Produced by Larry Harrison, Cindy Beyer, Ross Cooling and the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net with images provided by The Internet Archives-US R A N D AND THE MICMACS. BY JEREMIAH S. CLARK, B. A. * * * * * CHARLOTTETOWN: PRINTED AT THE EXAMINER OFFICE, QUEEN STREET. 1899 Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, by JEREMIAH S. CLARK, at the Department of Agriculture. SILAS TERTIUS RAND. BY THEODORE H. RAND, D. C. L. (_Re-printed by Permission._) Oft did thy spell enthrall me, spite the cost! Thou broughtâst a charmed and fadeless holidayâ Stories and songs of Indian Epic layâ Whenâer thy eager step the threshold crost, Imagination all its plumes uptost To follow where thy spirit led the way!â (The sense that thou sawâst God when thou didst pray I never through the dimming years have lost.) Fair Minasâ shores thy step did gladden, too! Thou charmâdst great Glooscap from the unlettered past, And toldâst his story to the listener nighâst; Ay, lover of song, of learned lore and vast, Thou lovâdst the Indian with a love so true, In his sweet tongue thou gavest him the Christ. SILAS TERTIUS RAND. D. D., L.L. D., D. C. L. Stand thou a hero! brave, strong, sweet-souled Rand, Firm on thy high pedestal through all time. Thy God who cheered thee on, and held thy hand, Preserves from dread oblivion thy memory sublime. What, though no sculptured block adorned the spot Where they had laid thy worn-out shroud away, Until a daughterâs toil memorial brought! Within a thousand strengthened hearts thy visage beams to-day. Mild was thy manly spirit! as a child Among his playmates thou couldst laugh and sing; Yet, through the greatest hardships on the wild, Thou didst the cheering Gospel to the Micmac wigwam bring. Peace when the gloaming settled, sweet release From thy long day of labor, for as He Pleased not himself, thyself thou didst not please; Thou too were meek and lowly, yet a prince of high degree. Now, to thy memory, learned _Sakumow_,[1] Prince in the realm of mind, few were thy peers! Soon fades this wreath we bring, as low we bow, But in the richer lives of men thy life lives through the years. J. S. C. Wolfville, 20th May, 1899. ----- [1] _Sakumow_ (Micmac for Prince or Sage.) INTRODUCTION. BY REV. ROBERT MURRAY, D.D. (_Editor of Presbyterian Witness._) Dr. Rand was a man of rare genius and high attainments. It would be a wrong to him, to the country, and to the Church of Christ to allow his name to pass into oblivion. I am grateful to Mr. Clark for his highly creditable effort to do some justice to the character and work of a truly good, devoted, brilliant and scholarly Christian man. My own acquaintance with Silas Tertius Rand extended over a period of more than thirty years. He attracted my attention and admiration when I came to this city long ago, an eager student of books and men. Rand was then in his early prime, tall, erect, lithe; never well-dressed; always notable. His features were regular; his forehead was lofty; his eyes were steel-grey and keen, and his look very kindly. He had abundance of dark wavy hair. While speaking, his gestures were perfectly natural and graceful. He had a melodious voice, clear, easily modulated to any key, and easily reaching any audience. His sentences were rhythmic, and rose and fell on the delighted ear with fitting cadence. He was a born orator, though utterly unconscious of the fact. Indeed his unconsciousness was one of the charms of his praying, his preaching and his speaking. His mind was full of his subject and in complete sympathy with his audience, whom he usually held spell-bound. I never thought of Dr. Rand as growing old, though the last time he spent half an hour with me his locks were thin and grey, his eyes were dim, his forehead deeply furrowed, and his speech less clear than of old, because the âgrinders were few,â and he had reached or passed beyond his fourscore years. He was wont to tell of his work among the Indians and for them, and it was my pleasant duty to repeat the story as best I could to my readers. He was a poet; and he was wont to honor me with the perusal of his poems, Latin as well as English, before they were in type; and I liked them well, and like them still. His Latin translations show marvellous aptitude and resource. Some are worthy of the poet-saints of the Middle Ages who breathed their fears, their faith, and their sorrows into lyrics that cannot die. His life-work was to master the Micmac language, to find his way to the hearts of the poor children of the forest, and to tell them the story of the Gospel in its simplicity. He made the language his own; he gathered the traditions of the Indians and learned their ways; and in many instances found his way to their hearts. He not only translated portions of the New Testament and Psalms into Micmac, but prepared a complete vocabulary of the language. This work and his Bible translations are in print, and may yet be found useful. As to his success as a missionary among the Indians, it is not for me to speak. This I may say: Dr. Rand was wont to go among the Indians from camp to camp, telling them the story of redeeming love and pointing them to the âLamb of God.