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
Our imaginary night has been short enough, and we are supposed to be
preparing for a new start. "Look, see," says Thomas to me, and pours
some water on the iron of the runners, for the sledge has meanwhile
been turned upside down. Were it winter, that water would at once
freeze on the iron and form a splendid smooth surface for the sledge
to run on over ice or snow. "Hoo-eet." The sledge has been turned
right again and repacked, and the dogs get up. No, there is nothing
left behind. "Hoo-eet;" away we go. It is astonishing how widely the
dogs spread themselves in pulling. However, the course of the sledge,
as it follows them, depends more on the nimble drivers. See yonder dog
is getting to the wrong side of that post, by way of illustrating the
difficulties of travelling through a wood. Hebron is beyond the
northern limit of trees, but our missionaries at Hopedale have often
great trouble in passing through forests of stunted fir-trees. The
front dogs also have got their traces foul of the two other posts in
our forest of three trees without any branches. So we are brought to a
standstill until, all the harness being cleared, we are ready for a
fresh start down that slope to the right. "Owk, Owk," is the word, but
at the brook our wild career is brought to a sudden stop. Our specimen
sledge trip would not be complete without an accident. The bed of the
little stream proves just too wide for the sledge to clear it, and the
points of the runners have bored into the further bank. The thong of
the sledge has broken in two places with the jerk, and the dogs who
were pulling with might and main are suddenly released. Four or five
have been caught by our nimble Eskimoes, but the majority are off
home. Were the station three hours or three days distant and we were
left in the snow it would be a bit different to the present situation.
The station is about three minutes distant, and we have time for a
good laugh before our dogs are caught and brought back. What has
become of the passenger? Oh, he is unhurt; the shock did not even
unseat him. There he sits on the sledge, which stretches like a little
bridge from bank to bank. It is freed from the earth, and the dogs are
again attached, after a fierce little quarrel between two or three of
them, just to keep up their credit as quarrelsome creatures. Order and
obedience restored, "Hoo-eet," away we go homeward, but at a more
moderate pace, for it is uphill. By the mission-house the road bends
to the left, "Ra, Ra, Ra." At the corner a number of women are
standing and laughing, and as the sledge approaches, they ran,
according to their usual custom, and throw themselves on to it, so the
poor dogs finish their course with an extra load, and are quite
willing to lie down in obedience to the final command, "Ah, Ah." If
you were on a real journey, you would learn by experience to avoid
that interjection in your conversation, for the weary animals would at
once take the permission to stop and lie down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account