19 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  XV. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS 
Watomika  and  the  Delaware*. 

CINCINNATI,  COLLEGE  OF  ST.  XAVIBB,  March  15, 1885 
REV.  AND   VERT   DEAR   FATHER ! 

I  am  sure  you  will  be  gratified  to  make  the  acquaint 
ance  of  Watomika,  the  swift-footed,  or  celeripes.  He  is  the 
son  of  a  renowned  warrior,  chief  of  the  nation  of  the  Dela- 
wares,  or  Lenni-Lenapi,  who  formed  one  of  the  most  pow 
erful  Indian  nations  at  the  epoch  of  the  discovery  of  the 
American  continent  by  Christopher  Columbus.  Later,  I 
will  speak  to  you  of  his  early  years;  at  present,  I  will  inform 
you  of  the  particulars  attending  his  conversion  to  the  true 
Faith. 

Watomika  received  his  education  in  a  Calvinistic  or  Pres 
byterian  college.  He  adopted  the  tenets  of  that  sect  in  good 
faith.  Naturally  inclined  to  piety,  he  passed,  daily,  whole 
hours  in  the  meditation  and  contemplation  of  heavenly  things. 
He  fasted  regularly  one  day  in  the  week,  taking  no  nourish 
ment  until  sunset.  This  kind  of  life  was  not  relished  by  the 
disciples  of  Calvin,  and  Watomika  frequently  found  himself 
the  sport  and  butt  of  his  youthful  schoolmates. 

After  concluding  his  course  of  study,  he  resolved  to  be 
come  a  minister.  He  prepared  himself  for  this  step  with 
great  assiduity;  prayed  more,  and  fasted  more  frequently. 
In  proportion  as  he  sought  to  understand  and  penetrate 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  219 

point  by  point  the  doctrines  of  Calvin,  there  arose  in  his 
soul,  doubt  upon  doubt,  at  the  same  time  that  he  experi 
enced  a  great  interior  commotion,  which  neither  his  prayers 
nor  his  fasts  could  allay.  Frequently,  in  all  the  sincerity  of 
his  soul  he  entreated  the  Lord  to  enlighten  his  mind  by 
heavenly  truths,  and  grant  him  grace  to  understand  them. 
He  petitioned  fervently,  he  knocked  at  the  door  courageous 
ly,  and,  like  the  widow  in  the  Gospel,  sought  the  lost  treas 
ure  perseveringly.  The  ways  of  God  are  wonderful,  and  his 
aid  is  never  invoked  in  vain.  Watomika  was  sent  as  a 
preacher  to  St.  Louis,  to  replace  an  absent  brother  in  one  of 
the  houses  of  worship  of  his  sect.  One  day,  he  was  walking 
out  to  breathe  the  fresh  air,  and  Providence  conducted  him 
into  the  street  in  which  our  church  stands,  and  that  at  the 
moment,  when  the  children  were  flocking  in  to  catechism. 
He  knew  the  word  Catholic  only  by  having  heard  it  asso 
ciated  with  the  most  absurd  and  inconsistent  doctrines, 
which  the  sectaries  insinuate  with  so  much  malice,  audacity, 
and  presumption,  not  only  in  their  school-books,  their  Read 
ers  and  Spellers,  their  works  on  Geography  and  History, 
but  which  they  adroitly  introduce  into  their  prayer-books 
and  works  of  piety.  Watomika,  therefore,  only  knew  the 
Catholics  through  the  prisms  of  falsehood  and  calumny. 
Attracted  either  by  curiosity  or  by  novelty,  he  entered  the 
church  with  the  children.  A  certain  sentiment  of  respect 
seized  him ;  he  found  it  inexplicable.  The  altar,  the  cross, 
the  images  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  of  the  Saints,  emblems 
of  faith,  all  spoke  strongly  to  his  eyes.  The  Holy  of  Holies, 
who  dwells  in  his  tabernacle,  and  of  whose  real  presence  he 
was  ignorant,  secretly  touched  his  heart  and  inspired  him 
with  respect  for  his  temple.  He  followed  the  catechetical 
instructions  of  the  children  with  the  greatest  interest  and 
liveliest  attention.  The  instruction  of  Father  D had 


220  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

reference  to  several  points,  concerning  which  he  had  long 
and  sincerely  desired  to  be  enlightened.  He  returned  home, 
delighted  and  astonished  at  having  found  in  a  Catholic 
church  a  portion  of  the  treasure  that  he  had  so  long  hitherto 
sought  in  vain.  He  afterwards  had  the  courage  to  overcome 
his  prejudices  and  repugnances,  and  have  recourse  to  a 
priest — nay,  to  a  Jesuit.  He  proposed  to  this  religious,  all 
his  doubts,  perplexities,  and  anxieties.  In  short,  Watornika, 
a  child  of  the  forest,  a  worthy  descendant  of  a  powerful 
American  race,  abjured  his  errors,  embraced  our  holy  reli 
gion,  and,  some  time  after,  enrolled  himself  among  the  fol 
lowers  of  St.  Ignatius.  His  scholasticate  is  nearly  ended,  at 
the  moment  in  which  I  write  these  lines ;  Watomika  will 
soon  receive  Holy  Orders,  to  which  he  aspires  with  a  devout 
ardor.  This  is  sufficient  on  my  part  concerning  Light-foot ; 
Jet  us  now  hear  his  own  exposition  of  the  religious  ideas, 
traditions,  manners,  and  customs  of  his  tribe. 

The  name  Delawares,  that  the  Indians  of  his  nation  bear, 
was  given  them  by  the  whites.  It  is  derived  from  Lord 
Delaware,  one  of  the  early  English  colonial  governors  in 
America.  Among  themselves  these  people  are  called  Lenni- 
Lenapi,  or  "  the  primitive  nation."  They  resided  anciently 
in  a  great  country  west  of  the  Mississippi.  With  the  "  Five 
Nations,"  so  renowned  in  the  Indian  history  of  this  continent, 
they  seized  and  occupied  a  large  territory  southeast  of  their 
ancient  domain.  In  the  course  of  this  long  migration,  the 
Delawares  divided  into  three  great  tribes,  called  the  "  Tor 
toise  tribe,"  the  "  Turkey  tribe,"  and  the  "  Wolf  tribe."  In 
the  time  of  William  Penn,  they  occupied  the  whole  of  Penn 
sylvania,  and  extended  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Hudson. 
As  the  white  population  began  to  increase,  strengthen,  and 
extend  over  these  vast  territories,  the  Delawares  (like  all  the 
other  tribes)  found  it  necessary  to  plunge  deeper  into  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  221 

forests,  and  yield  to  their  conquerors  or  usurpers.  While  a 
great  part  of  the  nation  established  themselves  on  the  Ohio, 
on  the  margin  of  the  Muskingum,  others  regained  the  shores 
and  the  forests  of  the  Mississippi,  whence,  according  to  their 
traditions,  their  ancestors  had  set  forth.  When  colonies  ol 
Europeans  came  to  take  possession  of  that  large  and  hand 
some  river,  which  the  celebrated  Father  Marquette  first  dis 
covered,  and  gave  the  now  consoling  and  sublime  name  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception,  they  repulsed  once  more  the 
Delawares,  and  Government  granted  these  Indians  a  little 
territory  southwest  of  Fort  Leavenworth,  on  the  Missouri. 
In  the  course  of  the  year  that  has  just  closed  (1854),  the 
Delawares  have  ceded  to  the  United  States  this  last  foothold. 

These  Indians  had  received  from  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  whom  they  call  their  Great  Father,  the  most 
formal  assurances  that  their  rights  should  be  respected,  and 
that  he  would  see  that  all  the  conditions  of  the  treaty  were 
faithfully  executed,  viz.,  that  the  lands  should  be  sold  to  the 
highest  bidder,  and  exclusively  to  the  profit  of  the  nation. 
It  was,  therefore,  very  astonishing  to  the  Delawares,  imme 
diately  after  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty,  to  find  themselves 
invested  on  every  side  by  the  whites,  who,  disregarding  the 
clauses  of  the  treaty,  seize  all  the  sites  favorable  for  towns, 
cities,  villages,  farms,  and  mill-seats,  and  declare  that  they 
will  only  pay  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre !  Will  the 
Government  yield  to  this  ? 

The  Delawares,  or  Lenni-Lenapi,  believe  that  the  Great 
Spirit  first  created  the  land  and  water,  trees  and  plants,  birds 
and  fishes,  animals  and  insects ;  in  the  last  place,  he  created 
the  first  Lenap  or  Delaware.  He  placed  a  snail  on  the  shore 
of  a  beautiful  and  large  river,  which  took  its  source  in  a  dis 
tant  mountain,  near  the  rising  of  the  sun.  After  twelve 
moons,  the  snail  produced  a  red- skinned  man.  The  latter 
19* 


222  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

discontented  with  his  solitary  lot,  made  a  bark  canoe,  and 
descended  the  river,  in  search  of  society.  On  the  third  day, 
at  sunset,  he  met  a  beaver,  which  addressed  him  the  follow 
ing  questions :  "  Who  art  thou  ?  whence  comest  thou ! 
whither  art  thou  going  ?"  The  man  answered :  "  The  Great 
Spirit  is  my  father.  He  gave  me  all  the  earth,  with  its  riv 
ers  and  its  lakes,  with  all  the  animals  which  roam  over  the 
plains  and  forests,  the  birds  which  fly  in  the  air,  and  the 
fishes  that  swim  in  the  sea."  The  beaver,  surprised  and  ir- 
jn*al<*3  by  so  much  audacity  and  presumption,  imposed  si- 
ler  >  nim,  and  commanded  him  to  quit  his  domain  with- 
wi,  delay.  An  animated  and  noisy  quarrel  took  place  be 
tween  the  man  and  the  beaver,  who  defended  his  liberty 
and  rights.  The  beaver's  only  daughter,  frightened  at  the 
noise,  quitted  her  abode  and  placed  herself  between  the  man 
and  her  father  (ready  to  tear  each  other  in  pieces),  entreat 
ing  them,  by  the  mildest  and  most  conciliating  words  to 
cease  their  dispute. 

As  the  snow  melts  at  the  approach  of  the  sun's  benignant 
rays,  as  the  turbulent  waters  of  cascades  and  waterfalls  run 
on  then  peaceably  and  clear,  as  calm  succeeds  to  tempest, 
so,  to  the  voice  of  the  young  child,  the  anger  of  the  stranger 
and  the  wrath  of  his  adversary  gave  place  to  a  profound  and 
eternal  friendship ;  they  embraced  affectionately.  To  render 
the  union  more  durable  and  more  intimate,  the  man  asked 
the  beaver's  daughter  for  a  companion.  After  a  moment's 
reflection,  the  latter  presented  her  to  him,  saying:  "It  is 
the  decree  of  the  Great  Spirit,  I  cannot  oppose  it ;  take  my 
daughter,  cherish  and  protect  her.  Go  in  peace!"  The 
man,  with  his  wife,  continued  his  voyage  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  There,  at  the  entrance  of  a  meadow  enamelled  with 
flowers  and  surrounded  with  fruit-trees  of  all  kinds,  in  the 
midst  of  animals  and  birds  of  every  kind,  he  chose  his  abode 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  223 

and  arranged  his  wigwam.  From  this  union  sprang  a  nu 
merous  family  :  they  are  called  the  Lenni-Lenapi,  that  is  to 
say,  the  primitive  family,  or  the  ancient  people,  at  the  pres 
ent  day  known  under  the  name  of  Delawares. 

The  Delawares  believe  in  the  existence  of  two  Great 
Spirits,  that  they  call  Waka-Tanka  and  Waka-Cheeka  ;  that 
is,  the  Good  Spirit  and  the  Bad  Spirit,  to  which  all  the  ma- 
nitous,  or  inferior  spirits,  whether  good  or  wicked,  must  ren 
der  homage  and  obedience. 

According  to  their  religious  code,  there  is  a  future  state. 
It  consists  in  a  place  of  pleasure  and  repose,  where  the  pru 
dent  in  council,  intrepid  and  courageous  warriors,  indefatiga 
ble  hunters,  and  the  kind  and  hospitable  man,  will  obtain 
an  eternal  recompense  ;  and  a  place  of  horrors  for  the  wick 
ed,  for  the  forked  tongues,  or  liars,  for  the  slothful  and  indo 
lent.  They  call  the  first  place  Wak-an-da,  or  country  of 
life,  and  the  other,  Yoon-i-un-guch,  or  devouring  and  insa 
tiable  gulf  which  never  gives  up  its  prey. 

They  say  that  the  country  of  life  is  an  island  of  ravishing 
beauty  and  of  great  extent.  A  lofty  mountain  rises  majesti 
cally  in  the  centre,  and  on  the  summit  of  this  mountain  is 
the  abode  of  the  Great  Spirit.  Thence  he  contemplates  at 
once  the  extent  of  his  vast  domain ;  the  courses  of  the  thou 
sand  rivers,  clear  as  crystal,  which  extend  through  it  like  so 
many  transparent  threads,  adorning  the  shady  forests,  the 
plains  enamelled  with  flowers,  and  the  tranquil  lakes,  which 
reflect  continually  the  beneficent  rays  of  a  glorious  sun. 
Birds  of  the  handsomest  plumage  fill  these  forests  with  their 
sweet  melodies.  The  noblest  animals, — bisons,  elk,  deer, 
goats,  big-horns,— graze  peaceably  in  these  smiling,  hand- 
Boine,  and  luxuriant  plains.  The  lakes  are  never  agitated 
either  by  wind  or  tempest ;  and  slime  nor  mire  can  nevei 
mrngle  with  the  limpid  waters  of  their  streams.  Aquatit 


224  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

birds,  the  otter,  the  beaver,  and  fishes  abound  in  them.  The 
sun  illumines  the  country  of  life  :  in  it,  eternal  spring  reigns. 
The  blessed  souls  who  are  admitted  within  its  realms,  re 
sume  all  their  strength  and  are  preserved  from  all  diseases  I 
they  experience  no  fatigue  in  the  chase  or  in  other  agreeable 
exercises  that  the  Great  Spirit  allows  them,  and  have  no  ne 
cessity  for  repose. 

The  Yoon-i-un-guch,  on  the  contrary,  which  environs  the 
country  of  life,  is  a  broad  and  deep  water;  it  presents  at 
once  a  terrible  succession  of  cataracts  and  yawning  gulfs,  in 
which  the  roaring  of  the  waves  is  frightful.  There,  on  the 
top  of  an  immense  rugged  rock,  which  rises  above  the  loftiest 
and  most  turbulent  waves,  is  the  residence  of  the  spirit  of 
evil.  As  a  fox  lies  in  wait, — as  a  vulture  ready  to  dart  upon 
its  prey, — Waka-Cheeka  watches  the  passage  of  souls,  con 
ducting  to  the  country  of  life.  This  passage  is  so  narrow, 
that  only  one  soul  at  a  time  can  possibly  occupy  the  bridge 
•which  composes  it.  The  bad  spirit  presents  himself  under 
the  most  hideous  form,  and  attacks  each  soul  in  its  turn. 
The  cowardly,  indolent  soul  immediately  betrays  its  baseness, 
and  prepares  for  flight ;  but  at  the  same  instant,  Cheeka 
seizes  it,  and  precipitates  it  into  the  open  gulf,  which  neve? 
fields  up  its  victim. 

Another  version  says,  that  the  Great  Spirit  has  suspended 
a  bunch  of  beautiful  red  bay-berries  about  the  middle  of  the 
bridge,  in  order  to  try  the  virtue  of  those  who  cross  it  in 
their  voyage  to  the  country  of  life. 

The  Indian  that  has  been  active  and  indefatigable  in  the 
chase,  or  courageous  and  victorious  in  war,  is  not  attracted  by 
the  tempting  fruit ;  he  continues  his  onward  progress  with 
out  attending  to  it.  On  the  contrary,  the  indolent  and  cow 
ardly  soul,  tempted  by  the  fascinating  bays,  stops,  and 
stretches  out  his  hand  to  seize  it ;  but  instantly  the  timber 


AND    MISSIONARIES. 


225 


which  forms  the  bridge  sinks  heavily  beneath  his  feet ;  he 
falls,  and  is  lost  forever  in  the  dire  abyss. 

The  Delawares  believe  that  the  existence  of  good  and  evi 
spirits  dates  back  to  so  remote  an  epoch  that  it  is  impossi 
ble  for  man  to  conceive  its  commencement ;  that  these  spirits 
are  immutable,  and  that  death  has  no  empire  over  them  ; 
they  created  the  manitous,  or  inferior  spirits,  who  enjoy,  like 
themselves,  immortality.  They  attribute  to  the  good  spirit 
all  earthly  blessings  :  light,  the  heat  of  the  sun,  health,  the 
varied  and  beneficent  productions  of  nature,  their  success  in 
war  or  in  the  chase,  &c.  From  the  wicked  spirit  proceed 
all  contradictions  and  misfortunes,  darkness,  cold,  failure  in 
hunting  and  war,  hunger,  thirst,  old  age,  sickness,  and 
death.  The  manitous  cannot  of  themselves  do  either  good 
or  evil ;  for  they  are  only  the  faithful  mediators  of  the 
great  spirits,  for  the  execution  of  their  orders  and  their 
designs. 

They  believe  the  soul  is  material,  although  invisible  and 
immortal.  They  say  that  the  soul  does  not  quit  the  body 
immediately  after  death,  but  that  these  two  parts  of  man 
descend  into  the  grave,  where  they  remain  together  during 
several  days,  sometimes  during  weeks  and  months.  After 
the  soul  has  left  the  tomb,  it  retards  anew  its  departure  for 
a  time,  before  it  is  capable  of  breaking  the  bonds  which  have 
so  intimately  attached  it  to  the  body  on  earth.  It  is  on  ac 
count  of  this  strong  attachment,  this  intimate  union  between 
the  body  and  the  soul,  that  the  Indians  paint  and  carefully 
adorn  the  body  before  interring  it,  and  place  provisions, 
arms,  and  utensils  in  the  tomb.  This  custom  is  not  only  a 
last  duty  of  respect  paid  to  the  dead,  but  at  the  same  time  a 
profession  of  their  belief  that  the  soul  will  appear  under  the 
wane  form  IP  the  u  country  of  life,"  if  it  be  eo  happy  as 
attain  it.  They  are  convinced  that  the  utensils,  arms, 


226  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

provisions,  are  indispensable  to  the  soul  in  traversing  the 
long  and  dangerous  trip  which  leads  to  the  "  island  of  hap 
piness." 

Watomika,  of  whom  I  have  spoken,  assured  me  that  he 
daily  placed  a  favorite  dish  on  the  tomb  of  his  father,  during 
a  whole  month,  persuaded  each  time  that  the  food  had  dis 
appeared, — that  the  soul  of  the  departed  had  accepted  the 
viand,  He  never  discontinued  repeating  this  last  testimony 
of  filial  love  and  fidelity  to  the  manes  of  his  father,  whom 
he  tenderly  loved,  until  a  dream  assured  him  that  that  sou] 
so  dear  had  entered  the  "  regions  of  life,"  and  was  in  the  en 
joyment  of  all  the  favors,  and  all  the  advantages  that  the 
Great  Spirit  grants  so  liberally  to  those  who  have  faithfully 
accomplished  their  obligations  on  earth. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  indicate  to  you  the  striking  points  of 
resemblance  with  several  ancient  traditions  of  religion.  Al 
though  fabulous  in  several  circumstances,  this  Indian  narra 
tive  includes  ideas  on  the  creation,  the  terrestrial  paradise, 
heaven  and  hell,  angels  and  demons,  &c. 

The  Lenni-Lenapi  offer  two  kinds  of  sacrifice,  namely,  to 
the  good  spirit  and  to  the  evil  spirit ;  that  is  to  say,  to  Waka- 
Taiika  and  to  Waka-Cheeka. 

One  of  these  ceremonies  is  performed  in  common,  and 
the  whole  tribe  or  village  take  part  in  it ;  the  other  is  pri 
vate,  one  family  or  several  households  sharing  in  it.  The 
solemnity  of  the  general  sacrifice  takes  place  in  the  spring  of 
the  year.  It  is  made  to  obtain  the  benedictions  of  Waka 
Tanka  on  tne  entire  nation,  that  the  earth  may  be  rendered 
fruitful,  the  hunting-grounds  abound  with  animals  and  birds, 
and  the  rivers  and  lakes  crowded  with  fish.  This  particular 
sacrifice  comprehends  all  the  sacrifices  which  take  place  in 
certain  circumstances  and  in  certain  seasons  of  the  year 
They  are  offered  to  either  the  good  or  evil  spirit,  fbr  ob- 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  221 

taining  personal  favors,  or  preservation  from  all  accidents 
and  misfortunes. 

Before  the  great  feast  or  annual  sacrifice,  the  great  chief 
convenes  his  council.  It  is  composed  of  inferior  chiefs,  of 
senior  warriors  who  have  taken  scalps  in  war,  and  jugglers 
or  medicine-men.  They  deliberate  on  the  proper  time  and 
suitable  place  for  the  sacrifice.  The  decision  is  proclaimed 
by  the  orators  to  the  assembled  tribe.  Immediately  every 
individual  begins  taking  his  measures,  and  making  his  prep 
arations  for  assisting  worthily  at  the  festival  and  giving  bril 
liancy  to  the  ceremonies. 

About  ten  days  previous  to  the  solemnity,  the  principal 
jugglers,  to  whom  the  arrangement  of  the  ceremonies  has 
been  confided,  blacken  their  foreheads  with  powdered  char 
coal  mixed  with  grease ;  this  is  their  token  of  mourning  and 
penance.  They  retire,  either  into  their  own  lodges,  or  into 
the  most  hidden  and  inaccessible  thicknesses  of  the  neigh 
boring  forests.  Alone,  they  pass  the  time  in  silence,  in  jug 
gleries,  and  in  superstitious  practices ;  they  observe  a  most 
rigorous  fast,  and  often  pass  ten  days  in  a  complete  absti 
nence,  without  partaking  of  the  least  nourishment. 

In  the  mean  time  the  medicine-lodge  is  erected  in  its 
widest  dimensions.  Every  one  contributes  to  it  whatever  he 
possesses  of  value,  or  that  he  considers  precious,  to  serve  as 
ornaments  on  this  grand  occasion. 

On  the  day  named,  early  in  the  morning,  the  chiefs,  fol 
lowed  by  the  medicine-men  and  all  the  people,  each  in  full 
costume  and  carefully  painted  with  different  colors,  march  in 
procession  to  the  lodge,  and  participate  in  a  religious  ban 
quet  hastily  prepared.  During  the  repast,  the  orators  make 
their  customary  discourses ;  these  turn  principally  upon  all 
the  events  of  the  year  just  elapsed,  and  on  the  success  ob 
tained,  or  the  misfortunes  experienced. 


228  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

After  the  banquet  a  fire  is  kindled  in  the  centre  of  the 
lodge.  Twelve  stones,  each  one  weighing  three  pounds,  are 
placed  before  the  fire  and  heated  to  redness.  The  victim, 
which  is  a  white  dog,  is  presented  to  the  jugglers  by  the 
great  chief,  accompanied  by  all  his  grave  counsellors.  The 
sacrificant,  or  master  of  ceremonies,  attaches  the  animal  to 
the  medicine-post,  consecrated  to  this  use,  and  painted  red. 
After  making  his  supplications  to  Waka-Tanka,  he  immo 
lates  the  victim  with  a  single  blow,  tears  out  his  heart,  and 
divides  it  into  three  equal  parts.  At  the  instant  they  draw 
from  the  fire  the  twelve  red-hot  stones  and  arrange  them  in 
three  heaps,  on  each  of  which  the  sacrificant  places  a  piece 
of  the  heart  enveloped  in  the  leaves  of  the  kinekinic,*  or 
Bumac. 

While  these  pieces  are  consuming,  the  jugglers  raise  with 
one  hand  their  idols,  and  holding  in  the  other  a  gourd 
filled  with  little  stones,  they  beat  the  measure,  dance,  and 
thus  surround  the  smoking  sacrifice.  At  the  same  time  they 
implore  the  Waka-Tanka  to  grant  them  a  liberal  share  of 
blessings. 

After  the  heart  and  the  leaves  are  entirely  consumed,  the 
ashes  are  collected  in  a  beautiful  doeskin,  ornamented  with 
beads  and  embroidered  with  porcupine,  and  presented  to  the 
sacrificant.  This  last  immediately  goes  forth  from  his  lodge, 
preceded  by  four  masters  of  ceremonies,  bearing  the  skin, 
and  followed  by  the  whole  band  of  jugglers.  After  ha 
ranguing  the  multitude  in  the  most  flattering  terms,  he 
divides  the  ashes  of  the  sacrifice  into  six  portions.  He  casts 
the  first  towards  heaven,  and  entreats  the  Good  Spirit  to 


*  The  Kinekinic  (Sasakkomenah,  in  Ojibway)  is  a  shrub  of  the  genus 
Rhus.  The  Indians  generally  use  the  leaves  to  mix  with  tobacco  when 
they  smoke. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  229 

grant  them  his  blessings;  he  spreads  the  second  on  the 
earth,  to  obtain  from  it  an  abundance  of  fruits  and  of  roots. 
The  remaining  four  portions  are  offered  to  the  four  cardinal 
points.  "  From  the  east  the  light  of  day  (the  sun)  is  grant 
ed  them.  The  west  sends  them  the  greatest  abundance  of 
showers,  which  fertilize  the  plains  and  forests,  and  supply 
with  water  the  springs,  and  those  rivers  and  lakes  which 
furnish  them  with  fish.  The  north,  with  its  snows  and  ice, 
facilitates  to  them  the  operations  of  the  chase ;  the  hunters 
can  in  the  cold  season,  with  more  ease  and  security,  follow 
the  tracks  of  the  animals.  In  the  spring  the  southern  gales 
call  forth  the  new  verdure,  blossoms,  and  fruits;  it  is  the 
season  when  all  the  wild  animals  bring  forth  their  young, 
that  they  may  feed  on  the  fresh  herbage,  and  the  tender 
branches  of  trees  and  shrubs."  The  sacrificant  implores  all 
the  elements  to  be  propitious.  Finally,  he  addresses  the 
medicine-men,  thanking  them  for  all  that  they  have  done  to 
obtain  the  assistance  and  favor  of  Waka-Tanka  in  the  course 
of  the  ensuing  year.  Then  the  whole  assembly  shout  joy 
fully  their  approbation,  and  withdraw  to  their  wigwams,  to 
pass  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  feasting  and  dancing.  The 
white  dog  is  carefully  prepared  and  cooked.  Each  member 
of  the  confraternity  of  jugglers  receives  his  portion  in  a 
wooden  dish,  and  is  bound  to  eat  the  whole  (excepting  the 
bones).  This  repast  terminates  the  grand  festival  and  the 
annual  banquet. 

The  difference  between  the  particular  and  the  general  sac 
rifice  consists  in  this, — the  heart  of  any  other  animal  may  be 
offered  to  the  good  spirit  by  one  juggler  only,  and  in  presence 
of  one  single  individual,  or  of  one  or  several  families,  in  favor 
of  whom  the  offering  is  made. 

When  any  misfortune  happens  to  one  or  to  several  families, 
they  immediately  address  the  chief  of  the  jugglers,  imparting 
20 


230  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

to  him  their  afflictions  and  difficulties.  This  communication 
is  made  in  the  most  submissive  terms,  in  order  to  obtain  his 
intercession  and  his  aid.  He  at  once  invites  three  individuals 
among  the  initiated  to  deliberate  together  on  the  affair  In 
question.  After  the  customary  incantations  and  juggleries, 
the  chief  rises  and  makes  known  the  causes  of  the  anger  of 
Waka-Cheeka.  They  then  go  to  the  lodge,  prepared  for  the 
sacrifice ;  kindle  a  large  fire  in  it,  and  continue  according  to 
the  ritual  of  the  grand  sacrifice.  The  jugglers  endeavor  to 
render  themselves  as  hideous  as  possible,  painting  their  faces 
and  bodies,  and  wearing  the  most  fantastical  accoutrements. 
Undoubtedly  they  wish  to  resemble  more  closely  (at  least  in 
the  exterior)  the  hideous  and  evil  spirit  whom  they  serve, 
and  thus  obtain  his  favors. 

The  unhappy  suppliants  are  then  introduced  into  the 
lodge  and  present  the  sacrificant  the  entrails  of  a  crow,  by 
way  of  offering.  They  place  themselves  opposite  the  jug 
glers.  The  red-hot  stones,  mounted  in  one  heap,  consume 
the  entrails,  wrapped  in  the  leaves  of  kinekinic,  or  sumac. 
The  chief  secretly  draws  from  his  sack  of  juggleries,  which 
contains  his  idols  and  other  superstitious  objects,  a  bear's 
tooth,  and  hides  it  in  his  mouth.  Then  he  covers  his  right 
eye  with  his  hand,  moans  and  shrieks,  as  though  he  were 
undergoing  the  greatest  sufferings  and  the  most  excruciating 
agony.  This  play  continues  some  moments.  He  pretends 
to  draw  the  tooth  from  his  eye,  and  presents  it  triumphantly 
to  his  credulous  clients,  making  them  believe  that  the  anger 
of  Waka-Cheeka  is  appeased.  If  the  affair  is  very  import 
ant,  the  jugglers  often  receive  several  horses,  or  other  objecta 
of  value,  and  all  retire  satisfied  and  joyous. 

r  j  r*  sun,  a  & 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  231 


Letter  XVI, 

lw    «K  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUBSEIJS. 
Eutalwa  and  Maria,  parents  of  WatomiJcet. 

NAMTJB,  January  80, 1857. 
R«v.  t  CD  DEAR  FATHER  : 

I  jarrated  to  you,  in  one  of  my  letters,  the  conversion 
of  Wa-omika  (Light-foot)  and  his  vocation  to  the  religion* 
state.  A.  short  notice  concerning  his  parents  will  interest  you. 

Watr>mika  was  born  in  the  village  of  Muskagola,  in  Indian 
Territory.  His  father,  called  Kistalwa,  the  Runner  of  the 
Mountain-path,  was  grandson  of  Hobokou,  or  the  Tobacco- 
pipe,  a  distinguished  chief  and  warrior  of  the  tribe  of  Dela- 
wares,  or  Lenni-Lenapi,  which  figure  worthily  in  the  Indian 
history  of  the  United  States.  Ketchum,  his  cousin,  is  the 
actual  chief  of  the  Delawares,  and  the  successor  of  Kistalwa. 

During  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life,  Kistalwa  exercised 
the  functions  of  great  chief.  On  many  an  occasion,  he  proved 
by  his  boldness,  while  hunting  the  bear,  tiger,  and  buffalo, 
and  especially  by  his  bravery  in  war,  that  he  was  worthy  at 
once  of  the  high  position  which  he  occupied  in  his  nation, 
and  of  the  title  of  descendant  of  a  long  succession  of  chiefs 
and  illustrious  warriors.  Educated  in  the  superstitions  of 
paganism,  Kistalwa  was  ignorant  of  the  Christian  religion. 
He  saw  in  the  whites  who  visited  his  tribe,  naught  but 
usurpers  of  the  land*  of  his  ancestors,  who  continually 
pushed  them  into  unexplored  wilds ;  but  government  agents, 


232  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

who,  little  by  little,  and  in  proportion  as  it  extended  its  vast 
empire,  would  succeed  in  exterminating  the  whole  Indian 
race.  He  saw  them  introducing  themselves  among  them — 
men,  who,  under  the  appearance  of  friendship,  extended  th« 
hand,  addressed  them  kind  and  flattering  words,  encouraged 
the  Indian  to  drink  fire-water  (as  the  latter  call  liquors), 
inebriated  them,  in  order  the  better  to  deceive  them  in  their 
infamous  traffic,  and  fomented  the  most  abject  vices.  He 
was  witness  of  the  fatal  influences  that  these  perverse  and 
hypocritical  men  exerted  in  the  tribe.  Is  it  then  surprising 
that  he  hated  not  only  those  individuals,  but  even  the  reli 
gion  to  which  they  pretended  to  belong,  even  the  very  name 
of  Christian,  which  they  presumed  to  bear  ?  Like  the  aged 
Hamilcar,  father  of  Hannibal,  Kistalwa  never  ceased  to  in 
spire  the  young  Watomika  with  an  eternal  hatred  towards 
the  treacherous  white  race. 

The  mother  of  Watomika  was  of  French  orign.  Accord 
ing  to  the  accounts  of  this  woman,  her  parents  came  from 
the  province  of  Auvergne,  and,  after  crossing  the  ocean, 
they  settled  in  a  rich  and  lovely  valley,  on  the  shores  of  the 
Rio-Frio,  a  tributary  of  the  Nueces,  in  Texas,  which  then 
formed  a  part  of  Mexico.  Green  plains,  with  which  the  val 
ley  abounded,  served  as  pasturage  to  countless  troops  of  wild 
cattle  and  thousands  of  wild  horses.  The  Comanches,  not 
less  savage  and  wandering,  came  there  from  time  to  time  to 
make  their  great  hunt,  and  provide  themselves  with  those 
impetuous  coursers,  which  render  them  the  terror  of  their 
enemies  in  war.  Here  Maria,  mother  of  Watomika,  was 
born.  She  had  a  brother,  called  Louis,  three  years  older, 
and  born  in  France. 

Days,  months,  even  years,  rolled  on,  without  the  peace  of 
the  solitary  cottage  of  the  intrepid  Frenchman,  as  he  was 
denominated,  ever  being  disturbed.  Ee  had  no  other 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  233 

bors  than  the  wandering  savages,  who,  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year,  visited  him,  testified  much  friendship  and  attach 
ment  for  him,  and  bringing  him  their  peltry  and  provis 
ions,  received  in  exchange  those  articles  which  were  suited 
to  their  wants  or  would  afford  them  pleasure.  This  little 
family,  so  tranquil,  so  happy  in  the  lonely  wild,  sheltered 
from  those  political  commotions,  from  those  furious  tempests 
which  arise  and  scatter  fear,  disorder,  and  ruin  into  the  most 
charming  provinces  of  fair  France,  their  native  country — the 
Bucheur  family,  remote  from  those  tragical  and  bloody  spec 
tacles,  believed  they  had  found  repose  in  the  solitude,  far 
from  the  confusions  and  vicisitudes  of  which  they  had  been 
witness  in  the  last  century.  But,  alas !  the  dreams  of  life 
are  very  deceitful,  and  often  very  short !  The  visions  of 
man's  imagination  hers  bolow  are  illusory  and  uncertain. 
Passing  for  the  greater  part  with  the  speed  of  lightning, 
they  dazzle  but  an  instant.  The  intrepid  Frenchman  counted 
upon  a  long  continuance  of  happy  years.  Eight  years  had 
already  elapsed,  and  peace  and  happiness  ever  reigned  in  his 
little  household.  The  savages  appeared  to  be  sincerely  at 
tached  to  him ;  he  was  their  friend,  their  benefactor ;  he 
thought  himself  securely  sheltered  from  all  danger  on  their 
part. 

Suddenly,  an  unforeseen  event  annihilated  his  fondest 
hopos.  A  little  party  of  Comanche  hunters  were  massacred 
by  some  Spaniards  on  the  Rio  Grande.  Instantly  the  cry  of 
war  and  of  vengeance  resounded  in  all  the  camps  of  the 
tribe.  The  Indian  warriors  already  scour  the  plains  and  the 
forests,  in  search  of  the  scalps  of  the  white  man,  and  cage* 
to  drench  their  hands  in  his  blood.  They  had  sought  in 
vain  for  weeks,  when  the  remembrance  of  the  solitary  of  the 
Rio  Frio  presented  itself  to  the  thought  of  one  soldier  of  the 
band.  He  proposed  the  blow;  it  was  accepted.  In  their 
20* 


234:  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

frenzied  rage  they  forgot  the  benevolence  and  friendship  of 
which  they  had  continually  received  proofs  in  the  cabin  of 
the  honest  Frenchman,  and  of  his  faithful  companion.  They 
even  forgot  the  innocent  caresses  of  the  two  little  children. 

Favored  by  the  darkness  of  night,  they  approached  this 
peaceful  dwelling.  While  the  whole  family  were  buried 
in  a  profound  slumber,  the  war-whoop  of  the  barbarians 
aroused  them.  Armed  with  clubs,  the  aggressors  burst  in 
the  doors,  and  ere  the  family  had  time  to  recover  from  their 
panic,  they  seized  the  father,  mother,  and  the  children. 
They  led  them  to  a  little  distance  from  the  house,  so  that 
they  might  themselves  be  the  melancholy  witnesses  of  the 
destruction  by  fire  of  all  that  the  savages  could  not  transport. 

This  was  only  the  commencement  of  their  misfortunes. 
The  wrath  and  revenge  of  the  Indians,  inflamed  by  all  the 
injuries  received  from  some  whites,  was,  in  the  absence  of 
the  really  culpable,  to  fall  upon  these  innocent  victims. 
They  loaded  them  with  opprobrium  and  overwhelmed  them 
with  cruelties.  After  a  precipitate  and  painful  march,  con 
tinued  during  several  days,  almost  without  being  able  to  take 
the  least  repose,  and  with  very  little  food,  they  arrived  at 
the  village  of  the  great  Comanche  chiet^  a  near  relation  of 
the  hunters  massacred  by  the  Spaniards. 

The  camp  was  warned  beforehand  of  the  approach  of  the 
warriors.  They  were  received  with  all  the  honors  of  a  real 
triumph,  consisting  in  scalp-dances,  songs,  and  festivals,  as  if 
these  miserable  wretches  had  actually  distinguished  them 
selves  by  a  heroic  action  and  in  battle  array.  While  the 
council  was  sitting  in  the  lodge  of  the  chief,  in  order  to  de 
liberate  on  the  lot  of  the  prisoners,  these  last  were  conducted 
all  around  the  village,  amid  the  most  atrocious  injuries  which 
each  barbarian  had  the  right  to  inflict  on  them.  The  chie, 
at  last  proclaimed  the  sentence,  which  was  heard  and  ac- 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  235 

cepted  with  loud  acclamations.  The  post  was  immediately 
erected  in  the  camp  and  surrounded  with  fagots.  The 
Frenchman  and  his  wife  were  fastened  to  it  together,  in 
order  that  they  might  perish  in  the  flames.  The  savage 
dances,  the  frenzied  gestures,  the  cries,  vociferations,  and 
howlings  of  these  infuriated  barbarians,  augmented  the  deep 
anguish  and  horrible  agony  of  their  unfortunate  victims. 
The  father  and  mother  never  ceased,  until  their  latest  breath, 
conjuring  their  cruel  executioners  to  take  pity  on  their 
poor,  innocent  children.  Little  Louis  and  Maria  were  spared, 
on  account  of  their  infant  years.  The  former  was  ten  years 
of  age ;  the  girl  was  only  seven.  They  were,  however,  forced 
to  witness  the  sacrifice  of  their  beloved  parents,  whom  they 
could  neither  deliver  nor  comfort.  They  trembled  in  every 
limb,  shed  torrents  of  tears,  called  their  father  and  mother 
by  their  sweetest  names,  and  supplicated,  but  in  vain,  those 
cruel  and  merciless  hearts  to  spare  their  lives.  The  moaning 
of  the  father,  amid  his  cruel  tortures,  and  the  agonizing 
shrieks  of  the  dying  mother,  rent  the  hearts  of  these  tender 
children.  In  their  despair,  they  would  have  thrown  them 
selves  at  their  feet,  heedless  of  the  flames,  if  the  monsters 
that  surrounded  them  had  not  opposed  them. 

Immediately  after  this  tragical  and  shocking  scene,  the 
two  unhappy  orphans  were  subjected  to  a  new  trial,  not  less 
hard  and  afflicting  in  the  melancholy  circumstances  in  which 
they  found  themselves.  Hitherto  they  had  passed  together 
the  innocent  and  joyous  days  of  their  childhood ;  they  shared 
each  other's  sports,  and  made  little  excursions  together :  now 
that  their  tender  hearts  wished  to  sympathize  in  this  bitter 
trial,  they  were  pitilessly  separated,  never  to  see  each  other 
again  on  earth.  The  only  son  of  a  chief  who  was  present 
had  lately  fallen  in  war.  This  chief  claimed  Louis,  to  take 
the  place  of  his  son,  put  him  on  a  beautiful  horse,  and  con 


236  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

ducted  him  to  his  country.  From  that  time  they  have  nevei 
heard  of  him.  If  he  still  lives,  he  probably  now  replaces  his 
adopted  father  as  Comanche  chief,  and  wanders  with  his  red 
brothers  in  the.  boundless  prairies  of  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and 
the  Great  Desert.  Maria  was  adopted  in  the  family  of  a 
great  Comanche  warrior,  who  treated  her  as  his  own  child, 
and  who  resumed,  soon  after,  the  trail  leading  to  his  own 
country,  situated  to  the  north  of  Texas.  She  passed  seven 
years  in  this  family,  when  she  accompanied  her  Indian 
parents  to  a  trading-post,  established  in  the  upper  part  of 
Red  River.  They  there  met  a  great  party  of  Delawares,  led 
forth  by  the  young  and  brave  Kistalwa,  son  of  Buckongohela. 
The  two  companies  at  once  paid  the  customary  compliments, 
and  smoked  the  calumet  of  peace  and  of  fraternity. 

Maria  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Delaware  party, 
especially  of  Kistalwa,  who  conversed  with  her.  She  con 
sented  to  accompany  him  to  the  lodge  of  Buckongohela, 
provided  her  adopted  parents  gave  their  approbation.  Kis 
talwa  hastened  to  propose  the  matter  to  the  old  Comanche. 
The  latter,  surprised,  rejected  the  proposition  with  severity, 
and  refused,  positively,  to  hear  it  mentioned.  He  even  took 
steps  to  prevent  any  interview  between  the  young  Delaware 
and  his  adopted  daughter.  Kistalwa  was  firm  ;  he  did  not 
suffer  himself  to  be  easily  intimidated,  and  this  first  refusal 
only  served  to  encourage  him  to  persist  in  his  request,  at 
every  hazard.  The  history  of  the  young  white  girl  had 
deeply  touched  his  heart.  He  determined  absolutely  to  take 
her,  to  tear  her,  if  necessary,  from  one  of  the  tormentors  of 
her  unfortunate  father  and  mother.  He,  therefore,  returned 
to  the  charge  with  such  determination,  and  with  such  posi 
tive  arguments,  that  the  Comanche  began  to  reflect  on  the 
consequences  of  a  second  refusal,  and  to  tremble  for  the  se 
curity  of  his  whole  family.  The  affair  assumed  a  new  aspect; 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  237 

the  old  Indian  lent  a  more  attentive  ear  to  the  discourse  of 
the  youthful  warrior.  Kistalwa  perceived  it,  and  imme 
diately  put  his  calumet  and  tobacco  at  his  feet.  According 
to  Indian  usages,  if  the  adverse  party  pays  no  attention  to 
the  calumet,  it  is  a  sign  that  he  refuses  all  arrangement. 
But  the  Comanche,  to  the  perfect  delight  of  his  guest, 
hastened  to  light  the  calumet,  and  offered  it  to  the  Great 
Spirit  and  to  all  the  manitous  in  his  calendar,  as  a  token  of 
his  sincerity.  The  calumet  then  passed  from  mouth  to 
mouth,  as  in  conclusion  of  the  treaty.  The  one  promised 
his  daughter :  the  other,  in  testimony  of  his  gratitude,  made 
a  present  to  the  father  of  two  splendid  horses  and  an  ample 
supply  of  tobacco  and  of  munitions. 

Kistalwa  soon  made  his  preparations  for  departure,  and 
caused  the  white  girl  to  be  informed  of  his  intentions.  She 
found  it  difficult  to  quit  her  Comanche  parents,  to  whom  she 
was  sincerely  attached.  Maria,  by  her  mildness,  her  intelli 
gence,  and  her  other  good  qualities,  which  distinguished  her 
from  her  companions,  had  won  every  heart  in  the  Comanche 
family.  They,  on  their  side,  had  manifested  towards  Maria, 
during  her  long  sojourn  in  their  lodge,  all  the  respect  and 
affection  of  real  brothers  and  sisters.  The  separation  was 
therefore  painful ;  and  their  mutual  grief  was  evidenced  by 
an  abundance  of  tears  in  exchanging  the  last  farewell. 
Hence,  in  bidding  adieu  to  Maria,  the  old  Comanche  im 
plored  his  manitous  to  protect  the  path  through  which  she 
would  pass  :  having  placed  her  under  their  safeguard,  he  com 
mitted  her  into  the  hands  of  Kistalwa  and  his  band  of  warriors. 

Proud  of  the  treasure  which  they  took  with  them,  they 
resumed,  as  if  in  triumph,  the  way  to  their  own  country. 
The  sun  shone,  the  plains  abounded  with  animals,  the  chase 
was  successful,  no  enemy  disputed  their  passage,  all  was  pro 
pitious  and  happy  during  their  long  journey. 


238  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Maria,  at  her  arrival  among  the  Lenni-Lenapi,  hencefor^ 
ward  her  own  nation,  was  received  there  with  every  mark  oi 
tenderness  and  affection  by  the  great  chief  Buckongohela. 
He  gave  her  the  name  of  Monotawan,  or  the  White  Ante 
lope,  on  account  of  her  delicate  form  and  her  exceedingly 
fair  complexion. 

Two  years  after,  Monotawan  was  married  to  Kiatalwa, 
with  the  ceremonies  and  rites  used  in  that  tribe.  The  fol 
lowing  are  the  details  of  this  kind  of  solemnity :  when  a 
young  man  desires  to  marry,  he  declares  his  intention  to 
the  father  and  mother  of  the  young  person  of  his  choice,  if 
they  are  living,  if  not,  to  the  nearest  relations  and  friends. 
These  decide  on  the  suitableness  of  the  marriage.  The 
young  man  then  takes  his  gun,  his  shot-pouch,  and  his  pow 
der-horn,  and  passes  three  consecutive  days  in  pursuit  of 
game  in  the  neighboring  forests  and  plains.  If  he  obtains 
success  and  returns  with  his  horses  laden  with  the  products 
of  the  chase,  it  is  a  certain  presage  of  happiness  and  peace 
in  the  new  state  which  he  is  about  to  enter ;  if,  on  the  con 
trary,  he  returns  to  the  lodge  with  empty  hands  or  with  poor 
game,  the  augury  is  unfavorable,  and  the  friends  often  defer 
the  marriage  to  a  more  propitious  time.  The  hunter,  on  his 
return,  chooses  the  most  delicate  specimens  of  his  game, 
places  them  at  the  entrance  of  the  wigwam  of  his  intended, 
and  then  retires  without  saying  a  word  to  any  one  whomso 
ever.  When  the  present  is  accepted,  it  is  a  sign  that  no 
objection  exists  on  the  part  of  the  family  or  friends  to  the 
projected  union.  Without  delay  the  betrothed  make  all 
the  preparations  which  prelude  the  marriage.  The  young 
man  and  young  woman  carefully  paint  their  faces  with  dif 
ferent  colors  and  devices,  and  adorn  themselves  with  their 
finest  ornaments.  These  last  consist  in  bracelets,  neck 
laces  of  glass  and  porcelain  beads,  handsome  birds'-feathers, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  239 

habits  of  antelope  and  buck  skins,  richly  embroidered  and 
worked  with  porcupine-quills  of  various  tints.  The  bride 
groom  ties  fox  and  wolf  tails  around  his  heels  and  knees  in 
the  fashion  of  garters,  and  inserts  feathers  of  the  eagle's  tail 
in  his  hair — the  last  are  marks  of  great  distinction.  The 
principal  jugglers  make  an  offering  of  tobacco  to  Waka- 
Tanka,  or  the  Great  Spirit,  in  order  to  obtain  his  favors  fot 
the  young  couple,  and  present  him  a  beaver-skin  in  sacrifice, 
as  a  mark  of  their  gratitude  for  the  future  blessings  which 
they  implore  for  them.  The  friends  and  near  relations  pre 
pare  the  grand  marriage-feast  together.  There  the  young 
man  is  presented  to  the  family  by  the  great  master  of  cere 
monies.  He  places  a  beaver-skin  in  the  hand  of  each  of  the 
betrothed.  They  exchange  these  between  them,  and  thus 
ratify  their  consent  to  the  marriage.  The  repast  commences, 
the  guests  do  honor  to  the  viands,  they  dance  and  sing  to 
the  drum  and  the  flute,  and  amid  these  amusements  and  the 
recitation  of  interesting  tales,  terminates  the  nuptial  cere 
mony  among  the  Lenni-Lenapi. 

Monotawan  became  the  mother  of  two  sons ;  the  elder  was 
called  Chiwendota  or  the  Black  Wolf,  the  junior  received 
the  name  of  Watomika  or  the  Light-foot 

Please  accept  my  best  respects,  and  believe  me, 

Your  devoted  brother  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  D«  SMKT,  S.  J. 


W3OTEBN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XVII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Mre-worship. 

S*.  Louis,  November  14, 1857. 
RlV.  AND    VERY    DEAR   FATHER  I 

The  ancient  worship  of  fire  exists  among  our  Indians 
from  time  immemorial.  It  is  found  in  their  traditions,  as  in 
the  history  of  almost  all  the  nations  which  have  had  temples 
and  altars  in  which  was  a  pyre,  a  hearth,  a  brasier,  in  order 
to  entertain  continually  the  fire  used  in  their  sacrifices.  The 
Greeks  adored  fire  under  the  name  of  Haitos,  and  the  Latins 
under  the  name  of  Vesta.  Father  Charlevoix  represents  the 
tribes  of  Louisiana,  and  especially  the  ancient  tribe  of  the 
Natchez,  as  keeping  up  a  perpetual  fire  in  all  their  medi 
cine  lodges  or  temples.  Among  the  Moquis  of  New  Mexico 
the  sacred  fire  is  constantly  maintained  by  aged  men.  They 
believe  that  great  misfortunes  will  afflict  the  whole  tribe 
should  the  fire  be  extinguished. 

The  superstitious  devotion  to  fire  was  general  among  the 
Mexicans  at  the  period  of  the  Conquest.  In  a  book  en 
titled,  Inie  Calotle  in  Ilhuicac,  or  Way  to  Heaven,  printed 
in  1607  and  1612,  we  see  that  each  one  of  the  eighteen 
months  of  the  Mexican  year  was  consecrated  to  a  particular 
divinity,  honored  by  festivals  more  or  less  solemn,  and  al 
most  always  by  human  sacrifices. 

The  first  month,  which  begun  on  the  second  of  February 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  241 

was  consecrated  to  Altachuala,  god  of  the  detention  of  waters; 
the  second,  to  the  destroying  god  of  nations  y  the  third,  to 
the  god  of  the  waters  ;  the  fourth,  to  the  god  of  maize  j  the 
fifth,  falling  about  Easter,  to  the  god  Tezcatlipoca,  which  was 
the  Jupiter  of  the  Romans;  the  ninth  was  consecrated  to  the 
god  of  war. 

The  tenth  month,  called  Xocolh-huetzi,  began  on  the  4th 
of  August.  Then  took  place  the  great  feast  of  the  god  of 
fire,  or  Xuchten-hetli,  with  numerous  human  sacrifices.  They 
thrust  living  men  into  the  flames.  When  these  were  half 
burnt,  but  still  alive,  they  tore  out  the  heart,  in  presence  of 
the  image  of  the  god.  Then  they  planted  in  the  middle  of 
the  court  of  the  temple  a  lofty  tree,  around  which  they  per 
formed  a  thousand  ceremonies  and  sacrifices  worthy  of  the 
founder  of  this  feast.  It  lasted  longer  than  the  others. 

In  the  eleventh  month  falls  the  festival  of  Toci,  mother  of 
the  gods;  on  the  twelfth,  that  of  the  Coming  of  the  gods ; 
on  the  thirteenth,  the  Feasts  upon  the  mountains ;  the  fif 
teenth  month  was  reserved  to  the  god  of  war,  and  the  seven 
teenth  to  the  god  of  the  rains. 

The  12th  of  January  commenced,  with  the  eighteenth 
month,  called  Itzcali,  another  feast  of  fire.  Two  days  pre 
vious  (the  10th),  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  they  kindled 
the  new  fire  before  the  idol  of  the  god,  elegantly  ornamented. 
With  this  fire  they  lighted  a  grand  .pile.  The  hunters 
brought  all  that  they  had  killed  or  fished  from  the  waters, 
and  presented  it  to  the  priest,  who  cast  it  into  the  furnace. 
Then  all  the  assistants  were  obliged  to  eat  very  hot  the  ta- 
malillos,  that  is  to  say,  little  loaves  of  corn-meal  containing 
a  small  portion  of  roasted  meat.  What  was  most  singular 
in  this  festival,  is  that,  three  successive  years,  no  human  vic 
tim  was  immolated,  and  the  fourth  year,  the  number  of  vic 
tims  surpassed  that  of  other  feasts.  The  king  in  person  and 
21 


242  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

the  lords  presented  themselves  in  the  midst  of  this  heap  of 
corpses  to  dance,  and  all  sung,  with  respect  and  solemnity, 
the  reserved  chant,  which  they  call  in  their  language,  Netev- 
hicuicaliztli. 

In  a  Treatise  on  the  Idolatry  and  Superstitions  of  the 
Mexicans,  a  manuscript  of  1629,  we  perceive  that  what  par 
ticularly  attracted  the  veneration  of  the  Mexicans  was  fire. 
For  this  reason  this  element  presided  at  the  birth,  and  at  al 
most  all  the  actions  of  life  among  these  victims  of  error. 
The  infant  was  born  in  this  superstition.  At  the  moment  of 
its  birth,  fire  was  kindled  in  the  room  of  the  mother,  and  it 
was  maintained  four  consecutive  days,  without  removing  any 
of  it.  They  believed  that  if  the  live  coals  were  drawn  out, 
a  cloud  would  suddenly  appear  over  the  eye  of  the  newly 
born.  On  the  fourth  day,  the  elders  took  the  child  and  the 
fire  out  of  the  chamber ;  then  they  passed  the  fire  four  times 
around  the  child's  head,  twice  in  one  direction  and  twice  in 
its  opposite.  Then  the  new-born  infant  received  its  name, 
which  was  in  general  that  of  the  animal  or  of  the  element 
to  which  its  birthday  was  consecrated, — as  the  alligator,  the 
serpent,  the  tiger,  the  eagle,  etc. ;  or  the  water,  the  fire,  the 
house,  etc. 

In  the  different  sacrifices,  tapers  and  incense  almost  always 
had  a  share. 

We  also  find  among  them  a  mythological  recital,  which 
shows  that  a  personage,  formerly  covered  with  leprosy,  ob 
tained  the  empire  of  the  future  world,  for  having  passed  by 
the  ordeal  of  fire,  and  was  transformed  into  the  sun,  to  the 
great  disappointment  of  other  great  personages  who  shrank 
from  the  test.  Is  this  the  cause  of  their  respect  for  fire,  and 
the  reason  why  they  attribute  to  it  a  mysterious  power! 
The  Potawatomies  say  that  Chipiapoos,  or  the  Dead-man,  it 
the  grand  manitou  that  presides  in  the  country  of  souls  and 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  243 

there  maintains  the  sacred  fire,  for  the  happiness  of  all  those 
of  his  race  who  arrive  there.  I  have  spoken  of  it  in  my 
"  Oregon  Missions,"  p.  285.* 

Fire  is,  in  all  the  Indian  tribes  that  I  have  known,  an  em 
blem  of  happiness  or  of  good  fortune.  It  is  kindled  before 
all  their  deliberations.  "  Having  extinguished  the  enemy's 
fire,"  signifies  with  them,  to  have  gained  the  victory.  They 
attribute  to  fire  a  sacred  character,  which  is  remarkable  ev 
erywhere  in  their  usages  and  customs,  especially  in  their  re 
ligious  ceremonies.  They  generally  maintain  mysterious 
ideas  concerning  the  substance  and  phenomena  of  fire,  which 
they  consider  supernatural.  To  see  a  fire  rising  mysteriously, 
in  their  dreams  or  otherwise,  is  the  symbol  of  the  passage  of 
a  soul  into  the  other  world.  Before  consulting  the  manitous, 
or  tutelary  spirits,  or  before  addressing  the  dead,  they  begin 
by  kindling  the  sacred  fire.  This  fire  must  be  struck  from 
a  flint,  or  reach  them  mysteriously  by  lightning,  or  in  some 
other  way.  To  light  the  sacred  fire  with  common  fire,  would 
be  considered  among  them  as  a  grave  and  dangerous  trans 
gression. 

The  Chippeways  of  the  north  kindle  a  fire  on  every  new 
tomb,  during  four  successive  nights.  They  say  that  this 
symbolical  and  sacred  light  illumines  their  solitary  and  ob 
scure  passage  to  the  country  of  souls.  .  The  followiug  is  the 
origin  of  this  sacred  and  funereal  fire  among  this  people.  I 
received  the  legend  from  the  mouth  of  our  worthy  Watomika 

A  little  war-party  of  Chippeways  met  some  enemies  in  a 
large  and  beautiful  plain.  The  war-whoop  was  instantly 
shouted,  and  the  contest  commenced.  Their  chief  was  a 
valiant  and  distinguished  warrior.  On  this  occasion  he  sur- 

*  Longfellow  has  embodied  this  legend  of  Chipiapoos  in  his  poem, 
"  Hiawatha,"  bat  ascribes  it  to  a  plagiarist,  who  copied  Father  D« 
Smet's  narrative  without  the  least  credit.— Editor. 


244  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

passed  himself  in  bravery,  and  a  great  number  of  his  enemiei 
fell  beneath  the  redoubled  blows  of  his  tomahawk.  He  was 
giving  the  signal  and  the  cry  of  victory  to  his  braves  in 
arms,  when  he  received  an  arrow  in  his  breast  and  fell  life 
less  on  the  plain.  The  warrior  who  receives  his  last  blow 
in  the  act  of  combating  is  never  buried.  According  to  the 
ancient  custom,  he  remains  seated  on  the  battle-field,  his 
back  resting  against  a  tree,  and  his  face  turned  in  the  direc 
tion  which  indicates  the  flight  of  his  enemies.  It  was  the 
case  with  this  chief.  His  grand  crest  of  eagle  feathers  was 
properly  adjusted  on  his  head, — each  plume  denoted  a  trophy 
or  a  scalp  won  in  combat.  His  face  was  carefully  painted. 
They  clothed  him  and  adorned  him  with  his  most  beautiful 
habiliments,  as  though  he  were  yet  alive.  All  his  equipment 
was  placed  at  his  side,  his  bow  and  quiver  of  arrows,  of  which 
he  had  made  such  noble  usage  in  war,  reposing  on  his 
shoulder.  The  post  of  the  brave  was  planted  before  him  in 
solemn  ceremony.  He  received  all  the  honors  due  to  an 
heroic  and  illustrious  warrior.  The  rites,  the  chants,  the  fu 
nereal  speeches,  all,  all  were  celebrated  according  to  the  cus 
tom  of  his  nation  in  similar  circumstances.  His  companions 
at  length  offered  him  their  last  farewells.  No  one  had  the 
slightest  doubt  of  his  death, — of  the  glorious  death  of  their 
great  chief.  Were  they  deceived  ?  The  sequel  of  the  legend 
will  show. 

Although  deprived  of  speech  and  of  all  other  means  of 
giving  signs  of  life,  the  chief  heard  distinctly  all  the  words 
of  the  songs  and  of  the  discourses,  the  cries,  the  lamenta 
tions,  and  the  bravadoes  of  his  warriors.  He  witnessed  their 
gestures,  their  dances,  and  all  their  ceremonies  around  the 
"post  of  honor."  His  icy  hand  was  sensible  to  the  pressure 
of  the  friendly  grasp ;  his  lips,  though  pale  and  livid,  felt  the 
ardor  and  heat  of  the  farewell  embrace  and  salute,  without 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  24:5 

his  being  able  to  return  it.  Perceiving  himself  thus  forsaken, 
his  anguish  became  excessive,  as  also  his  desire  to  accom 
pany  his  companions  in  their  return  to  the  village.  When 
he  saw  them  disappear  one  after  the  other,  his  spirit  agitated 
him  in  such  a  manner,  that  he  made  a  violent  movement, — 
he  arose,  or  rather  seemed  to  rise,  and  followed  them.  His 
form  was  invisible  to  them.  This  was  for  him  a  new  cause 
of  surprise  and  contradiction,  which  swelled  at  once  his  grief 
and  his  despair.  However,  he  determined  to  follow  them 
closely.  Wheresoever  they  went,  he  went  also.  When  they 
marched,  he  marched ;  whether  riding  or  on  foot,  he  was  in 
their  midst.  He  camped  with  them  ;  he  slept  by  their  side  ; 
he  awoke  with  them.  In  short,  he  shared  in  all  their  fa 
tigues,  in  all  their  troubles,  in  all  their  labors.  While  he 
enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  their  conversation,  while  he  was 
present  at  their  repasts,  no  drink  was  presented  to  allay  his 
thirst,  no  dishes  to  appease  his  hunger.  His  questions  and 
his  responses  equally  remained  without  response.  "War 
riors  !  my  braves !"  cried  he,  with  bitterness  and  anguish  ; 
"do  you  not  hear  the  voice  of  your  chief?  Look  !  Do  you 
not  see  my  form  ?  You  remain  motionless, — you  seem  not 
to  see  and  hear  me.  Stanch  the  blood  which  is  flowing 
from  the  deep  wound  I  have  received.  Suffer  me  not  to  die 
deprived  of  aid,  to  famish  amid  abundance.  0  you  braves ! 
whom  I  led  often  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  who  have 
always  been  obedient  to  my  voice,  already  you  seem  to  for 
get  me !  One  drop  of  water  to  quench  my  feverish  thirst, — 
one  mouthful  of  sustenance  !  In  my  distress,  how  dare  you 
refuse  me !" 

At  each  halt,  he  addressed  them  in  alternate  supplication 
and  reproach,  but  in  vain.  No  one  understood  his  words. 
If  they  heard  his  voice,  it  was  rather  for  them  as  the  passage 
or  the  whispered  murmurs  of  the  wind  of  summer  througl 


24:6  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

the  foliage  and  branches  of  the  forest,  unnoticed  and  un 
heeded. 

In  fine,  after  a  long  and  painful  journey,  the  war-party 
arrived  on  the  summit  of  a  lofty  eminence,  which  overlooked 
the  whole  village.  The  warriors  prepared  to  make  their 
solemn  entrance.  They  decorated  themselves  with  their 
handsomest  ornaments,  carefully  painted  their  faces,  attached 
to  themselves  their  victorious  trophies,  especially  scalps, 
which  they  fastened  on  the  ends  of  their  bows,  tomahawks, 
and  lances.  Then  burst  forth  a  unanimous  shout,  the  cry  of 
joy  and  of  victory  of  the  Chippeways,  the  "  Kumaudjeewug ! 
Kumaudjeewug !  Kumaudjeewug!" — that  is  to  say,  they 
have  met;  or,  they  have  fought;  or,  they  have  conquered. 
This  enthusiastic  shout  resounded  throughout  the  whole 
camp.  According  to  custom,  the  women  and  children  went 
forth  to  meet  the  warriors,  in  order  to  honor  their  return 
and  proclaim  their  praises.  Those  who  had  lost  some  mem 
bers  of  their  family,  approached  with  anxiety  and  eagerness, 
to  find  out  whether  they  were  really  dead,  and  to  assure 
themselves  that  they  died  valiantly,  in  battling  with  the 
enemy.  The  old  man,  bowed  by  the  weight  of  years,  con 
soles  himself  for  the  loss  of  a  son,  if  he  sank  like  a  brave 
man,  arms  in  hand ;  and  the  grief  of  the  youthful  widow  loses 
all  its  bitterness  when  she  hears  the  praises  bestowed  on  the 
manes  of  her  valiant  spouse.  The  stirring  recitals  of  the 
combat  awaken  a  martial  fire  in  the  hearts  of  all  the  youth ; 
and  children,  yet  incapable  of  understanding  the  cause  of  the 
grand  festival,  mingle  their  infantine  shouts  of  joy  and  glad 
ness  with  the  boisterous  and  reiterated  acclamations  of  the 
whole  tribe. 

Amid  all  this  clamor  and  all  these  rejoicings,  no  one 
was  conscious  of  the  presence  of  the  great  war-chief.     He 
the  information  that  his  near  relations  and  his  friendi 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  247 

received  concerning  his  fortunes.  He  listened  to  the  recital 
of  his  bravery,  of  his  lofty  deeds,  of  his  glorious  death  in  the 
midst  of  his  vanquished  enemies.  He  heard  them  speak  of 
the  post  of  the  brave,  planted  in  his  honor  on  the  field  of 
battle.  "Here  I  am  !"  cried  he  ;  "I  see  !  I  walk  !  Look 
at  me !  Touch  me !  I  am  not  dead !  Tomahawk  in  hand, 
I  shall  renew  my  march  against  the  enemy,  at  the  head  of 
my  braves ;  and  soon,  in  the  banquet,  you  will  hear  the  tones 
of  my  drum  I"  No  one  heard  him  ;  no  one  perceived  him. 
The  voice  of  the  great  chief  was  no  more  to  them  than  the 
perpetual  din  of  the  falling  waters  from  cascade  to  cascade  at 
the  foot  of  their  village.  Impatient,  he  took  the  direction  of 
his  lodge.  There  he  found  his  wife  in  deep  despair,  cutting, 
in  token  of  mourning,  her  long  and  floating  locks,  lamenting 
her  misfortune,  the  loss  of  a  cherished  husband,  and  the 
desolate  state  of  her  orphan  children.  He  strove  to  unde 
ceive  her,  and  to  comfort  her  with  words  of  tenderness ;  he 
sought  to  clasp  his  infants  in  his  arms;  but  here  again,  vain 
and  futile  were  his  efforts ;  they  remained  insensible  to  his 
voice  and  his  paternal  caresses.  The  mother,  bathed  in 
tears,  sat  inclining  her  head  between  her  hands.  The  chief, 
suffering  and  dejected,  besought  her  to  dress  his  deep  wound, 
to  apply  to  it  the  herbs  and  roots  contained  in  his  medicine- 
sack  ;  but  she  moved  not ;  she  answered  only  with  tears  and 
groans.  Then  he  approached  his  mouth  close  to  the  ear  of 
his  wife,  and  shouted  aloud,  "  I  am  thirsty !  I  am  hungry ! 
Give  me  food  and  drink !"  The  woman  thought  she  heard 
a  rumbling  in  her  ear,  and  spoke  of  it  to  her  companions. 
The  chief,  in  his  vexation,  struck  her  a  severe  blow  on  the 
brow.  She  quietly  pressed  her  hand  to  the  stricken  place, 
and  said,  "  I  feel  a  slight  headache." 

Frustrated  at  every  step,  and  in  all  his  attempts  to  make 
himself  known,  the  great  chief  began  to  reflect  on  what  he 


24:8  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

had  heard,  in  his  youth,  from  the  distinguished  jugglers. 
He  had  learned  that  sometimes  the  spirit  or  soul  quits  the 
body  and  wanders  up  and  down  at  hazard,  according  to  its 
own  will  and  pleasure.  He  therefore  thought,  that  per 
chance  his  body  was  lying  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  that 
his  spirit  only  had  accompanied  the  warriors  on  their  return 
to  the  village.  He  instantly  resolved  to  return  by  the  path 
he  had  pursued,  at  a  distance  of  four  days'  march.  The 
three  first  days  he  met  no  one.  In  the  afternoon  of  the 
fourth,  when  approaching  the  battle-field,  he  remarked  a  fire 
in  the  centre  of  the  path  which  he  was  following  Wishing 
to  avoid  it,  he  quitted  the  track  ;  but  the  fire,  at  the  same 
instant,  changed  position,  and  placed  itself  before  him.  In 
vain  he  tried  to  go  from  right  to  left,  the  same  mysterious 
fire  ever  preceded  him,  as  if  to  bar  his  entrance  to  the  field 
of  battle.  "  I  also,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  I  am  a  spirit ;  I 
am  seeking  to  return  into  my  body ;  I  will  accomplish  my 
design.  Thou  wilt  purify  me,  but  thou  shalt  not  hinder  the 
realization  of  my  project.  I  have  always  conquered  my 
enemies,  notwithstanding  the  greatest  obstacles.  This  day  I 
will  triumph  over  thee,  Spirit  of  Fire !"  he  said,  and,  with 
an  intense  effort,  he  darted  towards  the  mysterious  flame. 
He  came  forth  from  a  long  trance.  He  found  himself  seated 
on  the  battle-ground,  his  back  supported  against  the  tree. 
His  bow,  his  arrows,  his  clothes,  his  ornaments,  his  war 
accoutrements,  the  post  of  the  brave,  all  were  in  the  same 
state  and  occupied  the  same  position  in  which  his  soldiers 
had  left  them  on  the  day  of  strife.  He  raised  his  eyes  and 
perceived  a  large  eagle,  perched  on  the  highest  branch  of  a 
tree  above  his  head.  Instantly  he  recognized  his  manitou- 
bird,  the  same  that  had  appeared  to  him  in  his  earlier  days, 
when  he  came  forth  from  the  state  of  childhood ;  the  bird 
that  he  had  selected  for  his  tutelary  spirit,  and  of  which  he 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  24:9 

had  a  .ways  worn  a  talon  suspended  from  his  neck.  His 
manitou  had  carefully  guarded  his  body,  and  had  prevented 
the  vultures  and  other  birds  of  prey  from  devouring  it.  The 
chief  arose,  stood  some  minutes,  but  found  himself  weak  and 
reduced.  The  blood  from  his  wound  had  ceased  to  flow, 
and  he  dressed  it.  He  was  acquainted  with  the  efficacy  of 
certain  leaves  and  roots  suitable  for  healing  bruises.  He 
sought  them,  gathered  them  with  care  in  the  forest^  and 
crushing  some  between  two  stones,  applied  them.  He 
chewed  and  swallowed  others. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  few  days,  he  felt  sufficient  strength  to 
attempt  to  return  to  his  village ;  but  hunger  consumed  him. 
In  the  absence  of  large  animals,  he  lived  on  little  birds  that 
his  arrows  brought  down,  insects  and  reptiles,  roots  and 
berries.  After  many  hardships,  he  arrived  at  length  on  the 
shore  of  a  river  that  separated  him  from  wife,  children,  and 
friends.  The  chief  uttered  the  shout  agreed  upon  in  such 
circumstances,  the  shout  of  the  happy  return  of  an  absent 
friend.  The  signal  was  heard.  A  canoe  was  immediately 
sent  for  him.  During  the  absence  of  the  canoe,  the  conjec 
tures  were  numerous  concerning  the  absent  person,  whose 
friendly  voice  of  approach  had  just  been  heard.  All  those 
who  had  belonged  to  the  warlike  band  were  present  in  the 
camp.  The  dead  alone  remained  on  the  field  of  battle. 
"  Might  not  the  unknown  on  the  other  shore  be  an  absent 
hunter  ?  Or  might  not  this  shout  prove  a  bold  ruse  of  an 
enemy  to  take  the  scalps  of  the  rowers  ?"  To  send  a  canoe 
was  therefore  judged  imprudent,  because  they  were  not  sure 
of  the  absence  of  an  individual  from  the  village. 

While  on  the  opposite  shore  all  these  conjectures  were  in 
creasing,  the  war-chief  embarks.  He  soon  presents  him 
self  before  them,  amid  the  acclamations  and  joyful  shouts  o 
all  his  relatives  and  friends.  The  India::  >  eagerly  pour  fortli 


250  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

from  every  lodge  to  shake  hands  and  celebrate  the  happy 
return  of  their  chief  and  faithful  conductor.  That  day  will 
be  for  them  ever  memorable  and  solemn.  They  return 
thanks  to  the  Master  of  Life,  and  to  all  the  manitous  of  the 
Indian  calendar,  for  the  preservation  and  return  of  their  be 
loved  chief.  The  whole  day  is  consumed  in  dances,  songs, 
and  banquets. 

When  the  first  burst  of  astonishment  and  universal  joy 
had  a  little  subsided,  and  the  usual  tranquillity  was  restored 
to  the  village,  the  chief  beat  his  drum  in  order  to  convene 
his  people.  He  related  to  them  the  whole  story  of  his  ex 
traordinary  adventures,  and  terminated  his  recital  by  making 
known  to  them,  and  imposing  on  them,  "  the  worship  of  the 
sacred  and  funereal  fire" — that  is  to  say,  the  ceremony  which 
consists  in  maintaining,  during  four  consecutive  nights,  a  fire 
on  every  newly-closed  sepulchre.  He  told  them  that  this 
devotion  is  advantageous  and  agreeable  to  the  soul  of  the 
deceased ;  that  the  distance  to  the  country  of  souls  is  four 
long  days ;  that  in  this  journey  the  soul  needs  a  fire  every 
night  in  its  encampment ;  that  this  funereal-fire,  kindled  on 
the  tomb  by  the  near  relations  of  the  departed,  serves  to  en 
lighten  and  warm  the  soul  during  its  peregrination.  The 
Chippeways  believe  that  when  this  religious  rite  is  neglected, 
the  soul  or  spirit  is  forced  to  discharge  the  difficult  task  of 
making  and  maintaining  a  fire  itself,  and  that  with  the 
greatest  inconvenience. 

Here  I  am,  dear  Father,  at  the  close  of  the  legend  of  the 
Chippeways.  I  give  it  as  I  received  it.  I  am  assured  that 
it  is  very  ancient.  The  worship  of  fire  among  our  Indians 
iprings  from  the  worship  of  the  primitive  pagans,  who,  in 
order  to  purify  themselves,  leaped  over  fire,  either  a  myste 
rious  one,  or  lighted  in  honor  of  some  divinity.  The  lawe 
of  Moses  prohibited  this  practice  among  the  Jews. 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  251 

Yet,  one  word  more,  reverend  Father,  and  I  finish  this 
lengthy  epistle.  If  you  will  read  over  one  of  my  former 
letters,  you  will  there  find  that  in  my  visit  to  the  Crows, 
camped  at  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  I  was  the  ob 
ject  of  an  extreme  veneration  among  these  savages.  Why, 
I  was  considered  as  the  bearer  or  the  guardian  of  the  mys 
terious  fire.  In  effect,  I  carried  a  box  of  phosphoric  matches 
in  the  pocket  of  my  soutane.  The  savages  perceived  that  I 
used  them  to  light  my  pipe  or  their  calumet.  In  a  second 
visit  I  learned  the  cause,  very  futile  in  itself,  which  had  at 
tached  such  great  importance  to  my  poor  person. 

I  receive  from  time  to  time  news  from  these  poor  and  un 
fortunate  pagans.  They  do  not  forget  the  visits  which  they 
have  received,  and  I  certainly  never  forget  these  dear  chil 
dren  of  my  heart.  They  continue  to  beg,  earnestly,  every 
year,  that  missionaries  be  sent  them  to  baptize  their  children 
and  instruct  them  in  the  holy  faith,  which  can  alone  render 
them  happy  here  and  hereafter. 

You  asked  me  one  day,  reverend  Father,  in  an  excursion 
which  we  made  together  during  my  last  visit  in  Belgium, 
"  What  is  the  degree  of  civilization  of  the  tribes  that  you 
have  visited  ?"  I  replied  to  you  :  "  I  do  not  know  all  that 
Europeans  wish  us  to  comprehend  by  the  word  civilization" 
These  savages  are  spoken  of  as  exceptional  beings,  possess 
ing  another  nature.  They  are  men  like  ourselves.  They 
only  differ  from  us  because  they  are  ignorant,  poor,  and  un 
fortunate.  But  their  hearts  are  so  good  !  There  are  some 
who  have  much  natural  ability,  and  what  is  more  valuable, 
a  great  deal  of  faith  and  virtue !  Is  not  the  close  of  my 
letter  a  confirmation  of  what  I  said  to  you  ?  What  grati 
tude  !  What  desire  to  know  God !  If,  therefore,  there  is 
question  of  civilization  of  souls  for  heaven,  oh !  we  have  no 
need  of  European  civilizers.  Cause  prayers  to  be  offered 


252  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

that  God  may  send  us  missionaries,  and  we  wih  make  them 
happy ! 

I  commend  all  these  dear  savages,  our  brethren  in  Jesus 
Christ,  redeemed  by  the  same  blood,  and  inclosed  in  the 
same  Sacred  Heart — I  commend  them  all  most  earnestly  to 
your  holy  sacrifices,  and  to  your  kind  prayers. 

Deign  to  believe  me,  with  the  most  profound  respect,  rev 
erend  Father, 

R».  V».  servus  in  Christo, 

P.  J.  DJB  SMBT,  a  J 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  253 


Letter  XVIII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

The  Four  Tribes  of  the  Black-  Feet—  Gros-  Ten  tres,  Pegant. 
Blood-tribe,  and  Black-Feet  proper. 


.  Louis,  October  28,  1855. 
REV.    AND    DEAR   FATHER: 

In  some  of  my  letters  of  1846,  I  spoke  of  my  visit  to  the 
Black-Feet.  I  sojourned  among  the  tribes,  the  Gros-Ventres, 
Pegans,  Gens  du  Sang,  and  Black-Feet  proper,  about  six 
weeks,  and  had  the  happiness  of  regenerating  in  the  holy 
waters  of  baptism  several  hundred  children  and  adults.  In 
the  month  of  October,  after  having  bid  adieu  to  Father 
Point,  who  proposed  passing  the  winter  in  the  Indian  camps, 
in  order  to  sound  further  their  dispositions  in  a  religious 
point  of  view,  I  left  the  country  of  the  Black-Feet,  in  or 
der  to  repair  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  affairs  of  the  missions 
were  awaiting  me.  During  the  residence  of  Father  Point 
among  those  Indian  populations,  he  collected  many  interest 
ing  traits  concerning  the  character  and  manners  of  the  sav 
ages  ;  he  had  the  kindness  to  communicate  them  to  me.  I 
sent  a  copy  of  his  relation  to  our  superiors  in  Europe  ;  but 
I  do  not  think  it  has  ever  been  published.  In  the  hope  that 
it  will  afford  you  pleasure,  and  that  it  will  prove  worthy  of 
your  attention,  I  transmit  to  you  some  of  the  principal  ex 
tracts.  In  1847,  Father  Point  wrote  me  : 

22 


254:  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

14 1  think  I  can  say,  to  the  glory  of  the  only  Author  of  all 
Good,  that  with  his  grace  I  have  not  lost  my  time  among  the 
Black-Feet.  I  have  performed  six  hundred  and  sixty-seven 
baptisms,  the  records  of  which  are  in  due  form ;  I  have  taken 
notes  of  whatsoever  appeared  to  me  suitable  for  interesting 
the  curious  or  edifying  the  pious.  During  the  winter  I  was 
accustomed,  daily,  to  give  three  instructions,  or  catechetical 
lessons,  proportioned  to  the  three  very  different  classes  of  my 
auditors.  It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  that  the  prayers 
have  all  been  translated  into  Black-Foot,  and  learned  in  Fort 
Louis  and  in  the  camp  of  the  Pegans,  and  there  is  scarcely 
any  camp  among  the  Black-Feet  in  which  the  sign  of  the 
cross  is  not  held  in  veneration,  and  even  practised,  at  least 
among  those  individuals  who  have  had  any  intercourse  with 
the  missionary. 

"  Of  the  twenty-five  or  thirty  camp-leaders,  or  chiefs,  who 
visited  me,  or  whom  I  have  visited,  there  is  not  one  who 
has  not  given  ideas  of  his  people  or  tribe  less  disadvanta 
geous  than  those  generally  entertained,  and  of  course  among 
the  whites  who  inhabit  the  Indian  Teritory  as  elsewhere. 
Among  the  different  camps,  there  is  a  species  of  emulation 
as  to  which  shall  have  the  Black-gown,  or  rather  the  mission, 
on  its  lands.  Concerning  this  article  I  have  decided  nothing. 
I  have  only  said,  that  in  case  a  Reduction  were  formed,  it 
would  be  built  in  the  position  or  locality  which  would  afford 
the  greatest  advantages  to  all  the  tribes,  taken  collectively. 
All  found  this  idea  reasonable,  and  have  promised  that  they 
would  exert  their  utmost  endeavors  to  satisfy  the  Black- 
gowns. 

"The  Gros-Ventres  of  the  plains  appear  to  me  to  have  the 
advantage  over  the  others,  in  being  more  adroit,  more  docile, 
and  courageous ;  but  they  are  more  strongly  attached  to  their 
old  superstitions,  and  are  terrible  demanders,  as  the  Canadian 


AND   MISSIONABIES.  255 

employees  here  call  shameless  beggars :  happily,  they  are  not 
offended  when  refused.  The  Pegans  are  the  most  civilized, 
but  the  most  noted  thieves.  The  Gens  du  Sang  are  well 
made,  of  fine  blood,  and  generally  less  dirty.  It  is  said  that 
the  Black-Feet  proper  are  the  most  hospitable. 

"  Such  are  the  most  striking  traits  of  these  four  nations, 
so  long  at  war  with  almost  all  their  neighbors,  and  some 
times  among  themselves,  at  least,  partially.  Since  they  have 
had  the  proof  that  the  true  prayer  renders  men  more  valiant, 
happier,  and  generally  tends  to  make  him  live  longer  (three 
advantages  which  they  exalt  above  all  others,  and  which 
they  believe  they  perceive  united  in  the  Flat-Heads),  the 
medicine-sack,  or  idolatry,  with  many,  is  falling  into  dis 
credit. 

"  Several  traits  of  divine  justice,  against  those  who  have 
shown  themselves  less  docile  in  following  our  counsels,  and, 
on  the  contrary,  several  striking  evidences  of  protection,  in 
fkvor  of  those  who  followed  them,  have  contributed  greatly 
to  work  an  admirable  change  in  their  ideas.  By  that,  I  do 
not  mean  to  pronounce  them  saints  :  no  ;  theft  and  assassina 
tion  are  not  yet,  in  the  eyes  of  the  young,  particularly,  desti 
tute  of  attractions.  For  this  reason,  notwithstanding  the 
peace  concluded  with  the  Flat-Heads,  and  the  inclination  of 
the  great  men  to  maintain  it,  there  were  many  depredations 
committed  during  the  winter,  to  the  detriment  of  the  latter. 
But,  let  it  be  said,  to  the  praise  of  the  chiefs,  the  whole  was 
disapproved  by  them.  Nine  or  ten  thieves  have  received 
their  deserts  from  the  Pends-d'Oreilles.  This  pacification,  so 
desirable,  under  the  double  relation  of  humanity  and  social 
commerce,  is  the  condition,  sine  qua  non,  of  the  conversion 
of  the  greater  part  of  those  poor  Indians,  unless  God  ia 
pleased  to  work  a  miracle,  which  rarely  has  happened,  ex 
cept  among  the  Flat-Heads. 