â He had won the confidence of many. He had access to their minds and hearts, and he was fully convinced that not a few had become sincere Christians. He did not ask them to sever their connection with the Church of Rome; he asked them simply to follow Christ. One brilliant convert he hadâa very able man, Ben Christmas. But strong drink ruined this poor Indian so far as this life was concerned. I believe he died a humble penitent. The Micmac Mission is now seemingly forgotten. It was never well organized, never adequately supported. Can it be revived? Where is Dr. Randâs successor? Should the Lord call any of our young earnest and devoted Baptist brethren to this work the new missionary ought to have at his back the whole influence, the spiritual and material resources, of the denomination. The work could now be conducted much more advantageously than when Dr. Rand grappled with it. I am sure the Christian community would hail with pleasure a revival of the Indian wigwam enterprise. I may add that Dr. Rand was one of the few men I have known who seemed to be on terms of reverential intimacy with the blessed Lord and Master of us all. When praying he knew and felt that the Lord was listening. To him there was reality in all acts of worship, and he helped others to realize the presence of God. There was no hard, high, dead wall between him and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As he advanced in years he dropped the censoriousness in which he sometimes indulged in earlier years. A man like Dr. Rand is a gift from God, for which any community ought to be grateful; and the remembrance of him ought to be lovingly cherished. ROBERT MURRAY. Halifax, Nov. 1, 1899. [Illustration] CONTENTS. Sonnet on Dr. Rand by T. H. Rand, D. C. L. III Poem on Dr. Rand, by J. S. C. IV Introduction by Rev. R. Murray, D.D. V FrontispieceâPortrait of Dr. Rand VIII Acrostic by Dr. S. T. Rand IX Acknowledgment X Foreword XI Biographical Sketch 1 Micmac Mission (One Report) 25 Distributing Scriptures (Special Report, unpublished) 33 Micmac Version of John III: 16 38 Micmac Mythology 39 The Dying Indianâs Dream (facsimile of Third Edition, 51 1881) Lines written after reading the âDream,â Anonymous 71 The Sunbright Clime, by Dr. Rand 73 Latin Translations of Psalms and Hymns by Dr. Rand 74 [Illustration: âyours very truly Silas T. Randâ] ACROSTIC BY DR. S. T. RAND =S=-tanding to-day still in the âwayâ, =I=-n health and strength almost beyond compeers, =L=-ifeâs beaten road, I too have trod, =A=-nd borne the load by the grace of God =S=-afely thus far for three and seventy years. =T=-he way has not been wholly through a vale of tears; =R=-ich floods of light have cheered my sight =A=-nd visions bright have banished doubts and fears. =N=-or will I cease Godâs name to bless, =D=-ependent still through coming days and years. â_In Christian Messenger, 18th July, 1883._ ACKNOWLEDGMENT. This opportunity is taken to express my indebtedness to Miss Hattie B. Rand for the privilege of using and possessing her fatherâs private Diary; and, with her, to Miss Helen L. Webster, Miss Cornelia Horsford, Mrs. Irene Fitch, Mr. George V. Rand, Rev. Robert Murray, D.D., T. H. Rand, D.C.L., Rev. E. M. Saunders, D.D., and others, whose sympathy and encouragement induced me to go on with the task of publication, after most of the work had been done and the first project abandoned. J. S. C. FOREWORD. This little book brings again into the sunlight some few records of the life and work of a very remarkable man. It seems fitting at this time to present in a popular form a glance at the life and work of Dr. Rand, as it will be fifty years on the twelfth of next November, since the work was organized, and Silas T. Rand appointed by the Commissioners at Halifax to his chosen field of labour among the Micmacs of the Maritime Provinces. Many of the victories and defeats connected with this mission in which our fathers shared (or might have shared) have been forgotten; and, as we now gather what there is for us of encouragement and enjoyment in the records of that noble undertaking, we cannot but find stimulation and satisfaction in living over again, however imperfectly, the struggles and triumphs of one of our own heroes,âone who is certainly worthy of our highest appreciation. Only a small part of the available material will be used, as nobody is prepared to write a biography at present; and, even if someone could spend months among the Rand Manuscripts in the Libraries at Wellesley and Acadia, the occasion that calls this forth would have passed away before the work could be ready for the public. This booklet does not pretend to be a biography; you may call it a Memorial, or even a Jubilee Souvenir, if you wish; but, kindly do not overlook the purpose for which it is issued:âIn all seriousness allow it to call your attention to the stern fact that the Micmac Mission, while in progress was very much hindered by lack of Christian sympathy, and, since the faithful laborer was removed to his reward, no attempt has been made to carry on the work which was so manfully undertaken fifty years ago. And then, with these considerations, and the parting words of our Best Friend, fresh in your memory, ask yourself whether we to-day are any longer justified in repeating Cainâs impertinent question, or answering it in his own self-complacent way. Surely we know a better way to keep the jubilee of Dr. Randâs splendid endeavour than either altogether to ignore the man and his work, or merely to feast our fancy upon the beautiful mythology of the Micmacs which he has given us as one of the incidents of his work. It is ours to build, if we will, on the broad foundation which he has laid; shall we not take advantage of this opportunity, and to do our share towards giving the people life. Let us realize the fact that until Silas T. Rand aroused our people fifty years ago, no Christian teaching had been attempted among the Micmacs except by Roman Catholic missionaries; and it is not enough that they had _modified the mythology_ of the Micmacs,âin no other terms could the work be described which had been done before Dr. Rand began his campaign based upon an open Bible for every man, and a full and free salvation procured for us all through the atonement made by Jesus Christ. The Roman Catholic