"This is the first season that the heathen customs at Fort Simpson
have been generally disregarded, and hence we thought it well to
encourage Christian customs in their place. To this end we decided to
invite all the congregation at Fort Simpson to spend the festival of
Christmas with us at Metlakahtla, that they might receive the benefit
of a series of special services, and he preserved from falling into
those excesses which we had reason to fear would follow should they
spend the Christmas by themselves. About two hundred and fifty availed
themselves of our invitation, and they arrived at Metlakahtla the day
before Christmas in twenty-one canoes, which indeed presented a
pleasing picture as they approached us with flags flying.

"According to a previous arrangement they all clustered to the market
-house, which we at present use for our church, and which had been very
appropriately decorated. On our guests being seated I gave them a short
address, and after prayer, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Collison, shook
hands with them all. They then were quartered round the village, and a
very exciting scene ensued, all the villagers literally scrambling for
the guests. After the scramble, several came running to me to complain
that they had not succeeded in securing a single guest, while others
had got more than their share. To settle matters amicably, I had to
send two constables round the village to readjust the distribution of
our new friends.

"Our Christmas-eve was spent in practising, with a band of twenty
young men, a new Christmas hymn in Tsimshean, which I managed to
prepare for the occasion. About 1.30 on Christmas morning we
reassembled, when Mr. Collison and myself accompanied the twenty waits
to sing round the village, carrying the harmonium and concertina with
us. We sang in seven different places, and three hymns in each place.