Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 29).djvu/188

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on the solemn festival of Christmas. From {100} 1839, when the mission was established, to July, 1845, the reverend Canadian missionaries baptized 3,000 persons. The number of Catholics residing at the different stations of the Hon. Hudson Bay Co. in Oregon, together with the colonists of the same nation, amounts to several hundreds. By adding to these 2857 baptized since 1841 in the different mountain missions, it gives us a total of more than 6,000 Catholics in Oregon. The diminutive grain of mustard is fast extending far and wide its branches, over this once sterile and neglected region. In the month of June, Father Nobili, accompanied by a brother novice, left Willamette to visit the tribes of New Caledonia. The Very Rev. Mr. Demers saw the following named tribes: Kameloups, the Atnans or Shouwapemot, the Porteurs or Ltavten, which names vary according to the different places where the tents are pitched.[77] They affix the word ten which signifies people, i. e., Stelaoten, Nashkoten, Tchilkoten, Nazeteoten.[78] Rev. Mr. Demers had the consolation of baptizing 436 children among these tribes.

Such has since been the fervor and zeal of these poor Indians; who, though deprived of a priest, have built threeand the Nakasletin (Nazeteoten) on Stuart Lake.—Ed.]