The Moravians in Labrador. Anonymous
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 one seemed anxious to show me his family. I gave every boy two fish-hooks, and every woman two or three sewing needles; and after conversing about two hours, left them, with a promise of soon being with them again. In the afternoon I returned with the pilot, who wished to trade with them. I begged them to remain in this place during the night, but not to steal any thing from our people, and showed the danger of doing this. They said the Europeans steal also. I answered, if they do so, let me know, and they shall be punished. I seized every opportunity to say something about the Saviour, to which they listened with great attention. I then invited them to visit me next morning, and took leave.
"Next morning accordingly, eighteen Esquimaux came in their boats. I went out to sea to meet them, and as the French Captain was frightened at the sight of such a crowd, I only allowed six of them to come ashore with me, and directed the others to land somewhere else. I now informed them of Commodore Palliser's proclamation, and of the kind intentions of the British government towards them, assuring them, that in future no one should be allowed to do them the least injury, so long as they themselves behaved properly and peaceably—to all which they listened with great attention; but when I offered them the written declaration, which I had received from the Commodore, they shrunk back terrified, and would not be persuaded to touch it—for they supposed it a living creature, having seen me speak words from it. I then got into a boat and went with them again to their families, who received me as before, with the greatest show of kindness. In the evening, three French and one English boat arrived full of Esquimaux—the men came immediately to see me, and requested I would visit them in their tents. I read to them a letter written by the missionary John Beck, in name of the Greenlanders; and as I spoke to them of the Saviour's death, they appeared struck with terror—probably supposing that they were upbraided with some of their former murders. On which I showed them that he was a great friend to mankind—but they had no understanding of spiritual things.
"To my astonishment I spoke to them with much more ease than I supposed I could have done, and they expressed great affection for me, insisting always upon my being present at all their trading transactions with the sailors, to adjust matters between them; 'for,' said they, 'you are our friend.' When retiring, they entreated me to come again, and bring my brethren with me.
"On the day after, twenty-six men arrived, and requested me once more to pay them a visit before my departure. I begged the Captain to lend me his boat, which he readily did, as he wished to go along with me; the pilot, surgeon, and six sailors, all well armed, accompanied me. The captain had dressed himself in his most gaudy apparel, but of this the Esquimaux took no notice. They asked me if I really intended to come again next year? I said, Yes, if they did not murder me as they had my countrymen some years before—they startled, looked to the ground, and remained silent. I continued, 'I believe you did it through ignorance, but now that I can speak to you, I hope you will never do the like again.' They promised unanimously that no one should ever receive the least injury from them again. I said farther, 'When I come back I shall tell you things of the greatest importance, of the God that created you, and that redeemed you; and if you will but believe on him, then shall we live happy together.' One of them asked if God dwelt in the sun? I replied, 'God made the sun, and them, and me, and all things.' Another asked me, if he believed in this Creator, if he would be more successful in his business? I answered, there was no doubt of it, if he was diligent in his employment; but that the future life was of infinitely greater importance than the present, and it, those who believed on him, trusted in him, and lived according to his will, should enjoy. Some of them begged me to read again the letter that I had read yesterday; and when I wished to take leave, one of the chief persons among them, the Angekok Seguliak, took me into his tent, and embracing and kissing me, said, 'We are timorous now, but when you come back again we shall meet one another without fear, dread, or suspicion.' Another came with his drum and began to dance and sing, repeating often, 'Our friend is come! this makes us glad!' When he concluded, he asked me to answer him. I sung, while my heart was touched, this verse in the Greenlandish language, 'Jehovah, Lord of hosts—the true God—thou art the Creator of all nature—the Preserver of the world—What was ruined thou hast regained by thy blood, and by thy blood must sanctify—consecrated to thee we fall at thy feet.' When I had finished, they said, we are without words to express our admiration. They took their final departure on the 7th, but no sooner had they left the harbour than they began to steal. I offered, if they would give me a boat with four men, to go again and speak seriously to them, but no one would go with me."
Sir H. Palliser was so well satisfied with the missionary's report, that he sent him to Britain in the Lark frigate, to concert measures for carrying his benevolent design into execution. The Board of Trade, who perceived the immense advantages which would arise from a mission among these tribes, in promoting peace with the natives, and the security of the traders, were anxious to see the brethren established in Labrador; and the Directors of the Unity, under their especial patronage, in the year 1765, undertook a second voyage of inquiry upon the coast.
On this expedition Jans Haven was accompanied by Christian Laurentius Drachart, who had been a Danish missionary in Greenland,[B] John Hill and Andrew Schlozer (Schliezer.) The British Admiralty accommodated them with a passage in a public vessel, and they (7th May) sailed from Spithead, in the Lark, Captain Thomson, the same frigate that had brought Jans Haven home. He landed them at Cosque, Newfoundland, where another government vessel, the Niger, received them, and conveyed them to Chateau Bay, at which place they arrived July 17th; but were there obliged to separate, the captain, Sir Thomas Adams, having received instructions to detain some of them, to keep up the friendly intercourse with the Esquimaux. With these directions, they not unwillingly complied, their object being to follow the leadings of Providence, and pursue the line which promised to lead to the greatest good. Haven and Schliezer therefore proceeded forward, and Drachart and Hill remained. The two former embarked in a schooner bound for the north, in order to prosecute their intended exploratory voyages; but after spending from the 25th of July to the 3d of September, and reaching the 56th deg. N.L. on the east coast, Labrador, they returned without having accomplished any thing of importance, not having met with a single native in any place at which they had landed. The other two had an opportunity of speaking with hundreds, whom the trade attracted to their neighbourhood, of which they gave the following account in their journals: "On the 17th August, we heard that Esquimaux were coming, and were about twenty English miles off. We sailed on the 18th, very early, with Sir Thomas, to meet them, and invited them, in the name of the governor, to Pitt's Harbour.[C] After some hours we saw the first kaiak. As they approached, the savages began to call out, in broken French, 'tous camarades oui hu!' which the sailors answered in the same manner. Drachart allowed the first shout to pass over; he then took one of them by the hand and said in Greenlandish, 'Ikinguitigangut,' i.e. 'we are friends;' the native understood, and answered, 'Ikinguitsgenpogui,' 'we are also thy friends.' We then took some of them into the vessel. A man in a white woollen coat, said he got it as a keepsake from Jensingoak, i.e. Jans Haven, and inquired where he was. At their earnest invitation Mr. Drachart went with them, and found upwards of three hundred assembled, crying out incessantly, 'We are your friends—be not afraid—we understand your words—where do you come from?' He answered, 'I have words to you;' on which the whole adjourned to a green plain without the camp, and sat down around him. He then told them, 'I come from the Karalit in East Greenland, where at one