256  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

"  I  pursued  in  the  hunt,  during  nearly  six  weeks,  the  fifty 
lodges  of  the  Pegans,  which  are  under  the  command  of  the 
chief,  Anaakzikinne,  or  'The  Great  Lake.'  This  camp  is 
one  of  the  seven  or  eight  fractions  of  the  Pegan  tribe, 
amounting  in  all  to  about  three  hundred  lodges.  This  tribe 
forms  a  part  of  the  four,  known  under  the  generic  title  of 
Black-Feet.  I  have  spoken  of  them  already.  The  Pegans 
are  the  most  civilized,  on  account  of  the  relations  of  a  por 
tion  of  their  people  with  the  Flat-Heads.  If  the  Gros- 
Ventres  were  less  importunate,  I  would  willingly  entitle 
them  'the  Flat-Heads'  of  the  Missouri.  They  have  some 
thing  of  their  simplicity  and  their  bravery.  They  are  im 
properly  ranked  among  the  Black-Feet:  besides,  they  did 
not  originate  in  the  country,  they  do  not  speak  their  lan 
guage,  and  are  different  in  many  respects.* 

"However  this  may  be,  these  four  tribes  may  contain 
about  a  thousand  lodges,  or  ten  thousand  souls.  This  is  not 
half  what  they  were,  before  the  contagion  of  small-pox  intro 
duced  among  them  by  the  whites.  I  believe  that  women 
constitute  more  than  two  thirds  of  them,  if  not  even  three 
quarters.  This  inequality,  so  baneful  to  morals,  is  the  result 
of  war.  In  the  visit  that  I  paid  to  the  Gros-Ventres,  divided 
into  two  camps,  I  counted  two  hundred  and  thirty  lodges. 
I  visited,  or  received  visits  from,  several  fractions  or  detach 
ments  of  Black-Feet,  and  further,  an  entire  camp  of  Gens  du 
Sang ;  and  all  were  in  such  dispositions,  that  only  a  word  on 
my  part  would  have  been  necessary  to  enable  me  to  baptize, 
with  their  consent,  all  the  children  from  the  largest  down  to 

*  The  Gros-Ventres  of  the  plains  are  a  branch  of  the  Eapahoes,  who 
roam  over  the  plains  of  New  Mexico,  and  those  on  the  Platte  and  Ne 
braska  rivers.  They  separated  from  the  nation  a  century  and  a  half 
ago,  on  account  of  differences  between  their  chiefs.  The  Gro«- Ventral 
gave  me  this  information. — (Note  by  Father  de  Smet.) 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  257 

those  of  only  a  day  old,  which  the  mothers  brought  me  of 
their  own  free  will.  I  could  have  baptized  a  great  number 
of  adults ;  they  even  seemed  to  desire  it  ardently  ;  but  these 
desires  were  not  yet  sufficiently  imbued  with  the  true  princi 
ples  of  religion.  I  could  not  content  myself  with  the  per 
suasion  generally  existing  among  the  savages,  that  when  they 
have  received  baptism  they  can  conquer  any  enemy  what 
soever.  The  courage  and  the  happiness  of  the  Flat-Heads 
have  inspired  them  with  this  belief.  This  explains  why 
some  wretches,  who  seek  only  to  kill  their  neighbors,  were 
the  first  to  petition  for  baptism.  All  say  that  they  would 
be  glad  to  have  Black-gowns ;  but  why  do  the  greater  part 
desire  them  ?  Because  they  think  that  all  other  imaginable 
blessings  will  come  with  them  ;  not  only  courage  to  fight, 
but  also  every  species  of  remedy  to  enable  them  to  enjoy  cor 
poreal  health.  The  Gros-Ventres  conducted  to  me  a  hump 
backed  person  and  a  near-sighted  person  that  I  might  heal 
them.  I  said  that  this  kind  of  cures  surpassed  my  abilities ; 
which  did  not,  however,  hinder  them  from  making  other 
similar  requests.  But  at  last,  by  continually  repeating  to 
them,  that  the  Black-gowns  can  heal  souls,  but  not  always 
the  body,  some  at  last  believe  me.  They  believe  also  that 
we  can  excite  diseases,  and  cause  the  thunder  to  roll  when 
we  are  not  satisfied.  Quite  recently,  there  was  an  earth 
quake  in  the  land  of  the  Gros-Ventres,  and  directly  the  re 
port  was  spread  abroad  that  I  was  the  cause  of  the  Earth's 
trembling ;  and  that  this  shock  was  an  indication  that  the 
small-pox  was  about  to  return  into  the  country,  etc.,  and  all 
this  happened  because  the  Indians  did  not  give  attention 
sufficient  to  the  discourse  of  the  Black-gown.  There  is  ac 
tually  a  malady  raging  among  the  Pegans,  said  to  be  mortal, 
and  which  indeed  has  proved  fatal  to  a  few  persons.  As 
this  disease  begins  in  the  ear,  they  consider  themselves  more 
22» 


258  WKSTEKN   MISSIONS 

justified  than  the  Gros-Ventres,  in  saying  '  that  this  punish' 
ment  arrived  to  them  on  account  of  their  hardness  of  heart,' 
in  listening  to  the  words  of  the  Great  Spirit.  For  myself, 
what  appeared  most  striking,  was  the  sudden  death  of  a 
dozen  of  persons,  stricken  down  either  in  their  lodges  or  in 
war,  but  at  the  moment  that  they  were  straying  most  widely 
from  the  right  path.  One  of  these,  belonging  to  the  Black- 
Feet,  had  robbed  me  of  three  mules;  he  died  on  the  mor 
row  after  his  arrival  home,  and  after  finding  himself  divested 
of  his  capture,  which  were  conducted  back  to  me.  This 
death  was  certain  to  provoke  the  saying :  *  Woe  to  him  who 
robs  the  Black-gowns!'  Thus  in  one  way  or  another  Al 
mighty  God  is  preparing  the  way  for  the  conversion  of  these 
poor  idolaters. 

"  To  return  to  the  Pegans,  with  whom  I  have  lived  about 
six  weeks,  I  will  observe  that  those  who,  among  the  savages, 
call  themselves  'Great  Men'  would  be  disposed  to  listen 
wholly  to  us,  could  we  but  make  terms  with  them  on  the 
article  of  plurality  of  wives ;  that  the  youth,  in  their  turn, 
would  as  cheerfully,  if  we  could  immediately  make '  Great  Men' 
of  them ;  but  this  being  scarcely  possible,  all  the  reasonings 
of  the  wise  can  with  difficulty  induce  them  to  refrain  from 
robbery.  If  they  can  rob  adroitly  and  in  large  value  from 
the  enemies  of  their  nation,  they  never  fail  to  do  it ;  but  if 
the  theatre  of  their  legitimate  thefts  is  too  remote,  it  is  not 
rare  to  find  them  seeking  among  friendly  tribes  (for  example, 
the  Pends-d'Oreilles  or  the  Flat-Heads)  what  would  prove 
too  troublesome  to  seek  elsewhere.  A  few  days  since,  the 
three  brothers  of  The  Great  Lake,  to  one  of  whom  the  Flat- 
Heads  have  three  times  granted  life,  came  with  two  good 
and  handsome  horses  taken  from  the  Pends-d'Oreilles,  who 
had  just  spared  the  lives  of  two  of  their  youth.  Already 
twice  before,  after  similar  misdeeds,  The  Great  Lake,  not- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  259 

withstanding  my  strong  remonstrances,  had  not  the  courage 
to  blame  them.  Among  the  Black-Feet,  the  rich  people, 
who  undertake  to  rebuke  the  wicked  who  possess  nothing, 
have  naught  to  gain  and  all  to  lose.  As  there  is  neither 
lawful  authority  on  one  side  nor  conscience  on  the  other,  a 
second  theft,  or  a  musket-shot,  is  not  rare. 

"  In  these  thefts,  however,  there  is  one  thing  which  ex 
cuses,  to  a  certain  degree,  the  silence  of  the  chief  of  whom  I 
have  just  spoken ;  it  is  the  robbery  of  two  horses  to  his  det 
riment  committed  by  a  young  Flat-Head  ;  but  this  precedent 
cannot  certainly  justify  the  reprisals  ;  for,  besides  restitution 
having  been  promised  to  him,  he  knew  well  that  the  thief 
in  question  was  an  outcast  from  his  tribe ;  that  he  ought  not 
to  imitate  him ;  that  he  was  only  to  follow  the  example  of 
the  good,  who  were  all  desirous  of  dwelling  in  peace  with 
the  Black-Feet,  etc.  But  in  vain  we  instruct  them  and  re 
fresh  their  memories,  we  discover  that  these  reasons  enter 
their  minds  with  difficulty,  and  still  less  their  hearts,  which 
have  neither  the  uprightness  nor  the  generosity  of  their  allies. 
Aside  from  these  miseries,  and  some  false  maxims  derived 
from  the  white*,  the  remainder,  and  even  the  very  efforts  of 
hell  to  resume  a  prey  which  is  escaping  her,  all  that  is  ac 
complishing  at  this  moment  in  this  country  announces  that 
the  day  of  its  regeneration  is  not  remote.  What  most  con 
soles  us,  is  that  this  regeneration,  if  things  continue,  will  be 
due,  in  great  measure,  to  the  present  exemplary  conduct  at 
the  fort. 

"  Every  day  after  mass,  I  teach  the  children  their  prayers ; 
every  evening  the  men  recall  them  to  memory  mutually ;  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening  these  recite  their  prayers  in  com 
mon  in  my  own  room,  after  which  I  give  them  an  instruc 
tion  ;  then  comes  the  turn  of  the  women.  Now,  these  wom 
en,  baptized  and  lawfully  married,  or  preparing  for  baptism 


260  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

and  marriage,  oblige  their  husbands  to  say  (the  latter  having 
almost  all  approached  the  sacraments)  :  4  What  a  change ! 
what  a  difference!'  In  fact,  this  difference  is  so  sensible, 
that  it  is  obvious  to  all  the  savages  who  come  in  throngs  to 
the  fort,  and  do  not  return  without  coming  to  assure  me, 
4  that  they  also  wish  to  learn  and  follow  the  way  to  heaven, 
since  it  is  only  in  that  path  and  m  heaven  that  real  happi 
ness  is  found.'  What  are  their  narrations  when  they  return 
to  their  families  ?  New  visitors,  better  disposed  than  ever 
in  regard  to  the  fort  and  on  the  subject  of  prayer,  easily 
make  known. 

"I  have  yet  one  consoling  piece  of  news  to  announce. 
On  my  route,  travelling  with  the  Pegan  camp,  I  baptized 
fourteen  little  infants  of  the  Crow  nation,  so  well  did  I  find 
them  disposed, — these  were  on  their  way  to  visit  the  Gros- 
Ventres.  They  desire  to  see  you  among  them  again.  In 
dulging  this  hope,  they  will  go  to  meet  you  in  the  spring. 
At  a  distance,  as  when  present,  Keverend  Father,  I  shall 
never  cease  to  offer  devout  and  heartfelt  petitions  for  the 
success  of  an  enterprise,  to  which  it  has  pleased  Divine  Prov 
idence  to  associate  me  from  its  commencement.  It  will  al 
ways  be  allowable  for  me  to  do  by  prayers,  what  I  cannot 
effect  by  my  works.  I  am,  etc., 

"  N.  POINT,  S.  J." 

The  project  of  going  to  these  poor  Indians  has  never  been 
abandoned.  Every  returning  spring  they  send  pressing  in 
vitations  to  the  Black-gowns  to  come  and  establish  them 
selves  among  them,  in  order  to  be  taught  the  way  of  the 
Lord.  During  the  current  year,  we  have  received  invitations 
from  the  Black-Feet,  the  Crows,  the  Assiniboins,  the  Sioux, 
Ponkahs,  and  Omahas,  with  many  other  tribes ;  the  number 
of  these  Indians  surpasses  70,000.  A  great  number  of  in- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  261 

fants  and  adults  have  received  baptism.  The  vast  wilderness 
that  they  occupy  boasts  not  a  single  priest  at  this  moment ! 
During  fifteen  years  they  supplicate  pastors ! 

Allow  me,  Reverend  Father,  to  request  the  aid  of  your 
prayer  and  holy  sacrifices,  and  deign  to  commend  the  poor 
Indians  to  the  kind  remembrance  of  the  pious  souls  of  your 
acquaintance,  that  the  Lord  may  condescend  to  hear  these 
unhappy  men,  and  send  good  pastors  into  this  wide-spread 
"  vineyard,"  so  long  neglected,  but  which  promises  such  a 
glorious  harvest. 

In  union  with  your  devout  petitions  and  holy  sacrifices,  I 
have  the  honor  to  be,  with  the  most  profound  respect  and 
highest  esteem,  Reverend  and  dear  Father, 

Your  very  devoted  lervant  and  brother  in  Jesus  Christ, 

P.  J.  D«  SMET,  8.  J. 


262  WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  III, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUEB,  BRUSSELS. 
The  Siovx. 

PARIS,  November  17, 1856. 
RlV.  AND    DEAR   FATHER  I 

I  find  with  pleasure  in  your  number  of  the  15th  inst, 
the  interesting  letter  of  Father  Adrian  Hoeken,  written  to 
me  from  the  Flat-Head  camp,  which  I  sent  you  from  St. 
Louis  before  I  started  for  Belgium. 

Herewith  are  four  letters  of  his  brother,  Father  Christian 
Hoeken,  which  will,  I  think,  be  found  as  interesting  as  Fathei 
Adrian's.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  see  you  at  Brussels. 

First  Letter  of  Father  Christian  HoeTcen.—To  FatJier  De  Smet. 

Sioux  COUNTY,  POST  VBRMIUOK,  Dee.  11, 1850. 
REV.  AND   DEAR   FATHER  I 

You  have  doubtless  learned,  by  Father  Duerinck's  let 
ters,  that  I  set  out  last  June  for  the  Sioux  country.  The 
season  was  quite  favorable  when  I  left  Kansas,  but  I  had  a 
pretty  cold  time  as  I  crossed  Missouri,  Iowa,  and  Minnesota, 
till  I  got  to  the  post  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  called 
Post  Vermilion.  My  inability  to  find  a  good  guide  to  lead 
me  to  Fort  Pierre,  the  great  post  of  the  Missouri,  made  me 
lose  five  days  of  excellent  weather. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  263 

At  last  I  succeeded  in  finding  a  companion  who  had 
crossed  backward  and  forward,  for  the  last  thirty-three  years, 
every  plain,  mountain,  forest,  and  prairie  of  the  West.  I  set 
out  the  day  before  the  weather  changed.  On  the  third  day 
the  snow  overtook  us.  On  reaching  James  River  we  found 
it  impassable ;  the  water  was  too  high  and  too  cold  for  our 
horses  to  swim  it.  We  had  to  ascend  it  to  find  a  ford.  We 
travelled  eight  or  nine  days  without  finding  any  place  or 
means  to  cross.  A  violent  north  wind  set  in,  so  that  we  were 
nearly  frozen  to  death.  We  accordingly  began  to  descend 
the  valley  of  the  river,  but  had  not  made  over  five  or  six 
miles  when  night  surprised  us,  and  we  had  to  encamp  in  a 
spot  which  offered  scarce  wood  enough  for  one  night.  We 
had  hardly  encamped  when  the  north  wind  began  to  blow 
with  horrible  violence  ;  the  snow  fell  so  thick  and  fast,  that 
you  would  have  said  the  clouds  had  burst.  You  may  im 
agine  our  position,  and  how  much  we  pitied  each  other. 
Sleep  was  out  of  the  question.  The  next  morning  we  struck 
our  camp.  The  snow  and  wind  raged  with  unabated  fury 
for  two  days  and  two  nights.  In  some  spots  there  were  six, 
fifteen,  and  even  twenty  feet  of  snow.  Conceive  our  position 
if  you  can,  as  we  made  our  way  along  the  valley  of  James 
River,  which  runs  between  two  chains  of  mountains,  with 
deep  ravines  near  each  other. 

We  were  almost  out  of  provisions,  entirely  alone,  in  a  sad 
desert,  where  we  could  see  nothing  but  snow ;  we  had  no 
one  to  encourage  us,  except  the  spirit  of  divine  charity,  at 
whose  voice  I  had  undertaken  this  painful  journey.  The 
snow  grew  high  around  us,  our  horses  would  not  proceed. 
The  gloomy  thought  that  we  could  never  cross  the  river 
crushed  out  all  courage ;  but  I  was  consoled  when  I  remem 
bered  the  words  of  Divine  Wisdom  :  "  It  is  good  for  you  tc 
suffer  temptation."  To  fill  up  our  misery,  rheumatism  seized 


264  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

both  my  knees,  so  that  I  could  not  set  one  foot  before  an 
other.  One  of  our  horses  fell  lame  and  was  no  better  than 
myself.  Moreover,  the  keen  norther  froze  my  ears,  nose, 
and  feet,  and  my  companion's  feet.  The  poor  man  com 
plained  of  violent  pains  in  the  bowels,  caused  doubtless  by 
fatigue  and  hunger.  The  elements  seemed  to  conspire  against 
us;  and  it  is  only  by  a  special  assistance  of  heaven  that  we 
did  not  perish  in  this  strait.  "I  never  saw  any  thing  like  it. 
I  have  lived,  wandered,  travelled,  for  thirty-five  years  all 
over  the  upper  Missouri,  but  never,  never  was  I  in  such  a 
scrape  as  this."  Such  were  the  frequent  exclamations  of  my 
guide.  For  my  part,  I  was  forced  by  a  dire  necessity  to 
march  against  my  inclination,  or  rather  to  drag  myself  along 
as  best  I  could.  I  gathered  up  what  little  courage  I  had 
left.  I  walked  on  in  the  snow  from  morning  to  night,  pray 
ing  and  weeping  in  turns,  making  vows  and  resolutions. 
The  aspirations  of  the  prophets  and  apostles  were  the  subject 
of  my  communications  with  Heaven.  l<  Confirm  me,  0  Lord, 
in  this  hour.  Rebuke  me  not  in  thy  fury,  and  chastise  me 
not  in  thy  wrath."  This  I  repeated  at  almost  every  instant 
When  I  sank  to  my  waist  in  snow,  I  cried :  "  Have  mercy, 
Lord,  have  mercy  on  us.  For  thee  and  for  thine  have  we 
come  unto  this  hour.  Stretch  out  thy  arm  to  lead  us.  Lord, 
we  perish."  Meanwhile,  we  advanced  painfully  over  the 
mountains  of  snow,  till  night  summoned  us  to  plant  our  tent, 
which  consisted,  be  it  said  here,  of  a  square  piece  of  a  skin 
tent-cover.  We  set  to  work  with  courage,  clearing  away 
the  snow,  getting  down  a  framework  and  wood  enough  for 
our  fires  at  night.  The  fire  is  kindled  ;  we  have  finished  our 
night  prayers;  we  have  only  a  morsel  to  eat.  Now,  then, 
repose  for  a  few  hours.  Impossible.  Sleep  has  fled  our  eye 
lids  ;  the  smoke  blinds  and  stifles  us,  at  almost  every  instant 
we  had  to  cough  ;  my  companion  said  that  it  was  impossible 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  265 

to  distinguish  one  object  from  another,  the  smoke  had  so 
blinded  him.  How  sleep,  with  the  wolves  howling  and 
prowling  around  us !  The  snow  and  sometimes  rain  and  hail 
fell  on  us  all  night  long.  Often,  while  listening  for  any 
noise,  the  prayer,  "  From  all  danger,  rain  and  hail,  deliver 
us,  0  Lord !"  escaped  my  trembling  lips  involuntarily. 
Thank  Heaven,  the  Almighty  heard  our  humble  supplica 
tion  ;  every  day  he  gave  us  fine  weather,  though  bitter  cold. 
My  greatest  fear  every  morning,  was  that  my  companion 
would  bring  word  that  our  horses  were  dead  of  cold  or  hun 
ger  in  those  bleak  and  sterile  tracts.  Had  this  loss  befallen 
us,  our  misfortune  would  have  been  complete.  I  put  myself 
and  all  belonging  to  me  under  the  special  protection  of  our 
good  and  amiable  patroness,  the  Blessed  Virgin  Immaculate, 
and  I  often  reminded  her,  with  filial  confidence,  that  we  bad 
been  committed  to  her  care  at  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

From  day  to  day,  my  guide  was  the  more  urgent  that 
we  should  abandon  the  lame  horse  so  as  not  to  be  frozen  for 
him.  We  had  to  lose  a  good  part  of  the  day  in  unloading 
and  reloading  him,  because  he  fell  at  almost  every  step  on 
the  slippery  snow ;  yet  by  care,  pain,  fatigue,  and  patience, 
we  arrived  with  our  two  horses  at  Post  Vermilion.  Fam 
ished  and  aln.ost  dying  as  we  were  (having  had  nothing  to 
eat  for  ten  days,  but  a  little  bread  and  a  prairie-hen  that  my 
companion  killed  by  chance),  sleepless  and  wearied  to  death, 
we  reached  Vermilion  on  the  8th  of  December,  the  feast  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  To 
express  the  joy  that  overflowed  my  soul  on  that  happy  day 
I  would  need  write  in  tears,  not  in  ink,  and  you  could  trace 
my  feelings  better  than,  if  delineated  with  a  pen.  I  was  at 
the  end  of  hunger,  cold,  snow,  rain,  hail,  tramping,  and  blas 
phemy  that  filled  me  wiih  horror  every  time  my  companion 
vented  his  wrath  on  the  horse  or  the  evils  we  experienced.  I 
28 


WESTERS   MISSIONS 

rebuked  him  frequently  and  begged  him  to  refrain,  but  in 
vain ;  the  poor  man  had  always  the  same  excuse  :  "  It  was  a 
second  nature  with  him,  and  he  meant  no  harm."  Wretched 
excuse !  I  suffered  more  from  his  troubles  and  murmurs  than 
from  all  the  other  miseries  put  together.  To  my  prayers  of 
blended  hope,  and  fear,  and  anguish,  succeeded  now  hymns 
of  gratitude  and  joy.  Instead  of  my  ordinary  aspirations : 
44  Enough,  Lord,  it  is  enough.  Command  the  winds  and  there 
•hall  be  a  great  calm.  Lord,  thou  hast  said  :  Ask  and  you 
shall  receive.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,"  and  so  on, 
I  now  exclaim  :  "  We  praise  thee,  0  Lord !  great  is  thy  power, 
Lord  God  of  hosts.1' 

Mr.  Charles  Larpenteur,  whose  hospitality  you  have  often 
enjoyed  when  travelling  in  the  desert  to  visit  the  Indian 
tribes,  is  now  in  charge  of  the  post,  and  he  received  us 
with  all  the  goodness  of  a  father.  He  procured  us  all  that 
he  could.  May  the  Lord  bless  him,  for  he  deserves  it 
44  The  Samaritan  in  the  Gospel,"  said  he,  "  took  care  of  an 
unfortunate  man,  and  poured  oil  and  wine  into  his  wounds. 
Sir,"  he  added,  "you  are  welcome.  I  offer  you  all  I  have; 
I  wish  to  treat  you  as  well  as  is  in  my  power."  The  dignity 
and  worth  of  charity  are  never  better  felt  than  on  similar 
occasions,  and  by  beggars  like  us. 

I  shall  spend  some  days  instructing  and  baptizing  a  score 
of  people  who  live  around  here.  I  shall  endeavor  to  recorer 
from  my  unusual  hardships  before  I  start.  In  the  mean  while 
the  snow  will  melt,  the  roads  become  better,  ani  I  will  re 
sume  my  journey. 

Receive  the  assurance  of  my  respect.     Present  my  re» 
•pects  to  the  Fathers  and  Brothers,  and  believe  me, 
Eev.  and  dear  Father, 

Your  devoted  servant  and  brother  in  Christ, 

CHRISTIAN  HOEKEN,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  263 

You  see,  Rev.  Father,  by  this  letter  of  Father  Hoeken,  that 
the  consolations  of  heaven  are  constantly  tempered  by  the 
desolations  of  earth.  This  is  the  support  of  the  laborers  in 
the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

I  have  come  to  Europe  for  missionaries.  Belgium  hai 
already  furnished  many.  St.  Francis  Xavier  asked  for  Bel 
gians.  Shall  I  succeed  in  getting  some  ?  Cannot  I  count 
on  my  own  land  as  much  as  on  Holland,  France,  or  Italy  ? 


Second  Letter  of  Father  Christian  HoeJcen. — To  Father  Elet. 

TKBMTORT  or  THE  PLATTE,  Dec.  28,  1850. 
REVEREND  AND  DEAR  ^VTHER  PROVINCIAL  : 

According  to  my  express  promise  in  my  letters,  I  write 
to  tell  you  where  I  have  been,  and  what  I  have  done  since 
I  left  the  Kansas,  till  my  return  from  ihe  Upper  Missouri. 

I  travelled  by  the  way  of  Weston,  without  a  cent  in  my 
pocket.  I  had  to  trust  entirely  to  Providence.  A  draft  of 
ten  dollars  on  Father  De  Smet,  enabled  me  to  get  the  actual 
necessaries  for  my  journey.  I  should  have  drawn  more,  but 
it  was  all  they  could  let  me  have. 

On  the  way  I  met  several  old  friends,  whose  liberality  did 
not  improve  my  poverty.  I  reached  St.  Joseph  at  the  foot 
of  the  Black-Snake  Hills.  My  horse  could  not  stand  the 
hard  travel.  Others  were  of  my  opinion,  among  them  was 
Mr.  Scan  Ian,  who  offered  me  an  Indian  horse  to  go  as  far  as 
Bellevue,  and  also  to  take  charge  of  mine.  I  accepted  his 
kind  offer.  In  two  days  I  was  quite  disappointed.  The  horse 
was  very  lazy,  and  weak  in  the  bargain.  I  changed  him  at 
the  great  Pacoa  river  for  a  good  horse,  whose  exterior  prom 
ised  better  in  the  long  journey  before  me.  I  gave  the  man 
a  draft  on  Mr.  P.  A.  Sarpy  to  pay  the  difference. 


268  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

On  reaching  Bellevue,  I  learned  from  Mr.  Sarpy  that 
Messrs.  Bruyere  and  Argot  had  started  the  day  before,  and 
that  I  could  easily  overtake  them ;  that  there  was  no  guide 
for  me,  and  they  knew  none  about  there.  I  bought  the 
necessary  utensils,  a  little  pot,  tin-pans,  provisions,  <fec.,  and 
started  in  pursuit  of  the  gentlemen,  who  live  about  thirty 
miles  below  Post  Vermilion  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  Sioux. 
I  overtook  them  next  day  at  Boyer  River.  I  travelled  in 
their  company  seven  days,  when  we  reached  the  great  Sioux. 

I  spent  three  days  there  instructing  the  people,  and  bap 
tized  fourteen  persons.  They  treated  me  with  great  kind 
ness,  and  expressed  their  extreme  delight  at  the  prospect  of 
the  establishment  of  a  Sioux  mission.  They  promised  to 
pay  for  their  children's  board.  They  are  not  only  full  of 
good-will,  but  capable  of  acting. 

As  for  the  mixed  race  of  the  Santies  (a  Sioux  tribe),  they 
receive  from  government  about  a  thousand  dollars  a  head, 
according  to  the  treaty  made  last  year  at  St.  Peter's  River 
in  the  Upper  Missouri.  You  see,  then,  Reverend  Father,  that 
if  we  defer  founding  a  mission  among  them,  they  will  send 
their  children  elsewhere.  Do  not  imagine  that  the  number 
of  these  poor  children,  all  baptized  by  Father  De  Smet  and 
others,  is  insignificant.  The  halfbreeds  exist  in  great  num 
bers  everywhere,  with  thousands  of  Indians.  Must  all  these 
children,  of  whom  several  thousand  have  already  received 
boly  baptism,  perish  for  want  of  instruction  ?  Are  they 
doomed  to  remain  sitting  in  the  shadow  of  death  ?  May  I 
not  announce  to  them  all,  the  precious  tidings  of  vocation  to 
grace  ?  I  trust,  in  God's  mercy,  the  day  of  their  deliverance 
is  at  hand  ;  that  they  will  soon  perceive  the  aid  of  the 
Saviour  and  Redeemer.  My  daily  prayer  is  (above  all  at 
the  Holy  Altar)  that  their  expectations  and  frequent  appealf 
may  at  length  find  a  term. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  269 

I  forgot  to  say,  that  on  arriving  at  Linden,  a  village  situ 
ated  eight  mi^es  below  the  River  Nishnebatlana,  I  found 
Major  Matlock  very  dangerously  ill  with  dysentery.  H« 
recognized  me  at  once,  and  cried  out :  "  Father  Hoeken,  I  am 
extremely  glad  to  see  you.  I  wished  to  see  you  much  a  long 
time;  but  I  am  so  indisposed  at  this  moment  that  I  can 
not  converse  with  you.  Could  you  not  come  a  little  later?" 
"Most  willingly,"  I  replied:  "I  will  see  you  by  and  by." 
An  hour  after  I  returned  to  his  room  in  the  hotel ;  I  found 
him  half  asleep.  He  heard  my  voice,  and  after  having  dis 
missed  those  who  were  with  him,  he  spoke  to  me  of  his 
religious  convictions.  He  informed  me  that  he  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  Methodist  sect,  but  that  he  did  not  believe 
in  their  views,  and  that  his  most  ardent  desire  was  to  be 
come  a  Catholic.  He  then  made  his  confession  to  me ;  after 
which,  I  baptized  him  conditionally.  He  appeared  to  me  to 
be  perfectly  contented  and  resigned  to  die.  I  have  since 
learned  that  he  did  not  long  survive  his  baptism.  May  he 
rest  in  peace. 

I  commend  myself  to  your  prayers  and  sacrifices,  Rev. 
Father  Provincial, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 

CHRISTIAN  HOEKEN,  3.  J. 


Third  Letter  of  Father  Christian  Hoeken.— To  Father  Elet. 

ST.  JOSEPH'S,  Jan.  8, 1851. 
REV.  AND  VERT  DEAR  FATHER  PROVINCIAL  ! 

I  was  obliged  to  wait  in  order  to  regulate  my  account 
with  Mr.  P.  A.  Sarpy,  who  was  absent  when  I  arrived  at 
Council  Bluffs.     That  time  was  not  lost.     I  had  the  happi' 
23« 


270  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


of  baptizing  a  great  number  of  children  of  the  Omaha 
tribe,  and  I  met  the  young  chief,  Logan  Fontenelle.  He  ia 
a  spiritual  child  of  Father  De  Smet.  He  is  very  worthy  oi 
the  post  he  fills  in  his  tribe,  and  will  do  all  in  his  power  to 
convert  his  people  and  bring  them  to  the  true  faith.* 

I  quitted  Council  Bluffs  on  the  27th  of  December.  1 
arrived  on  the  River  Nishnebatlana  at  a  place  called  French 
Village.  It  is  occupied  almost  exclusively  by  Canadians,  by 
half-breeds,  and  a  mixture  of  Indians  united  among  them 
selves.  I  was  received  with  much  kindness,  and  employed 
Saturday  and  Sunday  in  confirming  and  strengthening  them 
in  the  faith. 

As  soon  as  my  arrival  was  known,  the  people  collected  on 
all  sides,  in  order  to  secure  to  their  children  the  grace  of  bap 
tism.  You  can  easily  imagine  what  a  consolation  it  was  to 
me  after  the  fatigues  of  the  late  journey.  On  examining  the 
state  of  things,  I  found  that  those  people  needed  instruction  in 
regard  to  the  sacrament  of  marriage.  They  listened  to  me 
with  profound  attention,  and  followed  my  advice  on  this 
point.  I  baptized  sixteen  persons,  among  whom  was  one 
converted  from  Mormonism  and  one  Sioux  squaw.  I  gave 
the  nuptial  benediction  to  three  couples.  In  the  midst  of  a 
meeting  held  in  a  private  house,  the  conversation  fell  on  the 
construction  of  a  village  church ;  each  one  offered  his  ser 
vices,  and  promised  to  approach  the  sacraments.  How  great 
and  plentiful  is  the  harvest,  but  alas,  how  few  are  the  reap 
ers  !  We  must,  in  truth,  but  in  sadness,  repeat  with  the 
prophet  Jeremy :  "The  children  ask  bread  and  there  is  no 
one  to  break  it  to  them."  What  a  vast  field  for  them  of 
whom  the  Scripture  says  :  "  How  beautiful  upon  the  moun- 


*  He  fell,  in  1855,  in  a  combat  against  a  great  war-party  of  the  Sioux 
— (Not*  by  Father  De  Smet.} 


AND   MI8SIONAKIES.  271 

tains  are  the  footsteps  of  those  who  proclaim  the  glad  tidings 
of  peace  and  salvation."  A  month's  travelling  in  the  desert 
through  which  these  people  are  wandering  deprived  of  in 
struction,  would  bestow  on  our  missionaries  greater  experi 
ence  of  the  evils  of  ignorance  and  of  superstition,  than  many 
years  passed  in  studying  them  in  books  and  writings,  and 
one  hour  of  conversation  would  inspire  Christian  hearts  with 
sentiments  of  more  real  compassion,  than  all  the  discourses 
of  rhetoric  and  all  the  artifices  of  eloquence  could  ever  pro 
duce.  If  the  Catholics  of  civilized  countries,  and  provided 
with  all  the  advantages  that  civilization  offers  for  the  soul 
and  for  the  body,  could,  during  one  single  week,  experience 
what  is  endured  in  the  midst  of  the  ravages  and  violence  of 
this  poor  Indian  country,  their  hearts  would  open  to  the  sen 
timents  of  a  truly  active  compassion,  and  they  would  extend 
a  charitable  hand  to  relieve  the  misery  and  mitigate  the  bit 
terness  of  their  wretched  and  afflicting  condition.  There  are 
in  human  life  certain  marks  of  degradation  which,  at  first 
sight,  awaken  the  tender  sentiments  of  a  Christian  heart ; 
there  are  interior  trials  and  sorrows  which  need  to  be  related 
to  excite  charity  towards  those  who  suffer  them.  Such  are, 
my  dear  Father,  the  troubles  and  sufferings  of  the  Indians. 
Deprived  of  civilized  society,  destitute  of  all  the  advantages 
of  social  life,  ignorant  of  the  very  elements  of  individual 
duty,  they  are  a  prey  to  exterior  deceptions,  to  interior  illu 
sions,  and  their  days  are  counted  by  overwhelming  evils  and 
misfortunes  as  numerous  as  the  hours  which  mark  their  du 
ration.  But  when  it  pleases  a  wise  Providence  to  permit 
that  they  be  visited  by  other  and  extraordinary  trials,  as  it  hap 
pened  to  the  Potawatomies,  who  lost  their  harvest,  their  ills 
are  increased  a  hundredfold,  and  nothing  but  the  consolations 
of  the  Gospel  are  capable  of  ameliorating  the  hard  lot  of 
barbarism  and  the  anguish  of  ignorance.  May  Heaven  deigi 


272  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

to  inspire  a  large  number  of  worthy  ministers  of  the  Church 
with  a  zeal  in  conformity  with  the  will  of  God,  and  inspire 
also  a  great  number  of  Christians  with  that  charity  which 
covers  a  multitude  of  sins,  in  order  that  they  may  come  to 
their  aid  amid  the  painful  sufferings  which  they  are  at  this 
moment  undergoing. 

My  respects  to  all, 

Rev.  Father  Provincial, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 

CHRISTIAN  HOEKEN,  S.  J. 


fburth  Letter.— To  Rev.  Father  Elet. 

BELLEVTTE,  December  28,  1880. 
BlV.    AND    VERY    DEAR   FATHER   PROVINCIAL  I 

I  left  Post  Vermilion  on  the  third  Sunday  of  Advent; 
I  descended  the  Great  Sioux  as  far  as  its  confluence.  There 
I  met  with  Major  Halton,  who  is  agent  for  the  Upper  Mis 
souri. 

He  employed  all  his  eloquence  to  persuade  me  to  accom 
pany  him  as  far  as  Fort  Pierre,  which  is  the  post  of  the  Little 
Missouri.  He  will  probably  stop  there,  at  about  the  middle 
of  January.  God  alone  knows  what  the  weather  will  prove 
at  that  time,  He  presented  us  a  beautiful  buffalo-robe,  and 
told  me,  that  if  we  would  establish  a  mission  in  these  sec 
tions,  he  would  contribute  annually  a  hundred  dollars.  An 
other  gentleman  added,  I  have  three  children  to  educate  ;  I 
will  furnish  three  hundred  dollars  per  year,  and  be  assured, 
continued  he,  that  every  white  man  residing  in  this  lo 
cality  that  has  a  family  of  mixed  race  (and  there  are  a  great 
number  of  them),  will  assist  you  to  the  best  of  their  ability 
~— one  in  one  manner  and  another  in  another,  according  to 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  273 

their  means.  The  Brules,  the  Jantons,  and  the  other  Sioux 
tribes,  assembled  in  council  said :  "  The  missionaries  shall 
not  perish  with  hunger  among  us ;  we  will  bring  them  an 
abundance  of  buffalo-robes  and  buffalo- meat,  so  that  they 
can  purchase  clothes  for  the  children  who  will  be  confidea 
to  them." 

For  the  love  of  God  and  of  souls,  I  conjure  you,  reverend 
Father,  not  to  defer  any  longer.  All  the  good  that  Father 
De  Sinet  and  others  have  produced  by  their  labors  and  visits 
will  be  lost  and  forgotten,  if  these  Indians  are  disappointed 
in  their  expectations.  They  weigh  men's  characters  in  the 
balance  of  honesty ;  in  their  eyes  whosoever  does  not  fulfil 
his  promises  is  culpable;  they  do  not  regard  or  consider 
whether  it  be  done  for  good  reasons,  or  that  there  is  an  im 
possibility  in  the  execution.  Some  of  them  have  sent  their 
children  to  Protestant  schools,  and  they  will  continue  to  do 
go  as  long  as  we  form  no  establishments  among  them. 

From  all  this  you  may  easily  conclude  that  there  is  apos 
tasy  and  all  its  attendant  evils.  Immortal  souls  are  precious 
in  the  sight  of  God.  You  are  acquainted  with  my  disposi 
tions — arrange  every  thing  according  to  your  own  good  will 
and  pleasure.  My  sole  desire  is  to  endure  fatigue  and  suffer 
ing,  as  much  as  I  can  with  God's  assisting  grace,  and  as  long 
as  I  shall  live.  I  have  deposited  my  hopes  in  the  bosom  of 
my  God ;  I  expect  my  recompense  from  his  goodness,  not  in 
this  life,  but  in  the  next. 

Yours,  <kc., 

CHRISTIAN  HOEKEN,  S.  J. 

These  four  letters  of  Rev.  Father  Hoeken  show  sufficient 
ly,  my  dear  and  reverend  Father,  the  spiritual  wants  of  these 
nations  and  their  desire  of  being  assisted.  Apostasy  is  more 
frequent  than  is  generally  believed  in  Europe.  Oh !  if  tht 


274  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

zealous  priests  of  the  Continent  knew  what  we  know,  had 
they  seen  what  we  have  witnessed,  their  generous  hearts 
would  transport  them  beyond  the  seas,  and  they  would  has 
ten  to  consecrate  their  lives  to  a  ministry  fruitful  in  salutary 
results.  Time  presses;  already  the  sectaries  of  various 
shades  are  preparing  to  penetrate  more  deeply  into  the 
desert,  and  will  wrest  from  those  degraded  and  unhappy 
tribes  their  last  hope — that  of  knowing  and  practising  the 
sole  and  true  faith.  Shall  they,  in  fine,  obtain  the  Black- 
gowns,  whom  they  have  expected  and  called  for  during  so 
many  years  ? 

Accept,  Eev.  Father,  the  assirance  of  my  sincere  friend 

P.  J.  DC  Sun. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  275 


Letter  IX. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Tributes  to  the  Flat-Heads. 

1V»  the  Mother  Superior  of  the  Convent  and  Academy  of  Erps-QuerU,  betwe«i 
Brussels  and  Louvain. 

BBUSBELS,  FEAST  OF  ST.  XAVIER,  December  5, 1858. 
REVEREND  MOTHER: 

The  festival  of  to-day  renews  in  my  mind  the  recollec 
tion  of  the  pleasant  time  I  spent  at  Erps,  last  Monday. 

1  must  again  thank  you  for  the  kind  reception  I  received 
at  your  convent  and  academy. 

The  repeated  invitations  you  have  extended  to  me,  since 
my  return  to  Belgium,  through  Father  Terwecoren,  who 
took  me  there,  made  it  a  duty  on  my  part  to  go.  I  owed 
you  this  visit  also  personally,  Reverend  Mother,  on  account 
of  the  ties  which  always  have  existed,  and  still  exist,  between 
your  family  and  mine.  This  recommendation  was  made  to 
me  at  Termond.  It  was,  indeed,  pleasant  for  me  to  meet 
you,  after  thirty-five  years'  absence,  and  especially  to  find 
you  consecrated  to  God  by  the  vows  of  religion.  During 
my  long  travels  over  the  world,  I  have  always  found  in  re 
ligious  communities  the  greatest  amount  of  happiness  to 
which  man  can  aspire  here  below. 

But  independent  of  this  personal  motive,  the  Academy  of 
the  Servants  of  Mary  would  leave,  in  my  mind,  a  most  pleas 
ing  recollection.  I  shall  never  forget  this  little  family  festi 
val,  the  charitable  and  pious  words  addressed  to  me  by  one 


276  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

of  your  scholars,  in  the  name  of  her  companions ;  the  earnest 
attention  paid  by  them  to  my  accounts,  and  the  prayers  they 
promised  me  for  my  poor  Indians ;  that  beautiful  hymn  in 
honor  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  the  patron  of  missionaries ;  the 
happiness  of  the  little  village-children,  gathered  in  the  day- 
school,  where  their  hearts  learn  to  love  God  and  serve  him 
by  labor ;  the  respectful  deference  of  all  the  sisters,  and  of 
your  worthy  director. 

I  thank  you,  then,  Reverend  Mother,  for  this  welcome ; 
and,  in  the  name  of  the  Indians,  I  thank  you  especially  for 
the  alms  which  the  convent  has  confided  to  me  for  them, 
and  the  vestments  which  you  prepare.  The  Indians  pray 
for  their  benefactors  ;  they  will  pray  especially  for  the  Ser 
vants  of  Mary,  and  for  their  young  pupils,  as  soon  as  I  tell 
them  all. 

As  an  anticipated  testimony  of  their  gratitude,  and  that 
the  remembrance  of  this  day  may  abide,  your  community 
ever  prosper  more  and  more,  your  young  ladies,  when  they 
come  forth  from  that  house  of  the  Lord,  preserve  preciously 
the  inappreciable  gift  of  piety  and  the  pure  lustre  of  all 
virtue,  I  propose  to  give  to  the  first  little  Indian  girls  that  I 
baptize  after  my  return,  the  Christian  names  of  the  religious 
and  pupils  whom  I  saw  assembled,  that  they  may  pray  for 
their  benefactresses.  Please  to  prepare  a  list,  and  send  it  to 
Father  Terwecoren,  who  is  collecting  all  that  is  offered  for 
the  mission. 

I  add  to  this  letter  a  copy  of  the  tributes  of  admiration 
paid  to  the  Flat-Heads,  as  well  as  the  Pater  and  Ave  in 
Osage.  It  is  a  little  souvenir  for  the  Academy  of  Erps- 
Querbs. 

I.  Tribute  of  admiration  rendered  to  the  Flat-Heads,  by 
an  officer  of  the  United  States  army,  sent  with  Governor 
Stevens  to  explore  St.  Mary's  Valley.  These  lines  are  drawn 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  277 

from  a  report  recently  issued  by  order  of  government.  Ex 
plorations,  &c.,  from,  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  p, 
308.  Lieutenant  Mullan  says  : 

"When  I  arrived  at  the  camp  with  my  guide,  three  or 
four  men  came  out  to  meet  us,  and  we  were  invited  to  enter 
the  lodge  of  the  great  chief.  With  much  eagerness  they 
took  care  of  our  horses,  unsaddled  them,  and  led  them  to 
drink.  As  soon  as  the  camp  had  been  informed  of  the 
arrival  of  a  white  man  among  them,  all  the  principal  men  of 
the  tribe  collected  at  the  lodge  of  the  chief. 

"All  being  assembled,  at  a  signal  given  by  the  chief, 
they  prayed  aloud.  I  was  struck  with  astonishment,  for  I 
had  not  the  least  expectation  of  such  conduct  on  their  part. 
The  whole  assembly  knelt.  In  the  most  solemn  manner, 
and  with  the  greatest  reverence,  they  adored  the  Lord.  I 
asked  myself:  Am  I  among  Indians  ?  Am  I  among  people 
whom  all  the  world  call  savages  \  I  could  scarcely  believe 
my  eyes.  The  thought  that  these  men  were  penetrated  with 
religious  sentiments,  so  profound  and  beautiful,  overwhelmed 
me  with  amazement. 

"I  could  never  say  enough  of  those  noble  and  generous 
hearts  among  whom  I  found  myself.  They  were  pious  and 
fiira,  men  of  confidence,  full  of  probity,  and  penetrated  at  the 
same  time  with  a  lively  and  religious  faith,  to  which  they 
remain  constant.  They  never  partake  of  a  repast  without 
imploring  the  blessing  of  Heaven.  In  the  moiling,  when 
rising,  and  at  night,  when  retiring,  they  offer  their  prayers 
to  Almighty  God.  The  tribe  of  the  Flat-Heads  among  the 
Indians  is  the  subject  of  their  highest  esteem  ;  and  all  that  I 
witnessed  myself  justifies  this  advantageous  opinion." 

Here  is  another  testimony  from  the  Hon.  Isaac  J.  Stevens, 
governor  of  Washington  Territory.  Giving  orders  to  Lieut. 
Mn  b  e  says : 

24 


278  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

"  Tell  those  good  Flat-Heads  that  the  words  of  Father  De 
Smet  in  their  behalf  have  been  received  by  their  Great 
Father,  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  that  all  good 
people  are  devoted  to  them.  I  would  like  to  rebuild  St. 
Mary's.  Let  them  know  that  I  am  attached  to  them,  and 
ready  to  aid  their  old  benefactors  in  their  well-being.  This 
would  be  most  pleasing  to  me." 

He  wrote  to  the  Indian  agent : 

"  You  are  already  aware  of  the  character  of  the  Flat-Heads. 
They  are  the  best  Indians  of  the  mountains  and  the  plains — 
honest,  brave,  and  docile,  they  only  need  encouragement  to 
become  good  citizens — they  are  Christians,  and  we  are 
assured  that  they  live  up  to  the  Christian  code." 

This  passage  is  from  the  report  to  the  President,  in  1854. 
You  see,  reverend  brother,  that  my  eulogium  at  Erps-Querbs, 
on  the  Flat-Heads,  is  also  in  the  mouths  of  the  Americans. 
It  is  the  same  with  the  other  Indians.  The  sisters  and  the 
pupils  may  then  rely  on  the  prayers  and  gratitude  of  the  lit 
tle  girls  who  bear  their  names.  May  these  children  of  the 
desert  have  the  same  means  of  salvation  as  the  children  of 
Belgium. 

H.   Pater  and  Ave1  in  Osage. 

Intfitze  ankougtapi    manshigta    ningshe,    shashe    dichta 
Father  our  in  heaven        who  art,      name  thy 

ouchoupegtselou,wawalagtaukapi  dichta  tshighselou.  Hakistse 
be  hallowed.  kingdom  thy  come.  Will 

ingshe    manshingta   ekionpi,    manshan     lai      ackougtsiow. 
thy  in  heaven        be  doue        on  earth      be  it      done  likewise. 

Humpale   humpake  sani    watstitse    ankougtapi   wakupiow. 
To-day         and  day     every        bread  our  to  us  give. 

Ouskan  pishi        wacshiegchepa          ankionle  ankale,  aikon 
Action       bad    to  us  which  has  been  done,      we  it       forgive,     no 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  279 

onskan    pishi     ankougtapi     waonlapiow.       Ouskan     pishi 

action        bad  ours  us  forgive.  Action         bad 

ankagchetapi    wasankapi     ninkow.       Nansi    pishi     ingshe 

to  do  by  us  lead  us  not.  But          evil         from 

walietsi  sapiow.     Aikougtsiou. 

deliver       us.  Amen. 

Hawai    Marie,         Wagkonda          odikupi      odishailow 
Hail         Mary,      of  the  Great  Spirit         of  gifts  thou  art. 

Wagkonda        shodigue     acchow.      Wakoki       odisanha 
The  Great  Spirit      with  thee  is.  The  women      among  them 

odichoupegtsiow.       Jusus          tsaitse          oulagran     ingshe 

thou  art  blessed.  Jesus       of  the  womb        the  fruit  thy 

ougoupegtsiow.     Walagui  Marie      Wagkonda,       Ehonh, 

is  blessed.  Holy       Mary,  of  the  Great  Spirit   the  Mother, 

wawatapiow,  dekousi         antzapi       aitchanski.  Aikougtsiou, 

pray  for  us          now    and  at  the  moment  of  our  death.         Amen. 

Accept,  reverend  Mother,  this  trifling  homage  of  my  grati 
tude,  and  express  the  same  sentiments  to  your  worthy 
Director,  community,  and  pupils. 

Your  servant  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  DE  S«r. 


280  WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  XXI, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PKECIS  HISTOEIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Oregon  Missions. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  July  16,  1857. 
REVEREND  FATHER : 

Since  my  return  to  St.  Louis  I  have  been  very  busy,  and 
not  very  well,  in  consequence  of  the  suddeu  transition  from 
a  cold  climate  to  one  where  the  thermometer  stands  at  90* 
Fahrenheit.  I  have  not  been  able,  thus  far,  to  send  you  any 
interesting  article.  I  have  lately  received  along  and  beauti 
ful  letter  from  Father  A.  Hoeken,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
It  appeared,  on  the  llth  instant,  in  the  Freeman's  Journal, 
which  you  receive  regularly.  I  shall  try  and  send  you  a 
translation. 

J  inclose  to-day  a  short  notice  of  Father  Eysvogels.  If 
you  give  it  a  place  in  your  Precis,  it  will  give  pleasure  to 
the  friends  and  acquaintances  of  that  good  Father  in  North 
Brabant. 

As  you  propose  terminating  a  volume  of  my  letters,  you 
would  do  well,  perhaps,  to  add,  if  there  is  time,  a  letter  to 
the  St.  Louis  Leader,  dated  June  19,  1855,  which  you  can 
have  translated. 

ST.  Louis,  June  19, 1855. 
MR.  EDITOR  : 

From  a  letter  received  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  about 
two  months  ago,  I  learn  that  the  Indians,  in  our  different 
missions  in  Oregon,  continue  to  give  grent  satisfaction  to 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  281 

their  missionaries,  by  their  zeal  and  fervor  in  the  holy  prac 
tices  of  religion.  "  I  hope,"  writes  Father  Joset,  "  that  the 
h®ly  Sacrament  of  Confirmation,  which  many  have  lately 
received,  will  add  still  more  stability  to  their  good  resolu 
tions.  The  arrival  of  Monseigneur  Blanchet,  of  Nesqualy, 
had  been  announced  only  a  few  hours  before,  yet,  notwith 
standing  that  one  half  of  the  neophytes  were  absent  on 
their  hunting-grounds,  the  zealous  prelate  gave  confirmation 
to  over  six  hundred  persons.  He  expressed  the  greatest 
satisfaction  at  the  flourishing  condition  of  the  missions,  and 
the  exemplary  and  Christian  conduct  of  the  Indian  faithful." 
The  conversions  to  our  holy  faith,  if  you  consider  the 
small  number  of  our  missionaries,  are  very  consoling  and 
encouraging.  Father  Joset  says,  that  in  the  mission  of  St. 
Paul's  alone,  among  the  Shuyelpies  or  Kettlefall  Indians,  he 
had  one  hundred  and  sixty-three  converts  in  the  course  of 
the  year.  He  further  states  in  his  letter,  that  Lieut.  Mullan, 
of  the  United  States  Army,  visited  the  Flat-Heads,  and 
several  others  of  our  missions,  by  order  of  Governor  Stevens, 
of  the  new  Territory  of  Washington,  and  that  the  distin 
guished  officer  had  expressed  great  delight  at  all  he  saw 
among  the  Indians,  promising  withal  to  favor  them  and  to 
speak  well  of  them,  in  his  report.  Governor  Stevens  him 
self,  in  his  report  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  com 
mends  them  highly,  and  calls  upon  the  government  for  aid 
and  assistance.  "  They  are,"  says  he,  speaking  of  the  Flat- 
Heads,  "  the  best  Indians  of  the  mountains  and  the  plains — 
honest,  brave,  and  docile — they  only  need  encouragement  to 
become  good  citizens;  they  are  Christians,  and  we  are 
assured  that  they  live  up  to  the  Christian  code,"  &c. 
Most  respectfully,  dear  sir, 

Your  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J 


282  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

You  see,  Reverend  Father,  that  I  have  cited  the  testimon 
of  Governor  Stevens,  as  to  our  Indian  missions.  The  details 
which  I  shall  give  you  in  this  letter  emanate  from  the  same 
source,  as  honorable  as  it  is  truthful.  They  form  part  of  an 
official  report  on  the  state  of  Oregon,  sent  by  that  magis 
trate  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  1855,  and 
published  by  order  of  government. 

Speaking  of  the  tribe  of  Pends-d'Oreilles,  the  governor 
Bays : 

"  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Suckley  for  many  interesting  facts 
in  relation  to  the  mission  of  St.  Ignatius,  established  among 
the  lower  Pends-d'Oreilles  ;  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more 
beautiful  example  of  successful  missionary  labors.  The  mis 
sion  was  established  nine  years  ago,  by  Rev.  P.  J.  De  Smet, 
the  whole  country  at  that  time  being  a  vast  wilderness. 

"  For  the  first  two  years  the  missionaries  lived  in  skin 
lodges,  accompanying  the  natives  on  their  periodical  hunt* 
and  visits  to  their  fishing- grounds. 

"  During  this  time  they  found  it  very  hard  to  live.  Their 
food  consisted  principally  of  camash-roots  and  dried  berries, 
which  at  best  contain  very  little  nourishment.  They  raised 
some  wheat,  which  they  boiled  in  the  beard,  for  fear  ot 
waste ;  parching  some  of  the  grains  to  make  a  substitute  foi 
coffee.  After  this,  they  slowly  but  steadily  increased  in  wel 
fare.  Each  year  added  a  small  piece  to  their  tillable  ground. 
They  then  obtained  pigs,  poultry,  cattle,  horses,  agricultural 
implements,  and  tools.  Their  supplies  of  tools,  seeds,  gro 
ceries,  clothing,  <fec.,  are  shipped  direct  from  Europe  to  the 
Columbia  river.  There  are  two  lay  brethren  attached  to 
the  mission.  One  of  them,  Brother  Francis,  is  a  peifect  Jack- 
of-all-trades.  He  is  by  turns  a  carpenter,  blacksmith,  gun 
smith,  and  tinman ;  in  each  handicraft  he  is  a  good  work 
man.  The  other,  Brother  McGean,  superintends  the  farming 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  283 

operations.  They  both  worked  hard  in  bringing  the  mis 
sion  to  its  present  state  of  perfection,  building  successively  a 
wind-mill,  blacksmith's  and  carpenter's  shops,  'barns,  cow 
sheds,  &c.,  besides  an  excellent  chapel,  in  addition  to  a  large 
dwelling-house,  of  hewn  timber,  for  the  missionaries. 

"The  church  is  quite  large,  and  is  tastefully  and  even 
beautifully  decorated.  I  was  shown  the  handsomely  carved 
and  gilded  altar,  the  statue  of  our  *  Mother,'  brazen  crosses, 
and  rich  bronzed  fonts — work  which  at  sight  appears  so  well 
executed  as  to  lead  one  to  suppose  that  they  must  all  have 
been  imported. 

"  Works  of  ornament  are  not  their  only  deeds.  A  grind 
stone,  hewn  out  of  the  native  lock,  and  modelled  by  the 
same  hand  which  made  the  chisel  which  wrought  it,  tin 
ware,  a  blacksmith's  bellows,  plough-shares,  bricks  for  their 
chimneys,  their  own  tobacco-pipes,  turned  with  the  lathe  out 
of  wood,  and  lined  with  tin,  all  have  been  made  by  their 
industry.  In  household  economy  they  are  not  excelled. 
They  make  their  own  soap,  candles,  vinegar,  &c.,  and  it  ia 
interesting  and  amusing  to  listen  to  the  account  of  their 
plans,  shifts,  and  turns,  in  overcoming  obstacles  at  their  first 
attempts,  their  repeated  failures,  and  their  final  triumphs. 
The  present  condition  of  the  mission  is  as  follows : 

"The  buildings  are  :  the  house,  a  good,  substantial,  com 
fortable  edifice  ;  the  chapel,  a  building  sufficiently  large  to 
accommodate  the  whole  Kalispelum  nation.  A  small  build 
ing  is  attached  to  the  dwelling-house ;  it  contains  a  couple 
of  sleeping-rooms,  and  a  workshop,  a  blacksmith's  shop,  and 
a  store-room  for  the  natives.  These  are  all  built  of  square 
or  hewn  timber.  Besides  these  there  are  a  number  of 
smaller  out-buildings,  built  of  logs,  for  the  accommodation 
of  their  horses  and  cattle  during  the  winter,  and  an  excel 
lent  root-house. 


284  WESTEKN    MISSIONS 

"The  mission  farm  consists  of  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  cleared  land  :  wheat  (spring),  barley,  onions, 
cabbages,  parsnips,  peas,  beets,  potatoes,  and  carrots.  Father 
Hoeken  says,  that  if  the  children  see  carrots  growing,  they 
must  eat  some.  Says  he,  « I  must  shut  my  eyes  to  the 
theft,  because  they  cannot  resist  the  temptation.  Any  thine 
else  than  carrots,  the  little  creatures  respect.' 

"The  Indians  are  very  fond  of  peas  and  cabbages,  but 
beets,  and  particularly  onions,  they  dislike.  The  other  pro 
ductions  of  the  farm  are  cattle,  hogs,  poultry,  butter,  and 
cheese.  Around  the  mission  buildings  are  the  houses  of  the 
natives.  These  are  built  of  logs  and  hewn  timber,  and  are 
sixteen  in  number.  There  are  also  quite  a  number  of  mat 
and  skin  lodges.  Although  the  tribe  is  emphatically  a  wan 
dering  tribe,  yet  the  mission  and  its  vicinity  are  looked  upon 
as  head-quarters. 

"  When  the  missionaries  came  among  the  Indians,  they 
found  them  to  be  a  poor,  miserable,  half-starved  race,  with 
an  insufficiency  of  food,  and  nearly  naked  ;  living  upon  fish, 
oarnash  and  other  roots,  and,  as  the  last  extremity,  upon  the 
pine-tree  moss.  They  were  in  utter  misery  and  want.  The 
whole  time  was  occupied  in  providing  for  their  bellies,  which 
were  rarely  full.  They  were  of  a  peaceable  disposition, 
brave,  good-tempered,  and  willing  to  work. 

"  Of  spiritual  things  they  were  utterly  ignorant.  Unlike 
the  Indians  east  of  the  mountains,  they  had  no  idea  of  a 
future  state  or  of  a  Great  Spirit,  neither  had  they  any  idea 
of  a  soul ;  in  fact,  they  had  not  words  in  their  language  to 
express  such  ideas.  They  considered  themselves  to  be  ani 
mals,  nearly  allied  to  the  beaver,  but  greater  than  the  beaver, 
'  because,'  they  said,  *  the  beaver  builds  houses  like  us,  and 
he  is  very  cunning ;  true,  but  we  can  catch  the  beaver,  and 
he  cannot  catch  us,  therefore  we  are  greater  than  he.' 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  285 

They  thought  that  when  they  died,  that  was  the  last  of 
them.  While  thus  ignorant,  it  was  nothing  uncommon  for 
them  to  bury  the  very  old  and  the  very  young  alive,  because, 
they  said,  *  these  cannot  take  care  of  themselves,  and  we  can 
not  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  inhabit 
ants,  by  means  of  small  presents,  and  by  manifesting  great 
interest  in  their  welfare,  in  attendance  upon  the  sick,  and  by 
giving  the  poor  creatures  food,  seeds,  and  instruction  as  to 
farming. 

"The  Indians  could  not  help  seeing  that  no  hopes  of  tem 
poral  or  personal  benefit  induced  the  missionaries  thus  to 
labor  among  them. 

"  The  missionaries  told  them  that  they  had  a  Creator,  and 
that  he  was  good.  They  told  them  of  their  Saviour,  and  of 
the  manner  of  addressing  him  by  prayer.  To  this  they 
listened,  and  believed. 

"  The  people  look  up  to  the  Father,  and  love  him.  They 
say  that  if  the  Father  should  go  away,  they  would  die. 

"  Before  the  advent  of  the  missionaries,  the  inhabitants, 
though  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  medi 
cine.  Every  man  had  his  particular  medicine  or  charm,  and 
from  it  they  expected  either  good  or  ill.  With  some  it 
would  be  the  mouse,  with  others  the  deer,  buffalo,  elk,  sal 
mon,  bear,  <fec. ;  and  whichever  it  was,  the  savage  would 
carry  a  portion  of  it  constantly  with  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 


286  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

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. 

"  The  missionaries  say  that  these  Indians  are  industrious, 
and  not  lazy,  as  compared  to  other  Indians ;  that  they  are 
willing  to  work  ;  but  the  land  is  so  poor,  and  so  little  of  it  i§ 
susceptible  of  cultivation,  that  they  cannot  farm  enough. 

"The  mission  farm,  as  already  stated,  contains  about  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  This  is  kept  up  for  the  natives,  as 
but  a  few  acres  would  be  amply  sufficient  for  the  mission 
aries.  Each  Indian  who  wishes  it,  is  allowed  a  certain 
amount  of  land  to  cultivate  for  his  own  use,  and  is  provided 
with  tools  and  seeds. 

"Before  reaching  the  mission  of  St.  Ignatius,  Dr.  Suckley 
found  four  lodges  of  the  Pends-d'Oreilles  about  half  a  mile 
above  the  outlet  of  Lake  Deboey.  These  lodges  were  all 
built  after  the  fashion  of  the  Sioux  lodge,  with  the  single 
difference  that  they  were  covered  with  mats  of  reeds,  in  stead 
of  skins.  These  mats  are  made  of  rushes  laid  parallel,  and 
fastened  together  at  their  ends.  For  convenience  in  travel 
ling,  the  mats  are  rolled  into  cylindrical  bundles,  and  are 
thus  easily  carried  in  canoes.  Dr.  Suckley's  provisions  being 
out,  he  concluded  to  lodge  all  night  with  All-ol-stargh,  the 
head  of  the  encampment.  The  other  lodges  were  principally 
occupied  by  his  children  and  grand-children.  *  Shortly  after 
our  entrance,'  says  Dr.  Suckley,  '  All-ol-stargh  rung  a  little 
bell ;  directly  the  lodge  was  filled  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
camp,  men,  women,  and  children,  who  immediately  got  on 
their  knees,  and  repeated,  or  rather  chanted,  a  long  prayer, 


AND   MISSION  A  KIES.  287 

n  their  own  language.  The  repetition  of  a  few  pious  sen 
tences,  an  invocation,  and  a  hymn,  closed  the  exercises.  In 
these  the  squaws  took  as  active  a  part  as  the  men.  The 
promptness,  fervency,  and  earnestness,  all  showed,  was  pleas 
ing  to  contemplate.  The  participation  of  the  squaws  in  the 
exercises,  and  the  apparent  footing  of  equality  between  them 
and  the  men,  so  much  unlike  their  condition  in  other  savage 
tribes,  appear  remarkable.'  " 

The  following  trait,  mentioned  by  Mr.  Doty  in  his  report, 
attests  their  good  faith  and  decision  of  character  : 

"On  the  1st  of  November,  six  Pends-d'Oreille  Indians 
came  to  this  post,  and  delivered  up  all  the  horses  that  were 
•tolen.  It  appears  that  they  were  taken  by  two  young  Pends- 
d'Oreilles,  and  run  to  the  Pends-d'Oreille  camp,  then  hunting 
beyond  the  Muscle-Shell,  under  the  command  of  a  chief  of  that 
nation,  'Alexander.'  The  horses  were  recognized,  by  the 
stamps,  as  belonging  to  the  whites,  and  the  young  men  con 
fessed  having  stolen  them  at  this  post.  A  council  was  held, 
and  it  was  determined  that  it  was  a  great  sin  to  steal  horses 
from  the  white  men  who  were  friendly  to  them ;  that  the 
wishes  of  the  'Great  Soldier  Chief,'  who  had  been  at  St.  Mary's, 
were  known  to  them,  and  they  had  promised  compliance 
with  them  ;  that  stealing  these  horses  would  give  the  Pends- 
d'Oreilles  the  name  of  liars  and  triflers ;  that  they  had 
always  borne  a  good  name,  and  were  ashamed  to  have  mean 
things  said  of  them  now  ;  therefore  the  horses  must  be  taken 
back  by  the  great  chief  and  five  principal  men  of  the  tribe. 
Accordingly,  they  came  boldly  to  the  fort  and  delivered  up 
the  horses,  without  asking  any  reward,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
expressing  much  sorrow  and  shame  that  they  had  been 
taken. 

"Thus  the  six  Indians  proved  themselves  not  only  honest, 
but  brave  in  the  highest  degree,  coming,  as  they  did,  five 


288  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

days  and  nights  into  an  enemy's  country,  simply  to  do  an  act 
of  justice  to  strangers.  They  remained  here  two  days,  and 
on  departing  were  accompanied  by  Mr.  Clark  and  myself 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  on  their  journey." 

In  regard  to  the  Flat-Heads,  the  governor  says : 

"Lieut.  Mullan,  in  his  journal  of  September  20,  relates 
the  following  incident,  illustrative  of  their  noble  character  : 
'  We  had  to-night  a  great  luxury,  in  a  string  of  mountain 
trout,  brought  into  camp  by  one  of  our  Flat-Head  friends. 
Our  Indians  displayed,  on  this  occasion,  a  trait  worthy  of 
notice.  They  were  without  meat  or  any  thing  to  eat.  We 
were  without  meat,  but  had  a  little  flour  left  from  our  small 
stock  of  provisions.  These  being  the  first  fish  caught  by  any 
of  the  party,  they  insisted  on  our  taking  them.  This  we 
refused,  but  they  insisted,  until  we  were  compelled  to  accept 
them.'  He  continues  :  '  I  cannot  say  too  much  of  the  three 
noble  men  who  were  with  us.  They  were  firm,  upright, 
reliable  men,  and,  in  addition  thereto,  entertained  a  religious 
belief,  which  they  never  violated.  They  did  not  partake  of 
a  meal  without  asking  the  blessing  of  God  ;  they  never  rose 
in  the  morning  or  retired  at  night  without  offering  a  prayer. 
They  all  knew  the  country  well,  and  were  excellent  guides 
and  hunters.  When  they  could  not  find  fresh  meat,  they 
accepted  the  remnants  from  our  scanty  table  with  the  great 
est  contentedness.' 

The  Flat-Heads  recognize  Victor  as  their  chief,  an  Indian 
of  the  same  name  being  the  chief  of  the  lower  Pends- 
d'Oreilles.  These  two  tribes  usually  accompany  each  other 
in  their  great  hunting  expeditions  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains.  The  heroism  of  the  Flat-Heads  in  battle,  and  their 
good  faith  towards  others,  have  been  the  theme  of  praise, 
both  from  priest  and  layman." 

Speaking  of  the  Cceur  d'Alenes,  the  governor  say» : 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  289 

"The  Coeur-d'Alene  Indians  are  under-estimated  by  all 
the  authorities.  They  have  some  seventy  lodges,  and  num 
ber  about  five  hundred  inhabitants.  They  are  much  indebted 
to  the  good  Fathers  for  making  considerable  progress  in  agri 
culture.  They  have  abandoned  polygamy,  have  been  taught 
the  rudiments  of  Christianity,  and  are  greatly  improved  in 
morals  and  in  the  comforts  of  life.  It  is  indeed  extraordi 
nary  what  the  Fathers  have  done  at  the  Cceur-d'Alene  mis 
sion.  It  is  on  the  Coeur-d'Alene  river,  about  thirty  miles 
from  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  some  ten  miles  above 
the  Cceur-d'Alene  lake. 

"They  have  a  splendid  church,  nearly  finished  by  the 
labors  of  the  Fathers,  brothers,  and  Indians ;  a  large  barn ; 
a  horse-mill  for  flour ;  a  small  range  of  buildings  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  priests  and  brothers  ;  a  store-room  ;  a 
milk  or  dairy  room  ;  a  cook-room,  and  good  arrangements 
for  their  pigs  and  cattle.  They  are  putting  up  a  new  range 
of  quarters,  and  the  Indians  have  some  twelve  comfortable 
log-cabins.  The  church  was  designed  by  the  superior  skill 
of  the  mission,  Pere  Ravalli,  a  man  of  skill  as  an  architect, 
and  undoubtedly,  judging  from  his  well-thumbed  books,  of 
various  accomplishments.  Pere  Gazzoli  showed  me  his  sev 
eral  designs  for  the  altar,  all  of  them  characterized  by  good 
Uste,  and  harmony  of  proportion.  The  church,  as  a  speci 
men  of  architecture,  would  do  credit  to  any  one,  and  has 
been  faithfully  sketched  by  our  artist,  Mr.  Stanley.  The 
massive  timbers  supporting  the  altar  were  from  larch-trees 
five  feet  in  diameter,  and  were  raised  to  their  place  by  the 
Indians,  with  the  aid  simply  of  a  pulley  and  a  rope. 

"  They  have  a  large,  cultivated  field,  of  some  two  hun 
dred  acres,  and  a  prairie  of  from  two  to  three  thousand  acres. 
They  own  a  hundred  pigs,  eight  yokes  of  oxen,  twenty  cows, 
and  a  liberal  proportion  of  horses,  mules,  and  young  animals. 


290  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

"  The  Indians  have  learned  to  plough  sow,  till  the  soil 
generally,  milk  cows  (with  both  hands),  and  do  all  the 
duties  incident  to  a  farm.  They  are,  some  of  them,  expert 
wood-cutters;  and  I  saw  at  work,  getting  in  the  harvest, 
some  thirty  or  forty  Indians.  They  are  thinking  of  cutting 
out  a  good  trail  to  St.  Mary's  /alley,  over  the  Cceur-d'Alene 
mountains  (on  the  route  passed  over  by  me).  They  need 
agricultural  implements  and  seeds. 

"  The  country  generally,  on  both  sides  of  the  Coeur-d'Al^ne 
river  and  lake,  is  rolling  and  beautiful.  It  is  interspersed 
with  many  small  prairies,  all  affording  excellent  grazing,  and 
most  of  them  adapted  to  crops.  The  rolling  country  could 
be  easily  cleared,  and  would  yield  excellent  wheat  and  vege 
tables.  I  have  no  question  that  all  the  country,  from  the 
falls  of  the  Cceur-d'Alene  to  some  distance  above  the  mis 
sion,  and  thence  to  near  Clark's  Fork,  a  region  of  three  or 
four  thousand  square  miles,  is  adapted  to  grazing  and  culture. 
A  small  portion  will  be  overflowed  by  the  melting  of  the 
mountain  snows,  and  another  portion  will  be  occupied  by 
the  mountain  spurs  or  isolated  peaks,  capable  simply  of  fur 
nishing  timber  and  fuel. 

"  The  Fathers  state  that  a  better  site  for  the  mission  is 
furnished  by  a  river  flowing  from  the  southeast  into  the 
western  end  of  the  Cceur-d'Alene  lake,  and  called  by  them 
St.  Joseph's  river.  It  is  said  to  be  larger  than  the  Coeur- 
d'Alene  river,  to  have  many  prairies  along  its  banks,  and  the 
country  generally  to  abound  in  wood,  grass,  and  water. 

"  On  the  return  of  the  Indians  from  the  field  above  spoken 
o£  I  talked  to  them  in  these  words  : 

" '  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  and  to  find  that  you  are  under 
such  good  direction.  I  have  come  four  times  as  far  as  you 
go  to  hunt  the  buffalo,  and  have  come  with  directions  from 
the  Great  Father  to  see  you,  to  talk  with  you,  and  to  do  al1 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  291 

I  can  for  your  welfare.  I  see  cultivated  fields,  a  church, 
houses,  cattle,  and  the  fruits  of  the  soil — the  works  of  your 
own  hands.  The  Great  Father  will  be  delighted  to  hear  this, 
and  will  certainly  assist  you.  Go  on  ;  and  every  family  will 
have  a  house  and  a  patch  of  ground,  and  every  one  will  b« 
well  clothed.  I  have  talked  with  the  Black-Feet,  who  prom 
ise  to  make  peace  with  all  the  Indian  tribes.  Listen  to  the 
Good  Father  and  to  the  Good  Brothers  who  labor  for  your 
good.'" 

These  details  are  drawn  from  the  Message  of  the  President 
tithe  United  States  to  Congress,  1854-5,  p.  416. 

Accept,  dear  Father,  my  respectful  homage,  and  believe  me 
Your  devoted  servant  and  brother  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  Ds  SUIT,  a  J. 


292  WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  XXII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSBKIJL 
Indians  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

ST.  FRANCIS  XAVIEB,  Feb.  4,  185«. 
REVEREND  FATHER: 

I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Father  Adrian  Hoe* 
ken,  dated  Oct.  18th,  at  the  united  camp  of  the  Flat-Heads 
and  Pends-d'Oreilles,  in  the  region  of  the  great  plains,  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  Indians  had  gone  there  to 
attend  a  peace  council,  held  by  order  of  the  United  States 
Government.  Father  Hoeken  attended,  at  the  express  re 
quest  of  Governor  Stevens  of  Washington  Territory,  who 
shows  every  regard  to  the  Fathers,  and  whose  reports  to  the 
President  evince  the  lively  interest  which  he  feels  in  the 
improvement  of  the  material  condition  of  the  Indians  under 
our  care. 

The  Black-Feet,  Crows,  Flat-Heads,  Pends-d'Oreilles, 
Koetenays,  and  a  great  number  of  chiefs  of  other  tribes 
attended  the  council.  It  Is  to  be  hoped  that  the  stipula 
tions  of  the  new  treaty  will  be  ratified  by  government.  On 
the  one  hand,  the  Indians  promise  to  remain  at  peace  with 
each  other ;  on  the  other,  the  whites  and  the  government  to 
aid  them  by  subsidies  in  educating  their  children,  and  by 
farming  implements  to  encourage  them  to  leave  their  no- 
made  life  and  settle  in  a  convenient  spot  on  their  own  lands. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  council  will  succeed  in  realizing 
this  laudable  plan. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  293 

Father  Hoeken  tells  me  that  the  Indians  of  our  missions 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  (the  Flat-Heads,  Pends- 
d'Oreilles,  Pointed  Hearts,  Koetenays,  Skoyelpies,  or  Ket 
tle-Falls  Indians),  continue,  by  their  regular  and  religious 
conduct,  to  give  the  missionaries  great  consolation.  He 
speaks  also  of  the  good  dispositions  of  the  Crows,  Black- 
Feet,  and  others  east  of  the  mountains.  These  Indiana 
earnestly  solicit  missionaries.  Colonel  Cummings,  superin 
tendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  who  presided  at  the  great  Indian 
council,  assured  me,  on  his  recent  return  to  St.  Louis,  that 
all  the  tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri  are  devoted  to  us.  He 
would  gladly  use  his  influence  with  government  for  the  suc 
cess  of  our  missions  among  them.  Before  settling  out  for 
the  council,  he  expressed  the  wish  that  I  should  accompany 
him  to  the  great  Indian  assembly. 

In  a  letter  from  Father  Congiato,  dated  at  Santa  Clara, 
Nov.  29,  that  superior  of  the  mission  of  California  and  Ore 
gon,  speaks  of  his  visit  to  the  missions  in  the  mountains.  It 
lasted  three  months.  The  following  is  an  extract : 

"  The  Fathers  do  much  good  in  that  remote  region.  Like 
his  venerable  brother,  who  died  on  the  Missouri  in  1851, 
Father  Hoeken  does  the  work  of  several  men.  He  has  suc 
ceeded  in  uniting  three  nations  and  a  part  of  the  Flat-Heads 
to  live  together  under  his  spiritual  direction. 

"All  was  going  on  wonderfully  well  when  I  was  in  Ore 
gon  ;  now  all  is  on  fire.  The  Indians  who  live  on  the  banka 
of  the  Columbia,  from  Walla  Walla  to  the  Dalles,  have  joined 
the  Indians  of  northern  California  to  make  war  on  the 
Americans  or  whites,  and  commit  great  depredations.  One 
of  the  Oblates  (Father  Pandory)  has  been  massacred.*  The 
last  tidings  which  I  received  from  the  mission  of  St.  Paul  a4 


This  was  a  false  report. — ED. 
25« 


294:  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Colville,  inform  me  that  your  Indians  express  their  horror 
for  the  excesses  committed  by  the  Indians,  and  show  no  dis 
position  to  join  them  in  the  war.  Pray  for  your  fellow  mis 
sionaries  in  Oregon/' 

Several  papers  in  this  country  ascribe  the  origin  of  this 
war  to  the  cruelties  perpetrated  by  some  whites  on  a  peace 
ful  and  tranquil  band  of  Indians.  I  do  not  think  that  our 
Indians  will  take  the  least  part  in  the  difficulties  which  have 
arisen  between  the  Americans  and  the  Indians  of  the  Colum 
bia.  They  will  doubtless  follow  the  advice  of  their  mission 
aries,  who  will  divert  them  from  such  a  great  danger  and  so 
sad  a  misfortune.  Moreover,  they  are  at  some  distance  from 
the  actual  seat  of  war,  and  have  had  but  trifling  intercourse, 
if  any,  with  the  hostile  tribes. 

Do  not  forget  me  in  your  prayers,  and  obtain  prayers  for 
the  wretched.  I  have  just  received  a  second  letter  from 
Father  Hoeken  from  the  Flat-Head  village  of  St.  Ignatius. 
He  has  several  nations  there.  The  conversions  among  the 
Indians  have  been  very  consoling  and  numerous  in  the  course 
of  last  year. 

In  the  name  of  all  the  Indians  east  and  west  of  the  moun 
tains,  he  implores  me  to  revisit  them.  The  Black-Feet, 
Crows,  Assiniboins,  Sioux,  and  others,  incessantly  implore 
our  aid.  These  nations  are  still  very  numerous.  They  num 
ber  over  70,000  souls.  Religious  should,  before  all  else,  be 
children  of  obedience.  It  is  the  affair  of  our  superiors.  We 
shall  never  cease  to  aid  them  by  our  prayers,  and  commend 
them  in  a  special  manner  to  the  remembrance  of  the  pious, 
Yours  <fcc. 

P.  J.  Da  SMET,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  295 


Letter  XXIII 

To  IHK  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
The  Flat-Heads. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Louis,  April,  185«. 
RlV.  AND    DEAR   FATHER : 

I  inclose  you  a  letter  of  Rev.  Adrian  Hoeken,  brother  of 
Christian,  whose  death  you  announced  in  your  volume  of 
1853,  p.  394. 

Father  Adrian  Hoeken  was  one  of  my  earliest  travelling 
companions  in  the  missionary  journeys  to  the  Flat-Heads. 
He  has  ever  labored,  and  still  continues  to  labor  here,  with 
the  greatest  zeal  and  the  most  plentiful  results. 

I  have  this  month  dispatched  a  perfect  cargo  to  him,  by  a 
eteamer  which  was  about  to  ascend  the  Missouri.  It  con 
sisted  of  tools,  clothes,  and  provisions  of  all  kinds.  The  boat 
will  go  2,200  miles;  then  the  goods  will  be  transported  by 
a  barge,  which  will  have  to  stem  the  rapid  current  about  600 
miles ;  there  will  then  remain  300  miles  by  land  with  wag 
ons,  through  mountain  defiles :  so  that  the  objects  shipped 
in  April  can  arrive  among  the  Flat-Heads  only  in  the  month 
of  October. 

We  hope  that  other  evangelical  laborers  will  soon  go  to 
assist  Father  Hoeken.  The  savages  request  missionaries. 
We  shall  perceive  that  this  mission  and  that  of  the  Pendt* 
d'Oreilles  continue  to  nourish. 


296  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


FLAT-HEAD  CAMP,  IN  THE  BLAOK-FEET  COUNTBY,  Oct.  18, 1855 
KEY.  AND    DEAR    FATHER  : 

You  will  thank  God  with  me  for  the  consoling  increase 
he  has  given,  through  the  intercession  of  Mary,  to  the  mis 
sions  which  you  began  in  those  remote  parts.  During  the 
many  years  that  I  have  passed  among  the  Kalispels,  though 
my  labors  have  not  been  light  and  my  trials  have  been  nu 
merous  enough,  God  has  given  me  in  abundance  the  conso 
lations  of  the  missionary,  in  the  lively  faith  and  sincere  piety 
of  our  neophytes.  We  have  found  means  to  build  a  beau 
tiful  church,  which  has  excited  the  admiration  of  even  Lieu 
tenant  Mullan,  of  the  United  States  army.  This  church  is 
sufficiently  large  to  contain  the  whole  tribe,  and  on  Sundays 
and  festival  days,  when  our  Indians  have  adorned  it  with 
what  ornaments  of  green  boughs  and  wild  flowers  the  woode 
and  prairies  supply;  when  they  sing  in  it  their  devout 
hymns  with  fervor  during  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  it  might  serve 
as  a  subject  of  edification  and  an  example  to  quicken  the 
zeal  of  many  an  old  Christian  congregation.  There  is  among 
our  converts  a  universal  and  very  tender  devotion  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  a  most  evident  mark  that  the  Faith  has  ta 
ken  deep  root  in  their  souls.  Every  day,  morning  and  even 
ing,  the  families  assemble  in  their  lodges  to  recite  the  rosary 
in  common,  and  daily  they  beg  of  Mary  to  thank  God  for 
them  for  having  called  them  from  the  wild  life  of  the  forest, 
spent  as  it  is  in  ignorance,  rapine,  and  bloodshed,  to  the 
blessings  of  the  true  religion  and  its  immortal  hopes. 

Tke  Kalispels  have  sustained  a  great  loss  in  the  death  of 
tl^eir  pious  chief,  Loyola,  with  whose  euphonious  Indian 
name,  Etsowish-simmegee-itshin,  "The  Grizzly  Bear  Erect," 
^bn  are  familiar.  Ever  since  you  baptized  this  excellent 
Indian  chieftain,  he  was  always  steadfast  in  the  faith.  He 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  297 

dailj'  made  progress  in  virtue,  and  became  more  fervent  in 
the  practices  of  our  holy  religion.  He  was  a  father  to  his 
people,  firm  in  repressing  their  disorders,  and  zealous  in  ex 
horting  them  to  be  faithful  to  the  lessons  of  the  missionaries. 
In  the  severe  trials  to  which  Divine  Providence  subjected 
his  virtue  in  his  latter  years,  when  within  a  short  space  of 
time  he  lost  his  wife  and  three  of  his  children,  he  bore  the 
heavy  stroke  with  the  edifying  resignation  of  a  Christian. 
During  his  last  illness,  of  several  weeks'  duration,  he  seemed 
more  anxious  to  do  something  still  for  the  promotion  of  piety 
among  his  people,  than  to  have  his  own  great  sufferings  al 
leviated.  His  death,  which  occurred  on  the  6th  of  April, 
1854,  was  lamented  by  the  Indians  with  such  tokens  of  sin 
cere  grief,  as  I  have  never  before  witnessed.  There  was  not 
that  false  wailing  over  his  tomb  which  Indian  usage  is  said 
to  prescribe  for  a  departed  chieftain  ;  they  wept  over  him 
with  heartfelt  and  heartrending  grief,  as  if  each  one  had  lost 
the  best  of  fathers,  and  their  grief  for  the  good  Loyola  has 
not  died  away  even  at  this  day.  Never  had  I  thought  our 
Indians  capable  of  so  much  affection. 

