,no4 #eef    ,,dangers ,,on ,,the ,,ice 
,,off ,,the ,,coast ,,of ,,labrador     
,with ,some ,interesting ,particulars   
,respecting the ,natives of that        
,country    ,printed for the ,religious 
,tract ,society    ,london    ,price    
,one ,penny                ,illustration
          ,the ,moravian ,missionaries  
on the coast of ,labrador 7a part of    
,north  ,america7 for many years        
suffered much from the severity of the  
climate1  and the savage disposition of 
the natives4 ,in the year #aghb1 the    
brethren1 ,liebisch and ,turner1        
experienced a remarkable preservation of
  their lives2 the particulars show the 
dangers the ,missionaries underwent  in 
pursuing their labours4 ,to this        
,narrative are added some further       
particulars1 which show their labours   
were not without success4    ,early on  
,march the #aath1 they left ,nain to go 
to ,okkak1 a journey of  #aej miles4    
,they travelled in a sledge drawn by    
dogs1 and another sledge  with          

,esquimaux joined them1 the whole party 
consisting of five men1 one  woman1 and 
a child4 ,the weather was remarkably    
fine1 and the track over  the frozen sea
 was in the best order1 so that they    
travelled at the  rate of six or seven  
miles an hour4 ,all therefore were in   
good spirits1  hoping to reach ,okkak in
 two or three days4 ,having passed the  
islands  in the bay1 they kept at a     
considerable distance from the shore1   
both  to gain the smoothest part of the 
ice1 and to avoid the high and rocky    
promontory of ,kiglapeit4 ,about eight  
o'clock they met a sledge with          
,esquimaux driving towards the land1 who
 intimated that it might be well  not to
 proceed2 but as the missionaries saw no
 reason for it1 they paid  no regard to 
these hints1 and went on4 ,in a while1  
however1 their own  ,esquimaux remarked1
 that there was a swell under the ice4  
,it was then  hardly perceptible1 except
 on applying the ear close to the ice1  
when a  hollow grating and roaring noise

 was heard4 ,the weather remained clear1
  and no sudden change was expected4    
,but the motion of the sea under the    
ice had grown so perceptible as rather  
to alarm our travellers1 and they  began
 to think it prudent to keep closer to  
the shore4 ,the ice in many  places had 
fissures and cracks1 some of which      
formed chasms of one or  two feet wide2 
but as they are not uncommon1 and the   
dogs easily leap  over them1 the sledge 
following without danger1 they are      
terrible only  to new comers4    ,as    
soon as the sun declined1 the wind      
increased and rose to a storm4  ,the    
snow was driven about by whirl winds1   
both on the ice and from off  the peaks 
of the high mountains1 and filled the   
air4 ,at the same time  the swell had   
increased so much1 that its effects upon
 the ice became  very extraordinary and 
alarming4 ,the sledges1 instead of      
gliding along  smoothly upon an even    
surface1 sometimes ran with violence    
after the  dogs1 and shortly after      

seemed with difficulty to ascend the    
rising  hill2 for the elasticity of so  
vast a body of ice1 of many leagues     
square1 supported by a troubled sea1    
though in some places three or four     
yards in thickness1 would1 in some      
degree1 occasion a motion not unlike    
that of a sheet of paper upon the       
surface of a rippling stream4 ,noises   
were now likewise heard in many         
directions1 like the report of cannon1  
owing to the bursting of the ice at some
 distance4    ,the ,esquimaux drove with
 all haste towards the shore1 as it     
plainly  appeared the ice would break   
and disperse in the open sea4 ,when the 
sledges approached the coast1 the       
prospect before them was truly          
terrific4 ,the ice1 having broken loose 
from the rocks1 was forced up  and down1
 grinding and breaking into a thousand  
pieces against the  precipices1 with a  
tremendous noise1 which1 added to the   
raging of  the wind1 and the snow       
driving about in the air1 nearly        