missionaries are to be honoured for their self-sacrificing work,âDr. Rand and his supporters are to be highly honoured for their splendid endeavour,âbut, while we honour those who so richly deserve this tardy tribute from us, let us remember that our duty to our fellowmen is not done by simply making additions to our stock of heroes and hero-worship. The hero is, after all, the conscientious toiler; he makes mistakes like other men; he may even err to a greater degree because he lives at higher pressure, but he is filled with his mission, and, whether he âsucceedâ or not, no moment of his life is lost. After Dr. Rand had with great difficulty learned the Micmac language, and reduced it to written form, he translated for the people the New Testament, and Genesis, and the Psalms; and as he went about his work day by day, he kept adding to his literary labours, until he had at last completed a Grammar and a Dictionary, the latter of which is now published by the Canadian Government. He tramped ceaselessly from settlement to settlement, sharing to the fullest extent the wretchedness of the degenerate descendants of that once lordly race, as he laboured to make the Gospel Message plain to the sons of the forest. He met discouragement in every form; he received scant sympathy from his fellow-Christians, every step he took was most bitterly opposed by the Roman Catholic clergy, but he lived to rejoice in the work that brought fulness of life to a number of the people, and laid a broad foundation for future work, before he answered the summons that called him home to his reward. J. S. C. Kirklawn, P. E. I., October, 1899. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH DR. RAND AT HIS LIFE-WORK * * * * * IT has been the writerâs privilege to gain possession of Dr. Randâs private diary, through the kindness of his daughter Hattie; and, after a great deal of labour, the rare privilege is ours of being able to see the struggles and successes of this great undertaking from the standpoint of the one upon whose shoulders the full weight of the burden always pressed,âthe one, too, who had the first and fullest share in the rewards that ever follow faithful service for mankind. The diary was hastily writtenâoften with a poor pen and poorer ink, besides other inconveniences, as he moved from place to place, carrying on the work of the Mission, but the difficulties one meets in reading the volumes are banished by the pleasure of learning, as fully as may be, the details and the leading events in that remarkable work. But there are difficulties which are not at all due to the condition of the manuscript; and the student, if he be in any way ambitious to test his powers as a linguist, is here presented with perhaps the best opportunity that man ever had,âfor here are whole volumes written in Latin and French, with pages of Micmac and Maliseet, and Greek, interspersed amongst the more solid matter; while Hebrew words occur occasionally, and prove very âshibbolethsâ to one who has become assured that the Maritime Provinces, like _Omnia Gallia_, are still divided into three parts. There are, perhaps a thousand pages written in Pitmanâs method of shorthand, and Dr. Rand also used and published in a phonetic method which necessitated the mastery of another alphabet of which the translator may have no further use after the present undertaking is completed. Writing in his Diary on March 16th, 1884, he tells how he had been for two weeks reading a copy of the Scriptures in Eskimo, kindly loaned by Dr. Sawyer, of Acadia; and that portion of his Diary written while on his tour through what was then called âWestern Canada,â abounds with Indian words used by the different tribes in that section. There are complete lists of the first decade of numerals in the languages of the Mohawks, Onedias, Senecas, Ceyugas, Onondagas, and Tuscaroros, and such words as âbread,â âmilk,â etc., are traced through all the different dialects. Nor was Dr. Rand satisfied with gathering what he could from the languages used in the schools and forests of Canada; he became more or less familiar with German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese; and, to cap the climax, the page of the Diary which relates a conversation with a returned Burman Missionary is adorned with a number of Burmese words. When we realize the marvellous progress he made as a linguist, we can, only after an effort, believe the well authenticated statement that this man was a plain farmer and stone-mason, with a most meagre education, when, at twenty-three years of age, he presented himself at the Academy in connection with Acadia College, at Wolfville, Nova Scotia. To him, âlearningâ had never been a task, and he seized upon each opportunity with all the enthusiasm of his buoyant nature. He says:ââMy first lesson in Latin was taken the first night of the four weeks I spent in Horton Academy. I heard a fellow-student, the late Wellington Jackson, repeat over and over again: âThe words _opus_ and _usus_ signifying âneed,â require the ablative, as, _Est opus pecunia_, âThere is need of money.ââ That rule, and the truth it contained, was so impressed upon my memory, and was such a perfect illustration of my own circumstances that I never forgot it.