As  Loyola,  contrary  to  Indian  customs,  had  not  designated 
his  successor,  a  new  chief  was  to  be  chosen  after  his  death. 
The  election,  to  which  all  had  prepared  themselves  by  prayer, 
to  lead  them  to  a  proper  choice,  ended  in  an  almost  unani 
mous  voice  for  Victor,  a  brave  hunter,  whom  you  as  yet 
must  remember  as  a  man  remarkable  for  the  generosity  of 
his  disposition.  His  inauguration  took  place  amid  great  re 
joicing.  All  the  warriors,  in  their  great  costume,  marched 
to  his  wigwam,"and  ranging  themselves  around  it,  discharged 
their  muskets,  after  which  each  one  went  up  to  him  to  pledge 
his  allegiance,  and  testify  his  affection  by  a  hearty  shaking 
of  hands.  During  the  whole  day,  numerous  parties  came  to 
the  mission-house  to  tell  the  Fathers  how  much  satisfaction 


298  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

they  felt  at  having  a  chief  whose  goodness  had  long  since 
won  the  hearts  of  all.  Victor  alone  seemed  sad.  He  dreaded 
the  responsibility  of  the  chieftainship,  and  thought  he  should 
be  unable  to  maintain  the  good  effected  in  the  tribe  by  the 
excellent  chief  Loyola. 

In  the  following  winter,  when  there  was  a  great  scarcity, 
and  almost  a  famine  among  the  Kalispels,  Victor  gave  an  af 
fecting  proof  of  his  generous  self-denying  charity.  He  dis 
tributed  his  own  provisions  through  the  camp,  hardly  reserv 
ing  for  himself  enough  to  sustain  life,  so  that  on  his  return 
from  the  annual  chase,  when  yet  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  village,  he  fell  exhausted  on  the  ground,  and  had 
to  be  carried  by  his  companions,  to  whom  on  that  very  day 
he  had  given  all  the  food  that  had  been  sent  up  to  him  for 
his  own  use. 

The  Indian  is  often  described  as  a  being  devoid  of  kind 
feelings,  incapable  of  gratitude,  and  breathing  only  savage 
hatred  and  murderous  revenge ;  but,  in  reality,  he  has,  in 
his  untamed,  uncultured  nature,  as  many  generous  impulses 
as  the  man  of  any  other  race,  and  he  only  needs  the  soften 
ing  influence  of  our  holy  religion  to  bring  it  out  in  its  most 
touching  forms.  We  need  no  other  proof  of  it  than  the  grate 
ful  remembrance  of  all  the  Indians  of  their  late  chief  Loyola, 
the  generous  character  of  Victor,  and  the  affectionate  feel 
ings  of  all  our  converted  tribes  for  their  missionaries,  and  es 
pecially  for  you,  to  whom  they  look  up  as  to  their  great 
benefactor,  because  you  were  the  first  to  bring  them  the 
good  tidings  of  salvation. 

Among  our  dear  Flat-Heads,  Michael  Insula,  or  Red 
Feather,  or  as  he  is  commonly  called  on  account  of  his  small 
stature,  "  The  Little  Chief,"  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the 
power  which  the  Church  has  of  developing  the  most  amiable 
virtues  in  the  fierce  Indian.  He  unites  in  his  person  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  299 

greatest  bravery  with  the  tenderest  piety  and  the  gentlest 
manners.  Known  amid  his  warriors  by  the  red  feather 
which  he  wears,  his  approach  is  enough  to  put  to  flight  the 
prowling  bands  of  Crows  and  Black-Feet,  that  have  frequent 
ly  infested  the  Flat-Head  territory.  He  is  well  known  and 
much  beloved  by  the  whites,  who  have  had  occasion  to  deal 
with  him,  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  strict  integrity,  and 
one  on  whose  fidelity  they  can  implicitly  rely.  A  keen  dis- 
cerner  of  the  characters  of  men,  he  loves  to  speak  especially 
of  those  whites,  distinguished  for  their  fine  qualities,  that 
have  visited  him,  and  often  mentions  with  pleasure  the  so 
journ  among  them  of  Colonel  Robert  Campbell,  of  St.  Louis, 
and  of  Major  Fitzpatrick,  whom  he  adopted,  in  accordance 
with  Indian  ideas  of  courtesy,  as  his  brothers.  He  has  pre 
served  all  his  first  fervor  of  devotion,  and  now,  as  when  you 
knew  him,  one  can  hardly  ever  enter  his  wigwam  in  the 
morning  or  evening  without  finding  him  with  his  rosary  in 
his  hands,  absorbed  in  prayer.  He  cherishes  a  most  affec 
tionate  remembrance  of  you,  and  of  the  day  he  was  baptized ; 
he  longs  ardently  to  see  you  once  more  before  his  death, 
and  but  yesterday  he  asked  me,  when  and  by  what  road  you 
*oUd  return.  In  speaking  thus,  he  expressed  the  desire  of 
all  our  Indians,  who  all  equally  regret  your  long  absence. 

It  was  proposed,  during  the  summer  of  1854,  to  begin  a 
new  mission  about  one  hundred  and  ninety  miles  northeast 
of  the  Kalispels,  not  far  from  the  Flat-Head  Lake,  about  fifty 
miles  from  the  old  mission  of  St.  Mary's,  among  the  Flat- 
Heads,  where  a  convenient  site  had  been  pointed  out  to  us 
by  the  Kalispel  chief,  Alexander,  your  old  friend,  who  often 
accompanied  you  in  your  travels  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Having  set  out  from  the  Kalispel  mission  on  the  28th  of  Au 
gust,  1854,  I  arrived  at  the  place  designated  on  the  24tb 
September,  and  found  it  such  as  it  had  been  represented 


300  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

beautiful  region,  evidently  fertile,  uniting  a  useful  as  well  a* 
pleasing  variety  of  woodland  and  prairie,  lake  and  river — the 
whole  crowned  in  the  distance  by  the  white  summit  of  the 
mountains,  and  sufficiently  rich  withal  in  fish  and  game.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  emotions  of  hope  and  fear  that  filled 
my  heart,  when  for  the  first  time  I  celebrated  mass  in  thia 
lonely  spot,  in  the  open  air,  in  the  presence  of  a  numerous 
band  of  Kalispels,  who  looked  up  to  me,  under  God,  for  their 
temporal  and  spiritual  welfare  in  this  new  home.  The  place 
was  utterly  uninhabited, — several  bands  of  Indians  live  with 
in  a  few  days'  travel,  whom  you  formerly  visited,  and  where 
you  baptized  many,  while  others  still  remained  pagan.  I 
was  in  hope  of  gathering  these  around  me,  and  God  has  been 
pleased  to  bless  an  undertaking  begun  for  his  glory,  even 
beyond  my  expectation.  In  a  few  weeks  we  had  erected 
several  frame  buildings,  a  chapel,  two  houses,  carpenter's  and 
blacksmith's  shops ;  wigwams  had  sprung  up  at  the  same 
time  all  around  in  considerable  numbers,  and  morning  and 
evening  you  might  still  have  heard  the  sound  of  the  axe  and 
the  hammer,  and  have  seen  new-comers  rudely  putting  to 
gether  lodges.  About  Easter  of  this  year,  over  one  thousand 
Indians,  of  different  tribes,  from  the  Upper  Koetenays  and 
Flat-Bow  Indians,  Pends-d'Oreilles,  Flat-Heads,  and  Moun 
tain  Kalispels,  who  had  arrived  in  succession  during  the  win 
ter,  when  they  heard  of  the  arrival  of  the  long-desired  Black- 
gown,  made  this  place  their  permanent  residence.  All  these 
Indians  have  manifested  the  best  dispositions.  Besides  a 
large  number  of  children  baptized  in  the  course  of  the  year, 
I  have  had  the  happiness  to  baptize,  before  Christmas  and 
Easter,  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  adults  of  the  Koet- 
CLL)  tribe,  men  of  great  docility  and  artlessness  of  character 
*ho  told  me  that  ever  since  you  had  been  among  them 
some  years  ago,  they  had  abandoned  the  practice  of  gain 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  301 

bling  and  other  vices,  and  cherished  the  hope  of  being  in 
structed  one  day  in  the  religion  of  the  Great  Spirit. 

By  the  beginning  of  spring,  our  good  Brother  McGean 
had  cut  some  eighteen  thousand  rails;  and  placed  under 
cultivation  a  large  field,  which  promises  to  yield  a  very  plen 
tiful  harvest.  Lieutenant  Mullan,  who  spent  the  winter 
among  the  Flat- Heads  of  St.  Mary's,  has  procured  me  much 
valuable  aid  in  founding  this  mission,  and  has  all  along  taken 
a  lively  interest  in  its  prosperity.  I  know  not  how  to  acquit 
the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  this  most  excellent  officer,  and  I 
can  only  pray,  poor  missionary  as  I  am,  that  the  Lord  may 
repay  his  generosity  and  kindness  a  hundredfold  in  blessings 
of  time  and  eternity.  We  are  still  in  want  of  a  great  many 
useful  and  important  articles— indeed,  of  an  absolute  neces 
sity  in  the  establishing  of  this  new  mission.  I  am  confident, 
many  friends  of  the  poor  Indians  may  be  found  in  the  United 
States,  who  will  most  willingly  contribute  their  mite  in  such 
a  charitable  undertaking— we  will  bo  most  grateful  to  them, 
and  our  good  neophytes,  in  whose  bohalf  I  make  the  appeal, 
will  not  cease  to  pray  for  their  kind  benefactors. 

Please  make  arrangements  with  the  American  Fur  Com 
pany  to  have  goods  brought  up  by  the  Missouri  river  to  Fort 
Benton,  whence  I  could  get  them  conveyed  in  wagons  across 
the  mountains  to  the  missionary  station. 

The  Eight  Rev.  Magloire  Blanchet,  bishop  of  Nesqualy, 
who  in  his  first  visit  confirmed  over  six  hundred  Indians,  al 
though  he  arrived  unexpectedly,  when  a  great  many  families 
had  gone  to  their  hunting  grounds,  among  the  Kalispels  and 
our  neighboring  mission?,  intended  to  gi>e  confirmation  here 
this  summer.  I  was  very  desirous  of  JiO  arrival  of  this  pious 
prelate,  who  has  done  so  mu  jh  good,  by  his  fevv*nt  exhorta 
tions,  to  strengthen  our  neoj^jyt^  in  the  faith.  It  had  al 
ready  been  agreed  upon  tha  t.  party  of  Indians  should  go  t* 


302  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

meet  him  as  far  as  the  village  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  among 
the  Cceur-d'Alenes,  about  two  hundred  miles  from  St.  Igna 
tius'  mission,  when  our  plans  were  broken  up  by  a  message 
from  Governor  Stevens,  summoning  all  our  Indians  to  a 
council,  to  be  held  some  thirty  miles  off,  in  St.  Mary's  or 
Bitter  Root  valley,  at  a  place  called  Hellgate,  whence  a 
number  of  chiefs  and  warriors  were  to  accompany  him  to  a 
Grand  Council  of  Peace  among  the  Black-Feet.  I  was  ab 
sent  on  a  visit  to  our  brethren  among  the  Cceur-d'Alenes, 
the  Skoyelpies,  and  other  tribes,  when  I  received  an  invita 
tion  from  the  governor  to  be  present  at  the  councils.  I  had 
found,  in  my  visit,  all  our  missions  rich  in  good  works  and 
conversions,  though  very  poor  in  the  goods  of  this  world — 
»il  the  Fathers  and  Brothers  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  ex 
cellent  health.  Father  Joset,  among  the  Skoyelpies,  at  the 
Kettle  Falls  of  the  Columbia,  had  baptized  a  large  number 
of  adults  and  children.  During  the  late  prevalence  of  the 
small-pox,  there  were  hardly  any  deaths  from  it  among  the 
meophytes,  as  most  of  them  had  been  previously  vaccinated 
by  us,  while  the  Spokans  and  other  unconverted  Indians, 
who  said  the  "  Medicine  (vaccine)  of  the  Fathers,  was  a  poi 
son,  used  only  to  kill  them,"  were  swept  away  by  hundreds. 
This  contrast,  of  course,  had  the  effect  of  increasing  the  in 
fluence  of  the  missionaries. 

With  mingled  feelings  of  joy  at  all  the  good  effected,  and 
of  sorrow  at  the  miserable  death  of  so  many  of  God's  crea 
tures — thankful  to  God  for  all  his  blessings,  and  submissive 
to  the  mysterious  judgments  of  his  Providence,  I  set  out,  ac 
companied  by  my  neophytes,  for  the  Black-Feet  territory. 
The  grand  council  took  place  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Benton. 
Our  Indians,  who  were  in  great  expectation  of  seeing  you 
with  Majors  Cummings  and  Culbertson,  were  indeed  much 
disappointed  at  not  finding  you.  The  Black-Feet,  although 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  303 

they  are  still  much  given  to  thieving,  and  have  committed 
more  depredations  than  ever,  during  the  last  spring,  are  very 
anxious  to  see  you  again,  and  to  have  missionaries  among 
them.  Governor  Stevens,  who  has  always  shown  himself  a 
real  father  and  well  affected  towards  our  Indians,  has  ex 
pressed  a  determination  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  forward  the 
success  of  the  missions.  The  establishment  of  a  mission 
among  the  Black-Feet  would  be  the  best,  and  indeed  the  only 
means  to  make  them  observe  the  treaty  of  peace  which  has 
just  been  concluded.  Until  missionaries  are  sent,  I  intend, 
from  time  to  time,  to  visit  the  Black-Feet,  so  as  to  do  for 
them  what  good  I  may,  and  prepare  the  way  for  the  conver 
sion  of  the  whole  tribe.  I  hope  a  new  mission  may  soon  be 
realized,  for  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  both  for  their  own 
sake  and  for  the  peace  of  our  converted  Indians  on  the  west 
ern  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

From  all  I  have  seen,  and  from  all  I  have  learned  during 
this  last  trip,  I  may  say,  that  the  Crows  and  all  the  tribes  on 
the  upper  waters  of  the  Missouri,  as  well  as  the  various  bands 
of  Black-Feet,  where  so  many  children  have  already  beeE 
regenerated  in  the  holy  waters  of  baptism,  by  you  and  by 
Father  Point,  are  anxious  to  have  the  Black-gowns  perma 
nently  among  them,  and  to  learn  "  the  prayer  of  the  Great 
Spirit."  The  field  seems  ripe  for  the  harvest.  Let  us  pray 
that  God  may  soon  send  zealous  laborers  to  this  far-distant 
and  abandoned  region. 

The  chief;  Alexander,  the  Kalispel,  Michael  Insula,  and 
the  other  Flat-Head  chieftains,  the  leaders  of  the  Koetenay 
and  Flat-Bow  bands,  and  all  our  neophytes,  beg  to  be  re 
membered  in  your  good  prayers — they,  on  their  part,  nevet 
forget  to  pray  for  you.  Please  remember  me. 

Your  devoted  brother  in  Christ, 

ADRIAN  HOKKKN,  S.  J. 


304:  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  Rev.  T.  Congiato, 
superior  of  the  Missions  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  California 
and  Oregon,  written  since  the  commencement  of  Indian  hos 
tilities,  and  dated  Santa  Clara,  29th  of  last  November,  will 
perhaps  prove  not  uninteresting  to  those  who  take  an  inter 
est  in  the  success  of  our  Catholic  mission.  Eev.  T.  Con 
giato  writes : 

"On  my  return  from  our  missions  among  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  which  it  took  me  three  months  to  visit,  I  found 
here  a  letter  of  yours  full  of  edifying  news,  for  which  I  am 
very  thankful.  Our  college  here  is  progressing.  The  num 
ber  of  members  of  our  Society  is  on  the  increase,  and  reaches 
nearly  forty.  All  over  California,  our  holy  religion  is  making 
great  progress,  and  priests  and  churches  are  multiplying.  In 
the  Oregon  missions  our  Fathers  are  doing  much  good.  At 
the  mountains,  Father  Adrian  Hoeken,  a  worthy  brother  of 
Father  Christian  Hoeken,  the  apostle  and  zealous  missionary 
among  the  Potawatomies,  who  died  in  1851,  while  on  his 
way  to  the  Upper  Missouri  tribes,  has  succeeded  in  bringing 
three  nations  and  a  part  of  the  Flat-Heads  to  live  under  his 
spiritual  guidance.  Every  thing  seemed  to  be  going  on  well 
when  I  left  Oregon,  but  now  the  country  appears  on  fire. 
All  the  Indians  living  on  the  banks  of  the  Colombia,  from 
Walla  Walla  down  to  the  Dalles  mountains,  together  with 
the  Indians  of  North  California,  are  in  arms  against  the 
whites,  and  commit  great  depredations.  One  of  the  Father 
Oblates,  Father  Pandory,  has  been  killed.  Please  pray,  and 
make  others  pray  for  our  brethren  in  Oregon.  The  last 
accounts  I  received  from  St.  Paul's  mission,  at  Colville, 
stated  that  our  Indians  disapproved  highly  of  the  depreda 
tions  committed  by  the  other  Indians,  and  showed  no  dis 
position  whatever  to  join  them." 

It  may,  indeed,  be  confidently  anticipated  that  the  Indiani 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  305 

of  the  Catholic  missions  of  the  mountains  who  have  al 
ways  shown  great  kindness  to  the  whites,  and  have  always 
lived  in  peace  with  them,  will  continue  to  listen  to  the  good 
counsel  and  advice  of  their  missionaries,  and  will  abstain 
from  any  act  of  hostility.  Moreover,  they  are  removed  from 
the  seat  of  war,  and  have  seldom  had  any  intercourse  with 
U»e  hostile  tribes.  Most  respectfully,  dear  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

P.  J.  DB  SHUT,  B.  J. 


306  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XXIV. 

To  THM  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES, 
The  Flat-Heads,  etc. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  August  4, 1857. 
REV.    AND    DEAR   FATHER  I 

You  will  find  inclosed  in  this  letter  a  recent  letter  from 
Rev.  Adrian  Hoeken,  S.  J.  I  hope  that  it  will  merit  a  place 
in  your  Precis  Historiques.  In  Holland  I  am  sure  it  will 
afford  pleasure. 

****** 
The  expression  of  the  sentiments  of  the  poor  Indians  in 
my  regard,  fill  me  with  confusion,  and  I  would  not  have 
sent  the  letter  entire,  but  that  you  insisted  on  my  sending 
each  piece  entire.  For  the  rest,  we  must  never  forget,  that 
these  wretched  Indians,  deprived  of  every  thing,  and  neg 
lected  by  other  men,  experience  an  excessive  joy  for  the  least 
benefit,  and  feel  grateful  to  any  one  who  treats  them  with  a 
little  attention.  A  great  lesson  for  our  fellow-countrymen. 
Among  those  whom  infidel  and  revolutionary  writers  in 
Belgium  style  savages  and  barbarians,  you  could  not  find 
one  enough  so  to  figure  in  the  bands  of  Jemappes,  or  even 
in  thfr  rioters  of  Brussels,  Antwerp,  Ghent,  and  Mons.  Here 
the  Ulack-gown  is  respected,  loved.  The  Indians  perceive 
in  him  the  emblem  of  the  happiness  that  the  missionary 
brings  him  in  presenting  him  the  torch  of  faith. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  307 

Letter  of  Rev.  Father  Adrian  Hoelcen. 

MISSION  OF  THE  FLAT-HEADS,  April  15, 1857. 
REV    AND    BELOVED    FATHER.' 

Before  entering  into  a  few  details,  I  beg  you  to  excuse 
the  want  of  order  in  this  letter.  Much  time  has  elapsed 
since  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  news  from  you,  who 
have  so  many  titles  to  my  love  and  gratitude,  and  whose 
name  is  frequently  on  the  lips,  and  always  in  the  hearts,  of 
each  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  remote  region.  Your  letter  of 
the  27th  and  28th  of  March  reached  us  towards  the  end  of 
August,  it  was  read,  or  rather  devoured,  with  avidity,  so  dear 
was  it  to  our  hearts.  It  was  remitted  to  us  by  our  chief, 
Alexander,  who  accompanied  Mr.  B.  H.  Lansdale  to  the 
Cceur-d'Alenes.  Scarcely  had  we  cast  a  glance  at  the  ad 
dress,  and  recognized  your  handwriting,  than,  not  being  able 
to  contain  our  joy,  all,  with  one  consent,  cried  out,  "Father 
de  Smet !  Father  de  Smet !"  You  cannot  imagine  the  de 
light  your  letters  afford  us  and  our  dear  Indians.  God  be 
praised  !  Your  name  will  be  ever  held  in  benediction  among 
these  poor  children  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Ah  !  how 
often  they  ask  me  these  questions  :  "  When,  oh  when  !  will 
Father  de  Smet  come  to  us  ?  Will  he  ever  again  ascend  the 
Missouri  ?  Is  it  true  that  he  will  not  come  to  Fort  Benton 
this  fall  ?"  These,  and  many  other  similar  questions,  show 
how  dear  to  them  is  the  remembrance  of  their  father  in 
Christ ;  of  him  who  first  broke  to  them  the  bread  of  eternal 
life,  and  showed  them  the  true  way  to  happiness  on  earth 
and  bliss  hereafter.  It  is  not  strange,  then,  that  your  letters 
should  have  been  read  several  times,  and  that  every  time 
they  gave  us  new  pleasure  and  excited  new  interest. 

I  can  never  cease  admiring  Divine  Providence,  which  pre 
sides  over  all,  and  which  in  particular  takes  care  of  our  be- 


308  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

loved  missions.  Among  the  unnumbered  proofs  of  its  con 
tinual  protection,  your  assistance  in  our  late  distress,  and  the 
liberality  of  our  benefactors,  are  not  less  remarkable,  nor  less 
worthy  of  our  gratitude.  Our  storehouses  were  empty,  and 
the  war  between  the  Indians  nearest  the  seaboard  took  away 
all  hope  of  procuring  other  resources.  Never,  never  was 
charity  more  appropriate,  nor  received  with  greater  joy. 
May  Heaven  prolong  your  days  and  those  of  our  benefactors  ! 
May  you  continue  to  foster  the  same  interest  towards  us  that, 
until  the  present  moment,  you  have  never  ceased  to  testify  1 
Yes,  beloved  father,  let  the  recollection  of  our  missions  be 
ever  equally  dear  to  you.  They  are  the  fruit  of  your  own 
heroic  zeal,  fatigues,  and  labors.  Ah  !  never  forget  our  dear 
Indians ;  they  are  your  children  in  Christ,  the  offspring  of 
your  boundless  charity  and  your  unwearied  zeal  I 

During  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  disease 
raged  cruelly  in  our  camp,  as  well  as  in  that  of  the  Flat- 
Heads.  However,  there  were  few  victims  of  its  terrible 
attacks. 

Father  Menetrey,  my  co-laborer,  visited  the  Flat-Heads, 
where  he  had  been  asked  for  by  the  chief,  Fidelis  Teltella 
(Thunder),  whose  son  was  dangerously  ill.  Later,  I  visited 
them  myself  in  their  camash  prairies.  A  second  time,  in 
the  opening  of  the  month  of  June,  I  remained  some  days 
with  them,  at  Hellgate,  and  I  distributed  medicines  to  all 
those  who  had  been  seized  with  the  epidemic,  and  a  little 
wheat  flour  to  each  family.  Victor,  the  great  chief,  Am 
brose,  Moses,  Fidelis,  Adolphus,  and  several  others,  came 
here  of  their  own  accord,  to  fulfil  their  religious  duties 
Since  last  spring  there  has  been  a  notable  amelioration  in 
the  whole  nation.  Ambrose  has  effected  the  most  good. 
He  had  convened  several  assemblies,  in  order  to  arrange  and 
pay  off  old  debts,  to  repair  wrongs,  etc.  The  Indians  appear, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  309 

however,  very  reluctant  to  part  with  their  lands ;  they  will 
scarcely  hear  of  the  dispositions  to  be  taken. 

Father  Ravalli  labored  as  much  as  he  could  to  pacify  the 
tribes  which  reside  towards  the  west,  namely  :  the  Cayuses, 
the  Yakamans,  the  Opelouses,  etc.  As  our  neophytes  hith 
erto  have  taken  no  part  in  the  war,  the  country  is  as  safe  for 
us  as  ever.  We  can  go  freely  wheresoever  we  desire.  No 
one  is  ignorant  that  the  Black-gowns  are  not  enemies ;  those, 
at  least,  who  are  among  the  Indians.  Almost  all  the  Cceur- 
d'Alenes,  in  order  to  shield  themselves  from  the  hostilities  of 
the  Indians,  and  to  avoid  all  relations  with  them,  are  gone 
bison-hunting.  A  few  days  since,  Father  Joset  wrote  me 
that  Father  Ravalli  had  already  written  to  him  several 
weeks  before  :  "  I  fear  a  general  rising  among  the  Indians, 
towards  the  commencement  of  spring.  Let  us  pray,  and  let 
us  engage  others  to  pray  with  us,  in  order  to  avert  this  ca 
lamity.  I  think  that  it  would  be  well  to  add  to  the  ordinary 
prayers  of  the  mass,  the  collect  for  peace." 

If  the  less  well-intentioned  Indians  from  the  lower  lands 
would  keep  within  their  own  territory,  and  if  the  whites,  the 
number  of  whom  is  daily  augmenting  in  St.  Mary's  valley, 
could  act  with  moderation,  and  conduct  themselves  pru 
dently,  I  am  convinced  that  soon  the  whole  country  would 
be  at  peace,  and  that  not  a  single  Indian  would  hencefor 
ward  imbrue  his  hands  in  the  blood  of  a  white  stranger. 
Were  I  authorized  to  suggest  a  plan,  I  would  propose  to 
have  all  the  upper  lands  evacuated  by  the  whites,  and  form 
of  it  a  territory  exclusively  of  Indians  ;  afterwards  I  would 
lead  there  all  the  Indians  of  the  inferior  portion,  such  as  the 
Nez-Perces,  the  Cayuses,  the  Yakoinas,  the  Cceur-d'Alenei, 
and  the  Spokans.  Well-know ri  facts  lead  me  to  believe  that 
this  plan,  with  such  superior  advantages,  might  be  effected, 
by  means  of  missions,  in  the  space  of  two  or  three  years. 


310  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Our  Indians  here  are  doing  well.  Last  spring  we  sowed 
about  fifty  bushels  of  wheat,  and  planted  a  quantity  of  po 
tatoes,  cabbages,  and  turnips.  God  has  graciously  blessed 
our  labors  and  our  fields.  Here  all  generally  like  agriculture. 
We  give  the  seeds  gratis  to  everybody.  Our  ploughs  and 
our  tools  are  also  free  to  be  used  by  them.  We  even  lend 
our  horses  and  oxen  to  the  poorest  among  the  Indians,  and 
we  grind  all  their  grain  gratuitously.  But  our  mill,  which 
goes  by  horse-power,  is  very  small,  and  we  are  not  able  to 
build  another. 

Mr.  R.  H.  Lansdale,  agent  of  the  government,  a  very  just 
and  upright  man,  has  assumed  his  functions  at  the  Plum- 
trees,  a  place  situated  quite  near  the  place  where  we  cross 
the  river,  a  few  miles  from  this.  We  gave  him  all  the 
assistance  of  which  we  were  capable.  I  had  indulged  the 
hope  that  the  government  would  come  to  our  aid,  at  least 
for  the  building  of  a  small  church ;  but  so  far  my  expecta 
tions  have  been  frustrated.  Alas !  are  we  never  to  cease 
deploring  the  loss  of  our  little  church  among  the  Kalispels  ? 
Several  of  these  latter-named,  and  among  others,  Victor,  on 
seeing  the  chapel,  formerly  so  dear  to  them,  but  now  for 
saken  and  neglected,  shed  tears  of  regret. 

When,  oh  when !  shall  the  oppressed  Indian  find  a  poor 
corner  of  earth  on  which  he  may  lead  a  peaceful  life,  serv 
ing  and  loving  his  God  in  tranquillity,  and  preserving  the 
ashes  of  his  ancestors  without  fear  of  beholding  them  pro 
faned  and  trampled  beneath  the  feet  of  an  unjust  usurper  ? 

Several  among  the  Kalispels,  Victor  and  others,  already 
have  possessions  here.  However,  they  have  not  yet  re 
nounced  those  which  they  own  in  the  country  lower  down. 
Twelve  very  poor  habitations  are  the  beginning  of  our  town 
called  St.  Ignatius.  Our  little  abode,  although  very  modest, 
is  sufficiently  comfortable.  To  any  other  than  you,  thii 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  311 

word  comfortable  might  sound  singular ;  but  you,  Reverend 
Father,  who  understand  perfectly  what  it  means  when  ap 
plied  to  a  poor  missionary,  will  comprehend  the  relative 
application  of  the  word.  Our  community  numbers  six  mem 
bers.  Father  Joseph  Menetrey,  who  is  missionary,  prefect 
of  our  chapel,  and  inspector  in  chief  of  our  fields,  etc. ; 
Brother  McGean,  farmer ;  Brother  Vincent  Magri,  dispensei 
carpenter,  and  miller;  Brother  Joseph  Spegt,  blacksmith, 
baker,  and  gardener ;  Brother  Francis  Huybrechts,  carpenter 
and  sacristan. 

I  intend  going  to  Colville  after  the  harvest  and  during  the 
absence  of  the  Indians. 

Father  Menetrey,  of  his  own  free  will,  went  to  Fort  Benton 
with  a  pair  of  horses.  The  distance  by  the  great  road  is 
294  miles.  He  took  horses  because  we  could  with  difficulty 
spare  our  oxen,  and  also  because,  according  to  information 
received  from  Mr.  Lansdale,  the  road  is  impassable  to  oxen 
which  have  not,  like  horses,  iron  shoes.  Father  Menetrey 
arrived  at  the  fort  on  the  1 7th  of  September,  and  was  very 
favorably  received  by  the  occupants ;  but  he  was  obliged  to 
wait  some  time  for  the  boats.  He  speaks  with  high  eulogi- 
ums  of  the  Black-Feet,  and  regrets  that  he  has  not  jurisdic 
tion  in  that  part  of  the  mountains.  He  returned  on  the  12th 
of  November. 

How  express  to  you,  Rev.  Father,  the  joy  that  filled  our 
hearts,  when  we  opened  your  letters  and  the  different  cases 
which  you  had  the  charity  to  send  us  ?  We  each  and  all 
wept  with  grateful  joy!  In  vain,  the  night  following,  I 
•trove  to  calm  the  emotions  that  these  missives,  as  well  as  the 
liberality  of  our  benefactors,  had  produced  in  my  heart ;  I 
could  not  close  my  eyes.  All  the  community,  yes,  the  whole 
camp,  participated  in  my  delight.  In  unison  we  rendered 
thanks  to  Divine  Providence,  and  that  day  was  a  perfect  hoi- 


312  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

iday.  The  next  day,  having  a  little  recovered  from  my  ex 
citement,  I  was  ashamed  of  my  weakness.  You  who  know 
what  it  is  to  be  a  missionary ;  you  who  know  so  well  his  pri 
vations,  his  trials,  his  pangs,  you  will  easily  forgive  my  exces 
sive  sensibility. 

I  had  agreed  with  Father  Congiato  that  he  would  send 
your  Reverence  my  lists,  as  well  as  the  money  that  he  might 
allow  me.  I  was  bolder  in  soliciting  your  charity  and  your 
benevolence  in  our  favor,  because  I  knew  the  love  and  inter 
est  that  you  bear  to  our  missions ;  and  that,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  only  executed  a  plan  that  yourself  had  conceived  and 
suggested,  when,  in  consideration  of  the  circumstances,  it 
would  have  appeared  to  every  one  else  illusory  and  incapa 
ble  of  execution. 

Scarcely  had  Father  Menetrey  gone  than  I  received  a  let 
ter  from  Father  Congiato,  in  which  he  said  to  me :  "  If  you 
think  that  your  supplies  can  be  furnished  at  a  more  reason 
able  price  from  Missouri,  order  them  thence,  I  will  pay  the 
cost.  Write  on  this  subject  to  Rev.  Father  De  Smet."  Had 
I  received  this  letter  somewhat  later,  I  scarcely  know  what 
would  have  been  my  decision ;  for  it  is  very  doubtful  that 
we  should  have  been  able  to  find  any  one  who  would  return 
to  Fort  Benton.  I  entreat  you,  be  so  good  as  to  excuse  the 
trouble  that  we  give  you ;  our  extraordinary  situation  is  the 
sole  excuse  that  I  can  offer  in  favor  of  our  importunity.  A 
thousand  thanks  to  you,  and  to  all  our  benefactors  who  con 
curred  so  generously  in  the  support  of  our  missions.  I  also 
thank  our  kind  brethren  in  St.  Louis,  for  the  very  interesting 
letters  that  they  had  the  kindness  to  write  me.  Receive  too, 
our  grateful  sentiments,  Rev.  Father,  for  the  catalogues  of  the 
different  provinces,  the  classical  books,  Shea's  Catholic  Mis 
sions,  the  works  of  controversy,  etc.,  etc.  I  should  never 
conclude  did  I  attempt  to  enumerate  all  your  gifts,  which  we 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  313 

were  so  overjoyed  to  receive.  Brother  Joseph  was  beside 
himself  with  gladness  when  his  eyes  fell  on  the  little  pack 
ages  of  seeds,  the  files,  scissors,  and  other  similar  objects. 
Accept,  in  fine,  our  thanks  for  the  piece  of  broadcloth  you 
sent  us;  by  this  favor  we  continue  to  be  "Black-gowns? 
Ah !  with  my  whole  heart  I  wish  that  you  could  have  seen 
us  as  we  were  opening  the  boxes.  Each  object  excited  new 
cries  of  joy,  and  augmented  our  grateful  love  for  the  donors. 
All  arrived  in  good  order.  The  snuff  had  got  a  little  mixed 
with  the  clover-seed,  but  no  matter ;  my  nose  is  not  very 
delicate.  It  is  the  first  donation  sent  into  these  mountains, 
at  least  since  I  have  been  here.  We  bless  God,  who  watches 
over  all  of  his  children  with  so  much  care  and  liberality, 
even  over  those  who  appear  to  be  the  most  forsaken. 

On  the  following  day  I  sent  Father  Joset  his  letters.  I 
found  an  opportunity  that  very  day. 

It  would  have  been  very  agreeable  to  me  to  receive  a  copy 
of  all  your  letters  published  since  1836.  The  portraits  were 
very  dear  to  me.  I  could  not  recognize  Father  Verdin's,  but 
Brother  Joseph  knew  it  at  the  first  glance.  Yours  was  also 
recognized  at  once  by  a  great  number  of  the  Indians,  and  on 
seeing  it  they  shouted  "  Pikek  an !"  It  made  the  tour  of  the 
village,  and  yesterday  again,  an  inhabitant  of  Koetenay  came 
to  me  with  the  sole  intention  of  "paying  a  visit  to  Father 
De  Smet."  This  did  them  an  immense  good,  only  seeing 
the  portrait  of  him  who  was  the  first  to  bear  them  the  light 
;f  faith  in  these  regions,  still  overshadowed  with  the  dark 
ness  of  moral  death ;  and  who  first  dissipated  the  mists  in 
which  they  and  their  progenitors  during  untold  ages  had 
been  enveloped.  Believe  me,  reverend  father,  not  a  day 
passes,  without  their  prayers  ascending  to  heaven  for  you. 

In  what  manner  can  we  testify  our  gratitude  in  regard  to 
the  two  benefactors  who  so  generously  Charged  themselves 
27 


314:  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

with  the  care  of  transporting  and  delivering  to  us  OUT 
cases  without  consenting  to  accept  the  slightest  recompense  ? 
Undoubtedly  they  will  reap  a  large  share  in  the  sacrifices 
and  prayers  that  daily  rise  to  Heaven  for  all  our  benefactors, 
and  which  are  with  a  grateful  heart  and  the  remembrance 
of  their  beneficence  towards  us,  the  only  tokens  of  our 
thankfulness  that  we  can  offer  them.  How  noble  the  senti 
ment  which  prompted  them  gratuitously  to  burden  them 
selves  and  their  boats,  with  the  charitable  gifts  destined  by 
the  faithful,  to  the  destitute  missionaries  of  the  Indians! 
Heaven,  who  knows  our  poverty,  will  reward  them  with  bet 
ter  gifts  than  we  could  have  imagined  suitable  to  their  lib 
erality. 

The  package  destined  for  Michael  Insula,  the  "Little 
Chief"  lies  here  for  the  present.  He  has  not  yet  opened 
it.  The  good  man  is  abroad  on  a  hunting  excursion ;  but 
we  expect  him  back  in  a  few  days.  I  doubt  not  that  he  will 
be  very  sensible  to  these  marks  of  friendship,  or,  as  he  usu 
ally  expresses  it,  "these  marks  of  fraternity."  He  set  out 
from  here,  when  he  had  harvested  the  grain  he  had  sowed. 
Always  equally  good,  equally  happy,  a  fervent  Christian,  he 
is  daily  advancing  in  virtue  and  in  perfection.  He  has  a 
young  son,  Louis  Michael,  whom  he  teaches  to  call  me  papa. 
It  is  a  real  pleasure  to  him  to  be  able  to  speak  of  your  rev 
erence  and  of  his  two  adopted  brothers,  Messrs.  Campbell  and 
Fitzpatrick.  I  will  give  him  the  packet  directly  after  his 
return,  and  will  inform  you  of  the  sentiments  with  which  he 
will  have  received  it,  as  well  as  his  reply. 

Here  in  our  missions,  we  already  observe  all  the  conditions 
stipulated  in  the  treaty  concluded  last  year  by  Gov.  Stevens, 
at  Hellgate.  Our  brothers  assist  the  Indians,  \nd  teach  them 
how  to  cultivate  the  ground.  They  distribute  the  fields 
and  the  seeds  for  sowing  and  planting,  as  well  as  the  ploughi 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  315 

and  other  agricultural  instruments.  Our  blacksmith  works 
for  them :  he  repairs  their  guns,  their  axes,  their  knives ;  the 
carpenter  renders  them  great  assistance  in  constructing  their 
houses,  by  making  the  doors  and  windows ;  in  fine,  our  little 
mill  is  daily  in  use  for  grinding  their  grain,  gratis  ;  we  dis 
tribute  some  medicines  to  the  sick ; — in  a  word,  all  we  have 
and  all  we  are  is  sacrificed  to  the  welfare  of  the  Indian.  The 
savings  that  our  religious  economy  enables  us  to  make,  we 
retain  solely  to  relieve  their  miseries.  Whatever  we  gain 
by  manual  labor  and  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow,  is  theirs  1 
Through  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  are  ready  to  sacrifice  all, 
even  life  itself.  Last  year  we  opened  our  school ;  but  cir 
cumstances  forced  us  to  close  it.  Next  spring  we  shall 
have  a  brother  capable  of  teaching,  and  we  intend  opening 
it  a  second  time ;  but  in  the  interval  we  shall  not  earn  a 
cent.  During  last  October,  the  snow  forced  Fathers  Joset 
and  Ravalli  and  Brother  Saveo  to  return  to  the  Cosur- 
d'Alenes. 

We  have  done,  and  shall  continue  to  do,  all  that  lies  in 
our  power  for  the  government  officers.  Still  our  poor  mis 
sion  has  never  received  a  farthing  from  the  government.  Do 
not  think,  reverend  father,  that  I  complain — oh  no !  you  are 
too  well  assured  no  earthly  good  could  ever  induce  us  to 
work  and  suffer  as  we  do  here.  As  wealth  itself  could  never 
recompense  our  toils,  so  privations  are  incapable  of  leading 
us  to  renounce  our  noble  enterprise.  Heaven,  heaven  alone 
is  our  aim  ;  and  that  reward  will  far  exceed  our  deserts.  On 
the  other  hand,  we  are  consoled  by  the  reflection  that  He 
who  provides  for  the  birds  of  the  air  will  never  abandon  his 
tenderly  loved  children.  Yet  it  is  not  less  true,  that,  if  we 
had  resources  (humanly  speaking),  our  missions  would  be 
more  flourishing;  and  that  many  things  that  we  now  accom 
plish  only  with  great  patience  and  sore  privations,  and  which 


316  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

again  frequently  depend  upon  contingencies,  could  be  effected 
more  rapidly  and  with  less  uncertainty  of  success. 

In  our  mission,  there  are  persons  of  such  a  variety  of 
nations,  that  we  form,  so  to  speak,  a  heaven  in  miniature. 
First,  our  community  is  composed  of  six  members,  all  of 
whom  are  natives  of  different  lands.  Then  we  have  Creoles  : 
Genetzi,  whose  wife  is  Susanna,  daughter  of  the  old  Ignatius 
Chaves ;  Abraham  and  Peter  Tinsley,  sons  of  old  Jacques  Boi- 
teux ;  Alexander  Thibault,  a  Canadian,  and  Derpens.  There 
are  some  Iroquois :  old  Ignatius  is  settled  here,  as  well  as  the 
family  of  Iroquois  Peter.  The  death  of  this  venerable  old 
man  is  a  great  loss  to  the  mission.  Then  we  have  Creoles 
from  the  Creek  nation ;  Pierrish,  and  Anson,  with  his  bro 
thers  ;  then  some  Flat-Heads ;  Kalispels;  two  camps  of  Pends- 
d'Oreilles ;  then  several  Spokans ;  some  Nez-Perces,  Koe- 
tenays,  Co3iir-d'Alenes,  and  Kettle-Falls  Indians;  a  few 
Americans,  settled  a  few  miles  from  here ;  and  some  Black- 
Feet.  All,  though  of  different  nations,  live  together  like 
brethren  and  in  perfect  harmony.  They  have,  like  the 
primitive  Christians,  but  one  heart  and  one  mind. 

Last  spring,  and  during  the  summer  following,  we  had 
several  Black-Feet  here.  They  behaved  extremely  well. 
Among  others,  the  Little  Dog,  chief  of  the  Pegans,  with 
some  members  of  his  family.  They  entered  our  camp  with 
the  American  flag  unfurled,  and  marching  to  the  tones  of 
martial  music  and  an  innumerable  quantity  of  little  bells. 
The  very  horses  pranced  in  accordance  with  the  measure, 
and  assumed  a  stately  deportment  at  the  harmony  of  the 
national  hymn. 

We  held  several  conferences  with  the  chief  concerning 
religion.  He  complained  that  the  whites,  who  had  been  in 
communication  with  them,  had  never  treated  this  so  impor 
tant  affair.  So  far  the  best  understanding  reigns  between  us, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  317 

and  it  would  appear  that  all  the  old  difficulties  are  forgotten. 
May  Heaven  keep  them  in  these  favorable  dispositions.  Last 
summer  the  Crows  stole  about  twenty  horses  from  our  nation. 
A  few  days  after,  others  visited  our  camp.  The  remembrance 
of  this  theft  so  excited  the  people  that,  forgetting  the  law  of 
nations,  which  secures  protection  to  even  the  greatest  enemy 
as  soon  as  he  puts  his  foot  within  the  camp,  they  fell  upon 
the  poor  guests,  and  killed  two  of  them  ere  they  had  time  to 
escape. 

May  God  bless  the  government  for  establishing  peace 
among  the  Black-Feet!  However,  as  hitherto  the  meana 
have  not  proved  very  efficacious,  I  fear  that  the  quiet  will 
not  be  of  very  long  duration.  I  trust  that  our  society  will 
one  day  effect  a  more  enduring  peace.  A  mission  among 
them  would,  I  am  persuaded,  produce  this  blessed  result 
And  if  to  bedew  this  hitherto  ungrateful  soil  requires  the 
blood  of  some  happy  missionary,  it  would  bring  forth  a  hun 
dredfold,  and  the  Black-Feet  would  respect  our  holy  religion. 

I  am  much  distressed  at  learning  that  an  epidemic  disease 
is  making  terrible  ravages  among  the  Black-Feet.  Accord 
ing  to  the  last  news,  about  150  Indians  had  perished  in  one 
camp  alone,  near  Fort  Benton.  When  the  malady  had  ceased 
scourging  men,  it  fell  upon  their  horses.  Many  are  dead 
already,  and  many  are  dying.  We  have  lost  five.  Our 
hunters  are  forced  to  go  to  the  chase  on  foot ;  for,  according 
to  their  account,  all  the  horses  are  sick.  If  the  Nez-Perces 
lose  their  horses  in  the  war  with  government,  horses  will  be 
very  dear  here. 

Michael,  the  Little  Chief,  has  arrived.  I  presented  him  the 
gracious  gift  of  Col.  Campbell.  He  was  astonished  that  the 
colonel  should  think  of  him,  and  was  much  moved  at  this 
mark  of  attachment.  Then  he  cited  a  long  list  of  kindred 
dead  since  his  last  interview  with  Col.  Campbell,  and  enter 


318  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

tained  me  at  length  with  the  great  number  of  Americana 
that  he  had  seen  annually  passing  Fort  Hall.  He  told  m« 
with  what  solicitude  and  anxiety  he  sought  his  friend  among 
those  successive  multitudes,  and  when  at  length  he  could  not 
discover  him,  he  believed  that  he  was  dead. 

Our  Indians  are  bison-hunting,  and  quite  successful.  Five 
Spokans  have  been  killed  by  the  Banacs,  and  six  of  these 
last  killed  by  the  Spokans  and  Cceur-d'Alenes.  The  Flat- 
Heads  have  had  a  man  killed  by  the  same  Banacs.  Louis, 
Ambrose's  son,  was  killed  last  fall  by  the  Gros-Ventres.  All 
last  winter  a  good  understanding  prevailed  among  the  Black- 
Feet.  Many  of  them  will  come,  I  think,  and  reside  with  us. 

The  Nez-Perc6s  and  the  Spokans  endeavor  to  spread  a 
bad  spirit  among  the  Indians  who  reside  in  the  country  be 
low.  They  endeavor  to  communicate  their  hatred  of  the 
Americans ;  but  our  chiefs  are  firm,  and  will  in  no  wise 
acquiesce  in  the  desire  of  their  enemies.  Victor,  the  great 
chief,  and  Ambrose,  are  here  again,  in  order  to  accomplish 
their  spiritual  duties.  Unfortunately  a  great  antipathy  pre 
vails  among  these  tribes. 

Mr.  McArthur,  formerly  agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com 
pany,  has  now  settled  at  Hellgate. 

To  conclude,  Rev.  Father,  I  entreat  you  to  believe  that, 
notwithstanding  your  reiterated  exhortations  to  assure  me,  it 
is  not  without  a  feeling  of  restraint  that  I  inclose  you  anew 
the  list  of  things  we  need  this  year.  I  am  aware  that  you 
are  weighed  down  with  business ;  but  who,  as  well  as  your 
self,  can  know  and  understand  our  position  ? 

I  entreat  you  to  present  my  respects  to  all  my  kind  friendg 
who  are  at  the  university,  at  St.  Charles,  and  elsewhere. 
Your  reverence's  most  respectful  servant, 

A.   HOKKEN,   S.J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  319 


Letter  XXV. 

To   THE  EDITOR   OP  THE   PRECIS   HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS 
The  Potawatomies. 

TUBNHOCT,  December  18, 1856. 
REV.  AND    DEAR  FATHER  : 

I  am,  this  day,  in  the  city  where  one  of  the  most  zeal 
ous  benefactors  of  foreign  missions,  I  mean  the  late  M.  De 
Nef,  resided  many  years.  From  this,  I  shall  set  out  for  Hol 
land,  and  I  purpose  meeting  you  again  in  Brussels,  please 
God,  in  the  month  of  January. 

I  yield  most  cheerfully  to  the  wish  you  express  to  publish 
the  letter  that  I  addressed,  in  1838,  to  the  excellent  Superior 
of  the  Orphanage  of  Termonde,  and  of  which  a  fragmentary 
copy  was  given  you  at  Erps,  on  the  occasion  of  your  pleasant 
trip  to  the  pious  servants  of  Mary  and  their  edifying  pupils. 
The  original  letter  will,  no  doubt,  be  communicated  by  the 
house  of  Termonde.  I  rely  on  you  for  all  other  pieces  you 
may  find  in  your  search  for  manuscripts. 

NATION  o»  THB  POTAWATOHIES,  ST.  JOSEPH,  July,  1838. 
VERY  KIND  MOTHER: 

I  received  your  letter  of  March  13th,  with  all  your  good 
news  of  Termonde,  even  dat  Charles  Geyzel  koster  geworden 
is.  Ongelwyfelt  zat  het  eenen  goeden  koster  zyn*  All  youi 

*  "  Charles  Geyzel  is  named  Vicar.    No  doubt  he  will  prove  a  good  on« 


320  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

communications  give  me  great  pleasure  and  much  consola 
tion.  I  do  not  forget  my  native  place.  Continue,  therefore, 
to  send  me  very  frequently  the  most  minute  details.  All 
that  a  Termontois  can  learn  of  that  point  of  the  globe,  even 
when  he  finds  himself  in  an  American  desert,  two  thousand 
miles  away,  amid  Indians  and  wild  beasts,  is  always  charm 
ing  to  him.  Indeed,  the  reception  of  your  letter  was  a  holi 
day  for  me. 

What  shall  I  say  to  you,  Mother,  on  all  that  you  write 
me  of  the  actual  state  of  your  house,  and  of  the  good  Ma- 
rolles  that  the  Lord  destines  to  take  care  of  so  many  poor 
and  miserable,  under  the  direction  of  your  worthy  director  ? 
Ah  !  I  assure  you,  I  bless  God  for  it,  in  the  sincerity  of  my 
heart.  If  he  deigns  to  hear  me,  he  will  keep  you  all,  your 
orphan  boys  and  girls,  your  old  men  and  your  children,  be 
neath  his  powerful  and  holy  grace.  It  is  my  ardent  and 
daily  prayer  before  the  altar.  I  thank  you  all,  teachers  and 
pupils,  that  you  do  not  forget  me,  above  all,  in  your  prayers. 
I  hope  you  will  continue  to  implore  the  Blessed  Virgin  to 
protect  our  poor  missions,  and  obtain  for  us,  from  her  Divine 
Son,  who  can  refuse  her  naught,  the  grace  and  strength  ne 
cessary  to  overcome  the  numerous  obstacles  which  separate 
the  savage  from  the  path  of  salvation. 

You  no  doubt  expect  a  little  recital  from  the  depth  of  our 
wilderness.  Well,  I  will  exhibit  you  the  light  and  the  shade. 
It  is  just  that  you,  who  pray  so  much  for  us,  should  know 
somewhat  of  the  exact  state  of  our  affairs.  Your  prayers  for 
48,  I  am  sure  will,  if  possible,  increase  in  fervor. 

First  I  will  narrate  to  you  the  great  loss  that  we  expe 
rienced  towards  the  end  of  April.  Our  superior  sent  us, 
from  St.  Louis,  goods  to  the  amount  of  $500,  in  ornaments 
for  the  church.  A  tabernacle,  a  bell,  and  provisions  and 
clothes  for  a  year.  I  had  been  for  a  long  time  withou* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  321 

shoes,  and  from  Easter  we  were  destitute  of  supplies.  All 
the  Potawatomie  nation  were  suffering  from  scarcity,  having 
only  acorns  and  a  few  wild  roots  for  their  whole  stock  of 
food.  At  last,  about  the  20th  of  April,  they  announced  to 
to  us  that  the  much-desired  boat  was  approaching.  Already 
we  saw  it  from  the  highest  of  our  hills.  I  procured,  without 
delay,  two  carts  to  go  in  search  of  our  baggage.  I  reached 
there  in  time  to  witness  a  very  sad  sight.  The  vessel  had 
struck  on  a  sawyer,  was  pierced,  and  rapidly  sinking  in  the 
waves.  The  confusion  that  reigned  in  the  boat  was  great, 
but  happily,  no  lives  were  lost.  The  total  damage  was  val 
ued  at  $40,000.  All  the  provisions  forwarded  by  govern 
ment  to  the  savages  were  on  board  of  her.  Of  our  effects, 
four  articles  were  saved :  a  plough,  a  saw,  a  pair  of  boots, 
and  some  wine.  Providence  was  still  favorable  to  us.  With 
the  help  of  the  plough,  we  were  enabled  to  plant  a  large 
field  of  corn  ;  it  was  the  season  for  furrowing.  We  are  using 
the  saw  to  build  a  better  house  and  enlarge  our  church, 
already  too  small.  With  my  boots,  I  can  walk  in  the  woods 
and  prairies  without  fear  of  being  bitten  by  the  serpents 
which  throng  there.  And  the  wine  permits  us  to  offer  to 
God  every  day  the  most  holy  sacrifice  of  the  mass,  a  privi 
lege  that  had  been  denied  us  during  a  long  time.  We, 
therefore,  returned,  with  courage  and  resignation,  to  the 
acorns  and  roots  until  the  30th  of  May.  That  day  another 
boat  arrived.  By  that  same  steamer  I  received  news  from 
you,  as  well  as  a  letter  from  my  family  and  from  the  good 
Carmelite  superior. 

Our  congregation  already  amounts  to  about  three  hun 
dred.  At  Easter  we  had  fifty  candidates  for  the  first  com 
munion.  I  recommend,  in  a  very  special  manner,  these  poor 
Indians,  that  they  may  maintain  their  fervor.  The  dangers 
and  scandals  which  surround  them  are  very  great.  I  have 


322  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

remarked,  in  one  of  my  preceding  letters,  that  one  of  the 
principal  obstacles  to  the  conversion  of  the  savages  is  drink 
ing.  The  last  boat  brought  them  a  quantity  of  liquors. 
Already  fourteen  among  them  are  cut  to  pieces  in  the  most 
barbarous  manner,  and  are  dead.  A  father  seized  his  own 
child  by  the  legs  and  crushed  it,  in  the  presence  of  its 
mother,  by  dashing  it  against  the  post  of  his  lodge.  Two 
others  most  cruelly  murdered  an  Indian  woman,  a  neighbor 
of  ours,  and  mother  of  four  children.  We  live  in  the  midst 
of  the  most  disgusting  scenes.  The  passion  of  the  savages 
for  strong  drink  is  inconceivable.  They  give  horses,  blankets, 
all,  in  a  word,  to  have  a  little  of  this  brutalizing  liquid. 
Their  drunkenness  only  ceases  when  they  have  nothing  more 
to  drink.  Some  of  our  neophytes  have  not  been  able  to  re 
sist  this  terrible  torrent,  and  have  allowed  themselves  to  be 
drawn  into  it.  I  wrote  an  energetic  letter  to  the  govern 
ment  against  these  abominable  traffickers.  Join  your  prayers 
to  our  efforts  to  obtain  from  Heaven  the  cessation  of  this 
frightful  commerce,  which  is  the  misery  of  the  savages  in 
every  relation. 

I  visit  the  Indians  in  their  wigwams,  either  as  a  mission 
ary,  if  they  are  disposed  to  listen  to  me,  or  as  a  physician 
to  see  their  sick.  When  I  find  a  little  child  in  great  dan 
ger,  and  I  perceive  that  the  parents  have  no  desire  to  hear 
the  word  of  God,  I  spread  out  my  vials :  I  recommend  my 
medicines  strongly.  I  first  bathe  the  child  with  a  little 
camphor;  then,  taking  some  baptismal  water,  I  baptize  it 
without  their  suspecting  it— and  thus  I  have  opened  the 
gate  of  heaven  to  a  great  number,  notwithstanding  the  wiles 
of  hell  to  hinder  them  from  entering. 

During  the  winter  a  chief  of  a  neighboring  nation  brought 
me  his  child,  attacked  with  a  very  dangerous  malady ;  it 
only  had  a  breath  of  life  remaining.  The  father  asked  med- 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  323 

icine  from  me.  I  gave  him  to  understand  that  his  child  was 
past  recovery,  but  that  I  had  the  means  of  rendering  it,  after 
death,  the  happiest  of  his  nation.  I  explained  to  him  the 
favors  arising  from  the  sacrament  of  baptism.  The  chief, 
quite  delighted,  offered  me  his  son  in  order  to  secure  its 
happiness,  and  the  child  died  on  the  following  day. 

I  might  cite  you  a  great  number  of  other  consoling  traits 
with  which  Heaven  favors  us,  but  my  sheet  is  too  small  to 
allow  of  it. 

I  will  consecrate  this  last  page  to  a  description  of  the  prin 
cipal  incidents  of  my  excursion  of  360  miles  further  into  the 
Indian  Territories,  through  the  country  of  the  Omahas,  and 
in  the  immense  tract  of  country  occupied  by  the  Sioux. 
The  object  of  this  journey  was  to  afford  the  benefit  of  bap 
tism  to  some  children,  to  give  adults  some  ideas  of  our  holy 
religion,  and  to  establish  a  durable  and  advantageous  peace 
between  the  two  nations.  Our  savages  have  lived,  during 
the  last  two  years,  in  a  terrible  dread  of  this  numerous  and 
warlike  nation;  lately,  also,  two  of  our  people  had  been 
massacred. 

I  embarked  on  the  Missouri,  the  29th  of  April,  in  a  steam 
boat.  I  met  on  board,  to  my  great  joy,  two  old  friends : 
the  one  a  French  mathematician,  Mr.  Nicollet,  a  very  learned 
and  pious  man;  the  other,  Mr.  Gayer,  a  German.  These 
gentlemen  are  making  a  scientific  excursion  of  4500  miles 
into  the  Indian  countries.  The  waters  of  the  river  weie  low ; 
the  sand-banks  and  the  sawyers  very  numerous  and  difficult 
to  pass ;  the  winds  strong  and  contrary.  Our  progress  was 
very  slow.  We  had  many  an  opportunity  to  make  excur 
sions  in  the  woods  and  prairies,  searching  for  new  minerals, 
which  abound  in  these  wilds,  and  rare  and  curious  plants, 
among  which  we  made  some  beautiful  discoveries.  I  thought 
of  you,  my  good  mother,  when  I  found  myself  in  those 


321  WESTKKN   MISSIONS 

beautiful  parterres.  I  imagined  once,  for  an  instant,  that 
you  were  there,  with  your  little  children.  I  heard  your  ex 
clamations:  "  Potten,  potten,  kinderen!  wel,  welf  ....  Dai 
zyn  schoone  bloemen  !  Wie  zoude  hcl  konnen  gelooven  ?  .  .  . 
Maer  ziet,  maer  ziet  /  .  .  .  .  Komt  hier,  moeder ;  hier  heb 
ik  eene  schoone"  etc.,  etc.*  Indeed  it  was  truly  the  most 
beautiful  view  one  could  fancy.  When  the  bell  called  ui 
back  to  the  steamer,  I  quitted  those  little  parks  of  wild  flow 
ers  with  much  difficulty.  I  gathered  a  great  number  of 
plants,  which  I  preserved  in  my  herbal.  We  passed  over 
several  spots  where  there  were  only  onions,  round,  and  about 
as  large  as  the  marbles  children  use  for  play,  but  excellent 
for  eating.  In  another  place  we  gathered  a  great  quantity 
of  asparagus,  as  thick  as  a  man's  thumb.  All  the  passengers 
of  the  steamboat  regaled  themselves  with  it  during  four  days. 
I  will  tell  you  nothing  of  our  little  encounters  with  the 
wolves  and  the  serpents;  dat  zoude  het  spel  verbrodden — 
(that  would  dispel  the  charm). 

On  the  route,  I  instructed  and  baptized,  on  the  vessel,  a 
woman  with  her  three  children,  and  heard  the  confessions  of 
a  great  number  of  Canadian  voyageurs,  who  were  going  to 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

A  tomb  attracts  attention  in  these  regions ;  it  is  the  tomb 
of  Black  Bird,  the  great  chief  of  the  Omahas.  This  chief 
became  celebrated  by  the  ascendency  which  he  possessed 
over  his  nation ;  he  was  an  object  of  terror  and  respect  to 
his  people,  for  they  believed  that  he  could  control  life  and 
death.  The  origin  of  their  belief  is  as  follows :  He  had  pro 
cured  a  large  quantity  of  arsenic,  by  the  aid  of  a  merchant ; 
the  latter  at  the  same  time  instructed  him  in  the  method  of 


*  Vases — flower-pots — children— oh  1  what  a  beautiful  flower  1    Hew 
—here,  imther,  I  have  one  still  more  lovely,  etc.,  etc.    Come  here,  <&c. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  325 

using  it;  but  the  wretch  soon  received  his  recompense, 
Black  Bird  invited  him  to  dine  with  him  on  a  day  appointed, 
and  adroitly  administered  to  him  a  good  dose  of  his  terrible 
medicine.  The  merchant,  to  the  great  pleasure  of  his  host, 
died  some  hours  after,  in  frightful  torments.  Proud  of  his 
attempt,  Black  Bird  soon  meditated  a  perfidious  blow,  and 
made  great  preparation  for  its  execution.  He  dispatched  a 
party  of  his  people  to  the  chase,  so  as  to  kill  some  deer  and 
buffaloes  for  his  banquet.  The  principal  warriors  and  the 
minor  chiefs  had  become  jealous  of  the  ascendency  that  the 
great  chief  exercised  for  some  time  over  the  nation.  Black 
Bird,  informed  of  their  discontent  and  murmurs,  invited  to 
his  feast  to  the  very  last  of  his  warriors  who  had  murmured. 
He  lavished  his  attentions  upon  them,  and  showed  the  most 
distinguished  marks  of  cordiality  to  his  guests,  wishing 
apparently  to  be  reconciled  with  them,  and  to  efface  the  bad 
impression  that  his  hard-hearted  ness  and  haughty  bearing 
had  caused.  As  soon  as  each  one  had  emptied  his  plate, 
and  the  poison  had  begun  to  act  on  some,  he  threw  off  the 
mask,  and  began  to  harangue  them  on  the  great  power  of 
his  manitou  or  genius  which  guided  him,  and,  brandishing 
his  tomahawk  in  triumph,  bade  them,  with  sarcasm  and  bit 
terness,  "  to  intone  their  death  songs,  if  any  warlike  blood  yet 
circled  in  their  veins ;"  adding,  with  the  accent  of  revenge, 
"  that  before  the  sun's  rising" — it  was  night — "  the  vultures 
would  fly  above  their  wigwams,  and  that  their  wives  and 
children  would  mourn  over  their  lifeless  corpses."  It  was  a 
night  of  confusion,  tears,  fear,  and  tumult.  No  one  escaped 
the  poison ! 

The  whole  life  of  this  man  was  a  chain  of  crimes  and  cru 
elties.     Tired  of  "  pouring  out  blood,"  as  the  Indians  say,  or 
rather  pursued  by  remorse  and  despair,  he  allowed  himself 
to  die  with  hunger.     Before  expiring,  he  gave  orders  to  hii 
28 


326  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

faithful  warriors  to  bury  him  on  the  highest  of  the  hills,  an 
elevation  of  three  hundred  feet,  seated  on  his  most  beautiful 
courser,  facing  the  impetuous  Missouri, — "  so  that,"  said  he, 
"  I  can  salute  all  the  voyageurs."  His  tomb  resembles  a  little 
hillock.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  pole,  to  which  the  Indiana 
attach  a  flag.  It  can  be  easily  distinguished  eighteen  miles  off. 

Our  boat  passed  near  the  village  of  the  Omahas,  com 
posed  of  about  1400  souls.  It  is  situated  at  the  extremity 
of  a  beautiful  prairie,  about  three  miles  in  extent,  at  the  foot 
of  a  little  range  of  hills.  No  one  came  to  the  shore  to  see 
us  pass, — fearing,  it  seems,  that  the  small-pox  was  on  board, 
and  might  be  introduced  among  them.  Only  two  years  ago, 
by  an  unpardonable  imprudence  of  the  captain,  this  disease 
was  introduced  into  the  Indian  country  by  the  same  vessel, 
and  produced  ravages  frightful  and  unheard  of  in  the  Indian 
annals.  Twenty-five  or  thirty  thousand  died  in  a  few  weeks. 
Of  twelve  hundred  men  of  the  tribe  of  the  Mandans,  only 
seven  families  escaped  the  contagion.  About  eighty  warriors 
of  this  little  nation  committed  suicide  in  the  days  of  calam 
ity,  some  in  despair  at  the  loss  of  their  children  and  friends, 
others  through  fear  of  becoming  the  slaves  of  their  enemies, 
and  the  greater  number  saying  that  they  were  horrified  at 
the  idea  of  seeing  their  bodies  corrupted  while  yet  alive. 

On  the  llth  of  May  I  reached  my  destination,  and  quitted 
with  regret  my  four  new  children  in  Christ  and  my  two 
friends.  It  would  have  been  very  gratifying  to  me  to  have 
accompanied  these  two  gentlemen  in  their  lengthy  course, 
if  my  health  and  circumstances  would  have  allowed  me,  so 
as  to  visit  the  numerous  nations  of  the  mountains. 

On  my  arrival  among  the  Sioux,  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
of  the  tribe  of  Jantons  invited  me  to  a  feast.  All  were  seat 
ed  in  a  circle  in  a  grand  lodge  or  tent  of  buffalo  hides.  Each 
one  rested  his  chin  on  his  kuees,  the  legs  drawn  close  up  to 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  327 

the  body,  a  position  that  my  corpulency  would  not  allow  me 
to  assume.  I  therefore  seated  myself  like  a  tailor  on  his  ta 
ble,  with  my  legs  crossed.  Every  one  received  a  big  piece  of 
venison  in  a  wooden  trencher;  those  who  cannot  finish  their 
portion  are  permitted  to  take  away — it  is  their  custom — the 
remains  of  his  plate.  I  was  among  this  number,  and  I  had 
enough  left  for  two  days. 

The  repast  concluded,  I  disclosed  to  them  the  principal 
object  of  my  visit  among  them,  viz. :  a  durable  peace  be 
tween  the  Sioux  and  the  Potawatomies  their  neighbors. 
Having  discussed"  the  different  points,  refuted  the  false  re 
ports  that  divided  the  two  nations,  I  persuaded  the  Sioux  to 
make  some  presents  to  the  children  of  such  of  our  Potawat 
omies  as  they  had  killed,  which  is  called  covering  the  dead, 
and  to  come  and  smoke  with  them  the  calumet  of  peace. 
The  feast  and  the  council  were  terminated  with  the  most 
perfect  cordiality.  The  same  evening  I  gave  them  an  in 
struction  on  the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  I  baptized  a  great 
number  of  their  little  children.  This  nation,  dispersed  over 
a  wide  extent,  reckons  32,000  souls. 

The  object  of  my  voyage  being  attained,  I  seized  the  first 
opportunity  of  returning  to  my  mission.  The  savages,  be 
sides,  had  already  struck  the  camp  to  follow  the  bison,  which 
were  moving  away.  My  vessel,  this  time,  was  a  tree  hol 
lowed  out,  which  is  called  a  canoe,  ten  feet  in  length,  by  one 
and  a  half  in  width.  I  could  just  seat  myself  in  it.  Before 
this,  I  had  crossed  the  river  in  this  sort  of  craft,  but  never 
without  fear,  it  being  evidently  very  dangerous ;  now  I  had 
three  hundred  and  sixty  miles  to  descend  on  the  most  peril 
ous  and  most  impetuous  of  rivers,  and  it  was  necessary,  for  I 
had  no  other  way.  Happily  I  was  accompanied  by  two  very 
skilful  pilots,  who,  in  paddling  on  the  right  and  left,  darted 
with  the  fleetness  of  an  arrow  through  the  numerous  sawyers 


328  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

with  which  the  river  was  filled,  the  frail  bark  which  the 
slightest  shock  could  overturn.  Judge  how  swift  its  course 
is:  in  three  days,  sailing  from  four  o'clock  in  the  morning 
until  sunset,  we  had  passed  over  one  hundred  and  twenty 
leagues.  Two  nights  only  I  slept  in  the  open  air,  having  no 
bed  but  my  buffalo- robe,  and  no  pillow  but  my  travelling- 
bag.  Yet,  I  can  assure  you,  that  my  slumbers  were  as  peace 
able  and  profound  as  I  ever  enjoyed  in  my  life.  A  good 
appetite,  for  the  air  on  the  water  is  fresh,  prepared  us  for 
three  excellent  meals  each  day.  My  companions  were  well 
provided  with  bread,  butter,  coffee,  and  sugar  ;  the  game  was 
also  abundant,  and  we  had  but  to  select.  I  never  saw  so 
many  ducks,  geese,  bustards,  swans,  and  wild  turkeys,  in 
such  a  short  trip.  At  our  last  encampment,  attracted  with 
out  doubt  by  the  sight  of  the  fire  which  sparkled  at  our  feet, 
a  noble  stag  approached  us,  trampling  with  his  feet — a  little 
more,  and  we  might  have  had  our  skulls  broken  in  by  this 
enraged  animal.  It  aroused  the  pilot,  who,  seizing  the  gun 
that  was  lying  beside  me,  discharged  it  about  two  inches 
from  my  ear.  This  report  awaked  me  suddenly,  without, 
however,  frightening  me. 

During  my  route,  except  the  Sioux,  I  saw  only  one  Indian 
hunter,  and  one  single  village,  that  of  the  Omahas.  What  a 
contrast  with  the  beautiful,  little,  and  populous  Belgium ! 
The  huts  of  the  Omahas  are  built  of  earth,  and  are  conical ; 
their  circumference  at  the  base,  one  hundred  and  twenty  to 
one  hundred  and  forty  feet.  To  construct  them,  they  plant 
in  the  ground  long  and  thick  poles,  bend  and  join  together 
all  the  ends,  which  are  fastened  to  about  twenty  posts  in  the 
inside.  These  poles  are  afterwards  covered  with  bark,  over 
which  they  put  earth  about  a  foot  in  depth,  and  then  cover 
the  whole  with  turf.  They  look  like  small  mounds.  A 
large  hole  in  the  summit,  permits  light  to  enter  and  smoke 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  326 

to  escape.     The  fire-place  is  in  the  centre,  and  every  hut 
holds  from  six  to  ten  families. 

A  young  French  Creole  conducted  his  wife  to  me,  to  have 
her  instructed  in  our  holy  religion.  He  came  down  with 
her  quite  recently  from  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  a  dis 
tance  of  eleven  or  twelve  hundred  leagues.  The  recital  that 
she  gives  me  of  the  life  led  by  her  nation,  the  Ampajoots,  is 
truly  heartrending.  The  soil  is  one  of  the  most  ungrateful ; 
they  have  no  game  at  all.  If  they  hazard  leaving  their 
country,  their  more  numerous  neighbors  kill  them  without 
mercy.  They  are  without  clothes,  without  habitations,  and 
roam  like  wild  animals  in  the  prairies,  where  they  live  on 
roots,  grasshoppers,  and  large  ants.  They  crush  the  last- 
named  insects  between  two  stones,  and  make  a  species  or 
cake  of  them,  which  they  cook  in  the  sun  or  before  a  fire, 
to  regale  themselves  with  after.  This  poor  Indian  woman, 
aged  about  twenty-five  years,  had  never  eaten  meat.  Her 
astonishment  was  excessive  when  she  first  saw  chickens,  pigs, 
cows,  and  oxen,  with  other  domestic  fowls  and  animals,  run 
ning  about  our  dwellings.  As  soon  as  she  is  sufficiently  in 
structed  to  receive  baptism,  I  will  name  her  Isabella,  and 
you  shall  be  her  godmother.  Therefore  do  not  forget  the 
poor  Ampajoot  in  your  prayers. 

Your  letter  that  you  mentioned,  dated  July,  did  not  reach 
me.  The  distance  is  about  two  thousand  miles,  and  the 
dangers  are  great.  My  letter  to  the  Carmelites  is  about  the 
same  as  this.  I  am,  excellent  Mother, 

Your  devoted  servant, 

P.  J.  DE  SMBT,  S.  J. 


330  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XXVI. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OP  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
The  Potawatomies. 

Father  Dnerinck,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  to  Eev.  P.  J.  De  Smet,  of  the  MUM 
Society. 

,  1850. 

REV.  FATHER: 

Called  from  Bardstown  college  to  hasten  on  and  com 
plete  the  work  begun  by  my  predecessor,  who  for  several 
years  had  presided  over  this  mission,  I  arrived,  early  in  No 
vember,  1849,  at  St.  Mary's,  and  was  received  with  the 
wannest  welcome  by  my  religious  brethren. 

I  was  accompanied  by  two  lay-brothers.  One  was  to  act 
ab  treasurer,  the  other  as  cook.  A  third  brother  joined  us 
in  the  course  of  the  fall,  and  we  made  him  herdsman.  They 
also  sent  a  young  Irishman  to  teach  the  boys  in  our  school 
English,  having  been  for  some  time  deprived  of  that  branch 
for  want  of  a  teacher.  It  was  intended,  too,  that  he  should 
form  them  to  virtue,  as  far  as  he  was  capable. 

We  set  to  work.  Although  one  of  the  brothers  aban 
doned  us  suddenly,  yet,  thanks  to  the  protection  of  the  Al 
mighty,  we  succeeded  in  covering  in  the  buildings  in  course 
of  erection  before  the  cold  set  in. 

We  cannot  here  pass  over  in  silence  the  aid  afforded  us,  in 
our  misery,  by  the  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith.  Their  charity,  which  embraces  the  whole  world, 
gave  us  six  hundred  dollars,  and  this  sum,  increased  by  the 
five  thousand  dollars  granted  by  government,  as  well  as  sev- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  331 

enteen  hundred  dollars  spontaneously  offered  by  our  neo 
phytes,  furnished  means  to  lay  at  least  the  foundation  of 
the  work. 

In  the  early  part  of  1850  our  mission  contained  seven 
members ;  three  Fathers  and  four  lay-brothers.  The  Ladies 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  were  five. 

Our  first  care  was  devoted  to  the  instruction  of  youth. 
We  felt  that  if  we  could  thereby  gain  the  parents,  our  school 
would  daily  increase  in  numbers,  while  those  of  the  Baptists 
would  be  deserted.  But  the  sky  became  clear  and  serene 
only  after  a  storm. 

There  is  in  this  country  a  certain  class  of  men  called 
medicine-men,  or  jugglers.  Very  ignorant,  they  are  distin 
guished  only  by  the  pride  of  their  character.  They  have  re 
ceived  some  vague  notions  about  the  Catholic  religion,  and 
utterly  despise  the  acquisition  of  the  heavenly  goods,  a  love 
of  which  we  endeavor  to  infuse  into  the  children.  They  de 
mand  from  us  temporal  aid,  which  our  poverty  does  not 
enable  us  to  give.  This  gives  rise  to  dissatisfaction,  and 
even  threats  and  insults.  Some  wicked  ones  made  it  a 
ground  for  exciting  the  people  against  us.  They  drew  com 
parisons  between  the  Protestant  schools  and  ours.  The  con 
sequence  of  all  this  was,  that  a  great  number  of  boys  and 
girls  were,  so  to  speak,  wrested  from  our  school  and  taken, 
in  spite  of  themselves,  to  the  Baptist  school.  Elated  by  this 
first  success,  the  partisans  of  that  sect  did  not  hesitate  to  say 
openly  that  our  school  and  mission  would  soon  close.  But 
we  are  convinced,  on  the  one  hand,  that  there  is,  in  the 
apostolic  career,  no  good  enterprise  that  the  devil  does  not 
seek  to  embarrass ;  and,  on  the  other,  relying  on  the  justice 
of  our  cause,  and  the  almighty  protection  of  God,  always 
hoped  that  this  storm  would  soon  pass,  and  that  excited 
minds  would  resume  their  ordinary  calm. 


332  WESTERN   MISSION b 

We  had,  too,  in  a  manner,  to  maintain  the  war  against 
our  own  neophytes.  All  who  have  visited  these  parts  are 
well  aware  that  these  denizens  of  the  woods  beg  their  bread, 
whether  pressed  by  want  or  not,  and  you  constantly  hear 
them  repeating :  "  I  am  hungry."  According  to  one  oi 
their  traditions,  they  believe  that  all  that  an  individual  pos 
sesses  in  private  belongs,  of  full  right,  to  the  whole  village. 
The  previous  years,  as  our  Fathers  had  no  scholars  to  feed, 
they  were  able  to  give  abundant  alms,  with  a  certain  pro 
fusion,  to  the  tribe  confided  to  their  care,  and  this  was  a 
potent  means  of  gaining  the  affection  and  esteem  of  all :  but 
circumstances  had  changed ;  we,  too,  had  to  change  our  tac 
tics,  and  we  did  not  feel  that  we  could  give  so  lavishly  out  of 
doors  what  we  needed  so  much  within.  We  had,  conse 
quently,  to  restrict  ourselves  to  aiding,  as  far  as  our  means 
permitted,  those  really  in  distress.  As  for  the  others,  we 
told  them  that  they  ought,  by  their  own  labor,  to  obtain 
wherewith  to  live ;  that  such  was  the  law  of  the  Sovereign 
Master,  and  that  if  they  obeyed  it  faithfully,  they  would 
soon  have  every  thing  in  abundance  ;  that  their  health  would 
also  be  better.  We  especially  sought  to  inculcate  that,  by 
destroying  idleness,  the  source  of  all  evil,  they  would  soon 
experience  in  their  soul  the  joy  and  happiness  which  a  life 
sanctified  by  the  practice  of  Christian  virtues  affords.  Our 
counsels  made  some  impression  on  a  small  number  of  the 
most  sensible ;  but  for  the  rest,  especially  at  first,  the  food 
was  too  spiritual  for  them  to  relish.  Hence  many,  if  they 
did  not  accuse  us  of  avarice,  at  least,  reproached  us  with 
being  to»  hardhearted.  Yet,  as  there  was  really  no  ill-will 
ameug  Item,  and,  by  God's  grace,  they  saw  all  the  pain  and 
trouble  we  took  for  the  salvation  of  their  souls,  they  did  not 
long  listen  to  their  most  deadly  enemy,  but  returned  to  bet 
ter  feelings. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  333 

Towards  the  latter  part  of  February,  Father  Hoeken,  after 
giving  the  eight  days'  retreat  in  our  mission,  started  for  St. 
Louis,  whence  he  proceeded  to  Michigan,  to  assist  the  Pota- 
watomies  of  that  State.  It  would  be  impossible  to  describe 
the  joy  experienced  by  these  poor  men  of  the  woods  at  the 
sight  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  whose  great  age  rendered 
him  so  venerable,  and  who  proclaimed  the  eternal  truth  in 
their  own  language.  Father  Hoeken,  unable  to  prolong  his 
stay,  left  them,  after  a  few  days,  to  the  great  regret  of  all. 
He  immediately  returned  to  those  whom  he  could  so  justly 
call  his  children  in  Christ,  bringing  a  lay-brother  to  teach 
the  boys.  Another  brother  had  joined  us,  not  long  before, 
who  acted  as  shoemaker,  and,  at  the  same  time,  endeavored 
to  restore  somewhat  our  little  church  choir,  which  had 
greatly  declined. 

As  the  Potawatomies  occupy  a  large  tract,  in  order  to 
afford  more  easily  the  consolations  of  religion  to  all  the  Cath 
olics,  we  have  erected  two  churches  beyond  the  Kansas,  one, 
dedicated  to  Our  Lady  of  Dolors,  is  about  seventeen  miles  from 
our  residence;  the  other,  dedicated  to  St.  Joseph,  is  in  a  little 
village  six  miles  hence.  Before  erecting  these  two  churches, 
we  agreed  that  every  Sunday  one  of  our  Fathers  should  go 
to  celebrate  the  Holy  Sacrifice  alternately,  in  one  of  the  two. 

St.  Joseph's  village  has  a  Baptist  establishment,  where 
children  are  instructed.  Boys  are  mixed  up  with  girls,  and 
it  is  needless  to  say  that  this  cannot  be  without  detriment 
to  morality.  The  superintendent  of  the  school  is  a  physi 
cian  also ;  so  that,  being  at  the  same  time  teacher,  physician, 
and  preacher  of  the  Word  of  God,  as  he  says,  he  enjoys  a 
triple  income  not  to  be  despised.  He  has  been  among  the 
Potawatomies  since  he  was  a  boy,  but  all  his  efforts  to  win 
them  to  his  doctrines  have  been  thus  far  fruitless.  He  had 
formerly  one  adherent,  but  one  day  he  happened  to  sell  his 


334  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

friends  a  great  deal  of  strong  liquor,  and  they  becoming 
intoxicated,  rushed  on  the  Baptist  house  and  burst  in  the 
doors  with  great  uproar.  In  consequence,  the  only  neophyte 
they  had  in  the  country  was,  ipso  facto,  visited  with  major 
excommunication  as  thev  call  it.  The  Catholics  have  ci< •;' 

A  woman  was  dangerously  ill.  As  soon  as  the  Protestant 
minister  heard  it  he  went  to  see  hor  as  a  physician,  though 
without  ceasing  to  be  a  minister.  When  he  arrived  at  the 
§ick  woman's  house  he  was  met  by  some  very  stout  men, 
who  called  out :  "  What  brings  you  here  ?"  "  I  come,"  replied 
the  minister,  "  to  bring  medicines  to  the  sick  person,  and  I 
am  sure  that  she  will  be  helped."  "  We  have  medicines  as 
good  as  yours,"  they  replied,  roughly.  "  If  you  will  not  let 
me  give  her  remedies,  at  least  permit  me  to  offer  her  some 
consolation."  "  Gently ;  she  needs  rest,  not  consolation." 
"  But  let  me  see  her."  *'  No,  she  will  not  see  any  one."  At 
these  words  the  minister  retired,  accusing  us  as  the  authors 
of  his  ill  reception,  and  vowing  summary  vengeance. 

In  fact,  a  few  days  after,  one  of  our  community,  called  by 
a  sick  man,  went  to  see  him.  At  the  door  of  the  lodge  he 
found  a  furious  young  man,  who  addressed  him  in  about 
1hese  terms :  "  The  sick  man  has  been  confided  to  my  care ; 
the  physician  does  not  want  him  troubled,  so  that  you  shall 
not  see  him."  The  Father  replied  in  a  calm  but  firm  tone, 
that  he  was  a  priest  and  not  a  doctor ;  that  he  had  no  inten 
tion  of  contravening  the  doctor's  orders ;  that  he  gave  him 
all  due  respect ;  that  he  had  still  less  intention  of  troubling 
the  sick  person ;  that,  on  the  contrary,  he  came  to  afford 
him  the  consolations  of  our  holy  religion ;  that  as  he  had 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  335 

been  called  in  by  the  sick  man  himself,  he  would  not  go 
without  seeing  him.  On  this  the  young  man  desisted  ;  but 
at  the  very  moment  the  minister,  who  had  kept  out  of  sight 
in  the  house,  appeared  and  apologized  for  the  young  man's 
conduct. 

