Journal of a Voyage from Okkak, on the Coast of Labrador, to Ungava Bay, Westward of Cape Chudleigh: Undertaken to Explore the Coast, and Visit the Esquimaux in That Unknown RegionKohlmeister, B. G. (Benjamin Gottlieb)
Religion
Journal of a Voyage from Okkak, on the Coast of Labrador, to Ungava Bay, Westward of Cape Chudleigh: Undertaken to Explore the Coast, and Visit the Esquimaux in That Unknown Region
Kohlmeister, B. G. (Benjamin Gottlieb)
Labrador (N.L.) -- Description and travel; Moravians -- Missions
immense size, that they might serve for entire walls. Towards the sea,
there exudes from these rocks, a yellowish white substance, which has a
strong sulphureous smell. It was so powerful, that if a drop fell on a
piece of tinned iron, it removed the tin in a few minutes.
The vallies in the neighbourhood were green and full of flowers.
Not far from the spot where we had pitched our tents, (which rested upon
a carpet of _potentilla aurea_, in full bloom, bringing to our minds the
European meadows, full of butter-cups), the river, which is of
considerable breadth, falls into the bay. It abounds with fine
salmon-trout. Farther to the westward, two other rivers flow into it,
one of which is much broader than the other, and has a large cataract at
some distance from its mouth. The upper parts of the mountains are
covered partly with moss, and partly with low brush-wood, birch, and
alder, and many berry-bearing shrubs and plants, but no high trees. We
found here both arnica and colts-foot in great plenty. Brother
Kohlmeister gathered and dried a quantity of each, as they are used in
medical cases, and the former cannot be procured from England.
The slate is extremely shivery, and is found in slabs, either lying or
standing upright from four to eight feet square, most easily splitting
into thin plates. Ascending the mountain, they are soon dislodged, by
the tread of a man's foot, and glide down towards the beach with a
rattling, tinkling noise. At low water, we noticed a bed of stone
resembling cast iron, of a reddish hue, and polished by the friction of
the water. After supping on salmon-trout, caught in the first-mentioned
river, we retired to rest; but had some fears even here for the safety
of our boat, the ice pushing in towards us, and our people being
employed day and night in warding off the large shoals with their
boat-hooks.
4th. The weather being fair, Brother Kmoch ascended to the top of the
highest part of the mountain near us, from whence he could see nothing
but drift-ice, powerfully in motion towards the bay. Four of our
Esquimaux went up the country to hunt reindeer; saw eight head and two
fawns; but got none.
Perceiving that our abode in this place might be of some duration, we
for the first time pitched our tents on shore. Our morning and evening
devotion was attended by the whole party; and on Sundays we read the
Litany, and conducted the service in the usual way, which proved to us
and our Esquimaux of great comfort and encouragement in all
difficulties. We were detained here, by the ice, from the 3d to the
15th, and our faith and patience were frequently put to the trial.
Meanwhile we found much pleasure in walking up the declivities of the
hills, and into the fine green and flowery vallies around us.
5th. We went up the western extremity of the bay, but found nothing
worth notice. Here the rocks appeared to be of a species of freestone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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