â His stay at the Academy was brief, but he had made good use of his opportunities, and from that time on he was, in the fullest sense of the word, a student. He says that in the spring of 1833 he returned to the work of a stone-mason and the study of Latin. In the following year his ability as a student and a Christian teacher was recognized, and responding to the urgent call for such men, he laid down his trowel to be ordained and chosen pastor of the Baptist Church at Parrsboro. From this time on, besides continuing his Latin studies, he began to work on Greek and Hebrew in order that he might be better able to understand and teach the Sacred Scriptures. After two years in the pastorate, he again studied at Acadia for a time, but as Pegasus may boldly deviate from the common track, so we find the young man, Silas Rand, in his literary studies following the light of his own erratic genius, as he laboured on for ten years in the regular work of the ministry. During these years he was pastor successively at Horton, Liverpool, Windsor, and Charlottetown; and in Charlottetown he began his work as the missionary to the Micmacs. It was while pastor at Liverpool, on the 10th of May, 1838, that he was united to the companion of his life, Jane McNutt, whose home was at that place. The year 1846 may well be remembered as one of great missionary interest in the Maritime Provinces. Christian men and women began to realize that a larger privilege and responsibility was theirs than they before had dreamed of. That year Maritime Presbyterians became represented abroad by John Geddie and Isaac Archibald in the South Sea Islands, and Maritime Baptists sent Mr. and Mrs. Burpee to Burma. During the year Professor Isaac Chipman, of Acadia, suggested to Mr. Rand that, as there were heathen in our own country, he, who had made such rapid progress in learning languages, should learn the Indian language, and give the Gospel to them. As he looks back to that occasion, the Micmac Missionary says: âI took hold of the idea, and determined thenceforth to devote my life to the work of civilizing, educating and Christianizing the semi-savage Indians of the Maritime Provinces.â During the next two and a half years he laboured incessantly, trying to faithfully discharge his duties as a pastor, yet bending every energy to master the Micmac language. Dr. Rand has been abundantly censured for âwasting his time over a vanishing language.â He did not. Would that more of us might waste our time to such advantage. Here a quotation from the fourteenth annual report of the Mission may be considered: âThe language of the Micmacs _must decay_. If they are brought under the influence of instruction they will desire to learn English, and yet we do not observe much progress made even in that. Among themselves they converse in their own language, and every effort to make ourselves understood among them must be in a simple conversational style. They often cannot understand our generally uttered Saxon words, far less our theological phrases. Let the minister of the Gospel or Sabbath-school teacher who can, with but little difficulty, make himself understood to the generality of our white population, endeavor to make even an ordinarily intelligent Indian acquainted with the doctrines of the atonement or substitution of Christ in the room of sinners, and faith in His work, and he will at once see the necessity for diligent efforts to acquire a knowledge of that peculiar language. We repeat, the language may be fast disappearing; but it has been by the exertions of your missionary, reduced to a grammar, and a dictionary of it is in course of construction: will men of science fail to acknowledge their obligation to your missionaryâs efforts? To the antiquarian and philologist the cause in which we are engaged has claims. But, above all, it has been made the vehicle of conveying the story of the Cross to a portion of our fallen race.â Dr. Randâs work, when studying the language, was made less difficult by securing the assistance of Joe Brooks, an intelligent Frenchman, whose father was a sailor in the French navy, captured by the British during the last war, and brought with other prisoners to Halifax. When liberated, instead of returning to France he settled at Digby; and his son Joseph, led on by a spirit of adventure, went into the forest and made his home among the Micmacs, marrying one of their women. Following the Indian custom, he gave prominence to the meaning of his name, _Ruisseau_, and gave it in English as Brooks. He had become thoroughly âcivilizedâ according to the Micmac standard, and, as he was an intelligent man, proved a great help to the busy minister who was so anxious to learn Micmac that he would ply him with questions by the hour, noting down most carefully every answer, until, instead of learning, he could teach. Before we go on following Dr. Rand in his life-work, many readers would like to know more about those pages in his Diary which are of so much interest to the linguist and the antiquary. Here let Dr. Rand speak for himself, so that now, as years ago, his personality may explain his position, and disarm all criticism. âMay 6th, 1877.âI do not think I am ambitious of fame, but I think it meet that friends should know that, proposing to translate the Scriptures into the languages of the Indians, I can furnish them with some confidence of my ability in foreign languages and dead languages. But I fear to spend too much time over it. . . . I have received a letter from Jacob Martin stating that his brother Moses will be willing to assist in translating the Scriptures into Mohawk, but would prefer coming down to N. S. I am quite taken with the idea. It would obviate one objection to the work, as I need not then wholly neglect the Micmacs. â10th. . . . Have studied Mohawk to-day; and corrected Latin hymns and studied Latin versification by way of relaxation.â Here it may not be out of place to insert one stanza of the Latin hymn upon which he was working âby way of relaxation.â The final form of the stanza will be inserted also, to show his freedom of expression in Latin. He is translating the hymn, âJust as I am.