MEMOIR OF FATHER VINCENT DE PAUL, RELIGIOUS OF LA TRAPPE: TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL FRENCH BY A. M. POPE, WITH A PREFACE BY THE RIGHT REVEREND DR. CAMERON, BISHOP OF ARICHAT. PREFACE. The reply of Maximilian to the wealthy courtier who tendered him agoodly purse of gold for a title of nobility, was worthy of thatemperor: "I can enrich thee, " he said, "but only thy own virtue canenoble thee" All true grandeur, excellence, and dignity, are theoffspring of virtue. Even the most renowned oracles of paganismproclaim this, and the very persecutors of holiness are oftenconstrained to pay homage to their victim. No wonder, then, thatwhenever we are privileged to find one of those rare mortals, whomvirtue has unmistakably marked as her own, we lovingly attach anexceptional importance to everything connected with his history. Suchassuredly was he whose "account of what befel" him during his firstten years in America, is now for the first time published in English. A brief sketch of the religious Order to which he belonged, of thelife he led, and of the Monastery he founded, may give added interestto his own simple and edifying narrative. What Scripture terms "the world, " and so emphatically denounces assuch, is the poisonous source of the mother-evils described by St. John as "the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of theeyes, and the pride of life. " Flight from the contamination of thisthreefold inordinate love of pleasures, riches and honors, beingessential to salvation, is most easily, most surely and mostmeritoriously achieved by those who, in answer to a Divine call, consecrate and give themselves wholly to God, by the practice of theevangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. Those whoembrace this angelic profession form the choice portion of the foldof Christ. They rank as His spouses, and, by the holy ambition oftheir virgin love, console Him for the craven defections or the coldindifference of so many Christians. All Christians animated by the spirit of Jesus are religious, justas they are holy, and kings and priests (I Peter 2, 9). Such is theunity of the marvellous body of Christ, the Church, whose soul isinfinite love, that her every member shares, in some sense andmeasure, all her sublime prerogatives. But as God willed that in Hisfamily some goods should be common to all, so He likewise decreedthat other goods should be reserved to comparatively few, and throughthese chosen and privileged ones benefit the rest. Hence, as besidesthis elementary royalty and priesthood conferred by baptism, thereare, according to the express order of God superior and officialroyalties and priesthoods, in like manner besides the fundamentalreligion, which is the vital breath of every soul in a state ofgrace, there is a religion more eminent, more definite, more perfect. Thus as there is here below a sacerdotal and royal state, so likewiseis there a religious state which is confined to those only who bindthemselves by vows to a monastic life. It is evident, therefore, thatwhen Catholics use the expression "religious Order, " or term a monkor nun "a religious, " they are perfectly justified in doing so, thecavillings of Dr. Trench to the contrary notwithstanding. Each religious order is characterized by the special purpose forwhich it was founded, and by the constitution and rule which itsmembers are to follow. The observance of the Benedictine rule wasgreatly relaxed in the monasteries of France towards the close of theeleventh century, when St. Robert (1098) inaugurated a reform atCiteaux, which resulted in the establishment of the Cistercian Order. A monastery of this Order was subsequently (1140) founded in LaPerche, France, by the Count of Perche, and was called La Trappe. In1662 the commendatory abbot of La Trappe, Armand Jean le Bouthilierde Rance', a nobleman who abandoned wealth and a brilliant career, visited La Trappe, undertook a new reform of the Cistercian rule, andthus became the founder of that branch of this Order which becameknown as the congregation of La Trappe. In consequence of theRevolution of 1789, one of the Trappist Fathers, Dom Augustinconducted twenty-four of his brethren from France to Valsainte, inSwitzerland. Here they decided to adopt a rule still more strict thanthat which they had hitherto observed. This step occasioned adivision in the Trappist Order: some monasteries following the ruleof Valsainte, others that of de Rance'. An appeal to Rome resulted ina decree dated October 3rd, 1834, by which all Trappist monasterieswere placed under one government. The decree not having however hadthe desired effect, the Holy See decided in 1847 to sanction twodistinct congregations, one to follow the constitution of de Rance', and the other to observe the rule of St. Benedict, with the primitiveconstitution of the Cistercian Order. To the latter congregationbelong the Trappist monasteries of Canada and the United States, whose time-table on week days during winter is as follows:-- At two o'clock, a. M. , the Trappists rise and proceed to theirchapel, where they devote their time to the recitation of the Office, meditation, &c. , till 7. 45, when they have High Mass, followed bymanual labor, which, with the interruption of only half an hour givento the recitation of Office and examen of conscience, continues till2 p. M. ; ten minutes more and they break their long fast of twenty-fourhours with the lean and only repast of the day. At 6 p. M. Beginsspiritual reading, immediately followed by compline and otherdevotional exercises till 7, when they retire to their much neededrest on their hard straw mattresses. Perpetual silence is prescribed, unless in case of necessity, so that the Trappist's whole life is oneof extraordinary austerity and of incessant recollection, remindinghim at every turn of the shortness of life and the tremendous rigorof judgment. The time-table for summer varies in some minor practicesand observances, while, according to that of Sundays and holidays, those religious in the latter case rise at midnight, and in theformer at 1 a. M. , and busy themselves till 7 o'clock, p. M. Duringwinter, and 8 o'clock during summer in the praises of the Lord. James Merle was born at Lyons, France, the 29th October, 1768. Hisfather was a much respected physician in that city. On the 7th ofApril, 1798, while the godless Revolution was carrying resistlessdevastation over the country, he privately received the holy order ofpriesthood at the hands of Mgr. C. F. D. Dubois de Sanzay, Archbishopof Vienne, and seven years afterwards he entered the Trappist Order, taking the name of Father Vincent de Paul, by which he has alwayssince been known. In his memoir Father Vincent speaks of having bought a large tractof land near the sea in Nova Scotia, and of having built a housethereon. This was in Tracadie, where he resided for some yearsprevious to his return to France in 1823. In 1824 he came again toTracadie with another worthy priest of his Order, Father Francis, anative of Freiburg, together with three lay brothers, and the houseabove referred to became thenceforth the monastery of PetitClairvaux. A few years later three other lay brothers were admitted, two of them from Halifax, and one from the United States. Until the Rev. John Quinn was appointed parish priest of Tracadie, (1837) Father Vincent had pastoral charge of the three missions ofTracadie, Havre au Boucher, and Pomquet, and the old people of theplace still recount his innumerable acts of extraordinary zeal anddevotion. "He scarcely ever had the stole off his neck during Lent, "is the remark of one of them. He also made frequent excursions toCheticamp, Arichat, and other parts of Cape Breton, to preachmissions there, and to assist the dying. In his memoir he speaks ofthat sublime pilgrimage of the heart, the admirable devotion of theWay of the Cross, as one especially acceptable to God; and no wonderit bore marvellous fruit as conducted by him. At each station thisholy servant of God did not content himself with reading the usualprayers: he gave expression to heavenly thoughts inspired by his ownburning love of his crucified Saviour, producing a mysterious andlasting echo in all hearts. The church was always crowded on thoseoccasions. To prepare children for their first communion, he devotedsix entire weeks of instruction each year. His capacity for work wasimmense; and while hurry never appeared in his actions, he managed toglide through them with a masterly ease far out-stripping thespeediest progress of ordinary mortals. A supernatural light seemedto supersede the necessity of recourse to the usual slow andlaborious process of reasoning in seeing one's way, and to endow himwith an intuition excluding all doubt, and with an instinct everready in performance. Thus for everything he found ample time, because no particle of his time was lost. He was a living, palpitating, breathing, vocal, acting temple of the Holy Ghost, andthis Divine indwelling was, in a manner, visible to all. At thealtar, during the holy sacrifice which he daily offered, it seemed totransfigure his countenance so as to impress his heavenly citizenshipupon all beholders. In administering the sacrament, in instructingthe people, in his incessant endeavors to keep or win them from sin, and to provide for all their spiritual wants, the same irradiation ofholiness imparted the most extraordinary efficacy to his charity andzeal. So palpable was this impress of sanctity in his every-day-life, thatno one