The Moravians in Labrador. Unknown
serve the Lord in those regions was ever present to his mind; and when in 1762 he returned to Germany, he laid his desire before the Conference at Engen, which at that time had the direction of the Brethren's Unity, and offered to undertake personally a voyage of inquiry into these regions. His proposals met with their most cordial approbation, and he took his departure from Hernhut for England in the spring of 1764, with the blessing of the congregation. He travelled on foot through Germany to Holland, and after encountering numberless difficulties—especially in England from his want of a knowledge of the language—he arrived in London. His first intention was to offer himself as a common sailor or ship's carpenter to the Hudson Bay Company, in order to procure a passage; but the brethren advised him rather to try and get to Labrador by the way of Newfoundland.
After many fruitless attempts, he was eventually introduced, through the means of James Hutton, Secretary to the Brethren's Unity in England, to Sir Hugh Palliser, Governor of Newfoundland, and Commodore of the squadron which sailed annually from England. Sir Hugh received him very kindly, and took a lively interest in what appeared to him so praiseworthy an undertaking as the conversion of the heathen; for he rationally concluded that it would also be most advantageous for commerce, if the population of that country were instructed and humanized. He at once promised all his assistance and support, and even offered to carry Jans Haven out on board his own ship. This the missionary declined, but requested letters of recommendation to the government officers at St John's, which were readily granted, and he set sail with the first vessel for that port. Upon his arrival (May 16th) he lodged at the house of a merchant, who treated him with great civility, and supported himself by working at his trade as a carpenter, while he endeavoured to obtain every information possible respecting the scene of his future labours. In the mean time, his disinterested love for the work he had engaged in was put to an eminently trying test. Many persons who heard of his intentions came to see and converse with him; but instead of endeavouring to strengthen his hands in his missionary designs, they made him several advantageous proposals for settling in Newfoundland, where there would have been no doubt of his speedily realizing a fortune. His heart, however, was bent on a nobler object. That he did not under-rate the difficulties he would have to encounter in his arduous work, appears from a letter written about this time; but he knew likewise where his strength lay. "Every one here," says he, "paints the Esquimaux in the most shocking colours; but I think they are men, and the word of the death of Jesus, which has produced such amazing effects on other barbarous nations, cannot fail to have an influence also on them."
Immediately upon his arrival in St John's, Newfoundland, the Governor issued a proclamation, expressive of his approval of the objects of the mission and of his desire to promote them. "As it would," said he, "be of the greatest advantage to the trade of His Majesty's dominions in North America, if a friendly intercourse could be established between the Esquimaux Indians that inhabit the coasts of Labrador, and the inhabitants of the colonies; and all attempts hitherto to accomplish this desirable object having failed—partly, it must be confessed, owing to the foolish, treacherous and cruel manner in which some of our people have treated the natives in their traffic with them on their own coasts—some of them being most deceitfully plundered, and others barbarously murdered; in consequence of which we have been brought into the greatest contempt, as if our only design was to lay a snare to get them extirpated: such flagitious proceedings being directly opposed to His Majesty's benign and humane disposition, it is his Royal will and pleasure that these Indians be henceforth treated with kindness, and encouraged to trade with his Majesty's subjects. In conformity with these sentiments of our gracious Sovereign, we deem it necessary to recommend to every possible assistance the bearer of this, Jans Haven, a member of the Moravian Brethren's Church, who has formed the laudable design of visiting these coasts, and if possible, to communicate the knowledge of religion to the poor ignorant heathen, and also endeavour to remove the prejudices which have prevented them from having a friendly intercourse with us. And further, we, His Majesty's Officers, &c. in Council assembled, having conversed with the said Jans Haven, and being highly satisfied with him, command that no impediment be thrown in the way of this his attempt, but rather that every possible friendship and assistance be given him, in order to promote a happy issue to his most Christian undertaking, as by this a great service will not only be rendered to the inhabitants of these colonies, but to His Majesty's subjects in general. Given under our hand, subscribed and sealed at St John's, 1st July 1764. (Signed) Hugh Palliser"
Fortified by this proclamation, which secured to the missionary the protection of the British Government, a protection which the Brethren have to this day enjoyed, he embarked on board a ship bound for the north, from which he was transferred to a French shallop engaged in fishing on the shores of Labrador. When they arrived on the coast, Haven for the first time saw the Esquimaux rowing about in their kaiaks, but none were permitted to approach without being fired upon, so great was the dread these savages had inspired. He landed, however, 24th Aug., near Chateau Bay, 52 degrees N.L.; but the inhabitants fled at his approach, at least none made their appearance till he left the shore, when they came in numbers to the beach, which was the subject of much merriment to the sailors, who made both him and his object the frequent subjects of their coarse ridicule—the few who sympathized in his disappointment advised him to return, and refused further assistance in what they considered so hopeless a cause. At the same time he was informed that a murderous project was in contemplation against the natives.
All these things filled his heart with the most pungent sorrow, preyed upon his mind, and wasted his body—and he cried to the Lord for relief and help in this distressing situation. Once, when writing down his heavy mournful cogitations in his journal, the master of the shallop entered his cabin, and seeing him in tears, inquired whether he was going to make a complaint to the owners? "No," replied he, "but I mean to complain of you to God, that he may notice your wicked conduct on the present occasion, for ye have taken his name in vain, and ye have mocked his word!" Struck with this address, the captain entreated his forgiveness, and promised that from henceforth he would do every thing to promote his design, which he faithfully performed, and landed him next day at Quirpont or Quiverant, a harbour in an island, off the north-east extremity of Newfoundland.
Here he landed in a most propitious moment—a number of unprincipled wretches had arrived, and were holding a council to concert a plan for destroying the Esquimaux. Instantly the missionary went to them boldly, showed them the Governor's proclamation, and strongly remonstrated with them; yet it was not without difficulty that he persuaded them to lay aside their diabolical design. To this harbour the natives frequently resorted to trade, or rather more frequently to steal; and here his first interview took place with the Esquimaux, which he records in his diary in the following manner: "September 4 1764 was the joyful day I had so long wished for, when one Esquimaux came into the harbour to see if Captain Galliot was there. While I was preparing to go to him, he had turned, and was departing to return to his countrymen, who lay in the mouth of the harbour, with the intelligence that the Captain had sailed. I called out to him in Greenlandish that he should come to me, that I had words to say to him, and that I was his good friend. He was astonished at my speech, and answered in broken French; but I begged him to speak in his own language, which I understood, and to bring his countrymen, as I wished to speak to them also, on which he went to them and cried with a loud voice, 'Our friend is come!'
"I had hardly put on my Greenland clothes when five of them arrived in their own boats—I went to meet them, and said, 'I have long desired to see you.' They replied, 'Here is an innuit.' I answered, 'I am your countryman and friend.' They rejoined, 'Thou art indeed our countryman!' The joy on both sides was very great, and we continued in conversation for a considerable time, when at last they invited me to accompany them to an island about an hour's row from the shore, where I should find their wives and children, who would give me a cordial welcome. I well knew that in doing this I put myself entirely in their power; but conceiving it to be of essential service to our Saviour's cause that I should venture my life among them, and endeavour to become better acquainted with their nature, I turned simply to Him, and said, 'I will go with them in thy name. If they kill me, my work on earth is done, and I shall live with thee; but if they spare my life, I will firmly believe that it is thy will that they should hear and believe thy gospel.'
"The pilot and a sailor who put me ashore, remained in the boat, and pushed off a little way from the land to see what would become of me. I was immediately surrounded, and every