â (_As written 10th May, 1877._) Prorsus ut sumânec ulla spe, Nisi Tu mortuus sis pro me, Et jubes ire me ad Te, O, Agnus Dei, sum, (adsum). (_As published in 1881._) Sicuti sumânec sine spe, Quia Tu mortuus es pro me, Et jubes ire me ad Teâ O Agnus Dei, venio. (_A page from one of the Latin Sections of the Diary._) â17th May, 1872.âHic est dies meus natalis. Sum hodie annos natus sexaginta et duo. Gratias ago multum Domino Deo meo pro omni sua beneficia. Hodie de nova me ipsum consecro ejus gloriae et operi. Multa et magnae fuerunt meae difficultates, tentationes, angustiae et labores, sed ad hoc tempus Dominus mihi adjustit, et in eo confido hodie, et spero et credo firmiter ut me tulerit ad gloriam Ã¦ternam. âDesigno ire ad vallum hodie, et concionare illic cumââAcolm hac vespera; quia oportet me ire ad Cornwallis. . . . (_Private reference to his son_) . . . Laboro, lego, studeo, fodio, et scribo, et transcribo; tranquillus et inturbidus. Confido in Deum.â (_Page from a French section._) âJanvier, le 30, (1834.)âIl fit beau hier. Ma fille Sarah fut employÃ¨e en finisant ses arrangemens autour nos apartments, et en faisant les affaires dâetre correctes generalment autour de la maison. Notre ami Mme. Masters vint de lâassister, et toutes choses sâexhibitent Ã la present en bel ordre. Il faut que je commence mon ouvrage en finissant ma Dictionaire Micmac. âFevrie, le 4, _eme_. . . . Depuis mon dernier enregistrement jâai traduit et corrigÃ© une translation en Francais de cet beau hymne-lÃ qui commence avec cettes paroles-ci:ââJâetais fatiguÃ¨ et vagant.â Jâai recu une lettre de Mlle Saunders, en quâelle loue ma traduction Latin de le mÃªme hymne, et me remerciant beaucoup pour le nom Indien que lui Ã¡ donne. Travaillais aujourdâhui Ã ma Dictionaire.â (Possibly Dr. R. may not be the author of the first of these, but they occur in the body of the Diary.âJ. S. C.) Sept 28, 1871. O Domine Deus! Speravi in Te; O care mi Jesus Nunc libera me! In dura catena, In misera poena, Desidero Te. Sanguendo, gemendo, Et genuflectendo, Adoro, imploro, Ut liberes me. _Trans. into French._ O Seigneur, O Dieu! Toujour mon espoir. Mon adorÃ© JÃ©sus Je Te prie libÃ¨re moi. La duresse de mes chains, La tristesse de mes peines, Me tournent envers toi, Souffrant, et soupirant, A terre genoux pliant, Adorant, implorant, Je te prie libÃ¨re moi. _Trans. into Greek._ ÏÏÏ ÏÎ¹Îµ ÎÎµÎ¿Ï ÎµÎ»ÏÎ¹Î¶Ï ÎµÎ½ ÏÎ¿Î¹. ÎÎ·ÏÎ¿Ï âÎ¿ Î¦Î¹Î»Î¿Ï Î±ÏÎ·Î¾ÎµÎ¹Î½ ÎµÎ¼Î¿Î¹. ÎµÎ½ ÏÎµÎ¹ÏÎ±Î¹Ï ÏÏÎ»Î·ÏÎ±Î¹Ï ÎµÎ½ ÏÎ¿Î¹Î½Î±Î¹Ï Î»Ï ÏÎ·ÏÎ±Î¹Ï ÎµÏÎ¹ÏÎ¿Î¸ÎµÏ ÏÎµ: Î±Î»Î³Î¿á¿¦ÏÎ±, ÏÏÎµÎ½Î¿Ï ÏÎ±, ÎºÎ±Î¹ Î³Î¿Î½Ï ÏÎµÏÎ¿Ï ÏÎ±, ÎµÏ ÏÎ±Î¹ÏÎ¹ Î»Î¹ÏÎ¿Ï ÏÎ¹ ÏÎ±ÏÏÎµÎ¹Î½ ÎµÎ¼Îµ. Another digression might be made here, to show the difficulties previously overcome by the man who was to undertake âimpossibilitiesâ in Micmac Mission Work. âDec. 19th, 1864.âI am deeply impressed this morning with the grievous backsliding of the times. Surely there are no churches that at all come up to the requirements of the New Testament, nor to the description there given of the churches of those early times. Now, surely this cannot be the way, and there must be a _reform_. I saw and felt this when, in 1842, I was awakenedâI may say renewed. I remember going to Halifax; I addressed the church one evening, and the next morning just after one of the most heavenly seasons of communion with God that was ever granted me, good brother Nutting called, deputed, I presume by (ââ), advising me that it would be much better for me to go up into the country, and giving me to understand that I was excited. So when I addressed the people at the Association at Wilmot that summer on the reality of the Gospel and the importance of giving it full credence, and became very earnest in my appeals, I was immediately put under medical treatment. Dr. Sawyers was advised to speak to me and advise me to abstain from every exciting scene and subject, as I was over-excited, that is, I was bordering on insanity. âSo they wrap it up.â In all ages, those who follow the Lord fully are denounced as madmen. But shall I be cheated out of heavenly-mindedness and heaven by such puerilities? âI am determined to embrace the Gospel with all my heart, and act upon it. I feel my strength renewed in so doing. I have devoted my time during the past year, as I never did before since I commenced the work of this Mission, in seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This last month in the year, which I might have devoted to the collecting of subscriptions, I have devoted to the work of the Mission. I have done it deliberately, and in order to glorify God. I have prayed, and laboured, and looked up to Him for help. He has already interposed in a most striking manner to supply present necessities. . . . I now feel satisfied that the course I am pursuing is right. I can look confidently up to my Father, and to the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him alone I make known my wants,âto Him alone I tell my plans. My creditors know nothing of it; my friends know nothing of my necessities. I purposely refrain from publishing them, because this would be an appeal to man after all, and not to God alone. I will let the people know when the time comes. I now feel, not willing to be deceived, not willing to find out that all my hopes, my peace, my confidence, has been delusion; no! I am not willing to find out that; that would be a most fearful calamity; but I am willing to find out that I have not learned the whole will of God. I am willing to be made wiser and better. I am perfectly willing to have my faith and patience tried, and I am willing to be disappointed in my expectations, provided this disappointment be sent to teach me wisdom, and show me a more excellent way.