could come in contact with him without perceiving it andfeeling its inherent power. Such being the rare effulgence of FatherVincent's sanctity as seen amid the dust and darkness of the world, one can more readily realize the transcendent perfection and purityof his soul as nurtured and revealed in his divine communing in hisown beloved cloister. No wonder, then, that when this admirableservant of God, fall of days and merits, was called away to hisreward on the morning of New Year's Day, 1853, all felt that they hadone intercessor more in heaven. No wonder that miraculous cureswrought through his mediation began soon to multiply. Nor was FatherVincent's reputation for sanctity confined to Catholics. EvenProtestants not only acknowledged the heroism of his virtues, butalso sought to possess some earth from his grave, and one of them, J. H. , still living, was restored to health and usefulness by theapplication of this relic to his diseased and disabled limbs. The next Prior of Petit Clairvaux was the dauntless and holy FatherFrancis, whose advanced age obliged him in 1858 to resign his officeinto the hands of the sweet Father James, a native of Belgium, and areligious eminently qualified for the position. Such was the successof his administration that in 1876 the community was raised by PiusIX of blessed memory to the dignity of an abbey--an abbey, which, with its forty-one fervent religious, now wisely governed by theworthy Abbot Dominic, presents an example of heroic abstinence, mortification and prayer, well calculated to put the characteristicdissipation, effeminacy and dissoluteness of the age to blush, and tobring home to our minds that "the wisdom of this world is foolishnesswith God. " (I Co. 3, 19). JOHN CAMERON, _Bishop of Arichat. _ MEMOIR OF FATHER VINCENT. [Some account of what befel Father Vincent de Paul, Religious of LaTrappe, with observations made by him when in America, where he hasspent about ten years, with the permission of his Superior, inobedience to whose orders he writes the following:] The reverend Father Abbot, of La Trappe, Dom Augustin, (DeLestrange) foreseeing that Bonaparte would seek to destroy thecommunities existing in Europe, resolved on sending a party of hisreligious to America, in order that they might establish themselvesthere and preserve their monastic state. In 1812, I, in company with two other brothers, was sent by him tothe United States, there to found an establishment of our Order. Weleft Bordeaux on the 15th June, and on the 6th of the month of Augustwe arrived at Boston. We had with us one of our Trappistines, whoseobject was also to found a community; with this intention she hadpreceded her companions, but now found herself alone, as passportswere refused to the other sisters. We were welcomed by the worthy Mr. Matignon, parish priest of the town, who coaxed us to remain in thediocese of Bishop Cheverus. However as we had received orders toestablish ourselves near Baltimore, after a few days rest I startedfor that town alone, leaving my brothers and the nun in Boston, intending to send for them when I should find a suitable site for thetwo projected establishments. I paid my respects to His Grace theArchbishop of Baltimore, who received me kindly, but appeared at aloss where to find a site such as we desired. After many unsuccessfulefforts and researches, he established me temporally on a farmbelonging to the Society of Jesus (of which he was a member) untilsuch time as we could procure the sort of place we wanted; then as Ithought that time might be long in coming, I summoned my brothers tome, and arranged for a suitable lodging for the nun. During our stay, a rich man of Baltimore, who was once a Protestantand had been converted, offered us 2000 acres of land in themountains of Pensylvania, near a river called the Delaware. He waseven generous enough to offer me the services of his son, who wasalso a recent convert, and who came with us to point out the propertywhich, however, I was not able to inspect thoroughly as I remainedthere only one day. I returned soon after with two young men who were inclined to joinour Order. They commenced a somewhat rude novitiate, for we fastedand kept silence on the way, going always on foot for want of money. After great suffering from fatigue and heat (as it was summer), wearrived at a little town, distant about sixty miles fromPhiladelphia, whence we had started on our tour of inspection. Thislittle town, which was called Milford, was quite near to the landthat was to be ours. On the way we passed through many Protestant villages whoseinhabitants appeared to be anxious for the light of the true faith, and this budding town of Milford did not look askance at us, asalmost all of its inhabitants came to mass on Sunday. After mass oneof the young men aforementioned, who knew English well, expounded thecatechism to them, and they listened with attention. The Protestantminister came afterwards to preach, but we were told that none of thepeople went to hear him which without doubt annoyed him greatly. Oneof the principal men of the place, a Protestant, as indeed they wereall, begged me to remain with them, saying that they would subscribeme a pension, and that he would head the list with the sum of fiftydollars. But we had not come to this country to be missionaries, sowe left Milford to go and inspect our land. Travelling through these immense and trackless forests was verydifficult, and we often went astray. One day when I was alone with achild who served me in the capacity of guide, we were greatlypuzzled. We wished to find a little hut that we had built in thewoods in which to sleep; nightfall was coming on, and there seemed nochance of finding our camp before sundown. I said to the child: "hereis a low, flat rock, on which I will spend the night. " He repliedthat if I remained there I should be devoured by the bears, of whichthere were a great number on these mountains; we had already heardtheir cries and hideous howlings. At length, thanks be to God, wefound the cabin, which was not a very safe refuge for us, as it wasonly a little hut built of young trees. The two novices and I sleptthere like Indians, either on the bare ground or on couches formed byheaps of the branches of trees. Having no provisions with us we were obliged for the first few daysto eat what we could find in the woods, such as certain little blueberries that they call "bluets, " and other wild fruits, which thepeople of the country despise. On the third or fourth day help came. A Jew and a Protestant appeared on the scene, bringing us potatoes. This Jew showed a leaning towards our religion, and the Sundayprevious I had said mass in his house. I do not doubt that if we hadremained longer with these people many would have been converted. There was one entire family, of father, mother and three children, whom I had instructed, and who were to receive baptism and embracethe Catholic religion. Unfortunately the woman was the victim of evilcounsel at Milford, and was deterred from her good purpose. Therewere many people in Milford who were bitter enemies to the truth. I often said mass in our cabin. One day we made a cross and carriedit in procession for nearly a mile: we sang psalms, and part of theway went barefoot, until we reached the spot where we planted thecross, which was our consolation and our safeguard, as there were inthis desert a great number of rattlesnakes and other reptiles no lessdangerous. When we left our retreat we would sometimes step upon themand would hear the noise that these serpents make with their rattles. At last having walked over a great portion of these two thousandacres of land during the two weeks that we spent there, we left thesesolitudes and went down to Philadelphia. [Footnote: It was not deemedadvisable to accept this property, it being almost entirely rock ormarsh land. Besides which it was not suitable for one of ourestablishments, communication with other places being too difficult. ] Upon arriving at the town I told the Bishop how well-disposed werethe people whom we had seen, and suggested to him to send somemissionaries there, but he told me that he had none to send. If I hadbeen free I would have returned at once to labor for the conversionof these poor people. After a year of crosses and difficulties in the way of our discoveringa suitable and convenient place for our establishment, we foundourselves in Maryland, an excellent province, producing all thenecessaries of life in abundance. It is near the sea, and near to thePotoxen, and not far from the Potomac, two great rivers that add toits commercial advantages and render it more flourishing. We thoughtwe had at last found the country in which to succeed in establishingour foundation. I consulted His Grace the Archbishop of Baltimore, andthe reverend gentlemen of the seminary of St. Sulpice, and inaccordance with their advice, I decided to go there and commence thework. Three more brothers sent from France by our Reverend FatherAbbot, arrived at this juncture and joined us. We bought the land andset ourselves to work to cultivate it. We built a house for ourselves, which consisted of trees placed one upon another--what is called inthis country a _loghouse_. It was small, being only eighteen feetlong, and as many wide. We shortly commenced another which would serveas a chapel. The negroes of the country--who are all Catholics--gaveus a helping hand in this work On arriving here we found lodgings in aprivate house near our clearing, in which we remained