Robert Tomlinson Annual Letter 1869-70
Page 1
[note written diagonally in left corner]
[1] PS I am writing on this
[2] paper because I have not
[3] received the annual letter or
[4] usual enclosures this year.
[1] Annual letter
[2] Rev Robert Tomlinson
[3] Kincolith
[4] North Pacific mission
[5] Revd and Dear Sirs
[6] Another year has now passed away
[7] and I take up my pen to write. There is perhaps
[8] no part of my work which I think so often as letter
[9] writing and prose particularly accounts of my mission
[10] work. for in addition to my natural reluctance such
[11] letters cause a feeling of anxiety lest I should be
[12] led by feeling to speak too hopefully or too despondently
[13] of the work. On a subject of such momentous
[14] importance I must either enter fully and at large
[15] or merely state dry facts. Of mission work here
[16] I cannot write a full account as I have not yet
[17] learned to write of feelings. So I can but sit down
[18] some bare facts and leave you to fill up the
[19] picture with it sunshine of smiles, hopes, relief
[20] expectations and joys. and its shades of tears,
[21] disappointment cares and sorrows
Page 2
[1] When I addressed my last Annual Letter I was
[2] at Metlakatla taking charge of that station during
[3] the temporary absence of Mr. Duncan. About the
[4] middle of December we returned to Kincolith
[5] On the 13th of January our little church was
[6] opened for service. We held daily morning and
[7] evening service until the beginning of March
[8] when the people separated for the fishing. The
[9] average attendance was Sunday morning 49
[10] Sunday evening 31
[11] Weekday mornings 29
[12] Weekday evenings 27
[13] The average attendance at school for the
[14] same period was
[15] Sunday school (all classes) 40
[16] Weekdays school (men) 30
[17] Weekday school (women 22
[18] & children)
[19] I still use the prayers and Tchimshean composed
[20] by Mr. Duncan with the exception of the Lords
[21] Prayer which I have translated into Nishkah. On
[22] weekdays my practice was to read a verse translated
[23] into Nishkah and impress it upon their minds
[24] without adding any remarks. On Sunday I
[25] added a few remarks. My progress in the language
[26] will ^now^ enable me to add a few explanatory remarks.
[27] Each morning and evening when we hold weekday
[28] service again which I hope please God will be in a week.
Page 3
[1] The secular work of the mission has made progress
[2] during the year. The Church which though far
[3] advanced was still unroofed when I wrote my
[4] last annual letter was finished Early in June.
[5] Having to complete it during in the winter when
[6] the days are so short added somewhat to the
[7] building expenses but this was amply repaid
[8] by the blessing it has conferred on the place supplying
[9] as it does a Schoolhouse and Church. For themselves
[10] the settlers have erected 5 capital cottages. one
[11] other still remains unfurnished. They have arranged
[12] the houses in a perfect line and what I attach
[13] most weight to they are paying attention to the
[14] insides dividing them into rooms &c. To the Mission
[15] house I have added a garden and some outhouses.
[16] When H.M.S. Sparrowhawk visited us in the summer
[17] I made an application to the Surveyor General for
[18] a grant of land on which the Mission building
[19] are. he promised to give the letter his Early
[20] attention. but I fear the change of Government has
[21] caused some delay.
[22] When his settlement was formed we thought
[23] it advisable to try in a small way what had proved
[24] so successful at Metlakatla viz. A trade shop.
[25] My own personal feelings were opposed to it from the
[26] first, and yet from the peculiar position we occupy
[27] there must be something of the sort and too much
Page 4
[1] praise cannot be given to Mr. Duncan for his
[2] courage in running such a risk. After nearly
[3] two years it has ended in a failure with a dead
[4] loss of over $300. While the experiment was being
[5] made it was a continual source of anxiety
[6] and trouble to me personally and now it has
[7] failed. I am personally a loser for I did not
[8] think it would be fair to Mr. Duncan to bear
[9] the whole loss. So we divided it into 3 parts
[10] one I pay myself. one appears in the Mission
[11] expense and the remaining one is a dead loss
[12] to Mr. Duncan. At present I have only such goods
[13] as I require to pay for work &c. and
[14] we have arranged no settled plan as yet
[15] for the future.