A  Methodist  minister  also  came  along.  He  tried  to  sow 
cockle  among  the  Potawatomies.  As  he  had  resided  nearly 
twenty  years  among  the  Ottos,  he  speaks  the  Potawatomie 
with  uncommon  ease.  He,  too,  settled  in  St.  Joseph's, 
doping  to  gain  the  people  more  easily,  as  they  were  remote 
from  us.  He  especially  endeavored  to  get  the  chief  (Joseph 
Mechkomi)  into  his  toils.  Fortunately,  however,  he  was  not 
a  man  to  be  caught  by  words.  One  day  the  minister  went 
to  see  him,  and  found  him  reading  the  Bible.  "  What  are 
you  reading  ?"  said  he,  as  he  entered.  "  The  Word  of  God," 
replied  Mechkomi.  "  And  what  does  the  Lord  say  to  you  ?" 
"  He  says,  *  beware  of  false  prophets,  for  they  will  come  in 
the  form  of  lambs,  but  within  they  will  be  ravening  wolves.' " 
Then,  he  added,  in  a  still  firmer  tone,  "  And  do  you  stop  lay 
ing  snares  for  us,  or  go  elsewhere,  for  here  you  lose  your 
time  and  trouble."  The  minister,  astonished,  took  the  ad 
vice,  and  withdrew  to  another  part. 

The  following  is  a  general  view  of  the  spiritual  fruit  that, 
with  God's  grace,  we  have  been  enabled  to  gather  this  year. 
I  will  sum  up  all  briefly.  Fifty  couples  have  been  united  in 
the  holy  bonds  of  marriage;  36  dead  have  been  buried 
with  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  Church  ;  we  have  heard  about 
5000  confessions;  117  persons,  including  30  adults,  have 
received  holy  baptism.  I  will  relate  the  conversion  of  but 
three,  because  they  are  the  most  remarkable,  and  suffice  to 
show  us  the  infinite  goodness  and  mercy  of  God  to  sinners. 

The  first  of  these  converts,  Chawnekwok  by  name,  had 
experienced  for  years  the  inward  struggle  of  grace,  whicfc 


336  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

urged  him  to  bridle  his  passions  and  devote  himself  to  God's 
service ;  but  he  had  always  resisted  this  appeal  till  he  was 
was  far  advanced  in  years.  At  last,  however,  alarmed  by 
the  thought  of  eternal  pains,  and  pursued  night  and  day  by 
remorse  of  conscience,  he  durst  no  longer  defer,  and  resolved 
to  give  himself  forever  unreservedly  to  his  Creator  and  Sov 
ereign  Lord.  Then,  painting  his  face  various  colors,  he  went 
to  a  priest  and  imparted  his  courageous  resolve.  He  told 
him  at  the  same  time,  that  he  had  selected  for  his  abode  a 
spot  near  the  church ;  that  he  would  soon  return  to  his  fam 
ily  to  acquaint  his  wife  with  his  design ;  that  then,  having 
washed  his  face,  he  would  come  back  to  be  instructed  in  the 
faith.  For  a  month  our  good  old  man  used  every  imagina 
ble  means  to  gain  his  wife  to  Christ,  or  at  least  to  bring  her 
with  him  to  the  village.  As  nothing  could  induce  her,  but 
instead  of  yielding  she  only  increased  in  obstinacy,  he  ad 
dressed  her  in  about  these  terms :  "  Go,  wretched  woman ! 
go  on  provoking  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty ;  for  rny  part,  I 
shall  not  expose  myself  to  the  eternal  flames  of  hell  on  your 
account !"  After  these  words  he  left  her,  and  came  to  reside 
with  the  Christians.  Desirous  of  ridding  himself  of  all  that 
had  formerly  served  for  the  worship  of  the  devil,  he  placed 
in  the  missionary's  hands  a  bag  full  of  medicines  and  herbs 
begging  him  to  choose  such  as  could  really  help  the  sick, 
and  to  destroy  all  those  to  which  a  magical  or  a  supersti 
tious  power  was  attributed.  Some  were  very  strange.  To 
some  were  ascribed  power  to  kill  enemies,  even  at  a  great 
distance;  to  others,  power  to  attract  whole  herds  of  stags; 
to  others,  power  of  getting  the  coat,  pistol,  or  other  articles  of 
a  person  met  on  the  way.  There  were  some,  too,  to  win  the 
friendship  of  whoever  you  wished,  and  to  excite  in  others 
improper  thoughts.  All  these  objects,  and  many  others 
which  the  devil  employs  to  deceive  the  people,  were  commit- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  337 

ted  to  the  flames,  in  the  presence  of  the  good  old  man,  who 
at  the  sight  felt  such  profound  joy  that  he  could  not  refrain 
from  tears.  After  a  due  probation,  he  received  holy  bap 
tism.  From  that  moment  he  changed  completely  his  mode 
of  life ;  in  all  the  difficulties  and  miseries  of  life,  he  main 
tained  so  calm  and  cheerful  a  spirit,  that  the  missionary 
could  not  help  one  day  asking  him  the  reason :  u  Father, 
once  our  name  is  inscribed  in  heaven  in  the  Book  of  Life, 
nothing  should  afflict  us  on  this  earth." 

Chawnekwok,  having  seen  and  felt  himself  how  sweet  it  is 
to  serve  the  Lord,  ardently  desired  to  communicate  his  hap 
piness  to  the  members  of  his  family.  He  took  especial 
care  of  a  niece  aged  about  eight.  By  a  pious  stratagem, 
he  induced  her  parents  to  let  the  little  girl  come  and  live 
with  him.  In  three  days  he  taught  her  all  the  prayers  that 
catechumens  are  accustomed  to  learn,  and  then  took  her  to 
the  priest  to  be  regenerated  in  the  waters  of  baptism. 

He  then  tried  to  gain  his  own  son,  who,  at  last,  gave  him 
as  much  consolation  as  he  had  given  him  pain  at  first. 
This  young  man  had  formerly  been  among  the  catechumens ; 
but  he  was  such  a  slave  to  vice,  and  his  relapses  were  so  fre 
quent,  that  the  missionary,  finding  him  deaf  to  his  father's 
counsels  and  exhortations,  had  lost  all  hope  of  ever  gaining 
him,  and  resolved  to  abandon  him  to  the  tyranny  of  his 
shameful  passions.  The  pious  old  man,  on  learning  the  mis 
sionary's  resolution,  threw  himself  at  his  feet  and  implored 
him  with  tears  to  take  pity  on  his  wretched  son,  and  not  to 
give  him  up ;  he  told  him  that  he  would  go  and  see  him 
himself,  that  he  would  once  more  beseech  him  not  to  resist 
the  grace  of  God,  and  that  he  had  no  doubt  that  if  the  mis 
sionary  would  join  his  prayers  to  his,  the  lost  sheep  would 
return  to  the  fold.  The  missionary  could  not  resist  this 
touching  appeal,  and  consented  to  accompany  him,  more 

"9 


338  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

from  esteem  for  the  father,  than  from  hope  for  the  son.  The 
old  man  set  out  at  once,  although  it  was  midwinter,  and  he 
had  taken  nothing  that  day.  The  missionary  followed  him 
Closely,  and  had  the  consolation  of  restoring  to  the  strait 
path  of  virtue  this  new  prodigal  child,  gained  by  the  prayers 
and  tears  of  his  virtuous  father. 

God,  who  shows  himself  so  good  and  so  merciful  to  the 
greatest  sinners,  will  certainly  not  forsake  those  whom  he 
beholds  leading,  amid  the  shades  of  heathenism,  a  more 
orderly  life.  The  Supreme  Truth  has  promised  that  heaven 
will  not  refuse  ulterior  graces,  to  those  who  employ  well 
what  they  have. 

The  realization  of  this  has  appeared  in  the  conversion  of 
a  woman  named  Misseniko.  She  was  dangerously  sick. 
Although  she  could  not  reproach  herself  with  any  grievous 
fault,  she  was  not  tranquil ;  for  she  knew  that  without  faith, 
it  is  impossible  to  please  God.  Hence,  without  delay — for 
she  always  did  what  she  deemed  the  surest  and  most  perfect 
— she  called  in  the  priest.  The  minister  of  the  Lord  taught 
her  what  God  required  of  her.  She  at  once  asked  and  re 
ceived  baptism.  With  every  desire  gratified,  she  constantl) 
exclaimed  amid  the  pangs  of  sickness:  "I  shall  die  will 
ingly ;  for  I  have  received  holy  baptism.  I  shall  see  Got 
and  all  his  saints  for  eternity."  The  conversion  of  thi» 
woman  is  due,  we  believe,  in  a  great  measure  to  the  prayers 
of  her  daughter,  who  had  gone,  a  few  days  before,  to  receive 
her  reward  in  heaven.  Young  Misseniko  was  always  dis 
tinguished  for  her  tender  devotion  to  the  Mother  of  God. 
She  preserved,  with  great  respect,  the  scapular  which  she 
had  received  at  school.  She  held  this  object  of  devotion  in 
such  esteem  that,  during  her  illness,  while  delirious  she 
raised  her  hand  to  her  scapular  whenever  it  was  touched,  for 
fear  any  one  should  deprive  her  of  her  precious  treasure* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  339 

The  pious  girl  died,  and  her  mother  bewailed  her  bitterly. 
But  one  night  the  eldest  sister  of  the  deceased  saw  her,  not 
in  a  dream,  as  she  herself  relates,  but  when  perfectly  awake, 
— saw  her  all  radiant  with  light,  and  heard  her  utter  these 
words :  "  Why  do  you  weep  so  bitterly  for  me  ?  I  am  en 
joying  eternal  happiness.  I  died  in  the  morning,  as  you 
recollect,  and  I  remained  in  the  flames  of  expiation  till 
about  noon,  then  the  Blessed  Virgin  delivered  me  and  took 
me  up  to  heaven."  Although  stories  of  this  kind  should  not 
be  lightly  credited,  we  must  nevertheless  admit,  that  the 
Lord  is  admirable  in  his  saints,  and  in  his  manner  of  guiding 
his  elect. 

And,  doubtless,  the  sun  of  divine  justice  enlightens  all 
men.  God  wills  not  the  death  of  the  sinner,  but  that  he  be 
converted  and  live.  He  not  only,  so  to  speak,  goes  forth  to 
meet  those  who  come  towards  him,  but  he  even  pursues 
those  who  fly  from  him ;  he  urges,  he  presses  them  con 
stantly  to  do  penance,  that  thereby  we  may  better  under 
stand  that  what  good  there  is  in  us,  is  not  due  to  our  own 
merits,  but  to  his  sole  goodness,  to  the  infinite  mercy  of 
God. 

Here  is  a  remarkable  instance.  There  was  in  the  south 
ern  part  of  our  mission,  a  man  named  Kamchas,  a  slave  of 
liquor,  and  of  all  the  vices  which  usually  attend  that  bad 
habit.  One  night,  he  was  suddenly  awakened  from  a  deep 
sleep,  and  seemed  to  hear  a  voice  cry :  "  One  of  your  rela 
tives  has  just  died  suddenly  over  the  river.  Get  ready,  for 
you  will  soon  follow  him."  At  first,  Kamchas  took  this  cry 
for  a  dream,  endeavored  to  banish  the  disagreeable  idea,  and 
get  to  sleep  again  ;  but  the  terrible  voice  troubled  him.  To 
calm  his  mind,  he  crossed  the  river  as  soon  as  it  was  day 
and  came  to  our  village.  He  had  hardly  got  there,  when 
to  his  amazement,  he  heard  of  the  death  of  a  young  kin* 


34:0  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

man.  You  may  easily  conceive  his  feelings,  his  pain,  and 
his  anguish.  One  day,  while  reflecting  on  the  event,  and 
more  than  usually  troubled,  he  met  the  missionary,  who,  see 
ing  him  persist  in  his  idolatry,  explained  to  him  the  duty  of 
all  men  to  know  and  serve  one  only  God,  creator  of  heaven 
and  earth.  He  urged  him  to  determine  the  course  of  his  future 
life,  and  to  make  an  humble  confession  of  his  faults.  Kam- 
chas  hearkened  to  the  advice.  Four  weeks  after,  he  came 
to  the  Father,  humbly  to  solicit  baptism ;  but,  according  to 
custom,  obtained  this  favor  only  after  a  long  preparation. 
The  neophyte  really  put  off  the  old  man  to  put  on  the  new. 
Thenceforward  patience,  mildness,  temperance,  diligence,  a 
spirit  of  prayer,  and  a  remarkable  devotion  to  the  blessed 
sacrament,  were  the  virtues  most  resplendent  in  him.  When 
he  met  any  thing  difficult,  or  less  agreeable  to  corrupt  na 
ture,  he  was  accustomed  to  excite  his  courage  by  words  like 
these :  "  To  become  a  slave  of  Satan,  you  overcame  the 
greatest  difficulties ;  and  you  cannot  surmount  a  little  one 
to  be  a  child  of  God !"  Although,  as  warned  from  above, 
he  spent  but  a  short  time  longer  on  earth,  he  thus  laid  up 
the  merits  of  a  long  life. 

Such  are,  Reverend  Father,  the  chief  benefits  received 
from  heaven  during  the  year  1850;  and  for  which,  on  the 
31st  of  December,  we,  with  unanimous  voices,  thanked  God 
by  the  joyous  Te  Deum. 

Accept,  Rev.  Father,  the  assurance  of  my  profound  re 
spect. 

Your  devoted  brother  in  Christ, 

J.  B.  DUERINCK,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  341 


Letter  XXVII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Excursion  among  the  Potawatomies. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Lotris,  Feb.  26, 1858. 

REV.  AND    DEAR    FATHER  I 

I  send  you  a  copy  of  a  letter  that  I  addressed  to  Mrs. 
P.,  a  Belgian  lady,  residing  at  Brooklyn,  near  New  York. 
She  is  a  great  benefactress  of  the  missions.  My  letter  contains 
some  details  concerning  my  recent  visit  to  the  Potawato 
mies,  on  the  actual  and  very  critical  state  of  those  Indians, 
and  of  all  the  nations  and  Indian  tribes  in  the  two  new  Ter 
ritories  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska. 

What  I  wrote  to  you  in  December,  1851,  and  you  pub 
lished  in  the  Precis  Historiques,  of  1853,  pages  398,  etc.,  has 
been  literally  verified.  A  great  number  of  towns  and  vil 
lages  have  sprung  up  in  it  as  if  by  enchantment.  The  prin 
cipal  towns  of  Kansas  are :  Wyandot,  Delaware,  Douglas, 
Marysville,  lola,  Atchinson,  Fort  Scott,  Pawnee,  Lecompton, 
Neosho,  Richmond,  Tecumseh,  Lavinia,  Lawrence,  Port  Wil 
liam,  Doniphan,  Paolo,  Alexandria,  Indianola,  Easton,  Leav- 
enworth,  and  many  others.  They  differ  in  population  and 
improvements.  Lawrence  and  Leavenworth  are  the  most 
considerable.  This  latter,  which  is  now  an  episcopal  city, 
contains  already  more  than  8000  inhabitants.  They  project 
building  a  Territorial  university  in  the  town  of  Douglas.  A 
medical  college  is  established  at  Lecompton.  The  Univer 
29* 


34:2  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

sity  of  Kansas  is  incorporated  and  established  at  Leaven- 
worth.  Funds  are  set  apart  for  the  erection  of  schools,  on  a 
vast  scale.  They  accrue  from  the  sale  of  lands  granted  by 
the  United  States,  which  are  extraordinarily  extensive.  All 
fines,  pecuniary  penalties,  escheats,  ordained  by  law,  are  also 
to  be  poured  into  the  treasury  of  the  schools  and  colleges. 

Two  months  from  this,  the  Territory  of  Kansas  will  be 
admitted  as  an  independent  State,  and  will  form  a  portion  of 
the  great  confederation  of  the  United  States.  There  exists 
little  doubt,  at  present^  but  that  Kansas  will  adopt  the  laws 
of  the  free  States — that  is  to  say,  there  will  be  no  slavery. 

Good  Father  Duerinck  has  left  a  manuscript  concerning  all 
that  passed  in  the  Mission  of  St.  Mary's.  If  it  would  give  you 
pleasure,  I  will  send  it  to  you,  according  as  time  will  admit. 


UNIVKESITT  OF  ST.  Louis,  February  24, 1858. 
MBS.  S.  P.,  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 

Madam : — I  have  just  terminated  a  journey  of  over 
800  miles,  going  and  returning  in  the  midst  of  ice  and 
snow  by  the  most  miserable  roads  and  in  wagons,  which 
increased  the  inconveniences  of  the  way.  On  my  return  to 
St.  Louis,  your  kind  letter  and  charitable  donations  were  re 
mitted  to  me.  Accept  my  most  humble  thanks,  with  my 
heartfelt  gratitude.  I  will  assign  the  vestment  to  the  mis 
sion  of  the  Flat-Heads,  which  is  very  poor  in  church  furni 
ture.  I  hope  to  find,  in  the  beginning  of  spring,  a  good  op 
portunity  of  dispatching  it  by  the  boats  of  the  Fur  Company. 
The  marine  plants  will  be  most  acceptable  to  the  Fathers  in 
our  colleges  of  Namur  and  Antwerp,  in  Belgium,  and  will 
be  admired,  I  am  sure,  in  the  collections  of  those  two  estab 
lishments.  Once  more,  madam,  receive,  one  and  all,  my  si» 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  343 

cere  thanks  for  the  new  benefits  that  you  have  just  added 
to  the  long  list  of  numerous  others,  commenced  many  years 
since ;  and  for  which  we  have  naught  but  poor  prayers  to 
render.  We  shall  not  cease  to  address  them  to  the  Lord, 
for  the  happiness  of  your  family ;  and  I  will  appeal  to  our 
pious  Indians,  that  they  continue  to  pray  for  their  kind 
Mothers — their  good  benefactresses. 

The  occasion  of  the  voyage,  which  I  have  mentioned  in 
the  beginning  of  my  letter,  was  a  glimmer  of  hope  of  being 
able  to  discover  the  body  of  our  dear  brother  in  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Rev.  Father  Duerinck.  Some  days  after  the  unfortu 
nate  accident,  the  captain  of  a  steamboat  had  seen  a  dead 
body  on  a  sand-bank,  near  the  place  of  the  accident,  and 
had  buried  it.  At  this  news  I  started  to  visit  that  solitary 
grave,  on  the  bank  of  the  Missouri,  near  the  town  of  Liberty. 
He,  whom  this  grave  contained,  was  not  the  brother,  the 
cherished  friend  and  relative  I  sought.  His  dress  denoted  a 
hand  on  some  boat.  I  was  very  much  grieved.  Our  peti 
tions  so  far  have  not  been  heard.  We  hope,  however,  that 
the  great  St.  Anthony  of  Padua,  implored  by  so  many  pious 
souls,  will  be  propitious ;  and  I  beg  you  to  be  so  kind  as  to 
join  your  prayers  with  these  fervent  invocations.  It  would 
be  a  source  of  consolation  could  we  find  the  lost  remains  of 
Father  Duerinck,  and  inter  them  in  consecrated  ground,  be 
side  his  brethren  who  have  preceded  him. 

From  the  town  of  Liberty  I  repaired  to  St.  Mary's,  in 
order  to  regulate  some  affairs  there.  I  began  the  mission  of 
the  Potawatomies  in  1838.  My  heart  seemed  to  dilate 
among  these  good  children  of  the  plains,  where,  in  former 
days,  I  had  found  so  many  consolations  in  the  exercises  of 
the  holy  ministry.  I  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  a  great 
number  of  Indians  approach  Holy  Communion,  with  the 
deepest  recollection.  From  the  altar  I  addressed  them  some 


344:  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

words  of  consolation  and  encouragement  in  the  service  of 
the  Divine  Pastor.  They  have  great  need,  especially  at 
present,  for  the  whites  have  surrounded  them  on  all  sides; 
and  they  will  soon  hem  them  in  more  closely  on  their  own 
little  reserves,  or  portions  of  earth  that  the  government  has 
granted  them. 

I  am  aware,  madam,  that  you  take  a  deep  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  poor  Indians.  Allow  me,  therefore,  to  con 
verse  with  you  some  moments  on  their  position  in  general, 
and  in  particular  of  what  concerns  the  Indians  of  St.  Mary's 
among  the  Potawatomies. 

At  the  period  of  my  arrival  among  the  Potawatomies  (in 
1838),  the  nation  numbered  beyond  4000  souls.  It  is  now 
reduced  to  3000,  of  whom  2000  are  Catholics.  All  the  sur 
rounding  tribes  have  diminished  in  the  same  ratio. 

To  what  are  we  to  attribute  this  rapid  decrease  of  the  In 
dian  race  ?  This  is  one  of  those  mysteries  of  Providence 
that  all  the  sagacity  of  philosophy  has  in  vain  endeavored 
to  penetrate.  The  immoderate  use  of  intoxicating  liquors, 
change  of  climate  and  of  diet,  vices,  pestilential  maladies  (all 
these  evils  which  contact  with  the  whites  produces  among 
savages),  improvidence  and  want  of  industry,  all,  united  or 
singly,  give,  it  appears  to  me,  but  an  imperfect  solution  01 
this  great  problem.  Whence  is  it  that  the  red-man  benda 
with  such  difficulty  to  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Euro 
pean  race?  Whence  is  it  again,  that  the  European  race 
refuses  so  obstinately  to  sympathize  with  the  red  race ;  and 
notwithstanding  its  philanthropy,  or  love  of  mankind,  seema 
ather  disposed  to  annihilate  than  to  civilize  these  poor  chil 
dren,  offspring  of  the  same  Father  ?  Whence  springs  that 
insurmountable  barrier  between  the  two  races  ?  Whence  is 
it  that  the  stronger  pursues  the  weaker  with  such  an  ani 
mosity,  and  never  relents  until  the  latter  is  overthrown? 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  345 

There  is  involved  iu  this,  perhaps,  a  secret  that  none  but  the 
Judge  Supreme  can  explain. 

Often  when  I  reflect  on  the  position  of  so  many  barbarous 
nations,  who  formerly  were  the  owners  of  immense  countries, 
and  which  are  at  the  present  day  in  imminent  danger  of  be 
ing  totally  dispossessed  by  another  people,  I  call  to  mind  the 
primitive  inhabitants  of  Palestine,  who,  masters  also  of  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  countries  in  the  world,  saw  themselves 
deprived  of  it  by  a  severe  but  most  just  judgment  of  the  Cre 
ator,  whose  menaces  they  had  despised  and  whose  glory  they 
had  profaned.  Like  the  Canaanites,  the  savage  tribes,  taken 
in  general,  have  been  punished  gradually.  Perhaps  they,  like 
them,  have  been  too  long  deaf  to  the  divine  voice,  inviting 
them  to  quit  their  gross  errors  and  embrace  the  doctrines  of 
truth.  Who  has  entered  into  the  councils  of  Eternal  Wis 
dom  ?  Who  can  accuse  his  judgments  of  injustice  ?  Can 
not  God,  to  whom  the  whole  creation  belongs,  dispose  of  his 
property  according  to  his  own  good  pleasure?  But  in  dis 
playing  his  justice,  he  forgets  not  his  mercy.  Here  below 
he  strikes  only  to  heal.  His  divine  heart  is  ever  open  to 
those  even  whose  iniquities  he  punishes. 

The  melancholy  changes  to  which  the  condition  of  the 
Indian  has  been  subjected  within  a  few  years,  has  led  me  to 
these  mournful  reflections.  Under  the  administration  of 
President  Pierce,  the  whole  vast  Indian  country  within  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  comprehended  in  the  Vicariate  of  Bishop 
Miege  (except  a  little  portion  situated  towards  the  south),  has 
been  organized  into  two  territories,  known  under  the  names 
of  Kansas  and  Nebraska ;  that  is  to  say,  that  the  Congress 
has  decreed  that  this  country  is  incorporated  into  the  Union 
and  open  to  the  whites  who  are  willing  to  settle  there,  in 
order  to  form,  after  a  lapse  of  time,  two  States,  similar,  in  all 
respects,  to  the  other  States  of  the  great  republic.  Although 


34:6  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

for  the  moment,  the  new  colonists  have  orders  to  respect  the 
territories  or  the  lands  reserved  to  the  savages,  we  may 
nevertheless  say  that  this  decree  has  virtually  destroyed  all 
the  Indian  nationalities.  Scarcely  was  the  law  known  than 
the  emigrants,  like  the  waters  of  a  great  river  which  has 
overflowed  its  banks,  impetuously  passed  the  barrier  and 
inundated  the  country.  Now  see  the  poor  Indians  sur 
rounded  by  white  men,  and  their  reserves  forming  little 
more  than  islets  amid  the  ocean.  The  savages,  who  before 
had  vast  countries  for  their  hunting-grounds,  are  at  present 
restricted  within  narrow  limits,  having  naught  for  subsist 
ence  but  the  product  of  their  farms,  which  few  of  them 
know  how  to  cultivate  properly.  Again,  this  state  ia 
only  precarious.  Unless  they  hasten  to  divide  their  lands 
and  become  citizens,  they  are  in  danger  of  losing  all,  and 
of  being  naught  but  vagabonds.  How  replete  with  diffi 
culties  is  such  a  change !  What  a  stormy  and  tempestu 
ous  future  for  these  unfortunate  tribes !  The  evil  is  great, 
but  it  is  one  that  must  be  encountered,  since  there  is  no 
remedy.  The  Indians,  even  the  most  advanced  in  civiliza 
tion,  seem  to  us  ill  prepared  to  meet  all  the  exigencies  of 
their  situation. 

In  order  to  form  a  just  idea  of  their  critical  position,  and 
of  the  melancholy  consequences  which  will  be  the  result, 
unless  restrained  by  a  special  protection  of  Divine  Provi 
dence,  imagine  two  societies — one  representing  the  manners 
and  customs  of  barbarians,  the  other  all  the  splendor  of 
modern  civilization — coming  in  contact.  How  many  years 
will  elapse  before  there  will  be  a  perfect  fusion  between  the 
two  societies,  before  unison  will  exist,  before  they  can  dwell 
together  in  complete  harmony  ?  Much  time  will  be  required 
ere  the  barbarous  state  will  attain  the  height  of  the  civilized  1 
Neither  the  first,  nor  the  second,  nor  the  third  generation. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  347 

notwithstanding  untiring  efforts,  would  obtain  that  happy 
result,  such  as  the  thing  is  understood  in  our  days.  Hence, 
previous  to  a  perfect  fusion  between  the  societies,  the  civil 
ized  society  will  have  the  advantage  over  the  barbarous ;  it 
will  have  it  entirely  at  its  mercy,  to  make  it  subservient  tc 
its  will  and  pleasure.  In  a  word,  the  barbarian  can  no  bet 
ter  sustain  itself  in  presence  of  civilization,  than  the  sim 
plicity  of  childhood  can  contest  against  the  malicious  pru 
dence  of  mature  age.  This,  in  my  opinion,  is  what  will  be 
realized  in  the  Great  Desert,  when  the  copper-colored  race 
will  come  in  contact  with  the  white.  The  judgment  of  the 
savage  is  not  sufficiently  ripe  to  be  able  to  compete  with  the 
wisdom  of  man  born  in  the  bosom  of  civilization.  It  is  this 
conviction  which  fills  us  with  anxiety  for  the  future  of  our 
dear  neophytes  in  the  different  missions.  We  confide  solely 
in  Divine  Goodness,  which,  we  hope,  will  not  fail  to  come  to 
the  help  of  his  children. 

It  was  not  difficult  to  descry  from  afar  that  grand  event 
which  must  engulf,  in  one  common  wreck,  all  the  Indian 
tribes.  The  storm  which  has  just  burst  forth  over  their  heads 
was  long  preparing ;  it  could  not  escape  the  observing  eye. 
We  saw  the  American  republic  soaring,  with  the  rapidity  of 
the  eagle's  flight,  towards  the  plenitude  of  her  power.  Every 
year  she  adds  new  countries  to  her  limits.  She  ambitioned 
nothing  less  than  extending  her  domination  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific,  so  as  to  embrace  the  commerce  of  the  whole 
world,  and  dispute  with  other  mighty  nations  the  glory  of 
pre-eminence.  Her  object  is  attained.  All  bend  to  her 
sceptre  ;  all  Indian  nationality  is  at  her  feet.  Far  be  it  from 
us,  however,  to  accuse  the  noble  republic  of  injustice  and 
inhumanity  in  her  late  treaties.  It  seems  to  us,  on  the  con 
trary,  that  no  nation  has  ever  furnished  them  more  means  of 
civilization.  If  any  one  must  be  blamed  on  this  point,  it  ii 


348  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

rather  private  persons,  new  colonists,  who  act  and  place 
themselves  in  direct  opposition  with  the  good  intentions  of 
the  government  in  behalf  of  the  savages. 

But  though  the  future  appears  sombre  and  melancholy, 
the  past,  at  least,  leaves  not  the  missionaries  comfortless.  In 
the  space  of  the  last  ten  years,  our  Fathers  at  Saint  Mary's 
have  baptized  beyond  four  hundred  adults,  and  a  great  num 
ber  of  children.  The  Gospel  seed  has  not  fallen  on  sterile 
soil.  The  greatei  part  of  these  neophytes  have  always  given 
proofs  of  a  strong  faith  and  of  a  tender  piety.  The  heart  of 
the  missionary  is  soothed  with  an  unspeakable  joy,  on  wit 
nessing  their  assiduity  in  the  church,  their  ardor  in  approach 
ing  the  sacraments,  their  resignation  in  sickness,  their  natu 
ral  charity,  exercised  especially  in  regard  to  the  poor,  the 
orphans,  and  the  sick ;  and,  above  all,  their  zeal  for  the  con 
version  of  unbelievers.  They  are  styled  savages,  or  Indians ; 
but  we  may  boldly  assert  that,  in  all  our  great  cities,  and 
everywhere,  thousands  of  whites  are  more  deserving  of  this 
title. 

A  great  number  of  Potawatomies  have  made  considerable 
progress  in  agriculture,  and  live  in  a  certain  degree  of  afflu 
ence.  The  whites  who  pass  by,  and  visit  the  little  territory 
of  the  Potawatomies,  especially  in  the  environs  of  St.  Mary's 
mission,  are  agreeably  surprised.  They  find  it  difficult  to 
believe  that  they  are  among  Indians. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  Potawatomies  have 
been  specially  favored  by  Heaven.  During  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century,  they  have  had  the  happiness  of  having  Black- 
gowns  among  them  ;  and,  during  sixteen  or  seventeen  years, 
they  have  Ladies  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  for  the  education 
of  their  girls.  The  mission,  on  its  present  footing,  with  its 
two  schools,  for  girls  and  boys,  is  a  double  advantage  for 
those  good  people.  The  children  acquire  there,  with  religion 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  349 

instruction,  the  love  of  industry ;  the  adults  find  employ 
ment  in  it,  and  hence  a  means  of  subsistence.  They  see,  by 
the  manual  labor  of  our  brothers,  what  man  can  acquire  by 
diligence. 

We  may  add,  that  God  has  treated  the  Potawatoraies  with 
great  predilection.  He  has  willed  that  several  nations 
should  contribute  to  their  salvation.  Such  are,  among  others, 
Belgium,  Holland,  Prance,  Ireland  and  Italy,  Germany, 
Canada,  and  the  United  States.  Each  of  these  countries 
has  offered  them  material  aid  and  missionaries.  Mgr.  Miege 
has  resided  among  them  four  years ;  hence  their  humble  tem 
ple,  constructed  of  logs,  has  been  exalted  to  the  rank  of 
cathedral. 

In  the  critical  conjuncture  in  which  they  stand  at  present — 
on  the  eve  of  forming  a  last  treaty  with  the  Government  of 
the  United  States,  a  treaty  of  life  or  death  for  this  poor 
tribe — they  have,  in  the  person  of  Colonel  Murphy,  the  agent 
of  the  government,  an  advocate,  a  protector,  and  the  best  of 
fathers.  This,  madam,  leads  me  to  hope  that  God  has  very 
particular  designs  of  mercy  over  them,  and  that  he  will 
never  forsake  them.  In  the  moment  of  danger,  you,  I  am 
confident,  will  not  forget  them  in  your  charitable  prayers. 

Be  so  kind  as  to  recall  me  to  the  kind  remembrances  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.,  and  of  Miss  R.,  and  believe  me,  with  the 
most  profound  respect  and  esteem,  madam, 

Your  most  humble  and  most  obedient  servant, 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J. 


I  have  the  honor  to  be,  reverend  and  dear  Father, 
Revae.  Vse.  in  Xto., 

P.  J.  DB  SMET,  S.  J. 
30 


350 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  XXVIII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSBM, 
The  Osages. 

BRUSSELS,  December,  185-. 
REV.  FATHER: 

I  send  you  three  letters  of  the  Rev.  F.  Bax,  deceased, 
The  two  first,  under  date  of  the  1st  and  10th  of  June,  1850, 
have  been  published,  in  part,  in  the  "  Annals  of  the  Propaga 
tion  of  the  Faith,"  in  the  month  of  May,  1852  ;  the  third  has 
not  been  published,  that  I  am  aware  of;  it  is  the  last  letter 
written  by  the  Rev.  F.  Bax.  You  are  well  acquainted  with 
the  merit  of  this  man  of  God,  so  prematurely  removed  from 
his  labors.  I  have  already  given  a  biographical  sketch  in  a 
letter  to  the  "  Precis  Historiques." 

First  Letter  of  Father  Bax  to  Father  De  Smet. 

MISSION  OF  ST.  FRANCIS  HIEBONYMO,  AMONG  THE  OSAGES,  June  1, 1850. 
REV.    AND    VERY    DEAR   FATHER.' 

Already  three  years  have  elapsed  since  we  commenced 
the  toils  of  our  mission.  I  will  say  nothing  to  you  of  the 
embarrassments  inseparable  from  such  an  enterprise;  you 
are  too  well  acquainted  with  this  ground,  and  are  aware, 
also,  that  to  prepare  it  for  cultivation,  exacts  the  courage  that 
Christian  charity  alone  can  inspire.  I  will  not,  therefore 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  351 

stop  to  relate  the  obstacles,  the  fatigues  of  every  sort,  that  we 
encountered  in  our  route.  At  present,  the  burden  is  allevi 
ated  ;  particularly  since  the  arrival  of  a  teacher  and  of  a 
brother,  the  affairs  of  the  mission  are  extending,  and  wear  a 
much  more  favorable  aspect. 

I  profit  by  my  earliest  leisure  moments,  to  satisfy  the  de 
sire  that  you  have  several  times  testified  to  me,  of  having 
some  details  concerning  our  dear  mission  of  the  Osages.  I 
hope,  in  this  way,  to  offer  you  a  slight  testimony  of  our 
gratitude  for  the  interest  you  take  in  our  labors  and  in  our 
success.  These  marks  of  attention,  on  your  part,  Reverend 
Father,  give  us  the  assurance  that,  if  momentarily  you  re 
main  remote  from  your  dear  Indians,  your  heart  neverthe 
less  sighs  continually  towards  our  poor  and  isolated  children 
of  the  wild  solitude. 

You  are  aware,  that  this  mission  was,  during  several  years, 
in  the  hands  of  the  Presbyterians.  They  were  obliged  to 
abandon  it  in  1845.  Those  gentlemen  were  forced  to  come 
to  this  resolution  by  the  Indians  themselves,  who  were  fully 
determined  never  to  adopt  the  doctrine  of  Calvin.  In  the 
course  of  the  same  year,  Major  Harvey,  superintendent  ot 
the  Indian  tribes,  having  assembled  in  Council  the  different 
tribes  of  the  Osage  nation,  exposed  to  them,  in  the  liveliest 
colors,  the  advantages  of  a  good  education ;  he  added,  that 
if  such  should  prove  their  will,  their  Great  Father  (the  Presi 
dent)  would  send  them  missionaries  to  instruct  their  chil 
dren.  At  this  proposition,  the  Great  Chief  replied,  in  the 
name  of  the  Council : 

"  Our  Great  Father  is  very  kind ;  he  loves  his  red-skinned 
children.  Hear  what  we  have  to  say  on  this  subject.  We 
do  not  wish  any  more  such  missionaries  as  we  have  had  dur 
ing  several  years ;  for  they  never  did  us  any  good.  Send 
them  to  the  whites ;  perhaps  they  may  succeed  better  with 


352  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

them.  If  our  Great  Father  desires  that  we  have  missions 
ries,  you  will  tell  him  to  send  us  Black-gowns,  who  will 
teach  us  to  pray  to  the  Great  Spirit  in  the  French  manner, 
Although  several  years  have  elapsed  since  they  have  visited 
us,*  we  always  remember  this  visit  with  gratitude ;  and  we 
shall  be  ever  ready  to  receive  them  among  us,  and  to  listen 
to  their  preaching." 

The  superintendent,  a  just  and  liberal  man,  wished  only 
the  welfare  of  the  Indians.  Although  a  Protestant,  he  com 
municated  this  reply  to  the  Government,  and  supported  and 
confirmed  it  with  his  own  remarks  and  observations.  In 
pursuance  with  his  advice,  the  President  had  recourse  to  the 
Superiors  of  our  Society,  requesting  them  to  assume  the 
charge  of  this  mission. 

At  first,  the  Father  Provincial  offered  some  objections, 
knowing  that  no  one  had  yet  been  able  to  succeed  in  ameli 
orating  the  condition  of  this  people,  under  the  double  rela 
tion  of  spiritual  and  temporal.  In  the  interval,  the  Indians 
were  in  the  most  painful  uncertainty,  not  knowing  whether 
the  "  Great  Father"  would  grant  or  refuse  them  their  peti 
tion.  But  they  were  soon  satisfied ;  our  Society  accepted 
the  mission. 

In  the  autumn  of  1846,  the  Reverend  F.  Schoenmakers 
quitted  St.  Louis  to  go  to  the  Osages,  with  the  intention  of 
returning,  after  having  examined  the  state  of  affairs,  the 
houses,  etc.  He  came  back  to  St.  Louis  in  midwinter,  and 
his  second  departure  was  retarded  until  the  following  spring. 

After  Father  Schoenmakers  had  left  them,  the  poor  In 
dians  counted  the  days  and  the  hours  until  spring,  at  which 


*  The  Very  Reverend  M.  de  la  Croix,  now  Canon  at  Ghent,  had  vis 
ited  the  Osages  in  1820.  Father  Van  Quickenborne  visited  them  sev 
eral  years  later,  as  well  as  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lutz. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  353 

time  he  promised  to  return  to  them;  but  they  waited  in 
vain !  The  year  glided  past ;  they  lost  all  hope  of  seeing 
him  again.  Nevertheless,  they  were  resolved  to  accept  none 
but  Catholic  missionaries. 

When  all  our  preparations  were  completed,  Father  Schoen- 
makers,  myself,  and  three  coadjutor  brothers,  quitted  St. 
Louis  on  the  7th  of  April,  1849,  and  we  arrived  on  the  bank  ' 
of  the  Neosho,  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas,  situated  about 
130  miles  from  Westport,  frontier  town  of  the  State  Oi 
Missouri. 

To  you,  my  dear  Father,  who  have  many  times  traversed 
the  great  wilderness  of  the  West,  in  its  whole  extent,  from 
the  States  to  the  Pacific,  who  have  travelled  over  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  their  valleys — our  pains,  troubles,  and  fatigues 
must  appear  truly  insignificant.  But  this  trial  was  very 
severe  to  us,  who  were  entering,  for  the  first  time,  into  the 
immense  prairies  of  the  Indians,  which  we  had  only  measured 
according  to  the  deceptive  images  of  our  imagination.  Tru 
ly,  the  reality  appeared  to  us  very  different.  We  endured 
hunger,  thirst,  and  cold.  For  a  fortnight  we  were  obliged 
to  pass  our  nights  in  the  open  air,  in  the  dampest  season  of 
the  year,  each  having  naught  for  a  bed  but  a  buffalo-hide 
and  a  single  blanket. 

About  100  miles  from  Westport  we  had  a  panic.  Ar 
rived  at  a  place  named  "  Walnut  Grove,"  we  perceived,  in 
the  distance,  a  large  troop  of  mounted  Indians,  who  turned 
directly  towards  us.  Unaccustomed  to  such  sights,  we  were 
seized  with  great  anxiety,  which  soon  changed  to  genuine 
fright ;  for  we  saw  those  savages,  on  approaching  us,  alight 
from  their  horses  with  extraordinary  agility.  At  once  they 
took  possession  of  our  carts  and  wagons,  which  we  fancied 
destined  to  pillage.  They  examined  our  chests  and  our  bag 
gage  as  minutely  and  coolly  as  old  custom-house  officer* 
30« 


354:  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

Happily  we  recovered  from  our  fright.  We  presented  them 
some  rolls  of  tobacco.  They  shook  hands  with  us  in  token 
of  friendship.  Soon  after  we  lost  sight  of  them,  congratu 
lating  ourselves  at  having  escaped  at  so  trifling  an  expense. 
An  idea,  however,  occupied  us :  they  might  repent  of  their 
benevolence  towards  us,  and  attack  us  and  steal  our  horses 
during  the  night.  We  consequently  left  the  ordinary  route, 
and  went  and  camped  far  in  the  plain.  These  Indians,  as 
we  learned  later,  belonged  to  the  nation  of  Sauks,  and  had 
been  paying  a  visit  to  their  allies,  the  Osages. 

On  the  28th  of  April  we  reached  our  destination,  to  the 
great  surprise  and  delight  of  the  Indians ;  for,  as  I  have  al 
ready  observed  to  you,  they  had  resigned  the  hope  of  seeing 
us.  It  would  be  impossible  to  paint  to  you  the  enthusiasm 
with  which  we  were  received.  They  considered  us  as  men 
whom  the  Great  Spirit  had  sent  to  teach  them  the  good 
news  of  salvation ;  to  trace  out  to  them  the  path  to  heaven, 
and  to  procure  them,  also,  earthly  peace  and  plenty. 

At  the  first  sight  of  these  savages,  and  finding  myself  sur 
rounded  by  these  children  of  the  desert,  I  could  not  suppress 
the  pain  I  felt.  I  saw  their  sad  condition.  The  adults  had 
only  a  slight  covering  over  the  middle  of  the  body ;  the  lit 
tle  children,  even  as  old  as  six  or  seven  years,  were  wholly 
destitute  of  clothing.  Half  serious,  half  jesting,  I  thought 
that  a  truly  savage  portion  of  the  Lord's  vineyard  had  been 
given  me  to  cultivate ;  but  I  did  not  lose  courage.  The  ob 
ject  of  my  desires,  and  the  subject  of  my  prayers,  during 
many  long  years,  had  been  to  become  a  missionary  to  the 
Indians.  That  grace  was  obtained;  I  felt  contented  and 
happy. 

On  our  arrival,  we  found  the  houses  unfinished,  very 
inconvenient,  and  much  too  small  for  a  great  number  of 
children;  they  were  also  very  badly  situated,  not  being,  as 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  355 

they  should  have  been,  in  the  centre  of  all  the  villages  which 
compose  the  mission.  From  this  resulted  an  increase  in  the 
number  and  difficulties  of  our  occupations. 

The  population  of  the  tribes  (comprised  under  the  name  of 
Great  Osages  and  Little  Osages),  is  nearly  5000  souls,  of 
whom  3500  reside  on  the  banks  of  the  Neosho ;  and  the  oth 
ers  on  the  Verdigris,  a  little  river  smaller  than  the  former, 
although  the  valleys  and  the  prairies  that  it  waters  are  more 
favorable  to  culture. 

The  Osages  who  remain  on  the  banks  of  the  Neosho  are 
divided  into  several  villages.  The  Little  Osages  form  a  pop 
ulation  of  1500  souls,  and  are  twenty-two  miles  from  the 
mission.  The  village  of  Nanze-Waspe  contains  six  hundred 
inhabitants,  at  a  distance  of  twelve  miles ;  the  village  Bif- 
chief  is  composed  of  three  hundred  souls,  four  miles ;  the 
Weichaka-Ougrin,  of  five  hundred,  three  miles;  Little-Town 
numbers  three  hundred  inhabitants,  and  is  thirty  miles  dis 
tant;  Bif-hill,  or  Passoi-Ougrin,  situated  on  the  Verdigris, 
forty  miles  off,  has  a  population  of  six  hundred  souls ;  les 
Cheniers,  or  Sanze-Ougrin,  amount  to  nearly  seven  hundred, 
fifty-five  miles ;  the  Black-Dog,  or  Skankta-Sape,  village,  sixty 
miles  off,  contains  four  hundred  inhabitants.  There  are,  be 
sides,  other  small  villages,  dispersed  at  a  great  distance  from 
us.  The  two  rivers  on  which  they  dwell  empty  into  the  Ar 
kansas.  The  lowlands  are  in  general  swampy,  but  the  plain 
of  the  Neosho  is  sandy. 

Formerly  the  Osages  were  represented  as  cruel  and  per 
verse,  addicted  to  the  most  degrading  vices ;  calumny  de 
picted  them  as  thieves,  assassins,  and  drunkards. 

To  this  last  reproach,  I  am  grieved  to  say  they  have  given 
occasion ;  they  are  passionately  fond  of  intoxicating  liquors, 
The  effects  of  this  vice  had  become  so  terrible  that,  on  our 
arrival,  entire  tribes  were  nearly  destroyed.  In  the  spring 


356  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

of  1847,  in  one  village  alone,  thirty  young  men,  in  the  prime 
of  life,  were  victims  to  strong  drink.  I  have  met  men, 
women,  and  children,  in  a  complete  state  of  intoxication, 
dragging  themselves  to  their  wigwams  like  so  many  brutes. 
This  spectacle,  my  dear  Father,  drew  forth  many  tears  and 
sighs  from  those  who  had  been  selected  and  sent  to  labor  for 
the  happiness  and  salvation  of  these  unfortunate  beings.  It 
was  extremely  painful  to  look  at  those  sons  of  the  wilderness, 
delivered  to  the  enemy  of  God  and  man.  Thanks  to  our 
Lord,  the  evil  was  extirpated  at  its  root ;  the  advice  of  a 
kind  and  very  worthy  agent  of  government,  as  well  as  our 
own  efforts,  have  succeeded  so  well,  that  drunkenness  has 
been  almost  completely  banished.  Daily  prayers  are  offered 
that  this  crime,  and  all  the  miseries  which  arise  in  its  train, 
may  not  appear  among  us.  At  present,  the  Indians  them 
selves  comprehend  the  necessity  of  temperance.  Several 
among  them  come  frequently  to  tell  me,  with  great  simpli 
city,  that  they  do  not  fall  into  this  vice  any  more.  These 
savages  exhibit  in  their  stoical  resolutions,  a  degree  of  cour 
age  that  should  excite  a  blush  on  the  cheek  of  many  a  white 
man. 

Those  who  call  them  thieves  and  assassins  have  calumni 
ated  them.  Some  bands  of  thieves,  going  from  the  north  to 
the  south,  cross  the  settlements  of  the  Osages,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  whites  who  inhabit  the  frontiers.  It  is  their 
trade  to  steal  every  thing  and  carry  all  away,  and  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  Osages  have  been  accused  of  the  thefts. 
We  may  say  as  much  of  the  pillages  committed  on  the  route 
to  Santa  Fe. 

According  to  my  experience,  there  are  few  nations,  in  this 
region,  as  affable  and  as  affectionate  as  the  Osages.  Indeed, 
it  may  be  said,  that  it  is  natural  to  them  to  wish  to  live  in 
peace  and  perfect  friendship  with  all  whom  they  know 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  357 

Peace  and  harmony  reign  among  them;  no  harsh  words 
ever  escape  their  tongues,  unless  when  they  have  drunk  to 
excess.  Now  they  are  at  peace  with  all  the  tribes,  except 
with  the  Pawnee-Mahas,  whose  manner  of  acting  towards 
them  would  inspire  aversion  in  civilized  people  as  well  as  in 
barbarians.  Scarcely  are  the  Osages  gone  forth  to  hunt, 
than  the  Pawnees,  who  wait  this  moment,  fall  on  their  un 
defended  villages,  pillage  the  wigwams,  and  steal  the  horses. 
The  Osages  have  frequently  made  peace  with  this  nation ; 
but  the  treaties  have  hardly  been  ratified,  ere  the  perfidious 
enemy  renewed  its  attacks. 

I  have  long  but  vainly  endeavored  to  put  an  end  to  the 
cruel  mania  of  taking  off  the  scalps  of  the  dead  and  wounded. 
In  this  project,  as  in  many  others,  I  have  been  checked  by 
the  bad  counsels  and  bad  examples  of  the  whites.  I  should 
be  pleased  to  be  able  to  tell  the  savages,  with  whom  I  am 
charged,  to  imitate  the  whites,  and  it  would  be  most  agree 
able  to  me  to  propose  them  as  models  of  imitation ;  but  my 
words  would  be  very  ineffectual.  Here,  as  formerly  in  Pa 
raguay,  the  Indian  derives  no  advantage  from  the  vicinity  01 
the  whites ;  on  the  contrary,  he  becomes  more  artful,  more 
deeply  plunged  in  vice,  and  finding  no  blasphemous  words 
in  his  own  tongue,  curses  his  God  in  a  foreign  language. 

To  demonstrate  to  you  the  evil  effects  of  the  proximity  of 
the  whites,  I  will  cite  you  a  little  anecdote.  The  fact  oc 
curred  about  a  year  ago.  I  was  giving  an  instruction  in  a 
village  named  Woichaka-Ougrin,  or  Cockle-Bird.  The  sub 
ject  was  intemperance.  I  spoke  of  the  evil  consequences  ol 
this  passion,  of  its  effects  on  the  health,  of  the  rapidity  with 
which  it  conducts  men  to  the  tomb,  or  separates  them  from 
their  wives  and  their  children,  whom  the  Great  Spirit  had 
intrusted  to  them.  I  added  that  the  pleasure  attending 
drinking  was  extremely  short,  while  the  punishment  would 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 

be  eternal.  As  I  was  concluding,  Shape-shjn-kaouk,  or  The 
Little  Beaver,  one  of  the  principal  men  of  the  tribe,  arose 
aud  said  to  me:  "Father,  what  thou  sayest  is  true.  We 
believe  thy  words.  We  have  seen  many  buried  because  they 
loved  and  drank  fire-water.  One  thing  astonishes  us.  We 
are  ignorant ;  we  are  not  acquainted  with  books ;  we  never 
heard  the  words  of  the  Great  Spirit :  but  the  whites,  who 
know  books,  who  have  understanding,  and  who  have  heard 
the  commandments  of  the  Great  Spirit, — why  do  they  drink 
this  fire-water  ?  why  do  they  sell  it  to  us  ?  or  why  do  they 
bring  it  to  us,  while  they  know  that  God  sees  them  ?" 

I  will  now  enter  into  some  more  particular  details  concern 
ing  our  missions  and  our  labors.  Immediately  after  our  ar 
rival  in  the  spring  of  1847,  our  first  care  was  to  prepare  a 
school.  It  was  opened  on  the  10th  of  May.  The  scholars 
were  not  very  numerous  at  the  commencement ;  some  half- 
bloods  and  three  Indians  were  the  only  ones  that  presented 
themselves.  The  parents,  full  of  prejudices  against  a  "school,*' 
gave  for  excuse,  that  the  children  who  had  been  confided  to 
the  former  missionaries  (the  Presbyterians),  had  learned 
nothing,  had  been  whipped  every  day,  made  to  work  con 
tinually,  and  at  last  ran  away.  These  reports  spread  far 
and  wide.  The  most  efficacious  correction  that  a  father 
could  employ  against  a  child,  was  to  threaten  it  with  being 
sent  to  school.  I  had  proofs  of  this  a  short  time  after  our 
arrival.  In  one  of  my  visits  to  a  village  of  Little  Osages 
called  Huzegta,  having  an  interpreter  with  me,  I  entered 
into  the  lodge  of  the  first  chief.  On  presenting  myself,  I 
offered  my  hand  in  token  of  friendship.  "  Who  are  you  ?" 
said  he  to  me.  "  A  tapouska,  or  missionary,"  was  the  reply. 
During  some  moments,  he  hung  his  head  without  uttering  a 
word.  Then  raising  his  eyes,  he  said,  in  a  bad  humor: 
u  The  missionaries  never  did  any  good  to  our  nation."  The 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  359 

interpreter  answered  that  I  did  not  belong  to  the  class  of 
missionaries  that  he  had  seen  ;  that  I  was  a  French  tapouska, 
a  Black-gown,  who  had  come  at  their  request  and  at  that  of 
their  "Great  Father."  Then  serenity  reappeared  on  the 
visage  of  the  chief,  and  he  cried  out,  "  This  is  good  news." 
He  immediately  offered  me  his  hand,  called  his  wife,  and  or 
dered  buffalo-soup,  wishing  to  feast  my  arrival.  He  pro 
posed  several  questions  relative  to  the  manner  in  which  I 
would  educate  the  children,  if  they  were  sent  to  me ;  he  de 
clared  to  me  that  he  did  not  approve  of  whipping  the  chil 
dren  ;  he  asked  me,  in  fine,  if  we  would  instruct  aged  per 
sons.  When  I  told  him  that  we  came  to  instruct  everybody, 
to  announce  the  word  of  God  to  the  whole  nation,  he  ex 
pressed  much  delight  and  gratitude.  As  soon  as  he  knew 
us  and  learned  the  object  of  our  visit,  his  prejudices  and  his 
appsehensions  vanished. 

At  my  first  visits,  the  children  would  not  approach  me. 
I  dissipated  their  fears  by  giving  them  cakes  or  marbles,  with 
which  my  pockets  were  always  filled.  They  became  familiar, 
and  in  a  short  time  they  were  extremely  attached  to  me. 
The  first  who  came  to  school,  being  very  happy,  expressed 
their  satisfaction  and  their  delight  to  their  parents,  praising 
the  care  of  the  Black-gowns  in  teaching  and  feeding  them. 
This  news  spread  abroad.  Now  the  children  entreat  the 
parents  to  suffer  them  to  go  to  the  mission;  the  parents 
never  refuse  them,  for  the  Indian  is  full  of  indulgence  towards 
his  little  ones. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year,  those  who  were  received  and 
those  Who  desired  to  be  admitted,  surpassed  the  number  that 
we  could  lodge.  We  have  ever  since  been  crowded.  In  a 
house  built  for  twenty  persons  only,  we  were  obliged  to 
lodge  fifty  children.  In  order  to  take  measures,  the  nation 
assembled  and  requested  the  agent  to  petition  their  Great 


360  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Father  to  augment  and  enlarge  the  houses  of  the  mission. 
The  government  acceded  to  this  demand. 

The  chiefs  cannot  be  too  much  praised  for  the  good  ex 
ample  that  they  have  given  to  the  nation,  and  the  ardent 
desire  that  they  manifested  for  the  education  of  their  daugh 
ters.  When  they  first  made  me  this  latter  request,  I  found 
myself  singularly  embarrassed  for  the  means  of  realizing  so 
laudable  a  project.  Father  Schoenmakers  resolved  to  interest 
a  kind  and  fervent  community  of  nuns  in  the  education  of 
the  Osage  girls.  With  this  intention  he  went  to  St.  Louis ; 
but  he  knocked  in  vain  at  the  door  of  several  convents  of 
that  city,  for  the  enterprise  frightened  every  one.  He  was 
not  discouraged.  At  length  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  the 
good  and  charitable  Sisters  of  Loretto,  in  Kentucky,  for  the 
education  of  the  girls  of  this  remote  mission.  In  the  autumn 
of  the  year  1847,  four  religious  arrived  to  share  our  labors. 
Their  sufferings,  their  trials,  and  their  privations  were  very 
great.  They  were  obliged  to  sleep  in  the  open  air.  That 
did  not  hinder  two  other  Sisters  from  coming  to  join  them  a 
little  after  in  their  heroic  enterprise.  Their  patience,  their 
kindness,  their  courage,  and  their  perseverance  have  gained 
the  esteem,  affection,  and  love  of  every  one.  They  are  suc 
ceeding  :  they  have  already  produced  a  considerable  change, 
and  are  doing  great  good.  The  talents  displayed  in  the  di 
rection  of  their  school,  and  the  rapid  progress  of  the  children 
are  admired  by  all  the  strangers  who  visit  this  community. 

In  order  not  to  pass  the  limits  of  a  letter,  I  will  leave  the 
rest  till  another  moment,  and  I  will  inclose  it  to  you  in  » 
few  days. 

In  the  mean  time,  reverend  and  very  dear  Father,  I  com 
mend  myself  to  your  holy  sacrifices  and  your  good  prayers. 
Your  ever  devoted  Brother, 

J.  J.  BAX,  S  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  361 


Letter  XIII 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORI^UES,  BRUSSELS. 
The  Oaages. — The  second  Letter  of  Father  Box. 

HOLLAND,  January,  1857. 
REVBRKND  FATHER: 

I  inclose  the  second  letter  of  Father  Bax,  mentioned  in 
mine  of  December  1st. 

VILLAGE  or  ST.  FRANCIS  HIERONYMO,  June  10th,  1850. 

REV.  AND  VERT  DEAR  FATHER  i — In  my  last  letter  I  was 
obliged,  against  my  inclination,  to  give  you  a  very  abridged 
description  of  the  truly  prosperous  state  of  our  schools. 

Nothing  astonishes  the  whites  more  than  the  extraordinary 
progress  of  our  little  Osages  in  the  different  branches  taught 
them.  Such  are:  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  geography, 
and  grammar,  for  the  boys;  reading,  writing,  geography, 
needlework,  embroidery,  and  drawing,  for  the  girls.  To 
these  dispositions  all  join  a  very  decided  taste  for  music,  and 
find  great  pleasure  in  singing  pious  canticles.  They  are,  be 
sides,  very  polite,  docile,  and  obedient.  As  soon  as  they 
perceive  a  white,  their  first  movement  is  to  go  and  present 
him  the  hand.  Their  sensibility  and  good  dispositions  have 
often  alleviated  the  pain  that  we  experienced  when  our  means 
would  not  suffer  us  to  provide  for  their  necessities. 

If  it  happen  that  one  of  the  Fathers  is  absent  during  three 
cr  four  day  a,  they  are  01  the  watch  for  the  moment  when 
81 


WESTERN   MISSIONS 

he  is  expected.  As  soon  as  they  perceive  him,  which  some 
times  takes  place  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four  miles,  noth 
ing  can  hinder  them  from  running  to  meet  him,  and  crying 
out :  "  Father,  how  are  you  ?  how  do  you  do  ?" 

The  greater  number  among  them  are  remarkable  for  truly 
admirable  sentiments  of  devotion.  Hence  religion  is  the 
most  efficacious  means  for  correcting  the  faults  usual  at  their 
age.  The  most  powerful  rebuke  that  we  can  make  them  is 
to  ask  them :  "  My  child,  when  you  were  baptized,  did  you 
not  promise  God  that  you  would  be  good  ?"  Of  a  consider 
able  number,  we  may  report  great  progress  in  the  catechism. 
Forty  have  made  their  first  communion.  These  last  visit  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  with  as  much  regularity  and  devotion  as 
the  most  fervent  among  the  faithful. 

The  above,  Rev.  Father,  gives  us  the  highest  consolation. 
Hardly  two  years  since,  these  little  neophytes  were  running 
naked  in  the  woods  and  on  the  plains,  addicted  to  every  kind 
of  vice,  and  having  no  knowledge  of  their  Creator,  nor  of 
the  end  of  their  creation.  Never  has  the  goodness  of  God 
been  more  manifest  to  me  ;  never  have  I  seen  the  divine  in 
fluence  more  generally  felt  and  better  appreciated;  never, 
before  this  day,  have  I  been  so  intimately  convinced  that  the 
Lord  offers  to  all  nations,  to  every  family,  and  to  each  indi 
vidual,  the  means  of  being  saved,  and  of  being  united  to  the 
Holy  Church. 

What  happened  to  us  on  the  day  of  our  arrival  here, 
serves  as  a  powerful  confirmation  of  this  truth.  It  was  re 
ported  to  us  that  an  Indian  had  just  died  in  a  village  about 
four  miles  distant.  I  expressed  to  my  informant  the  grief 
this  misfortune  caused  me.  He  told  me  that  another  man, 
in  the  same  place,  was  at  the  point  of  death.  In  the  hope 
of  arriving  in  time  to  baptize  him,  I  set  out  immediately 
Arrired  at  the  place  where  the  Neosho  divides  into  twc 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  363 

branches,  I  found  the  waters  so  swollen  that  it  was  impos 
sible  to  pass  them,  and  would  be  so  during  several  days  more. 

On  the  fourth  day  (it  was  Sunday),  a  half-blood  passed 
the  river  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  to  come  and  hear  mass.  I 
questioned  him  concerning  the  state  of  the  sick  man.  He 
had  been  in  his  agony  during  four  days ;  he  had  ever  shown 
an  excellent  deportment,  and  had  manifested  an  earnest  de 
sire  to  see  the  Black-gown,  who  had  come  to  announce  the 
word  of  God  to  his  nation.  I  mounted  my  horse  directly, 
with  some  apprehension  that  my  guide  might  delay  my  ar 
rival.  In  this  I  was  mistaken — he  reached  there  more 
quickly  on  foot  than  I  on  my  horse. 

I  found  my  Indian  extremely  ill ;  evidently  he  was  hast 
ening  rapidly  to  eternity.  As  soon  as  I  entered  the  lodge, 
he  saluted  me  with  joy  and  affection.  I  made  him  compre 
hend,  by  means  of  an  interpreter,  that  I  came  to  speak  with 
him  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  instruct  him  in  the  truths  neces 
sary  to  salvation.  "I  thank  thee,  Father:  thy  words  are 
kind  and  consoling ;  my  heart  is  overjoyed  that  thou  hast 
come."  Such  were  the  words  he  addressed  me  with  a  dying 
voice.  I  spoke  to  him  of  the  dispositions  requisite  for  re 
ceiving  baptism,  and  told  him,  among  other  things,  that  he 
must  renounce  all  the  bad  actions  that  he  might  have  com 
mitted,  be  contrite  for  them,  and  never  again  do  evil,  though 
he  might  be  restored  to  health  ;  that  if  he  was  sincerely  dis 
posed  to  act  thus,  the  Great  Spirit  would  forget  all  the  sins 
of  his  past  life.  "Father,"  he  replied,  "I  always  wished  to 
be  good;  I  never  stole,  I  never  became  drunk,  I  have  never 
killed.  However,  if  I  have  offended  the  Great  Spirit,  I  re 
pent.  I  desire  to  please  him,  so  that,  if  I  die,  he  may  have 
mercy  on  me,  and  grant  me  the  grace  of  being  admitted  into 
his  presence."  Fatigued  with  the  effort  he  had  made  to 
§peak,  he  kept  silence  during  several  moments ;  then,  agaio 


364  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

opening  bis  eyes,  he  said:  "Father,  if  thou  believest  mo 
worthy  of  receiving  baptism,  thou  wilt  grant  me  a  great  favor 
and  many  blessings."  Fully  satisfied  with  the  lively  desire 
that  he  manifested,  I  administered  that  sacrament  to  him. 
Scarcely  was  he  regenerated  in  the  healing  waters  of  bap 
tism,  than  he  expired,  and  went  to  enjoy  the  happiness  re 
served  to  the  children  of  the  Church. 

The  consoling  death  of  this  Indian  was  followed  by  a  most 
distressing  scene.  I  had  never  witnessed  demonstrations  of 
sorrow  so  profound.  The  men,  throwing  off  that  stoical  in 
difference  which  appears  to  be  so  natural  to  them,  heaved 
deep  sighs  and  shed  torrents  of  tears ;  the  women,  with  di 
shevelled  hair,  shrieked  and  gave  all  the  signs  of  a  despair 
over  which  reason  cannot  predominate.  I  buried  the  Indian, 
on  the  following  day,  in  accordance  with  the  ritual  of  the 
Church.  The  whole  village  was  present  at  this  ceremony. 
The  assistants  witnessed  the  attention  and  respect  which  we 
pay  to  the  dead  with  a  deep  gratitnide.  From  that  time 
forth,  we  have  always  assisted  the  sick  in  their  agony.  The 
time  for  instructing  them  is  very  short,  and  their  ideas  con 
cerning  religion  are  more  than  imperfect ;  but,  on  the  other 
side,  they  have  all  the  simplicity  and  good-will  of  children, 
and  their  dispositions  are  most  consoling. 

A  few  days  ago  I  baptized  the  oldest  man  in  the  nation. 
Impossible  to  tell  you  the  impressions  I  experienced  when 
pouring  the  holy  water  over  that  head,  whitened  with  length 
of  years.  Baptism  is  one  of  the  sacraments  of  our  holy  re 
ligion  that  the  Indians  understand  the  best,  and  it  is  the 
one  that  they  are  most  desirous  of  receiving. 

Some  incidents,  that  a  few  would  style  providential,  and 
others  accidental,  have  contributed  much  to  augment  (in  this 
tribe)  faith  concerning  the  efficacy  of  that  sacrament.  I 
will  cite  but  one  example. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  365 

Ono  evening — it  was  during  the  autumn  of  1848 — an 
Indian  arrived  at  the  Mission.  Grief  and  anxiety  were  de 
picted  on  his  face.  As  soon  as  he  perceived  me,  he  said  to 
me :  "  Father,  come  without  delay,  for  my  wife  is  dying. 
All  despair,  and  I  consider  her  already  as  dead.  Thou  didst 
tell  us  to  call  thee  when  any  one  was  sick  or  in  danger  ot 
death.  I  wish  her  to  learn  the  words  of  the  Great  Spirit 
before  she  dies.  This  is  why  I  come  to  call  thee."  I  had 
just  arrived  from  a  village  called  Cawva-Shinka,  or  Little 
Village,  situated  thirty  miles  from  the  Mission  ;  I  was  ex 
hausted  with  fatigue.  But  how  resist  an  invitation  so  press 
ing,  and  above  all  in  a  circumstance  so  grave  ?  After  a  mo 
ment  of  repose,  I  set  out  with  the  man.  Arrived  at  the  vil 
lage  at  midnight,  I  found  the  lodge  filled  with  women  and 
children,  crying,  and  singing  the  Indian  death-song.  I  be 
sought  them  to  conclude  these  lugubrious  accents,  and  ap 
proached  the  sick  woman,  extended  on  a  buffalo-hide,  and 
scarcely  covered  with  some  tattered  blankets.  She  was  un 
conscious.  As  she  appeared  to  me  not  likely  soon  to  return 
to  herself,  I  resolved  to  remain  until  morning.  An  Indian 
had  the  kindness  to  lend  me  his  blanket ;  I  wrapped  myself 
in  it,  and  endeavored  to  take  a  few  hours'  rest.  But  it  was 
vain.  I  never  passed  such  a  miserable  night.  The  women 
and  the  children  recommenced  their  fright/al  clamor;  the 
dogs  of  the  wigwam  passed  back  and  forw&rd  over  me  with 
such  steady  regularity,  that  it  would  have  1  pen  quite  impos 
sible  to  me  to  count  the  number  of  visits.  About  daylight, 
the  patient  began  to  give  some  signs  of  lif  ;  but  she  could 
not  yet  speak.  As  soon  as  she  had  rec«  vered  her  senses 
entirely,  I  made  her  a  short  exhortation.  She  appeared  at 
tentive,  and  gave  signs  of  real  joy.  I  ba[  tized  her,  and  de 
parted.  Two  hours  after  my  leaving  she  waa  perfectly  re 
covered.  She  arose,  took  her  infant,  and  nursed  it. 


366  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Not  long  after,  I  returned  to  the  same  village,  and  found 
myself  immediately  surrounded  by  men,  women,  and  chil 
dren,  shouting,  unanimously,  "  Komkai" — we  are  very  glad 
to  see  you.  This  word  is  used  for  giving  a  cordial  reception. 
After  recounting  to  me  the  fact,  and  the  cure  of  the  sick 
woman,  they  brought  me  twenty-five  children  to  baptize. 
"  Father,"  said  they  to  me,  "  we  believe  thy  words.  We 
know  that  baptism  comes  from  the  Great  Spirit.  We  are 
poor,  ignorant  people ;  we  cannot  read  the  book  that  con 
tains  the  word  of  the  Great  Spirit ;  but  thou  wilt  explain  it 
to  us,  and  we  will  believe  thee."  I  have  had  very  evident 
proofs  of  the  sincerity  of  their  good  intentions,  and  of  their 
firm  resolution  not  to  offend  God,  after  having  received 
baptism. 

About  a  month  ago,  I  stopped  at  an  Indian  wigwam.  Its 
inmates  had  not  been  able  to  go  to  the  chase,  on  account  of 
the  illness  of  their  little  daughter.  Her  mother  told  me 
that  they  were  suffering  with  hunger,  and  that  they  had  not 
eaten  meat  for  a  long  time.  She  added  that  she  had  seen  a 
stray  ox  in  the  forest,  belonging  to  a  white  man,  and,  that 
she  would  have  killed  it  had  she  not  recalled  the  promise 
that  she  had  made  at  her  baptism — rather  to  die  than  do 
that  which  is  sinful ;  that  she  preferred  to  die  of  hunger,  to 
offending  the  Great  Spirit ;  and,  that  if  she  had  killed  the 
ox,  the  Great  Spirit  would  no  longer  have  had  compassion 
on  her  in  her  misery.  This  little  recital  pleased  and  edified 
me.  I  could  not  refrain  from  reflecting,  that  the  condition 
of  the  world  would  be  widely  different,  did  all  Christians 
remember  as  faithfully  and  practically  their  baptismal  vow§ 
as  did  this  poor  Indian  woman. 

So  far,  we  have  baptized  more  than  five  hundred  persons. 
One  hundred  adults  and  children  have  had  the  happiness  of 
receiving  the  sacrament  of  regeneration  before  dying.  When 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  367 

the  Indians  are  well  taught,  we  have  not  much  to  fear  in 
regard  to  their  exemplary  conduct.  The  greatest  obstacle 
for  us  is  in  the  difficulty  that  we  experience  in  acquiring 
their  tongue.  It  contains  very  few  words,  and  those  quite 
inconvenient  for  expressing  abstract  ideas.  These  people 
have  some  confused  ideas  of  a  Supreme  Being,  of  the  im 
mortality  of  the  soul,  of  the  bliss  or  of  the  chastisements  of 
the  future  life ;  but  these  ideas  are  mingled  with  material 
and  superstitious  notions.  The  following  is  an  example  : 
They  believe  that  those  whom  the  Great  Spirit  admits  into 
his  happy  abode  will  there  receive  an  abundance  of  buffaloes, 
moose,  deer,  and  corn ;  that  when  a  person  dies,  his  soul 
continues  to  inhabit  the  place  in  which  it  quitted  the  body ; 
that  souls  sometimes  return  from  the  other  world,  to  take 
and  conduct  there  other  souls.  For  this  reason  they  fear  to 
travel  in  the  dark,  especially  when  any  one  is  very  ill;  they 
think  that  then  there  certainly  is  some  spirit  fluttering  about 
in  the  air.  Some  of  their  Vig-kontah  (jugglers)  pretend,  or 
many  occasions,  to  have  the  power  of  chasing  this  spirit,  and 
of  saving  the  life  of  the  person  who  is  dangerously  sick. 
When  there  is  danger  of  death,  the  most  superstitious  have 
frequent  recourse  to  these  "  medicine  men  ;"  a  horse,  a  mule, 
or  even  several,  must  reward  these  services.  I  knew  one  ot 
those  impostors  who  by  this  trade  had  gained,  in  one  spring 
only,  thirty-two  horses.  Their  efforts  tend  principally  to 
persuading  the  poor  Indians  not  to  call  upon  us  in  their  mal 
adies.  They  declare,  with  the  greatest  assurance,  that  they 
will  annul  the  efficaciousness  of  our  power. 

Last  spring  I  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Little  Osages.  The 
day  of  my  arrival,  I  baptized  three  persons  who  were  dan 
gerously  sick  ;  they  died  the  next  day.  Some  days  after,  a 
malignant  fever  broke  out,  and  proved  fatal  to  many.  The 
jugglers  attributed  the  cause  of  the  scourge  to  my  presence. 


368  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

declaring  that  I  had  annihilated  their  power  over  the  spirit*. 
It  is  afflicting,  but  also  somewhat  laughable,  to  see  these  jug 
glers  endeavoring  to  drive  away  the  spirits.  They  make 
themselves  as  hideous  as  possible,  equip  themselves  with  all 
their  instruments  and  weapons,  discharge  their  guns,  bran 
dish  their  clubs  and  tomahawks,  beat  the  drum,  and  have 
recourse,  in  fine,  to  whatever  can  produce  a  noise  ;  in  a  word, 
they  employ  all  imaginable  tricks  to  deceive  those  poor 
Indians.  But  their  power,  which  was  formerly  very  great,  is 
beginning  to  decline.  The  esteem  which  the  savages  had 
for  them  is  daily  diminishing.  The  Indians  are  attached  to 
us,  principally,  say  they,  because  we  have  no  wives  and 
ct/ldren.  u  If  you  had,"  they  say,  "  you  would  do  like  the 
missionaries  (the  presbyterians)  who  preceded  you,  you 
would  think  too  much  of  your  families,  and  you  would  neg 
lect  the  red-man  and  his  children." 

I  often  go  and  visit  them  in  their  villages,  and  I  am  always 
received  with  the  greatest  civility.  A  crier  precedes  me,  to 
announce  my  approach.  When  they  are  all  collected  in  a 
large  wigwam,  or  beneath  the  wide-spread  branches  of  some 
stately  tree,  I  begin  my  instruction.  They  listen  most 
attentively.  When  I  have  done  speaking,  the  chief  rises, 
and  addresses  his  tribe  some  words  of  paternal  advice,  and 
repeats  what  the  missionary  has  said,  or  makes  comments  on 
it.  One  Sunday  a  chief  named  Pai-nonpashe,  of  the  Great- 
Hill  Village,  on  the  Verdigris  River,  came  to  see  his  two 
children,  who  were  boarding  with  us.  A  short  instruction, 
which  I  gave  after  mass,  produced  such  an  impression  on  hif 
mind,  that,  when  returning  home,  he  said  to  a  half-breed  who 
accompanied  him  :  "  I  begin  now  to  discover  what  we  must 
do  to  be  agreeable  to  the  Great  Spirit,  and  to  become  happy 
in  this  life  and  in  the  other." 

The  excellent  health  enjoyed  by  our  children  at  the  mis 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  369 

sion  school,  greatly  astonishes  the  parents.  Indeed,  thus  far 
sickness  has  been  unknown  among  them  ;  not  one  of  them 
has  died  since  we  have  been  here.  This  contributes  much  to 
augment  the  confidence  which  the  Indians  feel  towards  us, 
and  dissipates  all  their  fears  during  the  season  of  the  great 
hunts,  n  which  they  are  obliged  to  remove  from  us  for 
several  months. 

When  the  frightful  ravages  caused  by  the  cholera  along 
the  river  Kansas,  at  Westport,  and  in  other  places,  were 
known  here,  the  Osages,  panic-struck,  immediately  resolved 
to  go  and  seek  their  safety  in  the  plains.  Some  desired  to 
conduct  their  children  with  them  ;  but  the  majority  opposed 
it,  in  the  firm  persuasion  that  they  would  be  in  security  un 
der  the  care  of  the  Black-gowns,  and  protected  by  the  Son 
of  God  and  his  Holy  Mother.  They  therefore  retired  to  the 
plains,  and  left  their  children  with  us.  They  had  been  but 
a  short  time  in  their  new  abode,  when  the  cholera  declared 
itself  in  the  most  terrible  manner,  and  carried  off  a  great 
number.  Perceiving  their  error  in  having  fled  from  the  mis 
sion,  they  hastened  to  return,  and  encamp,  as  they  said, 
quite  near  the  kind  Fathers.  They  consequently  hastened 
with  such  precipitation  that  they  made  no  provision,  and 
travelled  day  and  night.  In  proportion  as  they  reached 
their  own  lands,  the  scourge  diminished.  The  last  case  of 
death  occurred  at  fifteen  miles  from  the  mission. 

The  greatest  difficulties  we  encounter  arise  from  the  half- 
bloods,  almost  all  of  French  origin.  They  have  nothing  of 
the  Catholic  but  baptism,  and  an  inviolable  attachment  tc 
their  creed,  of  which,  for  want  of  instruction,  they  know 
almost  nothing,  and  they  practise  still  less.  They  have, 
again  and  again,  proved  to  the  Protestant  ministers  that 
their  efforts  to  make  them  change  their  religion  were  abso 
lutely  useless. 


370  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Another  obstacle  for  us  is  the  mode  of  life  that  the  Indiana 
are  obliged  to  lead,  in  order  to  procure  the  provisions  that 
are  necessary  for  their  subsistence.  They  commonly  pass  six 
months  of  the  year  in  the  chase,  which  forces  them  to  remove 
from  us,  and  exposes  the  morality  of  those  who  would  wish 
to  live  as  exemplary  Christians,  to  great  temptations  and 
dangers.  I  hope  that  this  state  of  affairs  will  change ;  for 
many  are  already  convinced  that  they  cannot  long  rely  on 
the  game,  and  that  they  should  have  already  commenced 
cultivating  their  grounds,  had  they  but  the  means  necessary. 

A  deputation  of  the  nation,  composed  of  the  principal 
chief,  of  five  warriors,  and  an  interpreter,  went  to  pay  a  visit 
to  their  "  Great  Father."  President  Taylor  received  them 
with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  encouraged  them  to  com 
mence  cultivating  their  lands.  I  cannot  express  to  you  the 
gratitude  that  I  experience  when  I  think  of  the  truly  pater 
nal  care  lavished  on  my  dear  savages  by  their  Great  Father, 
and  by  all  the  officers  employed  in  the  Indian  department. 
The  savages  have  been  greatly  flattered  by  it.  I  am  fully 
convinced  that  great  good  will  result  from  it. 

This,  Rev.  Father,  is  but  an  imperfect  sketch  of  the  state 
of  our  mission,  in  which  we  hope  to  gather  many  fruits  of 
salvation,  if  it  please  God  that  we  remain  in  it.  Pecuniary 
difficulties  have  placed,  and  still  place  us  in  very  critical 
positions;  but,  Rev.  Father,  the  assistance  that  we  some 
times  receive  from  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  from  some 
generous  hearts  and  friends  of  the  Indians,  relieves  us.  We 
hope  in  divine  Providence  for  all  and  in  all.  "  God  is  faith 
ful."  Commend  us  to  the  prayers  of  your  pious  congrega 
tion,  and  of  your  kind  community  in  St.  Louis. 
Reverend  and  most  dear  Father, 

Your  devoted  brother  in  J  esus  Christ, 

J.  J.  BAX,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  371 


Letter  XXX, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

The  Osag es.— Third  Letter  of  Father  JSax. 

BRUSSELS,  January  25, 1857. 
REVEREND  FATHER  : 

This  letter  is  the  last  written  by  the  Rev.  Father  Ba2L 
I  g^e  you  an  extract  from  it  in  my  22d  Letter,  when  sketojy 
ing  the  biography  of  that  zealous  missionary,  who  fell  a  vic 
tim  to  his  devotedness  in  the  malady,  the  ravages  of  which 
he  here  mentions : 


MlflSION  AMONG  THE  OsAQBS,  ST.  FRANOtt  ) 

HIKBONTMO,  April  18,  1852.         J 

REVEREND  AND  DEAR  FATHER  : — I  desired  to  write  to  you 
much  sooner,  but  we  have  been  for  some  time,  and  are  yet, 
in  a  terrible  crisis.  I  have  never  witnessed  aught  like  it ; 
yet  God's  gracious  will  be  done ! 

About  three  weeks  before  the  grand  solemnity  of  Easter, 
forty-five  children  of  our  boarding-school  fell  sick,  in  an 
interval  of  three  days  and  a  half.  At  first,  we  could  not 
discern  the  nature  of  the  malady.  It  commenced  by  a 
heavy  cold,  attended  with  a  burning  fever.  After  four  or 
five  days,  the  measles  broke  out.  At  first  the  alarm  was 
not  very  great,  but  the  measles  disappeared  and  was  replaced 
by  a  putrid  fever.  On  PassioD  P^nday,  the  saddest  of  my 


372  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

life,  we  had  two  corpses  laid  out,  and  about  twelve  of  our 
children  in  danger  of  death.  Eleven  of  our  scholars  feU 
victims  in  a  short  time,  and  two  will  perhaps  speedily  follow 
them.  We  are  obliged  to  interrupt  the  school  for  some 
time,  until  this  terrible  visitation  be  passed.  The  contagion 
is  spreading  among  the  Indians,  and  the  mortality  is  very 
great.  It  will  be  difficult  to  collect  again  the  scattered  flock. 
However,  I  may  say,  that  never  hitherto,  either  among  peo 
ple  of  color  or  whites,  either  among  persons  of  the  world  or 
religious,  have  I  been  witness  to  so  much  piety  and  fervor  on 
the  bed  of  death,  as  were  exhibited  by  our  young  neophytes. 
They  may  serve  as  models.  Some,  prompted  by  their  own 
piety,  asked  to  hold  the  crucifix  in  their  hands,  and  pressed 
it  fervently  to  them,  without  being  willing  to  yield  it,  during 
more  than  two  hours.  They  wished  the  statue  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  to  be  placed  near  the  pillows  of  their  beds.  They 
implored  the  assistance  of  their  holy  Mother,  and  fixed  their 
dying  eyes  on  her  image.  I  firmly  hope  and  believe  thai 
they  already  enjoy  the  presence  of  God. 

The  Lord  seems  to  be  willing  to  gather  into  his  garner  the 
little  that  we  have  sowed  here  below.  What  may  be  the 
designs  of  Providence  for  the  future,  we  cannot  and  dare 
not  conjecture.  We  have  lost  several  of  our  best  scholars, 
and  of  those  on  whom  we  had  founded  our  greatest  expec 
tations. 

Reverend  and  dear  father, 

Your  very  devoted  servant 

and  brother  in  Jesus  Christ, 

J.  J.  BAX,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  373 


Letter  XXII, 

To  A  FATHER  OF  THE  SOCIETY  OF  JESUS.* 
Conversion  of  Randolph  Benton,  son  of  Thomas  H.  JBenton. 

REVEREND  AND  DEAR  FATHER  : 

While  Kossuth  was  in  our  midst,  stirring  up  civil  and 
religious  dissensions,  God  consoled  his  calumniated  children 
by  the  conversion  of  several  Protestants.  To  comply  with 
the  wish  expressed  in  your  last  letter,  I  will  relate  to  you 
the  details  of  the  conversion  of  young  Mr.  Randolph  Ben- 
ton,  the  only  son  of  the  distinguished  and  Hon.  Thomas  H. 
Benton,  one  of  the  most  eminent  statesmen  of  this  vast 
republic. 