until our_loghouse_ was fit to receive us. Maryland produces an abundance of Indian corn, the cultivation ofwhich is the chief work of the negroes. We subsisted almost entirelyupon this food, with potatoes and occasionally bread; wheat, however, and buckwheat grow very well. We arrived there at the beginning ofthe year 1813, and during the winter we were occupied in cutting downtrees and preparing the land for work in the spring, so that whenthat season arrived we had an acre and a half of land undercultivation. Part of this we planted with potatoes, another part wasa garden where we sowed different vegetables, and we also laid out anorchard of young fruit trees. So far everything looked well, but whensummer came, and while we were working most zealously we all fell illwith fever, and many of us were attacked with dysentery. I attributethese maladies to many causes, --first to the miasma or poisonousvapors exhaled from newly cleared land, then to the great heat andthe bad water that we had to drink, which, though it had been pureenough in the winter and spring, had become bad by reason of amultitude of little insects that were perpetually drowning themselvesin it. Another reason that contributed to render us ill was thenumber of different sorts of flies by which we were devoured day andnight. There were among others two species of flies which in thiscountry they call _tics_. Some of them are large, others aresmall, they fasten themselves to the skin and so penetrate into theflesh that one can only remove them by pulling them to pieces, eventhen a part remains and causes an insupportable itching. We were dying one after another in this place when our Rev. FatherAbbot on his way from Martinique, with several religious, arrived atNew York. He summoned our community to him, as well as that of theRev. Father Urbain, which a short time previously had united withours, so that these three little communities now formed but one, under our chief Superior, who thus in a moment effected a foundationsuch as we had spent years of fruitless effort endeavoring toestablish. Our new monastery was established in the country near NewYork, and did much good. Thirty-three poor children (almost all ofthem orphans) were brought up there, and were given all thenecessaries of life, even to their clothes. Protestants came to seethe good work and two ministers were converted. These gentlemen camesometimes to see us, and assisted at our religious ceremonies. Theyliked to converse with our Reverend Father Abbot, who won them by hisfrank and polite manner. In addition to the work of this monastery, our Reverend Father Abbot supported and directed another house of ourOrder which he had also founded, and which was productive of muchgood. This was a community of nuns. There was yet another convent, one belonging to the Ursulines quite near, that is to say about threeor four miles from our monastery, which our community supplied with achaplain. I was obliged to go there every Sunday to say mass and toconfess the nuns. When we arrived in their neighborhood they werewithout a priest; we could not leave them in such need, so that I, ill though I was, had to say two masses on Sundays, one in the churchof the Ursulines, the other in that of our sisters. However, this wasto me a cause of rejoicing, although I was fatigued after my voyagesand overwhelmed by the work with which I was charged, I wascompensated and consoled by the good that I could be the means ofdoing. I remember having received the abjuration of Protestantism ofthree young ladies who were boarders at the Ursuline Convent, and whohad the happiness of becoming Catholics. Although we were in a Protestant country, our Reverend Father Abbotundertook to have the procession of the Blessed Sacrament on thefestival of Corpus Christi, thinking it might do some good. He hadseveral repositories built in a field adjoining our house, these hedecorated in the best style possible and managed to have a canopy andboys to swing censors and others to throw flowers before the BlessedSacrament. When the time for the procession arrived we saw ourReverend Father bearing Jesus Christ in his hands and walking underthe dais borne by four religious in dalmatics accompanied by thecommunity and by several strangers singing hymns and canticles. Numbers of children preceeded the Blessed Sacrament, exercising thesolemn functions which had been allotted to them. This infantineband, clad in white surplices girded with different colors, resembledangels and presented a spectacle at once beautiful and edifying tothe beholder. The Protestants who were present appeared to be muchpleased with the procession. Our Reverend Father Abbot wished with all his heart to be able tocontinue the good work thus commenced, but he was obliged to abandonit for want of pecuniary means, and perhaps also because of theill-will of many who offered opposition to his projects; besides whichKing Louis XVIII had been restored to the throne of France, andreligion was being re-established in that country. Almost all ourbrothers were dispersed here and there throughout Europe, and itwould be necessary to reunite them. Persuaded, besides, that he wouldreceive more help in France than in the United States, and in short, reflecting that there would perhaps be more good to be done yet inthe old world than in the new, (the Revolution having been the causeof such wickedness and having done so much harm) our Father Abbotdecided that he and his community would return to France. He embarkedin the autumn of 1814, and took with him from New York the greaternumber of our Brothers and all our Sisters, leaving only six Brothersand myself behind, with orders that we should join him in Franceafter I had arranged our business matters and recovered my strength, for I had still within me the germ of that malady of which mentionhas been made in speaking of Maryland where I contracted it, as didthe others. It left me with a slow fever, that lasted for a long time. At this junction two of our Brothers died, a lay Brother and anoblate. This latter had been almost a millionaire he having acquireda large fortune in the West India Islands; he lost it, however, inthe negro rebellion, and retired to La Trappe, where he died poorenough. Belonging to the house in which we were living was an orchard whichwe had made our cemetery, here we had buried our two brothers; but, as we were going to leave this spot and did not wish to expose theirbodies to be perhaps profaned by heretics who might buy the groundand not wish to have them there, we determined to exhume them. Theyhad been buried about a fortnight, and the weather was warm, so weprovided ourselves with incense to burn in case there might be a foulodour. This precaution, however, was not necessary, as there was nosmell perceptible, they were as fresh, so to speak, as if they werestill alive. We remarked especially that the body of Brother JeanMarie, (the lay Brother) was supple. I touched it myself, and sawthat it was really so, for while I held him his legs swayed as wouldthose of a person in life. Near the town there was a little cemetery well walled in, andintended for the poor. As our brothers were poor in fact, and byprofession, I had them laid there, and in the same spirit of povertyinterred them side by side in the same grave. We accompanied thesegood brothers to the tomb, offering our prayers for their repose, andall was finished before daylight. About the middle of the month of May, 1815, our business beingconcluded, we left New York, and fifteen days later arrived atHalifax, without having experienced bad weather. After two week'sdelay in searching for another vessel, we at length found one, and bymeans of the recommendation of Mr. Burke, then pastor of the town, and since Bishop, we were taken on board with our seven trunkswithout being obliged to pay anything for our passage. The ship was atransport called the "Ceylon, " and was delayed by contrary winds. Thesecond day after we embarked the wind still being from a wrongquarter, I was stupid and imprudent enough to go ashore to see aboutsome business that was not of grave importance--when lo! the windveered round suddenly and became favorable. The ship sailed, butFather, Vincent remained and lost his passage! I thus found myself alone in a strange country, and without means. Imade every effort to discover some way of overtaking the ship, but invain. It was impossible to do so, and I felt very sad at the thoughtof my brothers being carried so far away from me. My Superior in France, to whom I made known this event, wrote to methat as God had permitted it, I could remain until farther orders, and occupy myself with the salvation of the Indians; for which objectI accordingly labored up to the time of my leaving Nova Scotia, thatis to say up to the month of October, 1823. These labors, however, did not prevent my working for the good of our Order, as we shall seelater. Mr. Bourke having gone to Ireland, we were only two priests for thetown of Halifax and its suburbs, where there were many Catholics, without counting the Mic-macs, who are the Indians inhabiting NovaScotia. These Indians were called to the Faith about four centuriesago. French priests or Jesuits coming at the peril of their lives, brought them the light of the Gospel. Many of these ministers of ourLord fell victims of their own zeal and charity, being murdered bythis nation, then pagan and barbarous. Since these Indians becameacquainted with the true religion they have never been known