Page images
PDF
EPUB

scenes can seldom occur.

ed for. Every teacher hears terrible stories ber seemed larger to me then, for the only school of insubordination of scholars and injustice I had ever attended was in one of the farming of teachers. But, if the scholar can trust his towns of Massachusetts, where the district comteacher and confide in him, and the teacher is prised considerable territory and but few houses. worthy the confidence of the scholar, such Our teacher was very mild and gentle in her government, seldom punishing a scholar, yet she obtained perfect lessons, and always succeeded in keeping good order, and in winning the love and respect of us all. I have often thought her success was, in a great measure, owing to the moral instruction which she gave us. Every morning, as soon as school was opened, she would read some interesting story, which would of course from it, and apply it to our every day duties, our gain our attention. She would draw a moral and kindness and generosity toward each other intercourse in school with regard to our studies,

at all times, but above all she would endeavor to lead us to a loving Saviour, and this was the basis upon which she strove to build our whole moral character. I will relate a little incident that occurred, which will illustrate her teachings, and which produced a happy effect upon her pupils.

There are, however, cases when the government of a school has been arbitrary, almost despotic. Boys have been crushed into obedience and girls awed into submission. Even in such cases, when their indignation and revengeful feelings are ready to burst forth, on the arrival of a new teacher, and to sweep away all wholesome restraint or discipline, a teacher may overcome this feeling by a constant kind, though firm, administration of government from the very beginning. Some readers of this article have known of schools where one teacher, kind, interested, calm, but firm, has brought a previously ill-governed school into a perfectly healthy condition; and, leaving it, has been succeeded by a man who fails entirely to govern the school. The first teacher has returned and at once restored the school to its proper state. I remember being, myself, the pupil of a teacher of the first kind, one whom every scholar loved and respected. He never watched us, he trusted us, when we were worthy of trust, and we knew respected us as boys. He was followed by one who ut-peated the shortest verse in the Bible-" Jesus terly failed to gain the confidence or respect of many of his pupils. I was not his pupil, but I heard from his scholars very few expressions of regard for him, for the probable reason that he had no real regard for them. He was succeeded by our former teacher, who, upon entering the school room on the first morning of the new term, was received with that respect and regard which he retained during the whole session. One teacher found us worthy of confidence, and proved himself worthy of ours; the other, apparently, cared most for himself and for his salary. JOHN.

NOTE.-Scholar: a member of a school, in this com.

For the Schoolmaster.

Moral Instruction in Schools.

I have a very vivid recollection of a young lady who taught our district school two summers, when I was quite a little girl. It was years ago, yet the influence of her instructions will follow me through life. It was a small country school, there might have been thirty scholars; the num

It was her custom to havs every pupil repeat a passage of scripture each day before separating at the close of school. There was one boy who tried to excuse himself, by saying he could not remember a verse long enough to repeat it. She replied that she thought if he would select a short one, he would be able to remember it. The next day when his turn came, he arose and re

wept,"-at the same time looking round with a smile, as though he expected the other scholars to join him in a laugh, which many of them were disposed to do, but a glance toward the teacher checked it at once. Her eyes were filled with she talked to us of the sin of trifling with sacred tears and the sorrowful tones of her voice, as things, made an abiding impression on our hearts. It is needless to say she had no occasion to repeat the lesson. We usually spent about fifteen minutes in these exercises every morning, and the time was not wasted. A teacher's duty is not done when the lessons are learned and recited. Every teacher has it in his power to do an immense amount of good, and if the opportunities are passed by unimproved, the responsibility of that neglect rests with him. A child's heart can be moulded like wax. Precept and example from a teacher who is loved and respected, will make more lasting impressions than the same from a dozen persons outside the school room. Now, while the child's character is forming, is the time to plant the seeds of kindness, generosity integrity and truth.

M.

Dr. Rae and Sir John Franklin.

THE following report of Dr. Rae's remarks at the late meeting of the American Scientific Association, we clip from one of the best of our exchanges-The Journal of Education for Lower Canada, published at Montreal.

