Inasmuch; Sketches of the Beginnings of the Church of England in Canada in Relation to the Indian and Eskimo Races (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VIII The Northwest Passage If the identification of the newly-discovered lands as the outposts of farther Asia, and the naming of their inhabitants "Indians" were correct, it followed that there must be a way round either by the South or by the North, to the delightful and golden lands "Cathay" or "Cataya." It followed further, since the Continent of Asia lay to the North of the Equator, that given a way round, the one to the North or Northwest would be, by far, the shorter and therefore the more desirable and satisfactory. Hence, the search for the Northwest Passage. This practical reason was reinforced by the facts that Spain laid claim to central and most of South America, and Portugal to the passage by the Cape of Good Hope; thus barring in great measure, at least, both routes to the English. It may be asked, what has the search for the Northwest Passage to do with the missionary beginnings of the Church of England in Canada? The answer is that it has a great deal to do with those beginnings. For the reasons; first, that the voyages in search of the Northwest Passage discovered the wild shores and islands of the Arctic Seas destined to be occupied, in due time, as the frontier line of the missionary efforts of the Church of England in Canada; and, second, that the first missionary of the Cross, of any title or religious persuasion whatsoever, to leave home and friends "/or the only care he had to save semis" was, as will be seen in our next chapter, a beneficed clergyman of the Church of England, who accompanied the second expedition of Sir Martin Frobisher. For the earliest surmisings concerning a western passage to the Far East we must go back of Columbus, and anterior, even, to the time of Christ. More than one of the ancient geographers, i...