toconform to any other, but have preserved their firmness in the faithup to the present day in spite of the danger of perversion to whichthey are so often exposed, more especially since they have lived amongthe English, and in spite of their ignorance, for it is difficult toteach them. Their language which they call "Mic-mac, " is a jargonwithout rule. They have been taught to read in it, but only by meansof hieroglyphics. A figure or a sign which they write themselves onbark or on paper, may sometimes signify only one word, sometimes againit stands for a whole phrase. Some have thought they detected Arabwords amongst this language, but I think it bears more resemblance tothat of children just learning to speak without being able tounderstand what they say. For example for the "_yes_" they say[long-e] (ay); for "_no_" they say "mena. " The accent of the Mic-macis soft and slow. I have remarked that, they do not convey their ideaswell in any other language. When one translates Mic-mac for them intoFrench or English, they often appear dissatisfied, and one can seefrom their manner that the true sense is not given. What renders theirfaith more remarkable and meritorious is, that they confess throughthe medium of an interpreter, and they avail themselves of the firstthey find, no matter who, provided he knows their language. They areoften interpreted by their relatives, even the oldest by the youngest. Mr. Mayar, a French priest who was formerly missionary to these partsand who died in Halifax full of merit before God, was deeply regrettedby these Indians. By means of great application, and by the aid oflight from heaven, he accomplished the task of translating into theirlanguage a number of the prayers and chants of the church, so thatthey now sing the _Kyrie_, the _Gloria in Excelsis_, the _Credo_, &c, even the _Te Deum_, on the Roman or Parisian tone, (for this worthypriest came from Paris). They know many hymns of the Blessed Virgin, which they sing equally well, also the prose _Dies Irae_. They singmass fairly well, especially the tone Royal, and the mass for thedead. Some persons may be surprised at this, and perhaps harbor adoubt of it, but I can testify as a witness to its truth. More than ahundred times they have sung it for me. So recently as the month ofAugust, 1823, I was in a parish called Havre-a-Bouchers, whentwenty-six canoes filled with Indians arrived there; they came to havetheir children baptised, and for confession, &c. There were eightsingers among them, and during the week that they remained, they sangmass for me each day, and one might say conducted themselves likecanons or like Trappists! They have clear voices. These poor Indiansmight shame some of our European Catholics by their zeal and theirpiety; they will go fifty or even a hundred leagues to find a priestand to receive the Sacraments, and as it often happens that they haveno provisions when they arrive, they pass two or three days withouteating, occupied only with their souls and forgetful of the wants ofthe body. While in Halifax, which is the capital of Nova Scotia, I foundmyself overladen with work. The priest who was with me being in verydelicate health and often indisposed, most of the work fell to me. Hewas at length obliged to go away for change of air and was absent fora month, during which time it fell to me to baptize, confess, marry, visit the sick in town and country, and be on my feet day and night, besides saying mass on Sundays and Holy days. Although I knew very little English, I preached twice in thatlanguage in the Catholic church of the town, where there were abouttwo thousand Catholics, of whom the greater number were Irish. Soon I felt constrained to go further into the Province of NovaScotia to minister to the wants of the poor, neglected inhabitants. The first place to which I went was a parish called Chezzetcook, composed of French Acadians, who were without a priest. It is sevenleagues from the town (Halifax) and when it possessed a missionarythe Indians had been accustomed to go there. They were not long inlearning of my presence, and came from a circuit of fifteen or twentyleagues. I had a transparancy representing the suffering souls inpurgatory, which our Revered Father Abbot had made. The figuresexpressing different shades of grief and of the desire as well as thehope of seeing God, combined with the brilliant and real lookingflames, were well calculated to produce an impression. I showed it tothem and explained it by means of one of their interpreters who knewFrench. At once penetrated with compassion and charity for thesuffering souls in purgatory they began to weep, and to look up themoney they had with them so as to have the Holy Sacrifice offered onbehalf of these suffering souls, and that without my having saidanything to give them the idea. They all wear the cross, some have ithung round their necks, others fasten it on their breast. It isseldom that an Indian leaves home without his beads; they generallyhave them and do not neglect to say them, sometimes repeating thechapelet several times a day, as well as in the middle of the night, when they rise to pray. They observe all the fasts of the Church, andthe penances imposed on them they generally perform on Fridays. Onthat day in a spirit of penitence, and in memory of the passion ofJesus Christ, a man will hold out to his wife the backs of his hands, which the wife strikes with a rod, giving twenty, thirty, or fiftyblows. She then in turn presents her hands and receives the samechastisement from her husband. This chastisement is dealt outindiscriminately, children are thus chastized by their parents, andwhat is surprising, the little Indians when struck on the hands donot withdraw them, no matter how much they feel the pain. I have seenthem bleeding, yet in spite of that they were firm and motionless. Their religion is not only exterior, they have it in their heart aswill be seen by the following fact: The feast of St. Anne is a greatfestival for the Indians, and I made a point of being at Chezzetcookon that day. Two hundred Indians assembled, most of them came in aspirit of devotion, but some of them had evil designs, for theymediated killing their king and all his family. I discovered thisplot in time, and learnt the cause with astonishment. It was thatthey believed that the chief and all his family would change theirreligion, that they had become Protestants, or that they intended soto do. This is how it came about. Some heretics called Methodists, had done all in their power to attract the king of the Indians totheir sect, going so far as to give him all sorts of provisions, andother valuables, such as cows, pigs, farming implements, &c. One ofthese Methodists was sent among the Indians to learn their language, and so corrupt them more easily. In this way the report got aboutthat their Chief, Benjamin (which was the name of the king) hadjoined the Methodists with all his family. Mr. Mignault, parishpriest of Halifax, and myself knew this to be false, for Benjaminhimself, whom we had warned against the dangers that threatened him, had replied: "The potatoes, cows, and the other provisions of Bromlet(which was the name of the Methodist who had given him the things)are good, I have taken them and made use of them, but his religion isworthless, I will have none of it. " In consequence of this we assembled the Indians in the church ofChezztecook, which was not large enough to hold them all, and we madethe king repeat his profession of faith in their presence, so thatthey should no longer doubt his sincerity. He did this in a mostedifying manner. His example was followed by all his officers, whoalso made their profession of faith. We remarked in particular one ofhis brothers who was conspicuous by the touching beauty and eloquenceof his speech, and by the earnestness of the gestures which heemployed. Some fragments of his discourse were rendered into ourlanguage by an Acadian interpreter, who understood Mic-mac pretty well. "How, " said he, "could we leave our religion that will save oursouls if we follow it, this religion that comes from God, whose sondied on the cross for our salvation? Shall we lose our souls thathave cost Him so dear, for which he suffered so much, and which heshed all his blood to purchase? No, better die than change our faithand do such a great wrong. " I had written to Mr. Mignault to come so as to render the affairmore imposing and dignified, and he arrived in good time. He carrieda large crucifix, which at the conclusion of the ceremony the Indianscame to venerate. The missionary then said a few words ofinstruction, after which the Indians embraced each other as brothersand friends, in token of general satisfaction and peace. I heard alltheir confessions, and a large number had the happiness of receivingHoly Communion. On the eve of St. Anne's feast, they made a bonfire, and while the wood burned they fired off guns and danced around thefire, clapping their hands in imitation of musical instruments. Thislasted for a great part of the night, however, they had previouslysaid their evening prayers, and sung hymns and canticles. We can obtain almost anything from them in the name of our holyreligion, so great is their attachment to it, as will be seen by thefollowing: One day while I was in Halifax, a number of Indians cameto the presbytery to complain to me of the Governor who resided inthe town. They clamored for the guns and powder which had beenpromised to them, and which they were accustomed to receive