Sir John Franklin's party was said to have perished, it is to be concluded that the Esquimaux' tale is untrue. They also say that the different kinds of wood of which chips were found could not have beeen those of any governmant boat which any party could drag 100 miles over the ice, and that Sir John Franklin, who was well aware of the means "It will be remembered by most of our readers, that in 1854, Dr. Rae, on his return of reaching the Hudson's Bay posts by the from an exploring expedition along the Amer-Back or Mackenzie Rivers, probably carried ican shores of the Artic Ocean, brought with with him planks of different kinds of wood, him certain relics of Sir John Franklin's ex- in order to construct a light boat with which pedition, which he had obtained from the Es-to ascend one or other of these streams, and quimaux who reside near the Castor and Pollux River. The discovery of these remains was supposed by the Amiralty to set at rest the question as to the fate of Sir John Franklin and his party, and, in consequence, this hardy traveller received the promised reward -£10,000 sterling-as the fruits of his toil.

A great many of the scientific men in England however, and amongst them Sir Roderick Murchison, continued to maintain that the entire destruction of the party at the place indicated by Dr. Rae, was not sufficiently proved, and that further traces of him would probably be found. In the following year another overland expedition was sent out by the Hudson's Bay Company, under the command of Mr. Anderson, and on the very spot described to Dr. Rae, by the Esquimaux, as being the place where they had seen the dead bodies of a party of white men, were found pieces of Pine, Oak, Elm, Ash and Mahogany, chips and shavings, and a piece of wood marked with the word "Terror," but no traces of the bodies; and also at the first rapids up Back River, paddles and other pieces of wood belonging to a boat were in possession of the natives.

that it is possible, that failing in the attempt the remains of his party had taken refuge among the Esquimaux and that some of them may still be living. They further add that in any case, the whole of the crews of the two ships were not accounted for, and on these grounds they urged on the government the necessity of further search. To this line of argument however the government has declined to yield, and further means of search have been refused.

We recently had an opportunity of hearing from Dr. Rae's own lips an account of his travels, his answer to all these difficulties as to the fate of Franklin, and his own reasons for arriving at the conclusion that the story of the Esquimaux was true, and that he had really found the last resting place of the latest survivors of those gallant crews whose names deserve to be recorded among those of the most devoted victims to scientific discovery.

The

The occasion on which we had the advantage of hearing Dr. Rae was purely accidental. It was the last day of the session of the American Scientific Association here. section was about to close its proceedings, when a learned member announced that Dr. Rae was present and would, if agreeable, show those of the Franklin relics he had retained. No sooner had the audience learned

Those who refused to be satisfied with Dr. Rae's account, were still less so with Mr. Anderson's They said that in the climate of the Arctic regions, the intense cold preserves ex-that Rae was in the room than he was loudly posed articles in a wonderful manner, so that called for, and he answered most good-nait is hardly possible to judge, on viewing a turedly to the call. The following report, deserted Esquimaux settlement, how long it though it wants the life-interest which attachmay be since it was the abode of human be-es to Dr. Rae's own narrative, is, we believe, ings-the minutest fish bones being in a per- as nearly corrrct as may be.

fect state of preservation at the end of many years. They therefore think that no human bones having been found at the place where

DR. RAE.- Previous to my expedition in 1854, when I found these articles, I had been engaged in four boat expeditions to the Arctic

whites supply the Indians with fire-arms in exchange for furs, they are looked upon by the Esquimaux as the allies of the Indians.

The Esquimaux among whom I have been, are very exemplary in their domestic relations and are much more cleanly than those Dr.

regions and had traced some 3000 miles of saw the mon take the pot off the fire at meal coast. This last expedition was undertaken time they rose and went away-a delicacy that more for the purpose of geographical inform- does not always prevail in more civilized sociation than to search for Sir John Franklin, as eties. I have observed that on the part of the I had hardly any expectation of finding any Esquimuax to the East of the Mackenzie traces of his party in the direction I was go- River, there is no instance of that blooding. But one day, in the course of my trav-thirsty disposition towards the whites and the els, I met an Esquimaux who told me that a Indians that one meets with to the West. I party of about thirty white men had died of explain this circumstance in this way. To starvation beyond a great river a long way to the West the Esquimaux and the Indians are the West. On inquiring among the Esquialways at war, the latter being anxious to maux I found they were in possessson of keep the Esquimaux back from participating pieces of watches, pocket chronometers and in the trade with the whites, and as the silver spoons with crests and letters upon them, which turned out to be those of persons belonging to Sir John Franklin's expedition. I also found Sir John's cross of knighthood and a small round silver plate, engraved, Sir John Franklin, K. C. B., and other articles. In fact, some of my men had their coats cov-Kane met with further north. When you go ered with buttons they obtained from the Esquimaux, so it had evidently been a large party. I bought these articles from the Esquimaux for saws, daggers and other weapons. They gave them up quite willingly. Doubts have been expressed as to the truth of this story and the honesty of the Esquimaux, and it has been suggested that they had murdered the men of this party and robbed their bodies. This I do not believe, for I have always found them honest and trustworthy. Their memory too, is extremely correct. They have of course no writings, but they hand down from one to another the most accurate descriptions of what they have seen. I wintered among them in 1847 and they then described to me the visit of Parry and others, twenty years before, so well that I at once recogized Parry from the description, and he subsequently confirmed to me the circumstances of his visit which they had related to me. Then as to their having robbed and murdered the men of this party, I can only say that as long as I was amongst them, they never stole an article from me, and when I went away on a distant expedition I left only three men with the stores. Yet the Esquimaux never molested them in the least, although they would have gained a great deal more by murdering or robbing them than by the destruction of Franklin's party. On the contrary they were very polite in their manners to them and when they

