Goodie McKenzie Remembers the Local First Nations at Esquimalt

Curiosity:
“At first we were afraid of the natives, we little girls and my mother. We had heard such terrible stories about them before we left home. The Indians of Esquimalt and even the Songhees were very curious about us, especially us little girls with our long, light, fluffy hair. They would come from miles around to watch us at play.”

And fear:
“To us, the drill every morning, to which we were summoned by the bell, was the one thing which insured our safety. Each morning the bugle was blown for roll call and military drill, and each night our one small cannon was fired and every man set off his musket, while my mother fired her horse pistol. Even after we knew there was not the slightest danger from the natives, we still kept up the practice, which was always a source of interest and excitement to us children and the Indians…As a matter of fact [the Natives] were kind and friendly. I do not remember a single instance of anything else…We children could talk Chinook fluently, all of our servants being Indians.” [note]