everyyear from the English Government in addition to their gifts of woolenblankets. The missionaries distributed, or saw to the distribution ofthese latter. I was obliged to go myself to see the Governor on thesubject of this small rebellion, for the Indians wore a threateningair. His Excellency begged me to pacify them and to tell them thattheir demand would soon be granted. I returned and said a few wordsin the name of religion, which at once quieted them. Another time some barbarous and fanatical miscreants set a number ofIndians against us, making them believe that we only drew them aroundus in order to do them harm, and to emperil their safety. This theyapparently believed, for we were warned that they would attempt ourlives. I spoke to them instructing them as well as I was able. Atlast by the arguments of the religion to which they are so attached, I turned them from their wicked purpose. I am sure that afterwardsthey experienced a lively remorse for having entertained such athought. Formerly, that is to say, before priests came among them, they had the barbarous custom of killing their fathers and motherswhen they became old and infirm. Many of the bludgeons and war clubswith which they killed their parents have been found quite recently. Now, however, they take care of them until their death, respectingand loving them. It is thought that before they had any knowledge ofreligion they were cannibals. How is it that this people who were formerly so unnatural and sobarbarous are to-day so different, so humane, and quiet andtractible? What has rendered them so docile and submissive; in short, what has worked this happy change if not the Catholic religion?Protestants, as we have shown above, have tried to civilize them, andto imbue them with different sentiments, even going so far as to liveamong them and entering into their pursuits, but their undertakingshave always failed, each attempt has met with the same result It isonly the true religion and its priests that have power to convert andcivilize these savages and make them useful members of society. Eachyear they have masses said for different intentions, and in this theygive evidence of generosity and nobleness of sentiment. The firstmass that they recommend is for the human race, that is for all menliving; the second is for the souls in purgatory; the third for allIndians and others who have died during the year; the fourth to thankGod for all benefits received from His hand during the year, and thefifth to offer up to Him the coming year so that he may bless it. Forthis object they save their money, sometimes to the end of the year, sometimes to the feast of St. Anne, when they have an opportunity tocome to their religious duties. This, however, does not prevent theirhaving a special mass said, should any of their near relatives die. They generally recommend high masses for these general intentions, and for thanksgiving. Before the French took possession of Nova Scotia, which they calledAcadia, the Indians lived only by hunting and fishing, and had noclothing, but such as they made of the skins of wild beasts. Theirhouses were hut-like in form, as they are at the present time, forthey have not changed their ancient manner of living. I have oftenslept in their cabins, which are very uncomfortable for civilizedpeople, such as Frenchmen, although the Indians prefer them to ourhouses. A proof of this is that, notwithstanding the length of timethey have lived among Europeans, they have not made up their mind toimitate them. This may possibly arise from idleness, for it wouldcost them much labor as well as time and money were they to erecthouses such as ours. They are not rich enough to employ workmen, butin less than a day, without expense and with little labor, they canbuild the house in which they live, sleep, cook, &c. , and which ismuch less trouble for them. They cut fifteen or twenty little treesof about the same size as the arm of a youth of fifteen. From thesethey remove the branches, if there be any, and make them into postsof nine or ten feet in length. They then plant them in the earth atequal distances, in the form of a circle, placing them so that theymay incline inwards, so that the base is much larger than the summit. An opening is left at the apex sufficient to admit of the escape ofthe smoke from the fire, which is always made in the middle of thecabin. They then cover these poles with the bark of trees, leaving anopen space for the entrance. If they are not too poor, they coverthis space with some pieces of old blankets. Their houses are builtin the shape of a sugar loaf, their bed is the naked earth, or somesmall branches of trees, shreded fine, that serve as a mattrass. These cabins are never more than fifteen or twenty feet in diameter. Their cookery consists chiefly in suspending above their fire someeels or hares that they have killed. These they eat almost beforethey have changed color, (what the Acadians term _boucare_). There are some who have kettles, and who cook their fish in water, with potatoes, which vegetable for some time past the Indians of NovaScotia have planted, and which now forms almost their principlenourishment. Many have boats in which they go codfishing. Althoughthey are generally rather idle, they occupy themselves neverthelessat work which requires attention and a certain kind of application, such as making pretty boats out of bark and pretty boxes of differentshapes and colors, and elegant and highly ornamented baskets. Forthis ornamentation they use the quills of the porcupine, an animalvery common in America. These quills they die black, red, blue, &c. They make these colors themselves by means of certain barks whichthey boil in water. They then fasten the colored quills on the barkof their boxes in tasteful and varied patterns. This is generallyconsidered to be women's work. That of the men is heavier, such asthe making of churns and other wooden utensils for domestic use. Theytan the skins of the animals they kill and make their shoes ormoccasins out of them. These are very thin and do not last long. As, regards their dress, both men and women are oddly attired. Theirclothes are fashioned somewhat after the manner of ours, but thesewing is all on the outside and the stitches are very large. Theselvedge of the cloth, (which they are always careful to secure whenbuying it) also shews on the outside, from their shoulders to theirheels, and is considered ornamental. The squaws' dresses are similar, with the addition of a hood, which, when turned up, completely coverstheir head. The more elegant are ornamented with ribbons, flowers, beads, &c. It is more particularly when they come to their devotionsthat they decorate themselves thus. The men also at such times dressthemselves with more than usual care. They live very peaceablytogether, willingly lend to each other, and have almost everything incommon. If one receives a gift of anything, bread for example, allthe others, men and women, regard it as a present made to all, andare as grateful as if each had received it, consequently there is nosuch thing as jealousy among them. A beautiful example for allChristians! We will now speak of their dexterity. It is wonderful to see themmanage their bark canoes, which are extremely light. These littleboats are narrow at both ends, a little wider in the middle, andgenerally about nine or ten feet long. They move with surprisingquickness in the midst of the angry waves. Two persons are sufficientto propel them, and it can be done by one. When fishing eels theystand at the end of their canoes and spear the eels with a long stick, to the end of which is fastened a sharp pointed iron. This instrumentthey call _higogue_. They are so long sighted that they can see to thebottom, of water twenty feet in depth. They wait until the fish rise, then spear them as they go along. Their dexterity is such that theyseldom miss their aim. I have often gone with them; we have journeyedtogether by sea and by land. When there are _portages_, that is to saylands to cross, in order to regain the sea or lakes, they put theircanoes on their heads and carry them to the water, and if they areovertaken by rain or by bad weather, they turn them over and takeshelter underneath them. Without counting the Indians who in 1818 numbered many thousandsouls in Nova Scotia and in Cape Breton, which Province alone, isalmost as large as France, there were at least twelve hundred andfifty Catholic families scattered over these two large Provinces. Atthat time we numbered only seven priests, two of whom were veryinfirm, which was the reason of my being obliged to leave the Halifaxmission and to repair to a place two hundred miles from there, on thecoast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in the neighborhood of CapeBreton, This part of Nova Scotia (to which I was sent by Bishop Burkeon his return from his visit to Europe, where he had been made Bishopof Sion and Vicar Apostolic of this Province), was without a priest, although it contained a great number of Catholics. On my arrival Ifound three parishes abandoned and deprived of the preciousconsolations of religion. Many children were brought to me forbaptism, and I had numerous confessions to hear, &c. They came fromgreat distances to take me to visit the sick who had ample time todie before I could get near them. I was given especial charge of three parishes composed of Acadiansand of natives of France, to whom the English Government had givenland, and who still remain in this