among them they bring forward their wives and children and introduce them to you, and seem proud of any notice you take of them, or of any present you make them. The women are not treated as slaves, as they are among many of the Indian tribes. They have only to take care of the snow-house and the affairs of the household. They are very kind to their wives, and children are considered as a great blessing. The more children there are in a family the richer it is considered. Indeed so much is this the case that when children lose their parents they are immediately adopted by other members of the tribe, who bring them up as their own children, and there often is even a scramble as to who shall get them. The Esquimaux are very grateful too for any kindness. I have had an opportunity of being of use to them more than once, and they always seemed obliged to me for what I did for them. On one occasion they ran short of food; we had plenty and we supplied them from our stores. Afterwards, when I wanted seal fat for my men to eat with their venison, they brought it and laid it down at the doors of the huts, and refused to take any payment for it, saying, that we had fed them when they were hungry. I always found them frank and friendly. I never had a quarrel with any of them but one man, and he was considered so bad a character among themselves that they wanted me to shoot him. This, I of course,

refused to do, unless he interfered with us, and they asked me to give them some powder, which I had told them was poison, to kill him with. He was a very powerful fellow, and they were afraid of him.

For my own part, I have no doubt as to Franklin's fate. His purpose had been to try to reach Behring's Straits, and he had been known to say that if he met with ice he would push his ships into it and take his chance. After wintering at Beechy's Island the first year, as we now know he did, he probably tried to reach Cape Walker, and from thence to gain Behring's Straits; but being caught in the ice was obliged to abandon his ship, and by boat and sledge to endeavor to reach the American continent, through Peel Sound and from thence escape up Back River. In this attempt I believe he and his party perished. We know that Franklin had provisions for three years and a half, and he calculated on making them last four years. We also know that he had salted down a number of little ducks, that are so plentiful at certain seasons in these regions, intending to live upon them should his other provisions fail. It is extremely probable that among the provisions that he took with him, there was a portion bad, as after he left it was discovered that large quantities of the preserved meats which had been supplied to government were unfit for use. Thus his resources might be considerably diminished and it is well known that it requires full rations to keep men in that climate. Now, if the men, attacked by scurvy, and no ship expedition has ever yet completely escaped, took to eating these saltbirds, they would die off like cholera patients. Scurvy is the most frightful disease I know of. It is the great enemy of the Arctic voyager. This would therefore account for the deaths of so large a party.

variations of the compass. He would also endeavor to make the North West Passage which captain McClure had only done by walking part of the way upon the ice, he having been obliged to leave his ship frozen in. If any man can do this it is captain McClintock. He has great experience, and his vessel, a small screw steamer, is admirably adapted for the work. It is probably the best equiped expedition that has ever been sent to the Polar regions. He has only taken thirty men and he has provisions for them for three years. Should these fail, he can fall back upon the caches left by previous expeditions, sufficient to support 100 men for two years, There is, therefore, little reason to fear any accident.