This  great  man,  who,  for  thirty  years,  with  the  greatest 
distinction  and  with  a  patriotic  zeal,  has  served  his  country 
as  Senator  from  Missouri,  professes,  with  the  rest  of  his  fam 
ily,  the  Presbyterian  religion.  Young  Randolph,  possessed 
of  talent,  and  yet  very  young,  had  been  difficult  to  manage 
and  had  proved  the  source  of  a  good  deal  of  anxiety  to  his 
worthy  parents,  particularly  to  his  aged  father,  who  had 
formed  great  hopes  of  him.  The  son  was  only  twenty-two 
years  and  four  months  old  when  he  died,  and  yet,  though  so 
young,  he  had  rambled  over  the  greater  portion  of  the  Uni 
ted  States,  New  Mexico,  California,  and  Oregon.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  he  accompanied  his  brother-in-law,  the  celebrated 

*  This  letter  was  transmitted  by  Father  De  Smet,  after  Col.  Benton'a 
death,  to  the  "  N.  Y.  Freeman's  Journal,"  and  published  May  1,  1858. 
32 


374  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

Colonel  Fremont,  in  the  exploration  of  the  Great  Western 
Desert.  Four  years  later,  he  resided  for  some  time  at  West 
phalia,  Missouri,  where  we  had  a  residence,  and  there  ap 
plied  himself  to  the  study  of  the  German,  under  the  instruc 
tion  of  one  of  our  Fathers,  and  perhaps  it  is  owing  to  this 
circumstance,  that  ever  since  he  has  felt  so  much  respect  for 
our  holy  religion.  I  will  briefly  relate  the  details  of  his  con- 
rersion. 

He  had  returned  from  New  Mexico  to  St.  Louis,  and  for 
some  weeks  had  been  staying  with  his  parents.  He  con 
ceived  the  idea  of  applying  himself  to  the  study  of  the  sci 
ences  and  of  the  ancient  languages,  and  of  rapidly  acquiring 
a  knowledge  of  them.  In  this  intention,  and  by  the  advice 
of  his  father,  he  called  upon  the  President  of  the  Univer 
sity,*  and  asked  to  be  admitted  to  its  classes  as  an  extern,  if 
his  age  should  be  an  objection  to  his  entrance  as  a  boarder. 
The  arrangements  for  his  admission  had  all  been  fixed,  when 
a  few  days  later  he  was  attacked  with  bilious  diarrhoea, 
which  very  quickly  prostrated  him. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that,  meeting  the  honored  Senator, 
I  was  informed  by  him  of  the  sad  news  of  his  son's  danger 
ous  illness.  At  his  request  I  visited  the  invalid,  and  found 
him  in  a  condition  truly  alarming.  Young  Eandolph  ex 
pressed  to  me  the  very  great  joy  he  felt  upon  seeing  me,  and 
thanked  me  warmly  for  my  visit.  I  seated  myself  by  his 
sick  couch,  and  exhorted  him  to  place  all  his  confidence  iu 
divine  Providence,  and  in  the  mercy  of  our  Redeemer.  He 
listened  to  me  with  marked  attention,  and  at  the  same  time 
manifested  sentiments  both  of  piety  and  resignation  to  God'i 
will.  "0  God,"  he  exclaimed,— "yes,  O  God,  thou  dost 
send  to  us  what  is  best !"  I  then  spoke  to  him  of  the  essen- 

*  St.  Louis  University 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  375 

rial  points  of  our  religion,  to  all  of  which  Randolph  ex 
pressed  his  assent,  couched  in  words  replete  with  fervor  and 
piety.  The  Senator  was  present  during  the  interview,  and 
seeing  in  his  son  such  Christian  sentiments,  affectionately 
clasped  my  hand,  and  leading  me  away  a  little  distance  from 
the  bed,  said  to  me  with  transport,  "  Oh,  but  it  is  consoling  1 
The  words  of  my  son  fill  me  with  joy,  despite  the  grief  which 
tears  my  heart.  God  be  blessed.  If  he  dies  he  will  die  a 
Christian."  The  venerable  old  man  then  burst  into  tears,  and 
retired  into  a  neighboring  room  in  order  to  conceal  his  emo 
tion.  I  returned  to  the  bedside  of  Randolph,  and  he  an 
nounced  to  me  his  desire  of  being  received  into  the  Catholic 
Church.  "I  desire,  with  all  my  heart,"  he  said,  "to  be  bap 
tized.  It  is  a  great  boon  which  Heaven  vouchsafes  to  me. 
My  father  certainly  will  consent  to  it."  I  immediately  en 
tered  the  apartment  to  which  his  father  had  retired,  to 
communicate  his  son's  wish,  and  to  console  him  by  the 
condition  of  his  son  in  a  religious  point  of  view.  I  also 
spoke  of  the  urgency  and  the  necessity  of  baptism.  The 
Senator  willingly  consented.  He  would  have  desired  that 
the  ceremony  should  be  postponed  for  a  few  hours  "  until 
the  opiates,  which  for  a  day  past  had  been  given  to  the 
patient,  should  have  procured  for  him  a  little  sleep,"  but 
there  was  danger  in  thus  delaying.  This  forced  sleep  made 
me  uneasy.  I  remarked  to  the  Senator  that  the  ceremony 
could  not  in  any  manner  disturb  the  patient's  sleep,  except 
for  a  very  few  moments ;  it  might  have  a  beneficial  effect  in 
tranquillizing  his  mind.  He  affectionately  asked  me  to  per 
form  for  his  son  the  duties  of  my  holy  ministry.  The  latter 
learned  this  consent  with  joy  and  gratitude,  and  immediately 
prepared  himself  to  receive  the  holy  sacrament  of  baptism. 
While  I  was  administering  it  to  him,  he  devoutly  crossed  his 
arms  over  his  breast,  and  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven  prayed 


376  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

with  fervor,  thanking  God  for  the  signal  grace  accorded  to 
him.  I  then  left  him,  urging  him  to  try  and  take  some 
sleep.  I  left  in  order  to  procure  th«  blessed  sacrament  of  the 
holy  oils.  An  hour  later  I  received  the  following  note,  writ 
ten  by  Colonel  Benton  : 


HALF-PAST  11  O'CLOCK,  March  16, 

MY  DEAR  FATHER  DE  SMET  : 

I  went  into  the  room  the  moment  you  left  me.  He 
immediately  said  to  me,  "  Are  you  pleased  with  what  I  have 
done  ?"  I  said,  "  I  am  ;"  and  then  engaged  him  to  yield  to 
the  opiates  he  had  taken,  and  go  to  sleep.  He  said,  "  Ex 
citement  and  happiness  have  done  more  for  me  than  sleep 
could  do,"  and  immediately  turning  his  eyes  to  heaven  as  he 
lay  on  his  back,  the  head  raised  on  the  pillow,  he  said  in  a 
clear,  calm,  modulated  voice,  and  radiant  look,  "  Thank  God, 
I  am  happy  !"  Then  turning  his  eyes  to  me,  with  the  same 
voice  and  look,  he  repeated  the  words  to  me,  and  said,  "  I 
intended  to  do  it  long  ago,  but  did  not  know  whether  you 
would  like  it."  I  told  him  he  made  me  happy.  And  truly 
it  is  the  first  feeling  of  relief  I  have  had  in  these  five  terri 
ble  days  and  nights.  So,  dear  Father,  all  is  in  your  hands 
now.  You  are  giving  peace  to  me  in  giving  it  to  him. 
Affectionately, 

THOS.  H.  BENJPOW. 

In  another  letter  of  Colonel  Benton  to  me,  on  the  day  •»**• 
sequent  to  the  death  of  his  son,  he  wrote  as  follows  : 

DEAR  FATHER  DE  SMET  : 

This  is  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Burke,  a  school  com 
rade  and  friend  of  my  poor  child  years  ago.     I  wish  you  to 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  377 

talk  with  him.  He  will  show  that  it  was  indeed  long  (in  hii 
short  life)  that  he  meditated  the  step  he  took — even  four 
years  ago.  He  will  give  to  you  gratifying  details,  as  he  has 
to  me,  and  will  show  (what  you  and  I  well  knew,  from  him 
self  and  from  our  observation)  that  it  was  not  the  near 
approach  of  death  and  the  sick-bed  that  brought  him  to  this 
act,  but  his  own  heart,  in  the  happiest  state  of  his  health 
and  mind. 

THOS.  H.  BENTON. 

Young  Randolph,  during  his  last  hours,  was  surrounded 
by  many  of  his  near  relatives  and  friends.  During  his  lucid 
moments  he  did  not  cease  to  manifest  the  deepest  gratitude 
to  the  divine  goodness,  that  he  should  have  been  led  back 
to  the  fold  of  Christ.  He  received  the  last  sacraments  with 
sentiments  of  great  fervor ;  and  tranquilly,  about  sunrise  of 
the  17th  March,  1852,  went  to  sleep  in  the  Lord,  confident 
in  the  hope  that  he  exchanged  this  mortal  life  for  another 
and  a  happier  one  forever  in  heaven.  The  funeral  services 
were  performed  at  the  cathedral.  The  Most  Rev.  Arch 
bishop  himself  officiated  and  pronounced  a  beautiful  dis 
course,  well  suited  to  the  occasion.  These  circumstances, 
together  with  the  edifying  scenes  of  the  last  moments,  and 
of  the  conversion  of  his  son,  cannot  fail  to  leave  a  deep  and 
favorable  impression  upon  the  mind  and  the  heart  of  the 
venerable  and  illustrious  Senator ;  for  he  shared  the  happy 
sentiments  so  piously  and  so  tenderly  expressed  by  his  son, 
before  and  after  the  latter  had  had  the  happiness  to  receive 
tfce  grace  of  baptism. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  S.  J. 


378 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


Letter  XXXII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

Religious  Situation  of  St.  Louis  and  St.  Ferdinand. — Death  of 
Itev.  Father  Box. — The  Osages. 

REVEREND  FATHER  : 

The  following  is  the  copy  of  a  letter  which  I  wrote  to 
the  Canon  De  la  Croix,  at  Ghent.  If  that  respected  ecclesi 
astic  will  allow  its  publication,  it  may  form  the  continuation 
of  those  which  I  have  already  addressed  you : 


ST.  JOSEPH'S  COLLEGE,  KENTUCKY,  April  16,  1855. 

REVEREND  SIR  : — I  am  informed,  by  a  letter  from  one  of 
our  Fathers  in  Belgium,  that  you  have  authorized  him  to 
announce  to  us  an  advantageous  donation,  allowed  by  the 
"  Propagation  of  the  Faith"  in  Lyons,  for  the  purpose  of  aid 
ing  the  society  in  its  labors  in  Missouri,  which,  at  the  present 
time,  extends  into  several  other  States  and  Territories,  situated 
in  the  West  of  this  vast  republic.  I  thank  you,  in  the  name 
of  the  Rev.  Father  Provincial,  with  sentiments  of  the  most 
sincere  and  heartfelt  gratitude. 

Since  the  period  of  your  departure,  there  have  been  many 
changes  in  the  wild-woods  which  you  were  one  of  the  first 
to  evangelize.  I  thought  it  would  give  you  pleasure  to  enter 
Hto  some  details  concerning  the  cities  of  St.  Louis  and  of 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  379 

St.  Ferdinand,  with  which  you  were  formerly  so  well  ac 
quainted,  and  of  the  nomadic  tribe  of  the  Osages,  of  which 
you  were  the  earliest  apostle. 

In  1823,  St.  Louis  counted  but  3000  or  4000  inhabitants. 
There  was  but  one  poor  Catholic  church — and  two  schools 
were  all  that  she  could  boast.  At  the  present  day  her  popu 
lation  exceeds  120,000  souls;  there  is  a  handsome  cathedral, 
with  eleven  other  churches,  a  seminary  for  the  secular  clergy, 
a  large  and  magnificent  hospital,  directed  by  the  Sisters  of 
St.  Vincent  of  Paul ;  a  college  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
boarders,  one  hundred  and  twenty  half-boarders  and  externs, 
and  three  hundred  or  four  hundred  children  gratuitously 
admitted.  There  is  a  boarding-school  for  the  children  of 
good  families,  under  the  direction  of  the  Brothers  of  the 
Christian  schools ;  the  Ladies  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  the 
Sisters  of  the  Visitation,  and  the  Ursulines,  have  handsome 
and  extensive  boarding-schools  for  young  ladies.  Five  asy 
lums,  for  the  two  sexes,  contain  beyond  five  hundred 
children ;  and  there  is  also  a  foundling  hospital.  A  house  of 
retreat  is  opened  to  penitents,  and  to  young  girls  in  danger. 
Eleven  or  twelve  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  are  conducted  by 
religious.  I  regret  that  I  have  not  the  statistics  of  the 
fructus  animarum  (fruit  of  souls)  ;  it  must  be  extremely 
consoling,  for  all  the  churches  are  very  well  frequented. 

The  fervor  of  the  Catholics  corresponds  everywhere  to  the 
zeal  of  their  pastors.  The  union  and  harmony  which  reign 
between  the  secular  and  regular  clergy,  under  the  paternal 
administration  of  our  venerable  archbishop,  contributes  much 
to  propagate  our  holy  religion,  and  to  maintain  the  fervor  01 
the  faithful  in  St.  Louis.  The  Faith  keeps  pace  with  the 
rapid  and  wonderful  increase  of  our  flourishing  city,  which 
you  saw  in  its  cradle  ! 

The  following  are  some  details  of  the  spiritual  fruits  which 


380  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

rejoice  the  pastors  of  the  church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  :  In 
the  course  of  the  last  year  the  communions  exceeded  fifty 
thousand.  Every  year  the  conversions  of  Protestants  to  the 
Catholic  religion  amounts  to  as  many  as  sixty  or  eighty.  The 
two  Sodalities  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  number  more  than  four 
hundred  members,  belonging  to  every  rank  of  society — law 
yers,  physicians,  merchants,  clerks,  and  artists,  are  members 
of  them  ;  all  approach  the  holy  table  once  a  month,  and 
wear  the  miraculous  medal  of  our  good  Mother.  The  Arch- 
confraternity  numbers  from  five  thousand  to  six  thousand 
members ;  the  Confraternity  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  two  thou 
sand.  The  sunday-school  attached  to  the  church  is  fre 
quented  by  nearly  one  thousand  children. 

From  St.  Louis  to  St.  Ferdinand,  or  Florissant,  fifteen 
miles  distant,  there  is  a  succession  of  beautiful  farms  and 
neat  country  residences.  You  would  not  easily,  Reverend 
Sir,  recognize  it  now.  The  convent,  of  which  you  were  the 
founder,  has  been  enlarged  since  your  departure,  and  has 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Lorettines,  a  branch  of  the 
house  of  Loretto,  in  Kentucky,  instituted  by  the  venerable 
M.  Nerinckx.  The  farm,  formerly  belonging  to  the  bishop, 
is  greatly  extended.  Of  the  old  cottage,  and  of  the  crib 
which  served  you  as  a  bed,  there  now  remains  but  an  edify 
ing  remembrance — our  brothers  have  replaced  them  by  a 
novitiate  and  scholasticate,  built  of  hewn  stone ;  these  twt? 
establishments  contain,  at  the  present  day,  a  community  ol 
nearly  sixty  religious,  forty  of  whom  are  novices  ;  among  the 
latter  many  Americans. 

You  will  undoubtedly  be  gratified  to  have  some  news  ol 
the  mission  of  St.  Francis  Hieronymo  among  the  Osages,  to 
whom  you  were  the  first  to  announce  the  consolations  of  the 
everlasting  Gospel.  The  seed  of  salvation  which  you  planted, 
and  which  was  afterwards  neglected,  has  not  been  sterile 


AND   MISSIONAEIES.  381 

You  are  acquainted  with  the  difficulties  of  the  Osage  mis- 
lion.  Being  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  boundary  line  of  the 
United  States,  these  Indians  learn  to  adopt,  very  easily,  all 
the  vices  of  the  whites,  without  joining  to  them  any  of  their 
virtues,  They  forget  the  frugality  and  simplicity  which  for 
merly  characterized  them,  and  give  themselves  up  to  intern 
perance  and  the  perfidiousness  of  civilized  life.  However, 
every  year  a  considerable  number  of  adults  enter  the  bosom 
of  the  Church ;  a  great  number  of  children  receive  baptism, 
and  as  they  often  die  very  young,  they  are  so  many  innocent 
souls  who  intercede  in  heaven  for  the  conversion  of  their 
unhappy  parents,  buried  in  the  grossest  superstition  and 
idolatry  of  paganism. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  an  epidemic  malady,  which  made 
great  ravages,  became  for  a  large  number  (although  weaken 
ing  the  power  of  their  nation)  a  blessed  occasion  of  salva 
tion.  The  violence  of  this  disease,  against  which  the  Indian 
cannot  be  easily  induced  to  take  necessary  precautions,  the 
sufferings  of  the  whole  tribe,  the  universal  panic,  the  grief — 
all  these  miseries  presenting  themselves  under  a  thousand  dif 
ferent  forms — wrung  the  hearts  of  the  missionaries.  Naught 
but  the  reflection  that  Providence  had  sent  this  terrible  scourge 
for  their  spiritual  good,  was  capable  of  consoling  them. 

During  this  unhappy  year,  and  when  the  extreme  violence 
of  the  epidemic  had  ceased,  we  were  called  to  deplore  the 
loss  of  Father  Bax,  who  fell  a  victim  of  truly  heroic  chaiity, 
exercised  towards  the  poor  savages,  in  order  to  soothe  their 
Bufferings,  and  win  their  souls  to  God.  Father  Bax  was 
born  on  the  15th  of  January,  1817,  in  a  village  near  Turn- 
hout,  in  Belgium.  The  disease,  which  commenced  among 
the  children  of  the  mission,  spread  rapidly  throughout  all 
the  villages  of  the  tribe.  Father  Bax,  by  his  knowledge  ot 
medicine,  and  the  cures  which  he  effected,  was  renowned 


382 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 


throughout  the  nation.  The  savages  came  in  troops  from 
every  side  to  :all  him  into  their  camps.  It  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  form  an  idea  of  all  the  fatigues  he  was  obliged  to 
endure.  From  early  morning,  after  having  given  some 
assistance  to  the  children  of  the  mission  school,  he  would  go 
into  the  environs,  from  cabin  to  cabin,  bearing  gladness  and 
comfort  in  his  passage.  He  afterwards  would  turn  his  steps 
to  the  other  camps  of  the  nation,  to  offer  them  the  same 
blessings.  To  do  the  last,  it  became  necessary  to  employ 
several  days,  and  endure  very  heavy  fatigue  in  visiting  them. 
The  zealous  religious  administered  the  last  sacraments  to  the 
dying,  baptized  the  expiring  infants,  taught  the  catechu 
mens,  exhorted,  and  often  succeeded  in  converting,  the  most 
obstinate.  He  performed  at  once  the  office  of  physician, 
catechist,  and  priest.  He  returned  to  the  house  of  the  mis 
sionaries,  exhausted  with  fatigue,  only  to  renew  on  the  mor 
row  the  same  deeds  of  charity,  braving  the  inclemency  of 
the  seasons — the  frequent  rains  of  spring,  the  sudden  and 
overpowering  heat  of  summer,  with  the  sudden  cold  which 
•ucceeds  the  heat  in  these  sections,  at  this  epoch  of  the  year. 
All  this  devotedness  was  not  capable  of  hindering  the 
malice  of  some  enemies — let  us  rather  say,  the  rage  of  hell, 
irritated  at  the  view  of  so  many  souls  rescued  from  its  grasp. 
The  devil  invented  against  the  excellent  missionary,  and 
against  the  whole  mission,  a  calumny, — extremely  ridiculous, 
without  doubt,  in  the  eyes  of  the  civilized,  but  entirely  in 
accordance  with  Indian  prejudices,  superstition,  and  credulity. 
A  report  was  spread  throughout  the  camps,  that  the  whites 
were  the  authors  of  the  scourge ;  that  the  Black-gowns  (the 
priests)  had  a  magical  charm,  vulgarly  called  medicine, 
which  killed  all  the  Indians ;  that  this  charm  was  a  certain 
Joofc,  in  which  they  inscribed  the  names  of  the  Osages,  and 
thereby  obtained  a  power  of  life  or  death  over  all  those 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  383 

whose  names  the  book  contained.  The  register  of  baptisms 
was  meant  They  hold  the  superstitious  belief  that  whoso 
ever  possesses  a  book,  has  an  absolute  empire  over  the  life 
of  those  whose  names  are  written  in  it.  The  calumny 
spread  from  village  to  village,  in  all  the  cabins  ;  as  it  was 
propagated,  its  details  assumed  a  darker  hue.  The  malevo 
lent  went  about  exhorting  their  companions  to  attack  the 
mission,  saying  that  they  would  arrest  the  course  of  the 
malady,  if  they  could  attain  the  destruction  of  the  terrible 
magical  charm,  by  burning  the  enchanted  book  possessed  by 
the  missionaries.  This  absurd  tale  was  sufficient  to  engage 
several  parents  to  withdraw  their  children  from  the  mission 
school. 

Fortunately,  the  Black-gowns  had  influential  friends  among 
the  chiefs  of  the  Osages.  They  went  no  farther — on  reason 
ing  with  the  most  intelligent  Indians,  they  succeeded  in  ap 
peasing  their  rage  and  ill-will.  The  Lord,  who  permits  the 
rising  of  the  tempest,  can  calm  it  at  his  own  good  time ! 

Heaven  accorded  its  benedictions  to  the  efforts  of  Father 
Bax  and  his  companions  in  this  painful  ministry.  Of  nearly 
1500  savages,  who  were  swept  away  by  the  epidemic,  all, 
with  a  very  few  exceptions,  had  the  happiness  of  being  for 
tified  by  the  last  sacraments  of  the  Church  before  dying. 
Seized,  at  last,  himself  with  symptoms  of  the  illness,  Father 
Bax  continued  his  ordinary  labors,  and  dragged  himself 
around  to  visit  the  .sick  and  dying.  His  zeal  would  not  suf 
fer  him  to  attend  to  himself.  Strength  soon  failed  him. 
He  was  dying  while  still  laboring !  He  was  obliged,  at  last, 
to  consent  to  allow  himself  to  be  transported  about  forty 
miles  from  tho  mission,  to  Fort  Scott,  a  military  post,  where 
one  of  the  most  skilful  physicians  of  the  United  States  army 
then  resided.  It  was  too  late,  all  the  cares  of  the  doctor, 
proved  useless.  The  good  religious,  the  indefatigable  mis- 


384  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

sionary,  was  a  fruit  ripe  for  heaven.  At  the  end  of  six  weeks 
he  died  as  he  had  lived.  His  last  aspirations  showed  still 
his  unfading  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  his  dear  savages. 

During  the  five  years  that  he  passed  in  the  missions,  he 
brought  back  to  the  faith  a  great  number  of  half-bloods, 
formerly  baptized  in  the  Church,  but  for  want  of  priests 
and  instructions,  unfortunately  perverted  by  Protestant  min 
isters  ;  besides,  he  baptized  more  than  2000  Indians,  as  well 
children  as  adults,  of  every  age.  He  instructed  his  neo 
phytes  with  the  greatest  care,  and  the  most  pains-taking  as 
siduity.  His  charity  had  so  gained  the  hearts,  that  all  these 
savages  called  him  only  by  the  beautiful  word,  which  in  the 
Osage  language  signifies,  "the  Father  who  is  all  heart." 

His  death  excited  profound  regret.  His  fellow-religious 
iherished  him,  and  had  always  been  edified  by  his  ex 
ample  and  his  virtues ;  the  whites  whom  he  visited  on  the 
frontiers  of  the  States,  whom  he  fortified  and  encouraged  in 
the  abandonment  in  which  he  found  them,  loved  him  as  & 
protector;  but  his  loss  was  especially  felt  by  the  tribe 
which  he  evangelized  with  so  much  constancy,  ardor,  and 
success. 

Some  days  before  his  death,  Father  Bax  wrote  me  at 
follows : 

"The  contagion  is  spreading  among  the  Indians,  and  the 
mortality  is  very  great.  The  difficulty  will  be,  to  collect  the 
scattered  flock ;  however,  I  have  the  consolation  of  being 
able  to  say,  that  never  yet,  either  among  the  negroes,  or 
among  the  whites,  or  among  religious,  or  among  persons  of 
the  world,  have  I  ever  been  witness  to  as  much  fervor  and 
piety  on  the  bed  of  death.  Edifying  is  the  death  of  which 
our  young  neophytes  have  given  the  example.  Some,  of 
their  own  free  will,  asked  to  hold  the  crucifix  in  their  hands ; 
they  clasped  it  without  leaving  it,  for  more  than  two  hours 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  385 

fhe  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  to  be  placed  by  their 
pillows.  Imploring  the  assistance  of  their  good  Mother,  they 
fixed  their  dying  eyes  on  her  image.  I  have  the  strong 
hope  that  they  already  enjoy  the  presence  of  God.  Tho 
Lord  seems  to  wish  to  gather  into  his  granary  the  little  that 
we  have  sowed  here  below.  What  may  be  the  designs  of 
his  Providence  for  the  future  of  our  mission,  we  cannot, 
and  we  dare  not  conjecture.  May  His  holy  will  be  accom 
plished  !" 

This  is  the  last  letter  I  had  the  happiness  of  receiving 
from  Father  Bax. 

The  Osage  nation,  like  the  greater  part  of  the  other 
tribes  of  the  Great  Western  Desert,  which  were  formerly  so 
numerous  and  flourishing,  is  rapidly  diminishing  in  numbers. 
It  is  now  reduced  to  3000  souls,  and  divided  into  twelve  vil 
lages,  situated  in  different  directions  around  the  centre  of  the 
mission.  Ordinarily,  the  Osages  dwell  or  encamp  in  the 
valleys  on  the  borders  of  the  rivers,  or  near  some  spring  oi 
pure  and  overflowing  water.  They  live,  for  the  most  part, 
as  in  the  primitive  times,  on  the  roots  and  spontaneous  fruits 
of  the  earth,  and  the  animals  which  they  kill  in  the  chase. 

There  are  but  two  Fathers  to  visit  these  different  villages, 
situated  at  the  distance  of  fifty  and  seventy  miles  from  each 
other.  The  toils  and  fatigues  of  the  holy  ministry  there  are 
excessive.  The  catechumens  must  be  instructed,  the  neo 
phytes  sustained,  the  sick  and  dying  visited,  and  continual 
efforts  made  to  convert  obstinate  adults.  Amid  so  many 
obstacles,  so  many  privations  and  difficulties,  the  missionaries 
find  also  sweet  consolations  in  the  fruits  which  the  Lord 
deigns  to  grant  to  their  labors.  Every  year  they  baptize 
fcinong  the  Osages  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

The  missionaries  also  visit  the  neighboring  tribes,  such  as 
tho  Quapaws,  who  number  only  three  hundred  and  fifty, 
33 


386  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

and  of  whom  one  hundred  and  thirty  adults  ai  d  children 
have  been  baptized  in  the  course  of  the  last  two  years.  En 
tire  families  have  received  baptism  among  the  Piorias  and 
the  Miamis.  The  Senecas,  the  Cherokees,  Creeks,  Shaw- 
nees,  and  other  nations,  situated  two  hundred  miles  south  of 
the  mission,  can  be  visited  only  once  or  twice  in  the  year. 
Notwithstanding  the  Opposition  of  Protestant  ministers,  there 
are  some  Catholics  among  all  these  tribes.  A  great  number 
of  European  Catholic  families  live  dispersed  on  the  frontiers 
of  the  States  of  Missouri,  Arkansas,  and  Texas,  which  border 
on  the  Indian  territory  now  called  Kansas.  They  receive, 
from  time  to  time,  the  visit  and  the  spiritual  aid  of  one  or 
other  Father  of  the  mission  of  St.  Francis  Hieronymo.  The 
sight  of  a  priest,  the  happiness  of  hearing  mass,  and  of  ap 
proaching  the  holy  table,  draw  tears  of  joy  from  these  ex 
cellent  children  of  the  Church.  Without  these  visits  they 
would  be  entirely  abandoned.  The  destitution  of  priests  is 
one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  defection  of  thousands  of 
Catholics,  who  gradually  lose  their  faith. 

Two  boarding-schools  have  been  established  in  the  mission 
of  the  Osages :  one  for  boys,  under  the  direction  of  a  Father 
and  of  several  brothers ;  the  other  for  girls,  under  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Loretto,  from  Kentucky.  These 
two  schools  ordinarily  contain  more  than  a  hundred  Indian 
children.  They  teach  them  the  elements  of  literature,  with 
the  principles  of  civilization,  at  the  same  time  that  they  ex 
cite  and  cultivate  piety  in  their  hearts.  These  schools  en 
courage  the  hope,  that  the  day  will  come  when  these  savage 
tribes  may  become  changed  and  civilized  and  Christian  com 
munities.  It  will  be  difficult,  above  all,  in  these  districts,  te 
bring  the  adults  to  this  mode  of  existence:  they  are  too 
much  accustomed  to  the  nomadic  life ;  too  proud  of  their 
barbarous  independence,  and  frequently  enslaved  to  the  de- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  387 

grading  vices  of  the  whites,  and  to  the  immoderate  use  of 
ardent  spirits,  which  they  easily  obtain  by  their  commerce 
with  the  latter,  and  in  their  frequent  visits  to  the  frontiers 
of  the  States.  Each  sincere  and  durable  conversion  among 
these,  is  a  miracle  of  grace. 

The  ynited  States  government  grants  to  the  Osages,  for  the 
support  of  their  schools,  an  annual  subsidy,  accruing  from  the 
sale  of  their  lands.  This  assistance  being  insufficient,  and  in 
order  to  give  a  striking  testimony  of  attachment  and  friendship 
towards  the  Black-gowns,  all  the  chiefs  of  the  nation  have 
obtained,  by  treaty,  from  the  government,  an  augmentation  of 
funds  destined  to  the  maintenance  of  the  schools ;  and  also  a 
liberal  donation  for  making  provision  for  the  other  necessities 
of  the  mission.  The  mission  owns  a  farm,  which  contrib 
utes  towards  defraying  its  expenses.  With  all  this,  it  may 
be  said,  that  the  missionaries  are  still  obliged  to  live  a  poor 
and  hard  life,  in  the  midst  of  many  privations.  Yet  it  must 
be  admitted,  that  the  mission  among  the  Osages  is  estab 
lished  on  a  tolerably  solid  footing. 

We  give  the  following  extract  from  the  annual  message 
of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  1854.  The  agent 
of  the  Osages,  in  his  report  to  the  government,  speaking  of 
this  nation,  says : 

"  The  schools,  under  the  direction  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  among  the  Osages,  are  very  flourishing. 
These  Fathers  merit  great  eulogiums  for  their  endeavors  to 
ameliorate  the  condition  of  this  nation.  Having  had  the 
pleasure  of  assisting  at  the  examination  of  their  scholars,  I 
cheerfully  add  my  testimony  to  that  of  others  in  favor  of  the 
method  pursued  in  these  establishments.  I  doubt  whether 
there  are  any  schools  in  the  Indian  territory  which  exercise 
so  salutary  an  influence  on  the  minds  of  the  Indians,  or  that 
can  even  be  compared  with  them.  The  pupils  progress  rap- 


388  "WESTERN    MISSIONS 

idly  in  theii  studies ;  they  are  well  fed  and  well  clothed,  and 
appear  happy  and  satisfied. 

"  The  Catholic  establishment,  as  well  as  the  whole  nation 
of  the  Osages,  have  met  with  an  irreparable  loss  by  the  death 
of  the  indefatigable  Father  Bax.  The  most  rigorous  season 
could  never  hinder  him  from  visiting  the  most  remote  tribes 
of  the  nation,  when  there  was  question  of  carrying  consola 
tion  to  the  sick,  and  of  accomplishing  the  duties  of  his  sacred 
ministry." 

We  cannot  without  sighing  cast  a  look  over  the  immense 
Indian  territory,  which  stretches  far  away  to  the  Rockv 
Mountains.  There  a  great  number  of  nations  still  continue 
their  errant  life.  There  remains  but  a  feeble  ray  of  hope 
that  they  will  obtain  spiritual  aid.  It  is  not  because  the 
field  is  barren  ;  it  has  been  already  explored  by  the  Fathers 
Hoeken  and  Point,  both  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  by  the 
Rev.  Messrs  Bellecourt  and  Ravoux.  I  have  gone  over  its 
whole  extent  at  different  periods.  All  the  missionaries  de 
clare  unanimously,  that  everywhere,  in  all  their  visits,  they 
have  been  received  with  the  most  touching  deference  by  the 
savages;  that  the  various  tribes  have  testified  the  deepest 
interest  in  our  holy  religion.  Several  thousand  children  and 
a  great  number  of  adults,  particularly  among  the  Black-Feet, 
the  Crows,  the  Sioux,  Poncahs,  Ricaries,  Minataries,  Chey- 
ennes,  and  the  Rapahoes,  have  already  been  regenerated  in 
the  holy  waters  of  baptism.  The  personal  and  material 
means  have  hitherto  been  wanting  for  beginning  therein  du 
rable  establishments.  The  Indians  year  after  year  renew  their 
invitations.  We  shall  continue  to  supplicate  the  Master  of 
the  vineyard,  to  deign  to  send  us  auxiliaries,  so  as  to  diffuse 
our  missions  in  this  extensive  region.  "  The  harvest  is  great, 
but  the  laborers  are  few." 

By  a  letter  recently  received  from  the  Rocky  Mountain^ 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  380 

and  written  by  Father  Joset,  I  learn  that  the  Indians  of  our 
different  missions  in  Oregon  continue  to  give  much  consola 
tion  to  their  missionaries,  by  their  zeal  and  fervor  in  tno 
holy  practices  of  religion.  "  I  hope,"  writes  Father  Joset, 
"that  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation,  that  they  have  just 
received,  will  give  greater  stability  to  their  good  resolutions. 
Although  the  arrival  of  Mgr.  Blanchet  was  announced  only 
some  hours  before  (for  there  is  as  yet  no  post  in  those  wilds), 
and  that  we  found  it  impossible  to  assemble  more  than  half 
of  the  neophytes,  the  prelate  however  gave  Confirmation  to 
more  than  six  hundred  faithful.  The  pastor  was  enchanted 
with  our  missions  and  our  neophytes.  The  conversions  to 
the  faith  in  these  missions  are  every  year  very  consoling." 

Our  new  establishments  in  California  succeed  well;  our 
college  of  Santa  Clara  has  nearly  a  hundred  boarders. 

Be  so  good,  Reverend  Sir,  as  to  present  my  most  humble 
respect  and  esteem  to  Mouseigneur,  the  bishop  of  Ghent ;  to 
the  President  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Seminary,  to  the  Canons, 
Van  Crombrugghe,  De  Smet  Helias,  De  Decker,  and  to  our 
Reverend  Fathers. 

Commend  me,  if  you  please,  to  the  prayers  of  your  good 
Religious,  and  allow  me  to  commit  myself  in  a  particular 
manner  to  your  memento  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  in  whiik 
union  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Your  most  humble  and  most  obedient  servant, 

P.  J.  DE  SMET,  8.  J 


390  WESTEKN    MISSIO] 


Letter  XXXIII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUBSBIA 
The  Mormons. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  LOUM,  Jan.  19,  1858. 
REV.  AND    DEAR   FATHER  .' 

I  propose  to  give  you  in  this  letter  a  short  sketch  of  the 
fanatic  sect  of  Mormons,  against  whom  the  government  of 
the  United  States  has  just  sent  troops,  in  order  to  subject 
them  to  the  laws,  or  force  them  to  leave  the  country.  The 
facts  which  I  will  relate  on  the  origin  and  history  of  this 
singular  people,  are  chiefly  drawn  from  a  recent  work  by 
John  Hyde,  who  had  been  an  elder  or  minister  of  the  Mor 
mon  sect. 

The  founder  of  the  Mormons  was  one  Joseph  Smith,  born 
of  an  obscure  family,  December  23,  1805,  at  Sharon,  Wind 
sor  county,  Vermont.  The  whole  life  of  this  man,  from 
youth  up,  was  marked  by  fanaticism,  fraud,  and  vice.  More 
than  fifty  persons  of  good  reputation  and  in  every  way 
worthy  of  respect,  who  knew  him  at  Palmyra,  New  York, 
where  he  had  settled  with  his  family,  have  testified  under 
oath  that  Joseph  Smith  was  regarded  as  a  man  of  no  moral 
character  and  given,  to  vicious  habits.  In  1820  Smith  em 
braced  Methodism.  In  April  of  that  year  he  pretended  to 
have  had  a  revelation  from  Heaven,  while  praying  in  the 
wood.  He  said  that  God  the  Father,  and  Jesus  Christ  his 
Son,  had  appeared  to  him,  and  had  declared  to  him  that  hii 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  391 

sins  were  forgiven,  that  God  had  chosen  him  to  restore  his 
kingdom  on  earth,  and  propagate  anew  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel,  which  all  Christendom  had  lost.  In  1823,  Smith, 
forgetting  his  revelations  and  his  pretended  divine  mission, 
plunged  as  deep  as  ever  in  blasphemy,  fraud,  drunkenness, 
and  other  vices.  Then,  he  said,  an  angel  appeared  to  him 
and  revealed  the  existence  of  a  book,  written  on  gold  plates, 
and  containing  the  history  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  ol 
America.  This  is  the  origin  of  the  "  Book  of  Mormon,"  or 
Golden  Bible,  the  Koran  of  these  Mahometans.  The  next 
day  Smith  visited  the  spot  designated  by  the  angel  as  the 
spot  where  the  book  was.  This  was  on  the  slope  of  a  hill 
between  Palmyra  and  Manchester.  There  he  pretended  to 
find  in  fact  golden  plates  in  a  stone  box ;  but  this  time  his 
efforts  to  raise  them  were  vain.  There  was,  he  says,  a  great 
contest  between  the  devil  and  the  angels  as  to  it;  but  al 
though  the  devil  was  beaten,  the  angel  did  not  give  the  book 
to  Smith,  who  received  it  only  four  years  after,  on  the  22d 
of  September,  1827. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  is,  like  the  Koran,  a  tissue  of  con 
tradictory  plagiarisms  and  absurd  inventions.  The  whole  is 
nterlarded  with  passages  from  the  Bible.  It  has  been  proved 
that  the  portion  given  as  historical  is  merely  a  plagiary  of  a 
romance  of  Solomon  Spalding,  whose  manuscript  had  been 
stolen  by  Smith.  Spalding  had  written,  under  the  title  of 
The  Discovered  Manuscript,  a  romance  on  the  origin  of  the 
American  Indians.  He  died  before  publishing  it.  After  his 
death,  his  widow  removed  to  New  York,  and  Smith  is  known 
have  worked  near  her  house.  Some  time  after  the  publica 
tion  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  she  discovered  the  loss  of  her 
husband's  manuscript.  Many  of  Spalding's  relatives  and 
friends  detected  the  Discovered  Manuscript,  slightly  altered, 
in  Smith's  book.  Spalding  had  been  in  the  habit  of  reading 


392  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

long  passages  from  his  novel ;  the  singularity  of  the  facts, 
names,  and  style,  which  was  biblical,  had  so  struck  them 
that  they  did  not  forget  it.  Now,  the  Book  of  Mormon  had 
the  same  characteristics,  the  same  strange  names,  the  same 
incredible  facts,  the  same  style.  John  Spalding,  the  author's 
brother,  thus  expresses  himself  on  the  point :  "  My  brother's 
book  was  entitled  the  Discovered  Manuscript.  It  was  an 
historical  novel  on  the  first  inhabitants  of  America.  Its 
object  was  to  show  that  the  American  Indians  were  descend 
ed  from  the  Jews,  or  the  lost  tribes.  There  was  a  detailed 
description  of  their  voyage,  by  land  and  sea,  from  their 
departure  from  Jerusalem  to  their  arrival  in  America,  under 
the  orders  of  Nephi  and  Lehi.  I  have  recently  read  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  To  my  great  astonishment,  I  have  found 
almost  the  same  historical  matters,  the  same  names,  &c., 
such  as  they  were  in  my  brother's  writings.'*  Many  other 
persons,  who  knew  Solomon  Spalding  well,  and  who  for  the 
most  part  knew  nothing  of  Joseph  Smith,  gave  similar  tes 
timony  under  oath. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  probably  derives  its  name  from  one 
of  the  chapters  of  this  novel.  A  descendant  of  Lehi  "ob 
tained  the  plates  of  gold,  brass,  &c.,  on  which  the  prophets 
had  engraved  the  history  of  the  voyages  and  wars  of  their 
race,  and  this  descendant  was  called  Mormon.  He  abridged 
this  history,  and  gave  it  to  his  son,  Moroni.  The  latter,  hav 
ing  added  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  Jared,  inclosed  all  in  a 
box,  which  he  buried  on  a  hill,  A.D.  400.  Smith,  declaring  him 
self  chosen  to  give  this  wonderful  book  to  the  world,  pretend 
ed  to  have  received  the  gift  of  understanding  and  translating 
it.  He  did  not  write  this  translation  himself,  but  dictated  it. 
During  the  dictation,  he  was  concealed  behind  a  curtain, 
made  of  a  bed-quilt,  for  the  plates  were  so  sacred  that  he  did 
not  even  permit  his  secretary  to  gaze  on  them.  To  give  a 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  393 

Btill  higher  idea  of  his  golden  bible,  he  explained  the  title 
after  his  own  fashion.  According  to  him,  the  word  Mormon 
•somes  from  the  Egyptian  mon,  signifying  good,  and  the  Eng 
lish  word  more'  so  that  Mormon  means  Better!  Now,  the 
Bible,  says  Smith,  in  its  widest  signification,  means  good, 
since  our  Lord  says  in  the  Gospel,  "  I  am  the  good  shepherd." 
The  ignorant  and  fanatical  believe  all  those  fables. 

The  Book  of  Mormon,  although  most  known,  is  not  the 
chief  book  of  the  sect.  The  Book  of  Teachings  and  Cove 
nants,  containing  some  of  the  revelations  which  Smith  pre 
tended  to  have  received  from  heaven,  is  regarded  by  his  disci 
ples  as  a  book  of  the  law  which  God  has  given  this  genera 
tion.  Smith  also  published  other  revelations,  which  are  con 
tained  in  a  little  book  called  The  Pearl  of  Great  Price. 
Much  of  the  doctrine  of  Smith  is  a  mere  repetition  of  the 
works  of  various  Protestant  sects.  He  has  imitated  Mahomet 
in  his  infamous  immorality,  by  permitting  polygamy.  To 
all  this,  his  successor  has  added  abominable  doctrines  on  the 
nature  and  attributes  of  God. 

Smith  organized  his  new  religion  in  1830.  He  could 
then  number  only  six  disciples.  The  next  year,  having  ob 
tained  ne\t  adherents,  he  sent  elders,  two  by  two,  to  preach 
the  new  doctrine.  When  the  number  of  his  disciples  had 
sufficiently  increased,  he  founded  a  colony  in  Missouri,  but 
their  conduct  induced  the  people  of  that  State— first  those 
around  Independence,  where  the  Mormons  had  first  settled, 
and  then  those  of  Liberty — to  expel  them  from  the  State. 
Tn  1834  the  Mormon  sect  adopted  the  pompous  title  of 
u  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saints,"  and  thence 
the  Mormons  called  themselves  Latter-Day  Saints,  or  simply 
Saints. 

Smith  and  his  adepts  having  acquired,  in  1839,  a  large 
tract  in  Illinois,  in  a  beautiful  section  on  the  banks  of  th» 


394  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

Mississippi,  built  a  flourishing  city,  which  they  called  N"au- 
voo,  erected  a  magnificent  temple,  now  in  ruins,  and  lived 
there  till  1844,  when  they  rendered  themselves  odious  to  the 
people  of  that  State.  They  were  attacked  by  an  ungovern 
able  mob,  and  the  false  prophet  and  his  brother,  Hiram,  were 
massacred  in  prison,  at  Carthage. 

In  1845  these  persecutions  continued,  and  the  Mormons, 
driven  at  last  from  Nauvoo,  resolved,  in  council,  to  seek  a 
solitary  and  permanent  abode  in  some  fertile  valley  at  the 
foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  carried  out  this  project 
in  1847,  penetrated  into  the  desert  sorae  twelve  hundred 
miles,  and  founded  a  new  city  on  the  banks  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  chain  of  mountains  forming 
a  portion  of  the  eastern  limits  of  the  Great  Basin.  Brigham 
Young,  Smith's  successor  as  prophet  and  chief,  was  their 
leader  in  this  long  and  painful  march. 

The  valley  of  the  Great  Basin  is  about  five  hundred  miles 
long  from  north  to  south,  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  from 
east  to  west.  It  is  formed  by  the  Sierra  Madre  bounding  it 
on  the  east,  and  by  the  Goose  Creek  and  Humboldt  moun 
tains  on  the  west.  Utah  Territory,  thus  occupied  by  the 
Mormons,  contains  in  all  18*7,923  square  miles.  The  lake, 
which  is  now  only  seventy  miles  long  and  thirty-five  wide, 
probably  filled,  at  a  remote  epoch,  the  whole  valley.  On  all 
sides,  on  the  slopes  of  the  mountains,  at  a  uniform  height, 
tie  traces  which  water  alone  could  have  made.  In  1841,  I 
traversed  much  of  this  valley,  in  my  rambles  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  country  was  then  wooded  and  agreeable, 
watered  by  springs  and  streams,  winding  through  the  valley. 
Since  the  Mormon  emigration,  the  forests  have  disappeared 
on  the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  mountains,  and,  as  the  snows 
are  more  exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  melt  quicker, 
the  springs  dry  up,  and  the  streams  give  scarcely  water 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  395 

enough  in  the  spring  to  irrigate  the  cultivated  fields  and  sup 
ply  the  domestic  animals. 

Salt  Lake  City  contains,  at  present,  15,000  inhabitants 
They  are  mostly  English,  Scotch,  and  Swedes.  Hardly  one 
fourth  of  the  Mormons  are  Americans  by  birth.  They  are 
scattered  up  and  down,  in  the  villages  and  towns  of  all 
the  plains  and  valleys  of  Utah,  so  called  from  an  Indian 
tribe  of  that  region.  The  Territory  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Oregon,  on  the  west  by  California,  on  the  east  by  the 
Territories  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  and  on  the  south  by 
New  Mexico.  The  total  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Territory  is  less  than  50,000,  although  the  Mormon  leaders, 
for  ends  of  their  own,  represent  it  as  much  higher.  The 
number  of  Mormons,  in  different  countries,  is  estimated  at 
300,000.  They  send  their  emissaries  to  all  parts  of  the 
globe.  These  take  good  care  not  to  present  Mormonism  in  its 
true  colors,  to  those  who  are  not  as  yet  prepared  to  accept  it 
such  as  it  is.  Many  of  the  Mormons  at  Salt  Lake,  it  is  said, 
adopted  the  new  sect  only  in  hopes  of  finding  there  an 
earthly  paradise,  with  unlimited  abundance  for  every  want. 
Once  in  Utah,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  escape  the  snares  and 
despotic  power  of  the  leader. 

Brighara  Young,  president  of  the  Mormon  church,  and 
now  rebellious  governor  of  Utah  Territory,  enjoys  absolute 
authority  over  his  people.  This  man  is,  like  Joseph  Smith, 
a  native  of  Vermont,  born  at  Whittingham,  June  1,  180l! 
Having  embraced  Mormonism  in  1832,  he  soon  became 
Smith's  intimate  friend.  Since  he  became  chief  of  the 
Mormons,  he  has  displayed  boundless  ambition,  and  talents 
far  superior  to  Smith's.  He  labors  to  establish  Mormonism 
all  over  the  American  continent.  As  to  the  Territory  which 
he  governs,  he  wishes  to  make  it  an  independent  State  in  the 
confederation.  He  has  often  declared  that  he  will  permit 


896  WESTERN  MISSIONS. 

no  one  else  to  be  governor  of  Utah.  He  defies  the  author 
ity  of  the  President,  and  of  all  the  Union.  The  judges  and 
other  officers  appointed  by  the  general  government  for  the 
civil  administration  of  Utah,  have  been  expelled  from  the 
territory,  after  seeing  it  useless  to  attempt  to  exercise  their 
functions.  Young  has  set  up  tribunals  of  his  own,  and  in 
the  United  States  courts  which  he  tolerated  before  his  rebel 
lion,  the  juries  gave  verdicts  according  to  his  direction.  The 
government,  at  last,  resolved  to  resort  even  to  force  to  make 
him  respect  its  authority.  Accordingly,  last  fall  (1857),  a 
detachment  of  2500  men  was  sent  to  the  Territory  to  main 
tain  the  new  governor  and  his  suite. 

On  this,  Young  prepared  to  resist.  The  troops  have 
already  entered  Utah,  but  the  severity  of  the  winter  arrests 
them  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  Mormon 
capital.  The  Mormons  are  not  idle.  They  have  surprised  a 
train  of  seventy-six  wagons,  pillaged  and  burned  them,  car 
rying  off  all  the  animals,  horses,  mules,  and  oxen.  This  loss 
is  estimated  at  a  million  of  dollars.  The  troops,  ill  lodged 
and  ill  fed,  will  suffer  terribly  if  the  winter  is  severe,  as  it  is 
usually  in  the  elevated  parts  which  they  occupy.  As  soon 
as  the  spring  opens,  large  reinforcements  will  be  sent. 
There  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion  here  on  the  matter. 
Many  think  that  the  war  will  be  long  and  bloody,  and  that 
the  Mormons  will  resist  to  the  death.  A  great  manifesta 
tion  on  the  part  of  the  government  will,  doubtless,  be  neces 
sary  ;  and  I  think  that  as  the  new  forces  approach  the  rebel 
territory,  the  Mormons  will  retire  after  setting  fire  to  their 
towns,  and  march  to  occupy  some  new  district — Sonora,  per 
haps,  or  some  other  thinly-settled  tract  in  the  vast  Mexican 
territory.  This  fanatical  sect  will  find  repose  only  outside 
of  all  other  civil  jurisdiction.  It  will  master  and  subject  all, 
unless  it  is  mastered  and  expelled  in  season. 


AND  MISSIONARIES,  397 

One  more  word  on  the  Mormons  and  I  have  done.  A 
new  organization  has  been  given  to  the  Mormon  troops.  In 
1840,  Smith  organized  the  Nauvoo  Legion,  and  compelled 
all  his  disciples  from  the  age  of  sixteen  to  fifty  to  enter  it. 
This  little  troop  has  continually  increased,  and  preserves  itt 
old  name.  No  effort  is  spared  to  render  the  soldiers  perfect 
in  military  discipline  and  exercises.  They  have  at  theit 
head  officers  who  served  under  General  Scott  in  the  Mexican 
war.  Young's  whole  army  might,  in  case  of  necessity,  be 
brought  up  to  8000  men.  This  number  would  not  be  for 
midable,  were  they  not  all  animated  with  a  spirit  of  fanati 
cism  which  will  make  them  fight,  if  it  comes  to  that,  with 
an  obstinacy  like  that  of  the  first  Mahometans.  Besides  the 
community  of  religion  and  interest,  there  exists  among  them 
another  bond.  A  great  number  of  them  are  bound  to  the 
President  and  Prophet  Young  by  horrible  oaths.  There 
exists  among  this  people  a  society  called  the  Mormon  En 
dowment,  into  which  members  are  admitted  amid  ceremo 
nies  most  capable  of  inspiring  superstitious  terror.  The  ini 
tiated  take  an  oath  of  blind  obedience,  as  understood  by  the 
secret  societies  of  Europe.  The  penalty  of  death  awaits 
him  who  violates  his  oath.  If  the  Mormons  wish  war,  as 
they  so  loudly  proclaim,  they  will  have  a  chance  this  year, 
but  they  cannot  long  resist  the  troops  of  the  United  States. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Rev.  Father, 

Your  servant  in  Christ, 

P.  J.  DK  SMET,  S.  J. 
N 


398  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XXXIV. 

It  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSBU 
Missions  of  Kentucky. 

REVEREND  FATHER: 

I  inclose  a  copy  of  a  letter  to  my  nephew,  Charles 
Smet,  advocate  at  Antwerp. 


DEAR  CHARLES  : 

I  received  your  kind  letter  and  read  it  with  inexpressi 
ble  pleasure  and  great  consolation.  I  seize  my  first  leisure 
moments  to  satisfy  your  request  by  giving  you  some  ideas 
of  America,  and  of  Kentucky  where  I  now  am,  and  most  of 
which  I  have  seen. 

The  United  States  would  be  truly  the  wonder  of  the 
world,  if  the  moral  state  of  the  country  corresponded  to  the 
marvellous  development  of  its  material  resources,  to  its  ever- 
increasing  population,  its  immense  territory,  and  increasing 
commerce.  Hardly  seventy  years  since,  all  the  country  west 
of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  a  region  now  so  thickly  set 
tled,  was  but  a  vast  wilderness,  traversed  here  and  there  by 
a  few  feeble  Indian  tribes,  decimated  by  war  and  pesti 
lence.  On  the  waters  of  those  rivers  which  irrigate  the 
whole  bosom  of  the  continent,  where  hundreds  of  fine  large 
steamers  now  dash  along,  full  of  passengers,  loaded  with 
goods,  naught  was  then  to  be  seen  but  the  solitary  canoe,  cut 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  399 

from  a  tree,  gliding  down  the  stream,  or  laboriously  stem 
ming  its  current  with  its  little  band  of  Indian  warriors,  with 
eagle  or  vulture  plume,  armed  with  bows  or  tomahawks. 
Now,  along  these  waters  rise,  as  if  by  enchantment,  hun 
dreds  of  cities  and  towns.  On  every  side  cultivated  fields, 
t'arm-houses,  and  well-stored  barns ;  on  every  side,  herds  of 
cattle  and  horses,  browsing  on  the  hill-side  and  the  plain, 
once  covered  with  forests.  Railroads  and  macadamized 
roads  lead  to  numberless  colonies  in  the  interior.  English, 
Irish,  German,  French,  emigrants  from  every  European 
nation,  have  come  hither  in  hopes  of  finding  those  comforts 
which  they  could  not  hope  in  their  own  densely-peopled  lands. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  in  a  country  which  boasts  of 
unexampled  tolerance  and  liberty,  the  Catholic  Church  would 
be,  if  not  protected,  at  least  spared  from  persecution.  But  it 
is  not  so.  A  party,  whose  only  principle  is  a  hostility  to  the 
Faith,  has  several  times  been  formed.  Now  it  flourishes 
under  the  name  of  Know-nothing,  and  it  might  be  termed, 
"  the  ignorant  and  brutal."  One  of  their  main  objects  is,  to 
annihilate,  if  possible,  our  holy  religion  in  the  United  States. 
It  is  a  secret  society,  the  members  of  which  are  bound  by  hor 
rible  oaths.  It  extends  its  branches  over  all  parts  of  the 
Union.  As  a  general  thing,  ministers  of  the  different  Prot 
estant  sects  belong  to  it.  Their  fury  has  already  been  marked 
by  the  destruction  of  Catholic  churches  in  several  parts ;  by 
insults  to  priests  and  religious;  by  laws  passed  in  several 
States  to  seize  or  control  the  Catholic  Church  property,  laws 
which  they  threaten  to  pass  wherever  they  attain  power. 

Kentucky,  of  which  I  have  promised  you  a  description, 
evinces  a  more  conservative  and  really  free  spirit  than  most 
of  the  other  States.  Its  material  prosperity,  fertile  soil, 
beautiful  sites,  natural  curiosities,  interesting  history,  make 
it  one  of  those  most  favored  by  nature. 


400  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

The  name  Kentucky,  given  to  the  country  by  the  Indians, 
signified,  according  to  some,  a  dark  and  bloody  ground,  and 
was  so  called  because  in  old  times  it  was  the  battle-field  of 
various  tribes  in  their  bloody  wars. 

Then  vast  herds  of  bison,  elk,  and  deer  roamed  over  the 
plains  and  prairies,  covered  with  rich,  long  grass,  studded 
with  wild  roses.  No  tribe  resided  here  permanently.  Every 
year,  at  the  hunting-seasons,  they  came  from  all  the  country 
round  to  lay  in  their  winter  store.  Here  hostile  tribes  met : 
hereditary  feuds,  envenomed  from  generation  to  generation, 
by  reciprocal  reprisals,  brought  on  frequent  engagements. 

In  1*769  the  celebrated  Daniel  Boone,  whose  name  seems 
to  indicate  a  family  of  Belgian  origin,  advanced  into  the 
dark  and  bloody  ground.  This  courageous  man  first  planted 
his  solitary  cabin  amid  these  vast  forests,  with  no  aid  against 
the  attack  of  the  savages  but  his  forecast,  coolness,  and 
bravery.  His  adventures,  which  he  made  known  during  a 
trip  to  the  settled  parts  of  the  Atlantic,  drew  around  him 
many  families  from  Maryland  and  Virginia.  They  formed 
two  principal  colonies,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  apart, 
and  thus  became  the  nucleus  of  the  flourishing  State  of 
Kentucky,  which  now  contains  over  a  million  of  inhab 
itants. 

For  several  years,  till  1797,  the  settlers  were  exposed  to 
frequent  attacks  from  the  Indians,  who  surprised  their  towns, 
burning  and  pillaging  all  that  they  found  in  their  way. 
There  is  now  no  trace  remaining  of  these  hardy  lords  of  the 
forest :  the  savage  form,  his  shrill  war-whoop,  which  once 
spread  dismay  through  every  plain  and  forest,  are  now  as 
much  unknown  in  Kentucky  as  in  the  countries  of  Europe. 
The  Indians  have  been  exterminated  or  repelled  into  the 
plains  beyond  the  Missouri. 

Meanwhile  Boone,  seeing  the  numbers  of  the  civilized  in- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  401 

habitants  increasing  around  him,  soon  began  to  perceive  that 
the  country  was  too  full,  that  the  population  was  too  dense  ; 
he  needed  a  new  wilderness,  a  freer  country.  He  accord 
ingly  retired  with  his  family  and  flocks  of  domestic  animals 
beyond  the  Mississippi,  in  a  remote  region,  where  white  set 
tlers  had  not  yet  penetrated.  Here  again  he  found  himself 
struggling  alone  against  wild  and  uncultivated  nature ;  against 
numerous  hordes  of  sanguinary  warriors,  jealous  of  the  en 
croachments  of  white  settlers. 

The  State  of  Kentucky  extends  on  the  north  along  the 
Ohio  over  five  hundred  miles ;  it  is  separated  from  Missouri 
on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi,  and  terminates  on  the  east 
at  the  base  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  which  separate  it 
from  Virginia.  The  soil  produces  in  abundance  wheat, 
maize,  tobacco,  hemp,  and  most  of  the  fruits  of  your  lati 
tudes.  It  abounds  in  picturesque  sites.  There  is  nothing 
more  agreeable  than  a  steamboat-trip  down  the  Ohio,  in  the 
spring,  along  its  banks,  now  frowning  with  rocks,  now 
stretching  out  into  green  fields  of  grain,  with  now  wooded 
hills,  where  oaks  of  various  kinds,  poplar,  beech,  sycamore, 
wild  vines,  chestnut,  and  hickory,  meet,  mingle,  cross,  and 
interlace  their  thick  branches,  presenting  the  grand  and  free 
aspect  of  unbroken  forests.  From  time  to  time,  amid  this 
noble  scenery,  which  won  for  the  Ohio  the  name  of  la  Belle 
Riviere,  given  to  it  by  the  early  French  explorers,  new  cities 
rise,  as  if  by  enchantment,  and  spread  before  you  all  the  fruits 
of  the  active  civilization  of  the  most  commercial  cities  of 
Europe. 

The  eastern  part  of  Kentucky  and  the  banks  of  the  Ohio 
possess  rich  mines.  Immense  strata  of  white  stone,  fit  for 
building  or  making  lime,  are  found  some  feet  below  the  sur 
face,  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  north.  Near  Lexington,  the 
first  city  founded  in  Kentucky,  mummies  were  discovered,  re- 


4:02 


WESTERN  MISSIONS 


Bembling,  it  is  said,  those  of  Egypt.  North  of  this  city,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Blue  Lick,  great  quantities  of  bones  hnve 
been  found,  among  the  most  remarkable  being  those  of  the 
ancient  mastodon  or  mammoth,  an  enormous  animal,  of  a 
epecies  now  extinct;  of  the  elephant,  no  longer  seen  in 
America  ;  and  of  a  kind  of  bison,  unknown  in  our  days. 

Near  our  college  of  St.  Joseph,  at  Bardstown,  which  I 
visited  last  April,  the  surface  of  the  soil  is  covered  with  dif 
ferent  kinds  of  petrifactions.  There  are  found  in  that  local 
ity,  in  abundance,  trilobites,  terebratula,  spirifer,  etc.  (I  use 
the  American  geological  names),  as  well  as  many  others. 
Limestone  is  very  abundant ;  it  belongs  generally  to  the  class 
known  in  geology  as  the  inferior  calcareous  of  the  second 
formation.  It  is  intermingled  with  a  great  quantity  of  fer 
ruginous  particles,  and  the  strata  are  so  thick  and  colossal 
that  they  suffice  in  building  whole  cities. 

At  about  sixty-six  miles  south  of  the  college  is  the  famous 
cavern,  called,  from  its  enormous  dimensions,  Mammoth  Cave. 
It  attracts  thousands  of  visitors,  who  come  from  all  parts  of 
the  United  States  to  witness  its  wonders.  It  is,  undoubted 
ly,  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  curiosities  in  the  world,  or 
rather,  in  the  whole  subterranean  world,  with  its  mountains, 
its  precipices,  its  rivers,  its  rugged  banks,  its  enormous  domes, 
which  seem  like  temples  built  by  the  hands  of  nature,  and 
defying  art  to  equal  the  boldness  of  its  high  and  immense 
vaults,  suspended  without  columns.  The  cavern  has  many 
galleries,  or  alleys,  like  the  catacombs  of  Home.  Nobody 
would  dare  venture  in  without  a  guide  ;  he  would  probably 
never  find  the  entrance,  on  account  of  the  countless  wind 
ings  of  this  natural  labyrinth. 

A  remarkable  evenness  of  temperature  prevails  in  this 
cavern ;  the  cold  of  winter  scarcely  penetrates  it,  and  tha 
heit  of  summer  leaves  a  mild  and  moderate  atmosphere. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  4:03 

To  descend  to  it,  you  enter  a  chamber  as  sombre  as  the  Tar- 
tarus  of  Virgil.  No  ray  of  sunlight  enters  it.  Each  beara 
a  torch.  This  pale  light  adds  to  the  sublimity  of  the  place, 
especially  when  you  find  a  chamber  incrusted  with  stalac 
tites.  There  the  reflection  of  the  torches  seems  to  change 
the  vaults  and  sides  of  the  cavern  into  a  continuous  mass  of 
precious  stones.  The  principal  gallery,  which  is  ordinarily 
followed,  leads  to  a  distance  of  eleven  miles  under  ground. 
Sometimes  it  expands,  like  the  corridor  of  a  palace  ;  some 
times  the  vault  descends,  so  that  you  have  to  creep  along, 
and  it  even  forms  a  narrow  passage,  called  "  The  fat-man's 
misery  ;"  elsewhere  the  passage  expands  into  immense  halls, 
with  a  vaulted  roof  three  hundred  feet  high ;  then  soon, 
stopping  before  a  mountain  of  broken  rock,  or  opening  a 
precipice,  it  plunges  into  new  depths,  threatening  to  take  you 
to  the  very  centre  of  the  earth.  In  these  great  halls,  nature 
seems  to  have  assumed,  for  their  embellishment,  the  most  fan 
tastic  forms,  resembling  objects  of  art,  fields,  vines,  trees,  stat 
ues,  pillars,  altars,  forming  as  many  stalactite  sculptures, 
produced  by  the  action  of  water,  which,  filtering  for  long 
centuries  through  the  rocks,  has  formed  all  these  marvellous 
works.  While  traversing  the  great  gallery,  you  pass,  at  two 
different  times,  a  deep  and  rapid  river  which  flows  in  these 
parts  ;  its  source  and  mouth  are  both  unknown.  It  contains 
white-fish  and  crabs,  varieties  of  which  are  found  in  almost 
all  our  rivers,  but  which  are  here  entirely  destitute  of  eyes, 
and  evidently  created  to  live  only  in  this  subterranean  river. 
There  is  one  place  where  you  have  to  row  ten  minutes  before 
reaching  the  opposite  shore,  because  the  river  follows  the 
course  of  the  gallery  and  makes  it  its  bed.  There  is  at  this 
point  a  beautiful  vault,  perfectly  arranged  for  prolonging  and 
redoubling  an  echo.  The  Magnificat,  chanted  by  a  few 
roices,  had  an  effect  which  the  most  numerous  choir  and  all 


404:  "WESTERN    MISSIONS 

the  music  of  a  cathedral  could  not  produce,  so  much  does 
the  echo  augment  the  volume  and  sweeten  the  harmony  of 
sounds.  The  sublime  silence  of  this  spot,  the  torches  reflected 
in  the  subterranean  waters,  the  measured  beat  of  the  oars, 
the  idea  of  a  world  suspended  over  your  head,  and  so  differ 
ent  from  that  where  you  are,  all  produce  an  indescribable 
impression  on  the  soul. 

Returning  to  the  entrance  of  the  cavern,  you  experience 
in  summer  an  effect  like  that  caused  by  a  sea-voyage  when 
you  near  the  port ;  although  you  have  been  under  ground 
only  a  part  of  a  single  day,  you  discern  the  odor  of  the 
plants  and  the  flowers  at  a  distance.  The  impressions  pro 
duced  by  these  subterranean  wonders  are  so  profound,  that 
the  sight  of  the  verdure  of  the  fields,  the  brilliant  rays  ot 
the  sun,  the  varied  plumage  of  the  birds  warbling  in  the 
trees,  impress  you  with  the  idea  that  you  are  entering  a  new 
world. 

Let  us  return  to  St.  Joseph's  college.  Bardstown,  where 
it  is  situated,  was  the  first  Episcopal  See  erected  west  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains.  Thence  Bishop  Flaget,  the  first 
bishop,  governed  his  immense  diocese  with  so  holy  a  zeal, 
Now  that  the  see  is  transferred  to  Louisville,  the  cathedral 
of  Bardstown  is  attached  to  the  college,  and  has  become  a 
parish  church.  The  college  has  about  two  hundred  pupils, 
mostly  boarders.  Bishop  Flaget,  before  his  death,  had 
placed  it  under  the  direction  of  the  Society  of  Jesus. 
Bardstown  is  a  kind  of  centre  of  religious  houses.  On  one 
side  you  have  the  Dominican  Fathers,  at  the  convent  of  St. 
Rose,  near  Springfield  ;  on  the  other,  the  Trappists,  who 
have  been  for  some  years  at  New  Haven.  There  are  also 
several  establishments  of  nuns,  Lorettines  and  Sisters  of 
Charity. 

The  city  forms  about  the  centre  of  the  district,  in  which 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  405 

reside  the  vast  majority  of  the  Catholics  in  the  diocese  of 
Louisville.     They  number  about  70,000. 

It  was  also  in  this  neighborhood  that,  early  in  this  century, 
the  very  Rev.  Mr.  Nerinckx,  a  Belgian,  distinguished  him 
self  by  his  apostolic  labors,  and  left  among  the  people  the 
impress  of  his  zeal  and  virtues.  He  founded,  in  1812,  the 
congregation  of  sisters  known  here  under  the  name  of  Sis 
ters  of  Loretto,  or  Lorettines.  It  has  already  spread  over 
different  parts  of  the  States  of  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  Kan 
sas  Territory,  among  the  Osage  Indians,  and  to  New  Mexico. 

I  must  close.  Time  presses.  I  have  only  a  few  moments 
to  start  for  Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  Farewell.  Do  not 
forget  me,  dear  Charles. 

Your  devoted  uncle, 

P.  J.  Di  SMET,  a  J. 


4:06  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XIXV. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OP  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

The  Ursulines  of  America. 
AddnMed  to  the  B«v.  Mother  Superiors  of  Saventhem  and  Theldonek. 

BBUSSELB,  March  21,  1857. 
My  DKAR  REVEREND  MOTHER  : 

On  the  point  of  quitting  Belgium,  I  repass  in  my 
memory  the  benefits  which  I  have  received  there,  and  in 
particular  the  reception  given  me  in  the  various  religioui 
communities. 

Among  these  asylums  of  piety  and  virtue,  your  academy 
holds  a  very  high  rank.  As  in  America,  so  in  my  own  land, 
I  have  been  able  to  see  genuine  proofs  of  the  religious  spirit 
which  animates  the  Ursulines,  and  the  great  good  which 
they  do,  and  which  they  are  yet  called  upon  to  perform,  by 
the  fervor  of  their  prayers  and  by  the  education  of  youth. 

I  congratulate  all  your  community,  Reverend  Mother,  be 
cause  this  spirit  proves  that  God  has  founded  this  house  and 
designs  to  sustain  it.  I  felicitate  myself,  because  I  found 
there  consoling  subjects  of  edification,  and  beautiful  exam 
ples  to  narrate  to  my  poor  Indians.  I  congratulate  Belgium, 
where  the  new  Ursulines  continue  so  generously  the  work  of 
their  pious  predecessors,  to  whom  so  many  mothers  are  in- 
habted  for  the  sentiments  of  piety  which  animate  them.  I 


AND   MI8SIONABIE8.  407 

rejoice  with  the  Church,  whose  afflicted  heart  the  daughters 
of  St.  Angela  console,  by  rendering  themselves  so  worthy  of 
the  religious  state — one  of  the  most  sparkling  gems  which 
adorn  the  brow  of  the  spouse  of  Christ.  Continue  then, 
pious  souls,  to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  your  Saviour.  It  is 
the  sole  way  in  which  real  happiness  is  found. 

I  just  alluded,  Rev.  Mother,  to  the  Ursulines  of  America. 
I  spoke  of  them  to  your  beloved  pupils  in  mv  visit  wit> 
Father  Terwecoren.     Nevertheless,  it  may  prove  agreeable  tc 
you  to  have  some  more  precise  information.     I  need  scarcely 
say  that  I  have  no  pretension  to  a  complete  notice.     I  must 
content  myself  with  giving  a  summary  idea  of  their  actual 
condition  and  prospects. 

The  Ursulines  were  the  first  religious  who  established 
themselves  in  the  northern  parts  of  North  America.  Before 
the  close  of  the  17th  century,  there  were  in  Canada  six 
communities  cf  women,  among  whom  two  were  of  the  Ursu- 
line  order:  the  House  of  Quebec,  founded  in  1639,  and  that 
of  Three  Rivers,  founded  in  1697. 

In  the  States  of  the  American  Union,  New  Orleans,  capi 
tal  of  Louisiana,  was  the  first  of  all  the  cities  of  the  confed 
eracy  which  obtained  a  community  of  Ursulines.  This  con 
vent  was  founded  in  1727.  At  the  period  of  this  foundation 
Louisiana  belonged  to  France.  It  is  in  this  sense  that  Mr. 
De  Courcy,  in  his  remarkable  sketches  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  the  United  States,  observes  that  till  1790  the  Uni 
ted  States  did  not  know  what  a  nun  is. 

In  1730,  the  community  of  New  Orleans  numbered  seven 
Ursulines.  Devoted  to  education  and  charitable  works,  they 
directed  a  school,  an  hospital,  and  an  orphanage.  The  num 
ber  of  theii  orphans  increased  greatly  at  the  time  of  the 
massacre  by  the  Natchez,  which  occurrr  1  that  year.  The 
French  expedition  delivered  from  slavt-iy  many  fatherless 


408  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

children,  and  transported  them  to  New  Orleans.*  "These 
little  girls,"  writes  Father  Le  Petit  on  the  12th  July,  l730,f 
"that  none  of  the  citizens  would  adopt,  have  only  aug 
mented  the  chanty  and  attention  of  the  Ursulines.  They 
have  given  them  a  separate  hall,  and  two  private  mistresses. 
There  is  not  one  of  this  holy  community  who  is  not  de 
lighted  at  having  braved  the  dangers  of  the  sea,  were  she  to 
do  naught  else  than  preserve  these  children  in  innocence, 
and  bestow  a  polite  and  Christian  education  on  the  young 
French  girls,  who  are  in  danger  of  being  not  much  better 
educated  than  their  slaves.  We  trust  that  these  holy  nuns 
will  shortly  occupy  the  new  house  destined  to  their  use,  and 
after  which  they  so  long  sigh.  Once  settled  in  it,  to  the 
instruction  of  boarders,  orphans,  day-scholars,  and  negresses, 
they  will  also  add  the  care  of  the  sick  in  the  hospital,  and 
that  of  a  house  of  refuge  for  women  of  doubtful  virtue. 
Perhaps  even,  in  time,  they  may  be  able  to  receive  regu 
larly  every  year,  a  number  of  ladies  to  make  a  spiritual 
retreat,  according  to  the  inclination  with  which  we  have 
inspired  them. 

"In  France,  so  many  works  of  charity  and  zeal  would 
occupy  several  communities  and  several  different  institutes. 
But  what  cannot  faith  accomplish  ?  These  different  labors 
do  not  astonish  seven  Ursulines,  and  they  intend  to  accom 
plish  them,  with  God's  grace,  and  not  permit  the  religious 
rule  to  suffer.  Those  who,  before  being  acquainted  with 
them,  thought  that  they  came  too  soon,  and  in  too  great 
number,  have  greatly  changed  their  sentiments  and  lan 
guage.  Once  they  witnessed  their  edifying  conduct  and  the 


*  The  reader  will  find  some  account  of  this  in  Bishop  Spaulding's 
Life  of  Bishop  Flaget. 
t  "  Lettres  Edifiantes." 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  409 

groat  services  that  they  render  to  the  colony,  they  found 
that  they  came  too  late,  and  that  too  many  could  not  corne 
if  they  possessed  equal  piety  and  merit." 

The  following  will  show  what  took  place  at  the  conclusion 
of  a  peace  that  terminated  a  melancholy  war.*  "The  Illi 
nois  had  no  other  house  but  ours,  during  the  three  weeks 
that  they  remained  in  this  city.  They  charmed  us  by  their 
piety  and  by  their  edifying  life.  Every  evening  they  recited 
the  rosary  in  alternate  choirs,  and  heard  mass  every  morn 
ing,  during  which,  particularly  on  Sundays  and  festivals, 
they  sung  different  hymns  of  the  Church  conformably  to  the 
various  offices  of  the  day.  At  the  end  of  the  mass  they 
never  failed  to  sing,  with  all  their  heart,  the  prayer  for  the 
king.  The  nuns  sang  the  first  Latin  couplet  in  the  usual 
Gregorian  notes,  and  the  Illinois  continued  the  rest  in  the 
•ame  tone.  This  spectacle,  which  was  new,  attracted  many 
to  the  church,  and  inspired  a  tender  devotion.  In  the  course 
of  the  day,  and  after  supper,  they  often  sang  alone  or  all 
together  different  prayers  of  the  Church,  such  as  the  Dies 
irce,  the  Vexilla  Regis,  the  Stabat  Mater.  It  was  easy  to 
perceive  that  they  relished  singing  these  devout  hymns  more 
jhan  the  generality  of  Indians,  and  even  more  than  many 
French  their  frivolous  and  often  dissolute  songs. 

"You  would  be  astonished,  as  I  was  myself,  on  arriving 
at  this  mission,  to  see  that  numbers  of  our  French  people 
are  not  nearly  as  well  instructed  as  are  these  neophytes. 
They  are  not  ignorant  of  any  of  the  narratives  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament.  They  have  excellent  methods  of  hear 
ing  holy  mass,  and  of  receiving  the  sacraments.  Their  cat 
echism,  with  its  literal  translation  by  Father  Le  Boulanger,  is 
a  perfect  model  for  those  who  have  need  of  one  in  new  mis- 


" Lettres  Edifiantes."    (Amerique.)    Paris:  1781.    Tom.  vli.  p.  61. 
85 


410  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

sions.  These  good  Indians  have  been  left  in  ignorance  of 
no  mystery  or  duty.  What  is  fundamental  and  essential  in 
religion,  has  been  explained  in  a  way  equally  instructive  and 
solid. 

**  The  first  day  that  the  Illinois  saw  the  Ursulines,  Maman- 
touensa  (chief  of  the  Kaskaskias)  perceiving  around  them  a 
troop  of  little  girls,  said :  *  I  see  that  you  are  not  religious 
without  an  object.1 

"He  meant  that  they  were  not  solitaries  who  labored 
solely  for  their  own  perfection.  'You  are,'  added  be,  Mike 
the  Black-gowns,  our  fathers ;  you  labor  for  the  good  of  oth 
ers.  Ah !  if  we  had  up  there  two  or  three  of  you,  our  wives 
and  daughters  would  have  more  sense,  and  be  better  Chris 
tians.'  *  Well,'  said  the  Mother  Superior,  '  select  those  you 
would  like.'  4  It  is  not  for  me  to  choose,'  answered  Maman- 
touensa,  *  but  for  you  who  are  acquainted  with  them ;  the 
choice  should  fall  on  those  who  are  most  generous,  and  who 
love  God  the  most  1'  Imagine  how  delighted  those  good 
nuns  were,  to  hear  from  savage  lips  sentiments  so  reasonable 
and  Christian."* 

Such  were  the  commencements  of  the  pious  Ursuline 
Community  of  New  Orleans.  To  these  details,  I  will  add  a 
few  others,  concerning  the  state  of  the  convents  of  your  or 
der  in  1855.  In  that  year  the  house  in  New  Orleans  num 
bered  fifty-two  professed  religious,  three  novices,  and  three 
postulants.  The  academy  had  one  hundred  and  thirty  board 
ers,  and  twelve  half-boarders.  In  the  vicariate  of  Upper 
Michigan,  at  Sault  St.  Marie,  the  Ursulines  have  a  school  for 
girls,  and  they  were  making  preparations  to  establish  a 
boarding-school  destined  to  the  education  of  girls  whose  so- 


*  "Lettres  Edifiantes."     (Memoires  d'Am&i  ne.)    Paris  Edition, 
1781.    Tom.  vii.  p.  «1. 


AND   MISSIONARIES*. 

cial  position  exacts  a  more  finished  and  a  higher  course  of 
studies, 

In  the  diocese  of  Cincinnati,  at  St.  Martin,  near  Fayette- 
ville,  in  Ohio,  the  community  of  Ursulines  consisted  of  thirty- 
three  professed  nuns,  nine  novices,  and  four  postulants.  The 
boarding-school  which  they  direct,  numbers  sixty  pupils. 

In  the  same  State,  at  Cleveland,  the  community  at  the 
same  epoch  was  composed  of  fourteen  professed  religious,  ten 
novices,  and  four  postulants.  They  direct  a  boarding-school. 
This  establishment  is  situated  in  the  most  agreeable  and 
healthy  portion  of  the  city.  Young  ladies  are  there  taught 
the  common  branches,  and  the  most  elevated  of  a  select 
course  of  tuition.  Boarders,  day-boarders,  and  day-scholars, 
are  admitted.  Near  Cleveland,  four  sisters  direct  an  ele 
mentary  select  school  and  two  parish  schools. 

At  Toledo,  two  of  the  religious  are  charged  with  three 
elementary  select  schools  and  two  free  schools.  At  Morrisa- 
nia,  near  New  York,  they  have  a  convent  and  a  boarding- 
school.  In  the  diocese  of  Galveston,  in  Texas,  the  Ursulines 
numbered,  in  1855,  fifteen  professed  religious;  their  board 
ing-school  counted  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  pupils.  At 
San  Antonio,  there  were  fourteen  professed,  three  novices, 
and  four  postulants.  The  number  of  pupils  varied  from  one 
hundred  and  forty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty.  In  the  diocese 
and  city  of  St.  Louis,  where  I  have  most  generally  resided 
since  my  departure  from  Europe,  the  convent  of  Ursulines 
is  composed  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  religious,  who  di 
rect  a  school  of  forty  or  fifty  young  ladies.  In  separate 
buildings  they  have  a  day-school,  numbering  from  one  to 
two  hundred. 

When  reflecting  upon  all  these  benefits  of  our  holy  reli 
gion,  spread  with  a  liberal  hand  over  America,  we  owe  a 
testimony  of  gratitude  to  the  venerable  Bishop  Carroll,  whc 


412  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

contributed  to  establish,  or  prepare,  the  pious  institutions  to 
which  is  intimately  connected  the  well-being  and  happiness 
of  these  countries. 

"  At  the  moment  when  the  Society  of  Jesus  was  suppressed 
by  Clement  XIV.,  some  Jesuits  forsook  Great  Britain,  to 
withdraw  into  North  America,  their  country.  John  Carroll 
conducted  them.  Bound  to  the  institute  by  the  profession 
of  four  vows,  Carroll  was  not  long  in  winning  the  esteem  of 
that  immortal  generation  which  was  silently  preparing  the 
enfranchisement  of  the  country.  He  was  the  friend  of 
Washington  and  Franklin,  the  counsellor  of  that  Carroll,  his 
relation,  who  contributed  in  so  efficacious  a  manner  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.  The  forethought  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  Jesuit  were  appreciated  by  the  founders  of 
American  liberty.  Attached  to  the  Protestant  worship,  they 
were  about  to  consecrate  its  triumph  by  law;  but  Catho 
licity  appeared  to  them,  in  the  Fathers  of  the  Society,  so 
tolerant,  arid  so  proper  for  the  civilization  of  the  savages,  that 
they  could  not  to  John  Carroll  refuse  to  secure  the  principle 
of  religious  independence.  Carroll  was  admitted  to  discuss 
the  bases  with  them  :  he  laid  them  so  well,  that  the  liberty 
of  worship  has  never  been  violated  in  the  United  States. 
The  Americans  had  pledged  themselves  to  sustain  them : 
they  never  believed  themselves  authorized  to  betray  their 
solemn  promise  even  by  the  progress  that  the  missionaries 
elicited  in  the  Roman  Faith.  When  the  Union  was  consol 
idated,  Pope  Pius  VI.,  in  1789,  gave  a  guide  to  all  those 
faithful  dispersed  in  the  cities  and  forests.  John  Carroll  re 
ceived  first  the  title  of  Bishop  of  Baltimore  ;  later  he  became 
archbishop  and  metropolitan  of  the  other  dioceses,  and  apostol- 
ical  legate,  with  another  Jesuit,  Leonard  Neale,  as  coadjutor."* 

*  "  History  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,"  by  J.  Cretineau  Joly,  t.  vi.  p.  276 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  413 

From  this  epoch  dates,  for  all  North  America,  the  open 
ing  of  a  new  era.  Bishop  Carroll  took  the  initiatory  step  in 
a  general  revival  of  religion.  He  had  had  no  models;  he 
will  have  a  multitude  of  imitators. 

