But none of these dark forebodings made any impression on the mind of
Jonathan. When told that the wild heathen would kill him, he generally
answered, "Well we will try, we shall know better when we get there;"
and once, when conversing with the missionaries, who were not
altogether without apprehension, remarked, "When I hear people talking
about the danger of being killed, I think--Jesus went to death out of
love to us; what great matter would it be, if we were to be put to
death in his service, should that be his good pleasure concerning us."
Nor did his conduct belie his profession: under all circumstances,
during the voyage, his firm, cheerful faithfulness, proved honourable
to his character as a true convert. Besides the missionaries, the
expedition consisted of four Esquimaux families from Hopedale, and one
from Okkak, who attended with a skin, or woman's boat, in case of any
accident befalling the shallop, and to be used in landing, as the
larger vessel could never safely be brought close to the shore--in all
eighteen persons.
As they coasted along, they met several Christian Esquimaux, who were
scattered at different summer provision places. At Kangerlualuksoak,
sixty miles north of Okkak, a fishing station, with a fine strand and
excellent harbour, where they rested on the 30th, [Lord's day,] the
missionaries went on shore, and visited the Christian families, whom
they assembled together for public worship. The congregation amounted
to about fifty, including the boat's company. Brother Kohlmeister
addressed them, and expressed his hope that they were all walking
worthy of their Christian profession--presenting a good example to
their heathen neighbours. A number of strangers sat as listeners, and
the missionaries felt their hearts dilate with joy, to hear the
cheerful voices of converted heathen melodiously sounding forth the
praises of God, and giving glory to the name of Jesus their Redeemer,
in a place which had but lately been a den of murderers, and dedicated
by sorcerers to the service of the devil. Proceeding northward, they
soon found their progress obstructed by drift ice, which forced them,
after two days of incessant labour, to seek shelter in the estuary of
a river, Nullatartok, where being blocked up, they went on shore, and
pitched their tents on a beautiful valley, enamelled with potentilla
aurea in full bloom, resembling a European meadow covered with
butter-cups. The river abounded with salmon-trout; and their hunters
killed two rein-deer, a seasonable supply, as they were detained here
twelve days. On the 16th July, they reached Nachvak, where the high
rocky mountains, glowing in the splendour of the morning sun,
presented a most magnificent prospect. About fifty heathen Esquimaux,
who had encamped here, received them with loud shouts and the firing
of muskets, and while they remained, behaved with great modesty,
neither annoying them by impertinent curiosity, nor harassing them by
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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