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United States. Office of Indian Affairs / Annual report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the year 1855
([1855])
[Michigan Indians], pp. 27-39
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Page 38
38 REPORT OF THE No. 6. MISSION HOUSE, SAULT STE. MARIE, September 30, 1855. SI: Soon after presenting this report I expect to take leave of a work to which more than thirty-three years of my life have been de- voted, and about twenty-seven of which have been spent upon this frontier; but not because I am tired of the work, nor for want of an interest in the welfare and prosperity of the aboriginal tribes of our country. From circumstances connected with the place of our loca- tion, and the present state of the Indians and Indian affairs, (with which you are personally acquainted,) it has been thought advisable to bring our boarding-school at this place to a close with the closing of the present quarter of the year. The school has been continued, as usual, through the year. At the commencement of it we had seven beneficiaries; since which one has been received, two have been dismissed, one has died, and two have left from choice before the time for which they were taken had ex- pired, leaving us but three at present connected with the mission, and these have all arrived at adult years and, according to contract, are at liberty to leave this fall. We have had a good school, taught by a well qualified and inter- esting teacher, through the year, with our usual brief vacations, and the pupils in general have made good progress. The elementary branches, with arithmetic, geography, English grammar, history, and composition, have been taught, and some attention has been given to music, both vocal and instrumental, especially sacred music. SWe have had regular Christian worship through the year, both for the Indians and the population of the frontier; also an interesting Sabbath school has been faithfully sustained, averaging about forty scholars, including Indians, mixed bloods, and whites. And in addition to our labors at this station we have another up the lake, conducted by the Rev. James D. Cameron, who has preached regularly to the Indians in their own native tongue. He has divided his labors between those at Pendill's Mill and those at Na-ah-me-kang, visiting the latter place as circumstances would permit. We have also borne the main share of the support of a school among those Indians for four months of the year, taught by a young Indian, in which merely the elementary branches were taught. We have a small church, embodying twenty-four members, which the Rev. Mr. Cameron will preside over as pastor on my leaving. In taking my leave of these Indians, and the people of this frontier, I do it with mingled feelings of regret and joy. I deeply regret that I have not been able to do more for both their temporal and spiritual good, for I am conscious that their welfare and prosperity have ever laid near my heart. But I rejoice that I have the evidence that the Lord has accom- plished some important good for them through my feeble instrument-
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