deprived the  travellers of the power of
 hearing and seeing any thing           
distinctly4    ,to make the land at any 
risk1 was now the only hope left1 but it
 was  with the utmost difficulty the    
frighted dogs could be forced forward1  
the whole body of the ice sinking       
frequently below the rocks1 then  rising
 above them4 ,as the only moment to land
 was that when the ice  gained the level
 of the shore1 the attempt was extremely
 nice and  hazardous4 ,however1 by      
,god's mercy1 it succeeded2 both sledges
 gained  the shore1 and were drawn up   
the beach1 though with much difficulty4 
,the travellers had hardly time to      
reflect with gratitude to ,god for      
their safety1 when that part of the ice 
from which they had just now  made good 
their landing1 burst asunder1 and the   
water forcing itself  from below1       
covered and precipitated it into the    
sea4 ,in an instant1  the whole mass of 
ice1 extending for several miles from   
the coast1 and  as far as the eye could 

reach1 burst1 and was overwhelmed by the
 rolling  waves4 ,the sight was         
tremendous and awfully grand2 the large 
fields of  ice raising themselves out of
 the water1 striking against each other1
  and plunging into the deep1 with a    
violence not to be described1 and a     
noise like the discharge of innumerable 
batteries of heavy guns4 ,the  darkness 
of the night2 the roaring of the wind   
and the sea1 and the  dashing of the    
waves and ice against the rocks1 filled 
the travellers  with sensations of awe  
and horror1 so as almost to deprive them
 of the  power of utterance4 ,they stood
 overwhelmed with astonishment at their 
miraculous escape1 and even the heathen 
,esquimaux expressed gratitude  to ,god 
for their deliverance4    ,the          
,esquimaux now began to build a hut with
 snow1 about thirty paces  from the     
beach1 but before they had finished     
their work1 the waves  reached the place
 where the sledges were secured1 and    
they were with  difficulty saved from   

being washed into the sea4 ,about nine  
o'clock  all of them crept into the     
snow-house1 thanking ,god for this place
  of refuge2 for the wind was piercingly
 cold1 and so violent1 that it  required
 great strength to stand against it4    
,before they entered this habitation1   
they could not help once more  turning  
their eyes to the sea1 which was now    
free from ice4 ,they beheld  with       
horror1 mingled with gratitude for their
 safety1 the enormous waves  driving    
furiously before the wind and           
approaching the shore1 where with       
dreadful noise they dashed against the  
rocks1 foaming and filling the  air with
 spray4 ,the whole company now got their
 supper1 and having sung  an evening    
hymn in the ,esquimaux language1 lay    
down to rest about ten  o'clock4 ,the   
,esquimaux were soon fast asleep1 but   
brother ,liebisch  could not get any    
rest1 partly on account of the dreadful 
roaring of  the wind1 and partly owing  
to a sore throat1 which gave him much   

pain4  ,his wakefulness proved the      
deliverance of the whole party from     
sudden  destruction4 ,about two o'clock 
in the morning1 he perceived some salt  
water dropping from the roof of the     
snow-house upon his lips4 ,on a  sudden1
 a tremendous wave broke close to the   
house1 discharging a  quantity of water 
into it2 a second soon followed1 and    
carried away  the slab of snow placed as
 a door before the entrance4 ,the       
missionaries  having roused the sleeping
 ,esquimaux1 they instantly set to work1
 ,one of  them with a knife cut a       
passage through the house1 and each     
seizing some  part of the baggage1 threw
 it out on a higher part of the beach2  
brother  ,turner assisting them4        
,brother ,liebisch and the woman and    
child fled  to a neighbouring eminence4 
,the latter were wrapt up by the        
,esquimaux  in a large skin1 and the    
former took shelter behind a rock1 for  
it was  impossible to stand against the 
wind1 snow1 and sleet4 ,scarcely had the

