settlement occured in 1873. Many years before, a young Tsimshean woman
had been captured by a party of Hydahs, and carried as a slave to Queen
Charlotte Islands, where, after a while, a son was born to her. Five
and twenty years passed away, and then she was restored by her owner,
for a consideration, to her relatives at Fort Simpson. The Hydahs seem
to have thought this a good opportunity to make friends with their old
enemies, and they sent a deputation to Metlakahtla with her son, now a
grown man, to give him up as a voluntary peace-offering. "We had,"
wrote Mr. Duncan, "a solemn peace-making at the Mission-house. Several
excellent speeches were made, and a document was drawn up and signed by
the relatives of the young man, expressive of their reconciliation with
their ancient foes."

The principal trading post, Massett, is on the northern coast of the
northern island, Graham Island. Here Mr. and Mrs. Collison, with their
two little children, landed on November 1st, 1876--

"On our arrival I had intended to have wintered in one of the Indian
houses, as the winter season was too far advanced for building, but Mr.
Offut, the officer in charge of the H. B. Co.'s post on the island,
kindly offered us a small house, in which goods had been stored, and as
it was within 100 yards of the Indian encampment, I gladly accepted the
offer. This I immediately put under repair, covering it with barks
outside, and putting up a stove inside. The house was very small,
measuring eighteen feet by twelve, and, in order to secure a little
privacy, I partitioned off eight feet, leaving for all purposes an
apartment ten feet by twelve. This has usually been well filled with
Indians, sitting almost on each other, and as we were both to entertain
such numbers at meals, we have often had to remain without food all
day. Of course this, with many other difficulties, will be overcome by