The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-26 00:00:00

AN INDIAN CHIEF IN A LONDON
PULPIT.

On Sunday morning an unwonted and interesting
sight was witnessed at the beautiful little church of
St. Peter, Cornhill, the rector of which is the Rev.
Richard Whittington. A special sermon was preached
there on behalf of the Colonial and Continental Church
Society by the Rev. H. Pahtahquahong Chase, heredi-
tary chief of the Ojibway tribe, president of the Grand
Council of Indians, and the society's missionary at
Munceytown, Canada. The preacher wears on his
breast two medals, one given to his grandfather by
George 111., the other presented to himself on behalf
of Queen Victoria by the Prince of Wales during his
visit to Canada in 1860, when the rev, gentleman was
selected by the Indian tribes to present an address to
his Royal Highness.
In early life Mr. Chase was for some time employed
in the Indian department of the Canadian Govern-
ment, displaying great prudence and skill in the per-
formance of the difficult and useful duties entrusted to
him. His conversion to Christianity arose from an
attendance on Divine service, at which he was deeply
impressed with the solemnity of Christian worship.
IFtving been ordained as a minister by an English
Bishop in Canada, he has for about 18 years been em-
ployed as a missionary in connection with the society
before mentioned in its work among the Indians, being
stationed at Munceytown, at which place and in the
neighbourhood he la'.)ours among three different
tribes, the Oneida, the Munceytown, and the Ojibway
tribes, travelling 16 miles every Sunday in the dis-
charge of his pastoral duties. As a missionary among
his people he renders most important aid to the
society he represents, which has under its care a vast
number of Indian subjects of her Majesty, and has
done much practically to solve the problem of the
capacity of North American Indians for civilisation.
Mr. Chase is about 60 years of age and of middle
height, having a well-proportioned form awl an easy
carriage, his complexion being of the copper or
reddish-brown hue which marks his race.
Prayers having been read at the morning service by
the Rev. D. Lancaster McAnally, one of the secre-
taries of the Colonial and Continental Church Society,
the Indian chief ascended the pulpit, wearing the
surplice, and preaching to a congregation far
.above
the average assembling in the City churches; his text
being the 11th verse of the 33rd Psalm—" The counsel
of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of His
heart to all generations." With an accent almost
purely English, and a style which but for an occa-
sional omission or gliding over small connecting
words was also of ordinary English character, he
began by speaking of the Bible narrative of the Crea-
tion, passing thence to the New Testament in connec-
tion with the words " counsel of the Lord "in the
text. After alluding to some of the chief peculiari-
ties of the religion of his race, including the teaching
of immortality and future punishments, he described
his own special work, and that of the society repre-
sented by him, in terms of gratitute and hopefulness,
and concluded with an earnest appeal for contribu-
tions to enable the work to be extended to the numer-
ous natives still unreachel

The sermon, which lasted a little over twenty
minutes, and was listened to very attentively, was fol-
lowed by a collection on behalf of the society.
Daily News.