Lake Superior. Certainly it did not seem that much was accomplished
during my tour, and I was a little disappointed that there was not a
larger number of pagan Indians among whom I might look forward to
establish Missions in the future. Still I had gained, at any rate, some
insight into the condition of the people; there were the obdurate
pagans from Rainy Lake, Blackstone, whom I was destined to meet again
at a future day, the Thunder Bay Indians all seemingly under Jesuit
influence; then these more accessible Red men of Michipicotun and
Batcheewanig. Some Pic River Indians also I had chanced to meet on my
travels, and had some conversation with. The Neepigon Indians I was
sorry to miss seeing. I was obliged to leave them for another time,
together with the people belonging to several other settlements on the
North shore.

Altogether, the result of my trips to Garden River and to Lake
Superior was that I felt inwardly drawn to come and labour among the
people of these more Northern regions in preference to remaining among
the semi-civilized Indians of Sarnia. How the way would open I could
not at that time foresee, or how soon it might be my lot to move into
these wilder regions I could not tell. It was merely an unshaped
thought, the beginning of a desire created in my breast.




CHAPTER XII.

CHANGES IN PROSPECT.