Mission of the Sacred Heart, where I was received with the greatest cordiality by Fathers Joset and Point, with Brothers Magri and Lyons. All the Cceur d'Alenes of the neighborhood came to welcome me. The fervor and piety of these poor Indians filled me with great joy and consolation, especially when I considered how great the change wrought in them since their conversion to Christanity. The details of this conversion have, I believe, beer, published by Father Point, and, by the way, I may remark here that some incidents connected with my previous mission to this country are inserted in this letter. To these details I may add that these Indians, previous to their conversion, were notorious among the other tribes, on account, it is said, of their great power in juggling and other idolatrous practices. Indeed, they were addicted to superstitions the most absurd, blindly offering adoration to the vilest beasts and the most common objects. Now, they are the first to scoff at these ridiculous practices, adding at the same time, with much feeling and veneration, "God has had pity on us - he has opened our eyes - he is infinitely good to us." A single instance will serve to give you some idea of the objects of their worship and the facility with which
they adopt their manitous or divinities. They related to me that the first white man they saw in their country wore a calico shirt, spotted all over with black and white, which to them appeared like the smallpox; he also wore a white coverlet. The Cceur d'Alenes imagined that the spotted shirt was the great manitou himself - the great master of that alarming disease, the smallpox -and that the white coverlet was the great manitou of the snow; that if they could obtain possession of these, and pay them divine honors, their nation would never afterward be visited by that dreadful scourge; and their winter hunts be rendered successful by an abundant fall of snow. They accordingly offered him in exchange for these several of their best horses. The bargain was eagerly closed by the white man. The spotted shirt and the white coverlet became thencefor-