  company retreated1 when an enormous   
wave carried away the whole house4      
,they now found themselves a second time
 delivered from the most imminent       
danger of death2 but the remaining part 
of the night1 before the  ,esquimaux    
could seek and find another and safer   
place for a snow-house1  were hours of  
great distress and very painful         
reflections4 ,before the  day dawned1   
the ,esquimaux cut a hole in a large    
drift of snow1 to serve  as a shelter to
 the woman and child and the two        
missionaries4 ,brother  ,liebisch1      
however1 owing to the pain in his       
throat1 could not bear the  closeness of
 the air1 and was obliged to sit down at
 the entrance1  being covered with      
skins1 to guard him against the cold4   
,as soon as  it was light1 they built   
another snow-house1 and miserable as    
such an  accommodation must be1 they    
were glad and thankful to creep into it4
    ,the missionaries had taken but a   
small stock of provisions with them1    

merely sufficient for the short journey 
to ,okkak4 ,joel1 his wife and  child1  
and ,kassigiak1 a heathen sorcerer1 who 
was with them1 had  nothing4 ,they were 
obliged therefore to divide the small   
stock into  daily portions1 especially  
as there appeared no hopes of soon      
quitting  this place and reaching any   
dwellings4 ,they therefore resolved to  
serve  out no more than a biscuit and a 
half per day to each4 ,the missionaries 
remained in the snowhouse1 and every day
 endeavoured to boil so much  water over
 their lamps1 as might supply them with 
two cups of coffee  a-piece4 ,through   
mercy they were preserved in good       
health1 and1 quite  unexpectedly1       
brother ,liebisch recovered on the first
 day of his sore  throat4 ,the          
,esquimaux also kept up their spirits1  
and even ,kassigiak1  though a wild     
heathen1 declared2 that it was proper to
 be thankful that  they were still      
alive2 adding1 that if they had remained
 a little longer  on the ice yesterday  

all their bones would have been broken  
in a short  time4    ,towards noon of   
the #acth1 the weather cleared up1 and  
the sea was seen  as far as the eye     
could reach1 quite clear and free from  
ice2 but the  weather being very stormy1
 the ,esquimaux could not quit the      
snow-house1  which made them very       
low-spirited and melancholy4 ,they1     
however1 possess  one advantage1 namely1
 the power of going to sleep when they  
please1  and1 if need be1 they will     
sleep for days and night together4      
,in the evening of the #aeth1 the sky   
became clear1 and their hopes  revived4 
,mark and ,joel went out to reconnoitre1
 and reported that the  ice had acquired
 a considerable degree of solidity1 and 
might soon  afford a safe passage4 ,the 
poor dogs had now nearly fasted four    
days1  but in the prospect of a speedy  
release1 the missionaries allowed to    
each a few morsels of food4 ,the        
temperature of the air having been      
rather mild1 it occasioned new source of

 distress1 for1 from the warmth  of the 
inhabitants1 the roof of the snow-house 
began to melt1 which  occasioned a      
continual dropping1 and by degrees made 
every thing soaking  wet4 ,the          
missionaries considered this the        
greatest hardship they had to  endure1  
for they had not a dry thread about     
them1 nor a dry place to  lie in4    ,on
 the #afth1 early1 the sky cleared1 but 
the fine particles of snow were  driven 
about like clouds4 ,their present       
distress dictated the necessity  of     
venturing something to reach the        
habitations of men1 and yet they  were  
rather afraid of passing over the newly 
frozen sea1 and could not  determine    
what to do4 ,brother ,turner went again 
with ,mark to examine the  ice1 and both
 seemed satisfied that it had acquired  
sufficient strength4  ,they therefore   
came to a final resolution to return to 
,nain1 committing  themselves to the    
protection of the ,lord4                
,notwithstanding the wind had           

considerably increased1 accompanied with
  heavy showers of snow and sleet1 they 
ventured to set off at half past  ten   
o'clock in the forenoon of the #aith4   
,mark ran all the way round  ,kiglapeit 
before the sledge to find a good track1 
and about one o'clock1  through ,god's  
mercy1 they were out of danger and      
reached the ,bay4  ,here they found a   
good track upon smooth ice1 and made a  
meal upon the  remnant of their         
provisions4 ,thus refreshed1 they       
resolved to proceed  without stopping   
till they reached ,nain1 where they     
arrived at twelve  o'clock at night4    
,it may easily be conceived with what   
gratitude to ,god the whole family  at  
,nain bade them welcome4 ,during the    
storm1 they had considered with  some   
dread1 what might be the fate of their  
brethren1 though its  violence was not  
felt so much there4 ,added to this1 the 
hints of the  ,esquimaux had            
considerably increased their            
apprehensions for their  safety1 and    

