52 THE LIFE on‘

There are numerous lakes near Rice Lake; about
some of which the Ojebwas reside ; particularly Mud,
Schoogaug and Balsam Lakes. The country, in this
vicinity, is rapidly increasing in population ; the whites
are continually settling among us. The deer was plenty
a few years ago, but now only a few can be found. The
Ojebwas are, at present, employed in farming instead of
hunting ; many of them have good and well cultivated
farms. They not only raise grain enough for their own
use, but often sell much to the whites.

The Canadian Commissioners on Indian affairs, in
their report to Parliament in 1845, remarked in relation
to the Rice Lake Indians, as follows: “These Indians
are Methodists, and have either a resident missionary,
or have been regularly visited by the missionary belong-
1ng to the Alnwick settlement. They have a school,
and a school-master is supported by the Methodist Mis-

sionary Society.”

CHAPTER VII.

THE missionaries first Visited us on the island called
Be-qua/z-qua-yang, in 1827, under the following circum-
stances. My father and I went to Port Hope, to see
our principal trader, John D. Smith, in order to obtain
goods and whiskey, about twelve miles from Rice Lake.
After my father had obtained the goods, he asked for
whiskey. Mr. Smith said, “John, do you know that
whiskey will yet kill you, if you do not stop drinking?