West was “Late Chaplain to the Hon. The Hudson’s Bay Company” visiting various Forts of the HBC, but mainly serving as chaplain and missionary to the natives at the Red River Colony..
p. 28-29: January 1, 1821.—I went to the school this morning, a distance of about six miles from my residence, to examine the children, and was much pleased at the progress which they had already made in reading. Having addressed them, and prayed for a divine blessing on their instruction: I distributed to those who could read a little book, as a reward for their general good conduct in the school. In returning to the farm, my mind was filled with sentiments of gratitude and love to a divine Saviour for his providential protection, and gracious favour towards me during the past year.
p. 276, apropos a Captain Brandt, a commander of Indian warriors: He was a man of a shrewd intelligent mind, and translated the Gospel of St. John, with the Book of Common Prayer, into the Mohawk language.
p. 148, on efforts of Russians in North-west coast: by mild persuasion and conviction, and the report of their success in general is, that a considerable number of savages of the Polar Regions have been converted to Christianity.*
[* Footnote: “The Russians have made many proselytes to the Greek Church, (he observes,) from among the natives of the North-West coast of North America, and two different supplies of the Scriptures in the Slavonian and modern Russ languages have been forwarded to that quarter, for the use of their settlements there, by the Russian Bible Society.”]
p. 150, apparently at Red River Colony: June 2.—I have been adding two small houses to the Church Mission School, as separate sleeping apartments for the Indian children, who have already made most encouraging progress in reading, and a few of them in writing.