etc we reluctantly concluded to start back on the home journey at once this was on friday and a fair wind was blowing but our crew who loved dearly to rest and eat in these big hospitable houses all said that monday would be for the starting day i insisted however on starting saturday morning and succeeded in getting away from our friends at ten o clock just as we were leaving the chief who had i the country of the entertained us so handsomely requested a written document to show that he had not killed us so in case we were lost on the way home he could not be held in any way for our death chapter xii the return to fort the day of our start for was bright and the the north wind strong we passed around the east side of the larger island which lies near the south extremity of the point of land between the and the channels and thence held a direct course down the east shore of the canal at sunset we in a small bay at the head of a beautiful harbor three or four miles south of s bay and the next day being sunday we remained in camp as usual though the wind was fair and it is not a sin to go home the indians spent most of the day in washing mending eating and singing hymns with mr young who also gave them a bible lesson while i wrote notes and made a and all the crew got good this is one of the most delightful little we have thus far enjoyed with tall trees whose branches almost meet and with views of mountains across the broad river like canal seeing smoke back in the dense woods we went ashore to seek it and discovered a in full blast the indians said that an old man a friend of theirs was about to die and they were making for his funeral our indians were already out of flesh which they regard as a necessity and in enormous i the return to fort quantities the bacon was nearly gone and they eagerly inquired for flesh at every camp we passed here we found of and a heap of wild mutton lying on the confused hut floor our cook boiled the in a big pot with a lot of potatoes we obtained at the same hut and although the potatoes were protected by their skins the awfully wild penetrating flavor found a way through the skins and them to the very heart bread and beans and dried fruit we had in abundance and none of these rank ever came nigh any meal of mine the indians eat the of wild roses entire like and i was laughed at for eating only the outside of this fruit and the seeds when we were approaching the village of the tribe venerable seemed to be unusually pensive as if weighed down by some melancholy thought this was so unusual that i waited attentively to find out the cause of his trouble when at last he broke silence it was to say mr young mr young � he usually repeated the name � i hope you will not stop at the village why asked mr young because they area bad lot and preaching to them can do no good said mr young have you forgotten what christ said to his when he charged them to go forth and preach the gospel to everybody and that we should love our enemies and do good to those who use us badly v travels in well replied if you preach to them you must not call on me to pray because i cannot pray for but the bible says we should pray for all men however bad they may be oh yes i know that mr young i know it very well but are not men good or bad � they are dogs it was now nearly dark and quite so ere we found a harbor not far from the fine which into the narrow channel that island from the two of the followed us to our camp after eight o clock and inquired into our object in visiting them that they might carry the news to their chief one of the chiefs houses is opposite our camp a mile or two distant and we concluded to call on him next morning i wanted to examine the in the morning but tried to be satisfied with a general view and sketch as we sailed around its wide fan shaped front it is one of the most beautiful of all the coast that are in the first stage of we called on the chief at daylight when he was yet in bed but he arose put on a shirt drew a blanket around his legs and comfortably seated himself beside a small fire that gave light enough to show his features and those of his children and the three women that one by one came out of the shadows all listened attentively to mr young s message of the chief was a serious sharp man sensible looking and with good the return to fort manners he was very sorry he said that his people had been drinking in his absence and had used us so ill he would like to hear us talk and would call his people together if we would return to the village this offer we had to decline we gave him good words and tobacco and bade him good bye the scenery all through the channel is magnificent something like valley in its lofty wall cliffs especially on the side which are so steep few trees can find footing the lower island side walls are mostly the trees are heavily draped with giving the woods a remarkably gray ancient look i noticed a good many two pines in spots the water was smooth 