country. The Acadian portion of mycharge having intermarried with the Indians, had become half savage, and had adopted many of the Indian customs. [Footnote: Le peupleAcadien s'etant allie avec les Sauvages, est devenu moitie Sauvage, et a pris beaucoup de leurs manieres. ] There is a tribe of theIndians called _Micmacs_ in one of these three parishes that isnamed Pomquet (an Indian word) and I was in a position to observethem as they were only ten miles from Tracadie, which was my ordinaryplace of residence. They there possessed a considerable propertygiven to them by the Government. They cultivated it, planted potatoesand cut hay. When I arrived among them I found great disorder. Manyhad given themselves up to drunkeness, and they were without a chief. One day I assembled them together and spoke to them strongly aboutthese matters. Since then I have seen with pleasure that they havenot opposed me, but that they have chosen among themselves a chiefwhom they obey, --not all of them unfortunately, for there are some ofthem who are wicked and have always given me much trouble; their lovefor brandy is their ruin. I have often crossed an arm of the sea in order to visit otherMicmacs who live in Cape Breton. This Cape is surrounded by littleislands, and there is there a lake seven leagues in length and fiveor six in width; on which I was once shipwrecked. We were two priestsin a bark canoe, paddled by two Indians, and were carrying theconsolations of religion to many families of Indians who lived on theother side at the foot of a mountain. A storm suddenly arose, a longstick, which served as a mast and carried a sail, was broken, andduring the two hours that the bad weather continued, we momentarilyexpected to be engulfed by the immense waves that rose like hills andfell, breaking against our feeble bark, although the pilot endeavoredto avoid them as much as possible, while the other Indian tried tobreak their force by means of his paddle. One of these Indians, theelder of the two, and the more experienced, trembled, fearing everymoment that we should be lost, and he was not so afraid for us as wewere for ourselves. However, thanks to Providence, and to the wood ofthe True Cross that I had with me, we were delivered from danger, andarrived safely in port. We found a new plantation made by the Indians, that is to say, sometracts of cultivated land, some animals and some frames of houses. The Indians received us with great joy, especially when they learnedthat we were two priests who came to visit them; but in nearing theirhabitations we were exposed to great danger from the horns of a bullthat was ferocious and was in the habit of rushing at passers by. Goddelivered us from this peril also, although the animal in questionwas quite near to us. These Indians set before us for our supper, tea, milk, butter, potatoes and some fruit that resembled small apples (petites pommes). We were hungry and tired. We ate with good appetites, and wereanxious to retire for the night. But what beds! Appropriate truly fora Trappist. They were made of grass and of branches of trees thrownon the ground. And what a house! It had no chimney and scarcely anyroof, so that we were all night exposed to the snow and rain whichwas falling. My companion who was suffering from lung complaint wasinjured by this, while for my part, I shivered all night and couldnot get warm, although quite near to a fire that had been kindled inthe centre of the cabin. The next morning we rose before daybreak and baptized several Micmacchildren, (for these Indians were of the same nation as those of NovaScotia) and confessed others. After that we prepared to re-cross thelake, which was not easy, as the sea was still very high. Another time that I started on a mission to this same Cape (Breton)the Indians who conducted me in a canoe perceived three monstrousfish called _maraches_, and they were frightened, as these fishare very dangerous. Their teeth are made like gardiners' knives, forcutting and boring, or like razors slightly bent. They are extremelyvoracious, and often follow boats, attacking them with violence. Barkcanoes cannot resist them, they rend them open with their teeth, sothat they sink to the bottom, which is why the Indians have such aterror of them. Happily for us these fish did not follow us, wearrived, thank God, in good health. Tracadie was usually my starting place when I left for the Indianmission of Cape Breton. I had from eighteen to twenty leagues tojourney by water, making long circuits and paddling round twelve orfifteen little islands, and passing near many others. Nevertheless itonly takes one day to make the journey in a bark canoe, that is ifthe wind be not contrary. The Micmacs of the Cape (Breton) knowingthat I was on the road and would soon arrive at the mission[Footnote: This place is called "Mission" or "The Mission of the Brasd'or, " because it is there that the missionaries are accustomed toconfess, baptize and administer the Sacraments to the Indians, and tothose who present themselves to receive them. It is a pretty littleisland on which they have built a nice chapel, and a housesufficiently commodious for the priest. ] would all gather there tothe number of five or six hundred. On the occasion referred to above, three canoes came to meet us. (I was then accompanied by anothermissionary). This was to do honor to us, to show respect andgratitude. When we approached near to the island two of these canoeswere sent on ahead to announce to the king that we would arriveimmediately, The king had all his braves armed (for they all haveguns) and the moment we landed he commanded them to fire, after whichhe formed them into two lines and made them kneel to receive ourbenediction; they then rose and we passed between them. Theyaccompanied us to the church where we chanted the _Te Deum_, orrather it was chanted by themselves in thanksgiving for our arrival. This is about the ordinary ceremony to honor the arrival of amissionary. When the mission was opened, after having implored thelight of the Holy Spirit, they all confessed, and a great numberreceived Holy Communion. I made the Stations of the Cross partly intheir own Micmac language. I know that they understood me by thesigns that they made, as well as by their devout appearance infollowing the procession. Afterwards each one came to make theStations himself the best way he could. This went on for six days, during which time I left the pictures of the Stations in the church. I put a high indulgence on their crosses, crucifixes, beads, &c. , byvirtue of a power that I received from Rome since I came on thismission. Some Indians had given bad example and had openly sinned;these made public reparation, promising to correct themselves andpraying the king, who was present in the church, to punish them, ifthey again fell into the same fault. I was obliged to leave, and hadnot time to erect fourteen large crosses which I had intended toplace in the middle of the island to serve as a Calvary. They, themselves, made three crosses, probably by this time they have setthem up (as I instructed them how to do) before leaving. The Cape Breton Indians are the best of all the Micmacs, they aresober, obedient to their priests, exact in the observance of thesmallest articles of religion (if indeed there be any small). It istrue that they are ignorant, but this is pardonable in them because ofthe difficulty of their language. One day I had given Communion to anold squaw who was ill. They were all alarmed as she was not fastingwhen she received; they thought that both the priest and the squaw hadbeen guilty of great disrespect to the Blessed Sacrament. In order toquiet them, I said to them in Micmac: "_Kijidou_, " which means: "Beeasy, there is no harm in that, it is permitted, I know what I have todo. " Immediately they looked at each other and smiled, theirconsciences at rest. The missionary who was with me once said to them:"I want you to make me a road in the woods one or two miles long. " Thenext day, very early in the morning, one or two hundred Indians, eacharmed with a hatchet, began to cut down the trees, and at the close ofthe day the road was finished. This incident alone will serve toillustrate their good will and devotion. During the five years and a half in which I worked at the holyministry in this second mission, I had consolations and God deliveredme from many dangers besides those of which I have spoken. One winterwhen I went to one of the three Acadian parishes to hold a missionthere, I fell between two large cakes of very thick ice; this was onthe sea, for every winter in this part of the world the water freezessufficiently to allow a man and even a horse and sleigh to pass overit. A young man with whom I was travelling, came to my assistance, and by his help, but more by the help of God, I drew myself out. Iwas safe, but very wet and benumbed with cold. Some days after I wasseized with a violent sore throat, which I attributed to the accidentthat had happened to me a short time previously. Many times I havebeen on foot and on horseback night and day, going on sick calls inthe most severe weather. I have walked upon the frozen sea on oneday, and have passed the same place on the day following and seenthat it would not then bear me, and should I have attempted to crossit then, I would have perished. When the navigation was open, almostall the journeys rendered necessary, by the wants of my people, Imade by sea, sometimes going in a boat, sometimes in a larger vessel. Besides the