"About half-past six in the evening the 'Douglas' and the 'Amethyst'
dropped anchor in a bay at a place called Metlakahtla. This is an
Indian village started here about fourteen years ago by Mr. William
Duncan, under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society in England.
It has now a resident population of about eight hundred souls belonging
to what is called the Tsimshean nation. Mr. Duncan, who seems to be
possessed of an immense amount of activity, combined with deep interest
in the work in which he is engaged, still remains in charge of the
station, but has during the past two years had the assistance of an
English clergyman and his wife, named Collison, [Footnote: Mr. Collison
was not ordained at the time] who came out from England for the
purpose of working in the mission field among the Indians. Mr. Collison
is studying the language of the Tsimshean Natives, when proficient in
it, which he soon will be, judging from the progress he has already
made, he will labour among the Indians of Queen Charlotte's Islands.

"Under Mr. Duncan's instructions the Indians of Metlakahtla have
already made great strides in the direction of civilization and
Christianity. He has laid the village out regularly, and given to each
head of a family a large-sized lot of land. The houses, which have been
erected under his direction, are much more comfortable and convenient
than Indian domiciles generally, though somewhat accommodated in their
plans to the peculiar habits and mode of living of the race. The houses
which Indians build for themselves are without floors. Those of
Metlakahtla are floored with plank, and in the centre of the principal
room there is a level stone fireplace, from which the smoke, instead of
being left to find its way out of the house through a hole in the roof,
as in the dwellings built in the primitive Indian fashion, rises into a
sort of square inverted hopper which hangs over the fire, and from it
passes out of the house by way of a chimney. Under Mr. Duncan's