â Perhaps it is the greatest grief that can come to an earnest, enthusiastic soul to be so grossly misunderstood by his co-labourers; and it is a melancholy case when worldly men and women take it upon themselves to explain the difference between being filled with the Holy Spirit, and being a prey to the vagaries of a crazed imagination. And now we turn eagerly to that section of the Diary where he speaks of the beginning of the Mission. * * * * * âJanuary 6th, 1849.âFor the last two and a half years my Journal has been pretty much neglected. It is now resumed. Since July, 1846, I, with my family have been residing in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The church here is small. I have been labouring chiefly at Charlottetown. . . . The principal thing which has absorbed my attention during the past two years and a half is the learning of the Micmac language. I have made some progress. I can converse with them to some extent, read the Scriptures to them,âhaving translated about a dozen chaptersâand am compiling quite a full vocabulary of their words. I have met with some assistance, especially in the officers of H. M. Brig âGulnare,â employed in surveying the coast. âFeb. 3rd. . . . Last evening I spent an hour with Captain Orlebar, at his house. He is interested in the Indians. He has contributed towards assisting me during the last three years the sum of about twenty pounds. I have made a good deal of progress in their language. I am compiling a Dictionary and a Grammar, and have brought the former down to P. I had an interesting excursion among the Indians of Nova Scotia when I attended the Association at Liverpool. I found them friendly and interested. I visited the Indian settlement at Shubenacadie and spent all night in a camp. I am now attending a poor sick fellow named Jacob Mitchell. He is going with the Consumption. Sometimes I hope light is beaming upon his darkened mind, at others I am discouraged. One thing is comforting; the work is the _Lordâs_. Oh that I could feel more deeply, and that I could converse with them in their own tongue. I hope yet to accomplish this. âMarch 28th, 1849.âYesterday Dr. Tremain drove me over to Brother Bainâs. I made a visit to the Indians. Poor Saku Mesal (Jacob Mitchell) is somewhat better, but I think he cannot live long. By the aid of his wife I succeeded in going on with my vocabulary, and worked at it for about four hours. On my return, to my surprise, I observed a new camp by the roadside, and, naturally enough called in. Just as I drew aside the _kakun_, I heard the old lady say: â_Jigulase_â (be off with you.) âDo you tell me _jigulase_?â says I. â_Mogwa_,â said she, â_Piskwa, Piskwa_,â (come in, come in.) I accordingly entered, and found them pleased enough to see me. The _jigulase_ was said to be a poor creature who had been drinking, I imagine. âApril 1st, 1849.âBy the âMessengerâ I learn that poor Burpee (Missionary to Burma) is far gone with the consumption. He must return if he is able. Who will take his place? I have been (or rather _was_) requested to go, and partially consented. Mrs. Rand objected, and I gave it up; and am reconciled to it with the hope that I may be able to do something for the poor Indians. âApril 8th, 1849.âAn Indian woman called to-day to inform me that my poor _Nigumach_, Saku Mesal, was supposed to be dying. The Lord knows what is best. I am glad the poor fellow has heard in his own tongue the wonderful works of God, and that he used to pay attention. I am, in short, not without hope that his heart had been changed. â_Kesalt Sasus_,â I lately asked him, (Do you love Jesus?) To which he replied: â_Ah, Kesalt Sasus_â (Indeed, I love Jesus.). âMay 21st, 1849. . . . I go a great part of my time into the country. My own wish is to devote myself wholly to the Indians. . . . I must draw up a report of my Micmac Mission. âJune 7th, 1849.âI have written my report on the Micmac Mission, and one part has been published in the âMessenger.â I have requested to be employed wholly in this work. âJuly 4th.â(At the Association.) . . . There seemed at one time no chance for the Micmac Mission. I felt gloomy, but found comfort casting my care upon the Lord. The cloud burst. I found that most of the ministers and people were interested in the matter. One brotherâWhitman Freemanâsent me a letter written in part in Micmac, enclosing 20/. Several other donations were received, and, at the Home Mission meeting, after I had made an address of half an hour, the Moderator proposed a collection and subscription for the Mission. It was acceeded to, and, with what was received before and after the meeting, Â£20, 18/4 were received. The Missionary Board gave me an appointment as their missionary among the Indians for the ensuing year, with the prospect of obtaining Â£50 from Nova Scotia; and I am to continue my labours in connection with the church at Charlottetown if they choose. Hoping to receive as much as last year, besides what my âGulnareâ friends may obtain for me. This, I trust, will enable me to live and meet the expenses of the mission. I am in hopes of making a trip to Cape Breton in the âGulnare,â to remain at least two months, to mingle among the Indians there, to make further progress in the language, and to do what I can for them.