With the Harmony to Labrador: Notes of a visit to the Moravian mission stations on the north-east coast of Labrador — John Shaqi
With the Harmony to Labrador: Notes of a visit to the Moravian mission stations on the north-east coast of LabradorLa Trobe, Benjamin
History
With the Harmony to Labrador: Notes of a visit to the Moravian mission stations on the north-east coast of Labrador
La Trobe, Benjamin
Indians of North America -- Missions; Inuit -- Missions; Labrador (N.L.) -- Description and travel; Moravian Indians -- Missions
The pretty mission-house affords convenient accommodation for two
missionary families. It is, as usual, connected with the church by a
covered passage. To the right of these buildings the little Eskimo
village stretches along the shore, to their left are situated the
well-stocked mission-gardens, from which pleasant paths have been made
through the woods beyond. Between the church and the rocky beach
stands the store, and not far off the salt-house and the boat-house.
The powder-house is always situated on some rock at a safe distance
from the station, for the Eskimoes burn a considerable quantity of
this dangerous material in their ceaseless war with seals, walrusses,
reindeer, and other animals, including an occasional black or white
bear.
A CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE SHIP HILL AT ZOAR.
The ascent to the spot whence the approach of the ships can best be
descried is by no means so easily accomplished at Zoar as at Hopedale.
But the hour's stiff climb is richly rewarded by a magnificent
prospect. Our path lies first through the fir woods, then over a bare
plain on which tufts of beautiful and very variegated mosses alternate
with rocks and withered roots. This is evidently the site of a forest,
which at no very distant date has been killed by the terrible climate.
Up again through low thick brushwood and over great rocks, till at
last we reach the summit. Seaward we can see the course by which the
"Harmony" came in. Northward the eye ranges along the rugged coast
with its innumerable islands and deep fjords. Yonder sheet of water is
not an arm of the sea, but a great freshwater lake, long an object of
superstitious dread to the Eskimoes. Neither in summer or winter dared
they cross it, until their missionaries did so, for they believed a
monster dwelt in it, who could eat up the man and his kayak, or
sledge, dogs and driver. Inland one sees mountain after mountain,
whose wild slopes are traversed by no human foot unless the Nascopie
Indian, or "mountaineer," may pass that way in pursuit of the
reindeer. None of these natives of the great unknown interior have
visited our stations this year. In the Zoar bay beneath us the
"Harmony" is riding at anchor near the mission premises, and now we
can see the whole curve of the other great bay, which approaches Zoar
from the north. The "itiblek," as the Eskimoes call a low narrow neck
of land between two such arms of the sea, is but a few hundred yards
across. To the east of yonder waterfall is a level place on the shore
of the larger fjord, which was once thought of as a site for this
station. But it would have been too much exposed to the east wind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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