Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-17

mutton. or say. chicken from either
Of them. With the exception OF turnips
Is IL very difficult 10 get vegetables 10
grow. When ] Was stationed on the Peel
River I planted some potatoes IN June
The first week in August We he'd q sharp
frost which cut them down. | left them
In until the end OF September, and then
found them as SOLID IS when planted, but
At Fort selkirk I did succeed in reaping
q Few potatoes and cabbagss, which were
a great treat 20 us."
HIS WORK AMONG INDIANS
Asked ns 10 hiss work among Indians.
Nr CanhGm replied that there had been
much progress. but there were also many
serious difficulties 10 contend with. The
chief Of all being the rowing life led by
the tTibesmcu. The mission stations
are opened whore the Indians know there
Is a trader with whom they can barter
their skins and fish for clothing tea. and
tobacco. At each station q small wooden
house has been erected. which does duty
for schoolr0om and church when the
tribes come IN with their goods they never
omit n make ? call upon the missionary
20 shake hands With him. Next morning
thirty or forty children are found al the
schooihOuse eager 20 learn. and very
quick: but az the end Of three weeks or
= month the whole tribe starts on its
wanderuEs again. They come and take
, formal farewell Of the missionary, and
a. soon as they have gone. another tribe
appears So. although the scloolhouse
and church are never empty there IS I'M
fortunately every opportunity 81 for
getting what has already been taught.
THEIR MANY DIALECTS.
Another difficulty is the language.
Though there is one predominating dia-
lect--the TukUdh-almost every tribe
has a dialect OF its own. which. 10 a
stranger. IT. Ike a new language. Mr..
Canham found II simpler TO teach them
ell IN English rather than attempt 10
perfect himself in the speech Of each
tribe.
Another difficulty" said Mr.. Canaan,
is ,ba FIperstitious nature OF the In
dams. Their religion may be said 20 be
one Of fear embodied in the medicine
men (shomanl. who undertake 20 propi-
tlste or ward Off evil spirits sickness
and death In case Of approaching
7oa-b the body rs hastily prepared
dressed in new suit. II it can possibly
be had. and laid aside. Before the last
breath is drawn the body is quite ready
| 10 be placed in the colin. for there Is.
| or seems 10 be. a reluctance 20 handle
the dead. Ell. they haze now learned 10
]
and have known q body brought hun
dreds Of miles over the Snow so that We
could bury IL. The ground I'm winter i
so hard that Il sometimes takes three
or four days 20 dig q grave as many feet
deep. and this is only accomplished by
gradually .hawing ont the ground.
WOMEN DO THE WORK.
From my own experience the men
are Of very little use as workers Their
instincts are all against daily labor.
The Indian woman. or wives as they
are called are the true WORKERS They
build the huts. collect the fuel. they cut
up and prepare for drying the meat or
fish. and snare and shoot rabbits when
pv0Nis are low
part Of Archdaacon Cluham's lie
has been spent travelling through the
/ Yukon district. He knows all tile dl9i-
cuit3es OF canoeing. Very pleasant 10 IS,
he thinks going down stream 40 the
rate Of six or seven miles am hour. with
nothing 30 DO tut guide The canoe; but
then. says he. there is the coming back.
and to pull your craft against the cur
rent running so strongly is "a terribly ore
duous task and one which even hardy
miners dread Eut r.e winter travelling
despite The cold U.s. ftp tr.m being un-
pleasant. and VheG the Indians DO not
come % tl- stations their minister Ike
70 good 3 st0r a. home. feels 10 his duty
o. look bis flock mo. 50 tae Archdes ON
goes to f.l t..u. a4d Che imaginary
boundary walls of his parish may lie
e ~ miles apart Anyway Mr.. Canham
has gone as big "a distance as that at
one stretch 300 The course Of his labOrs.
and an unexpectedly. be camped on
the spot whore the gold which is send
/