â Thus he laboured, from the inception of the work, never knowing when or whence money would come to bear the necessary expenses. The idea of giving a portion of his income back to the Lord would have been ridiculous. He gave everything, and every power he possessed; and Christian people allowed him and his family to live as best they might on hopes and promises, while he laboured on as their representative among the Micmacs and Maliseets of the Maritime Provinces. There has been, and perhaps yet is a common impression that the Micmacs are dying out. But anyone who is enough interested to consult the census reports will see that in spite of disease, and what we call _civilization_, they have been steadily increasing. During the twenty years, from 1851 to 1871, they increased from 1,056 to 1,666 in Nova Scotia, from 1,116 to 1,403 in New Brunswick, and from [?] to 323 in Prince Edward Island. Twenty years later they numbered 2,150 in N. S., 4,511 in N. B., and 321 in P. E. I. People are deceived by the fact that they are not found in large encampments now as formerly. Many of them are building houses, and in other ways adapting themselves to their changed surroundings. When Dr. Rand took up the work, he felt that even if the common impression were correct with regard to the language and people dying out, yet we were none the less under obligation to give them the Gospel. He felt a glow of enthusiasm, as he realized that the privilege was his of carrying the Good News in their own tongue to those who have called our land Magamagee, and Acadie, who have named our rivers and bays, and in so many places the land from which an advancing civilization has gradually ejected them that we may build our homes. Our fathers carried messages of good will to them from European sovereigns, and made the treaties very plain to them. The privilege was his and it is ours to do our share towards making the greatest of all messages plain to every man, woman and child among them, as among ourselves, for we are all brothers, with a common hunger for the worldâs great need. Dr. Rand now had been formally appointed to the work among the Micmacs by the Baptists of the Maritime Provinces. But the thought of teaching denominationalism was farthest from his purposes. He wished to have every Christian in fullest accord with him, as he went from place to place in the prosecution of his work. He felt that, in order to get this common sympathy enlisted, a common responsibility would be an advantage. It was not his purpose to organize âsuch as were being savedâ into separate churches, but to confine himself to leading them into the Gospel light, and then they might unite with whatever churches they wished, or, if they preferred, remain where they were. His support, too, was coming from many who were not Baptists, chief among these were Orlebar and Bayfield of H. M. Brig âGulnare,â who had collected some money for him among Episcopalians in England. Everything considered, it was decided to organize a Micmac Mission irrespective of denominational lines. Correspondence was opened up, visits were made, and a representative meeting was arranged for in Halifax, before which Dr. Rand presented very fully the condition and claims of the Mission. So great was the enthusiasm of the missionary as he stood before them, filled with a burning desire to give his life to the work, and already acquainted with the language, as a result of more than two and a half years of constant study, that they were all agreed to go on together with the work, and the Micmac Mission was organized on the 12th of November, 1849. The first missionaries among the Micmacs, as is well known, were Roman Catholics, who had begun work almost as soon as the French first visited Acadian shores. These faithful workers learned the language and reduced it to writing, using for this purpose however, not _letters_ but _characters_. The characters used were partly such as were found in use among the Indians, and partly invented at the time. In this manner a prayer-book was constructed for their use, which was almost their only literature for two hundred years. The book had never been printed, but copied by hand with immense labour, and committed to memory; the characters, each of which represented a word, serving as little more than aids to the memory. As soon as a rival missionary organization appeared in the form of the Micmac Mission, with Dr. Rand translating the Scriptures into Micmac, the Roman Catholic authorities hastened to improve their methods, and, as an offset, had this prayer-book printed at immense labour and cost, as several dies had to be cut, and types formed to represent all the words used. It is the work of a clever German priest, and is a marvel of literary skill and perseverance. I have almost quoted Dr. Rand here, and he adds: âBut so far as _use_ is concerned, to say nothing of its theological errors, it is one of the grossest literary blunders that was ever perpetrated.â Dr. Rand did not realize then that some of his own translations into Micmac which were published in Isaac Pitmanâs phonetic method might be regarded very much in the same light by many critics of the following generation, critics who also say that as the Indians could not read, it seems absurd to have prepared books for them, especially the Scriptures, since they were all nominally Roman Catholics, and would not be allowed to receive them, much less to learn to read them. The labour of the next fifteen years was so exacting that few entries were made in the Diary, and these few were noted down hastily in Shorthand. If you, my reader, would know of the weary hours of toil, and of the victories won, you must kindly wait until a biography has been written. Dr. Rand was guaranteed a salary, but the collecting of that salary was left for him to do. Who ever heard of such a paradox? Meetings must be held far removed from the scenes of his labours, and people must be entertained and âmovedâ before the contribution box was passed. It was during these years too, that Ben Christmas gave him so much trouble and disappointment, and on this account many people refused to further aid the undertaking. Do you wonder that Dr. Rand wearied of collecting from those who simply contributed to the work in order to smother down the qualms of conscience? Do you wonder that he found it difficult to co-operate with people who would leave him to carry the whole load, while they calmly calculated his progress, or entirely forgot about the work? Having read the life of David Brainerd, and learning now of what was called the Muller method of trusting, Dr. Rand was encouraged to shake himself free from the work of raising funds for the Mission; and from that time on he looked to God alone for his support, asking no man for a single cent. How God accepted and blessed him we shall see. âApril 9th, 1865.