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CHAPTER III.

THE TRAGEDY AMONG THE GLACIERS.

Reported murder

Canoe trip on the sea- Dodd's Narrows
Reports of survivors

Island on

Second

fire - The massacre at Bute Inlet massacre - Excitement in the Colony-Expeditions in search of the Indians Capture of a part of the murderers - The ideal and real Indian-His ultimate extinction Reasons for it-Indian traders Proposed semi-secular, semi-missionary settlements - The mission at Metlakahtla.

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I REACHED the station late in the evening, and, after a little refreshment, turned into my blankets immediately, and was soon fast asleep. Early next morning, whilst I was yet sleeping soundly in company with the packers and two of the workmen who were about to leave the party, some friendly Indians broke into the room without warning, and awoke us, saying, in an excited and disjointed manner, that the man in charge of the ferry (thirty miles higher up the river) had been murdered by the Chilicotens for refusing to give away the provisions and other property in his care. We simply laughed at the idea, knowing that although S, the man in question, was sometimes living alone, the working-party was near him, engaged in blasting rock, bridging, and otherwise building the road. Moreover, constant communication was necessarily held between them,— his station being a temporary depôt for provisions, tools, and blasting-powder. The pack-train from the mouth of the river made a regular trip to him about every six days,

and we believed that he and the party generally were well armed.

The superintendent had gladly entrusted letters of importance to me, and had in fact rather hurried my departure in order that they should reach Victoria by an early date. I therefore, on the noon of the same day, the 30th April, left the river by canoe, in company with two of the workmen, and one Clayoosh Indian. The latter being the owner of the canoe, proved an inexorable tyrant, and kept us paddling for three days, from early dawn to dewy eve. Although these "light kanims," built of cedar, appear too frail for the sea, we came down the inlet, and crossed the Gulf of Georgia to Nanaimo Point, Vancouver Island, in perfect safety, getting then a fair breeze till the end of our trip.

I have many times seen the Indians of that coast, when migrating from one village to another, employ two canoes, set a little apart, but parallel to each other, and covered with planks. Their household gods, their strings of clams, and dried fish, are piled on the top of this arrangement, and a man seated in one of the canoes can steer it. It is a capital contrivance for use on the sea: a small sail is often hoisted on the top of the planks.

As long as the weather is moderate there is nothing more pleasurable than lying at the bottom of a canoe, smoking or dozing, whilst it cleaves through the water, but in a rough or chopping sea one's time is occupied in keeping it baled out, and the Indian's in steering,-a careful and difficult operation. We camped on some of the numerous islands of the Gulf, and had capital weather. Whilst passing through "Dodd's Narrows" we had a near tussle with fate.

The

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water there at ebb or flow comes with the whole force of the tide through a small rocky passage in eddies and currents, and our Indian, usually so impassible, was evidently scared, as we passed between two opening whirlpools, and within a few feet of them. We paddled for life, and got through safely. He afterwards told us, pointing back to the place with a shudder, "Hyu si-wash hyack clattawa keekwully ya-wa!”—“ Many savages (Indians) had quickly gone to the bottom there," or had found a watery grave.

At one of our mid-day halts for tea, &c., we set a whole island on fire. Our camp-fire being built at the base of a shelving cliff, set light to some dry grass, which in its turn communicated the flame to the underbrush at a short distance, and in a little while the forest itself, covering the whole island, formed one immense conflagration. The last we saw of it was a cloud of smoke on the horizon some hours afterwards as we skimmed away from it with a favouring breeze. These forest fires are often very grand sights, and burn for weeks. New Westminster, on the Fraser, has had some very narrow escapes from total destruction from them.

We arrived safely in Victoria without meeting with any further incidents of special interest, and were generally congratulated by persons of experience on having made a very quick trip. The distance, 185 miles, had occupied us five days, camping every night.

But a week after our arrival-on the morning of the 12th May-the writer, in common with all Victoria, was startled and horrified by news just arrived from Bute Inlet viâ Nanaimo. Fourteen out of seventeen men of the working

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