great confidence at that time is shown in the following extract from his letters : " How consoling it is to pour the regenerating waters of baptism on the furrowed and scarred brows of these desert warriors,- to behold these children of the plains and forests emerging from that profound ignorance and superstition in which they have been for so many ages enveloped; to see them embrace the faith and all its sacred practices with an eagerness, an attention, a zeal, worthy the pristine Christians."
But all the Indians were not like the Flatheads, and the problem grew in complexity as the good missionary's experience increased. He found the Indians a fickle people. It was hard for them to stick to a thing, particularly when it ran counter to their immemorial customs. Their religious beliefs and social ethics were very different from those of Christian peoples. It was not a lack of intellectual capacity nor of a susceptibility to religious teachings that stood in the way ; but the inertia of long-established customs. It was therefore Father De Smet's conclusion that the full " conversion of these poor heathens is the work of the Lord, for it implies the entire regeneration of the adult Indian which would be next to a miracle of grace."
There were other obstacles to missionary success among the Indians which are thus stated by Father De Smet " The principal ones are the immoderate use of strong drink, polygamy, superstitious practices and prejudices, a language very difficult to acquire, and their inclination to a wandering life. This inclination is so strong that they become melancholy and morose if they stay three months in the same place."
We have several times referred to Father De Smet's work in providing ways and means for carrying on the missions. One important resource which was available for many years ought to be referred to. The American Fur Company gave the missionaries free transportation, both for passengers and freight, on the company's boats plying the Missouri river. It was a most valuable contribution, for which