their fears began to get the better of  
their hopes4 ,all1  therefore1 joined   
most fervently in praise and            
thanksgiving to ,god1  for this signal  
deliverance4    ,for many years the     
conversion of the heathen in ,labrador1 
not only  proceeded very slowly1 but was
 attended with many discouraging        
circumstances4 ,the missionaries had    
patiently persevered in preaching to    
the natives1 and watching every         
opportunity to make them attentive to   
the best interests of their soils3 but  
reaped little fruit from their  labours4
 ,visits were frequent1 and there was in
 general no want of  hearers to address1
 but they showed no disposition to be   
instructed4  ,if even a salutary        
impression was occasionally made on     
their minds1 it  was not abiding4 ,some 
families were indeed collected in the   
different  settlements1 but after       
staying there the winter1 they mostly   
moved away  again in summer1 and        
apparently forgot all they had heard4   

,before the close of the year #ahjd1 a  
new period commenced4 ,a fire from  the 
,lord was kindled among the ,esquimaux1 
accompanied with the clearest  evidence 
of being the effect of the operations of
 the divine ,spirit on  their hearts4   
,it commenced at ,hopedale1 the very    
place which presented  the most         
discouraging prospect4    ,when the     
,esquimaux of that place returned from  
their summer excursions1  the           
missionaries were delighted to find1    
that they not only had been  preserved  
from sinful practices1 but had greatly  
increased in the  knowledge of divine   
truth4 ,they had obtained an humbling   
insight into  the corruption and        
deceitfulness of their hearts1 and the  
wretched state  of a person void of     
faith in ,christ4 ,this constrained them
 to cry for  mercy1 and gladly to accept
 salvation on the terms of the gospel3  
and  some afforded encouraging hopes1   
that they had found forgiveness of sins 
in the blood of ,christ1 by which their 

souls were filled with peace  in        
believing4 ,out of the abundance of the 
heart their mouths spake of  the love   
and power of ,jesus4 ,their artless but 
energetic declarations  impressed the   
rest of the inhabitants4 ,they began to 
feel the necessity  of true conversion2 
and in a short time all the adults      
appeared  earnestly to seek peace with  
,god4 ,even several of the children were
  awakened4 ,the missionaries were daily
 visited by people1 who either  inquired
 what they must do to be saved1 or      
testified of the grace of  ,god         
manifested to their souls4    ,the      
progress of the mission1 in the sequel1 
supplies sufficient proof1  that the    
effect of the gospel1 just related1 was 
not a wild fire1 or the  mere           
consequence of a momentary impression1  
but a divine work wrought in  the hearts
 of the natives by the ,spirit of ,god  
himself4 ,the missionaries  frequently  
mention the attention and diligence     
shown in the schools1  both by adults1  

and children1 and the delight and       
fervour with which  they engage in their
 family devotions1 and in conversations 
with each  other respecting the         
influence of the gospel on their own    
souls4 ,their  behaviour at public      
worship likewise very strikingly        
differed from that  of former years1    
with regard to the eagerness with which 
they now  attended the house of ,god1   
and their deportment during the         
performance  of divine service4 ,on one 
occasion the missionaries remark1 ,we no
  longer see bold1 undaunted heathen    
sitting before us1 with defiance or     
ridicule in their looks2 but people     
expecting1 a blessing1 desirous to      
experience the power of the word of     
life1 shedding tears of repentance1  and
 their whole appearance evincing        
devotion and earnest inquiry4           
,christians6 does not this narrative    
present us with some useful subjects    
for reflection8      ,london3 ,printed  
for ,,the ,,religious ,,tract ,,society