[16] While the trade shop at Metlakatla
[17] has led many where they can hear the sound
[18] of the gospel and see explicit effects in
[19] the lives in conversation of the settlers.
Page 4 ½ [as labelled by Robert]
[1] I have adopted another means and one where I feel I
[2] can with God‘s blessing be the means of much good
[3] both bodily and spiritually. I am building a
[4] hospital. Since my arrival among these tribes
[5] they have been infected by two Epidemics and God has
[6] blessed my efforts to so signally that confidence and
[7] trust in me as a doctor are rapidly taking the place
[8] of mistrust and doubt. I know that where 50 may
[9] come at a time to trade but one or two will come
[10] for bodily relief. But the advantage of larger and
[11] more frequent intercourse of drawing out their minds
[12] and getting an insight into their character are
[13] much greater when you have one or two in a sick
[14] room then when 50 or 60 are collected with their minds
[15] full of trade. The hospital is to ^be^ built entirely by
[16] natives and will not cost the mission a penny as
[17] I will defray the first cost and trust to the liberty
[18] of kind friends at home whose hearts the Lord will
[19] open to aid me in fitting it up with everything necessary.
[20] At the present the building is in frame. I have long had
[21] the idea in my mind but ignorance of the language
[22] customs and superstitions of these people has restrained
[23] me. Now however God has broken down many of their
[24] barriers and I have begun to build in his name.
[25] When In my last Annual Letter I informed
[26] you of the state of affairs between the Nishkah and
[27] the Tchimsheans. How the Nishkah were kept in a
[28] state of blockade. This continued all winter
Page 5
[1] and spring war again darkened our horizon. And here
[2] the value of having Mrs. Tomlinson could be truly
[3] {estunated?}. Bravely laying aside all fear and repugnance
[4] she accompanied me through the midst of the hostile
[5] tribes, disarming all opposition by her presence, and
[6] creating such a feeling of confidence has enabled me
[7] to restore their wives to two tribes to two anxious husbands and
[8] bring one poor wounded man to the shelter of the
[9] mission house whereby God‘s good blessing he was
[10] soon restored to health. Such was the shock caused
[11] by this second outbreak that for some time I
[12] seriously thought of moving the Mission Station to
[13] a place some 20 miles up Nass River. The step
[14] was abandoned and we remain with God‘s blessing.
[15] In the summer we were visited by H.M.S Sparrowhawk
[16] with the late Governor on board in his presence peace has
[17] made between the tribes but ^that^ the shock was a severe
[18] one for the mission may be seen by the fact that though
[19] 12 new settlers were enrolled our number is only equal
[20] to last years. as some have left for fear and other {???}
[21] the result of the shock. The total number of settlers including
[22] women and children is 60.
[23] Our heavenly father has continued to bless
[24] Mrs. Tomlinson and myself with excellent health
[25] all the year. I I had some fears that Mrs. Tomlinson
[26] would not be able to stand the winter so weak is my
[27] faith. But God sent us a very mild winter and
[28] many many other mercies.
Page 6
[1] Until very lately indeed I have been acting as
[2] it were on the defensive in my mission work.
[3] While the enemies of the mission have been acting
[4] on the offensive. Now however I feel strings
[5] of my tongue loosing and my spirit begins
[6] to burn within me. So that I saw that should it please
[7] God to spare me and bless me I look forward
[8] to a more vigourous effort during the coming
[9] year. I propose please God to baptize some
[10] of those who have proved themselves in earnest
[11] should they satisfy Mr. Duncan and me at the
[12] examination about questions Xmas. Should Mr. Duncan
[13] return home. I must either postpone or
[14] limit the baptisms. The Bp as you are no doubt
[15] aware is at home. And Archdeacon Woods tells
[16] me he is so shorthanded that he cannot
[17] leave new Westminster. May God guide us
[18] in everything. Yours very sincerely
[19] Robt Tomlinson
