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MISSISSAUGAH TRIBE.

religious point of view, among the Mississaugah tribe, the aborigines of the north side of Lake Ontario. These Indians, at the invitation of the Mohawks, came and pitched their tents, about two years ago, near the school-house at Davis's Hamlet, to the number of about one hundred adults, with a view that their children might receive the advantages of education. The principal chief of the tribe set an encouraging example, by influencing his young wife to attend the school; others followed, and from the instruction that was given, and through the plain and simple preaching of "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," the majority of the tribe were led to embrace the Christian religion, and in the conduct of their lives, afford a convincing proof that they are not merely converted in name and outward profession, but to the true love of God, and " Jesus Christ whom he has sent; " which is strikingly illustrated by their exchange of dissolute for temperate habits.

An avaricious trader finds it to his interest to barter with the natives in rum, and they are frequently solicited to drink for the purpose of an unjust and nefarious trade. Some time since an effort of this sort was made, with some of the Mississaugah Tribe, who, on their

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profession of religion, had renounced intoxication.-Going to one of the stores, they were asked to drink; having taken one glass, they were pressed to take another, with the observation, 'Surely, a little more will do you no harm.' Perceiving the design, they said to the storekeeper, Have you a Bible?' 'Yes, we have Bibles,' was the reply, and handed one of them down. One of the party opened it, and with native sagacity and thought, exclaimed 'Oh! much gospel, very good.-Much whiskey, no good!' On this hint, that they had embraced the gospel, and this was better than rum, no further attempt was offered, at that time, to make the Indians drunk.-Since their conversion, they have returned to their own lands, and have commenced a civilized way of living at the river Credit, near York, Upper Canada, where the provincial government is building log-houses for them, in their settlement, and formation of a village.

We next proceded to the Oneida school, and called on the chief of that nation, Tèwàserakè, who received us most hospitably in a neat farm house, situated near some well cultivated fields, which, with some cattle that belonged to him, presented the appearance of industry, comfort, and prosperity. Accompanying us to

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SPEECH OF THE INDIAN CHIEF.

the school house, which has been recently built at the expense of the New England corporation, under the superintendance of Mr. Brandt, he expressed a warm interest in educating the children of his tribe, and when surrounded by about thirty more, who had assembled to meet me, and who had engaged to send their children to the school, he spoke on the subject in a most impressive and emphatic manner :— 'Brother,' said he, we are all glad to see you here this day, and we are thankful to the Great Spirit, for preserving your life throughout your long journey, and for putting the desire in your heart to visit us in the wilderness. We are poor, and we want instruction-we wish to see our children grow up in the right way, and we are thankful to the company, in your country, for sending money to our great chief, Mr. Brandt, for building the school-house, and paying the schoolmaster, to give knowledge to our children. Brother! the light is breaking in upon us, after a long darkness. We hope the Great Spirit will send a good man to live among us, as our teacher, and guide in the light of what is true. Brother, we want a good minister at the Mohawk church, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should be glad if you would stay with us-may be, you cannot

stop-then brother, speak of us in your own country. Our children have run wild, like the beasts of the forest, many of them are not so now-they learn better at the schools. We who are growing old cannot expect much benefit from the school ourselves; we are too old to learn; we perhaps soon die. But the children will rise up improved, and benefit their nation. Brother! in leaving us, may the Great Spirit still favour you with his protection, and carry you safely across the great waters, to your family, as we hear that you have a wife and children in your own country.-All the Indians present, join me in this prayer.'

Scattered remnants of this once powerful tribe are met with in the American States, and till lately a party of them were settled near the Oneida Lake: but, no missionary being resident among them, and without any friendly aid in agricultural pursuits, they were induced to sell their lands in their poverty to the Americans, and have gone back into the interior, west of Lake Michigan. When united, in former days, they traversed with the confederated nations an almost boundless extent of country as the proprietors of the soil, from which they have been gradually driven through the rapacious conduct of the Whites, or influ

enced by a corrupt and unjust medium of barter to give up in their distress, till they are known no longer but as a wreck, or are found scattered in fragments on the borders of the vast territories of their fathers. Missionary labours will be found most effectual, under the blessing of Heaven, in arresting the progress of that desolation which is blotting the Indians, and rapidly so, from the map of nations. There is an urgent call as well as the Divine command; to enter upon well-principled and active exertions in their behalf. Experience tells us, that as success has followed missionary efforts, it may yet accompany them, when made and entered upon in simple reliance on the promises of God. A brilliant conquest for humanity, as well as religion, has been achieved in the South Sea Islands, and in Africa. An encouraging prospect of success presents itself in the East; and if only ten were found among the NorthAmerican Indians, who were known to have been rescued from dissipation, ignorance, and wretchedness through the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, we should be entitled to believe that ten thousand may yet follow them from among the scattered tribes of the North. A pleasing anecdote is told of an Oneida chief, named Skenandou, who had been led to em