The Henson Journals

[32]

Wednesday, September 4th, 1912. Little Metis.

The morning was beautifully fine, the air fresh & warm, & the aspect of everything delightful. I started work again on the Lectures, but the noise of the maids packing up the furniture against the winter, disturbed me, and about noon I wandered forth into the sunshine & took some photographs. The newspapers report that Labour day in Montreal was disgraced by an extraordinary amount of drunkenness: there being no less than 121 cases to be dealt with by the magistrate on the following day. I received a telegram from the Y.M.C.A. in Montreal asking me to address a 'mass meeting' on Sunday afternoon, & begging me to wire reply & send subject. I sent a telegram stating that I would address the young men on the Putumayo atrocities. We went to tea with Mr & Mrs Grier. There I had some conversation with Dr Wardrope, Mrs Grier's father, an aged Presbyterian minister, 94 years old, the oldest in the Dominion. He was remarkably alert & well–posted, & remembered the past with astonishing fulness & accuracy. He spoke of Dr Chalmers & Dr Candlish as men whom he had personally known. I gave the old gentleman a copy of my "Lee" lecture, which he appeared much gratified at receiving.

[33]

Mr Grier shewed me his house & garden with much simple vanity. He had designed the one, & laid out the other: clearly he had made a hobby of the work of his hands. He gave me the impression of the true colonist type, able, arduous, aggressive, strong in elementary virtues, entrenched in naïve prejudices, exempt from enfeebling or exalting sentiments. He seemed to pursue some mild proselytising among the French habitans. Thus he told me that he had given a French Testament to one of them, who was in his employment, charging him to read it, & by no means to surrender it to the priest. All went well enough until the good man's wife died. Then the priest pointed the obvious moral of the incident. The Testament was immolated: & the penitent abstained for two years from any intercourse with his Tempter! On our way homewards we stopped at a tent whereon a notice announced that it was tenanted by John Denis 'an experienced guide & Moose–caller'. The last is a profession which must be confined to this continent. Here we purchased from an old Indian woman some trifles. The Moose–caller explained that the horn was used in his work. So we brought an extremely agreeable & restful visit to an end. Tomorrow we must away to Quebec.

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Issues and controversies: Putumayo