these strangers? Shall we cut their throats?"--going through the motion
of doing so in an unmistakable manner. In God's providence, the man in
authority had great influence over the Indian mind and action. A proper
answer was returned, and the lives of hundreds, nay, thousands were
saved.

27th.--Visited the village saw-mill, conveniently situated at the head
of a sheltered inlet about a mile and a quarter from the village. It is
managed entirely by natives, the head Indian receiving 8 dols., or L1
12s., the second, 6 dols., or L1 4s., the third, 5 dols., or L1 per
week. Lumber of all sizes is supplied to the village for building
purposes at moderate prices. Thus the Indians are kept independent of
the white man's help. Duncan told me a curious story of an old Indian
who came to him, when the mill was being erected, and asked him, "Are
you going to make water saw wood?" He got his answer, and exclaimed,
"When I see it I die, to go and tell it to my chief."

I visited the widow of Samuel Marsden (Shooquanahts), the first fruits
of this Mission. He was baptized, 21st July, 1861, and died May 8th,
1878, a Native elder, a ripe Christian, a faithful follower of the Lord
Jesus; and the clear testimony he bore on his death-bed to the
blessedness of the Christian hope and the presence of the Saviour was
very cheering. Duncan adds, "His parting words to myself and the elders
were very affecting; his end indeed was peace, and such a funeral the
Indians never saw." Catherine, his widow, is left with two children,
and lives in the same house with Catherine Ryan, whose husband died
about the same time as Samuel, leaving her with four children. I did
indeed wish for some of the friends of the Mission to have witnessed
the touching simple faith of these two brands plucked out of the fire,
as I read to them a few words from John xi., "Jesus wept." after which