Since the previous September, Nicolaye has received a new mission. He left Numakumus, Vancouver Island, where he has been replaced by Father Louis Eussen, and proceeded about 120 miles north of the Island of Kyuquot, to start a new mission. The Indian village of 700 people in which he built is situated on an Island and is surrounded by other Islands as Nicolaye shows by a rough map of the arrangement of the Islands. His mission is 220 miles from the civilized world, 120 miles from Father Eusson, and 60 miles from Father A. Brabant, of Hesquiat, Vancouver Island. Kynquot is the most northerly parish on the Island and extends to 2 villages 20 miles to the South, and 40 miles to the north where there are 4 villages to be covered. All of this is the work of one man who must also teach 105 children 4 hours a day if he is a home. During the coming winter, three small chruches and a school at Kyuquot must be built, all without the aid of a carpenter. Nicolaye is in grave need of a companion to help him but does not know where to find one. Father Joseph Leroy is perhaps dead already; Father John James Jonckaw, who was very sick last year has recovered but is not able to labour; Father J.N. Lemmens has gone to California to recover his health but will return in 3 months; Klos is always healthy but he is thin and gray; Eussen and Father J. Althoff are very stout; and he has not yet seen Father Gulielmus Heynen. After building a church 60 ft long x 25 ft wide x 14 ft high at the walls, and a house 20 x 25 ft, Nicolaye will begin his missionary work among the Indians. These savages not only adore the sun and the moon, but also anything which they fear or which will do them harm, such as the sea, the devil, stones, trees, and even men. Everything went on nicely for three months as the war on these false beliefs began, but the church-going was mainly left to the children who were ridiculed for it. The government does not interfere much with the Indians there and so the work is finally progressing. Nicolaye initiated the cunningness of Klos and appointed the chief as mayor and head of the jury, and also gave him 10 natives to act as policemen. A jail has been built of logs, and contains 6 cells. After 7 months of trial this system is achieving admirable success since the police and jury have charge over the temporal matters while Nicolaye rules the spiritual sphere. This system is also in use in the other villages of the mission. In the station which Wussen now cares for, Nicolaye used policemen but no jury system and this resulted in making the chiefs jealous of the policemen. When Indians are punished now they blame the jury for it instead of the priest. Nicolaye proposes the laws which are accepted and enforced by the jury, and such offenses as bigamy, adultery, fornication, intoxication, and the illegal traffic in liquor are punished in the jail. Quarrels, thefts, working on Sundays, neglecting to come to Church, and subversive talk against the authorities or religion are also covered. It is necessary to tame the Indians before they are able to understand a serious sermon. A man may pay his fine for being imprisoned by means of blankets ex. 10 blankets for 3 months, and these fines are equally divided between the jury and police. Thus there is an active government in the mission but Nicolaye is troubled by the lack of churches and houses in the other missions. The Indian's houses are worse than hog-sties, and since they are not fit as places to give Divine services, a priest cannot stay in the same station for a long time. The Indians of all ages and sexes crowd into a one room dwelling and so a priest cannot live in such camps. The ideal solution is to build a small church of rough lumber at each station, and a small shed beside it as a dwelling. Nicolaye has no money with which to build however and Bishop John Baptist Brondel, of British Columbia has no money to aid him. Each building will cost about 80 or 85 dollars. If Father Florian De Bruycker, of Willimantic, Connecticut, and Father Eugene J. Vygen, of Putnam, Connecticut, have no objections, Nicolaye asks Van Oppen and Van Wersch to collect as many donations as possible for the aid of his mission. If no money can be collected, Nicolaye will be grateful for the efforts made, but he would like to receive some sort of answer before September. At that time a schooner will arrive but after that there will be no more communications with Victoria, British Columbia until the end of March. A little financial assistance would make it possible for him to convert about 2 thousand Indians. He also asks for their prayers. P.S. His return address is in care of Bishop John Baptist Brondel, Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. in James Alphonsus McMaster papers :: I-2-d A.L.S. 4pp. 12mo 10