[142] Of the Catholic mission at Penn’s cove, between Whitby’s Island and the main, Mr. Wilkes says: “It (the island) is in possession of the Sacket tribe, who have here a permanent settlement, consisting of large and well-built lodges of timber and planks.... This whole tribe are Catholics, and have much affection and reverence for their instructors.” After speaking of the good feeling promoted among the Indians by the Catholic clergymen, he continues: “Besides inculcating good morals and peace, the priests are inducing the Indians to cultivate the soil, and there was an enclosure of some three or four acres, in which potatoes and beans were growing.”—Ed. of Catholic Almanac.
[143] Sir Edward Belcher (1799-1877) of the British navy was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, entered the navy in 1812, and was commissioned a lieutenant in 1818. He became an expert in surveying and charting, and was thus employed (1825-28) in the Pacific Ocean on H. M. S. “Blossom.” In 1836 he was appointed to the command of the man-of-war “Sulphur,” which was sent to the Pacific on a surveying expedition, and incidentally on account of the British difficulties with the Russian settlements of Alaska. In 1839 (not 1840) he surveyed the coast from San Francisco Bay to the Columbia, entering the latter with two men-of-war, “Sulphur” and “Starling,” and surveying as far as Fort Vancouver. Belcher’s relations with the Hudson’s Bay official in charge were not cordial, and he criticized both the unmilitary appearance of Fort Vancouver and Dr. McLoughlin’s attitude toward the American missionary colonists. On the return journey, Belcher’s ships were detained on the coast of China by the war in those parts. An account of the voyage was published in London (1843), and the same year Belcher was knighted. He cruised in Oriental waters from 1842-47. In 1852-54 he commanded an Arctic expedition searching for Sir John Franklin.—Ed.
[144] Sir George Simpson, born in Ross-shire, Scotland (1792), was in a merchant’s office in London, 1809-20. In the latter year he came to America, having charge during the winter of 1820-21 of a Hudson’s Bay post on Lake Athabasca. Upon the coalition of the rival fur-companies, the North West and Hudson’s Bay (1821), Simpson was chosen governor for the northern department, a position filled with acceptability until his death in 1860. He made two expeditions to the Northwest Coast, the first by canoe in 1828. In 1841-42 he journeyed entirely around the world. Leaving Liverpool in March, 1841, he reached Fort Garry in the Red River country (the modern Winnipeg), in May, whence the trip across the plains and mountains to Fort Colville was made by horses. Proceeding down the Columbia to Vancouver, Sir George visited California and Alaska, returning overland across Siberia, and reaching London after an absence of nineteen months. His adventures were published as A Narrative of a Journey around the World, 1841-42 (London, 1847). For a recent study of Simpson see George Bryce, Makers of Canada (Toronto, 1905), ix. Simpson met Wilkes at Vancouver, and speaks of the pleasure it gave him. See Farnham’s Travels, ante, p. 72, note 88.—Ed.
[145] “We stopped for a few hours at the Catholic mission,” says Capt. Wilkes, “to call upon the Rev. Mr. Bachelet (Blanchet), to whom I had a note of introduction from Dr. McLaughlin; he received me with great kindness. Mr. B. is here settled among his flock, and is doing great good to the settlers in ministering to their temporal as well as spiritual wants.... Mr. Drayton, Michael, and myself, dined with Mr. B. on oatmeal porridge, venison, strawberries and cream. His hospitality was tendered with good and kind feelings, and with a gentlemanly deportment that spoke much in his favor, and made us regret to leave his company so soon.” Mr. Wilkes represents the missions here and the farms of the Canadians, in a thriving state. He has incorrectly given the name Bachelet to Mr. Blanchet, superior of the Oregon mission, who was recently consecrated vicar-apostolic of that country.—Explor. Exp., vol. 4, p. 350.
Of the Methodist mission at Willamette, Mr. Wilkes says: “About all the premises of this mission there was an evident want of the attention required to keep things in repair, and an absence of neatness that I regretted much to witness. We had the expectation of getting a sight of the Indians on whom they were inculcating good habits, and teaching the word of God: but with the exception of four Indian servants, we saw none since leaving the Catholic mission.”—Ibid. p. 351, 2. At this latter mission he numbers four or five hundred natives. The Methodists had a school of twenty pupils at some distance.
Near Port Orchard the chapel of the Catholic mission is 172 feet long by 72 wide. “Many of the natives,” says Mr. Wilkes, “are capable of saying their prayers and telling their beads, and some were met with who could sing some Catholic hymns in their own language.”
Of the Protestant missions at Clatsop, Capt. Wilkes observes: “There appeared to me to be little opportunity for exercising their ministerial calling, though I understood afterwards that at particular seasons a number of Indians collected to hear them.”—Vol. iv., p. 322.—Ed. of Catholic Almanac.
[146] See our volume xxvii (De Smet), pp. 192, 193, notes 67, 69, 70.—Ed.
[147] Identical with De Smet’s Letters published in our volume xxvii.—Ed.
[148] These two missionaries were refused passage in the annual Hudson’s Bay Company’s brigade, and came to Oregon by sea, arriving in September, 1842. Langlois was placed in charge of the Willamette mission and the seminary of St. Joseph. Bolduc, who had formerly served in Polynesia, relates post his experiences in Vancouver Island and vicinity.—Ed.