it may concern, of this my resolution made in the fear of God, and with an especial eye to his glory: further more that I renounce it, that authority and office which was conferred on me by the Superintendant of the Methodist society, which I do not believe to be consistent with that order which Christ has established in his Church, and lastly that I protest against the Methodist Societies as being a continuation of an ancient heresy and schism and calculated only to keep up and foment divisions, respecting the great truths of religion, and under these impressions I cannot conclude without beseeching you and all others seriously to ponder and weigh in their minds the awful consequences of being separated from the true Church of Our ever Blessed and Glorious Redeemer, I therefore earnestly conjure you to lay aside the prejudices of your situation and closely examine the ground of that religion to establish which Christ died upon the Cross, finally be assured that although my opinions are changed, my affections are not alienated from you. I shall carry with me into the bosom of the Holy Church a sincere regard for your persons and shall earnestly pour out my prayers before God that he may conduct you all to that Faith, which can save and bring you to an eternal inheritance.

"P. S.-I depend on your honour that you will read the above to your friend yourself and preserve it in your keeping without entrusting it to others.

"I subscribe Your's in C. Jesus the Lord,

"J. RICHARD."

The last clause shows that Mr. Richard sought no publicity, and issued no work giving the reasons for his step. The Methodist clergyman, Rev. Samuel Coate, however, deemed it necessary to enter the field. As Mr. Richard gave no reasons, Coate supposes what his reasons were, and answers his own imaginations in a curious little book entitled: "An Inquiry into the Fundamental Principles of Roman Catholics, in a letter to Mr. John Richards; By Samuel Coate. Brooklyn, 1809."

THE SMALL-POX AMONG THE INDIANS AT AND NEAR FORT MICHILLIMAKINAK IN 1757.

[Extracted from the "Registre des Baptêmes administrez aux françois dans la mission de St. Ignace de Michilimakinak."]

BY VERY REV. EDWARD JACKER.

Page 47: "I have baptized privately (ondoyéa) a little gir. who is ascribed to Rupelais, and a daughter of la Culote: this little girl was about six weeks old, sick with small-pox, this 11 8bre 1751 le franc j.

"I have given private baptism to-day to a little Indian girl, aged about one year, who is called stisksiabano," this 15 8hre

1757.

d

"This same day, I gave private baptism to the son of Miskmanit, who desired baptism and very dangerously sick with small-pox. I have given private baptism to-day 15 8hre to the son of the late sichema", whom I buried on Thursday, and Kininchisé, both dangerously sick, they solicited baptism earnestly and promised to receive instructions and live ast Christians, if they recovered: both died the 17th."

Page 48: "I, undersigned, missionary priest of the Society of Jesus have solemnly baptized Mary Bichibichikse1 (dead *) an adult aged about twenty-three or twenty-four years, sufficiently instructed and desiring baptism; the god-father was

a

Undoubtedly an Indian. Mekinot (mes culottes) is the Ottawa name. bOdishkwaiabano, "at the end of the East," or "at the close of daybreak." As there is no w in French, the early French missionaries universally employed the Greek to represent the sound of w or oo.

Miskomanito-"Red Manitou." The name is still in use among the Ottawas. d Wijema, "Good Tobacco." The m means mort-dead.

A man's name, Ginijiwe-"He cut something long."

Bishibishikwe, "Bright Lynx," with the female ending "kwe."
Inserted between the lines by F. LeFranc.

Mr. Janis, a trader, and the god-mother Mde. Sanschagrin at Michillimakinak this 18 8bre 1757.

"A. Janisse.

"M. L. LEFRANC, Miss. of the Soc' of Jesus. Angelique taro.

"On the 18th I gave private baptism to the son of Neskima,' he was dangerously sick with small-pox.

"I have given private baptism this 22 8re to a little boy (dead) at the Point, aged about six months, in danger.

b

"On the 27th I gave private baptism to a Panis woman belonging to Mde. Blondeau, and to Mr. Cardin's." On the 28th I privately baptized Memanghisinet's daughter. The 29th Mikisenua's sister-in-law, all dangerously sick.

"I had baptized privately a week ago Sarasto," a panis of Mr. Sanschagrin. The 1st 9bre I gave private baptism* to a little boy of the same (effaced), the panis of M. de Blondeau, the 3d a little Indian who is at the house of Mr. the Commandant, it had been abandoned, which was said to belong to

Neogima, "Lower Chief" or "Fallen Chief."

Inserted afterwards by the missionary. This remark applies to the word in subsequent entries also.

с

La Pointe de St. Ignace, the sight of the first Michillimakinak mission.

