"ONCE in an ancient city, a brazen statue of Justice

Stood in the public square, upholding the scales in its left hand,
And in its right a sword, as an emblem that justice presided
Over the laws of the land and the hearts and homes of the people.
Even the birds had built their nests in the scales of the balance,
Having no fear of the sword that flashed in the sunshine above them.
But in the course of time the laws of the land were corrupted;

Might took the place of right, and the weak were oppressed, and the mighty
Ruled with an iron rod. Then it chanced in a nobleman's palace
That a necklace of pearls was lost, and ere long a suspicion
Fell on an orphan girl who lived as maid in the household.
She, after form of trial, condemned to die on the scaffold,
Patiently met her doom at the foot of the statue of Justice.
As to her Father in heaven her innocent spirit ascended,
Lo! o'er the city a tempest rose; and the bolts of the thunder
Smote the statue of bronze, and hurled in wrath from its left hand
Down on the pavement below the clattering scales of the balance,
And in the hollow thereof was found the nest of a magpie,
Into whose clay-built walls the necklace of pearls was inwoven."

-Evangeline.

INTRODUCTION.

A CIVILIZED Christian community of native British Columbians, is now seeking refuge under the American flag from gross, and malicious persecution, of Church and State. This people, only thirty years since, consisted of some of the most ferocious Indian tribes of this continent, given up to constant warfare, notorious for treachery, cannibalism, and other hideous practices. Although incurring great personal risk, and several times narrowly escaping assassination, Mr. William Duncan, with rare fortitude, and genius, began single-handed a mission among them: he educated them, and taught them Christianity, in the simplest possible manner; at the same time gradually introducing peaceful industries; and by these means he wrought in a single generation a marvellous transformation. A work that stands absolutely without parallel in the history of missions. Where blood had flowed continually he

founded the model, self-supporting village of Metlakahtla, now consisting of a community of one thousand souls,-that will compare favorably with almost any village of its size in England or America, for intelligence, morality, and industrial thrift. There are also several thousand other civilized Indians, of nearly the same standard, in the outlying missions under his influence; who, aggravated by similar causes, will doubtless follow the Metlakahtlans.

This successful work is now threatened with utter destruction. In spite of Mr. Duncan's protests, the Church of England Missionary Society through its bigoted Bishop, has attempted to force these simple-minded Christians, to adopt its elaborate rites, and ceremonies. The Indians resent this, and reject the Bishop. The Society in its efforts to destroy the independence of the Metlakahtlans, and compel them to surrender to its dictation, has through its representatives resorted to all manner of intrigues, intimidations, and even schemes to cripple them by impoverishment. Failing to crush them by these measures, the Society's emissaries through great Church influence, have succeeded in inducing the Government to seize a portion of the Metlakahtlans' land without compensation, or treaty, and hand it over to the Society.

All appeals of the Metlakahtlans to the Dominion and Provincial Governments, have been treated with evasion or contempt. In contradiction to all precedents in British and American usage, and the repeated declarations of Earl Dufferin,-while Governor-General of Canada;-the authorities have proclaimed, that the Indians of British Columbia, are, but beggars, and have no rights whatsoever to the land, and that all their land belongs to the Crown. Recently the government authorities have sent men-of-war, and taken active coercive measures, to enforce their decision to despoil the peaceful, and law-abiding, Metlakahtlans; and in consequence of urging their rights by simple protests, without violence, several of the Metlakahtlans have been arrested, and conveyed like criminals, six hundred miles from their homes, and thrown into prison.

Despairing of justice in their own country, and preferring a peaceful solution of their grievances, rather than avenging themselves by warfare, they have unanimously empowered Mr. Duncan, to treat with the Government at Washington for homestead land in Alaska (the boundary of which is but thirty miles distant from their present abode) whence they may remove, and re-erect their build