"  After  providing,  by  the  foundation  of  a  college  and  a 
seminary,  for  the  education  of  youth  and  the  recruiting  of 
the  clergy,  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore  occupied  himself  with 
introducing  into  Maryland  religious  communities  of  females, 
who  would  aid  in  educating  the  young,  in  relieving  the  sick 
and  needy,  and  adopting  orphans.  These  good  works  have 
ever  been  the  patrimony  of  the  Church,  and  a  Christian 
community  must  be  considered  ephemeral,  as  long  as  it  has 
not  laid  the  foundation-stones  of  convents  for  the  practice  of 
prayer  and  charity."* 

From  that  time,  how  many  works  of  salvation  have 
sprung  up  on  the  soil  of  America !  how  many  astonishing 
traits  have  betokened  the  finger  of  a  benign  Providence ! 

Here  is  one,  Reverend  Mother,  that  is  very  interesting. 
I  told  it,  I  believe,  to  the  Ursuline  nuns  and  pupils  of  Sa- 
ven  them  and  Theldonck,  but  having  since  read  it  again  in 
the  remarkable  work  of  Mr.  Henry  de  Courcy,  "The  Catho- 
.ic  Church  in  the  United  States,"  as  translated  and  augment 
ed  by  Mr.  John  Gilmary  Shea,  I  can  write  with  more  preci 
sion. 

In  1807,  Daniel  Barber,  a  congregational  minister  of  New 
England,  had  baptized  in  his  sect  Miss  Allen,  daughter  of 
the  celebrated  American  general,  Ethan  Allen,  so  famous  in 
his  native  State,  Vermont.  This  young  lady  was  then 
twenty-two. 

Soon  after  she  went  to  Montreal  and  entered  the  academy 


*  H.  de  Courcy,  "  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States,"  p.  76 ;  and 
in  "Ami  de  la  Religion,"  1855,  n.  5872. 


4:14  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

of  the  Sisters  of  the  Congregation.  Miss  Allen  spontaneously 
embraced  the  Catholic  religion,  and  wishing  to  make  the 
supernatural  sacrifice  of  her  whole  being,  she  consecrated 
herself  to  the  things  of  Heaven  in  the  community  of  Hospital 
Sisters  of  the  Hotel-Dieu,  where  she  died  piously  in  1819, 
after  having  by  the  edification  of  her  last  moments  converted 
to  the  Catholic  faith  the  Protestant  physician  who  attended 
her. 

The  conversion  of  Miss  Allen  produced  other  fruits  of 
grace  among  her  coreligionists.  Her  former  pastor,  Mr 
Barber,  became  an  Episcopalian,  but  did  not  stop  there  in 
his  path  to  truth ;  in  1816  he  abjured  the  errors  of  the  pre 
tended  Reformation.  The  son  of  this  converted  minister, 
Virgil  Barber,  born  in  1782,  was,  like  his  father,  a  Protestant 
minister.  He  too,  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  being  recon 
ciled  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  entered  it  with  his  father. 
Mrs.  Virgil  Barber  followed  these  examples.  These  two 
spouses  having  become  Catholics,  did  more.  With  mutual 
consent  they  resolved  to  leave  all  and  separate  for  the  ser 
vice  of  God.  In  this  pious  view,  Mr.  Virgil  Barber  went  to 
Rome  in  1817,  to  obtain  of  the  Supreme  Pontiff  the  neces 
sary  permission.  He  embraced  the  ecclesiastical  state,  and 
was  ordained  in  the  eternal  city.  After  remaining  two  years 
in  Europe,  he  returned,  bringing  the  authorization  for  his 
wife  to  enter  religion^  She  joined  the  Visitation  order  at 
Georgetown,  and  for  two  years  performed  the  duties  of  the 
novitiate. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barber  had  five  children,  four  daughters 
and  one  son.  The  last  studied  at  the  Jesuit  college  at 
Georgetown ;  the  daughters  at  the  Academy  of  the  Visita 
tion,  but  without  knowing  that  their  mother  was  a  novice 
in  the  same  convent. 

After  her  novitiate,  the  five  children  were  taken  to  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  415 

chapel  to  witness  their  mother's  profession ;  and  at  the 
same  time,  their  father,  on  the  steps  of  the  altar  consecra 
ted  himself  to  God  in  the  Society  of  Jesus.  At  this  touch 
ing  and  unexpected  spectacle,  the  poor  children  burst  into 
sobs,  believing  themselves  forsaken  on  earth ;  but  their 
Heavenly  Father  watched  over  this  privileged  family.  He 
called  the  four  daughters  to  embrace  the  religious  state 
three  of  them  became  Ursulines ;  one  at  Quebec,  another  at 
Boston,  and  the  third  at  Three  Rivers;  the  fourth  sister 
made  her  profession  among  the  Visitation  nuns  of  George 
town.  Their  brother  Samuel  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus. 

Father  Virgil  Barber,  after  filling  with  great  edification 
different  posts  in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  became  Pro 
fessor  of  Hebrew  in  Georgetown  College,  and  died  there 
March  27,  1847,  at  the  age  of  65. 

Sister  Barber  of  the  Visitation,  long  resided  at  Kaskaskia, 
where  she  founded  a  monastery.  Sister  Mary  Barber  of 
St.  Benedict,  witnessed  the  destruction  of  the  Ursuline  con 
vent  at  Charlestown,  and  died  at  Quebec,  May  9th,  1848. 
Sister  Catherine  Barber  of  St.  Thomas,  followed  Bishop  Odin 
to  Texas  in  1849;  of  the  fourth  of  these  pious  daughter 
I  find  no  detail. 

The  grace  of  conversion  extended  to  other  members  of 
the  family.  A  nephew  and  pupil  of  Father  Virgil  Barber, 
William  Tyler,  born  in  Protestantism  in  1804,  at  Derby, 
Vermont,  became  in  1844  the  first  Catholic  bishop  of  Hart 
ford,  and  died  in  his  diocese  in  1849. 

I  close,  Reverend  Mother,  by  begging  you  to  accept  once 
more  the  expression  of  my  lively  gratitude  for  all  the  as 
sistance  that  you  have  given  to  my  mission,  as  well  as  for 
the  prayers  promised  me,  not  only  by  the  religious,  but 
also  by  the  pupils.  I  thank  them  all,  and  I  reconrnend 
them  to  the  good  remembrances  of  my  poor  Indians.  May 


4:16  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

your  daughters  in  Jesus  Christ  continue  to  give  themselves 
devotedly  to  the  holy  work  of  educating  the  young :  God, 
they  will  find  by  happy  experience,  does  not  wait  for  eter 
nity  in  order  to  give  them  an  ample  recompense !  May  the 
dear  children  continue  to  profit  by  these  salutary  lessons 
and  fascinating  examples;  they  will  then  retain  in  the  world 
their  engaging  piety  and  their  gayety  of  heart,  because  they 
will  preserve  their  precious  innocence. 

I  pray  you  to  thank  also  in  my  name  your  worthy  direct 
ors,  M.  Lambertz  at  Theldonck  and  Mr.  Paeps  at  Saven- 
them,  who  received  me  with  that  fraternal  cordiality  which 
should  reign  among  priests  an^  religious,  called  to  labor  to 
gether  for  the  salvation  and  perfection  of  souls,  and  to  aim 
at  one  sole  end,  in  their  works  and  their  aspirations,  viz., 
the  greater  glory  of  God. 

Accept,  Reverend  Mother,  the  homage  of  my  gratitude— 
and  believe  me  your  devoted  servant  in  Christ. 

P.  J.  DB  SHIT,  8.  J. 


AND    MISSIONARIES 


Letter  IXIVL 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Voyage  of  the  Leopold  /.,  from  Antwerp  to  New  York. 

REVEREND  FATHER  : 

Time  absolutely  fails  me,  or  I  would  cheerfully  give  you 
long  details.  I  send  you  a  letter  that  I  addressed  to  the 
respectable  M.  M*****,  at  M.  If  you  deem  it  worthy  oi 
the  Prtcis  Historiques,  please  copy  it  immediately,  and  dis 
patch  the  original.  Our  voyage  was  pleasant,  and  all  my 
companions  are  well,  and  have  given  me  great  satisfaction. 
On  the  18th  I  shall  set  out  for  St.  Louis,  <fec. 


MY  DEAR  FRIEND: 

To  accomplish  my  promise,  I  hasten  to  give  the  news  of 
our  voyage.  I  am  well  aware  that  you  will  not  only  be 
pleased,  but  that  you  will  expect  a  letter  with  a  certain 
impatience. 

We  have  just  safely  arrived  in  America,  after  a  delightful 
and  tranquil  passage.  Embarking  at  Antwerp  on  the  21st 
of  April,  we  reached  New  York  on  the  7th  of  the  month  of 
Mary.  I  send  you  a  sketch  of  our  itinerary. 

The  eve  of  our  departure,  we  were  invited  to  dine  in  the 
family  of  the  worthy  and  honored  Count  Le  Grelle,  late 


WESTERN    MISSIONS 

Burgomaster  of  Antwerp,  who  was  desirous  of  testifying  to 
us  on  this  occasion,  as  he  did  on  several  other  departures  Oi 
missionaries,  the  deep  interest  which  he  takes  in  our  cherished 
American  missions.  The  day  of  our  departure,  he  was  so 
kind  as  to  accompany  us  as  far  as  the  port.  A  great  num 
ber  of  other  persons,  and  several  of  our  near  and  dear  rela 
tives  also,  came  to  the  quay,  to  bid  us  a  last  adieu  and  wish 
us  a  successful  voyage. 

They  weighed  anchor  between  nine  and  ten  in  the  morn 
ing.  The  weather  was  superb.  The  large  and  beautiful 
ship,  Leopold  I.,  was  full  of  animation.  A  multitude  of 
emigrants,  from  Germany,  Holland,  Switzerland,  Belgium, 
Russia,  France,  etc.,  etc.,  were  already  on  board,  and  were 
occupied  with  an  infinity  of  petty  cares  and  arrangements, 
in  order  to  render  the  long  passage  agreeable,  or,  as  the 
English  say,  comfortable.  The  sailors,  attentive  to  the  word 
of  command,  and  every  one  at  his  post,  were  making  the 
latest  preparations  for  setting  sail. 

We  took  but  a  day  to  reach  Southampton,  and  remained 
there  until  the  next  day,  to  take  in  English  and  Irish  passen 
gers.  Our  number  increased  then  to  more  than  six  hundred 
and  twenty  persons.  During  the  whole  of  this  day  the  air 
resounded  with  the  songs  of  the  Germans  and  Hollanders, 
collected  on  the  deck ;  several  parties  executed  dances,  to 
the  sound  of  the  violin  and  guitar ;  our  main-deck  resem 
bled  a  floating  village  at  the  Kermesse  (annual  fair).  But 
fine  things  never  endure  long,  and  here  follows  a  proof. 

Scarcely  had  we  lost  sight  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  than  the 
scene  assumed  a  new  aspect.  We  found  the  sea  in  extra 
ordinary  agitation.  Although  the  wind  was  tolerably  mod 
erate,  and  the  weather  sufficiently  fine,  the  swell  shook  the 
ship  with  such  violence,  bearing  us  now  on  the  summit  of 
the  highest  waves,  and  then  precipitating  us  into  an  abyss, 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  419 

between  the  turbulent  and  foaming  surges  which  rose  moun 
tain  high  around  us.  It  was  an  agitation  which  succeeded  a 
tempest,  or  many  heavy  contradictory  winds,  which  had 
passed,  a  short  time  before,  in  our  neighborhood.  That  day 
resembled  a  genuine  day  of  mourning;  the  songs  and  dances 
ceased  ;  no  animation  or  vivacity  was  exhibited  anywhere ; 
the  table  was  almost  deserted  ;  hunger  and  gayety  made 
their  exit  together.  Here  and  there  might  be  seen  groups 
of  men,  women,  and  children,  with  sinister  faces  and  hag 
gard  eyes,  pale  and  wan  as  spectres,  leaning  over  the  vessel's 
side,  as  though  making  some  hasty  communication  to  the 
sea.  Those  especially  who  had  revelled  most  freely,  and  per 
haps  looked  too  deeply  into  the  wine-cup,  wore  the  most 
melancholy  and  lengthened  faces;  they  looked  absolutely 
like  old  parchment — -franzyne  gezichten.  Neptune  was  at 
his  post ;  this  inexorable  toll-gatherer  exacted  the  very  last 
portion  of  his  tribute  ;  willingly  or  unwillingly,  it  must  be 
paid ;  and,  remark  it  well,  how  contradictory  the  humor  of 
the  stern  sea-king,  for  we  leave  the  table  after  dessert,  but  he 
requires  the  list  exactly  rendered,  from  dessert  to  the  initia 
tory  course  of  soup. 

Though  this  was  my  eleventh  trip  across  the  Atlantic,  I 
was  not  exempted  from  the  general  sea-sickness.  I  endeavor 
ed  to  resist,  but  all  in  vain.  I  was,  therefore,  obliged  humbly 
to  submit,  and  share  the  common  misery.  The  old  adage 
says,  "  violent  sufferings  do  not  last  long,"  hence  the  indis 
posed  insensibly  recovered,  and  we  had  no  deaths  to  mourn. 
We  had  a  worthy  and  excellent  physician  on  board,  M.  The- 
mont ;  he  was  on  his  feet  night  and  day,  and  lavished  his 
cares  on  all  indiscriminately. 

This  little  shadow  passed,  the  remainder  of  the  passage 
was  unclouded.  The  weather  was  favorable  from  that  day 
forward.  The  winds  were  sometimes  a  little  contrary,  but 


420  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

the  ocean  was  calm  and  tranquil,  until  within  six  days'  dis 
tance  from  New  York. 

I  had  the  consolation  of  saying  mass  every  day  in  my 
cabin.  My  young  companions  frequently  received,  and 
several  of  the  emigrants  enjoyed  the  same  happy  privi 
lege.  You  would  have  been  edified  had  you  seen  our 
little  altar,  neatly  adorned  and  surmounted  with  a  pretty 
little  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  garlanded  with  flowers 
that  some  ladies  from  Holland  had  removed  from  their  bon 
nets.  On  Sunday  I  said  mass  in  the  grand  saloon,  where 
more  than  a  hundred  persons  could  conveniently  find  places ; 
several  Protestants  asked  permission  to  be  present.  Hymns 
were  sung,  during  the  sacrifice,  in  French,  Latin,  Dutch,  and 
German.  It  was  certainly  a  rare  spectacle  on  the  ocean, 
where  one  is  much  more  habituated  to  hearing  blasphemiet 
than  the  praises  of  God. 

On  the  2d  day  of  May,  when  near  the  Banks  of  New 
foundland,  the  sea  became  covered  with  a  dense  fog.  It 
continued  thus  during  four  days,  so  that  the  captain  could 
not  make  an  observation.  We  could  not  distinguish  any 
thing  a  few  feet  from  the  boat.  The  misfortunes  of  the 
Lyonnais  and  of  the  Arctic  are  still  recent.  We  were  in 
continual  danger  of  coming  in  contact  with  some  sailing  ves 
sel  pursuing  the  same  route.  As  a  precaution,  the  great 
whistle  of  the  steam-engine  was  heard  day  and  night,  in  it* 
loudest  and  most  piercing  tones,  in  order  to  give  the  alarm 
to  vessels  which  might  be  in  our  passage.  By  means  of  this 
manoauvre  we  were  able  to  advance  with  our  ordinary  rapid 
ity,  ten  or  twelve  knots,  or  four  leagues,  an  hour. 

However,  as  we  were  rapidly  approaching  land,  and  the 
fog  increasing  in  intensity,  it  appeared  that  we  were  pro 
gressing  more  or  less  at  random  ;  and  as  the  observations  o« 
the  meridian  had  become  impossible,  we  were  not  without 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  421 

anxiety.  We,  therefore,  had  recourse  to  Heaven,  and  we 
said  our  beads  together,  with  the  Litany  of  our  Blessed 
Mother,  and  some  special  prayers  to  obtain,  by  the  interces 
sion  of  the  souls  in  purgatory,  a  serene  sky.  Our  prayers 
appear  to  have  been  heard.  Some  hours  after,  the  fogs  had 
vanished,  and  we  had  one  of  the  most  glorious  evenings  that 
can  be  witnessed  at  sea.  The  full  moon  reflected  on  the 
waves,  shone  in  its  splendor  from  the  starry  and  cloudless 
firmament.  The  next  day  the  sun  rose  majestically.  We 
saw  a  great  number  of  vessels  sailing  towards  every  point  of 
the  compass.  At  last,  all  eyes  being  turned  towards  the 
west,  we  descried  in  the  distance,  above  the  horizon,  as  it 
were,  a  long  train  of  rising  mists.  The  officers  apply  the 
spy-glass  and  announce  that  those  are  the  much-desired 
coasts  of  America !  Songs  and  exclamations  of  joy  were 
simultaneously  offered  by  all  hearts.  The  emigrants,  grouped 
upon  the  upper  deck,  all  saluted  the  New  World,  the  land 
of  promise,  which  bore  in  its  bosom  all  their  hopes  and  all 
their  future  prospects.  As  the  objects  and  shores  presented 
themselves  more  distinctly  to  view  my  young  companions 
could  not  satisfy  their  longing  eyes  at  the  view  of  that  land, 
to  the  salvation  of  which  they  came  to  devote  their  lives, 
and  on  which  they  will  be,  I  trust,  instruments  of  salvation 
to  thousands  of  neglected  souls.  Before  the  close  of  that 
lovely  day,  the  7th  of  the  month  of  Mary,  we  found  ourselves, 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  roadstead  off  Staten 
Island,  in  the  bay  of  New  York. 

One  duty  remained  for  us  to  fulfil.  In  the  name  of  all 
the  passengers  of  the  first  and  second  cabin,  who  amounted 
to  more  than  a  hundred  persons,  I  presented  to  the  worthy 
commandant  of  the  steamship,  M.  Achille  Michel,  and  to  all 
his  officers,  a  document  signed  by  all,  to  express  our  cordial 
gratitude  and  sincere  thanks  for  their  assiduous  attention^ 


422  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

their  great  kindness  and  politeness  in  regard  to  all  the  pas 
sengers  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  compliment  them  for 
their  naval  skill  in  the  management  of  the  large  and  noble 
ship,  Leopold  I.  In  all  my  sea-voyages,  I  have  never  met  a 
commandant  more  capable,  and  officers  more  attentive  to 
their  charges.  The  whole  crew  was  well  selected  and  per 
fectly  organized.  It  is  rare  to  find  sailors  more  tranquil,  la 
borious,  and  respectful.  The  names  of  Messrs.  Edward  Mi 
chel,  commander  ;  Justius  Wm.  Liming,  first  mate  ;  Louis 
Delmer,  second  mate  ;  Julius  Nyssens,  third  mate  ;  Leopold 
Grosfels,  fourth  mate ;  Augustus  Themont,  surgeon,  and 
Edward  Kremer,  engineer,  will  always  be  dear  to  us.  We 
also  pay  a  tribute  of  respectful  thanks  to  Messrs.  Posno  and 
Spillaerdts,  of  Antwerp,  for  their  assiduous  attentions  to  us 
before  embarking,  and  for  all  the  precautions  which  they  so 
kindly  took  to  render  this  long  voyage  pleasant.  Most 
cheerfully  we  wish  the  happiest  success  to  the  great  and 
noble  enterprise  of  the  "Atlantic  Steamship  Company  of 
Antwerp." 

On  arriving  in  "New  York,  our  dear  brethren  of  St.  Xavier's 
College,  New  York,  and  of  St.  John's  College,  at  Fordham, 
near  the  city,  gave  us  a  most  hearty  reception,  pleased  at 
seeing  a  new  reinforcement  to  the  apostolic  work  in  America. 
Beautiful  and  vast  America,  so  superb  in  all  its  natural  fea 
tures,  is  in  pressing  need  of  fervent,  holy,  and  zealous  mis 
sionaries  !  The  thousands  of  Catholic  emigrants  who  seek  a 
home  on  her  shores  from  year  to  year,  render  her  penury,  in 
this  respect,  more  afflicting  and  melancholy.  Ah  !  may  the 
generous  hearts  of  Catholics  in  Holland  and  in  Belgium 
continue  to  be  moved  with  an  increasing  compassion  for  so 
many  thousands  of  souls,  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  who  are  deprived  of  pastors  and  of  the  consolations 
of  religion.  Mav  they  not  cease  sending  new  troops  of 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  423 

AH*flt,u«iries,  filled  with  a  thirst  for  the  salvation  of 
their  ne.ghtor.  The  harvest  is  great ;  the  Father  of  tte 
family  only  waits  for  the  harvesters.  No  country  in  the 
world  has  in  prospect  so  magnificent  a  future.  How  happy, 
if  she  can  be  induced  to  acknowledge  the  true  Church,  which 
alone  can  make  us  happy  here  below  and  secure  us  a  happy 
eternity,  for  which  we  have  all  been  created  and  redeemed. 

Time  presses,  I  must  close.     Be  so  kind  as  to  recall  me  to 
the  kind  souvenirs  of,  etc.,  etc.    Continue  to  pray  for  me,  and 
accept  my  estuem  and  gratitude  for  all  your  deeds  of  kind- 
to  me;  vra  retain  them  with  unfading  gratitude. 
1 1  Ave  the  honor  to  be, 

Most  worthy  and  respected  sir, 

Tour  very  humble  and  ob't  serv't, 

P.  J.  DK  SMET,  a  J. 


4:24  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XXXVII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 

Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx, 
Pastor  of  Everberg-Meerbeek  and  Missionary  in  America. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  August  29, 1857. 
RET.  AND    DEAR   FATHER  I 

During  my  last  visit  to  Belgium  I  heard  you  express  a 
wish  to  publish  in  your  Precis  Historiques  a  sketch  of  the 
life  of  the  venerable  and  holy  missionary,  Rev.  Charles 
Nerinckx,  the  apostle  of  Kentucky. 

One  of  our  best  Catholic  periodicals,  the  Metropolitan,  of 
Baltimore,  has  just  given  a  sketch  of  the  Very  Rev.  Charles 
Nerinckx.  I  hasten  to  send  you  a  copy.  In  a  note,  the 
author  of  the  sketch  refers  to  the  Life  of  Bishop  Flaget,  by 
Dr.  Spalding,  the  learned  bishop  of  Louisville  ;  the  United 
States  Catholic  Miscellany,  vol.  v.  1825  ;  the  Catholic  Al 
manac  for  1854,  etc. 

I  propose  adding  some  lines  on  the  same  subject,  in  grati 
tude  to  the  memory  of  our  zealous  and  holy  countryman,  in 
the  thought  that  they  will,  perhaps,  be  agreeable  to  the 
readers  of  the  Precis  Historiques. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  November,  1857. 
REV.  AND    DEAR    FATHER ! 

In  your  letter  of  October  20th,  acknowledging  receipt 
of  the  Memoir  of  Charles  Nerinckx,  taken  from  the  Metro- 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  425 

politan  >f  July  15th,  and  the  translation,  you  say  that  you 
have  already  received  from  me  a  sketch  of  the  same  missioc 
ary,  published  by  Bishop  Spalding,  now  bishop  of  Louisville, 
in  his  Sketches  of  Kentucky.  I  remember,  in  fact,  my  send 
ing  it.  As  the  Memoir  relies  on  the  authority  of  the  same 
worthy  prelate,  as  the  substance  of  the  two  notices  is  the 
same,  and  as  an  old  missionary  in  America  had  already 
translated  that  in  the  Sketches,  I  think  you  will  do  well  to 
publish  the  latter.* 

MEMOIR. 

Charles  Nerinckxf  was  born  on  the  2d  of  October,  1761, 
at  Herffelingen,  a  rural  commune  of  the  province  of  Bra 
bant,  arrondissement  of  Brussels.  His  parents  were  distin 
guished  for  their  virtues  and  their  strong  attachment  to 


*  At  all  times  the  Belgians  have  distingished  themselves  in  the  greal 
work  of  the  propagation  of  the  faith.  No  region  so  distant  that  it  does 
not  preserve  traces  of  their  footsteps ;  no  people,  infidel  or  savage,  which 
does  not  recall  and  bless  the  name  of  some  missionary  who  quitted  hit 
native  Belgium.  The  great  St.  Francis  Xavier  admired  their  virtues 
and  their  devotedness.  "  Mitte  Belgas"  (send  me  Belgians),  was  his  pe 
tition  from  the  depths  of  India. 

How  interesting  would  be  a  work  to  retrace  the  labors  of  our  princi 
pal  missionaries !  But  while  biographies  of  other  Belgian  celebrities 
abound,  we  find  few  of  those  apostolic  men,  who  expended  their  sweat 
and  blood  in  a  work  which  a  saint  calls  the  divinest  of  all  divine  workf 

While  this  gap  remains  unfilled  we  are  happy  to  recall  a  name  well 
known  in  Belgium.  Charles  Nerinckx,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  Bel 
gian  missionaries,  was,  in  the  beginning  of  this  century,  one  of  the 
glories  of  the  rising  Church  of  the  United  States. — Trans. 

We  have  some  letters  of  this  worthy  missionary  of  Kentucky,  which 
we  will  publish.  Many  others  must  be  in  existence.  Persons  commu 
nicating  them  to  us  will  contribute  to  the  good  these  edifying  pieces 
may  do.—  Note  of  Father  Terwecorev,. 

t  The  Nerinckx  family  is  known  by  the  many  pious  and  zealous  eccle 
siastics  it  has  produced.     One  of  them,  early  in  the  present  century, 
repaired  to  London,  where  he  still  directs  the  Church  of  St.  Aloysius, 
36* 


426  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

religion.  His  father  was  a  physician  of  some  eminence  in 
the  profession  ;  and  his  mother  seems  to  have  been  a  woman 
of  great  piety.  The  tender  mind  of  Charles  was  imbued 
with  a  deep  and  abiding  religious  feeling.  At  an  early  age, 
he  was  placed  in  the  elementary  school  at  Ninove,  where  he 
commenced  his  studies.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  was  re 
moved  to  the  college  of  Geel,  in  the  province  of  Fempen ; 
whence  he  was  afterwards  sent  to  the  university  of  i  ouvain, 
where  he  entered  on  the  study  of  philosophy.  His  Barents 
determined  to  spare  no  expense  which  might  be  neces  ary  to 
give  him  a  thorough  education ;  and  they  were  highlj  grati 
fied  to  find  that  Charles  corresponded  so  well  with  their 
parental  solicitude,  and  that  he  more  than  fulfilled  heir 
highest  expectations. 

Having  completed  his  academic  course,  and  duly  consu  >d 
God  in  prayer,  the  young  Charles  resolved  to  study  for  the 
Church.  Accordingly,  in  the  year  1781,  he  was  sent  by  his 
parents  to  the  seminary  of  Mechlin,  where  he  entered  on 
the  study  of  theology.  Here  he  was  still  more  remarkable 
for  tender  and  solid  piety,  than  he  was  for  the  rapid  advance 
ment  he  made  in  his  studies.  Though  he  far  outstripped 
his  companions,  yet  he  did  not  permit  himself  to  be  elated 
with  his  success.  He  referred  all  his  actions  to  God,  to 
whom  he  was  united  by  an  habitual  spirit  of  prayer.  He 
concealed  his  success,  even  from  his  own  eyes,  under  the 
garb  of  a  deep  internal  humility ;  and  from  those  of  his 
companions,  under  the  veil  of  an  unaffected  modesty.  He 
feared  the  praises  of  men  more  than  others  usually  seek  them. 


which  he  erected,  and  the  orphan  asylum  annexed  to  it,  also  founded 
by  him,  and  placed  under  the  direction  of  Sisters  called  the  Faithful 
companions  of  Jesus.  Another  religious  of  the  family  labors  in  the  toil 
some  mission  of  Missouri.  The  Belgian  clergy  count  several  mem 
bers  of  the  same  family. — Note  of  Belgian  translator. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  427 

His  studies  completed,  he  was  ordained  priest  in  1785  : 
and  in  the  following  year  was  appointed  curt,  or  pastor,  of 
Mechlin,  the  archiepiscopal  city.  He  filled  this  important 
post  for  eight  years,  and  gathered  there  the  abundant  first- 
fruits  of  his  ministry.  The  good  people  of  Mechlin  yet 
remember  his  piety  and  laborious  zeal,  the  effects  of  which 
they  still  feel.  The  rectory  of  Everberg-Meerbeek,  half  way 
between  Mechlin  and  Brussels,  having  become  vacant  by  the 
death  of  the  aged  incumbent,  M.  Nerinckx  was  appointed  to 
fill  it,  by  the  general  suffrage  of  a  board  of  examiners,  who, 
after  the  searching  examination,  or  concursus,  recommended 
by  the  Holy  Council  of  Trent  for  such  cases,  unanimously 
awarded  him  the  palm  over  all  other  candidates.  Though 
loth  to  leave  Mechlin,  where  the  people  were  much  attached 
to  him,  yet  he  hesitated  not  to  enter  upon  the  new  field  of 
labor  thus  opened  to  him  by  Providence. 

The  extensive  parish  of  Everberg-Meerbeek  was  in  a  neg 
lected  and  deplorable  condition.  The  parish  church  was  in 
a  dilapidated  state,  and  the  people  had  been  much  neglected, 
in  consequence  of  the  age  and  infirmities  of  his  predecessor 
in  his  pastoral  office.  M.  Nerinckx  immediately  set  about 
remedying  all  these  evils ;  he  repaired  the  church,  and  waa 
assiduous  in  his  efforts  to  revive  piety  among  his  new  parish 
ioners.  Believing  that  the  hearts  of  the  parents  could  be 
most  effectually  reached  through  their  chile  ren,  he  spared 
no  pains  to  instruct  the  latter,  and  to  rear  them  up  in  the 
most  tender  sentiments  of  piety.  He  gave  them  catechetical 
instructions  on  every  Sunday  evening  after  vespers.  To  do 
this  the  more  successfully,  he  divided  the  parish  into  sections, 
and  distributed  the  children  into  regular  classes,  which  he 
taught  himself,  or  through  pious  catechists  whom  he  had 
selected ;  and  he  had  the  names  of  all  the  children  of  his 
parish  carefully  registered.  He  soon  won  the  hearts  of  tho 


4:28  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

children,  and  was  able  easily  to  obtain  their  regular  attend 
ance  at  catechism.  He  frequently  inculcated  on  them  a  ten 
der  devotion  to  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  taught  them  to  sing 
canticles,  which  he  had  composed  in  her  honor. 

The  effects  of  this  discipline  were  soon  discernable.  The 
children  were  prepared  for  their  first  communion,  and  soon 
became  models  of  piety  for  the  whole  parish.  The  hearts 
of  the  parents  were  touched ;  and  the  most  neglectful  or 
obdurate  among  them,  were  gradually  brought  to  a  sense  of 
duty.  Piety  was  seen  to  flourish  in  a  parish  before  distin 
guished  only  for  its  coldness  and  negligence.  Numerous 
pious  confraternities  in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  were 
established,  as  well  as  associations  for  visiting  the  sick,  and 
for  other  charitable  objects.  Thus,  by  the  zeal  of  one  man, 
aided  by  the  Divine  blessing,  a  total  reformation  was  effected 
in  a  short  time  ;  and  the  parish  of  Everberg-Meerbeek  be 
came  a  model  for  all  others. 

M.  Nerinckx,  though  kind  and  polite  to  all,  was  rather 
austere  in  his  manners,  as  well  as  rigid  in  his  discipline.  He 
was,  however,  always  much  more  rigid  with  himself  than 
with  others.  He  never  lost  a  moment,  nor  allowed  himself 
any  recreation.  He  paid  no  idle  visits  for  mere  pastime  ;  he 
visited  the  different  families  of  his  parish  only  on  duty,  and 
generally  on  Sunday  evenings.  He  knew  well  that  a  priest  who 
does  his  duty  has  little  time  to  spare  for  idle  conversation. 
Wherever  good  was  to  be  done,  or  a  soul  to  be  saved,  there 
was  he  found,  by  day  or  by  night,  in  rain  or  in  sunshine,  in 
winter  or  in  summer.  When  not  actually  engaged  in  the 
ministry,  he  was  always  found  at  home,  employed  in  prayer 
or  in  study.  He  was  an  enemy  of  promiscuous  dances,  and 
he  succeeded  in  abolishing  them  throughout  his  parish. 

It  was  natural  that  a  man  of  so  much  zeal,  and  one  who 
had  done  so  much  good,  should  be  viewed  with  an  evil  eye 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  429 

by  the  infidel  leaders  of  the  French  revolutionary  movement, 
who  had  recently  taken  possession  of  Belgium.  An  order 
for  his  apprehension  was  accordingly  issued ;  and  M.  Nerinckx 
was  compelled  to  fly  from  his  dear  parish,  which  he  left  a 
prey  to  the  devouring  wolves.  In  1797  he  secreted  himself 
in  the  hospital  at  Termonde,  which  was  under  the  charge 
of  twelve  or  fifteen  hospitaller  nuns,  of  whom  his  aunt  was 
superior.  Here  he  remained  for  seven  years,  during  all  of 
which  time  he  carried  his  life  in  his  hands.  He  acted  as 
chaplain  to  the  hospital,  the  former  incumbent  having  been 
banished  to  the  Isle  of  Rhe.  He  bore  his  persecutions  with 
entire  resignation  to  the  holy  will  of  God,  and  edified  all  by 
the  practice  of  every  virtue.  He  encouraged  the  good  nuna 
to  persevere  in  their  heavenly  calling  of  mercy.  He  said 
mass  for  them  every  morning  at  two  o'clock,  and  then  re 
tired  to  his  hiding-place  before  the  dawn. 

In  his  retreat  he  had  full  leisure  to  apply  to  study,  and  he 
lost  not  a  moment  of  his  precious  time.  He  wrote  treatises 
on  theology,  on  Church  history,  and  on  canon  law  ;  and  his 
manuscripts  would  have  filled  eight  or  ten  printed  octavo 
volumes.  These  he  was  often  afterwards  solicited  to  publish  ; 
but  his  modesty  took  the  alarm,  and  he  was  inflexible  in  his  re 
fusal.  In  the  hospital  of  Termonde  were  shut  up  many  of  the 
prisoners  who  had  been  made  in  the  revolutionary  battles 
fought  in  Belgium.  Some  of  these  were  horribly  maimed. 
M.  Nerinckx  did  all  he  could,  in  his  dangerous  situation,  to 
assuage  their  sufferings,  and  to  impart  to  them  spiritual  sue 
cor.  At  the  dead  hour  of  night,  he  often  stole  to  their  cells, 
at  imminent  hazard  of  his  life,  and  administered  to  them 
the  holy  sacraments ;  and  when  they  were  hurried  to  execu 
tion,  he  viewed  them  from  his  hiding-place,  and  imparted  to 
them  the  last  absolution.  Often,  too,  he  visited  by  stealth 
his  dear  parish  of  Everberg-Meerbeek,  administering  the 


4:30  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

sacraments  to  his  people,  consoling  them  in  their  sufferings, 
and  strengthening  them  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

Beset  with  dangers,  and  uncertain  as  to  the  duration  of 
the  dreadful  storm  which  was  then  sweeping  over  Europe^ 
M.  Nerinckx  at  length  determined  to  bid  adieu  to  his  unhap 
py  country,  and  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  Here 
"  the  harvest  was  great,  and  the  laborers  few ;"  and  no  im 
pediment  was  placed  in  the  way  of  a  free  exercise  of  religion, 
according  to  each  one's  conscientious  convictions.  He  accord 
ingly  made  his  escape,  in  a  vessel  which  sailed  from  Amster 
dam  to  the  United  States,  on  the  14th  of  August,  1804. 

He  had  a  long  and  dangerous  passage  of  ninety  days.  The 
old  and  rickety  vessel  was  often  in  imminent  danger  of  foun 
dering  at  sea ;  and,  to  add  to  the  distress,  a  contagious  dis 
order  carried  off  many  of  the  passengers  and  crew.  Still 
they  were  not  chastened  under  the  rod  of  affliction;  the 
heart  of  M.  Nerinckx  often  bled  over  their  wickedness,  which 
he  was  wholly  unable  to  check;  and  he  afterwards  was  in 
the  habit  of  styling  this  ill-fated  ship  "a  floating  hell."  The 
captain,  in  particular,  was  a  very  profane  and  wicked  man. 
M.  Nerinckx  was  wont  to  ascribe  his  preservation  from  ship 
wreck,  to  a  special  interposition  of  Divine  Providence. 

He  reached  Baltimore  about  the  middle  of  November, 
and  immediately  offered  his  services  to  the  Patriarch  of  the 
American  Church — Bishop  Carroll* — for  whatever  mission 

*  Bishop  Carroll  was  an  illustrious  scion  of  one  of  the  two  hundred 
English  Catholic  families,  who,  in  1633,  flying  from  the  religious  oppres 
sion  to  which  they  were  subjected  in  their  native  land,  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  and  settled  Maryland,  under  the  guidance  of  Lord  Baltimore. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  till  the  suppression  of  the 
order,  in  1778.  He  continued  to  cultivate  that  portion  of  the  Lord's 
vineyard,  with  his  old  fellow-religious,  till  his  promotion  to  the  episco' 
pate,  in  1789.  Pope  Pius  VI.  confided  to  him  the  new  See  of  Baltimore, 
»nd  placed  under  his  jurisdiction  the  whole  extent  of  the  United  States 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  431 

in  the  United  States  he  might  think  proper  to  assign  him. 
Bishop  Carroll  received  the  good  exile  with  open  arms,  and 
immediately  sent  him  to  Georgetown,*  to  prepare  himself 
for  the  American  mission,  by  learning  English,  with  which, 
as  yet,  he  was  wholly  unacquainted.  M.  Nerinckx  was  then 
in  his  forty-fifth  year ;  and  yet  he  applied  himself  with  so 
much  ardor  to  the  study  of  the  English  language,  as  to  be 
able  in  a  few  months  to  speak  and  write  it  with  considerable 
facility. 

Bishop  Carroll  was  well  aware  of  the  forlorn  condition  of 
M.  Badin,f  who  was  alone  in  Kentucky,  and  he  determined 
to  send  the  new  missionary  to  his  assistance.  And  had  he 
sent  us  no  other,  Kentucky  would  still  have  ample  reason  to 
be  forever  grateful  to  him  for  the  invaluable  treasure  he  sent 
in  M.  Nerinckx. 

The  good  missionary  hesitated  not  a  moment  to  comply 
with  the  wish  of  his  new  superior.  What  cared  he  for  the 
dangers,  privations,  and  labors,  which  he  foresaw  he  would 
have  to  endure  on  the  arduous  mission  to  which  he  was 
hastening  ?  Had  he  not  been  already  trained  to  this  severe 
discipline  of  the  cross  ;  and  had  he  come  to  America  to  rest 

His  death,  which  occurred  in  1815,  caused  extraordinary  grief  through 
out  the  country. 

*  Georgetown  C»llege  is  the  oldest  Catholic  university  in  the  United 
States,  and  has  been  at  all  times  a  fruitful  hive  of  missionaries.  It  is 
situated  on  a  height,  in  view  of  Washington.  It  has  been,  since  its 
origin,  under  the  direction  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  This 
college  has  acquired  new  importance  by  the  magnificent  observatory 
erected  there  some  years  since,  and  by  the  astronomical  observations 
made  there. 

t  The  Rev.  Mr.  Badin,  who  died  recently,  after  an  apostolate  of  over 
half  a  century,  was  a  native  of  France.  He  studied  at  Baltimore,  where 
he  was  ordained  in  1793,  by  Bishop  Carroll.  He  was  the  first  priest  or 
dained  in  the  United  States,  where,  so  shortly  before,  the  Catholics  had 
groaned  under  the  English  penal  laws. 


4:32  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

on  a  bed  of  down,  and  to  dally  with  luxuries  ?  From  ac 
early  period  of  his  life,  labors  and  sufferings  had  been  hia 
daily  bread ;  and  now  he  was  too  much  accustomed  to  them 
any  longer  to  feel  any  apprehension  on  their  account.  He 
was,  on  the  contrary,  rejoiced  to  enter  on  a  mission  which 
no  one  else  wished,  or  was  indeed  willing  to  accept. 

He  left  Baltimore  in  the  spring  of  1805,  and,  after  a  long 
and  painful  journey,  reached  Kentucky  on  the  5th  of  July 
following.  He  immediately  applied  himself  zealously  to  the 
labors  of  the  mission,  which  he  cheerfully  shared  with  M. 
Badin,  the  vicar-general.  For  the  first  seven  years  he 
resided  with  M.  Badin,  at  St.  Stephen's ;  afterwards,  he  took 
up  his  residence  chiefly  near  the  church  of  St.  Charles, 
which  he  had  erected  on  Hardin's  Creek,  and  named  after 
his  patron  saint.  But  he  was  seldom  at  home :  he  lived  on 
his  scattered  missions,  and  passed  much  of  his  time  on  horse 
back. 

His  labors  in  the  arduous  field  upon  which  he  had  now 
entered,  were  as  great  as  their  fruit  was  abundant.  With 
his  whole  soul,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  work  of  the  min 
istry.  He  even  seemed  to  court  labors  and  sufferings  for 
their  own  sake.  Of  a  powerful  frame,  and  of  herculean  con 
stitution,  he  never  spared  himself.  His  rest  was  brief,  and 
his  food  was  generally  of  the  coarsest  kind.  He  generally 
arose  several  hours  before  day,  which  hours  he  devoted  to 
prayer  and  study.  lu  fact,  he  seemed  to  be  always  engaged 
in  mental  prayer,  no  matter  how  numerous  or  distracting 
were  his  employments. 

He  appeared  to  live  solely  for  God  and  for  his  neighbor. 
Performing  his  duty  was  his  daily  bread.  And  though  old 
age  was  fast  creeping  over  him,  yet  he  relaxed  in  nothing 
his  exhausting  labors.  His  soul  was  still  fresh  and  vigorous  ; 
and  God  so  preserved  his  health,  that,  even  at  the  age  o, 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  433 

sixty,  he  seemed  gifted  with  all  the  strength  a^d  vigor  of 
youth. 

He  seldom  missed  offering  up  the  holy  sacrifice  daily,  no 
matter  what  had  been  his  previous  fatigues  or  indisposition. 
Often  was  he  known  to  ride  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  fast 
ing,  in  order  to  be  able  to  say  mass.  His  missionary  labors 
would  b*  almost  incredible,  were  they  not  still  so  well  re 
membered  by  almost  all  the  older  Catholics  of  Kentucky. 

His  courage  was  unequalled  ;  he  feared  no  difficulties,  and 
was  appalled  by  no  dangers.  Through  rain  and  storms ; 
through  snows  and  ice ;  over  roads  rendered  almost  impas 
sible  by  the  mud  ;  over  streams  swollen  by  the  rains,  or 
frozen  by  the  cold  ;  by  day  and  by  night,  in  winter  and  in 
summer,  he  might  be  seen  traversing  all  parts  of  Kentucky 
in  the  discharge  of  his  laborious  duties.  Far  from  shunning, 
he  seemed  even  to  seek  after  hardships  and  dangers. 

He  crossed  wilderness  districts,  swam  rivers,  slept  in  the 
woods  among  the  wild  beasts ;  and  while  undergoing  all 
this,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  fasting,  and  of  voluntarily  morti 
fying  himself  in  many  other  ways.  His  courage  and  vigor 
seemed  to  increase  with  the  labors  and  privations  he  had  to 
endure.  As  his  courage,  so  neither  did  his  cheerfulness  ever 
abandon  him.  He  seldom  laughed,  or  even  smiled;  but 
there  was  withal  an  air  of  contentment  and  cheerfulness 
about  him  which  greatly  qualified  the  natural  austerity  of 
his  countenance  and  manners.  He  could,  like  the  great 
Apostle,  make  himself  "all  to  all,  to  gain  all  to  Christ."  He 
appeared  even  more  at  home  in  the  cabin  of  the  humblest 
citizen,  or  in  the  hut  of  the  poor  negro,  than  in  the  more 
pretending  mansions  of  the  wealthy. 

He  was  averse  to  giving  trouble  to  others,  especially  tc 
the  poor.  Often,  when  he  arrived  at  a  house  in  the  night, 
he  attended  to  his  own  horse,  and  took  a  brief  repose  in  the 
87. 


4:34  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

stable,  or  in  some  out-house ;  and  when  the  inmates  of  the 
house  arose  next  morning,  they  frequently  perceived  him 
already  up,  and  saying  his  office,  or  making  his  meditation. 
He  made  it  an  invariable  rule  never  to  miss  an  appointment, 
whenever  it  was  at  all  possible  to  keep  it.  He  often  arrived 
at  a  distant  station  early  in  the  morning,  after  having  rode 
during  all  of  the  previous  night.  On  these  occasions,  he 
heard  confessions,  taught  catechism,  gave  instructions,  and 
said  mass  for  the  people  generally  after  noon  ;  and  he  seldom 
broke  his  fast  until  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

In  swimming  rivers,  he  was  often  exposed  to  great  danger. 
Once,  in  going  to  visit  a  sick  person,  he  came  to  a  stream 
which  his  companion  knew  to  be  impassable.  M.  Nerinckx 
took  the  saddle  of  his  friend — who  refused  to  venture — 
placed  it  on  his  own,  and  then,  remounting  the  horse,  placed 
himself  on  his  knees  on  the  top  of  the  two  saddles,  and 
thus  crossed  the  flood,  which  flowed  over  his  horse's  back. 
On  another  occasion,  he  made  a  still  more  narrow  escape. 
He  was  swept  from  his  horse,  which  lost  its  footing  and  was 
carried  away  by  the  current ;  and  the  rider  barely  saved 
himself  and  reached  the  other  shore,  by  clinging  firmly  to 
the  horse's  tail. 

On  one  of  his  missionary  tours,  he  narrowly  escaped 
being  devoured  by  the  wolves,  which  then  greatly  infested 
those  portions  of  Kentucky  which  were  not  densely  settled. 
While  travelling  to  visit  a  distant  station,  in  what  is  now 
called  Grayson  county,  but  what  was  then  an  almost  unre 
claimed  wilderness,  he  lost  his  way  in  the  night.  It  was  the 
dead  of  winter,  and  the  darkness  was  so  great  that  he  could 
not  hope  to  extricate  himself  from  his  painful  situation. 
Meantime,  while  he  was  seeking  a  sheltered  place,  where  he 
could  take  some  repose,  the  famished  wolves  scented  him, 
and  came  in  hundreds,  fiercely  howling  around  him.  With 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  435 

great  presence  of  mind,  he  immediately  remounted  his  horse, 
knowing  that  they  would  scarcely  attack  him  while  on 
horseback.  He  hallooed  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  tempo 
rarily  frightened  them  off;  but  soon  they  returned  to  the 
charge,  and  kept  him  at  bay  during  the  whole  night.  Once 
or  twice  they  seemed  on  the  point  of  seizing  his  horse,  and 
M.  Nerinckx  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  prepared  him 
self  for  death  ;  but  a  mysterious  Providence  watched  over 
him,  and  he  escaped,  after  sitting  his  horse  the  whole  night. 
With  the  dawn,  the  wolves  disappeared. 

As  we  have  said,  he  was  a  man  of  powerful  frame  and  her 
culean  strength.  A  proof  of  this  will  be  presented  in  the 
following  singular  adventure,  which  is  well  known  to  all  the 
older  Catholics  of  Kentucky. 

He  was  in  the  habit  of  rigidly  enforcing  order  in  the 
church,  during  the  celebration  of  the  divine  mysteries.  Prot 
estants,  and  persons  of  no  religion,  often  attended  church, 
led  .thither  chiefly  by  curiosity.  These  sometimes  did  not 
conform  to  the  rules  of  propriety ;  and  M.  Nerinckx,  who 
was  little  swayed  by  human  respect,  was  not  slow  to  admon 
ish  them  of  their  faults  in  this  particular.  As  he  was  not 
very  well  versed  in  the  English  language,  and  was  by  nature 
rather  plain  and  frank,  his  admonitions  were  not  always  well 
understood,  or  well  received.  Once,  especially,  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Hardin — a  youth  of  powerful  frame  and  strength, 
and  somewhat  of  a  bully — took  great  offence  at  something 
which  M.  Nerinckx  had  said,  and  which  it  seems  he  had  en 
tirely  misunderstood.  He  openly  declared  that  he  would  be 
avenged  on  the  priest,  the  first  time  that  he  would  meet  him 
alone. 

An  opportunity  soon  occurred.  M.  Nerinckx  was  going 
to  the  church  of  St.  Charles,  from  St.  Stephen's,  when  Har 
din  waylaid  him  on  the  road.  Springing  from  his  hiding- 


4:3(5  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

pla^e,  he  seized  the  bridle-reins  of  M.  Nerinckx's  horse,  aid 
bid  him  stop,  "for  that  he  intended  to  give  him  a  sound 
drubbing."  At  the  same  time  he  cut  one  of  the  stirrup- 
leathers,  and  ordered  the  rider  to  dismount — an  order  which 
was  promptly  complied  with.  M.  Nerinckx  remonstrated 
with  him  ;  told  him  that  he  had  meant  in  nowise  to  offend 
or  injure  him  ;  and  that  his  profession  wholly  forbade  him 
to  wrangle  or  fight.  Hardin,  however,  persisted,  and  was  in 
the  act  of  striking  the  priest,  when  the  latter  took  hold  of 
him,  and  quietly  laid  him  on  the  ground,  as  though  he  had 
been  the  merest  child ;  observing  to  him,  meantime,  with  a 
smile,  "that  he  would  neither  strike  or  injure  him,  but  that 
he  felt  authorized  to  see  that  himself  received  no  injury  at 
his  hands."  In  this  position  he  held  him  motionless  on  his 
back,  until  he  had  obtained  from  him  a  promise  that  no  fur 
ther  attempt  should  be  made  on  his  person. 

After  this  rencounter,  M.  Nerinckx  quietly  remounted  his 
horse,  and  proceeded  on  his  journey,  Hardin  as  quietly 
moving  off  in  the  other  direction.  On  arriving  at  the 
church,  one  of  his  friends  asked  M.  Nerinckx,  "  how  it  hap 
pened  that  his  stirrup-leather  had  been  cut?"  He  replied, 
by  simply  stating  the  adventure  in  a  few  words;  and  observ 
ing,  with  a  smile,  "  that  these  young  buckskins  could  not 
handle  a  Dutchman  !"  After  this  he  never  was  heard  to 
.^peak  of  the  affair  ;  but  Hardin  was  wont  to  say  to  his 
friends,  "  he  often  thought  before  that  he  had  handled  men, 
but  that  he  really  never  had  hold  of  one  before  he  met 
Priest  Nerinckx,  who,  he  verily  believed,  had  something 
supernatural  about  him." 

M.  Nerinckx  often  manifested  his  great  bodily  strength  in 
the  course  of  his  laborious  life.  He  erected  no  less  than 
ten  churches  in  Kentucky ;  two  of  which — those  of  Holy 
Cross  and  of  Lebanon — were  of  brick,  and  the  rest  of  hewed 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  437 

logs.  He  was  not  content  with  directing  the  labors  of 
others ;  he  was  seen  intermixing  with  the  workmen,  aiding 
them  in  cutting  timber,  in  clearing  out  the  undergrowth, 
and  in  every  other  species  of  hard  labor.  He  generally 
worked  bareheaded  under  the  broiling  sun ;  and,  in  removing 
heavy  timber,  or,  as  it  is  commonly  called,  rolling  logs,  he 
usually  lifted  against  two  or  three  men  of  ordinary  strength, 
He  built  his  own  house,  chiefly  with  his  own  hands ;  and 
was  wont  to  say  cheerfully,  "  that  his  palace  had  cost  him 
just  $6.50  in  money !" 

Se  had  charge  of  six  large  congregations,  besides  a  much 
greater  number  of  stations,  scattered  over  the  whole  extent 
of  Kentucky.  Wherever  he  could  learn  that  there  were  a 
few  Catholic  settlers,  there  he  established  a  station,  or  erected 
a  church.  The  labor  which  he  thus  voluntarily  took  on 
himself  is  almost  incredible.  To  visit  all  his  churches  and 
stations  generally  required  the  space  of  at  least  six  weeks. 

He  never  took  any  rest  or  recreation.  He  seemed  always 
most  happy,  when  most  busily  engaged.  He  seldom  talked, 
except  on  business,  or  on  God,  on  virtue,  or  on  his  mission 
ary  duties.  On  reaching  a  church  or  station,  his  confes 
sional  was  usually  thronged  by  penitents,  from  the  early 
dawn  until  mid-day.  Before  beginning  to  hear  confessions, 
he  usually  said  some  prayers  with  the  people,  and  then 
gave  them  a  solid  and  familiar  instruction  on  the  man 
ner  of  approaching  the  holy  tribunal.  If  he  seemed  austere 
out  of  the  confessional,  he  was  in  it  a  most  kind,  patient, 
and  tender  father.  He  spared  no  time  nor  pains  to  instruct 
his  penitents,  all  of  whom,  without  one  exception,  were  deeply 
attached  to  him.  To  his  instructions  chiefly,  in  the  confes 
sional,  are  we  to  ascribe  the  piety  and  regularity  of  many 
among  the  living  Catholics  in  Kentucky. 

But  it  was  on  the  children  and  servants  that  he  lavished 
37« 


4:38  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

his  labor  with  the  greatest  relish.  Thoroughly  to  instruct 
them,  and  prepare  them  for  their  first  communion,  was  hij 
darling  employment.  He  thought  no  time  nor  labor,  that 
was  devoted  to  this  favorite  object  of  his  heart,  too  long  or 
ill-spent.  For  this  purpose,  he  usually  remained  a  week  at 
each  of  the  churches  and  stations.  During  this  time,  he 
had  the  children  and  servants  daily  assembled,  and  devoted 
his  whole  time  to  them.  He  thus  renewed  in  Kentucky  the 
edifying  scenes  which  had  been  witnessed  in  his  former 
parish  of  Everberg-Meerbeek,  in  Belgium.  The  children 
were  much  attached  to  him  ;  and  he  possessed  a  peculiar 
tact  in  winning  their  hearts,  and  stimulating  them  to  learn 
their  catechism,  and  to  be  virtuous.  He  distributed  them  in 
regular  classes,  and  awarded  premiums  to  the  most  deserving. 
Thus  he  laid,  broad  and  deep,  the  foundations  of  Catholic 
piety  in  Kentucky. 

In  Kentucky,  also,  as  in  Belgium,  he  sought  to  inculcate 
a  tender  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  The  first  church 
which  he  erected  he  dedicated  to  God  under  her  invocation, 
and  called  it  Holy  Mary's,  after  her.  His  churches  were 
generally  built  in  the  form  of  a  cross  :  the  two  arms  of 
which,  with  one  half  of  the  body,  were  occupied  respectively 
by  the  men  and  women,  who  were  always  kept  separate. 

After  mass,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  practising  a  devotion, 
as  beautiful  as  it  was  touching  and  impressive.  He  went  to 
the  centre  of  the  church,  where,  surrounded  by  the  little 
children,  who  so  dearly  loved  him,  he  knelt  down,  and,  with 
his  arms  extended  in  the  form  of  a  cross — the  children  rais 
ing  also  their  little  arms  in  the  same  manner — he  recited 
prayers  in  honor  of  the  five  blessed  wounds  of  our  Divine 
Saviour.  The  parents  often  joined  the  children  in  this 
moving  devotion.  After  this,  he  led  his  little  congregation, 
composed  chiefly  of  children,  into  the  adjoining  graveyard. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  439 

where  he  caused  them  to  visit  and  pray  over  the  graves  of 
their  deceased  relatives  and  friends. 

God  blessed  his  labors  with  fruits  so  abundant  and  perma 
nent  as  to  console  him  for  all  his  toils  and  privations.  Hf 
witnessed  a  flourishing  church  growing  up  around  him,  in 
what  had  recently  been  a  wilderness,  inhabited  only  by  fierce 
wild  beasts  and  untamable  savages.  He  saw  in  the  virtues 
of  his  scattered  flock,  a  revival  of  those  which  had  rendered 
so  illustrious  the  Christians  of  the  first  ages  of  the  Church. 
M.  Badin  had  laid  the  foundation  ;  and,  like  a  skilful  archi 
tect,  he  reared  the  superstructure,  in  that  portion  of  the 
flock  intrusted  to  his  charge.  The  results  of  his  labors 
prove  how  much  one  good  man,  with  the  blessing  of  God, 
can  achieve  by  his  single  efforts,  prompted  by  the  lofty  mo 
tive  of  the  divine  glory,  and  directed  with  simplicity  of 
heart  to  one  noble  end. 

Yet,  though  learned  and  of  solid  judgment,  he  was  not 
remarkable  for  brilliancy  of  talent,  for  engaging  address,  or 
for  pulpit  eloquence.  His  discourses  were  plain,  matter-of- 
fact  instructions,  delivered  in  broken  English,  and  with  little 
rhetorical  ornament. 

Though  he  had  something  austere  in  his  manner,  and 
though  he  was  a  foreigner,  and  spoke  English  very  imper 
fectly,  yet  it  is  remarkable  that  he  made,  perhaps,  more  con 
verts  among  Protestants,  than  any  other  missionary  who  ever 
labored  in  Kentucky,  if  we  except  M.  Badin.  So  true  is  it, 
that  conversion  is  not  ordinarily  effected  by  human  eloquence 
alone,  or  by  any  other  mere  human  means,  but  by  the  grace 
and  blessing  of  God,  crowning  with  success  the  labors  of  the 
missionary.  M.  Nerinckx  seldom  made  a  missionary  tour 
without  receiving  some  one  into  the  bosom  of  the  Holy 
Catholic  Church.  In  one  of  these  excursions,  he  made  no 
fewer  than  thirteen  converts.  And  those  whom  he  received 


440  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

into  the  Church  were  well  gro  inded  in  the  faith,  and  gen 
erally  proved  steadfast. 

The  transcendent  merits  of  M.  Nerinckx  did  not  escap€ 
the  eye  of  Bishop  Carroll.  Besides  having  charge  of  the 
whole  territory  of  the  United  States,  this  venerable  patriarch 
of  the  American  Church  was  also  administrator  of  the  dio 
cese  of  New  Orleans,  which  had  been  for  many  years  without 
a  bishop.  On  the  division  of  his  vast  charge  into  five  different 
dioceses,  in  1806,  and  the  erection  of  his  own  see  into  an 
archbishopric,  he  recommended  to  the  Holy  See  the  Rev. 
M.  Nerinckx,  as  a  suitable  person  to  take  charge  of  the 
vacant  diocese  of  New  Orleans,*  in  the  character  of  adminis 
trator.  The  Sovereign  Pontiff  acceded  to  his  request,  and 
dispatched  a  brief  to  that  effect.  The  appointment  of  M. 
Nerinckx  to  this  situation  was  intended  as  the  forerunner  of 
his  consecration  as  bishop  of  New  Orleans. 

The  good  missionary  was  with  M.  Badin  when  he  learned 
the  news  of  his  appointment.  He  meekly  bowed  his  head, 
and  observed  to  his  friend,  beginning  with  the  words  of  the 
psalmist :  "  Bonitatem  et  disdplinam  et  scientiam  docendus, 
docere  non  valeo" — "  Having  myself  to  be  taught  goodness, 
and  discipline,  and  knowledge,  I  am  not  able  to  teach  these 
things  to  others."  He  mildly,  but  firmly  refused  the  prof 
fered  honor.  Desirous  of  retaining  him  in  Kentucky,  where 
his  labors  were  so  fruitful,  M.  Badin,  in  conjunction  with  the 
Dominican  Fathers  of  St.  Rose,  petitioned  the  Holy  See 
that  he  might  not  be  compelled  to  accept  an  office  which 
would  tear  him  from  a  field  of  labor  in  which  he  had  already 


*  Louisiana,  of  which  New  Orleans  is  the  chief  city,  was  sold  to  the 
United  States,  by  Napoleon,  in  1801.  The  episcopal  see  of  New  Orleans, 
erected  in  1798,  was,  at  the  cession,  without  an  incumbent;  the  first 
bishop,  a  Cuban,  having  beeji  transferred  to  another  see,  and  his  S'lO 
having  been  unable  to  reach  his  diocese. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  441 

proved  so  eminently  useful.  They  also  represented,  that  the 
great  delicacy  of  conscience  characteristic  of  M.  Nerinckx 
would  render  him  exceedingly  unhappy  in  so  arduous  a  situ 
ation,  if  it  would  not  wholly  unfit  him  for  its  responsible 
duties. 

The  Pontiff  yielded  to  the  entreaties  of  M.  Nerinckx, 
thus  supported  by  the  suffrage  of  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry ;  and  he  did  not  insist  on  his  accepting  the  appoint 
ment. 

Among  the  establishments  made  by  M.  Nerinckx,  that  of 
the  Sisters  of  Loretto,  or  of  "  the  Friends  of  Mary  at  the 
Foot  of  the  Cross,"  is  the  principal,  and  has  proved  of  the 
greatest  benefit  to  the  diocese  of  Kentucky.  His  objects  in 
founding  this  invaluable  sisterhood  were  :  to  enable  pious 
females  to  aspire  to  the  lofty  perfection  of  the  religious  state, 
and  to  promote,  through  their  means,  the  Christian  education 
of  youth  of  their  own  sex,  especially  of  those  whose  parents 
were  needy  and  too  destitute  to  defray  the  expenses  attend 
ing  the  education  of  their  offspring. 

In  the  course  of  his  long  missionary  career,  M.  Nerinckx 
discovered  many  young  females  who  sought  to  practise  a 
more  perfect  virtue  than  was  compatible  with  the  distractions 
of  the  world.  They  had  caught  no  little  of  his  own  spirit 
of  prayer,  of  disengagement  from  the  world,  and  of  lofty 
enthusiasm  in  the  path  of  Christian  perfection.  He  observed, 
too,  many  young  girls  who  were  raised  in  ignorance,  and 
greatly  exposed  to  temptation.  He  devised  an  admirable 
means  of  promoting  the  spiritual  welfare  of  both  these 
classes  of  females,  in  the  establishment  of  the  new  Sis 
terhood  of  Loretto — which  name  he  gave  them  out  of 
reverence  for  the  famous  shrine  of  the  Virgin,  at  Loretto, 
in  Italy. 

The  foundation  of  the  new  society  was  laid  on  the  25th  o! 


4*2  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

April,  1812 — nearly  a  year  after  the  arrival  of  Bishop  Flaget* 
in  Kentucky.  The  mother  establishment  was  called  Loretto, 
and  was  erected  on  Hardin's  Creek,  near  the  church  of  St. 
Charles.  The  houses  were  built  of  wood,  and  were  very 
poorly  furnished.  They  were  erected  on  one  side  of  an 
oblong  inclosure,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  reared  a  large 
wooden  cross.  The  chapel  of  the  sisters  occupied  a  central 
position  in  the  buildings  which  stood  on  either  side. 

The  number  of  those  who  attached  themselves  to  the  new 
institute  increased  every  year.  Soon  the  buildings  were  too 
small  for  the  number  of  applicants ;  and  the  pious  founder 
was  under  the  necessity  of  erecting  new  houses,f  and  of 
creating  branch  establishments  of  the  society.  In  twelve 
years  from  its  commencement,  the  number  of  Sisters  exceeded 
a  hundred  ;  and  they  had  already  under  their  charge  six  dif 
ferent  schools  for  girls.  In  the  letter  above  quoted,  Bishop 


*  This  great  bishop  arrived  in  Kentucky,  June  11, 1811,  and  died 
there,  piously,  in  1850.  Bishop  Portier,  of  Mobile,  says  of  him  :  "  The 
diocese  of  Bardstown  was  the  cradle  of  religion  in  the  West,  and  its 
venerable  founder,  by  his  long  career,  may  well  be  styled  the  patriarch 
of  North  America,  as  hig  labors  and  virtues  proclaimed  him  the  model 
of  apostolic  life. 

t  According  to  a  letter  of  M.  Nerinckx,  dated  from  Loretto,  Ky., 
September  11,  1818,  addressed  to  the  Superior  of  the  Hospital  Nuns  oi 
Vilvorde,  the  Sisters  of  Loretto  had  then  four  houses,  viz:  The 
Mother  house ;  that  of  Olives,  four  hundred  miles  from  Loretto,  where 
seven  sisters  had  been  sent,  at  the  request  of  the  bishop,  to  found  a 
house;  Gethsemane,  and  Calvary.  Loretto  then  contained  twenty-two 
novices  and  some  postulants.  During  the  whole  summer  they  had  sup 
ported  and,  in  a  great  measure,  clothed  eighty  or  ninety  persons,  at  the 
expense  of  the  convent,  although  it  possessed  no  lucrative  property 
and  no  certain  income ;  the  school  even,  in  this  respect,  was  almost 
unproductive,  as  the  asylum  and  lower  classes  paid  nothing. 

In  this  letter,  M.  Nerinckx  recalls  himself  to  the  kind  remembrance  of 
some  persons  especially  of  Vilvorde,  who  had  contributed,  by  alms,  to 
the  missions.  Wo  may  be  permitted  to  cite  the  names  of  some  ot  our 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  443 

Flaget,  after  having  denominated  the  sisterhood  the  most 
raluable  legacy  which  the  good  M.  Nerinckx  had  left  to  his 
diocese,  speaks  as  follows  of  the  condition  of  the  society,  in 
1824,  immediately  after  the  death  of  the  founder: 

"  Their  number  is  over  one  hundred  ;  they  have  charge  of 
six  schools.  They  give  education  to  upwards  of  two  hund 
red  and  fifty  girls  yearly  in  their  houses,  and  take  in  some 
orphans  gratis.  The  missionaries  generally  send  the  chil 
dren  whom  they  wish  to  prepare  for  their  first  communion 
to  these  monasteries,  whenever  they  can,  and  they,  as  well 
as  the  boarders,  are  admirably  well  instructed  in  all  that  may 
be  useful,  both  for  this  world  and  for  eternity." 

The  assiduous  attention  to  the  religious  instruction  of  girls 
constituted,  in  fact,  the  principal  utility  of  the  pious  society. 
It  is  difficult  to  estimate  how  much  it  has,  by  this  means, 
contributed  towards  fostering  and  sustaining  piety  in  this 
diocese.  Within  the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence,  the  Sis 
terhood  had  already  prepared  for  their  first  communion  eight 
hundred  young  ladies.  These  afterwards  became  mothers  of 
families,  and  were  able  to  instruct  others ;  and  thus  the  good 
was  perpetuated  from  generation  to  generation. 

M.  Nerinckx  watched  over  the  new  institution  with  the  ten 
der  solicitude  of  a  parent.  He  devoted  to  the  spiritual  instruc 
tion  of  the  Sisters  and  of  their  scholars,  all  the  time  he  could 
spare  from  the  heavier  duties  of  his  missionary  life.  He  en 
deavored  to  infuse  into  them  his  own  spirit  of  prayer  and 


own  place.  They  are,  the  rector  and  nuns  of  the  order  of  St.  August 
ine,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Van  Haecht,  Van  Ophera,  Van  Hamme  and  hig 
Bisters,  Mile.  Van  Laethem,  and  others  whom  he  indicates  w'thout 
naming. 

He  also  mentions  a  printed  letter,  which  the  hospital  sisters  would 
soon  receive.  We  do  not  know  this  missive  of  the  missionary.— Not* 
tf  Father  Terwecoren. 


*44  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

mortification.  He  labored  assiduously,  both  by  word  and 
example,  to  disengage  them  entirely  from  the  world,  and  to 
train  them  to  the  practice  of  a  sublime  Christian  perfection. 
He  ardently  sought  to  keep  alive  in  their  hearts  the  true 
spirit  of  the  religious  vocation ;  to  make  them  despise  the 
world,  trample  on  its  vanities,  and  devote  themselves  wholly 
to  the  service  of  God  and  of  the  neighbor,  by  a  faithful  com- 
pliance  with  the  duties  growing  out  of  the  three  simple  vows, 
of  poverty,  chastity,  and  obedience,  they  had  taken. 

Especially  did  he  endeavor  to  impress  upon  them  the  obli 
gation  of  placing  implicit  reliance  upon  the  good  providence 
of  God,  not  only  in  their  spiritual,  but  also  in  all  their  tem 
poral  concerns.  A  favorite  maxim  which  he  had  always  in 
his  heart,  and  frequently  on  his  lips,  was  embodied  in  this 
golden  saying  :  "  Do  not  abandon  Providence ;  and  he  will 
never  abandon  you."  How  could  that  good  heavenly 
Father,  who  "  clothes  the  lilies  of  the  field,  and  feeds  the 
birds  of  the  air,"  abandon  those  who  had  put  all  their  trust 
in  him,  and  had  devoted  themselves  entirely,  both  in  body 
and  soul,  to  his  service  ? 

In  fact,  this  unbounded  confidence  in  the  providence  of 
God,  was  almost  the  only  legacy  he  was  able  to  bequeath  to 
the  Lorettines.  They  had,  in  the  commencement  of  their 
society,  but  little  of  this  world's  goods  to  depend  upon.  It 
was  not  difficult  for  them  to  practise  the  poverty  which  they 
had  vowed ;  they  were  already  extremely  poor  and  desti 
tute  ;  and  in  fulfilling  their  vow,  they  had  but  to  love  and 
submit  cheerfully  to  that  which  was  a  stern  necessity  of  their 
condition.  Their  houses  were  poor  and  badly  furnished ; 
their  clothing  was  of  the  plainest  kind ;  and  their  food  was 
of  the  coarsest. 

M.  Nerinckx  himself  set  them  the  example  of  the  poverty 
and  mortification  which  their  institute  required  them  to  love, 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  445 

M  well  as  to  practise.  According  to  the  testimony  of  his 
bishop,  "he  himself  led  an  extremely  austere  and  mortified 
life ;  his  dress,  his  lodging,  his  food  were  poor ;  and  he  had 
filled  his  monasteries  with  this  holy  spirit.  Those  women 
sought  for  poverty  in  every  thing — in  their  monasteries, 
in  the  plain  simplicity  of  their  chapels.  The  neatness,  the 
cleanliness,  the  simplicity  of  their  dwellings,  and  of  their 
chapels,  excited  the  wonder  of  their  visitors." 

To  keep  up  the  constant  practice  and  spirit  of  prayer  in 
their  houses,  M.  Nerinckx  inculcated,  besides  regular  and 
devout  attendance  at  all  the  pious  exercises  of  the  commu 
nity  distributed  throughout  the  day,  the  utility  of  raising 
their  hearts  to  God  by  a  pious  aspiration  or  ejaculation, 
whenever  they  would  hear  the  clock  strike,  or  would  pass 
from  one  occupation  to  another. 

Especially  did  he  enjoin  upon  them  a  tender  devotion  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  weeping  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  and  a 
frequent  repetition  of  the  pious  ejaculation :  "  0  suffering 
Jesus !  0  sorrowful  Mary  !"  To  feed  and  keep  alive  the 
spirit  of  piety,  he  recommended  to  them  frequent  visits  to 
the  holy  sacrament  of  the  altar ;  and  we  have  already  seen 
the  provision  which  he  made  to  keep  up  the  perpetual  adora 
tion  of  Jesus  Christ  in  this,  the  greatest  mystery  of  his 
undying  love  for  mankind. 

To  foster  the  spirit  of  humility  and  mortification,  he  recom 
mended  manual  labor,  and  the  love  of  being  employed  in  the 
most  menial  offices  of  the  house.  To  encourage  them  to 
practise  these  employments  with  cheerfulness  and  love,  he 
pointed  to  the  lowly  life,  and  the  voluntary  hardships  and 
privations  of  the  Blessed  Saviour ;  and  to  the  great  utility  ol 
such  mortifications,  for  the  atonement  of  sin,  and  the  laying 
up  of  abundant  merits  in  heaven. 

This  austerity  was  apparent  in  the  body  of  rules  which  ht 


446  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

drew  up  for  the  guidance  of  the  society.  They  breathed  the 
purest  spirit  of  Christian  perfection ;  but  experience  subse 
quently  demonstrated  that  some  of  them  were  too  rigid  for 
health,  and  ill-suited  to  the  nature  of  the  climate.  Of  this 
character  were,  the  great  exposure  of  the  Sisters  to  every  in 
convenience  of  weather,  while  laboring  hard  in  the  fields,  or 
forests,  and  the  practice  of  going  barefoot  during  a  great 
portion  of  the  year.  As  we  have  said,  the  poverty  of  the 
society  at  its  commencement  compelled  hard  labor  ;  the  other 
practice  was  adopted,  with  many  others  of  a  similar  nature, 
to  cherish  a  constant  spirit  of  mortification.  But  these 
more  rigid  regulations  were  retrenched  from  the  rule  on  its 
subsequent  revision,  while  its  substance  and  spirit  were  fully 
retained. 

The  heart  of  the  good  founder  was  consoled  by  the  early 
piety  and  fervor  of  the  Sisterhood.  These  appeared  to  enter 
into  the  entire  spirit  of  their  state,  and  to  correspond,  to  the 
full,  with  his  instructions.  According  to  the  testimony  oi 
the  good  Bishop  Flaget,*  "  they  were  the  edification  of  all 
who  knew  them  :  and  their  singular  piety,  and  their  peni 
tential  lives,  reminded  one  of  all  that  we  have  read  of  the 
ancient  monasteries  of  Palestine  and  of  Thebais." 

Thus  did  the  good  M.  Nerinckx,  alone  and  unaided,  except 
by  Divine  Providence,  found  a  society  of  pious  ladies,  which 
has  already  done,  and  will  no  doubt  continue  to  do,  incal- 


*  Bishop  Flaget  wrote,  in  1884  :  "  The  Lorettines  were  founded  in 
Kentucky  by  a  learned  and  zealous  missionary  from  Flanders,  Mr. 
Charles  Nerinckx,  hi  the  second  year  of  my  episcopate.  The  rules  of 
this  new  community  were  submitted  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  who  made 
various  changes.  His  Holiness  took  this  new  family  under  his  protec 
tion,  as  I  was  informed  by  his  eminence,  Cardinal  Fesch ;  and  what  is 
still  more  flattering,  the  Sisters  of  Loretto,  in  Kentucky,  received  from 
the  Pope  all  the  spiritual  privileges  enjoyed  by  the  chi  -pel  of  Loretto. 
'n  Italy." 


AND   MISSIONARIES. 


447 


culable  good  to  religion  in  this  diocese.  M.  Nerinckx  sue* 
ceeded  in  doing  what  M.  Badin  had  been  unable  to  accom 
plish.  The  latter,  with  intentions  and  views  very  similar  to 
those  afterwards  entertained  by  the  former,  had  constructed 
an  edifice  for  a  monastery  at  St.  Stephens ;  but  before  it 
could  be  completed,  it  was  burned  down  by  accident,  and 
thus  the  whole  design  was  frustrated.  It  was  in  the  order  of 
Providence,  that  the  exertions  of  M.  Nerinckx  should  be 
crowned  with  better  success.  His  success,  in  fact,  surpassed 
his  own  most  sanguine  expectations.  The  branches  of  his 
institution  yearly  multiplied,  and  soon  Kentucky  was  too 
narrow  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  its  charity  and  zeal. 

The  good  founder  had  been  induced  to  send  a  colony  of 
the  Lorettines  to  Missouri  ;*  and  he  had  already  received 
gratifying  accounts  of  the  success  which  had  there  crowned 
their  labors.  Though  almost  exhausted  with  his  missionary 
toils,  and  worn  down  by  old  age,  he  yet  determined  to  pay  a 
visit  to  this  distant  branch  of  the  society,  in  order  to  en 
courage  the  Sisters  in  the  path  of  usefulness  on  which  they 
had  entered. 

Another  principal  motive  of  his  journey  to  Missouri,  was 
an  ardent  desire  for  the  conversion  and  civilization  of  the 
Indians,  who  were  there  very  numerous  at  that  time.  He 
had  formed  a  plan  to  induce  the  heads  of  families  and  the 
chiefs  of  the  savage  tribes  to  send  their  children  to  the 
schools  of  the  society,  where  they  might  be  taught  the  Eng 
lish  language,  the  elements  of  learning,  and  especially  the 
catechism.  This  he  conceived  to  be  the  best  means  of 


*  There  are  now  four  convents  of  the  Sisters  of  Loretto  in  Kentuckj 
tlje«  in  Missouri,  one  in  Nebraska,  and  one  in  New  Mexico.  Rev.  D. 
A.  Deparcq,  a  Belgian,  the  present  director-general,  resides  at  the 
mother-house  of  Loretto.— Belg.  Tran*. 


44:8  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

reclaiming  the  Indian  tribes ;  and,  in  fact,  it  was  but  a  carry 
ing  out  of  a  favorite  system,  which  he  had  found  so  eminently 
successful,  both  in  Europe  and  in  America — that  of  reaching 
the  parents  through  the  piety  of  their  children. 

This  was  the  last  journey  that  the  good  missionary  ever 
performed.  He  died  in  the  midst  of  it,  on  the  12th  of 
August,  1824,  at  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dahman,  parish 
priest  of  St.  Genevieve.  He  breathed  his  last,  while  closely 
engaged  in  the  labors  of  the  mission,  and  while  panting  for 
new  means  of  promoting  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation 
of  souls.  His  death  was  worthy  of  his  life.  Calm,  patient, 
collected,  and  resigned  to  the  will  of  Heaven  ;  praying  to  the 
last,  and  longing  to  be  freed  from  the  prison  of  the  body, 
and  to  be  with  Christ,  the  good  priest  bade  farewell  to  this 
world,  with  a  confident  assurance  of  a  blessed  immortality 
in  the  next. 

The  fever  of  which  he  died  he  had  contracted  in  the  dis 
charge  of  his  missionary  duties.  The  chief  circumstances 
of  his  death  are  so  well  related  by  Bishop  Flaget,  that  we 
will  give  them  in  his  own  words : 

"  After  the  arrival  of  M.  Nerinckx  at  the  residence  of  the 
Sisters,  in  Missouri,  he  wrote  to  me  a  most  affecting  letter, 
describing  the  good  they  had  accomplished  in  that  diocese, 
and  the  hopes  which  he  entertained  of  their  being  one  day 
useful  to  the  Indians.  Thence  he  went  to  visit  an  establish 
ment  of  Flemish  Jesuits,  which  is  pretty  numerous,  and  about 
ninety  miles  distant  from  the  monastery.  After  spending 
some  days  of  edifying  fervor  in  the  midst  of  those  holy  and 
beloved  countrymen  of  his,  he  set  out  on  his  return  to  the 
monastery,  and  thence  intended  coming  to  Kentucky.  Near 
St.  Louis,  he  had  an  interview  with  an  Indian  chief,  who 
promised  to  send  him  a  great  number  of  the  young  femalei 
of  his  tribe,  to  be  educated  by  the  Sisters.  He  made  haste 


AN1>  MISSIONARIES .  449 

to  carry  this  news  to  the  monastery,  and  his  heart  burned 
within  him,  while  his  imagination  pictured  to  itself  the  good 
pt  c*pect  which  lay  open  to  his  hopes. 

"  On  his  road,  however,  was  a  path  to  a  settlement  of  eight 
or  ten  Catholic  families,  who  had  not  seen  a  priest  during 
more  than  two  years.  Desirous  of  doing  all  the  good  in  his 
power,  he  assembled  them,  heard  their  confessions,  gave  them 
instructions,  and  celebrated  for  them  the  holy  sacrifice  of 
the  mass.  He  was  thus  occupied,  from  a  little  after  day 
break,  until  towards  three  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Seeing 
the  good  dispositions  of  those  Catholics,  he  proposed  to  them 
to  build  a  church,  in  order  to  encourage  priests  to  come  to 
them  ;  a  subscription  was  immediately  opened  by  those 
present ;  out  of  his  own  small  means  he  gave  ten  dollars ; 
and  signatures  for  over  nine  hundred  dollars  were  instantly 
affixed  to  the  sheet. 

"  After  all  this  exertion,  in  such  broiling  weather,  he  felt 
feverish  symptoms.  These  continued  next  day,  but  appa 
rently  much  diminished.  He  wished  to  go  to  St.  Genevieve, 
which  was  only  fifteen  or  eighteen  miles  distant ;  and  though 
the  journey  was  short,  still  the  exertion  and  the  burning  sun 
greatly  increased  the  fever.  The  pastor  of  St.  Genevieve 
(M.  Dahman)  received  him  with  great  kindness  and  affection. 
He  was  obliged  to  betake  himself  immediately  to  bed ;  the 
physicians  came  promptly,  and  paid  him  every  attention ; 
but  to  no  purpose. 

"  M.  Nerinckx  was,  I  trust,  in  the  eye  of  God,  ripe  for 
heaven  ;  and  his  Lord  saw  that  it  was  time  to  bestow  upon 
his  faithful  servant  the  recompense  of  his  labors.  He  had 
the  use  of  his  reason  to  the  last,  and  edified  all  who  saw  him 
by  his  piety  and  patience.  On  the  ninth  day  of  his  sickness, 
about  nine  in  the  morning,  he  received  the  holy  viaticum 
and  extreme  unction,  after  having  made  his  confession ;  and 
38« 


450  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

about  five  in  the  evening,  he  breathed  out  his  pure  soul  to 
return  to  its  Creator,  with  entire  resignation,  and  without  a 
struggle.  The  Lorettines  in  Missouri  requested  to  have  hi» 
body,  which  was  accordingly  conveyed  to  their  cemetery 
from  St.  Gene  vie  ve." 

The  transfer  of  his  remains  to  this  monastery  of  Bethle 
hem,  Missouri,  was  made  by  the  direction  of  Bishop  Rosati, 
who  had  arrived  at  St.  Geuevieve  on  the  morning  after  the 
death  of  the  good  missionary.  He  assisted  at  his  funeral 
service,  which  was  performed  with  great  solemnity. 

M.  Nerinckx  had  reached  his  63d  year ;  and,  during  the 
last  forty  years  of  his  life,  he  had  labored  for  the  glory  of 
God  and  the  good  of  his  neighbor,  with  a  constancy,  an  ac 
tivity,  and  a  zeal,  seldom  equalled,  never,  perhaps,  surpassed. 
His  whole  life  had  been  one  continual  voluntary  martyrdom 
and  holocaust.  He  contemned  this  world,  and  panted  only 
for  heaven  j  but  he  ardently  wished  to  go  to  paradise  with  a 
numerous  escort  of  souls,  whom  he  had  been  instrumental 
in  rescuing  from  perdition,  and  leading  to  salvation.  This 
thought  seemed  to  engross  his  whole  mind  and  soul ;  and  his 
life  was  but  a  carrying  of  it  out.  That  God,  whom  he 
served  so  long  and  so  faithfully,  has  no  doubt  long  since 
crowned  these  lofty  aspirations  of  his  humble  and  heroic 
servant. 

A  little  before  his  death,  M.  Nerinckx  had  intended  to 
found  also  a  religious  brotherhood,  bound  together  by  the 
ordinary  vows  of  poverty,  chastity,  and  obedience ;  and 
wholly  devoted,  like  the  Lorettines,  to  the  service  of  God  and 
the  good  of  the  neighbor.  He  had  even  begun  this  estab 
lishment,  and  had  already  received  into  it  some  members, 
one  of  whom,  James  Vanrissalberghe,  accompanied  him  on 
his  last  journey  to  Missouri,  and  assisted  him  in  his  last 
illness.  But  death  cut  short  his  design  in  this  respect ' 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  451 

and,  deprived  of  its  founder,  the  brotherhood  soon  ceased  to 
exist. 

