No. 129

I have the honor to report that at the special request of Mr
William Duncan, Missionary and Magistrate, I visited the Indian
Settlement of Metlakahtla which is under his charge.

It was most gratifying to me to see the progress in civilization
made by the natives under his care and Government. I was received
on the beach by eighteen native Constables well drilled and dressed
in artillery uniform. They fired a feu de joie and then some four
or five hundred Indians, with their hats off, sang "God Save the
Queen" in English which was followed by some cheers equal to anything
that a London crowd could give.

3. Mr Duncan has taught the Indians under his charge to build
houses in the European style and to add glass windows, decent
furniture, regular beds. They cultivate the grounds and have flowers
in their fenced in gardens and in their windows. Witchcraft,
"Medicine," paint and feathers are banished. The people are dressed
like white men and nearly all of them worship in the Church which
Mr Duncan, at their own expense, has built for them. The children
attend school and I was pleased to see the boys engaged in leisure
hours at cricket and other games of the English playground. No
spirits are allowed in Metlakahtla, and for many miles around the
influence of Mr Duncan and his native constables is felt in the
suppression of the whiskey traffic. It is really suprising to find
in a place possessing so few natural advantages as Metlakahtla
how much Mr Duncan has done. The shop belonging to the Indians is
the best I have seen on the Coast and contains, amongst innumerable
articles, perfumery, artificial flowers and white kid gloves which
the Indian girls wear at their weddings. Out of the profits of the
shop a saw mill worked by water power has been erected and a wharf
and plank road has been nearly completed along the whole sea frontage
of the village.

4. One of the satisfactory points connected with Mr Duncan's
establishment is that it costs the Government absolutely nothing. On
the contrary Mr Duncan in his capacity of Magistrate remits to
the Treasury considerable sums levied as fines upon the whiskey
smugglers of the coast.

5. In the evening the greater part of the population assembled
in the Meeting House which on Sunday is used as a Church. As a
School on the week days. I addressed some words of praise to the
Indians. Expressed satisfaction at their progress, and gave some
good, common place advice. I enclose copy of the replies of the
principal Chiefs as taken down by Mr Duncan while being uttered with
the usual Indian deliberation. On my departure I was escorted to the
ship by a vast number of Canoes.

Metlakahtla renewed the impression which I have ventured to
express to Your Grace's predecessors that in this Colony there is
no reason why the native race should disappear with the advance of
the white man.