â(Hantsport.) . . . Had a good mission visit to old Brooksâ family. Found the old man very tender. I took him into the waggon and gave him a drive, and he told me his experience,âquite satisfactory. He has been in great distress about his soul, but he has come into liberty. He can rejoice in the Lord; the Bible is precious to him; he is affected with the love and mercy of Christ, he is not afraid to die and he wants to be baptized. I have agreed to drive him through to Hantsport and keep him for a week, when, if I am satisfied still, I will baptize him. â11th.âI visited Newel yesterday afternoon. He seems to be sinking rapidly. Read two chapters to him. He listened attentively, and, when his wife interrupted, he asked her to be quiet, as he wished to hear. He said he liked to have me come and read to him. I intend to go often. â13th. . . . News has just been received that General Lee has surrendered to General Grant, which virtually ends the war. . . . Staid all night at Bro. W. Churchâs; rose early and had a quiet time reading and praying in secret. About nine oâclock I went on to see the Indians. Mrs. Church expressed a desire to go with me, so I drove her out to the Forks of the Avon. We had a pleasant visit. I read several chapters; the story of the crucifixion in Matthew. They were attentive. I prayed and sang. Mrs. Brooks appeared pleasant. I remember very well when she used to seem frightened as though a bear were prowling around. âSept. 25th, 1867.â(Charlottetown.) I went to Rosebank, praying that I might have some success, and expecting some opposition. Just before arriving at the encampment I turned into the woods and spent a little time in prayer. I walked up to the first wigwam, found the man outside pounding splits. He seemed friendly; conversed freely; when his wife came out and invited me in. I entered, and soon produced my book and read Genesis 1-2-3. After conversing a while I bid them good-bye, and walked on. Stopped to converse a little with Peter Mitchell, who was building a canoe. He was short and crusty; I walked on, and found a good-looking fellow outdoors at his work. I sat down on the shavings and entered into conversation with him. âOld Jimâ Mitchell soon made his appearance, and pretty soon, in a loud excited voice enquired what the Lord required of us; but he gave me but little chance to answer his question. I said âIâll read you the question and the answer,â so I turned to John VI., 28-29, and read. I continued reading until he interrupted me; and soon Peter made his appearance, and a woman who chimed in with âOld Jim.â Peter seemed quite zealous, ordered me to decamp, flourished his crooked knife at me, and talked big. I quietly kept my reclining posture, telling him that I should attend to my business, and he must attend to his, that he was under no obligation to hear me, and might go away if he chose. . . . I felt a little thrill of holy delight at this little specimen of persecution, it seemed to draw me nearer to the Apostles, and to our blessed Lord. Met an intelligent Indian at the market-house from Malpec with whom I conversed for some time.â During his visit to Cavendish on October 27th, 1864, he spoke of visiting at the home of David McNeill. While there he preached in the Presbyterian Church. He mentions that no collection was asked for or taken, but some small sums of money were handed to him; then, giving this as a sample of many entries, to quote his own words: âNext morning Mrs. Murray, wife of the minister, called on us before breakfast, and brought us a donation of ten shillings. Soon after another friend called and handed me two pairs of socks and a five shilling bill. Soon, another five shilling bill was given me by the young man at whose house we had been lodged. The evening before, Mrs. John McNeill had asked us to call and see her husband who is troubled with asthma. We called and had a good visit. I read the 21st of Revelation, and commented on the glorious city. As we came away Mrs. McN. put a pound note into my hand. This made, presents and all, three pounds, two and sixpence, and they may take a collection besides. âThese donations, given and received in this way, make, I must say, a sweet impression upon my heart. I take them as coming more immediately from my Heavenly Father than if they had been solicited personally by me. âMonday, 15th Feb., 1869.â(Halifax.)âI have only six cents. I wish much to obtain some things for my wife. I think I will purchase them. I thought of going home to-day; I think now that I will wait till morning. I have been constantly praying for mercy and grace to help in time of need. â16th.âCalled at Avery and Brownâs Drug Store and obtained a piece of âdiacoln (?) plaster!â Mr. Brown, to whom I had given a report, and then afterwards on Sunday had met at our meeting at the Poor House, came out of the office and slipped a half-sovereign into my hand. I called on Dr. Hattie; found him sick and confined to his house. We had a sweet long talk on the best of themes. We prayed together. He handed me two and a half dollars. The evening was stormy;
{'title': 'Rand and the Micmacs by Jeremiah S. Clark', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}