In  the  year  1833,  his  remains  were  translated  to  Kentucky^ 
And  deposited  in  a  suitable  monument  erected  at  Loretto, 
the  mother-house  of  the  Lorettines.  This  monument  stands 
in  the  centre  of  the  conventual  graveyard.  The  base  of  it 
is  a  parallelogram,  about  six  feet  long,  by  three  wide.  It 
is  built  with  brick,  covered  with  a  plain  oak-plank,  painted 
and  sanded  in  imitation  of  stone,  and  surmounted  by  a  large 
urn.  On  each  side  of  the  brick-work  is  a  projecting  tab 
let,  on  each  of  which  is  engraved  one  of  the  inscriptions 
that  follow : 

"  In  memory  of  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx,  a  native  of  Flan 
ders,  who  died  August  12,  1824,  in  Missouri.  His  remains 
were  translated  to  Kentucky  in  1833,  by  brother  Charles 
Gilbert,  at  the  request  of  the  Loretto  Society,  and  interred 
at  this  place  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Flaget,  and  the  Rev.  G. 
I.  Chabrat,  superior  of  the  Society." 

"M.  Nerinckx  came  to  Kentucky  in  1805,  and  devoted 
himself  zealously  to  that  laborious  mission,  during  which 
time  he  was  nominated  to  the  diocese  of  New  Orleans,  but 
he  refused  that  dignity;  and  in  1812,  with  the  approbation 
of  the  Holy  See,  instituted  the  Lorettines,  or  Friends  of  Mary, 
and  died  in  performing  the  visitation  of  the  order,  at  St. 
Genevieve,  Missouri,  aged  63." 

One  of  the  end-tablets  has  " Requiescat  in  pace'"  and 
on  the  other  end-tablet  are  these  words  :  "  Loretto's  mite  of 
esteem  and  veneration  for  its  founder."  "  Do  not  forsake 
Providence,  and  he  will  never  forsake  you.  C.  N." — this 
being  a  favorite  saying  of  his  to  the  nuns,  at  a  time  when 
Providence  was  almost  their  only  dependence  for  the  next 
day's  dinner. 

Such  was  the  life,  such  the  death,  and  such  the  establish- 


4:52  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

mente,  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx,  one  of  the  very 
best  priests  who  ever  labored  on  the  arduous  missions  of 
America.* 


Letter  of  the  Rets.  M.  Nerinckx  giving  an  Account  of  hi* 
Vocation. 

ST.  MAKY'S  (Rolling  Fork,  Ky.),  Jan.  28, 1806. 
R«V.  AND    DEAR  FRIEND  I 

Not  to  be  wanting  to  our  close  friendship,  nor  deserve 
the  reproach  of  delay,  or  even  of  negligence,  in  a  cause  as 
serious  as  God's  honor,  the  propagation  of  religion,  the  sal 
vation  of  our  neighbor  and  our  own,  I  cannot  help  writing 
letter  on  letter  to  call  with  loud  cries  vigorous  laborers  to 
one  of  the  most  plenteous  harvests,  and  seek  in  every  direc 
tion  whatever  is  needed  to  labor  there.  We  agreed,  when 
we  took  our  last  farewell,  to  employ  all  our  zeal  to  succor 
ourselves  our  brethren  in  America,  who  suffer  and  die  of 
spiritual  hunger ;  and  till  that  end  is  obtained,  to  endeavor 
to  secure  the  concurrence  of  men  better  fitted  than  ourselves 
in  word  and  prayer.  Let  us  keep  our  word.  Let  us  not 
lose  courage,  although  our  first  attempts  have  not  answered 
our  expectations.  Persuade  the  good  whom  you  seek ;  send 
the  generous  men  whom  you  may  convince.  The  plan  to 
adopt,  and  the  means  to  use,  were  suggested  in  my  letter* 
last  year.  You  have,  doubtless,  received  them.  If  the 


*  During  his  stay  in  Kentucky,  Rev.  M.  Nerinckx  made  two  voyages 
to  Belgium,  in  1816  and  1819,  to  obtain  of  his  generous  countrymen  aid 
not  to  be  found  in  America.  Among  the  young  men  whom  he  took 
over  on  his  last  voyage,  were  several  seminarians  of  Mechlin,  most  of 
whom  became  members  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  the  United  States, 
and  continue  to  labor  in  ths  vineyard  of  the  Lord. — Belg.  Tram. 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  453 

motives  and  reasons  which  induced  me  myself  to  under 
take  this  voyage  could  persuade  others  to  follow,  here  is 
some  idea  of  them. 

According  to  the  parable  in  the  Gospel,  seated,  counting 
my  resources,  using  the  most  considerations  of  which  I  was 
capable,  and  repeatedly  meditating  on  my  project,  I  found 
the  following  motives  for  setting  out : 

1.  The  danger  of  my  own  defection,  of  being  perverted  or 
falling  into  error,  if  I  remained  at  home,  and  the  almost  utter 
uselessness  of  my  presence  in  Belgium  in  the  actual  state  of 
things. 

2.  Certain  hope  of  propagating  the  honor  of  God  under 
this  severe  menace :  "  Woe  to  me  if  I  have  not  preached  the 
Gospel." 

3.  The   tendency  of  the  American  people  towards  the 
Catholic  religion,  and  the  penury  of  priests. 

4.  The  urgent  opportunity  of  paying  my  evangelical  debt 
of  ten   thousand  talents.     A  dignified   sinner   in   my  own 
land,  which  abounds  in  advantages,  I  almost  despaired  of 
doing  real  penance,  and  making  due  satisfaction.     Hence  I 
concluded  that  I  must  undertake  inevitable  toils  and  sorrows. 

5.  The  favorable  advice  of  competent   persons,  without 
whose  council  I  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  act. 

Such  were  nearly  the  principal  motives  of  my  resolution, 
which  I  confirmed  by  the  following  thoughts  well  suited  to 
spur  me  on  : 

First. — A  lively  ardor  of  vigorous  faith  in  God,  and  espe 
cially  in  his  ministers.  The  object  of  this  faith  was:  1.  The 
greatness  of  God  and  his  majesty,  and  his  domain  and  rights 
over  our  ministry,  and  our  duty  to  serve  him  everywhere. 
"I  am  thy  servant,  and  the  son  of  thy  handmaid.  All  seive 
thee ;  how  shall  I  not  serve  thee  ?"  and  the  perfectly  incom 
prehensible  honor  with  which,  too,  he  has  deigned  to  honor 


WESTERN   MISSIONS 

us,  by  introducing  us  into  the  holy  of  holies,  and  by  ranking 
us  with  the  princes  of  his  people,  which  he  has  certainly  not 
done  for  us  to  stand  idle.  2.  The  labors,  sweat,  and  sorrows 
of  Jesus,  our  master,  so  worthy  of  love  in  all  points  of  view, 
and  of  his  disciples  whose  sufferings  we  have  seen.  3.  The 
soldiers  of  earthly  kings  serve  without  choice  of  country, 
and  are  forced  to  serve  for  a  ration  of  bread  and  water ;  and 
what  trials  do  they  not  meet,  what  kinds  of  death  do  they 
not  face  without  any  remuneration  ?  Can  it  seem  equitable, 
then,  for  us  to  shrink  from  the  sweet  yoke  or  service  of  the 
Lord,  which  gives  hope  of  so  great  a  recompense,  under  any 
pretext?  4.  The  sea  alarms — but  merchants  expose  to  the 
same  and  greater  dangers  their  money,  their  goods,  their 
body,  their  soul,  their  families ;  and  when  they  are  broken 
and  extenuated  by  labors,  they  still  find  themselves  empty- 
handed. 

Second. — A  firm  hope  of  an  eternal  personal  reward,  and 
to  be  obtained  by  so  many  others  whom  we  will  perhaps 
lead  back  from  the  ways  of  error,  as  also  the  hope  of  increas 
ing  God's  thence  resulting  glory,  and  of  obtaining  season 
able  aid  from  God,  our  stay  and  support.  The  horror  of 
eternal  pains,  which,  according  to  the  judgment  already 
written,  await  the  wicked  and  slothful  servant,  and  which 
will  torture  him. 

Third. — The  fire,  ever  burning  in  the  presence  of  God, 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  <fec.  St.  Ignatius  preferred  to  live  uncer 
tain  of  his  own  salvation,  and  labor  for  his  neighbor's  soul, 
than  to  die  at  once  with  the  certainty  of  being  saved.  Aided 
by  these  and  like  thoughts,  I  felt  arising  in  me  that  fortitude 
which  permitted  me  to  say,  when  the  storms  of  objections 
arose :  "  What  I  have  resolved,  I  have  resolved." 

The  objections  which  I  successively  answered,  and  my 
replies,  were  as  follows : 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  455 

First  objection. — You  must  have  a  vocation. 

Reply. — 1.  But  it  need  not  be  confirmed  by  miracles. 
2.  I  am  already  a  priest,  and  it  is  rather  late  to  raise  doubts 
as  to  my  vocation.  Better  examine  a  vocation  before  ordi 
nation,  than  hesitate  after  being  initiated  into  the  holy  min 
istry.  It  requires  as  much  divine  vocation  to  be  a  parish 
priest,  with  cure  of  souls  in  Belgium.  Neither  advantages, 
parents,  love  of  home,  nor  a  clinging  to  one's  native  soil 
and  house  by  puerile  affection,  give  surer  testimony  in  the 
choice  of  a  state  of  life.  We  have  rarely  seen  an  excuse  oi 
non-vocation  alleged.  When  a  rich  benefice  is  vacant,  no 
powerful  motives  are  needed  to  induce  most  men  to  accept ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  to  prevent  them  from  seizing.  So  that 
when  you  can  get  an  advantageous  post,  you  find  a  voca 
tion;  but  when  there  is  question  of  going  to  undertake 
labors  elsewhere,  vocation  is  doubtful.  Then  the  vocation  is 
not  wanting  to  him  that  is  called ;  but  here  and  there,  the 
one  called  is  wanting  to  his  vocation.  Non  deest  vocato 
vocatio,  sed  passim  vocationi  vocatus. 

Second  objection. — The  faithful  in  Belgium  also  require 
succor. 

Reply. — Only  those  who  wish  to  need  succor,  need  it; 
those  who  do  not  wish,  do  not  need  it.  At  least,  there  is 
certainly  more  need  in  America,  where  there  are  not  two 
priests  to  a  league,  but  not  even  one  priest  to  be  found  for  a 
hundred  leagues  at  a  time,  while  Catholics  multiply ;  and, 
moreover,  the  word  sowed  produces  fruit  a  hundredfold — • 
that  word,  now  so  unpalatable  to  most  Belgians. 

Third  objection. — The  people  will  perhaps  say :  If  all  the 
good  go,  what  will  become  of  us  ? 

Reply. — Who  are  you  that  suffer  yourself  to  be  called 
good  ?  Trust  in  your  vocation,  expecting  all  from  God's 
goodness.  Yet  neither  the  wicked,  who  neglect  their  serious 


^r5  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

amendment,  should  leave  their  country  to  go  to  lands  white 
for  the  harvest,  nor  will  all  the  good  go.  If  even  this  hap- 
pened  by  a  just  judgment  of  God,  he  is  the  Master — let  him 
do  what  is  good  in  his  sight ;  but,  meanwhile,  what  evil 
hast  thou  prevented  in  thy  country  ?  what  errors  hast  thou 
faced  ?  what  corruptions  hast  thou  extirpated  !  what  infrac 
tions  hast  thou  not  consented  to  ?  etc.,  etc.  Weep,  then, 
over  thyself,  and  take  pity  on  thy  own  soul.  If  apostolic 
men  had  remained  in  their  own  lands,  and  they  were  few 
enough,  we  should  not  have  been  Christians  this  day. 
Should  we  not,  then,  pity  our  brethren ! 

Fourth  objection. — We  need  means,  money,  aptitude. 

Reply. — As  to  means  and  aptitude,  the  judgment  of  them 
must  be  left  to  prudent  men,  who  do  not  belong  to  the 
family,  and  who,  although  not  bound  to  oblige  themselves  to 
the  same,  are  not  zealous  towards  those  whom  the  thing 
concerns.  As  to  money,  God  will  provide  it,  my  son. 

Fifth  objection. — Our  parents,  who  need  help  or  consola 
tion,  will  be  afflicted. 

Reply. — Remember  that  the  priest  belongs  to  the  Lord, 
and  not  to  his  father.  Assist  your  parents  as  much  as  you 
can,  and  provide  for  the  future ;  but  remember,  too,  that 
you  must  be  about  your  heavenly  Father's  business.  As  to 
the  precept  of  leaving  father  and  mother  for  God's  sake,  ex 
amine  the  Scriptures,  the  acts  and  lives  of  the  apostles,  and 
the  examples  of  the  saints. 

You  see,  then,  dear  friend,  what  induced  me  to  undertake 
this  voyage.  I  have  never  yet  repented  coming ;  and  if  any 
one  of  these  motives  can  be  useful  to  another,  I  willingly 
permit  him  to  adopt  and  confirm  it  by  new  and  better  ones. 
There  are,  doubtless,  many,  stronger  and  more  cogent, 
which  your  zeal  and  serious  considerations  may  suggest 
But  as  those  I  have  set  forth  suffice  for  me,  who  am  so  ob- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  457 

tuse,  and  whose  heart  is  so  slow  and  perverse,  I  do  not  see 
why  I  should  insist  further. 

I  commend  myself  earnestly  to  your  prayers,  your  holy 
•acrifices,  and  other  pious  actions,  and  subscribe  myself 
Your  very  devoted  servant, 

C.  NKRINCKT, 
Missionary  in  America, 


Letter  of  Archbishop  Carroll. 

BALTMOBB,  April  1, 18W. 

SIB: 

Your  very  estimable  friend,  Mr.  Nerinckx,  has  sent  me, 
from  Kentucky,  an  account  of  his  apostolic  labors,  a  large 
package  of  letter?  addressed  to  you,  which  I  have  the  honor 
of  transmitting  ty  n  vessel  that  is  to  leave  this  port  to-mor 
row  for  Amsterdam.  While  transmitting  them  I  take  a 
liberty  which  you  will  surely  pardon  me. 

From  the  description  given  me  by  Mr.  Nerinckx,  I  am  aware 
of  your  zeal  for  the  increase  of  the  true  religion  in  the  diocese 
which  Providence  has  confided  to  me,  and  of  your  kindness  in 
interesting  yourself  to  send  ecclesiastics  whose  life  and  talents 
will  edify  the  faithful  and  maintain  the  faith.  Ah  !  sir,  if  it 
were  possible  for  you  to  find  and  persuade  five  or  six  priests 
like  Mr.  Nerinckx,  it  is  incredible  how  much  they  would  ex 
tend  in  these  vast  regions  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Although  he  has  but  imperfectly  acquired  our  language, 
still  every  account  from  Kentucky  already  speaks  of  him  as 
a  man  who  has  won  the  respect,  attachment,  confidence,  and 
veneration  of  the  whole  people.  I  feel  only  one  anxiety 
about  him ;  it  is,  that  incessantly  engaged  in  the  functions 
of  his  apostolate,  he  will  be  exhausted  by  toil. 

His  friend,  Mr.  Cuypers,  who  was  to  have  been  his  co- 


4:58  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

adjutor  and  consolation,  sank  under  the  delicacy  of  his  con 
stitution  before  commencing  his  career  in  the  mission  which 
awaited  him.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  in  his  voyage 
to  Amsterdam,  or  a  few  days  after  his  landing,  that  he  was 
attacked  with  a  dysentery.  It  did  not  at  first  seem  danger 
ous.  I  advised  him  to  go  to  Georgetown  College,  the  health 
iest  place  in  the  country,  both  to  recruit  and  to  become 
more  familiar  with  our  language,  before  starting  to  join  M. 
Nerinckx.  Notwithstanding  all  possible  care,  his  disease 
grew  worse,  and  he  died  a  few  days  before  Christmas,  in  the 
arms  of  my  coadjutor.  You  will  say  with  me,  that  his 
death,  disastrous  for  my  diocese,  is  only  the  greatest  advan 
tage  to  him,  by  advancing  the  day  of  his  happy  entrance 
into  heaven.  His  piety  made  a  lively  impression  on  all  at 
the  college,  and  served  to  excite  all  to  the  exercises  of  virtue. 
Receive,  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  gratitude,  respect,  and  ol 
my  desire  to  serve  you  when  in  my  power. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

Your  most  ob't  serv't, 
Hh  JOHN,  Bishop  of  Baltimore. 


Additional  Remwrlcs  ly  Father  De  Smet. 

Mr.  Nerinckx  was  strongly  attached  to  our  Society.  On 
every  occasion  he  testified  his  high  esteem  for  it.  He  made 
two  voyages  to  Belgium,  in  181*7  and  1821,  and  each  time 
obtained  several  postulants  for  the  Society— cheerfully  com 
plying  with  the  request  made  by  Father  Anthony  Kohlmann, 
then  Provincial  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  Maryland,  who 
begged  him  to  obtain,  if  possible,  young  men  disposed  to 
labor  in  the  American  mission. 

On  his  first  voyage,  Mr.  Nerinckx  was  accompanied  back 
by  Mr.  Cousin,  of  the  diocese  of  Ghent,  and  by  four  young 


AND    MISSIONAKIE8.  451* 

men,  viz. :  James  Van  de  Velde,  of  Lebeke,  near  Termonde, 
professor  in  the  Petit  Seminaire,  of  Mechlin  ;  Sannon,  from 
near  Turnhout ;  Verheyen,  of  Merxplas,  who  had  made  the 
Spanish  campaign  under  Napoleon ;  and  Timmermans,  o( 
Turnhout,  secretary  of  the  commissary  of  the  district.  Chris 
tian  de  Smet,  of  Marcke,  near  Audenarde,  and  Peter  de  Meyer, 
of  Segelsem,  joined  this  little  band  of  missionaries,  in  order  to 
enter  the  Society  of  Jesus  as  lay-brothers. 

Mr.  Cousin  died  at  White  Marsh,  at  the  close  of  his  no 
vitiate.  Mr.  Van  de  Velde  died  bishop  of  Natchez,  and  I 
have  already  given  his  biography.  Father  Verheyen,  mis 
sionary  in  Maryland,  there  ceased  to  live  in  1823.  His  great 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  his  solid  virtues,  attracted 
to  him  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  who  were  so  happy  as 
to  know  him.  Father  Timmerraans,  socius  of  Father  Van 
Quickenborne,  finished  his  career  at  St.  Stanislaus,  Missouri, 
in  1824.  He  was  an  indefatigable  missionary,  and  one  who 
rendered  great  service  to  religion  in  those  districts.  Brother 
Christian  de  Smet  died  at  the  college  of  Georgetown,  D.  C., 
after  having  been  a  model  of  a  true  and  holy  religious  during 
the  years  that  he  passed  in  the  Society.  Brother  Pierre  de 
Meyer  is  the  sole  survivor  of  the  party.  I  obtained  from  Mr. 
Nerinckx  some  quite  interesting  particulars  concerning  their 
long  and  dangerous  voyage,  which  are  still  fresh  in  the  mem 
ory  of  our  good  Brother  Pierre. 

They  embarked  on  the  16th  of  May,  at  the  island  of 
Texel,  Holland,  on  the  brig  Mars,  Captain  Hall,  of  Baltimore. 
The  voyage  was  long  and  dangerous.  Scarcely  had  they 
entered  the  English  Channel  than  a  storm  suprised  them, 
and  threatened  to  submerge  them.  One  of  the  sailors,  precip 
itated  from  the  topmast  into  the  sea,  was  lost.  Universal 
fear  and  consternation  reigned  on  board.  It  was  Whit-Sun 
day.  During  three  days  the  vessel,  without  sails  and  with 


460  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

out  a  helm,  beaten  by  the  winds  and  waves,  floated  about  at 
the  mercy  of  the  ocean. 

In  another  tempest  the  ship  sprung  a  leak, — large,  and 
deemed  irreparable.  During  more  than  three  weeks  all 
the  pumps  were  in  action,  without  interruption,  night  or 
day,  and  all,  passengers  and  crew,  even  the  venerable  mis 
sionaries,  were  obliged  to  work.  Happily  there  were  on 
board  about  a  hundred  emigrants,  Swiss  and  Germans. 
Without  their  aid  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  save  the 
brig.  When  approaching  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland  the 
Mars  fell  in  with  a  piratical  vessel,  which  gave  her  chase 
and  succeeded  in  boarding  her,  after  a  long  pursuit.  The 
captain  of  the  pirates,  named  Moony,  was  a  native  of  Balti 
more.  Far  from  manifesting  hostile  intentions,  he  appeared 
full  of  joy  at  meeting  a  countryman.  As  the  Mars  was  fail 
ing  in  provisions,  Captain  Hall  bought  several  barrels  of  bis 
cuit,  salt  beef,  some  tuns  of  fresh  water,  and  a  great  quantity 
of  dried  fruits  and  wine,  which  the  pirate  had  in  abundance, 
having  plundered,  three  days  before,  a  Spanish  merchant-ship, 
on  its  way  to  Spain. 

Neither  the  captain  nor  the  mate  of  the  Mars  was  quali 
fied  for  his  post.  Their  calculations  always  varied.  After 
passing  the  Azores,  they  steered  straight  for  the  tropics. 
Then  finding  themselves  too  far  south,  they  turned  towards 
the  Banks  of  Newfoundland.  Sailing  thus  at  random,  the 
vessel,  one  fine  morning,  wa»  on  the  point  of  striking  on  the 
dangerous  shore  of  northern  Long  Island.  At  last,  after  a 
voyage  of  sixty-six  days,  they  made  Chesapeake  Bay,  July 
26th,  and  on  the  28th  reached  Baltimore  in  safety. 

In  1821,  the  Very  Rev.  M.  Nerinckx  once  more  visited  his 
native  country,  in  order  to  obtain  spiritual  succor  necessary 
to  his  numerous  missions  in  Kentucky.  On  this  occasion 
the  Father  Provincial  of  Maryland  again  renewed  with  earn- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  461 

estness  his  request  to  conduct  hither  a  good  reinforcement 
of  young  Belgian  missionaries. 

During  the  sojourn  of  the  zealous  missionary  in  Belgium, 
some  professors  and  students  in  the  Lesser  Seminary  of  Mech 
lin  conceived  the  idea  and  formed  the  intention  of  entering 
into  the  Society  of  Jesus,  to  devote  themselves  to  the  salva 
tion  of  souls  in  the  United  States.  They  soon  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  realizing  their  noble  design.  The  Very  Rev.  M. 
Nerinckx  appeared  in  their  midst.  The  picture  which  he 
drew  of  the  abandoned  state  of  the  poor  Catholics  in  these 
immense  countries,  in  which,  for  want  of  priests,  thousands 
forget  or  forsake  the  Faith,  excited  their  fervent  sympathy 
and  zeal.  He  spoke  to  them  at  length  of  Kentucky,  where 
the  Lord  had  wrought  so  many  wonders  by  his  ministry,  and 
painted  to  them  in  living  colors  the  absolute  abandonment 
in  which  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Great  Desert  roamed,  to 
the  conversion  of  whom  the  Sons  of  St.  Ignatius  had,  at  all 
times,  devoted  themselves.  The  young  candidates  at  once 
presented  themselves  to  the  respectable  missionary,  resolved, 
if  he  would  consent,  to  accompany  him  to  America.  This 
consent  was  easily  obtained,  and  he  received  them  with  open 
arms.  They  afterwards  were  forced  to  overcome  numerous 
and  great  obstacles  which  opposed  their  departure,  arising 
from  their  parents  and  the  government  of  Holland. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  these  young  candidates 
who  presented  themselves  to  the  Rev.  M.  Nerinckx,  to  enter 
the  Society  of  Jesus,  in  America.  I  commence  with  the 
eldest :  Messrs.  Felix  Verreydt,  of  Diest ;  Josse  Van  Assche, 
of  St.  Amand  ;  Peter  Joseph  Verhaegen,  of  Haecht ;  John 
Baptist  Smedts,  of  Rotslaer ;  John  Anthony  Elet,  of  St 
Amand ;  Peter  John  de  Smet,  of  Termonde.* 

*  Father  Elet  and  Father  Smedts  are  dead,  and  sketches  of  them  will 
b«  found  iu  this  volume. 

39* 


£62  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

It  was  agreed  with  M.  Nerinckx  that  his  six  companion! 
should  meet  in  Amsterdam,  in  order  to  make  all  the  prepara 
tions  necessary  for  the  long  voyage  over  the  Atlantic,  and  also 
to  make  ulterior  arrangements  for  eluding  the  vigilance  of 
government,  which  had  given  the  authorities  strict  and  severe 
orders  to  arrest  them.  They  succeeded  in  gaining  the  ren 
dezvous.  On  the  26th  of  July,  1821,  they  arrived  at  Am 
sterdam.  On  the  31st  of  the  month,  the  Feast  of  St.  Igna 
tius,  they  quitted  the  city  and  embarked  in  a  little  boat,  in 
order  to  repair  to  the  island  of  Texel,  in  the  Zuyder-Zee. 
The  following  day  they  stopped  at  Wieringen,  where  they 
visited  a  Catholic  church,  and,  some  hours  after,  they 
landed  at  Texel  and  took  lodging  in  a  Catholic  house  that 
some  friends  in  Amsterdam  had  prepared  for  them  before 
hand.  At  length,  on  the  15th  of  August,  they  got  on  board 
the  brig  Columbia,  after  having  gained  the  open  sea  in  a 
little  pilot-boat,  which  had  passed  the  Helder  without  being 
observed  by  the  police.  The  voyage,  therefore,  commenced 
under  the  auspices  of  our  Holy  Mother,  on  the  day  of  her 
glorious  assumption  into  heaven.  We  experienced,  it  is 
true,  some  storms  and  some  heavy  gales  of  wind ;  but  all 
passed  without  the  least  unfortunate  incident 

At  the  end  of  forty  days  we  disembarked  in  the  beautiful 
city  of  Philadelphia.  The  next  day  we  exchanged  adieux 
with  the  venerable  and  worthy  M.  Nerinckx,  a  man  eminent 
for  sanctity  and  learning,  and  full  of  zeal  for  the  salvation  of 
souls,  justly  deserving  to  be  styled  one  of  the  principal 
apostles  of  the  American  Church,  as  the  author  of  the  biog 
raphy  which  I  have  recapitulated  in  this  letter  has  so  well 
displayed  him.  We  quitted  him,  filled  with  reverence  and 
respect  for  his  person.  The  sage  counsels  which  he  unceas 
ingly  gave  uSj  and  the  example  of  his  eminent  virtues  that 
we  had  beneath  our  eyes  during  the  forty  days'  passage,  hav« 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  463 

«rer  remained  present  to  the  memory  of  his  companions. 
We  enjoyed  the  distinguished  favor  of  possessing  him  some 
time  at  the  novitiate  of  St.  Stanislaus,  Missouri,  a  few  days 
before  his  death. 

In  union  with  your  holy  sacrifices  and  prayers,  I  have  th« 

honor  to  be, 

Reverend  Father, 

Your  devoted  servant, 

P.  J.  Ds  SMJBT,  S.  J. 


464  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XXXVIII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Charle*  Felix  Van  Quickenborne. 

NEW  YOKK,  May  16  1857. 
REV.   AND    DEAR   FATHER! 

This  notice  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Van  Quickenborne  has 
been  based  on  a  sketch  of  his  life,  in  the  archives  of  the  vice- 
province  of  Missouri,  and  I  have  inserted  some  facts  from  my 
own  knowledge. 

Father  Charles  Felix  Van  Quickenborne  was  the  first 
Jesuit  who  appeared  in  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
after  the  re-establishment  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  was  a 
man  full  of  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  The  conversion 
of  the  Indians  was,  in  particular,  the  object  of  his  predilec 
tion  and  of  his  prayers.  Long  will  his  name  be  held  in 
benediction,  and  his  memory  celebrated  in  the  places  which 
had  the  happiness  of  receiving  the  fruits  of  his  numerous  la 
bors  and  of  his  truly  apostolic  virtues. 

He  was  born  in  the  diocese  of  Ghent,  at  Peteghem,  near 
Deynze,  on  the  21st  of  January,  1788.  Having  commenced 
his  studies  at  Deynze,  he  went  to  Ghent  to  complete  them, 
and  there  he  embraced  the  ecclesiastical  state.  Van  Quick 
enborne  constantly  distinguished  himself  by  his  talents  and 
his  application.  Ordained  priest,  he  was  sent  to  Roulers,  to 
teach  belles  lettres.  He  remained  there  four  years ;  that  is 
to  say,  until  the  moment  that  the  ecclesiastical  seminary  was 
closed.  A  short  time  after  his  return  to  Ghent  he  was  sen* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  465 

as  vicar  into  a  parish  where  he  had  the  singular  happiness, 
as  he  frequently  said  with  pleasure,  of  finding  Mr.  Corselis 
as  Dean.  The  friendship  and  the  distinguished  virtue  of  this 
venerated  priest  exerted  a  very  salutary  influence  over  the 
mind  of  the  young  vicar,  and  made  an  impression  which  was 
never  obliterated. 

About  this  time  the  Society  of  Jesus,  in  the  expectation  of 
its  approaching  re-establishment,  had  prepared  a  novitiate 
at  Rumbeke,  near  Roulers.  There,  yielding  to  the  impulse 
of  his  zeal,  Van  Quickenborne  presented  himself,  on  the  14th 
of  April,  1815.  From  that  moment  he  sighed  for  the  mis 
sion  of  America. 

Scarcely  had  he  finished  his  novitiate  than  he  obtained 
from  Father  Thaddeus  Brzozowski,  then  general,  the  per 
mission  to  consecrate  himself  entirely  to  the  desired  mission. 
He  embarked  at  Amsterdam.  After  a  navigation  fraught 
with  perils,  he  had  the  happiness  of  reaching  America,  near 
the  close  of  the  year  1817. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1819  he  was  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  novitiate  of  Maryland,  at  White  Marsh.  He 
displayed,  in  this  responsible  position,  all  the  means  which  it 
furnished  him  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  Superior  and  master 
of  novices,  he  became,  at  the  same  time,  farmer,  carpenter, 
and  mason.  He  erected  a  handsome  stone  church  on  the 
novitiate  grounds,  and  built  a  brick  one  at  Annapolis.  At  the 
same  time  he  attended,  as  a  missionary,  a  vast  district,  which, 
during  several  years,  he  was  to  evangelize  alone,  before  a 
companion  could  second  his  charitable  toil. 

His  labors  were  precious  for  Maryland ;  but  the  poverty 
of  that  mission  was  extreme.  This  led  the  Rt.  Rev.  Wm.  du 
Bourg,  bishop  of  both  Louisianas,  to  request  that  the  novi 
tiate  be  transferred  to  Missouri.  The  superior  of  the  mission 
consented  to  it.  Father  Van  Quickenborne,  therefore,  set 


±66  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

out  with  two  Fathers,  seven  scholastic  novices,  and  three  co 
adjutor  brothers.  After  a  journey  of  1600  miles,  amid  the 
heat  of  summer,  with  continual  fatigues  and  privations,  he 
arrived  near  Florissant,  where  he  commenced  the  novitiate 
of  Saint  Stanislaus.  To  form  this  new  establishment,  he 
found  no  other  materials  than  those  he  drew  himself  from  the 
forests  and  the  rocky  bed  of  the  river.  But  his  ardor  for 
labor  was  daunted  by  no  difficulty  ;  his  inflexible  courage 
was  not  to  be  arrested  by  any  obstacle.  He  was  always  the 
first  at  work.  He  seemed  to  multiply  himself,  going  from 
one  workman  to  another,  exciting  and  encouraging  every  one 
by  his  example  far  more  than  by  his  words.  Endowed  with 
an  admirable  patience,  and  with  a  great  spirit  of  mortifica 
tion,  he  was  never  exacting  to  any  one  but  himself,  listened 
only  to  the  enthusiasm  which  inspired  him  to  spend  himself 
without  reserve,  and  never  knew  what  it  was  to  spare  his 
own  health  or  strength.  He  was  near  becoming  a  victim  to 
this  self-forgetfulness.  One  day  he  was  working  at  the 
squaring  of  a  timber,  aided  in  this  labor  by  a  young  novice. 
The  latter,  not  yet  versed  in  the  work,  used  his  axe  with  an 
eagerness  of  which  he  was  far  from  imagining  the  conse 
quences.  Right  glad  to  perceive  the  wood  yielding  under 
his  blows,  he  only  thought  of  multiplying  them.  One  of 
them,  ill-directed,  struck  the  Father  on  the  foot.  Notwith 
standing  this  wound,  and  the  loss  of  blood,  the  Father  did 
not  give  up  his  labor  until  he  found  himself  fainting,  then 
only  would  he  take  a  seat  and  allow  the  cut  to  be  bound  up 
with  a  handkerchief.  The  laborers,  meanwhile,  were  three 
miles  from  the  farm,  which  served  them  as  a  common  resi 
dence.  The  Father  endeavored  to  return  there  on  foot ;  but, 
on  the  way,  the  pain  arising  from  the  wound  became  so  vio 
lent  that  he  was  constrained  to  yield  and  suffer  himself  to  be 
put  on  the  horse  that  had  been  sent  foi  him.  A  burning 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  467 

fever  obliged  him  to  keep  his  bed  for  several  days.  As  soon 
as  he  became  a  little  better  he  desired  to  return  to  his  work, 
but  he  must  use  the  horse.  Thence  arose  a  new  accident. 
The  shores  of  the  river  are  swampy  in  certain  places  ;  the 
horse  sunk  into  one  of  these  mires ;  the  Father  needed  all  his 
calm  and  coolness  to  regain  the  solid  ground  ;  but  all  the 
efforts  that  he  made  to  extricate  his  poor  animal  proved  use 
less  ;  he  was  obliged  to  see  him  perish.  These  accidents, 
instead  of  shaking  his  constancy,  had  the  effect  of  rendering 
him  more  firmly  determined  to  accomplish  his  purposes.  It 
was  surrounded  by  difficulties,  which  would  have  appeared 
insurmountable  to  a  courage  less  heroic,  that  he  constructed 
the  novitiate  of  Florissant,  aided  by  his  Belgian  novices.  In 
1828  he  undertook  the  construction  of  a  university  at  St. 
Louis.  He  also  built,  at  St.  Charles,  a  stone  church  and  a 
convent  for  the  religious  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  as  well  as  a 
residence.  These  toilsome  undertakings,  and  all  the  mani 
fold  cares  arising  from  them,  seemed  but  to  freshen  his  ac 
tivity  :  he  only  finished  one  enterprise  to  begin  a  new  one. 

Florissant  and  St.  Charles  became  so  many  rallying-points 
around  which  little  colonies  of  Catholics  and  Protestants 
formed  and  multiplied.  The  misskmaries  went  in  every  di 
rection  to  afford  spiritual  aid  for  so  many  abandoned  souls, 
too  often  more  destitute  of  the  riches  of  grace  than  of  those 
of  earth.  Father  Van  Quickenborne  devoted  himself  to 
these  apostolic  courses  with  real  gladness  of  heart ;  his  con 
suming  zeal  found  the  sweetest  consolation  in  the  conversions 
which  he  effected.  The  Protestants  testified  the  greatest 
respect  towards  him,  although  then  (in  1824,  1825,  etc.),  as 
at  present,  their  ministers  spared  no  means  to  fetter  his  pro 
ceedings  and  arrest  the  effects  of  his  zeal.  They  depicted  our 
religion  as  an  assemblage  of  absurd  and  contemptible  doc 
trines  ;  they  drew  the  most  revolting  portrait  of  the  mission 


468  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

ary.  Among  certain  of  the  lower  classes,  they  even  weat  sc 
far  as  to  make  him  a  monster  with  cloven  feet,  horns  on  his 
head,  and  armed  with  claws.  Hence,  when  the  Father  ap 
peared  among  them  for  the  first  time,  these  poor  people 
flocked  around,  scanned  him  attentively  from  head  to  foot, 
and  finding  him  like  other  men,  they  immediately  listened 
to  him,  and  were  converted  without  the  least  difficulty. 

In  one  of  his  rides,  there  happened  to  him  one  of  those 
singular  facts  in  which  he  recognized  more  particularly  the 
action  of  divine  Providence.  Arrived  at  a  place  where  the 
road  branched,  he  intended  taking  the  more  beaten  road, 
but  his  horse  resisted.  In  vain  he  urged  him  to  obey ;  the 
animal  prevailed  over  the  missionary,  and  darted  rapidly  into 
the  other  and  less  agreeable  way.  The  route  crossed  a  for 
est.  Night  came  on,  and  he  found  himself  obliged  to  stop 
at  a  little  cottage,  as  poor  as  solitary,  and,  as  it  were,  lost 
by  its  little  dimensions  in  the  towering  wood.  The  Father 
met  with  a  cold  reception.  As  they  perceived  that  he  was 
a  missionary  priest  a  great  reserve  was  maintained.  Supper 
was  indeed  served  for  him,  but  they  spoke  with  him  in  a 
timid  and  embarrassed  manner.  He  understood  the  cause. 
In  a  corner  of  the  room  lay  a  child  sick  with  a  fever,  and  in 
extremities.  The  missionary  asked  the  distracted  mother 
whether  her  boy  had  received  baptism.  On  being  answered 
in  the  negative,  he  began  to  explain  the  necessity  of  this 
sacrament.  "God  himself  sent  me  here,"  added  he,  "to 
open  to  your  child  the  portals  of  heaven  ;  you  must  hasten, 
for  soon  he  will  be  no  more !"  The  mother  replied  disdain 
fully,  that  she  would  never  suffer  a  priest  to  baptize  her  son  ; 
that  she  did  not  believe  in  baptism.  It  was  in  vain  to  insist. 
As  the  child  was  consumed  with  thirst  the  Father,  feigning 
to  renounce  his  first  idea,  very  kindly  attempted  to  relieve  it 
from  time  to  time,  by  giving  it  a  little  water,  and  at  a 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  469 

moment  when  the  mother,  occupied  with  other  things, 
turned  her  attention  elsewhere,  he  baptized  the  child,  who 
soared  to  heaven  a  few  moments  after. 

A  short  time  after  this,  passing  near  the  same  cottage,  the 
Father  called  again  and  asked  to  see  the  mother  of  the 
child.  This  time  he  found  her  affable  and  obliging.  She 
evinced  a  very  great  desire  to  have  some  information  con 
cerning  the  Catholic  religion.  Soon  she  avowed  that  all  she 
had  heard  on  the  necessity  of  baptism  troubled  her,  and  that 
she  deplored  it  as  a  misfortune  that  she  had  deprived  her 
son  of  so  great  a  grace.  "  Console  yourself,"  said  the  kind 
Father,  "your  son  received  baptism,  and  he  now  enjoys  the 
beatific  vision.  He  now  intercedes  for  you  with  God.  Re 
ceive  baptism,  and  you  will  one  day  share  his  happiness." 
These  words  produced  the  desired  effect.  The  woman  was 
converted,  and,  with  her  whole  family,  received  baptism. 
Such  were  the  blessed  consequences  of  the  obstinacy  of  the 
horse.  Strangely  enough,  on  the  day  after,  he  followed  the 
other  road  without  any  show  of  resistance. 

The  salvation  of  souls  was,  with  this  apostolic  man,  an 
ever-present  thought,  desire,  and  necessity.  He  had  also  a 
wonderful  art  in  seizing  occasions  and  profiting  by  circum 
stances.  He  understood  also,  by  his  conversations  and  nar 
ratives,  how  to  communicate  to  others  the  zeal  with  which 
he  was  inflamed.  They  were  captivated,  so  that  those  who 
could  not  assist  him  by  their  labors,  pledged  themselves,  at 
least,  to  assist  him  by  their  prayers.  Thus,  in  order  to 
engage  his  novices  to  pray  with  ardor,  he  granted  them  a 
little  feast  each  time  that  the  conversions  attained  a  certain 
number. 

The  Protestants,  we  have  already  observed,  made  efforts 
to  throw  obstacles  in  the  path  of  the  man  of  God,  but  he 
had  to  struggle  especially  with  the  Methodists.  One  day 
40 


470  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

he  gave  a  severe  blow  to  the  influence  of  these  noisy  secta 
rians.  Being  on  a  mission,  he  heard  that  they  were  to  holf1 
a  meeting  in  a  place  named  to  him.  For  a  long  time  he  had 
sought  an  occasion  of  coming  in  contact  with  them.  He, 
therefore,  set  out  for  the  appointed  locality,  and  endeavored 
to  attract  there  all  the  Protestants  that  he  could  find.  The 
Methodists  were  holding  their  meeting  in  the  church.  The 
Father,  on  his  arrival,  found  an  immense  concourse.  His 
religious  habit  and  his  venerable  air,  at  first  excited  a  pro 
found  astonishment  in  men,  most  of  whom  saw  a  priest  for 
the  first  time.  In  their  amazement,  several  cried  out: 
"  What  does  that  queer  man  want  ?"  The  Father  answered 
modestly,  that  he  was  desirous  of  hearing  from  their  mouths 
some  explanations  on  certain  important  points  which  con 
cern  religion,  and  begged  they  would  allow  him  to  propose 
a  few  questions.  Then,  profiting  by  the  consent  which  they 
gave  him,  he  began  to  interrogate  them  on  the  essential 
points  that  distinguish  the  true  from  the  erroneous  doctrines. 
The  ministers  wish  to  reply,  but  no  two  answer  in  the 
same  manner.  They  refute  themselves,  and  contradict  each 
other.  The  Father  insists;  they  disagree.  The  confusion 
only  increases,  to  the  great  scandal  of  the  auditors,  who  thus 
have  an  evidence  that  those  ministers,  so  habituated  to 
despise  the  priests  in  their  absence,  are  incapable  of  reply 
ing  to  them  when  they  meet  them.  The  Father  left  these 
men  disputing  (to  their  shame  and  confusion),  and  went  to 
make  a  discourse  in  the  open  air  on  the  unity,  sanctity, 
catholicity,  and  apostolicity  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
which  all  sects  and  all  their  ministers  united  can  never 
shake.  Such  astonishing  boldness,  the  talents  of  the 
preacher,  and  the  solidity  of  his  reasonings,  conciliated  the 
attention  and  respect  of  all.  He  had  gained  a  signal  vic 
tory  over  the  ministers  of  falsehood  and  calumny.  During 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  4:71 

*  long  period,  their  discourses  had  no  echo  in  that  place. 
Every  time  that  the  Father  returned  there,  they  opened  the 
hotel  of  the  town  to  him,  that  he  might  celebrate  mass  and 
preach.  His  sermons,  every  time,  produced  numerous  cou- 
Tersions. 

On  entering  the  apostolical  career,  Father  Van  Quicken- 
borne  enjoyed  a  robust  health ;  but  the  severe  labors  and 
incessant  hardships  of  the  apostolate  undermined  his 
strength.  However,  his  infirmities  never  cooled  the  ardor 
of  his  zeal.  His  charity  and  his  confidence  in  God  seemed 
to  supply  the  weakness  of  nature,  and  God,  more  than  once, 
seconded  his  efforts  in  a  marvellous  manner.  One  day,  while 
he  was  retained  in  his  bed  by  a  severe,  and  even  serious 
malady,  they  came  to  tell  him  that  a  poor  Catholic,  dying,  a 
hundred  miles  off,  implored  the  comforts  of  religion.  To 
the  amazement  of  all,  he  caused  a  cart  to  be  prepared, 
ordered  his  mattress  to  be  laid  in  it,  and  taking  with  him 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  the  oils  he  set  forth,  after  giving 
to  them  all  his  blessing.  All  received  it,  as  though  it  would 
be  the  last.  They  followed  their  kind  Father  with  fears  and 
regrets.  After  a  few  days  he  reappeared  among  them  quite 
triumphant ;  he  had  administered  to  the  sick  man,  and  was 
himself  perfectly  cured. 

His  apostolical  zeal  inclined  him  above  all  to  those  places 
in  which  he  saw  more  spiritual  privation  and  more  neglect. 
He  ardently  desired  to  go  and  evangelize  the  poor  Indians, 
wandering  in  the  wilderness.  He  made  several  excursions 
among  the  Osages  and  the  lowas,  and  each  time  the  most 
precious  fruits  met  his  expectation.  In  1836,  he  succeeded, 
by  soliciting,  in  collecting  some  money  in  the  different 
States.  He  at  once  commenced  a  fixed  residence  among 
the  Kickapoos ;  already  he  had  built  a  house  and  chapel. 
He  had  visited  the  neighboring  tribes,  and  formed  the 


172  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

most  extensive  and  solid  designs  for  their  conversion, 
when  he  was  suddenly  arrested  in  the  midst  of  lis  enter 
prises.  The  Superior  of  the  Missions  in  Missouri,  on  paying 
the  visit  to  his  missionaries,  found  the  Father  so  feeble  in 
health  that  he  judged  him  incapable  of  continuing  his  la 
bors.  As  soon  as  the  Superior  returned  to  St.  Louis  he  re 
called  him. 

Faithful  to  the  voice  of  obedience,  Father  Van  Quicken 
borne  quitted  his  cherished  mission.  He  reappeared  at  St. 
Louis  with  a  cheerful  countenance,  reposed  there  some  days, 
went  to  make  his  annual  retreat  at  the  novitiate,  and  then 
set  out  for  St.  Charles,  so  .as  to  go  thence  to  the  little  parish 
of  St.  Francis  in  the  Portage  des  Sioux.  There,  he  was  to 
lead  a  quiet  life,  assisted  by  one  coadjutor  brother,  and  only 
bestowing  his  cares  on  this  little  flock.  But  is  there  any 
hope  of  limiting  his  zealous  efforts  ?  He  set  himself  at  once 
to  build  a  church  in  the  neighborhood,  and  he  was  de 
sirous  of  converting  a  certain  number  of  Protestant  families. 
These  labors  were  absorbing  his  whole  attention,  when  he 
was  attacked  by  a  bilious  fever  which  carried  him  off  in 
some  days,  resisting  all  the  cares  of  an  experienced  phy 
sician. 

Father  Pallaison  assisted  him  in  the  hour  of  death.  The 
man  of  God  was  calm  until  the  end,  and  filled  with  devout 
resignation.  He  received  the  last  sacraments  with  a  deep 
and  touching  piety,  and  saw  death  approaching  without  fear. 
About  twenty  minutes  before  expiring,  perceiving  his  last 
moment,  "  Pray  for  me,"  said  he  to  the  Father  and  Brother 
who  were  near  him.  These  were  his  last  words.  He  ex 
pired  without  agony.  His  death  took  place  on  the  17th  01 
August,  1857.  His  body,  followed  by  crowds,  was  borne 
to  St.  Charles,  and  interred  with  much  pomp  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  graveyard,  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Catholic* 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  473 

and  Protestants  assisted  at  his  funeral,  for  he  was  beloved 
by  all. 

The  lengthened  labors  of  this  apostolic  man,  and  the 
churches  which  he  built,  suffice  to  perpetuate  his  memory, 
were  it  not  already  deeply  engraven  in  the  hearts  of  all  who 
knew  him. 

Accept,  etc., 

P.  J.  DB  SMIT,  S.  J. 


4:7*  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XXXIX, 

To  THE  EDITOR  OP  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Theodore  de  Theux. 

YOKK,  May  16,  1857. 


REV.  AND    VEKY    DEAR    FATHER  '. 

In  several  of  your  letters  you  requested  me  to  give  you 
some  notes  concerning  the  life  and  character  of  Father  de 
Theux,  of  saintly  memory.  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  add 
the  information  which  follows  to  what  I  have  already  sent, 
and  blend  them,  in  form  of  a  biography,  in  one  letter  ? 

John-Theodore-Mary-Joseph  de  Theux  was  born  at  Liege, 
on  the  25th  of  January,  1789.  His  parents,  not  less  dis 
tinguished  by  their  piety  than  by  their  birth,  endeavored  to 
inspire  their  children  betimes  with  the  love  and  fear  of  God, 
and  to  form  them  to  the  practice  of  all  the  virtues,  as  do 
those  rare  families  in  which  faith  is  hereditary. 

Theodore  had  not  yet  terminated  his  study  of  the  human 
ities,  when  he  felt  a  strong  conviction  that  God  called  him 
to  the  ecclesiastical  state.  Having  finished  them,  he  entered 
the  seminary  of  Namur  in  1808.  Devoting  himself  with 
untiring  application  to  the  study  of  philosophy,  he  distin 
guished  himself  as  much  by  his  success  as  by  his  regularity 
of  conduct,  his  piety,  and  gentleness.  At  the  end  of  the 
course  he  won  the  first  prize  for  the  collective  examinations, 
which  lasted  several  days.  He  showed,  in  every  circum 
stance,  a  great  soundness  of  judgment.  His  success  in  his 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  475 

theologica.  studies,  Holy  Scripture,  canon-law,  and  other  ec 
clesiastical  sciences  was  equally  brilliant. 

His  former  companions  preserve  a  most  delightful  recollec 
tion  of  the  relations  of  young  De  Theux  with  his  class-mates, 
whom  he  assisted  with  his  lights  and  counsels.  The  amenity 
of  his  temper  gained  him  every  heart ;  it  reflected  his  soul, 
which  was  inflamed  with  the  fire  of  heavenly  charity.  He 
passed  four  or  five  years  in  the  seminary  of  Namur. 

He  received  the  tonsure  in  March,  1810  ;  minor  orders  in 
the  month  of  June  following ;  the  sub-deaconship,  the  21st  of 
December,  1811;  the  deaconship,  the  22d  of  February,  1812. 
Admitted  to  the  priesthood  the  21st  of  June  following,  feast 
of  the  angelical  Saint  Aloysius,  the  Abbe  de  Theux,  before 
the  end  of  the  same  year,  had  a  fine  opportunity  of  display 
ing  the  zeal  which  he  never  ceased  exciting  in  his  heart. 
He  was  named  vicar  of  the  parish  of  St.  Nicholas  at  Liege. 

It  was  the  epoch  when  the  imperial  government,  in  the 
height  of  its  combat  with  all  Europe,  multiplied  beyond 
measure  the  prisons  of  State  ;  and  while  the  faithful  cardinals 
mourned  in  the  strongholds  of  Piedmont  and  France,  the 
generous  defenders  of  Spain  expiated  at  Liege  the  fault  of 
having  fought  for  the  liberty  of  their  unhappy  country.  The 
greater  number  of  them  languished  in  the  hospitals.  In 
order  to  be  able  to  offer  them  the  consolations  of  the 
Church,  the  new  vicar  of  Saint  Nicholas  occupied  himself 
wholly  with  the  study  of  the  Spanish  language,  and,  with 
the  help  of  God,  in  a  short  time,  he  was  able  to  hear  the 
confessions  of  the  imprisoned.  It  was  very  beautiful  to  see 
this  young  priest,  a  member  of  one  of  the  first  families  01 
Liege,  braving,  at  the  pillow  of  the  dying,  the  pestilential  in 
fluences  of  the  epidemic  which  raged  among  the  prisoners, 
particularly  at  the  hospital  of  St.  Laurent.  Attacked  by  the 
disease,  the  Abbe  de  Theux  was  received  into  the  bosom  of 


4:76  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

his  family.  God,  in  order  to  try  him,  permitted  that  the 
malady  should  be  communicated  to  several  of  his  near  rela 
tives,  and  prove  the  cause  of  death  to  one  of  his  brothers. 
Theodore,  however,  escaped  death.  God,  who  had  great 
designs  over  him,  would  not  allow  that  he  should  so  soon 
become  the  victim  of  his  zeal. 

In  1815,  named  by  M.  Barrett,  administrator  of  the  Epis 
copal  See  of  Liege,  Professor  of  Dogmatic  Theology  and  of 
Holy  Scripture,  he  presided  at  the  opening  of  the  seminary 
and  gave  the  first  course  of  theology.  At  this  epoch  there 
was  only  one  class  in  the  seminary  of  Liege.  In  the  exer 
cise  of  his  new  functions  he  conciliated  the  love  and  respect 
of  his  pupils,  as  well  by  his  zeal  and  his  devotedness,  as  by 
his  tender  and  paternal  solicitude.  But  his  love  for  God 
and  his  neighbor  demanded  labors  more  painful,  sacrifices  of 
a  nobler  grade.  He  embraced,  with  as  much  eagerness  as 
happiness,  the  occasion  that  Providence  offered  him. 

The  Abbe  Charles  Nerinckx,  one  of  the  first  and  most 
efficient  missionaries  of  Kentucky,  after  a  voyage  to  Rome, 
visited  once  more  the  land  of  his  nativity,  Belgium.  The 
picture  that  he  presented  of  the  disastrous  state  of  the  mis 
sions  of  the  United  States  touched  the  compassionate  heart 
of  the  Abb6  de  Theux.  After  assuring  himself,  by  fervent 
prayers  and  other  meritorious  works,  that  such  was  the 
good  pleasure  of  God,  he  resolved  to  quit  his  native  land,  to 
renounce  the  intercourse  of  a  tenderly-loved  family,  to  bid 
farewell  to  numerous  and  sincere  friends,  and  go  into  a 
strange  land  to  labor  for  the  salvation  of  souls  and  spend  the 
rest  of  his  days. 

He  left  Antwerp  for  America  on  the  15th  of  April,  1816, 
with  one  companion,  who,  like  himself,  was  desirous  of  being 
enrolled  among  the  followers  of  St.  Ignatius.  The  two  trav 
ellers  arrived  safely.  On  the  7th  of  August,  they  were  ad- 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  477 

mitted  to  the  novitiate  of  White  Marsh,  Prince  George's 
Co.,  Md.  Father  de  Theux  took  his  first  vows  on  the  18th 
of  August,  1818. 

Being  the  eldest  son,  Theodore  would  have  inherited  his 
father's  title.  He  renounced  it  in  favor  of  his  brother  Bar 
tholomew,  at  present  Count  de  Theux  de  Meylandt,  former 
minister  of  Belgium,  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Represen 
tatives,  minister  of  State,  etc. 

The  fervor  of  the  priest  only  augmented  in  the  religious. 
All  those  of  his  brethren  who  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  him  and  conversing  with  him,  are  unanimous  in  testi 
fying  to  his  distinguished  virtue,  singular  piety,  and  the  rare 
prudence  of  his  zeal.  For  several  years  previous  to  my  de 
parture  for  the  Indian  missions,  I  had  the  happiness  of  be 
ing  his  room-mate,  in  a  little  wooden  cabin.  At  his  express 
petition,  I  served  him  as  admonitor.  He  made  an  agree 
ment  with  me  that  he  should  present  himself  to  me  twice 
each  week,  to  ask  of  me  the  faults  and  defects  that  I  might 
have  remarked  in  him.  He  besought  me  with  earnestness 
and  humility  not  to  spare  him ;  to  have  no  favorable  consid 
eration  for  him  ;  to  warn  him  openly  and  frankly  of  the  least 
thing  that  I  might  discover  in  him  reprehensible.  At  the 
same  time  he  promised  me  the  deepest  gratitude,  and  assured 
me  that  he  would  often  pray  for  me.  In  vain  I  observed 
him  closely  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  spiritual  duties  in 
his  classes  of  theology,  at  table,  in  recreation,  so  as  to  prove 
to  him  my  desire  to  oblige  him.  I  often  made  efforts  to  sur 
prise  him  in  some  fault,  but  never,  that  I  know,  was  I  able  to 
find  him  deficient.  As  I  discovered  that  he  seemed  to  be 
disappointed  because  I  did  not  correct  him,  so  as  to  tran 
quillize  him  I  had  recourse  to  trifles — to  the  merest  baga 
telles.  The  more  I  told  him  the  more  he  thanked  me,  and 
the  more  also,  undoubtedly,  he  prayed  for  me.  He  united 


1:78  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

in  himself  the  simplicity  of  a  child  with  the  humility  of  a 
great  saint.  While  I  occupied  the  same  apartment  with 
him,  I  ever  remarked  that  he  was  scrupulously  punctual  to 
every  duty,  whether  spiritual  or  otherwise,  and  each  had  its 
appointed  hour.  Every  day  he  studied  the  sacred  Scrip 
tures.  He  read  over  his  breviary  with  a  profound  recollec 
tion,  kneeling  before  his  crucifix  or  at  the  foot  of  the  altar, 
before  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

These  exercises  of  piety,  and  the  unceasing  labors  of  the 
missions,  perfected  this  beautiful  soul,  and  Father  de  Theux 
was  admitted  to  his  solemn  profession  on  the  15th  of  Au 
gust,  1829.  From  the  second  year  of  his  novitiate  he  had 
been  named  Operarius  (that  is  to  say,  charged  with  exercis 
ing  the  holy  ministry  in  the  church  of  the  Holy  Trinity). 
His  great  zeal  and  his  exemplary  piety,  won  him  the  respect 
and  the  confidence  of  all  intrusted  to  his  care.  Hence, 
when  he  was  obliged  to  leave  this  church  for  Missouri,  there 
was  a  general  regret. 

From  1822,  different  localities  became  successively  the 
scene  of  the  apostolical  works  of  this  holy  religious.  He 
was  professor  of  theology,  superior  of  the  missions,  master 
of  novices  in  Louisiana  at  Grand  Coteau,  at  St.  Charles  in 
Missouri,  and  at  Cincinnati  in  Ohio.  Everywhere  he  gave 
proofs  of  an  indefatigable  zeal,  of  an  unlimited  devotedness. 
Everywhere  he  gained  the  esteem  and  affection  of  his 
brethren,  and  of  all  those  with  whom  he  was  called  to  treat, 
whether  Catholic  or  Protestant.  Everywhere  he  left  the 
ineffaceable  remembrance  of  his  virtues,  and  the  regret 
caused  at  his  departure.  It  was  in  the  exercise  of  his  apos 
tolical  functions  that  he  contracted  the  germ  of  the  malady 
of  which  he  died. 

When  he  resided  at  Grand  Coteau,  Louisiana,  going  one 
day  to  visit  a  sick  person,  he  passed  through  a  place  called 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  479 

Lafayette.  A  young  Frenchman  who  was  amusing  himself 
boisterously  in  an  inn,  drinking  and  laughing  with  several 
boon  companions,  saw  the  Father  passing  by,  and  pointing 
him  out  with  his  finger,  he  took  his  cane  and  shouted  that 
he  was  going  to  show  them  how  to  treat  that  "  canaille  de 
pretres  /"  "  I'll  make  this  Jesuit  quake  under  my  blows," 
said  he,  and  he  came  out  to  put  his  intention  into  execution. 
The  braggadocio  accosted  the  Father  with  curses  and  insult 
ing  language,  and  asked  him  with  effrontery  on  what  part  of 
his  person  he  would  prefer  to  receive  the  caning.  The  man 
of  God  answered  the  unjust  aggressor  with  a  voice  perfectly 
calm  :  "  Friend,  if  God  wills  that  I  be  beaten  I  will  endeavor 
to  bear  it  patiently.  Know,  however,  that  I  am  an  Ameri 
can  citizen.  I  desire  to  know  why  you  attack  me  with  such 
insults,  and  by  what  right  you  dare  attempt  to  strike  me  ?" 
These  words  intimidated  our  youthful  boaster.  Without 
acknowledging  his  fear  he  replied,  and  this  time  without 
swearing,  "  You  are  armed,  or  you  would  not  be  so  bold." 
He  alluded  to  a  case  which  the  Father  carried  under  his 
arm,  and  in  which  he  kept  the  holy  oils,  his  stole,  and  sur 
plice.  "  Yes,"  answered  the  religious,  exhibiting  his  cruci 
fix,  "  I  am  armed,  and  this  is  my  weapon  ;  I  have  no  need 
of  any  other."  Our  br/ivo  returned  less  impetuous.  He 
went  back  to  his  tavern  companions,  who  received  him 
with  loud  and  reiterated  shouts  of  insulting  laughter. 

Another  day,  Father  de  Theux  was  performing  in  the 
church  of  Grand  Coteau  the  obsequies  of  an  unhappy  man, 
deceased  without  the  sacraments,  and  that  after  a  miserable 
life.  He  seized  the  opportunity  to  address  the  assistants 
gome  severe  words  on  the  misfortune  of  such  a  life  followed 
by  a  death  so  sad.  Suddenly  a  man,  known  as  an  enemy  to 
the  clergy,  and  to  the  Jesuits  especially,  arose  and  chal 
lenged  the  Father  in  a  brusque  and  insolent  manner.  "J 


4:80  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

will  not  suffer,"  said  he,  "  that  the  memory  of  my  friend  be 
publicly  insulted."  Father  de  Theux,  with  his  ordinary 
calmness,  turned  towards  the  interlocutor  and  said :  "  I  am 
at  home.  This  is  my  own  church.  I  have  the  right  to 
speak  in  it,  and  to  say  what  I  please ;  but  he  who  now  in 
terrupts  me  has  no  right  to  speak  here.  If  he  does  not  like 
my  sermon  let  him  retire  from  the  church."  The  insolent 
man  immediately  went  out,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the 
good  Catholics  who  were  present,  and  Father  de  Theux  tran 
quilly  continued  his  sermon. 

In  1844,  the  Bishop  of  Cincinnati  found  himself  frequently 
menaced,  as  well  as  the  Catholics  of  his  diocese,  by  tumult 
uous  mobs,  composed  of  the  enemies  of  our  holy  faith.  He 
asked  counsel  of  Father  de  Theux.  After  some  moments  of 
reflection,  the  Father  answered,  that  he  would  obtain  peace 
and  security  in  those  difficult  times  if  he  would  have  re 
course  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  and  would  encourage  the 
other  bishops  of  the  United  States  to  follow  his  example,  so 
as  to  obtain  the  favor  of  adding,  in  the  preface  of  the  mass, 
to  the  word  conception  the  prefix  immaculate.  The  worthy 
bishop  received  the  advice  with  respect,  and  the  request  was 
soon  after  made  at  Rome  and  crowned  with  success. 

In  1845,  Father  de  Theux  was  attacked  with  one  of  those 
bilious  fevers  so  common  in  the  southwest  of  the  Union.  It 
threatened  him  with  speedy  death.  The  physicians  pro 
nounced  it  mortal.  However,  his  constitution  triumphed, 
the  danger  ceased,  the  patient  recovered,  and,  after  a  few 
days  of  convalescence,  he  was  able  to  devote  himself  to  the 
exercises  of  zeal  to  which  he  had  consecrated  his  whole  life. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  1846,  Father  de  Theux  de 
sired  to  provide  for  the  education  of  children  too  remote 
from  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  to  come  to  the  catechetical  instruc 
tions.  He  set  out  to  seek  and  select  a  suitable  position; 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  481 

whc>n  returning,  he  and  his  companion  lost  their  way.  Over 
taken  by  a  cold  rain,  which  wet  him  through,  he  was  at 
tack  with  a  pleurisy.  After  some  days  the  disease  became 
more  violent,  baffling  every  remedy.  The  pleurisy  soon  de 
generated  into  an  inflammation  of  the  bowels.  Although 
the  Father  possessed  a  strong  constitution,  labor  and  hard 
ship  had  exhausted  him  to  such  a  degree  that  he  could  no 
longer  contend  with  the  malady.  He  foresaw  his  approach 
ing  end  and  prepared  himself  for  it  with  care,  convinced 
that  God  would  ere  long  call  him.  During  three  weeks  he 
endured  excruciating  pains  and  sufferings,  but  preserved 
every  faculty  until  the  end.  He  employed  a  portion  of  time 
in  arranging  all  the  affairs  of  his  charge  with  perfect  exacti 
tude  ;  and  preparing  himself  with  redoubled  fervor  for  the 
passage  from  time  to  eternity,  he  employed  the  rest  in  mak 
ing  acts  of  resignation,  of  patience,  and  of  other  virtues,  by 
means  of  texts  drawn  from  Holy  Writ,  ejaculatory  prayers, 
and  ardent  sighs  towards  the  God  of  his  love.  He  received 
the  last  sacraments  with  a  piety  which  edified  every  one. 
He  himself  directed  the  priest  who  was  administering  them, 
and  who  trembled  on  seeing  the  anguish  which  this  worthy 
religious  was  enduring.  The  dying  voice  of  the  faithful  ser 
vant  of  Jesus  was  heard  distinctly  responding  to  the  prayers 
of  the  agoniaing. 

Father  de  Theux  desired  to  be  warned  of  the  progress  of 
his  illness,  and  of  the  approach  of  death.  Three  days  before 
his  demise  the  physician  told  him  that  he  could  not  pass  the 
following  day.  "  No,  doctor,"  gayly  replied  the  patient,  "  1 
shall  not  die  to-morrow  ;  I  shall  die  on  Saturday.  Saturday 
will  be  the  day."  He  had  always  wished  to  die  on  a  day 
consecrated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  he  always  cherished 
the  firm  belief  that  he  would  not  be  disappointed  in  hi« 
hope.  Early  on  Saturday  morning  he  began,  repeating  fre- 
41 


482  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

quently  these  invocations:  "Jesus,  have  mercy  on  me!  .  . 
Mary,  pray  for  me!"  There  remained  for  him  only  a  few 
hours  of  exile,  and  it  was  in  the  act  of  repeating  these  words 
that  Father  de  Theux  yielded  up  his  last  sigh,  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  on  the  28th  of  February,  1846,  on 
the  day  of  the  week  consecrated  to  the  devotion  and  hom 
age  of  Mary.  His  latest  petition  was  heard.  It  was,  no 
doubt,  one  of  the  recompenses  of  the  Mother  of  God,  who  is 
also  ours.  He  had  also,  in  the  latter  period  of  his  life,  estab 
lished  at  St.  Charles,  in  the  mission  church,  the  Arch-confra 
ternity  of  the  Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary,  to  which  he  had 
a  tender  devotion.  Whether  God  had  really  manifested  to 
him  the  day  on  which  he  should  give  up  his  soul,  or  whether 
his  words  were  the  expression  of  a  strong  and  inflamed  de 
sire,  we  cannot  decide ;  but  the  fact  is,  that  he  died  on  Sat 
urday,  the  28th  of  February,  1846. 

Father  de  Theux  was  one  of  those  men  whom  it  is  diffi 
cult  or  impossible  to  know  thoroughly,  until  after  having 
long  and  carefully  observed  their  conduct  and  habits.  He 
never  spoke  of  himself  unless  morally  obliged,  cr  when  there 
was  an  evident  utility ;  and  ordinarily  then,  according  to  the 
manner  of  the  great  apostle,  he  did  it  in  the  third  person. 
To  give  you  an  example,  I  will  cite  the  following  incident : 
He  was  speaking  of  the  necessity  *f  working  perseveringly 
in  the  control  and  subjection  of  the  vicious  and  rebellious 
inclinations  of  our  corrupt  nature,  and  even  its  infirmities. 
To  apply  his  remarks,  he  indicated  that  habitual  dispo 
sition  which  inclines  to  sleep  in  prayer,  and  the  following 
is  the  substance  of  what  he  said  on  this  point :  "  I  know 
A  man  who  contended  thirty  long  years  against  this  infirm 
ity.  Still  he  spared  no  endeavors  to  free  himself  from  it. 
He  stood,  he  knelt ;  he  took  a  step  forward  or  backward 
according  as  circumstances  would  admit,  but  often  he  could 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  483 

not ;  then  he  had  recourse  to  this  means.  He  took  a  pin  or 
needle  with  him,  and  without  allowing  others  to  perceive 
him,  he  tormented  his  body  by  piercing  it  with  the  sharp 
little  instrument,  in  order  to  render  his  soul  fit  for  medita« 
tion  when  the  rule  or  inclination  demanded  it."  All  those 
who  were  listening  to  him  were  interiorly  convinced  that 
he  was  speaking  of  himself,  and  that  the  eulogium  due  to 
such  constant  and  persevering  efforts  belonged  to  none  but 
himself. 

His  character  inclined  him  to  severity,  but  it  was  solely 
on  himself  that  he  exercised  it.  No  one  ever  saw  him  allow 
himself  the  least  satisfaction  which  seemed  to  flatter  sen 
suality.  Every  thing  had  its  allotted  time.  Of  a  healthy 
constitution,  he  believed,  correctly,  that  he  ought  to  contri 
bute  to  its  preservation  so  far  as  the  rules  of  religious  tem 
perance  would  permit.  Hence  no  singularity  at  his  repasts 
was  ever  observed  in  him,  either  for  the  quantity  01  for  the 
manner,  unless  we  may  call  singularity  a  constant  Labit  of 
adhering  invariably,  for  every  kind  of  beverage,  t*  a  meas 
ure  and  quality  fixedly  determined  in  accordance  with  all 
the  rules  of  Christian  temperance  and  religious  poverty. 

His  modesty  was  really  angelic.  His  eyes  were  generally 
cast  down.  He  raised  them  frequently  towards  God  when 
engaged  in  prayer.  It  was  easy  to  perceive  that  he  had 
made  a  covenant  with  his  eyes,  that  they  were  never  to  look 
on  any  dangerous  object.  His  spirit  of  prayer  was  calm, 
without  pretension,  and  continual. 

Being  a  little  deaf,  he  often  quitted  his  room  for  the  exer 
cises  of  the  community  before  the  bell  gave  the  signal,  lest 
he  might  not  hear  it.  When  he  arrived  too  soon,  he  took 
his  rosary  and  prayed  until  the  common  notice  was  given. 

Sanctifying  himself,  he  edified  all  those  who  knew  him  by 
an  exactitude  to  the  practice  of  our  holy  rules.  His  virtue 


4:84.  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

consisted  in  doing  ordinary  things  with  an  extraordinary 
perfection. 

We  may  resume  this  edifying  life  by  saying,  that  Father 
de  Theux  was  a  genuine  model  of  the  religious  state.  With 
an  inflamed  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  there  shone  in 
him  great  humility,  a  burning  and  expansive  charity,  and 
complete  self-renunciation.  He  joyfully  accepted  all  priva 
tions,  all  contradictions,  without  ever  seeking  to  be  remarked. 
He  was  prayerful,  because  he  was  mortified  and  obedient.  I 
speak  knowingly  of  his  rare  virtues,  for  I  was  so  happy  as  to 
pass  the  early  years  of  my  scholasticate  under  his  paternal 
guidance,  he  being  my  spiritual  director  and  my  professor  of 
theology. 

Although  there  was  no  ostentation  in  the  practice  of  his 
duties,  he  could  not  avoid  the  observant  eye  of  his  brethren, 
as  well  as  of  strangers.  He  was  known  among  the  people 
as  the  man  who  performed  miracles.  And,  without  doubt, 
had  he  not  wrought  any  other  than  the  sublime  examples 
which  he  left  of  the  Christian  and  religious  virtues,  he 
would  have  already  deserved  that  great  and  glorious  title. 

His  death  is  a  great  loss  to  the  society,  to  the  missions  of 
the  western  States,  and  to  the  work  of  civilization.  His 
obsequies  took  place  on  the  2d  of  May,  and  his  body  was 
transported  to  St.  Stanislaus,  near  Florissant,  a  locality  which 
the  deceased  had  edified,  as  he  had  so  many  others,  by  the 
practice  of  all  the  virtues.  His  remains  find  sepulture  near 
those  of  Fathers  Van  Quickenborne,  Timmermans,  Van 
Lommel,  etc. 

The  impression  that  he  made  on  the  students  of  St. 
Xavier's  college,  Cincinnati,  was  so  profound,  that  some 
young  Protestants,  who  had  not  a  very  clear  idea  concern- 
rag  the  canonization  of  saints,  one  day  inquired  seriously  01 
their  professor  whether  Father  de  TJieux  was  canonized  of 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  485 

not?  and  the  professor  having  explained  to  them  the  nature 
of  this  ceremony  in  the  Church  (which  is  only  done  a  long 
time  after  death),  they  answered :  "  Well,  however  that  may 
be,  he  deserves  it." 

Accept,  Rev.  Father,  the  assurance  of  my  respect  and 
affection, 

P.  J.  DM  Sun,  8.  J. 


4:86  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XL, 

To  THK  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BKUSSHA, 
Father  John  Anthony  Elet. 

UNIVERSITY  or  ST.  Loins. 
REVEREND  FATHER  : 

I  present  a  brief  biographical  notice  of  our  country 
man,  the  Rev.  Father  Elet,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  a  religious 
who  accomplished  much  good,  and  whose  memory  is  held  in 
benediction. 

John  Anthony  Elet  was  born  at  St.  Amand,  in  the  prov 
ince  of  Antwerp,  on  the  19th  of  February,  1802.  Having 
completed  his  early  studies  in  the  college  of  Mechlin  with 
much  distinction,  under  the  direction  of  the  venerable  Mr. 
Verloo,  he  entered  the  ecclesiastical  seminary  of  the  same 
town.  These  two  establishments,  which  have  given  many 
learned  men  to  Belgium,  were  ever  dear  to  his  heart ;  to  the 
hour  of  his  death,  it  was  a  consolation  and  delight  to  him  to 
hear  and  speak  of  them. 

In  1821,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  took  the  generous 
resolution  of  quitting  his  country,  under  the  guidance  of 
the  apostle  of  Kentucky,  the  very  Rev.  Mr.  Nerinckx,  in 
order  to  devote  himself  to  the  forsaken  missions  of  North 
America. 

He  began  his  novitiate  in  Maryland,  on  the  6th  of  OctcH 
ber,  1828.  Before  the  close  of  his  two  years  of  probation,  he 
was  sent,  with  several  Fathers,  brothers,  and  novices,  all 
Belgians,  but  one  brother  who  was  an  American,  to  Mia- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  487 

souri,  to  establish  a  mission  amid  the  old  French  settlements, 
the  new  American  ones,  and  the  wandering  tribes  of  Indians, 
dispersed  throughout  this  vast  territory. 

Father  Elet  finished  his  course  of  philosophy  and  theology 
under  Fathers  Van  Quickenborne,  born  at  Peteghen-lea 
Deynze,  and  De  Theux,  born  at  Liege,  and  was  ordained 
priest  in  1827,  by  Mgr.  Rosati,  bishop  of  St.  Louis. 

He  had  the  consolation  of  seeing  the  mission  which  was 
at  first  so  small  and  weak,  erected  into  a  vice- province,  and 
extended  into  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Illinois,  Louisiana,  Indian 
Territory  (now  Kansas  and  Nebraska),  and  forming  beyond 
the  Rocky  Mountains  in  Oregon,  Washington,  and  Cali 
fornia,  the  nucleus  of  a  new  mission,  which  promises  ere 
long  to  equal  the  most  flourishing.  To  all  this  success  he  had 
greatly  contributed. 

Father  Elet,  one  of  the  first  founders  of  the  university  of 
St.  Louis,  was  president  of  this  institution  for  several  years. 
In  1840,  he  was  sent  to  Cincinnati,  chief  town  of  Ohio,  to 
take  the  direction  of  the  college  of  St.  Xavier,  which  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  of  that  city,  Mgr.  Purcell  (now  archbishop), 
had  just  confided  to  the  Society  of  Jesus.  In  a  short  time 
Father  Elet  erected  in  addition  a  free-school,  sufficiently 
extensive  to  allow  the  admission  of  four  or  five  hundred  pool 
children. 

Mgr.  Flaget,  the  first,  and  for  a  long  time  the  sole  bishop 
of  the  whole  immense  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  which  ex 
tends  from  the  Alleghany  mountains  on  the  west,  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  on  the  east,  invited  the  Jesuit  Fathers  to 
Kentucky,  and  offered  them,  through  his  worthy  coadjutor 
and  successor,  Bishop  Spalding,  his  beautiful  college  of  St. 
Joseph,  situated  at  Bardstown,  thirty-nine  miles  from  Louis 
ville,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  renowned  of  the  educa 
tional  establishments  of  this  portion  of  the  great  American 


488  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

confederacy;  and  which  has  sent  out  several  illustrious 
bishops,  and  a  great  number  eminent  in  Church  and  State. 
Father  Elet  was  at  that  time  vice-provincial.  A  short  tim* 
after,  he  opened  a  house  of  education  at  Louisville. 

During  his  provincialship,  he  sustained  a  very  painful  los* 
in  the  person  of  his  brother,  Father  Charles  Louis  Elet,  who 
having  arrived  in  1848  to  share  his  labors,  died  at  St. 
Joseph's  college  on  the  23d  of  March,  1849,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-seven.  He  felt  a  deep  sorrow  at  this  death,  not  only 
because  he  lost  a  brother,  but  because  the  province  was  thus 
deprived  of  a  zealous  priest — snatched  away  in  the  flower  oi 
his  age,  and  from  whom  such  eminent  services  might  have 
been  expected.  Yet  his  grief  was  mingled  with  great  con 
solation.  His  brother  had  left  in  Belgium  the  remembrance 
of  an  exemplary  life  wholly  devoted  to  the  good  of  others — 
during  his  short  sojourn  in  America,  he  had  ever  shown 
himself  the  model  of  a  fervent  and  charitable  religious.  A 
holy  death  crowned  so  edifying  a  life.  The  Bishop  of 
Louisville,  who  visited  him  in  his  last  hours,  announced  his 
death  to  the  Provincial,  in  a  letter  as  honorable  to  the  noble- 
hearted  writer,  as  to  the  pious  sentiments  of  him  whose  loss 
it  deplores.  I  insert  the  letter,  it  is  dated 

"BAKDSTOWN,  23d  of  March,  1849. 

"  MY  DEAR  FATHER  ELET  : — Allow  me  to  unite  my  voice  to 
that  of  those  numerous  friends,  who  will  offer  you  their 
sympathy  on  the  occasion  of  the  melancholy  event,  which 
this  day's  post  will  inform  you.  I  mean  the  death  of  your 
very  holy  and  amiable  brother.  Providence  permitted  me 
to  be  here  at  the  moment.  I  had  the  happiness  of  visiting 
him  twice.  On  these  occasions,  I  gave  him  with  my  whole 
heart  the  episcopal  benediction.  He  devoutly  kissed  my 
pectoral  cross,  which  contains  a  relic  of  the  Holy  Cross.  I 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  489 

3annot  tell  you  how  much  he  edified  me  by  his  mild  tran- 
q  lillity  under  the  most  painful  agony.  He  showed  ever} 
mark  of  an  elect  of  God — and  if  God  loved  him  more  than 
you  did,  resign  him  cheerfully  into  his  adorable  hands.  Is 
it  not  better  to  have  a  brother  in  heaven  than  on  earth  ?  I 
hope  to  be  able  to  attend  his  funeral,  and  will  offer  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  for  the  repose  of  his  soul.  In  the  midst  of  the 
sorrow  caused  by  this  mournful  and  mysterious  decree  of 
Providence,  I  congratulate  myself  that  Kentucky  possesses 
the  mortal  remains  of  your  holy  brother. 

rt  Deploring  most  sincerely  your  loss,  I  am  &c., 

"*  M.  J.  SPALDING,  Bishop" 

Father  John  Anthony  Elet  did  not  long  survive  his  wor 
thy  brother.  He  had  never  enjoyed  robust  health,  and  had 
passed  about  thirty  years  in  America  in  incessant  labor. 
When  still  young,  he  had  discovered  alarming  symptoms  of 
a  kind  of  consumption.  It  manifested  itself  anew,  and  with 
greater  violence,  towards  the  end  of  the  year  1850,  during 
a  journey  which  he  made  to  Louisiana,  for  business  relative 
to  the  society.  He  continued,  however,  to  fill  the  charge  of 
vice-provincial  until  about  the  middle  of  the  following  year, 
when  he  withdrew  to  the  novitiate  of  St.  Stanislaus,  to  pre 
pare  for  death.  He  beheld  it  rapidly  approaching,  but  far 
fiDtn  fearing,  he  desired  it  with  his  whole  heart.  Not,  that 
he  wished  to  be  delivered  from  earthly  sufferings,  but  be 
cause  his  love  for  Christ  inflamed  him  with  a  burning  desire 
to  be  united  to  his  divine  Saviour.  His  piety,  which  had 
always  been  distinguished,  now  seemed  to  transport  him, 
and,  like  the  glorious  sunset,  reflected  the  virtues  he  had 
practised  during  life.  Some  days  before  his  death,  although 
scarce  able  to  walk,  he  dragged  himself  with  difficulty  to 
the  domestic  chapel,  and  remained  there  for  a  considerable 


4:90  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

time  prostrate  before  the  altar  in  a  profound  adoration.  On 
the  1st  of  October,  eve  of  the  Feast  of  the  Holy  Angela,  at 
the  moment  when  the  Holy  Viaticum  was  brought  to  him, 
and  the  words  " Domine  ncm  sum  dignus"  were  pronounced, 
he  was  heard  distinctly  repeating,  "  Non  sum  diynus,  bornirtt, 
non  sum  diynu*r  (I  am  not  worthy,  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy.) 
To  a  prayer  in  honor  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  Mary, 
he  added  aloud  these  words,  "  Credo,  credo,  Itcsmine  Jem  /" 
(I  believe,  I  believe,  Lord  Jesus.)  He  afterwards  expressed 
a  lively  wish  to  die  on  the  Feast  of  the  Holy  Angels.  God, 
whose  will  he  had  so  faithfully  fulfilled,  was  pleased  to  hear 
the  desires  of  his  servant.  On  the  next  day,  towards  mid- 
tight,  it  was  proposed  to  impart  the  last  absolution  :  "  Yes," 
aaid  he,  "  it  is  the  moment."  Some  seconds  after  a  beauti 
ful  prayer  of  St  Charles  Borromeo  was  recited.  When 
they  came  to  the  passage  where  the  saint  acknowledges  that 
**  he  has  sinned,"  but  adds,  that  "  he  had  never  denied  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,"  Father  Elet  exclaimed  "never! 
never  !**  After  having  kissed  the  crucifix  for  the  last  time 
with  the  mOTt  touching  devotion,  at  midnight  precisely,  dur 
ing  the  renewal  of  the  absolution,  he  expired,  like  one  fall- 
;ng  into  a  gentle  slumber. 

Father  Elet  had  a  special  devotion  to  the  Holy  Angels, 
Every  year,  during  his  rectorship,  on  their  festival,  he  re 
quested  all  the  Fathers  to  offer  mass  in  their  honor,  so  as  to 
obtain  a  special  protection  orer  the  whole  bonse.  He  had 
also  introduced  in  several  places,  that  devotion  to  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus,  which  is  observed  on  the  first  Friday  of  every 
month — encouraging  the  pious  practice  of  receiving  com- 
mission  on  that  day,  and  of  making  an  act  of  reparation  to 
the  Sacred  Heart,  which  a  priest  recites  before  the  altar, 
CJMJag  tee  pious  service  by  the  benediction  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  It  was  remarked  that  he  expired  precisely  at 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  491 

the  hour  in  which  the  Feast  of  the  Holy  Angels  terminated 
and  the  first  Friday  of  the  month  commenced. 

