have given this piece of land for an inheritance to our brethren that
came to us from the east of Greenland; and when you are converted to
Jesus, you must live near the meeting house, love your teachers, and
follow them as the Greenlanders do. Will you," continued he, "tell
your families what you have now heard, as well as what you have now
said? that your wives and children may know." They answered, "That we
will,--and we have already begun to spread it through our country,
and shall continue to do so." The missionary proceeded:--"The Lord,
your and our Saviour, is over all. He is truly here with us--I feel
his presence in my heart; he knoweth all things, and hath heard your
words and mine; he is calling for your hearts--will you now give them
to him? And will you keep to the words you have now said to me?"
"Yes!" cried all the men, and gave him their hands, and some kissed
him.
Having concluded the solemn transactions of the day, the missionaries,
towards evening, returned to the ship, and the next day the Esquimaux
began to set out for their hunting stations. But Tuglavina and his
wife remained some days longer to assist the brethren in seeking out
an island, and then parted with tears on both sides. The missionaries
rewarded them liberally for their services; and they were not
forgetful of the favours they had now and formerly received. Mikak
begged the brethren would take charge of two white fox skins for the
Dowager Princess of Wales, of a black one for the Princess of
Glocester, and two red ones for the Governor Palliser, as
acknowledgments for their kindness.
The place pitched upon by the brethren for their settlement was 56
deg. 36 m. N.L., well supplied with good wood for building, and
numerous rivulets of excellent water, and where ships could
conveniently find an excellent anchorage. The stones they erected were
placed, one on King's point, marked G R III. 1770, the other marked U
F (unitas fratrum,) 1770, and the land was taken possession of in the
name of King George, for behoof of the United Brethren--a very
important process, as it secured the protection of the British
government for the new settlements; the other two stones were marked
and placed in the interior merely as boundary stones. This first
sacred spot was consecrated by thanksgiving and prayer. Amid the
heathen tribes and their rude rocks, the missionaries kneeled down,
and with the deepest expressions of humility, thanked the Lord that he
had thus so far prospered them in their undertaking, had guarded them
through the perils of their journey, and graciously granted them a
resting place. Having thus accomplished the object of their mission,
they returned to England, and reached London 16th November 1770,
blessing and praising the Lord that no evil had befallen them.
CHAPTER III.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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