general risk that one always runs on this perfidiouselement, I have often experienced bad weather and long and perilouspassages, but the Lord has preserved me in the midst of the waters. Imust not omit to mention a most critical moment when MonseigneurPlessis, Bishop of Quebec, with several other priests and myself werein danger of losing our lives in 1815, while going by sea toChezzetcook, a parish situated twenty-one miles from Halifax, and ofwhich I have already spoken. Monseigneur, two priests and myself, were in the same boat, we had just quitted a long boat that hadbrought us from the town to the harbor. We were about landing, buthad still some breakers to avoid. Two totally unexperienced youngEnglishmen who were rowing us led us suddenly into grave danger. Thesea rose very high, and we found ourselves crossing the breakers, sothat we momentarily expected to have our boat upset and ourselvessent head over heels into the midst of the waters. All who saw us, orknew of our situation, thought that we ran the greatest risk; but weheld on, thanks to Providence, who arranges all, and nothing was lostbut my hat, which was struck by a breaker and carried into the sea. Not only has divine Providence often delivered me in like dangersthat I can call to mind, but also we were protected in the tempestwhich we experienced in the beginning of December, 1823, when we werecoming from America to France. If I have been exposed to danger onthe sea, I have also on land, but God made the elements; He dwellstherein, He is their master. I have fallen three times from the backof a horse, at great risk of being killed or of breaking a limb, andI have twice been robbed by thieves who broke into the house in whichI usually resided; they took the little money I had, my clothes, etc. , but I was absent from home when they executed their evil deed. God permitted it, may His holy name be blessed! There are in the parish of Tracadie and its environs twenty orthirty-six families of negroes, of whom the greater number areProtestants. Besides being heretics they are rascals, given to allkinds of vice. I have often visited them, and upon every occasionthat offered, tried to instruct them in spite of the danger that Iran of being ill-treated and perhaps killed by them, for there aresome among them who are bad at heart and capable of evil deeds. I hadsome experience of this when I lived near them. Recently one of these negroes, remarkable among the others for hisage and his pretended learning, fell ill. I went to see him thinkingthat my visit would not displease him. There were a number of blacksround his bed, who were singing hymns and praying. They offered me achair. I seated myself near the sick man and commenced to speak tohim of death, of judgment and of the truth faith, of the only truereligion in which we can save ourselves. Finally I said to him thathe would be dammed if he died in his false belief. At these words theother negroes turned on me with fury; by their animated features, bytheir eyes flashing with anger, and by their horrible cries, I knewthat I was not safe with them, and that I could do no good there, soI left the house. They followed me, crying out against the priests. Ayoung ecclesiastic who accompanied me was very frightened, and Imyself expected to be assaulted by them. There was one in particularmore enraged than the others, and who screamed most loudly. He saidthat if a hundred or a thousand priests should speak to him ofreligion he would not believe one of them. I returned there some daysafterwards with another priest who was conversant with English (forthe sick man could not speak French). After some hours conversationwith the missionary, the sick man asked him if he would come to himagain when he sent for him. Soon after this I left the country, but Ihave reason to think that he sent for me. I do not know what is theresult for his soul, whether he is converted or whether he remains inerror, for the above incident occurred just before my return to France. During the five years and a half that I have spent at Tracadie, which is in Nova Scotia, I have had the consolation of seeing four orfive families of these Protestant negroes embrace the Catholicreligion. Many other persons also of different nations and sects havechanged their faith, to the great edification of the children of thetrue Church. It has been found necessary to build new churches and to enlargeothers, to enable them to hold their congregations, which have soincreased in number, either by conversions, by the multiplying of theold Catholic families, or by the number of strangers who came everyday to settle in this country, and who bring the true faith withthem. For some time I was the only missionary there, and obliged totraverse forty or fifty leagues by land and by sea. I found everywhere colonies who were Catholic, as well as many persons who werenot. If some zealous priests would go to carry spiritual help to allthese people who are in a measure abandoned, they would perform agreat act of charity and win much merit; but they must be prepared tosuffer many miseries, hunger, cold, persecution, poverty, &c, and torisk their lives often both on land and sea. The principalnourishment of the people of the country consists of potatoes andsalt meat, water or spruce beer (biere de Pruche) is their ordinarydrink. They love rum which is common enough, and is not expensive--but on the other hand it is dangerous and unhealthful to soul andbody. A very small quantity of this liquor will make a man lose hisreason, and quite inebriate him. It is this unhappy and deadly drinkthat ruins the Indians in this country as in all others. The climate of Nova Scotia and of Cape Breton is very cold duringthe winter (which lasts six months), and sometimes very hot insummer. From time to time we hear of persons having their hands andfeet frozen, and even parts of their faces. I myself have seen manywho were obliged to have their hands or feet amputated, they havingmortified from the effects of the cold. Another danger that one hasto face is that of being surrounded by the snow when it is drifted bythe wind, as sometimes happens on the Alps, on the side of Mont Cenisand Simplon. This is what is called a "snow storm. " In these eddiesof snow one cannot see the road on which to travel, not even a housefifteen feet distant The snow, driven with force by the wind, fillsyour eyes, nostrils and mouth, and prevents you from breathing, sothat you are really in danger of perishing. Every winter a tremendousquantity of snow falls, so that one is obliged to use snow-shoes inorder to travel. In spite of all these drawbacks it is a healthycountry, and one which produces all necessary grain and vegetables, such as wheat, bearded wheat, rye, kidney beans, beans, turnips, cabbage, potatoes, &c, and even good fruit, such as apples, pears andplums. As to the fruit, in some townships it is very good, in othersit is small, while as to vegetables, potatoes succeed the best. Theselatter are very fine in Nova Scotia and in Cape Breton. A proof of the country not being a bad one is, that every one liveswell there. Strictly speaking, there are no poor, for one never seesa beggar. It has been remarked that those who work well, and arerather industrious, live in comfort, without being exactly rich. Again, the people have fish at their doors, for living as they donear the sea and the lakes, they can have all kinds, such as herring, mackerel, salmon, eels and codfish in abundance. It is true that thewinter is long and severe, but there is plenty of wood with which tokeep warm. A consideration that ought to overweigh all the troubles and dangerswhich have been mentioned, is the great work that may be here donefor religion among so many souls that are abandoned and given over toignorance for want of priests to instruct them. More particularlyamong the Indian people, who deserve that we should try to save them, because of their good faith and fine natural character. It occurredto me to group them into villages as soon as I got to know them well;for that purpose I have bought a large tract of land near the sea, there to form a religious establishment which will serve to civilizethem and to make them still better Christians. They will establishthemselves near us, and we will be at hand to see them and toinstruct them. I have built a house on this land, hoping that theGovernment or some charitable and generous soul will assist inerecting a chapel and some other buildings, that we shall need, inorder to carry out our project, and to effect the good that we hopefor. My Superior consents, and encourages me to return to America forthis laudable undertaking, and in order to work for the salvation ofthose Indians who know not God, such as the Esquimaux. These latterare a barbarous and cannibalistic people. Recently they made adescent on some European fisherman in the woods that they inhabit, which are not far from the banks of Newfoundland, a little to thenorth. The Indians having let fly several arrows at the fishermen, the latter replied by some shots from their guns. One of the Indianswas killed, the others saved themselves by flight. Our fishermenseized a squaw who remained near the dead body of the Indian;probably they had lived together, and she regarded him as herhusband. She was taken to St John's Newfoundland, and the Governorhaving been notified gave orders to the merchants of the town toallow this Indian woman such wearing material as pleased her. It wasnoticed that she fancied everything