Father  John  Anthony  Elet  was  loved  and  respected  wher 
ever  he  was  known ;  he  was  universally  regretted.  In  the 
United  States,  a  territory  almost  as  extensive  as  the  whole 
of  Europe,  where  the  Catholic  clergy  are  so  few  that  they 
would  scarcely  supply  one  single  diocese  of  Belgium,  the 
death  of  every  good  priest  leaves  a  gap  in  the  ranks  which 
all  feel.  Father  Elet's  death  would  shed  a  gloom  over  many 
zealous  hearts,  did  they  not  hope  that  from  abore  he  will 
intercede  for  America,  more  powerfully  than  he  could  have 
done  in  our  midst 

D.  0.  M., 

P.  J.  DB  SMET,  8.  I. 


492 


WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  ILL 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
John  Baptist  &medts,  S.  J. 

CINCINNATI,  February  19, 1855. 
REVEREND  FATHER  : 

I  think  you  will  give  pleasure  to  the  relatives  and 
friends,  as  well  as  to  the  former  acquaintances  of  Father 
Smedts  in  the  seminary  of  Mechlin,  if  you  would  allow 
space  in  your  Precis  Historiques  to  the  following  notice 
His  Eminence,  the  Cardinal  was  professor  in  the  ecclesiasti 
cal  seminary  at  the  time  of  the  departure  of  the  deceased ; 
Mgr,  De  Ram,  the  Very  Rev.  MM.  Bosnians,  Van  Hemel, 
etc.,  were  perfectly  well  acquainted  with  him.  The  rector 
magnificus,  of  the  university  of  Louvain,  iny  intimate  friend 
at  college,  accompanied  Father  Smedts  and  myself  as  far  as 
Contich  or  Waelhem.* 

Father  John  Baptist  Smedt,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  died 
in  America,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  February  19,  1855. 
Born  at  Rotselaer,  in  Brabant,  on  the  llth  of  April,  1801, 
he  formed  part  of  the  colony  of  missionaries,  who  re 
commenced  in  1823,  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri  and 
the  Mississippi,  the  labors  of  the  former  Jesuits,  which  had 
been  interrupted  in  the  last  century  by  the  suppression  of 
the  society.  He  left  his  country  in  1821,  with  some  other 

*  Mr.  De  Ram,  there  asked  me  for  a  souvenir,  and  for  want  of  some 
thing  better  I  bent  a  piece  of  money  with  my  teeth,  and  he  had  it  itili 

in  1848. 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  493 

young  Belgians,  MM.  Felix  Verreydt,  of  Diest;  Josse  Van 
Asche,  of  St.  Amand;  Peter  Joseph  Verhaegen,  of  Haechf 
John  Anthony  Elet,  of  St.  Amand,  and  Peter  John  de 
Smet,  of  Termonde;  all  were  under  the  conduct  of  the 
venerable  Mr.  Nerinckx,  a  Belgian  secular  priest,  a  distin 
guished  missionary  in  America,  and  the  apostle  of  Kentucky. 
As  it  was  necessary  to  be  cautious  with  a  suspicious  govern 
ment,  inimical  to  the  Catholic  religion,  and  particularly 
hostile  to  missions,  the  departure  was  as  secret  as  possible. 
On  this  account  Father  Smedts  saw  himself  forced  to  make 
a  sensibly  painful  sacrifice,  and  to  set  out  (as  well  as  his 
companions),  without  proffering  a  last  adieu  to  all  that  was 
dearest  to  him  on  earth, — parents,  brothers,  sisters,  and  friends. 
They  were  obliged  to  beg,  for  the  love  of  God,  and  the  sal 
vation  of  souls,  the  money  necessary  for  a  long  voyage. 
Arrived  at  Amsterdam,  the  27th  of  July,  he  repaired  from 
thence  to  the  isle  of  Texel,  to  shelter  himself  from  the  gov 
ernment  of  Holland,  which  had  instituted  a  pursuit.  On 
the  vigil  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  he 
quitted  the  island,  and  embarked  in  an  open  fisherman's 
bark,  which  conducted  him  on  board  of  the  American  ship 
*'  Columbia,"  which  was  waiting  for  the  missionaries  at  a 
great  distance  from  the  coast. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  in  the  same  year,  Father  Smedts 
began  his  novitiate  at  White-Marsh,  Prince  George's  county, 
Maryland,  where  the  Jesuits  had  a  mission  for  many  years. 
He  was  yet  a  novice  when  the  provincial,  at  the  special  re- 
q  lest  of  Mgr.  du  Bourg,  bishop  of  Louisiana,  and  of  all  the 
great  territories  west  of  the  Mississippi,  sent  him  to  Mis 
souri,  with  the  five  Belgians  who  came  with  him,  as  well  as 
Father  Van  Quickenborne,  of  Peteghem  (master  of  novices), 
Father  Timmermans,  of  Turnhout,  and  three  lay  brothers, 
namely  :  Peter  de  Meyer,  from  the  vicinity  of  Audenarde, 
42 


£94  WE8TEEN  MISSIONS 

Henri  Rieselman,  of  Amsterdam,  and  one  American.  One 
can  with  difficulty  imagine  the  fatigues  attendant  upon  this 
journey  of  1200  miles,  made  on  foot,  and  through  a  country 
which  was  as  yet  scarcely  inhabited,  and  in  the  slow-mov 
ing,  uncomfortable  flat-boats  of  the  Ohio  River. 

The  early  years  of  his  residence  in  Missouri  were  passed 
in  a  poor  cottage,  our  novitiate,  situated  near  the  village  of 
St.  Ferdinand,  about  eighteen  miles  from  St.  Louis.  Ordained 
priest  in  1826,  he  passed  several  years  in  the  missions  in  the 
rising  cities  and  villages  of  Missouri,  constantly  distinguish 
ing  himself  by  his  great  desire  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and 
by  an  indefatigable  zeal,  which  induced  him  to  surmount 
joyfully  all  the  fatigues  attached  to  the  missions  of  a  new 
country,  and  almost  destitute  of  priests.  Later,  he  filled 
during  several  years,  the  important  charge  of  master  of 
novices,  until  1849.  He  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
either  in  the  missions,  or  in  fulfilling  the  functions  of  minis 
ter,  or  of  spiritual  father  in  the  colleges.  He  held  this 
last-named  charge  in  the  university  of  St.  Louis,  and  was 
the  spiritual  director  of  a  great  number  of  pupils,  when  he 
was  attacked  by  the  slow  consumption  of  which  he  died. 

His  whole  life  was  irreproachable  and  exemplary.  Shun 
ning  the  world,  simple  in  his  manners,  patient  in  sufferings, 
he  had,  besides,  exhausted  his  strength  in  the  service  of  the 
Lord.  For  him  death  had  no  terrors,  he  perceived  it  ap 
proaching  with  a  holy  peace  of  soul,  and  with  a  strong  con 
fidence  in  the  divine  mercy ;  he  longed  to  break  the  bonds 
of  earth,  and  be  united  to  his  God.  Let  us  indulge  the 
hope  that  he  has  gone  to  meet  in  heaven  the  first  com 
panion  of  his  missionary  toils  and  sacrifices,  Father  Elet, 
and  the  whole  troop  of  holy  pioneers  in  the  laborious  mis 
sions  of  the  New  World. 

P.  J.  DIP  SMET,  S.  Jw 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  495 


Letter  XLII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 


LOUISVUJJS  (Kentucky),  March  29, 1855. 

RBVEREND  FATHER  :* 

I  am  about  to  fulfil  a  duty  by  satisfying  the  quite  spe« 
cial  request  of  one  of  your  former  disciples,  Father  Francis 
X.  d'Hoop.  I  did  not  expect,  on  arriving  at  Louisville,  that 
I  was  about  to  assist  at  his  last  moments.  You  will  remem 
ber  that  he  was  one  of  the  band  that  I  conducted  to  Amer 
ica  in  1837. 

The  Rev.  Father  d'Hoop  died  young,  and  much  regretted 
by  all  those  who  had  the  happiness  of  knowing  him.  He 
did  much  in  his  short  life,  and  this  country  loses  in  him  a 
fervent  and  zealous  missionary.  He  leaves  in  sorrow  a  great 
number  of  children  in  Jesus  Christ,  of  Protestants  converted 
to  the  faith,  of  strayed  sheep  brought  back  to  the  sheepfold 
of  the  good  pastor.  These  faithful  souls  will,  I  trust,  con 
tinue  to  bless  the  cherished  memory  of  their  spiritual  Father 
and  he  will  intercede  for  them  from  heaven,  that  they  may 
persevere  in  the  faith. 

As  you  are  acquainted  with  the  family  of  Father  d'Hoop, 


*  This  letter  was  originally  addressed  to  Kev.  Father  Vanderhofetadt, 
of  the  college  of  Tournai. 


4:96  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

and  as  I  have  received  many  proofs  of  your  great  charity,  1 
have  taken  the  liberty  of  addressing  you,  in  order  to  request 
you  to  communicate  to  them  the  news  of  his  decease.  The 
details  which  I  give  in  the  little  notice  which  follows,  will 
contribute  to  alleviate  their  grief. 

Father  Francis  Xavier  d'Hoop,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
died  in  America.  Born  at  Meulebeke,  in  the  diocese  of 
Bruges,  in  Belgium,  on  the  4th  of  January,  1813,  he  pur 
sued  his  studies  with  success  in  the  college  of  Thielt,  in 
West  Flanders,  and  afterwards  repaired  to  the  college  of 
Turnhout,  founded  by  the  venerable  De  Nef,  whose  name 
alone  is  a  eulogium.  In  this  nursery  of  missionaries,  which 
has  furnished  so  many  worthy  priests  and  so  many  excellent 
subjects  to  the  country,  Father  d'Hoop,  following  the  exam 
pie  of  a  great  many  others  who  had  preceded  him,  took  the 
generous  resolution  of  devoting  himself  to  American  mis 
sions,  and  of  embracing  the  religious  life.  In  the  month  of 
September,  1837,  he  quitted  his  country  and  embarked  for 
the  United  States,  with  four  companions.  On  the  21st  of 
November,  of  the  same  year,  he  entered  the  novitiate  of  the 
Jesuits  at  St.  Stanislaus,  Missouri.  After  two  years'  probation, 
he  was  sent  in  quality  of  sub-prefect  to  the  university  of  St. 
Louis,  and  applied  himself  at  the  same  time  to  the  acquiring 
of  the  languages  most  used  in  the  country ;  in  particular, 
the  English,  German,  French,  and  Spanish.  He  was  after 
wards  sent  to  the  college  of  St.  Charles  at  Grand  Coteau, 
in  Louisiana,  where,  for  several  years,  he  taught  rhetoric 
and  natural  philosophy,  with  great  success.  He  was  or 
dained  priest  by  Mgr.  Blauc,  archbishop  of  New  Orleans,  on 
the  29th  of  August,  1845.  From  that  period  until  his  death, 
he  faithfully  fulfilled  as  a  true  religious  all  the  charges  which 
were  confided  to  him  by  his  superiors.  The  cities  of  St. 
Louis,  of  Cincinnati,  Chillicothe,  Bardstown,  and  Louisville, 


AND   MISSIONARIICS.  497 

were  successively  witnesses  of  his  zeal  and  labors.  Although 
iuffering,  during  several  years,  with  a  painful  disease  in  both 
legs,  he  always  acquitted  himself  with  fidelity  in  every  duty 
of  the  charges  confided  to  him  by  his  superiors,  and  his  zeal 
even  appeared  to  augment  with  his  sufferings. 

Father  d'Hoop  attracted  every  heart  by  his  religious  sim 
plicity,  and  his  charity  and  zeal. 

He  contracted  the  malady,  of  which  he  died,  on  return 
ing  from  a  mission  given  in  Madison,  the  capital  of  Indiana. 
Filled  with  confidence  in  God,  and  with  proofs  of  an  entire 
submission  to  the  divine  will,  he  gave  up  his  soul  to  his  Cre 
ator,  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  on  the  23d  of  March,  1855. 

The  next  day,  a  solemn  high  mass  was  celebrated  in  the 
cathedral,  at  which  the  bishop  and  a  greater  part  of  the 
clergy  of  the  city  assisted.  Bishop  Spalding  himself  offi 
ciated  at  the  obsequies,  and  with  his  accustomed  eloquence 
pronounced  the  eulogium  of  the  departed.  His  mortal  re 
mains  repose  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  Joseph's  college,  Bards- 
towu. 

The  Very  Rev.  Mr.  du  Pontavice,  vicar-general  and  pastor 
of  Madison,  wrote  us  a  very  consoling  letter:  "I  learned," 
says  he,  "the  death  of  the  Rev.  Father  d'Hoop  at  the 
moment  when  I  was  vesting  to  celebrate  the  holy  sacrifice 
on  Passion  Sunday.  I  forgot  my  text ;  your  letter  took  its 
place.  I  spoke  of  his  death,  but  I  fear  not  to  have  edified 
as  much  as  I  ought  to  have  done,  for  my  voice  was  inter 
rupted  with  sobs.  I  will  add,  that  the  whole  of  my  numer 
ous  auditory  was  in  tears. 

"At  the  holy  altar  I  recalled  the  blessed  moments  of  hia 
presence.  Here  he  celebrated  mass.  In  this  chair  of  truth 
his  eloquent  and  most  edifying  words  were  heard ;  words 
which  converted  so  many  sinners,  imparted  tranquillity  and 

peace  to  souls  hitherto  troubled,  and  called  forth  abundant 
42o 


±98  WE8TEEN   MISSIONS 

tears  of  holy  joy  and  happiness.    My  heart  was  poured  forth, 
so  to  speak,  from  my  eyes. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  moments  that  he  passed  with  me 
at  my  house.  I  seem  yet  to  hear  the  consoling  words,  so 
fraught  with  heavenly  wisdom,  which  his  lips  pronounced. 
As  a  man  of  God,  and  as  a  scholar,  we  found  in  him  an  in 
exhaustible  treasure  of  varied  and  extensive  information. 
At  the  first  impression  of  the  idea  that  the  last  days  of  his 
apostolic  life  were  devoted  to  me,  my  heart  was  over 
whelmed  with  grief;  but  on  a  moment's  reflection,  calm  joy 
succeeded  to  sorrow.  Father  d'Hoop  was  ripe  for  heaven, 
and  I  rejoice  that  it  was  in  my  parish  he  exerted  his  last 
effort  to  obtain  the  crown  of  immortality,  and  that  my 
parishioners  received  his  last  adieux.  Prostrate  before  the 
high  altar  he  pronounced  the  words  of  consecration  to  the 
sacred  hearts  of  Jesus  and  of  Mary,  for  the  pastor  and  hi* 
flock,"  etc,  etc. 

Accept,  &c.,  <kc., 

P.  J.  Da  SMW,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  499 


Letter  XLIII. 

To  THE  EDITOR  or  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
Death  of  the  Sight  Rev.  Dr.  Van  de  Velde,  Bishop  of  Natchez 

ST.  Lotns,  December  1,  1855. 
REVEREND  FATHER: 

It  is  with  the  deepest  sorrow,  which  will  be  shared  by 
all  our  brethren  in  Belgium,  and  by  the  numerous  friends  of 
the  prelate,  that  we  announce  the  demise  of  Dr.  Van  de 
Velde,  bishop  of  Natchez. 

Although  the  venerable  prelate  was  far  advanced  in  age, 
and  notwithstanding  the  length  of  an  apostolical  career,  the 
uninterrupted  labors  of  which  had  excited  the  admiration  of 
the  United  States,  every  thing  induced  the  hope  that  he 
would,  during  a  long  period  to  come,  bear  the  burden  of  the 
episcopate.  His  unexpected  death  was  a  severe  blow  to  all 
who  knew  him.  It  is  an  immense,  we  had  almost  said  an 
irreparable,  loss  to  the  city  of  Natchez. 

James  Oliver  Van  de  Velde  was  born  on  the  3d  of  April,  1795, 
in  the  environs  of  Termonde,  Belgium.  At  this  epoch,  the 
country  was  strongly  agitated  by  the  partisans  of  the  French 
revolution.  While  yet  very  young,  he  was  confided  to  the 
care  of  a  pious  aunt,  in  the  village  of  St.  Amand,  in  Flan 
ders.  A  confessor  of  the  faith,  a  worthy  priest  from 
France,  escaped  from  the  persecution  which  afflicted  his 
native  country,  had  found  a  retreat  in  the  same  family.  It 
was  he  who  formed  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  youthful 


500  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

James,  and  directed  his  education  with  assiduous  care  and 
unwearied  toil.  James  soon  became  the  favorite  child  of  the 
clergy  of  St.  Amand.  He  manifested  from  his  tender  in 
fancy  a  lively  desire  to  embrace,  at  a  future  day,  the  ecclesi 
astical  state.  In  1810,  he  was  placed  in  a  boarding-school 
near  Ghent,  where  his  talents  distinguished  him  among  his 
school-mates.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  taught  French 
and  Flemish,  at  Puers,  for  two  or  three  years. 

While  he  was  engaged  in  teaching,  the  religious  and 
political  situation  of  the  country  changed.  In  consequence 
of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  the  congress  of  Vienna  reunited 
Belgium  to  Holland,  under  William  I.,  of  Orange,  a  Calvin- 
ist,  violent  against  the  Catholic  religion.  Like  many  others, 
the  youthful  professor,  impatient  of  the  oppressive  yoke  un 
der  which  his  native  land  was  bowed,  formed  the  project  of 
retiring  into  England,  or  into  Italy.  With  this  intention,  he 
studied  the  languages  of  these  two  countries.  But  his  former 
benefactor  and  confessor,  the  Very  Rev.  M.  Verlooy,  director 
of  the  seminary  of  Mechlin,  encouraged  him,  and  proposed 
to  him  to  accept,  in  his  new  institution,  a  class  of  Latin,  of 
French,  and  of  Flemish,  and  to  enter  his  name  at  the  same 
time  on  the  list  of  the  pupils  of  the  great  archiepiscopal 
seminary.  It  was  there  that  he  perfected  himself  in  the 
direction  of  the  Latin  classes,  and  that  he  studied  the  ele 
ments  of  logic,  and  of  speculative  theology. 

However,  as  the  intention  of  quitting  his  country  ever 
remained  present  in  his  mind,  his  pious  and  zealous  director 
counselled  him  to  devote  himself  to  foreign  missions.  To 
this  effect,  he  was  presented  to  the  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx, 
the  celebrated  missionary  of  Kentucky,  who,  on  his  return 
from  Rome,  and  some  time  before  leaving  for  the  United 
States,  came  to  Mechlin.  After  he  had  informed  himself 
concerning  the  state  of  the  missions,  and  they  had  deliber- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  501 

ated  on  the  continuation  of  his  theological  studies,  it  was 
agreed  that  he  should  accompany  Mr.  Nerinckx,  and  that, 
after  terminating  his  theological  course  in  the  seminary  of 
Bishop  Flaget,  he  should  devote  himself  to  the  exercises  of 
the  sacred  ministry.  But  Providence  disposed  otherwise. 

Mr.  Nerinckx  quitted  Europe  on  the  16th  of  May,  1817, 
accompanied  by  several  young  Belgians,  destined  to  the 
novitiate  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  at  Georgetown,  and  among 
them  was  young  Van  de  Velde.  But  this  last  named,  before 
the  arrival  of  the  ship  in  the  port  of  Baltimore,  fell,  during 
a  tempest,  and  burst  a  blood-vessel.  Having  lost  a  great 
deal  of  blood,  he  was  obliged  to  be  transported  to  St.  Mary's ; 
even  after  his  convalescence,  he  was  incapable  of  continuing 
his  voyage  as  far  as  Kentucky.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Brute,  who 
was  then  president  of  the  seminary,  tried  to  induce  him  to 
remain  in  Baltimore ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nerinckx,  on  the  con 
trary,  counselled  him  strongly  to  follow  his  travelling  com 
panions  to  Georgetown,  and  remain  with  them  in  the  novi 
tiate  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  was  received  with  great 
kindness  and  charity  by  the  Rev.  Anthony  Kohlmann,  then 
superior  of  the  missions  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  America. 

After  two  years  of  novitiate,  he  was  admitted  to  the  sim 
ple  vows,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  society,  and  named 
prefect  of  classes.  At  the  same  time  he  applied  assiduously 
to  the  study  of  poetry,  of  rhetoric,  and  philosophy.  Such 
was  his  progress,  that  he  was  named  professor  of  belles- 
lettres. 

In  182Y,  at  thirty-three  years  of  age,  he  was  ordained 
priest,  in  Baltimore,  by  Archbishop  Marechal.  During  the 
two  years  that  he  was  applying  to  the  study  of  moral  and 
polemical  theology,  he  exercised  the  functions  of  chaplain  ot 
the  Convent  and  Academy  of  the  Visitation,  at  Georgetown. 
tn  1829,  he  was  charged  with  the  missions  of  Rockville  and 


502  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

of  Rock  Creek,  Montgomery  county,  Maryland.  Dnring 
the  autumn  of  1831,  his  superiors  sent  him  to  St  Louis, 
where  a  college  had  lately  been  erected  and  was  in  full 
activity,  under  the  direction  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  the 
patronage  of  Bishop  Rosati.  He  was  welcomed  by  his 
brethren  there  with  sincere  and  joyful  cordiality,  Soon 
after,  he  was  named  professor  of  rhetoric  and  of  mathe 
matics.  In  1833,  he  filled  the  office  of  vice-president  and 
of  procurator  of  the  college,  which  had  just  been  elevated 
to  the  rank  of  university.  He  retained  this  post  until  183*7, 
the  epoch  of  his  admission  to  the  solemn  vows.  He  was 
named  procurator  of  the  vice-province  of  Missouri,  with 
out  ceasing  to  be  vice-president  of  the  university.  In 
1840,  he  became  president  of  the  university  of  St.  Louis.* 
The  year  after,  being  chosen  representative  of  the  vice-prov 
ince,  in  the  congregation  of  Procurators,  he  set  out  for 
Rome,  where  he  had  several  audiences  with  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  Gregory  XVI.  On  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  he  con 
tinued  his  functions  as  president  of  the  university,  until  the 
month  of  September,  1843,  when  he  was  named  vice-provin 
cial  of  Missouri.  Under  his  administration,  several  churches 
were  built,  as  well  as  a  more  spacious  house  of  novitiate ; 
the  colleges  and  the  missions  continued  to  flourish.  In  1848, 
he  had,  anew,  the  office  of  procurator  of  the  vice-province 
and  of  socius  of  the  provincial,  and  accompanied  his  superior 
to  the  council  of  Baltimore. 

Many  prelates  had  been  acquainted  with  him  for  years. 
His  talents,  his  zeal,  and  his  piety,  induced  them  to  propose 
him  to  the  Pope  for  the  see  of  Chicago.  In  the  month  of 
November  of  the  same  year,  he  received  his  bulls.  It  was 


*  An  oration,  delivered  by  him  on  the  4th  of  July,  1841,  was  printed 
at  the  time. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  503 

only  on  the  opinion  of  the  archbishop  of  St.  Louis  and  of 
three  theologians,  who  decided  that  the  documents  from 
Rome  contained  a  formal  command  on  the  part  of  the  Sov 
ereign  Pontiff,  that  he  would  accept  the  nomination.  He 
was  consecrated  bishop,  on  Sexagesima  Sunday,  February 
11,  1849,  by  the  Archbishop  of  St.  Louis,  the  Most  Rev. 
Peter  R.  Kenrick,  assisted  by  Bishops  Loras  and  Miles.  The 
Right  Rev.  Dr.  Spalding  pronounced  a  discourse  adapted  to 
the  consecration.  This  ceremony  took  place  in  the  church 
of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  attached  to  the  university. 

Bishop  Van  de  Velde  first  visited  the  country  contained 
in  his  extensive  diocese,  which  is  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Louis. 
He  only  reached  Chicago  on  Palm  Sunday,  the  day  on  which 
he  took  possession  of  his  episcopal  see. 

Bishop  Van  de  Velde  had  suffered  during  many  years 
with  rheumatic  pains  ;  he  soon  perceived  that  the  cold  and 
damp  climate  of  Chicago  was  extremely  injurious  to  him, 
The  Roman  revolution  hindered  the  prelate  from  addressing 
himself  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff;  as  soon  as  order  was  re 
established,  he  wrote  to  the  Holy  Father,  requesting  him  to 
accept  his  resignation,  and  permit  him  to  return  to  his  for 
mer  companions  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  received  a 
reply  from  Cardinal  Fransoni,  which  encouraged  him  to  bear 
the  burden  of  the  episcopate  with  patience  and  resignation. 
Some  time  after,  on  the  occasion  of  troubles  and  difficulties 
which  arose  in  the  diocese,  and  which  had  an  unhappy  in 
fluence  on  his  corporal  ailments,  Bishop  Van  de  Velde  wrote 
anew  to  Rome,  imploring  the  Holy  See  to  accept  his  resig 
nation.  The  affair  was  submitted  to  the  decision  of  the  first 
national  council  which  was  to  be  held  in  Baltimore,  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  1852.  This  council  resolved  to  create 
a  new  diocese  of  Quincy,  for  the  southern  portion  of 
Illinois  ;  but  it  decided  that,  for  the  advantage  of  Chi. 


504:  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

cago,  Bishop  Van  de  Velde,  should  not  be  transferred 
to  it. 

The  bishop  intended  visiting  France  and  Belgium  after 
the  council ;  he  resolved  to  extend  his  voyage  as  far  as 
Rome,  and  to  bear  in  person  his  petitions  to  the  throne  of 
St.  Peter.  Having  been  selected  to  bear  the  decrees  of  the 
council,  he  reached  Rome  on  the  22d  of  June.  Pius  IX.  re 
ceived  Bishop  Van  de  Velde  with  the  greatest  affability. 
After  two  audiences,  Dr.  Van  de  Velde  received  the  desired 
response,  viz.,  that  he  should  be  restored  to  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  even  in  quality  of  titular  bishop,  and  that  he  should 
be  transferred  to  a  milder  and  more  favorable  climate. 
Bishop  Van  de  Velde  quitted  Rome  on  the  16th  of  Septem 
ber.  After  visiting  some  parts  of  France,  Germany,  and 
Belgium,  he  assisted  at  Liege  at  the  consecration  of  Mgr. 
de  Montpellier.  He  embarked  at  Liverpool  on  the  17th  o/ 
November,  and  arrived  at  New  York  on  the  28th  of  the 
same  month. 

After  his  return  to  Chicago,  he  repeated  his  episcopal  visit 
of  the  diocese.  It  was  during  this  circuit  that  he  received 
his  brief  of  nomination  to  the  vacant  see  of  Natchez,  to 
which  he  had  himself  asked  to  be  transferred.  The  majority 
of  the  clergy  and  of  the  faithful  in  Chicago  received  with 
deep  regret  the  news  that  they  were  to  be  deprived  of  the 
presence  of  their  excellent  and  worthy  bishop,  who  had 
labored  with  so  much  zeal  and  ardor  for  their  well-being, 
and  had  done  so  much  for  the  propagation  of  our  holy  re 
ligion  in  Illinois.  Under  his  administration  seventy  churches 
had  been  commenced,  and  the  greater  number  of  them  com 
pleted.  He  had  constructed  two  Orphan  Asylums,  without 
mentioning  other  establishments  and  important  works. 

Mgr.  Van  de  Velde  was  obliged  to  remain  some  time  in 
the  place  as  administrator  of  Chicago  and  Quincy,  because 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  505 

the  Rev.  Mr.  Melcher,  named  bishop  of  Quincy  and  adminis 
trator  of  Chicago,  had  not  accepted  his  nomination.  It  was 
only  on  the  3d  of  November,  1853,  after  having  purchased 
a  beautiful  piece  of  land  as  a  site  for  the  future  cathedral  ol 
Quincy,  that  Bishop  Van  de  Velde  quitted  his  numerous 
friends  in  Chicago  and  set  out  for  Natchez.  He  arrived 
there  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month,  and  was  most  joyfully 
received  by  the  clergy  and  all  the  people.  His  great  reputa 
tion  had  preceded  him.  On  the  18th  of  December,  after 
having  assisted  at  the  consecration  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  A.  Mar 
tin  at  New  Orleans,  and  after  making  a  spiritual  retreat  at 
Spring  Hill  College,  near  Mobile,  he  assumed  possession  of 
his  new  diocese. 

The  bishop  undertook,  with  fresh  zeal,  the  administration 
of  his  new  charge,  and  exerted  himself  to  extend  the  cause 
of  religion  in  the  State  of  Mississippi.  He  immediately 
visited  the  different  congregations,  in  order  to  become  ac 
quainted  with  all  the  necessities  of  his  diocese,  made  efforts 
to  procure  apostolical  laborers  in  this  section  of  the  Master's 
vineyard,  founded  two  schools,  and  took  measures  for  com 
pleting  the  cathedral  of  Natchez,  and  of  erecting  a  college 
in  it.  For  this  purpose  he  purchased  a  beautiful  site  in  the 
suburbs  of  the  city.  But  God,  in  his  impenetrable  designs, 
called  the  good  bishop  to  himself,  before  he  could  realize  all 
the  plans  he  had  conceived  for  the  well-being  of  religion,  and 
the  instruction  of  the  flock  confided  to  him. 

His  death  had,  in  its  causes,  a  most  afflicting  character; 
he  was  so  unfortunate  on  the  23d  of  last  October,  as  to  fall 
on  the  stairway  and  break  his  leg  in  two  places.  This  dis 
tressing  news  spread  rapidly  among  the  Catholic  population. 
The  faithful  hastened  in  crowds  to  the  episcopal  residence. 
in  order  to  express  their  sorrow  to  their  beloved  pastor,  and 
lender  him  all  the  consolations  and  assistance  of  which  they 
43 


506  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

were  capable.  The  inflammation  of  the  leg,  excited  at  firsi 
a  slight  fever,  which  soon  assumed  the  type  of  yellow-fever, 
and  provoked  agonizing  convulsions  during  several  days. 
During  all  his  illness,  the  bishop  evinced  an  astonishing 
patience,  a  perfect  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  a  truly 
Christian  calm,  and  that  amid  the  severest  trials  and  most 
painful  sufferings.  Having  received  the  last  consolations  of 
the  Church  with  great  devotion,  he  committed  his  soul  into 
the  hands  of  his  Maker  on  the  13th  of  November,  the  feast 
of  St.  Stanislaus,  in  whose  honor  he  had  just  finished  a 
novena. 

The  exposition  of  the  body  of  the  venerable  deceased 
offered  a  solemn  and  very  imposing  spectacle.  The  corpse, 
covered  with  the  episcopal  vestments,  deposited  in  a  rich 
sarcophagus  of  metal,  was  placed  in  the  episcopal  abode,  on 
a  catafalque  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  to  which  they  had  given 
an  inclination  so  as  to  give  the  corpse  the  appearance  of  be 
ing  partly  erect.  He  remained  thus  exposed  during  the 
whole  night  which  succeeded  his  death.  A  great  number 
of  persons  of  all  grades  of  society  and  of  different  religious 
creeds,  visited  the  mortal  remains  of  the  venerable  prelate. 
These  visits  were  prolonged  until  late  in  the  night.  A  sweet 
smile  seemed  to  animate  the  features  of  the  deceased ;  to  see 
his  eyes  partly  opened,  one  would  have  supposed  that  he  was 
attentively  listening,  and  with  pleasure  to  those  who  sur 
rounded  him,  and  that  he  was  preparing  to  answer  their 
questions.  The  spectators  could  scarcely  credit  that  he  waa 
no  more.  Efforts  had  to  be  made,  especially  by  the  Catholics, 
to  tear  themselves  from  their  respected  pastor  and  father. 

The  obseqaies  took  place  on  the  14th,  at  nine  o'clock,  in  St. 
Mary's  cathedral,  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  concourse  of 
people,  gathered  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect  and  af 
fection  to  their  venerated  bishop. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  507 

The  solemn  mass  was  sung  by  the  Most  Rev.  Anthony 
Blanc,  archbishop  of  New  Orleans,  assisted  by  the  Rever 
end   MM.    Francis   X.   Leroy,  Grignon,   and   Pont.      The 
Rev.  Father  Tchieder,  of  the  society,  pronounced  the  funeral 
discourse.     After  the  service,  the  coffin  was  deposited  in  a 
vault  prepared  expressly  under  the  sanctuary  of  the  cathedral. 
We  commend  the  soul  of  Bishop  Van  de  Velde,  our 
renerable  brother  in  Christ,  to  the  sacrifices  and  prayers  ol 
our  dear  fathers  and  brothers  in  Belgium,  and  to  the  devout 
remembrance  of  the  numerous  friends  of  the  deceased. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be  with  the  deepest  respect, 
Reverend  Father, 

Your  most  humble 

and  devoted  servant, 

P.  J.  DE  Sun,  a  I. 


60S  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  XLIV. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUKS,  BRUSSELS. 
John  Nobili. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  Jan.  18th,  1868. 
REV.  AND    DEAR   FATHER ! 

You  published  a  short  notice  of  Father  Nobili  in  the 
Precis  Historiques  for  1857,  page  284.  Moreover,  our  very 
Rev.  Father  General  has  given  you  a  token  of  his  paternal 
kindness,  by  sending  you  a  letter  and  copy  of  a  correspond 
ence  with  Father  Congiato,  the  new  superior  of  the  mission, 
on  the  death  of  his  predecessor,  also  published  by  you,  page 
293. 

I  send  you  as  a  complement  to  these  data,  an  extract 
from  the  San  Francisco  Herald  of  March  20,  1856,  which 
consists  in  a  biographical  notice  of  Father  Nobili.  Will 
you  be  so  good  as  to  translate  it  if  you  find  it  sufficiently 
interesting. 

On  Monday,  March  3d,  funeral  rites  were  rendered  to 
Father  John  Nobili,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  superior  of  the 
college  of  Santa  Clara. 

The  news  of  his  death  spread  with  great  rapidity,  in  all 
the  country  around.  This  religious  was  generally  known  in 
the  whole  State,  and  all  those  who  enjoyed  his  acquaintance 
could  not  refrain  from  entertaining  the  highest  esteem  for 
him,  and,  very  often,  a  very  profound  attachment.  It  can. 


AND  MISSIONARIES.  509 

therefore,  be  easily  understood  what  lively  sorrow  this  mel 
ancholy  news  excited.  At  San  Francisco,  in  particular,  when 
the  telegraph  transmitted  this  sad  announcement,  an  inde 
scribable  mourning  covered,  so  to  speak,  the  whole  city. 
The  sadness  and  dejection  manifested  on  every  side,  made 
known  that  all  had  lost  an  excellent  friend,  and  that  Cali 
fornia  had  experienced  a  great,  a  public  loss.  Only  a  short 
time  before,  this  worthy  religious  had  been  seen  in  the 
streets  of  San  Francisco,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
we  could  be  persuaded  that  he  was  no  more,  and  that  hence 
forth  he  would  never  appear  in  our  midst. 

Father  NobiH  was  born  in  Rome,  on  the  8th  of  April, 
1812.  His  parents,  distinguished  for  their  piety,  educated 
their  children  in  accordance  with  the  correct  principles  of 
Christian  morality.  His  mother,  of  whom  he  ever  spoke 
with  the  most  affectionate  respect,  was  a  model  of  all  those 
virtues  that  form  the  ornament  of  a  mother.  His  father  was 
a  lawyer. 

John,  while  yet  young,  was  confided  to  excellent  masters. 
His  progress,  in  the  different  studies  to  which  he  applied, 
could  easily  presage  much  that  is  elevated  in  riper  years. 
Endowed  with  natural  talents,  of  a  superior  order,  he  em 
ployed  his  efforts  in  developing  them,  and  his  masters  found 
the  task  of  adorning  his  faculties  and  increasing  his  informa 
tion,  easy  and  agreeable.  But,  at  the  same  time  that  his 
understanding  acquired  maturity,  his  heart,  that  portion 
which  is  so  neglected  in  our  day  in  the  plans  of  education, 
was  not  left  to  itself  in  order  to  be  overrun,  like  an  untilled 
soil,  by  noxious  weeds.  The  seeds  of  virtue  were  planted 
betimes.  They  cast  deep  roots,  and  acquired  a  great  strength 
long  before  the  passions  and  a  corrupt  world  could  turn 
them  aside  with  evil  principles,  or  even  give  them  a  bad 
tendency.  The  pious  counsels  of  his  mother  were  alwayi 
43* 


510  WESTERN   MISSIONS 

for  John  Nobili  an  efficacious  stimulant  to  virtue,  and  he 
took  care  never  to  forget  them.  The  pious  wishes  of  his 
parents  were  realized,  and  all  their  tender  cares  fully  recom 
pensed  by  the  progress  of  their  son  in  fervor  and  in  devotion 
as  well  as  in  profane  sciences. 

But  their  joy  was  complete  when  he  told  them,  at  an  ag« 
still  tender,  the  generous  resolution  that  he  had  taken  Oj 
consecrating  himself  entirely  to  the  service  of  God.  He  wa§ 
then  only  sixteen  years  of  age.  Having  finished  his  first 
course  of  studies  in  the  Roman  college,  he  entered  the  Soci 
ety  of  Jesus  on  the  14th  of  November,  1828. 

During  his  novitiate  (a  period  of  probation  destined  tc 
show  whether  the  candidate  possesses  the  qualities  necessarj 
for  living  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  society),  he  was 
distinguished  for  his  regularity  and  his  punctuality.  Hii 
dispositions  were  noble.  His  superiors  named  him  Prefect 
of  the  Novices. 

Later,  his  talents  proved  so  brilliant  that  when  he  wa> 
studying  humanities  and  rhetoric,  his  compositions  in  Lath 
poetry  and  other  verse,  were  read  in  all  the  public  sittingr 
without  being  subjected  to  any  previous  correction.  Ir 
1831,  he  commenced  the  study  of  philosophy.  In  1834. 
appointed  to  teach  the  humanities,  he  taught  them  in  the 
Roman  college,  and  in  the  colleges  of  Loretto,  Piacenza,  anc? 
Fermo.  The  superiors  had  so  exalted  an  opinion  of  his  ac 
quisitions  in  rhetoric,  that  he  was  appointed  to  preside  over 
the  public  exercises  of  five  colleges  of  his  order  in  Italy, 
He  began  his  theological  studies  in  1840,  and  was  ordained 
priest  in  1843. 

A  short  time  after,  he  asked  and  obtained  the  permission 
to  go  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  savages  of  North  Amer 
iea.  In  company  with  Father  De  Smet,  he  sailed  to  Ore 
gon,  by  Cape  Horn,  tow?.rds  the  end  of  the  year  1843 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  511 

During  this  irksome  passage,  which  lasted  nearly  eight 
months,  he  was  subjected  to  great  privations,  and  was  at 
tacked  by  a  disease  of  the  pericardium.  On  arriving  at 
Fort  Vancouver,  he  was  intrusted  with  the  spiritual  care  of 
the  Canadians,  who  are  employed  by  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  as  well  as  of  the  Indians,  the  number  of  whom 
is  very  considerable  long  the  shores  of  the  Columbia.  The 
ship  in  which  he  ascended  was  near  perishing  on  the  bar  01 
the  Columbia.  The  captain  was  three  days  in  discovering 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  At  last  it  was  indicated  to  him  b} 
the  sight  of  a  vessel  which  was  coming  out  of  it» 

On  arriving  with  his  companions  in  Oregon,  Father  No- 
bili  found  himself  in  presence  of  an  epidemic.  It  was  a  vir 
ulent  type  of  dysentery,  and  it  was  considered  contagious. 
The  physicians  attributed  it  to  the  deleterious  qualities  of  the 
river  water.  A  great  number  of  savages  died  of  it,  espe 
cially  among  the  Tchinooks,  and  the  Indians  of  the  Cas 
cades.  They  were,  for  the  most  part,  encamped  along  the 
rivers,  in  order  to  be  able  to  go  to  Fort  Vancouver  and  ob 
tain  the  advice  of  a  physician.  This  vas  a  favorable  oppor 
tunity  of  exercising  the  holy  ministry,  and  Father  Nobili 
seized  it  with  the  greatest  zeal. 

He  applied  carefully  to  the  study  of  the  language  of  the 
Indians,  and,  after  a  short  time,  he  was  capable  of  speaking 
several  dialects.  In  the  month  of  June,  1845,  the  Father 
set  forth  for  Willamette,  accompanied  by  a  brother  novice, 
to  visit  the  tribes  of  New  Caledonia,  among  which  he  made 
several  apostolical  excursions. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  any  other  (in  this  notice) 
than  a  feeble  idea  of  the  miseries,  privations,  and  sufferings 
of  good  Father  Nobili  during  his  sojourn  among  the  savage 
tribes.  The  following  description  will  furnish  us  with  some 
information  concerning  the  country.  We  extract  it  from  the 


512  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

work  of  Father  de  Smet,  entitled,  "  Oregon  Missions,"  No 
VII.,  p.  122.  "We  traversed  waving  forests  of  pine  and  cedai 
in  which  daylight  scarcely  penetrated.  Ere  long  we  entered 
sombre  forests  in  which  we  were  obliged  to  clear  a  road,  axe 
in  hand,  in  order  to  avoid  those  collections  of  trees  over 
thrown  and  piled  up  by  the  tempests  of  autumn.  Some  of 
these  forests  are  so  dense,  that  at  the  distance  of  twelve  feet 
I  was  unable  to  distinguish  my  guide.  The  safest  means  of 
extricating  one's  self  from  these  labyrinths,  is  for  the  rider 
to  trust  to  the  sagacity  of  his  horse.  If  the  reins  are  aban 
doned  to  him,  he  will  follow  the  foot-prints  of  other  beasts 
of  burden.  This  expedient  has  served  me  a  hundred  times. 

u  Whatever  the  imagination  can  depict  as  frightful,  ap 
pears  to  be  aggregated  here,  to  inspire  dread.  Precipices 
and  ravines  ready  to  swallow  the  traveller ;  gigantic  sum 
mits  and  elevations  of  different  hues;  inaccessible  peaks; 
fearful  and  impenetrable  depths,  in  which  noisy  waters  are 
continually  precipitating ;  oblique  and  narrow  paths,  by  which 
it  becomes  necessary  to  ascend ;  several  times,  indeed,  I  was 
obliged  to  take  the  attitude  of  a  quadruped  and  walk  on  my 
hands. 

"The  natural  pyramids  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  seem  to 
challenge  the  efforts  of  human  invention.  They  serve  as  a 
resting  place  for  the  clouds  which,  descending,  surround  their 
gigantic  summits  in  sublime  repose.  The  hand  of  Omnipo 
tence  laid  their  foundations,  and  suffers  the  elements  to 
form  them,  and  from  age  to  age  they  proclaim  his  glory." 

On  whatever  side  Father  Nobili  turned  his  steps  among 
these  Indian  tribes,  he  was  received  with  open  arms,  and 
they  brought  him  infants  to  be  baptized.  An  extract  from 
the  Journal  of  Father  Nobili,  dated  Fort  Colville,  June,  1856, 
and  published  in  the  Oregon  Missions,  No.  XVII.,  reveali 
the  zeal  of  the  missionary. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  513 

"  While  I  remained  at  Fort  Vancouver,  I  baptized  upwards 
of  sixty  persons,  during  a  dangerous  sickness  which,  raged 
in  the  country.  The  majority  of  those  who  received  bap 
tism,  died  with  all  the  marks  of  sincere  conversion.  On  the 
27th  of  Jfly,  I  baptized  nine  children  at  Fort  Okinagane — 
the  children  of  the  chief  of  the  Sioushwaps  were  of  the 
number.  He  appeared  full  of  joy  at  seeing  a  Black-gown 
direct  his  course  towards  their  country.  On  the  29th  I  left 
Okinagane,  and  followed  the  company.  Every  night  I 
prayed  with  the  whites  and  Indians.  On  the  road,  three 
old  men  came  to  me,  and  earnestly  begged  me  to  *  take 
pity  on  them,  and  prepare  them  for  heaven  T  Having  in 
structed  them  in  the  duties  and  principles  of  religion,  and 
the  necessity  of  baptism,  I  administered  to  them,  and  to 
forty-six  children  of  the  same  tribe,  what  seemed  to  be  the 
height  of  their  desires,  the  holy  sacrament  of  regeneration. 

"  On  the  llth  of  August,  a  tribe  of  Indians,  residing  about 
the  Upper  Lake  on  Thompson's  River,  came  to  meet  me. 
They  exhibited  towards  me  all  the  marks  of  sincere  and 
filial  attachment.  They  followed  me  several  days  to  hear 
my  instructions,  and  only  departed  after  having  exacted  a 
promise  that  I  would  return  in  the  course  of  the  following 
autumn  or  winter,  and  make  known  to  them  the  glad  tidings 
of  salvation. 

**  At  the  Fort  of  the  Sioushwaps,  I  received  a  visit  from 
all  the  chiefs,  who  congratulated  me  on  my  happy  arrival 
among  them.  They  raised  a  great  cabin  to  serve  as  a  churcht 
and  as  a  place  to  teach  them  during  my  stay.  I  baptized 
twelve  of  their  children.  I  was  obliged,  when  the  salmon 
fishing  commenced,  to  separate  for  some  months  from  theat 
dear  Indians,  and  continue  my  route  to  New  Caledonia. 

"I  arrived  at  Fort  Alexandria  on  the  25th.  All  the 
tribes  I  met  manifested  towards  me  the  same  emotions  of 


WESTERN   MISSIONS 

joy  and  friendship.  To  my  surprise  I  found  at  the  Fort  a 
frame  church.  I  returned  iu  the  fall  and  remained  there  a 
month,  engaged  in  all  the  exercises  of  our  holy  ministry. 
The  Canadians  performed  their  religious  duties — I  joined 
several  in  marriage,  and  administered  to  many  the  holy 
communion.  Twenty-four  children  and  forty-seven  adults 
received  baptism. 

"  On  the  2d  of  September,  I  ascended  the  River  Frazer, 
and  after  a  dangerous  trip,  arrived,  on  the  12th.  at  Fort 
George,  where  the  same  joy  and  affection  on  the  part  of 
the  Indians  attended  me.  Fifty  Indians  had  come  down 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  patiently  awaited  my  arrival 
for  nineteen  days,  in  order  to  have  the  consolation  of  wit 
nessing  the  ceremony  of  baptism.  I  baptized  twelve  of  their 
children,  and  twenty-seven  others,  of  whom  six  were  adults 
advanced  in  age.  I  performed  there  the  ceremonies  of  the 
planting  of  the  cross. 

"On  the  14th,  the  feast  of  the  exaltation  of  the  holy 
cross,  I  ascended  the  River  Nesqually,  and  on  the  24th, 
arrived  at  the  Fort  of  Lake  Stuart.  I  spent  eleven  days  in 
giving  instructions  to  the  Indians,  and  had  the  happiness 
of  abolishing  the  custom  of  burning  the  dead,  and  that 
of  inflicting  torments  upon  the  bodies  of  the  surviving 
wives  or  husbands.  They  solemnly  renounced  all  their 
juggling  and  idolatries.  Their  great  medicine-hall,  where 
they  used  to  practise  their  superstitious  rites,  was  changed 
into  a  church.  It  was  blessed  and  dedicated  to  God  under 
the  patronage  of  St.  Francis  Xavier.  The  planting  of  the 
cross  was  solemnly  performed  with  all  the  ceremonies  proper 
to  such  occasions.  Sixteen  children  and  five  old  men  re 
ceived  baptism. 

"  The  24th  October,  I  visited  the  village  of  the  Chilcotins. 
This  mission  lasted  twelve  days,  during  which  time  I  bap- 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  515 

tized  eighteen  children  and  twenty-four  adults,  and  per 
formed  eight  marriages.  I  blessed  here  the  first  cemetery, 
and  buried,  with  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  ritual,  an  Indian 
woman,  the  first  converted  to  Christianity.  I  next  visited 
two  other  villages  of  the  same  tribe — in  the  first  I  bap 
tized  twenty  persons,  of  whom  three  were  adults.  In  the 
second,  two  chiefs  with  thirty  of  their  nation  received  bap 
tism,  and  two  were  united  in  matrimony.  Polygamy  pre 
vailed  everywhere,  and  everywhere  I  succeeded  in  abolishing 
it.  In  a  neighboring  tribe  I  baptized  fifty-seven  persons, 
of  whom  thirty-one  were  adults.  I  also  celebrated  nine  mar 
riages. 

"  After  my  return  to  the  Sioushwaps,  I  baptized  forty-one 
persons,  of  whom  eleven  were  adults.  I  visited  five  more 
villages  among  the  neighboring  tribes,  among  whom  I 
baptized  about  two  hundred  persons.  I  performed  the 
ceremony  of  the  planting  of  the  cross,  in  eight  different 
places,  and  founded  four  frame  churches  which  were  con 
structed  by  the  savages. 

"  On  an  average,  each  village  or  tribe  consists  of  about  two 
hundred  souls. 

uln  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Alexandria  the 

number  of  souls  amounts  to 1255 

About  Fort  George 343 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Frazer's  Lake 258 

"                 "                 Stuart's  Lake 211 

"                "                McLeod'sLake 80 

*                 "                 FortRabine 1190 

«                 "                 Bear  Lake 801 

Total  number  of  souls .4138 


516  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

"  Population  on  Thompson's  River,  or  on  the  land  of  the 
Sioushwaps  or  Atnass. 

"  The  number  of  Sioushwaps,  so  called,  is 583 

"  of  Okinaganes 685 

Population  on  the  North  Branch 525 

"  on  Lake  Superior 322 

"  at  the  Fountain  of  Frazer  Lake 1127 

Number  of  Knife  Indians 1530 

Total  number  of  souls 4772." 

During  his  sojourn  in  New  Caledonia,  Father  Nobil 
had  to  endure  great  privations.  Through  the  course  of  one 
whole  year,  his  only  subsistence  was  a  sort  of  moss  or  grass 
and  roots.  His  chief  food  was  horse-flesh,  and  often  he  was 
reduced  to  eating  the  flesh  of  dogs  and  wolves.  What  he 
suffered  from  cold,  hunger,  and  other  privations  is  onlj 
known  to  God.  To  man,  the  reality  would  seem  incredible. 

After  having  dwelt  among  the  savage  tribes  six  years, 
during  which  he  showed  himself  a  worthy  disciple  of  Jesus 
Christ,  in  bringing  back  souls  to  God,  and  in  eradicating  the 
vices  which  predominate  in  them,  in  obedience  to  the  orders 
of  his  superiors,  he  forsook  his  dear  Indians  and  came  to 
California,  in  1849,  with  his  health  greatly  enfeebled. 

He  remained  some  time  in  San  Francisco,  and  afterwards 
went  to  San-Jose,  in  which  place  he  tarried  until  the  spring 
of  1851.  The  whole  period  of  his  residence  there,  he  ex 
cited  the  admiration  of  that  city,  with  its  inhabitants  ot 
various  religious  denominations,  by  his  indefatigable  labors. 
When  the  cholera  broke  out  in  1850,  the  horse  of  the  man 
of  God  was  saddled  day  and  night,  so  as  not  to  lose  a  minute 
of  time,  and  to  be  able  to  visit  without  delay  those  who 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  517 

might  call  for  his  services.  The  labors  of  Father  Nobili  are 
well  known  in  that  place — they  will  live  forever  in  the 
memory  of  those  who  received  his  assistance,  or  who  wit 
nessed  his  consuming  charity. 

In  the  spring  of  1851,  His  Grace  Archbishop  Alemany 
appointed  him  to  a  mission  in  Santa  Clara.  As  soon  as  he 
entered  on  this  new  charge,  he  commenced  founding  the 
college  of  Santa  Clara.  This  college  succeeded  so  well, 
that  it  is  known  as  the  first  educational  institution  in  the 
State. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  speak  of  his  trials  and  his  labors  since 
the  establishment  of  this  college — the  whole  State  knows 
and  appreciates  them.  It  is  not  an  unmeaning  phrase  when 
we  say  that  the  "  greater  glory  of  God,"  device  of  the  society, 
was  the  primum  mobile  of  all  has  actions.  How  shall  we 
express  the  deep  solitude  with  which  he  watched  over  the 
college  ?  He  applied  earnestly  with  an  incessant  attention 
to  its  increase,  to  the  direction  of  its  progress,  to  the  pro 
motion  of  its  interests,  and  to  the  augmentation  of  its  ma 
terial  resources.  He  exercised  a  paternal  kindness  and  care 
towards  the  pupils  intrusted  to  him.  He  was  affable  and 
complaisant  towards  those  who  visited  him,  and  displayed  a 
ready  religious  hospitality.  His  conduct  towards  all  was 
polite  and  agreeable,  but  full  of  a  certain  dignity  which  con 
ciliated  the  respect  and  admiration,  not  only  of  Catholic 
laymen,  but  even  of  those  who  did  not  acknowledge  his 
clerical  character.  He  was  scrupulously  exact  in  fulfilling  the 
minor  observances  of  the  religious  rule.  Divine  service  had 
peculiar  charms  for  him ;  he  loved  its  offices  and  its  liturgy, 
and  he  paid  extreme  attention  to  all  that  concerns  the  beauty 
of  the  sanctuary,  for  all  that  regards  in  any  manner  the  ex 
terior  glory  of  the  mysterious  Daughter  of  the  King  of 
heaven.  In  fine,  his  strong  faith,  his  irreproachable  man- 
44 


518  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

ners,  his  pure  life,  his  zeal,  his  charity,  and  bis  other  count-          , 
less  virtues,  caused  him  to  shine  as  a  burning  light  before  hii 
own  people,  and  before  "  those  without." 

All  these  traits,  and  a  great  number  of  others  not  less  re 
markable,  are  precious  in  the  sight  of  God,  full  of  edification 
for  men,  and  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased.  It 
is  unnecessary  that  we  should  dwell  longer  upon  them,  or 
develop  them  more  at  length  ;  the  radiance  which  already 
surrounds  them,  has  bestowed  a  lustre  to  which  no  words  of 
ours  can  add.  However,  we  cannot  refrain  from  relating  one 
more  circumstance  :  it  is  the  exemplary  patience  with  which 
he  supported  troubles  and  endured  sufferings,  especially  the 
pains  of  his  last  malady.  The  illness  that  snatched  him 
away  (the  lock-jaw)  is  extremely  painful.  The  sufferings 
that  it  ordinarily  causes,  were  augmented  by  the  irritability 
of  the  nervous  constitution  of  the  patient ;  nevertheless  the 
Father  endured  the  whole  courageously,  and  with  an  en 
tire  resignation  to  the  divine  will.  He  requested  the 
prayerful  assistance  of  others,  so  that  he  might  be  favored 
with  the  grace  of  perfect  resignation.  In  his  last  hour, 
during  the  moments  that  preceded  his  departure,  when  his 
eyes  wandered  from  object  to  object  as  if  to  seek  some 
aid,  every  time  that  they  fell  upon  the  crucifix  they  rested 
there,  relieved  and  comforted  by  that  image  of  the  divine 
Redeemer,  and  by  the  recollection  of  the  passion  of  Jesus. 
It  was  in  the  act  of  kissing  this  sacred  emblem,  that 
Father  Nobili  closed  his  eyes,  and  his  spirit  returned  to 
its  Creator. 

After  the  death  of  this  lamented  Father,  nothing  was 
omitted  that  the  Catholic  worship  prescribes,  or  that  the 
respect  and  affection  of  his  religious  companions  could  sug 
gest,  to  honor  his  mortal  remains.  His  body  was  directly 
carried  to  the  church  of  the  mission,  and  placed  upon  a 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  519 

catafalque  before  the  grand  altar.  His  Grace  Archbishop 
Alemany  celebrated  the  solemn  mass  of  requiem,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  Father  Llebarra,  vicar-general,  Rev.  Mr.  Gal 
lagher,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  cathedral,  San  Francisco,  and 
some  other  Jesuit  Fathers.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Gallagher  pro 
nounced  the  funeral  oration,  and  gave  an  eloquent  and 
touching  abridgment  of  the  religious  and  estimable  career 
of  Father  Nobili.  It  is  to  him  that  we  are  particularly 
indebted  for  the  more  important  facts  that  we  have  pre 
sented  in  this  imperfect  notice  of  this  illustrious  apostle  ol 
California,  who  devoted  himself  without  reserve  to  religion, 
and  to  the  education  of  youth. 

Accept,  Rev.  and  dear  Father,  with  this  biographical 
notice  of  one  of  my  Oregon  companions,  the  assurance  Q» 
my  affectionate  respect. 

P.  J.  DE  SMKT,  S.  J. 


520  WESTERN   MISSIONS 


Letter  ILV. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS 
Anthony  EymogeU. 

UNIVEKSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  July  16,  1857. 
REV.  AND  I>EAR  FATHER  : 

I  have  few  details  as  to  the  life  and  death  of  Fathei 
Eysvogels,  yet  I  send  what  I  find. 

Anthony  Eysvogels  was  born  in  the  little  village  of  Oss, 
situated  in  North  Brabant,  Holland,  Jan.  13,  1809.  After 
finishing  his  divinity  course  in  his  native  land,  he  came  tc 
America  and  began  his  novitiate  in  Missouri,  Dec.  31,  1835 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1838,  Father  Eysvogels  set  out  with 
Fathers  Verhaegen  and  Claessens  for  the  Kickapoo  mission. 
Thence,  his  superiors  sent  him  to  Washington,  Mo.,  and  from 
this  place  to  Westphalia  in  the  Osage  district.  There  a  holy 
death  closed  an  exemplary  life.  The  good  Father,  resigning 
himself  entirely  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  prepared  for  hivS 
great  passage  by  prayer  and  the  reception  of  the  last  sacra 
ments,  which  but  little  preceded  his  death.  His  illness  was 
brought  on  by  the  care  lavished  by  the  holy  religious  on  a 
patient  suffering  with  small-pox,  which  disease  he  himself  took 
Father  Eysvogels  was  only  forty-eight  and  a  half  years  old. 
The  interment  was  made  with  solemnity  by  Father  Ferdinand 
Helias,  and  his  parishioners  raised  a  subscription  to  erect  a 
monument  to  the  zealous  director  of  their  souls. 

Accept,  Rev.  Father,  the  assurance  of  my  regard  and  esteem 

P.  J.  DB  SAUET,  S.  J. 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  521 


Letter  XLVI. 

To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  PRECIS  HISTORIQUES,  BRUSSELS. 
John  B.  Duerinck,  Missionary  of  the  Potawatomies,  America, 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ST.  Louis,  Dec.  23,  1857. 
REVEREND  FATHER: 

A  fatal  and  most  deplorable  accident  has  just  deprived 
us  of  one  of  our  most  zealous  and  indefatigable  missionaries. 
Father  John  B.  Duerinck,  superior  of  the  mission  of  St. 
Mary's,  among  the  Potawatomies,  in  the  Territory  of  Kansas, 
perished  on  the  9th  of  this  month,  while  descending  the 
Missouri  river  in  a  small  boat.  This  is  an  irreparable  loss  to 
this  fine  mission. 

I  cannot  describe  to  you  how  deep  is  the  affliction  which 
this  mournful  news  has  caused  us.  The  first  report  reached 
us  on  Sunday,  the  18th  instant.  We  were  expecting  him  at 
St.  Louis,  whither  he  had  been  summoned  by  his  superiors, 
in  order  to  prepare  himself  for  his  last  vows  in  the  society. 
A  letter  dated  November  24th,  in  which  he  announced  his 
departure  from  the  mission,  had  arrived  some  days  before. 
The  following  is  an  extract : 

"I  intend  to  repair  to  the  town  of  Leavenworth  and 
thence  to  St.  Louis,  in  the  course  of  this  week.  The  chiefs 
of  the  tribe,  the  warriors,  sages,  seniors,  and  young  men, 
have  all  decreed  to  send  a  deputation  ;o  Washington,  or 
rather  two,  one  composed  of  Indians  of  the  prairie,  Pota- 
440 


522  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

watomies  not  converted,  and  the  other  of  Indians  of  the  mis 
sion.  These  latter  have  put  me  on  their  list,  in  order  that  I 
may  accompany  them  to  Washington  to  advance  the  inter 
ests  of  the  mission,  and  aid  them  in  attaining  with  more 
certainty  the  object  of  their  proceedings  with  the  gov 
ernment.  It  will  belong  to  the  superior  to  decide  on 
what  I  shall  do.  Whatsoever  be  his  decision,  I  shall  be 
content." 

The  earliest  news  of  the  death  of  the  zealous  missionary 
although  still  not  very  precise,  was  accompanied  by  circum 
stances  which  hardly  left  any  doubt  concerning  his  fate.  Two 
or  three  days  after,  we  learned  certain  details  of  his  loss. 
He  went  from  the  mission  of  St.  Mary's  to  Leavenworth,  on 
horseback,  a  distance  of  about  eighty  miles.  Thence  he 
went,  in  a  stage-coach,  fifty  miles  further,  to  the  town  of 
Kansas.  He  afterwards  set  out  from  Kansas,  in  a  boat,  with 
four  other  travellers,  intending  to  descend  the  Missouri  river 
as  far  as  a  place  where  steamboats  would  be  met,  which,  on 
account  of  the  lowness  of  the  waters  in  this  season  of  the 
year,  cannot  go  up  the  river  as  high  as  Fort  Leavenworth. 
Descending  the  river  is  a  very  perilous  enterprise,  considering 
the  rapidity  of  the  current,  and  the  numerous  forest-trees, 
detached  from  the  shores  and  buried  in  the  bed  of  the  river. 
To  strike  against  one  of  these  "  sawyers"  is  enough  to  cap 
size  the  boat,  and  every  year  a  number  of  boats  are  lost  in 
this  manner.  The  danger  was  certainly  not  unknown  to 
Father  Duerinck :  but,  a  son  of  obedience,  and  a  man  of 
zeal,  he  thought,  without  doubt,  that  he  ought  not  to  recoil 
before  a  danger  which  so  many  travellers  encounter  every 
day.  This  devotedness  cost  him  his  life.  Twenty-five  miles 
below  Kansas  city,  the  point  of  their  departure,  between  the 
towns  of  Wayne  and  Liberty,  the  boat,  striking  against  a 
anag,  capsized.  All  the  passengers  were  thrown  into  the 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  523 

*ater,  ex3ept  two,  who  managed  to  cling  to  the  sides  of  the 
boat,  and  holding  on  to  it  until  the  current  brought  them  to 
a  sand-bank.  The  three  others,  among  whom  was  Father 
Duerinck,  perished. 

Such  a  death  has,  without  doubt,  its  melancholy  side ;  but 
it  appears  glorious  when  we  reflect  on  the  cause  which  oc 
casioned  it,  and  on  the  example  of  so  many  holy  mission 
aries  and  illustrious  apostles  who,  adventuring  with  courage 
into  dangers,  in  the  keeping  of  God  alone,  have  perished,  far 
from  all  human  aid,  but  so  much  the  more  protected  in  their 
last  moments  by  him  for  whose  honor  they  had  exposed 
their  lives. 

John  Baptist  Duerinck  was  born  at  St.  Gilles,  near  Ter- 
monde,  on  the  8th  of  May,  1809.  Formed  to  piety  from  his 
infancy,  by  the  lessons  and  examples  of  his  pious  parents,  he 
cast,  from  that  time,  the  foundation  of  those  Christian  and 
religious  virtues,  of  which  he  offered,  in  after  years,  so  beau 
tiful  an  example.  When  a  college  student,  his  excellent 
conduct,  and  his  success,  attracted  to  him  the  esteem  and  af 
fection  of  his  professors  and  class-mates  ;  and  the  president 
'A  the  episcopal  seminary  of  Ghent  remembers  him  still  as 
on*  of  those  who  had  afforded  him  most  pleasure  during 
their  studies  in  philosophy. 

He  had  long  experienced  a  desire  to  devote  himself  to  the 
conversion  of  the  savages  of  North  America.  After  obtain 
ing  the  consent  of  his  worthy  parents,  he  embarked  at  Ant 
werp,  on  the  27th  of  October,  1833,  and  entered  the  Society 
of  Jesus,  in  Missouri,  in  which  he  commenced  his  novitiate 
at  St.  Stanislaus,  near  the  village  of  Florissant,  in  the  open 
ing  of  the  year  following,  the  16th  of  January,  1834. 
Having  finished  his  novitiate,  he  passed  several  years  in 
different  colleges.  His  talents  for  financial  affairs  caused 
him  to  be  intrusted  successively  with  the  charge  of 


524.  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

treasurer  in  our  colleges  at  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  and 
Bardstown. 

Every  where,  the  Father  Duerinck  showed  an  exemplary 
exactitude  in  fulfilling  his  duties,  and  constantly  gave  proofs 
of  the  virtues  which  characterize  the  true  religious.  His 
zeal,  his  devotedness,  as  well  as  the  frankness  of  his  temper, 
gained  him  friends,  not  only  among  ourselves,  but  also  wi';h 
strangers  and  Protestants. 

A  great  admirer  of  nature,  he  consecrated  his  hours  ol 
leisure  to  the  study  of  its  wonders  and  secrets,  and  to  the 
contemplation  in  them  of  the  beauty  and  omnipotence  ol 
God.  He  was  attached  especially  to  the  study  of  botany, 
and  he  acquired  a  vast  and  thorough  knowledge  of  this 
branch  of  natural  science.  He  traversed  a  great  portion  ot 
Ohio  and  Illinois,  in  search  of  curious  flowers  and  all  kinds 
of  rare  plants,  and  made  a  beautiful  and  exquisite  collection 
of  them,  which  is  preserved  in  the  college  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier,  in  Cincinnati.  The  botanical  society  of  that  city 
elected  Father  Duerinck  a  perpetual  member,  and  offered 
him  the  chair  of  professor  of  botany ;  but  his  modesty  and 
his  numerous  duties  would  not  suffer  him  to  accept  the 
charge.  A  new  plant  that  he  discovered,  and  which  received, 
in  his  honor,  the  name  Prunus  Duerinckiana,  shows  how 
they  esteemed  his  researches  in  the  science. 

The  distinctive  trait  of  his  character  was,  a  great  natural 
energy,  joined  to  an  ardent  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  salvation  of  souls.  When  there  was  question  of  gaining 
his  neighbor  to  God,  no  obstacle  seemed  to  be  able  to  arrest 
him.  He  made  himself  all  to  all,  according  to  the  example 
of  St.  Paul,  in  order  to  win  them  to  Jesus  Christ.  He 
had  admirably  adapted  his  manners  to  the  customs  and 
ideas  of  that  section  of  country,  and  if  he  could  not  convert 
the  numerous  Protestants  with  whom  he  was  in  relation,  he 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  $25 

rarely  failed  gaining  their  good  will;  and  it  is  a  great  step 
towards  their  conversion,  to  induce  them  to  esteem  the 
Catholic  priest. 

In  1849,  Father  Duerinck  was  sent  among  the  Indians, 
This  was  the  accomplishment  of  that  desire  which  had  con 
ducted  him  to  America.  He  employed  all  his  energy  and 
all  his  talents,  in  this  difficult  work.  The  mission  of  the 
Potawatomies,  of  which  he  became  the  superior,  owes  tc 
him,  in  great  part,  its  actual  prosperity.  The  greater  num 
ber  of  the  savages  of  this  tribe  had  been  converted  for  severa1 
years;  hence  it  was  necessary  to  consolidate  the  work  oi 
their  conversion,  by  attaching  them  to  the  civilized  life,  and 
leading  them  to  prefer  agriculture,  and  the  other  useful  arts, 
to  the  pleasures  of  the  chase  and  the  indolence  so  character 
istic  of  the  barbarous  life.  Already,  previous  to  his  arrival, 
the  missionaries  had  persuaded  them  to  cultivate  some  little 
fields,  animating  them  by  their  example,  and  by  motives  of 
faith.  It  had  been  discovered,  that  when  there  was  question 
of  labor,  the  motives  of  religion  were  the  only  ones  which 
had  any  empire  over  the  hearts  of  the  Indians,  and  they 
succeeded  in  inducing  them  to  work  in  a  spirit  of  penance. 
Profiting  by  this  strong  and  simple  faith,  Father  Duerinck 
endeavored  to  excite  them  to  more  extensive  labors,  and,  by 
causing  them  to  discover  a  certain  plenty  in  the  culture  of 
their  fields,  he  allured  them  into  a  forgetfulness  of  the  danger 
ous  life  of  the  plains  and  forests.  With  the  purpose  of 
forming  youth  to  an  intelligent  labor,  schools  of  arts  and 
trades  had  been  established  for  the  youth  of  the  tribe.  He 
made  two  journeys  to  Washington,  to  interest  the  govern 
ment  in  this  work,  and  to  obtain  assistance  in  it.  These 
schools  ha^e  obtained  a  permanent  existence. 

During  these  latter  years,  the  mission  of  St.  Mary's  has 
been  exposed  to  great  danger  of  demoralization;  first,  in 


526  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

consequence  of  the  great  number  of  caravans  which  have 
passed  by  the  mission  since  the  discovery  of  the  gold  mines 
of  California,  and,  secondly,  on  account  of  the  immense  tide 
of  emigration  which  has  taken  place  since  Kansas  became  a 
Territory.  Amid  these  dangers,  the  neophytes,  thanks  to 
the  care  of  the  missionaries,  have  preserved  their  ancient 
regularity  and  their  early  fervor. 

At  the  sound  of  the  bell,  the  savages  assemble,  with  the 
same  piety  as  formerly,  either  in  the  church  or  in  their 
dwellings.  The  confessions  and  communions  are  not  less 
numerous.  All,  not  excepting  the  Protestants,  admire  their 
zeal  and  their  piety. 

So  far,  the  neophytes  have  maintained  peace  with  the 
whites.  Rare  occurrence ;  for  ordinarily  the  approach  ot 
the  whites  is  the  signal  of  a  war  of  extermination,  if  they 
cannot  force  the  savages  to  quit  their  cabins  and  emigrate 
into  new  and  more  remote  deserts.  However,  the  danger  of 
their  present  situation  cannot  be  dissembled.  They  are 
already  surrounded  by  whites,  eager  to  take  possession  o{ 
19,200  acres  of  land,  that  the  government  has  solemnly 
granted  them  by  treaty.  It  is  especially  in  such  a  situation 
that  the  death  of  Father  Duerinck,  their  father  and  bene 
factor,  who  was  tenderly  devoted  to  them,  and  whom  they 
consulted  in  all  their  important  enterprises  and  in  all  their 
difficulties,  will  be  keenly  felt.  It  is  undeniably  a  real 
calamity  for  the  whole  tribe. 

Father  Duerinck  was  superintendent  of  the  Catholic 
schools  among  the  Potawatomies.  Several  of  his  letters 
have  been  published  in  the  annual  documents  which  accom 
pany  the  message  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
They  are  found  in  the  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
vol.  i.,  and  all  bear  the  date  of  "  St.  Mary's  Potawatomie 
Mission,  Kansas  Territory."  They  are  as  follows:  1852 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  527 

September  24,  pp.  379-381  ;  1853,  August  31,  pp.  325-327 ; 
1854,  September  25,  pp.  317-319;  1855,  October  1,  pp. 
422-425  ;  1856,  October  20,  pp.  666-669  ;  1857,  October  17. 
The  last  one  (the  6th  September,  1857,)  was  published  on 
the  17th  of  last  October,  in  the  Boston  Pilot,  and  will  ap 
pear,  like  the  others,  in  the  next  report  of  the  Secretary  o/ 
the  Interior. 

The  officers  or  agents  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States  have  always  rendered  the  most  honorable  testimony 
to  the  zeal  and  success  of  Father  Duerinck.  In  1855,  Major 
G.  W.  Clarke,  agent  of  government  for  the  Potawatomies, 
speaking,  in  his  annual  report  to  the  commissary  of  Indian 
affairs,  concerning  the  two  schools  established  in  the  mission, 
one  under  the  direction  of  the  Fathers,  the  other  u  ider  the 
direction  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  thus 
expressed  himself:  "  I  cannot  speak  in  terms  too  favorable 
of  the  condition  of  these  two  establishments.  Besides  the 
ordinary  course  of  literary  education  for  girls,  they  learn 
sewing,  knitting,  embroidery,  and  all  the  other  labors  of  a 
well-understood  domestic  training.  An  industrial  school  is 
attached  to  this  institution.  In  it  the  youth  are  taught  use 
ful  and  practical  arts,  such  as  agriculture,  horticulture,  etc. 
Father  Duerinck  is  a  man  endowed  with  great  energy,  and 
understands  business  well.  He  is  entirely  devoted  to  the 
welfare  of  the  Potawatomies,  of  whom  he  has  shown  him 
self  the  friend  and  father,  and  who,  on  their  side,  entertain 
the  highest  esteem  for  him.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  express 
ing  my  conviction  of  the  utility  of  this  establishment.  Its 
effects  are  visible  in  the  neatly-kept  houses,  and  the  little 
well-cultivated  fields  of  the  Indians  of  the  mission,  and  in 
the  spirit  of  order  which  reigns  in  the  environs." 

In  his  report  of  1856,  Major  Clarke  renews  these  approving 
expressions.  "  Since  last  year,"  says  he,  "  the  Indians  of  thii 


628  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

agency  have  made  rapid  progress.  They  have  cultivated 
more  extensive  fields,  and  manifested,  in  different  ways,  their 
desire  to  conform  to  the  customs  of  civilized  life.  The  school 
of  St.  Mary's  mission  occupies  the  first  rank  among  the 
schools  of  the  missions,  and  merits  my  most  sincere  praises. 
The  labors  of  Father  Duerinck,  and  of  the  *  Religious  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,'  serve  not  only  to  ameliorate  the  rising 
generation,  and  form  it  to  the  customs  of  civilized  life,  but 
their  good  examples,  and  their  counsels,  evidently  have  a 
great  influence  on  the  well-being  of  the  adult  population." 

The  numerous  emigrants  who  are  settled  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  the  mission,  have  ever  displayed  the  highest  esteem 
for  Father  Duerinck. 

The  public  journals  have  announced  his  death  as  a  calam 
ity,  which  not  only  will  leave  a  great  void  in  the  Indian 
mission,  but  will  excite  lively  regret  among  his  numerous 
friends  in  the  different  States,  and,  above  all,  in  the  inhabi 
tants  of  the  new  territory  who  have  had  the  happiness  of 
knowing  him.  He  enjoyed  universal  esteem. 

The  following  is  the  homage  paid  to  the  memory  of  Father 
Duerinck,  by  all  his  religious  brethren  in  the  Potawatomie 
mission : 

"Rev.  Father  Duerinck,  whom  we  all  regret  with  tears, 
arrived  at  the  mission  of  St.  Mary's  in  the  beginning  of 
November,  1849,  in  circumstances  the  most  critical  and  em 
barrassing,  in  the  judgment  of  all  persons  versed  in  business 
matters.  The  mission  had  just  accepted  a  school  of  boys, 
and  one  of  girls,  on  conditions  so  onerous  that  good  sense 
pronounced  them  intolerable.  They  were  obliged  to  nothing 
less  than  to  support  annually  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
children,  as  boarders,  for  the  small  sum  of  fifty  dollars  each : 
that  is  to  say,  for  fourteen  cents  a  day,  lodging,  food,  clothing, 
books,  paper,  etc.,  must  be  furnished  to  each  child ;  while  no 


AND   MISSIONARIES.  529 

hotel-keeper  in  the  place  would  have  consented  to  board  and 
lodge  any  person  for  less  than  five  dollars  per  week.  Fur 
ther  :  the  United  States  Government  had  allowed  a  certain 
sum  for  the  furnishing  or  the  construction  of  edifices,  and, 
by  an  addition  of  unfortunate  circumstances,  the  task  had 
scarcely  been  begun,  when  the  money  was  already  expended. 
Well,  thanks  to  the  intelligence  and  activity  of  Father 
Duerinck,  the  mission  met  all  these  expenses,  and  triumphed 
over  all  the  obstacles.  But  how  many  trials  and  fatigues 
were  necessary  to  shelter  his  dear  Indian  family  from  indi 
gence  !  Crossing  immense  deserts,  to  buy  animals  at  a  low 
price,  and  conduct  them  to  St.  Mary's  ;  descending  and 
ascending  the  Missouri,  a  distance  of  several  hundreds  of 
miles ;  continually  on  the  watch,  in  order  to  discover  an  op 
portunity  favorable  for  the  arrangement  and  disposition  of 
the  products  of  the  farm ;  exerting  himself  in  every  way  to 
find  means  of  subsistence  ;  ever  imagining  new  resources, 
forming  new  plans,  and  executing  new  projects,  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  great  family  which  had  been  intrusted  to  him, 
is  what  Father  Duerinck  nobly  undertook  for  the  good  of 
the  mission,  and  in  which  he  succeeded  perfectly. 

"  Tha  Father  had  a  strongly-marked  character,  or  rather 
&  soul  virtuously  courageous.  The  infirmities  to  which  he 
was  subject,  never  drew  from  him  a  plaint,  nor  produced  the 
least  alteration  in  his  manners.  For  him,  winter  seemed  to 
have  lost  its  frosty  rigors,  and  summer  its  stifling  heats.  He 
continually  braved  the  inclemency  of  the  seasons.  We  have 
seen  him  undertake  a  long  journey  in  the  extreme  cold,  and 
continue  it  in  defiance  of  the  icy  breath  of  the  north  wind, 
and  on  arriving  at  the  house  where  he  proposed  to  lodge, 
perceive  that  some  of  his  limbs  had  become  as  hard  as  stone 
by  the  cold  which  had  stiffened  them ;  so  that,  in  order  not 
io  lose  the  use  of  them,  it  became  necessary  to  bathe  them 
45 


530  WESTERN    MISSIONS 

in  ice  water.  He  neglected  his  sleep,  he  forgot  his  meals , 
he  was  ready  for  every  sacrifice  in  the  interest  of  his  beloved 
Indians.  Amid  all  these  many, labors  and  hardships,  his 
humor  was  always  equable,  his  brow  serene,  his  temper 
patient,  his  manner  affable.  Neither  the  pecuniary  difficul 
ties,  nor  the  embarrassments  of  every  kind  which  sprung  up 
at  every  instant,  could  trouble  the  peace  of  his  soul.  The 
practice  of  humility  was,  so  to  speak,  natural.  Never  any 
thing  savoring  of  pretension ;  nothing  affected  was  ever  re 
marked  in  his  air;  never  a  word,  which,  even  remotely, 
breathed  vanity.  He  was  completely  ignorant  of  those  re 
fined  allusions  by  which  self-love  seeks  sometimes  to  give 
importance  to  personality.  Although  superior,  and  highly 
esteemed  by  all  those  who  know  how  to  appreciate  good 
manners,  his  great  delight  was  to  apply,  like  the  last  of  the 
domestics,  to  the  most  menial  works.  He  was  so  dead  to  all 
that  is  called  *  pride  of  life,'  that  he  never  opposed  but  an  im 
perturbable  brow  to  the  bitter  reproaches,  to  the  outrages 
which  he  sometimes  received  from  people  of  little  education. 
Very  often,  on  the  earliest  occasion,  he  would  avenge  him 
self  for  these  insults  by  rendering  some  striking  service  to 
the  person  who  had  insulted  him.  When  he  was  reproached 
with  being  too  kind  in  regard  to  certain  people  who  were 
known  to  be  enemies  to  the  Catholics,  '  Well,'  replied  he, 
4  we  will  force  them  to  like  us.'  Father  Duerinck  was  char 
itable,  but  his  charity  was  prudent  and  enlightened.  In 
short,  no  one  ever  did  more  good  among  the  Indians  of  these 
sections.  He  assisted  the  poor  and  infirm  liberally.  He 
comprehended  better  than  any  one,  by  what  way  to  procure 
the  savages  the  benefit  of  civilization.  He  aided  them  in 
every  way,  exciting  them  to  labor,  and  recompensing  their 
industry.  This,  in  his  case,  succeeded  so  well  that  the  Pot- 
awatomies  of  St.  Mary's  excel  greatly  those  of  the  other  vil 


AND    MISSIONARIES.  531 

ages,  in  those  qualities  which  constitute  good  citizens 
Those  who  have  had  the  most  intimate  relations  with  the 
Father,  know  how  far  his  liberalities  extended,  and  their 
prayers,  inspired  by  the  most  sincere  gratitude,  will  never  be 
wanting  to  call  down  upon  our  good  Potawatomies  the  ben 
edictions  of  the  God  of  mercy. 

"The  death  of  good  Father  Duerinck  is  an  incomparable 
loss.  Tn  him,  St.  Mary's  has  lost  him  who  was  its  soul  and 
life;  the  Indians,  a  signal  benefactor;  the  widows  and  or 
phans,  an  experienced  counsellor;  the  nmsion,  an  excellent 
superior ;  and  we,  the  best  of  Fathers.  This  blow  (as  fatal 
as  unexpected)  has  thrown  every  one  into  mourning — bitter 
mourning.  Nothing  could  console  us  for  so  sudden  a  loss, 
did  we  not  know  that  nine  years  of  trials  and  abnegation,  of 
continual  combats  against  his  own  inclinations,  undertaken 
and  sustained  for  the  greater  glory  of  God,  are  the  best 
preparations  fur  a  holy  death." 

To  this  fraternal  token  of  respectful  affection  I  will  add, 
Rev.  Father,  the  homage  which  the  agent  of  government 
(Colonel  Murphy)  paid  Father  Duerinck.  When  he  was 
apprised  of  his  death,  he  wrote  in  these  terms  to  Major 
Haverty,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  at  St.  Louis: 

"The  model  school  ot  the  mission  of  St.  Mary's  continues 
without  intermission,  under  its  ancient  preceptors,  its  salu 
tary  operations,  with  its  habitual  and  regular  system.  At 
this  moment  (December  2d),  the  mission  and  the  whole 
vicinity  are  plunged  in  profound  grief,  caused  by  the  death, 
sudden  and  unexpected,  of  its  superior,  the  Father  Duerinck. 
I  consider  this  loss  as  one  of  the  greatest  calamities  which 
could  happen  to  the  Potawatomies,  of  whom  he  was  the 
devoted  friend  and  the  Father.  It  is  one  of  those  decrees  of 
Providence,  infinitely  wise,  to  which  we  must  submit  in  all 
Uimility.  Happily  for  the  mission  school  at  St.  Mary's,  the 


532  WESTERN    MISSIONS    AND    MISSIONARIES. 

vacancy  left  by  Father  Duerinck  can  be  filled.  The  chil 
dren  will  continue  to  receive  the  same  kindness  and  the 
same  instruction.  It  is  especially  the  parents  and  young 
men  who  lose  the  most  in  being  deprived  of  his  good  advice 
arid  his  example." 

This  letter  is,  no  doubt,  very  consoling,  Rev.  Father,  for 
the  missionaries,  and  very  encouraging  to  those  whom  Go4 
calls  to  become  so.  May  generous  Belgium  send  us  other 
zealous  missionaries,  as  well  to  respond  to  our  ever-increas 
ing  wants,  as  to  replace  those  whom  death,  alas !  too  rapidly 
mows  down. 

I  commend  to  your  holy  sacrifices,  and  to  your  prayers 
and  to  the  pious  souvenirs  of  all  our  dear  brethren  in  Bel 
jium,  the  soul  of  the  Rev.  Father  Duerinck. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Rev.  and  dear  Father, 

Revse  V»  in  Cto, 

P.  J.  DB  SMKT,  a  J, 


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