In the same year, 1773, Paul Eugenus Laritz, from the Elders'
Conference of the Unity, visited the missions. He was accompanied by
John Ludwig Beck, who had spent some years in Greenland with his
father, and learned the language. They came in the ship Amity to
Newfoundland, which they left there for the purpose of fishing, and
proceeded to the coast of Labrador in a shallop or sloop with one
mast, which had been purchased for the use of the mission. On the 20th
of July they arrived at Nain, where the missionaries welcomed them
with tears of joy--the Esquimaux received them with shouting and other
rude expressions of pleasure. Of these, some hundreds, this summer,
had set up their tents around the settlements--many of them strangers
from a distance. In the evening they had a short discourse in the
mission-house, after which the brethren visited them in their tents,
and conversed further with them on what they had heard. The same
evening Laritz gave a short address to the assembled baptized
Esquimaux, and delivered the salutations of the European congregations
to them, Drachart being his interpreter. Then one of the Esquimaux
answered in name of the rest--"We, our wives and children, were
wonderfully glad when we saw the little ship come in; and we thank the
brethren that they have come to us, and brought us so many good words
that we have never heard before. We love all the brethren, and will be
ever their good friends. We will constantly visit them to hear the
good word of Jesus' sufferings. We think on the Saviour; we love him,
and will give up our hearts to him, and renounce all our old
heathenish customs. We agree with the Innuit who live on the east
coast opposite us. We, and our wives and our children, in our houses
and our tents, speak of the Saviour becoming man, of his sufferings
and death. We cannot deny that we are sinners, but we think the
Saviour will be gracious to us." As there was not room in the
mission-house to contain all the Esquimaux, wood was cut down to build
a large meeting-hall. Some appeared deeply impressed by the word of
God, particularly Manamina, his sister Alingana, and Akaplack, who
were received as catechumens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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