of the most gaudy description. The colors, red in particular, pleased and delighted her, consequently the material she chose was principally red. Theyprepared something for her to eat and offered her food which had beencooked; she, however, scorned that, and seized upon a raw fowl whichshe devoured without removing the feathers. A Frenchman who was thereand saw her, told me that her nails and teeth were extremely long. Instead of keeping her among civilized beings, she was taken to thewoods where she had been found. This was probably by order of theGovernor. It is very difficult to civilize this kind of Indian. Theyare very fierce, and their language, which is not the same as that ofthe Micmacs, seems to present great difficulties. Still these soulshave been created by God and bought by Jesus Christ, and the moreabandoned, and the further from the religion of heaven they seem tobe, so much the more do they call for our compassion. We havesucceeded in civilizing many barbarous nations and in rendering themChristian and Catholic, we may equally, with the help of God, bringothers to the knowledge of the true religion, and since pretendedphilosophers have abandoned the faith, it must, according to thedivine oracle, go to other men. If this faith is extinguished formany, who have deserved the misfortune in closing their eyes to itslight, it goes to others who will render themselves worthy byallowing this divine truth to enlighten them. Thus faith is neverlost, if it leaves us, it is our own fault. To return to our Micmacs of Nova Scotia, --it does one good to reflecton what they were formerly and what they are now. Formerly they wereferocious idolaters, now they are gentle and they know the true God. If the Government had chosen to help us we could have done for theEsquimaux what the early missionaries did for the people of which wespeak; and even these latter for whom we have worked would, withoutdoubt, have become much more civilized. We would have ventured topromise to make of them, not only well instructed and perfectChristians, but also good laborers and good workmen, in a word, goodcitizens who would be useful to society and not a burden to the Stateas they have hitherto been. The way in which they have profited by thefew lessons that they have received from us on agriculture is a proofof the success that we should have had. We have worked with them andour example has encouraged them. It is well that they know how to farma little, for instance, how to plant potatoes, for the country isbeginning to be populous, and they do not find enough game to subsistupon, and there are times when they cannot fish. It is then charitableas well as necessary to teach them to gain their livelihood in someother way. But all that is only a small part of the good that wepropose to do; to work efficaciously at the saving of their souls, torender them humble, sober, industrious, charitable, &c. , fromreligious principles which is the way by which we hope to complete andperfect the good work. Not having succeeded so far in making anestablishment of any consequence, by reason of want of means, we havecontented ourselves with forming a little school for girls, moreespecially for the young Micmac squaws. This school is taught by threeexcellent women, natives of the place, who live as religious of thethird order of La Trappe, until such time as they can establish ahouse of the first order. They have already gone through a year ofnovitiate at the convent of the Ladies of the Congregation ofMontreal, in Canada, which congregation was founded by SisterBourgeoys, as one reads in the history of the discovery of that greatcountry. These three women are stationed in the parish of Pomquete, one of the three parishes with which I am especially charged, and ofwhich mention has been made at the beginning of this narrative. It isa good little parish, composed of French people, born most of them atSt Malo, Dinan or Grandville. When I left these poor people in orderto return to France, they were inconsolable, fearing they would haveno priest. They called a meeting to discuss what they should do in theevent of so sad a situation. Many were resolved to follow me with thehope of bringing me back, or of returning with another priest. Allwere agreed to pay the passage of the missionary who should come tothem, as well as to undertake to supply all that might be necessaryfor food or raiment while he should be with them. One man namedDominique Phillippar, born in Paris, and a resident of Pomquett forabout thirty years, was chosen for an important errand. He was toaccompany me to France, and to entreat the Reverend Father Abbot, mySuperior, that I or some other member of our Order might return withhim. In case that could not be managed, we were by his recommendationand through his instrumentality to address ourselves to the Bishop, asking for some zealous priests who were willing to consecratethemselves to the North American missions, and to minister to peoplewho had no spiritual help. His place was secured in the ship that tookme to France, but as he had not arrived from his parish when we setsail, he lost his passage, the ship having sailed a day earlier thanwas expected. Doubtless the good man experienced poignant regret. Hewas ready to journey almost two thousand leagues (including going andcoming) in order to get a priest. This fact illustrates the faith andzeal for religion existing in the Catholics of these countries. I hopethat God who is often satisfied with our good will and who permittedthis event, will inspire some good ecclesiastics with the desire ofgoing to the aid of these poor souls who so well deserve assistance. When we arrived in America we found most Catholics well disposed. Their religion was obscured, but they seemed to be impressed with thefirst invitations or instructions that we gave them; of this they gaveexterior proof, such as building churches, erecting crosses on theroadside, establishing Calvaries, and making the way of the cross, adevotion which touches the heart and bears excellent fruit. I, myself, have often been witness of the good effect produced by the Stations, and it is not long since one of my parishoners who was given over todrunkenness was completely converted after assisting at this devotion. He threw himself at my feet dissolved in tears, made his confession, and since that time he has always been extremely sober and filled withthe fear of God. I often make the Stations in the different placeswhere I go to hold missions, and as I have remarked a change for thebetter in the manners and in the amusements, the dancing, vanities, &c, of the people, I attribute it to the grace attached to thedevotion of the way of the cross. Those who have resolved to go over to those countries will do wellto procure the faculty for establishing this precious devotioneverywhere. _Ut in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur caelestium, terrestrium etinfernorum. Ad Philippenses, 2 10_. "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, whether in heaven, or onearth, or in hell. " [Footnote: The Procession of the most Holy Sacrament made by theIndians of Cape Breton and the Bras d'Or has not been mentioned inthese pages, as it took place since this narrative was written. ] * * * * * TRANSLATOR'S NOTE. The foregoing very imperfect translation of Father Vincent de Paul'squaint narrative, is published at the request of the leading clergyof Antigonish County, that section of Eastern Nova Scotia in whichthe holy Trappist so long lived and labored. The original from which the translation was made, was printed inFrance in the year 1824, and, as far as is known, is the only copy inCanada. It was for many years lying _perdu_ in the old conventof the Trappistine Sisters, in Tracadie, Nova Scotia, where it wasdiscovered in the autumn of 1883. It is interspersed with correctionsand footnotes in the pious monk's own handwriting and was printed ata private press, in the Trappist Monastery at Bellefontaine, France. Father Vincent's labors were, generally speaking, confined to thedistrict over which he presided, but occasionally in cases of urgentneed, he would be sent for to administer the Sacraments to the dyingin Prince Edward Island. Old Catholic residents along the northernand eastern shores of King's County, will tell how, with FatherVincent seated in the prow, the smallest boat would ride safely overan angry sea. His apostolic zeal it was that kept the Faith alive in Eastern NovaScotia, in the days when, with the exception of a few Frenchmissions, it lived only in the hearts of the poor Micmac Indians. Before his death, however, he had the happiness of seeing theCatholic religion firmly rooted in the land he so loved, by thearrival and establishment there of the loyal Highlanders, who bytheir energy and perseverance have changed the desert through whichFather Vincent made his perilous journeys into a beautiful andfertile country. To the Right Rev. Dr. Cameron for his kindness in writing thepreface, to the Rev. Clergy for their liberal patronage, and to theTrappistine Sisters for the loan of the original copy of FatherVincent's book, are due the most grateful thanks of THE TRANSLATOR. Charlottetown, P. E. Island, 18th June, 1886. [Transcriber's Note: The words "mattrass, " "preceeded, " "shreded, ""tractible, " and "transparancy" appear thus in our print copy; also, "Pomquet" is variously spelled as "Pomquet, " "Pomquett, " and"Pomquete"; we have retained these spellings as they appeared in thepublished work. ]