A stroke crossing the words "celle" and "panis " is in the original. It was undoubtedly made for the purpose of showing that the persons thus marked were dead at some later period, when Father Dujaunay revised the book for the purpose. This applies to all the following cases. To judge from the color of the ink, that revision of the records was made as late as 1762, where the last

case occurs.

e Panis, an Indian slave. This French term is probably the Ottawa (and Ojibwa) abanini, and perhaps connected with Buan, the Ojibwa name of the Sioux, and with Pawnee. The roots bwa and ban imply a negation, past time, a lapse and impotence. War captives are sometimes represented as headless men, in Indian pictography.

Memangiwine, "Bighorned."

Migisésa, "Little Eagle." (The circumflex gives a nasal sound to the vowels over which it is placed.)

This is not an Algonquin name.

* (Marked to be inserted at this place.) A Sac.' I baptized privately 31 8bre the brother-in-law of Mikisinensa, died 2d 9bre, the 2d 9bre I baptized privately.

1A Sac (Sauk) Indian.

JOught to be Mikisesa, as before.

а

b

Chambeli (dead). A little panis girl of Mr. the Commandant; the 4th, I gave private baptism to #abikeke (dead); the 5th I baptized privately two Indian women (dead) in nanchskache's cabin, one in kanchimagan's" (dead); one abandoned under an apakois near the same place; the wife and a little boy of pitatcha anon, both of whom died the same day.

g

"The 6th I gave private baptism to Mikisensa's daughter (dead); Memanghieinet's son (dead) and la blonde; panis of Mr. de Langlade, Sr. The 7th I baptized privately a little girl of pittatchasanon. The 8th I baptized privately a little child of Neskima (dead). (This entry effaced.) The 7th 9bre I baptized privately two of the nephews (living) of Mikisensa's wife, and her little boy, called Kinonchamak" (dead); and a little boy in the cabin of sabikeke, deceased.

"The 23d 9hre I baptized privately an old woman, motherin-law of Ranch&kachó (dead); a young man of about from 17 to 18 in the same cabin (dead); and a little child in a neighboring cabin; all in great danger." (To be continued.)

This appears to be the name of a Frenchman, but may be the gallicized Ottawa name Jahone, "he goes through him." Thus the noted chief Shabonce (†1859; possibly a grandson of the Chambeli mentioned in the record) went also by the name of Chamblee.

b Wabikekek, "White Hawk."

с

Najogȧji, "Double Nail" or "Split Hoof." (The pronunciation of the j is as in French.)

₫ Gaojimagan, “provided with a spear,” “Soldier."

* Apakwei, a lodge mat.

Pitadjiwano, "River Breakers "; ("a river running over shelfy ground is broken into foam.")

La Blonde, here a proper name.

h Ginojameg (commonly ginoje or kinoshe), "Pike" (Le Brochet). 'From the Registre des Morts it would appear that the discase made its appearance first among the French. In the three preceding years the whole number of deaths entered is but six, while between August 30 and December 15, 1757, there are seven interments of French persons recorded. Of Indian interments eleven are entered, but three of them being those of persons named in the record of baptisms. Accordingly, the number of (baptized) Indians whose death (between October 13th and December 10th) is recorded, is twenty-six. The number of those baptized during the plague (with one exception all in danger of death) was thirty-nine. The entries were made in haste, all the ordinary forms being dispensed with.

MEETINGS OF THE UNITED STATES CATHOLIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

THE Fourth Public Meeting of the United States Catholic Historical Society was held in Chickering Hall, New York, May 24, 1886.

The Vice-President, Librarian, Recording and Corresponding Secretaries, and Rev. Dr. Burtsell, Rev. James A. McGean, Messrs. Shea, Emmet, Lee, and others of the Executive Couucil present.

The meeting was called to order by Vice-President Harris, and the minutes of the last meeting read and approved. The President, Frederic R. Coudert, Esq., then took the chair and made a few remarks.

The Librarian reported several contributions to the library. The Treasurer reported the amount in the treasury of the Society.

Mr. John Gilmary Shea then read a report of the Executive Council on the history of the Dongan Charter and the present precarious condition of the venerable parchment roll, so interesting to the History of the City and State, and offered the following resolutions proposed by the Council:

WHEREAS, The original Charter of the City of New York, granted by Thomas Dongan, Governor of the Colony of New York, in the name of King James II., two hundred years ago, has been for several years lying in the Financial Department of the City Government, without any special Custodian or Receptacle; and

WHEREAS, The same has never been accurately printed from the original parchment by direction of the Common Council of the City of New York;

Resolved, That the United States Catholic Historical Society memorialize the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of New York, to take steps for the proper custody and preservation