When I was among the Esquimaux, I endeavored also to find any books or papers they might have; they told me that they had had books, but being of no use to them, they had given them to the children to play with, and they had torn them. The only papers I could get were two leaves to areligious book, which a woman had preserved in her work-bag. They are now deposited in Greenwich Hospital with all the other articles except these.' Here Dr. Rae exhibited the relics he had kept. They consisted of pieces of three or four watches, a small piece of a gold chain, a shilling, a sovereign and a half crown, a petty officer's badge and a silver spoon with Franklin's crest. Dr. Rae then continued: 'I found the Esquimaux very correct in all the information they gave me. They are the best geographers I ever met with. I had only to give them two or three points on the chart, and they would sketch me out the whole coast line between. Thus I was able to ascertain where they had seen the bodies of the white men they told me of, and when, next year, Mr. Anderson's party went to the place I described, they found the remains of a boat, As it is evident that Sir John Franklin must some pieces of wood, upon one of which, the have gone down Peel Sound, we know pretty word "Terror" had been stamped, and also well where he must have left his ships. Lady kettles and other utensils which had evidentFranklin has therefore sent out another ship ly belonged to the expedition. They also under captain McClintock, to endeavor to found a piece of a snow shoe frame with the find out the place where the ships were aban-name of Mr. Stanley, surgeon to the Erebus, doned, and to determine, if possible, the place of the Magnetic Pole, which was discovered in 1830 by Sir James Parry, and to see if there had been any shifting that would explain the

carved upon it. I have since been able to trace it to the maker and the man in London who sold it to Mr. Stanley. Mr. Anderson has not been able to find any of the bodies of

the party who perished, but I account for the seal from dragging him into the water that in this way. They had been seen before after him. Dr. Kane describes the Esquimaux the ice decayed in the spring, on a low beach as being much dirtier than those I met with. over which, doubtless, the sea flows at certain I was quite ashamed of our appearance in seasons of the year, and the bodies were either comparison to theirs. In fact they dare not washed away, or covered over by the sand, be dirty. Every night they are obliged to foxes and wolves aiding in their destruction, strip off their clothes and beat all the rime while the other articles were removed to a off them and hang them up in the hut, else place of safety by the Esquimaux. Captain they would become a solid mass. It is true Parry told me that whales and walruses they don't wash themselves, for they have no which he had left in similar places had disap-water for that purpose; but they rub thempeared by the rising of the water at certain selves with snow. We tried to wash our

seasons.'

selves with water, but we could not get dry again, so we were obliged to imitate the Esquimaux and take a dry wash with snow. This answers the purpose very well and it even does very well to clean the blankets. During the winter I caused the men to rub their blankets several times with snow, and it is wonderful how much it cleanses them. The snow huts are very warm and

they become very white and pretty, much more so than the roof of an ordinary room. The moisture and heat from the inhabitants become encrusted on the roof and walls and give the appearance of a house built of ground glass. They use stone lamps with moss wicks, like those described by Dr. Kane; but the women arrange the wick so that there is none of the annoyance from smoke, which he mentions.

Dr. Rae, alluding to the habits of life of the Esquimaux, showed us a needle made by themselves, the eye of which was well drilled and very fine. He then continued: the Esquimaux make their thread from the sinews of the deer. In fact, the reindeer supplies them with all they want. In places where they have no vegetables, they take out the first stomach of the deer and keep it to eat clean. After they have been used a while with their meat, as their only substitute for vegetable food. They are very expert in killing the deer in autumn. They frequently take herds of 30 or 40 by driving them into the sea. They also shoot them with bows and arrows; but the way they take them most is by making pit-falls in the snow into which they tumble. My men though halfbreeds and all experienced hunters, never could make snares that would keep the deer. The animals often fell into ours but they always got out again. But the Esquimaux manage to make them in such a way that the slanting wall of the pit-fall throws him back when he attemps to jump out. The Esquimaux are also very expert in killing seals with their spears, where my men could not manage it with their rifles. We often succeeded in striking the seal but never so effectually as to prevent him tumbling back into his hole and being lost. The Esquimaux instead of going head foremost towards the seal, drag themselves along the ice sideways, and when the seal seems startled they make a peculiar noise in their throats like the sound made by the seal, and thus they approach near enough to throw their spears, holding on by the end of the line. If it is a very big one, however, the hunter scratches a hole in the ice in which to fasten the end of his line, in order to prevent

I am satisfied that Dr. Kane, who deserves so much credit for his courage and perseverance with a constitution so weakened by suffering, committed a great mistake by using tents instead of snow huts. Besides the weight they had to carry, his men suffered a great deal in them from cold. In the snow huts my men slept quite comfortably with a blanket or two and a strip of deer skin below them to keep them off the snow. My men never had more bedding than that. It weighed only twenty-five pounds for four men, while including the tents, Dr. Kane's men had to carry twenty-five pounds each for night accommodation. This has been one of the errors committed by all the gov ernment expeditions. They did not imitate sufficiently the mode of life of the Esquimaux. It is a rule to be observed, that travellers should imitate the mode of life of the natives

« PreviousContinue »