Chapter 16

but were suddenly seized with a nervous affection, which, in a very short time, terminated fatally; notwithstanding every assistance, Samuel died in the night. Next morning another boat arrived, and brought Adam and Isaac, both dead, though they had yesterday been both fishing in their kaiaks; the four dead bodies were obliged to be immediately buried, as they quickly showed signs of corruption. The same evening, Daniel brought in his boat four dying persons; at five o'clock the younger, Mark, died. On the 26th, early in the morning, the widow Rebecca, and in the forenoon, young Philip departed; before twelve o'clock, the bodies became so offensive, that it was necessary to inter them. All were filled with alarm and terror, but to our comfort we also remarked submission to the will of the Lord. The sick, in general, declared they were willing to go to the Saviour when he should call them; some said they felt their unworthiness to appear before him, and yet expressed their reliance upon his sufferings as their only refuge; but from total debility and oppression they could speak very little: they complained of great weakness, lameness, blindness, and a feeling of suffocation. At four in the afternoon little Abel, and in the same tent, the widow Salome, and at six o'clock old Thomas, (Kapik,) died. 27th, There was little improvement; besides those who remained ill many more began to complain, and cried out to us for assistance, so that we knew not where to go or who to help first. At eleven o'clock the four dead were buried, which made ten. On the 29th a great many were taken ill; at four in the afternoon, Magdalene departed comfortable and happy. Father Abel, who had willingly assisted in burying the dead, followed the same evening. His wife, Benigna, who had faithfully attended the sick, was prevented from nursing him, being herself laid up. The dead bodies were laid in their place of rest next day. We now felt that all of us were more or less worn out by this great affliction, some of us actually sick, and none certain but he might be seized the next moment. To add to our distress, many children were rendered orphans by the loss of both father and mother, which called forth our sighs to our gracious and merciful God and Lord for his compassion and assistance, and felt revived with the hope that he would hear and help us. Some of the sick began to recover: but on the evening of the 31st the Saviour took Abel's wife, Benigna, home to her blessed rest, and on the following morning, August 1, she was laid in her grave; at seven o'clock in the evening we held a meeting with the Esquimaux, especially with regard to improve the solemn warning given in that harvest the Lord had gathered from this church. From conversations held with several of the sisters on the 12th, we clearly perceived that the removal of so many of our number had made a deep impression on them, and had brought them to reflect on the necessity of constantly depending on the Saviour, and being ever ready to meet him when he shall come to gather them also into his garner."

But to their great grief the missionaries discovered that this was not the happy state of all. When the disease abated they learned with the utmost pain, that some, even of their communicants, in their agony and terror, had had recourse to their old heathenish practices; and what was worse, had endeavoured to appease their consciences by attempting to assimilate them to Old Testament rites imperfectly understood. They had killed a dog, and cut the ears off many others, that by sprinkling themselves with the blood of the dog they might prevent death from approaching them. Under the influence of a fanatical delusion, they compared this with the offerings of the Jews, and particularly with the slaying of the Paschal Lamb, and sprinkling the blood on the lintel and posts of the door. "Our situation we feel very difficult," complained the anxious missionaries, "as the enemy uses all his ingenuity to blind the poor people, and knows how to employ their fear and distress to harden their hearts, and to prevent them from discerning their sins and repenting. It appears as if he exerted every power to destroy this little congregation, but we hope that God will shortly bruise Satan under our feet, and not allow his attempts to prosper."

They found it necessary to exclude several from partaking of the holy supper, and this severity was the blessed mean of soon bringing them to repentance and sorrow for their sins. Others who had fainted, but not fallen in the day of trial, expressed themselves now convinced of the necessity of watching over their hearts, that they might not be seduced to seek false comfort or unlawful assistance: they had, during the time of this awful visitation, as well as they could, kept close to Jesus and prayed to him; but they were nevertheless troubled with fearful thoughts--as that they might all perish, and how sad it would be if their teachers should turn away from them, when there was no one to come to their assistance, and when they could not help themselves. But they now saw that they had greatly erred in indulging these hard thoughts, for Jesus had delivered them in their necessity. They felt that they ought to be thankful, but they came far short of that gratitude they owed to him.

Nain and Okkak were mercifully spared this year, and in the grand object of their labours the brethren had still occasion to bless the Lord that he graciously owned the preaching of the glad tidings of salvation, and accompanied it with power and the demonstration of his Spirit: often was his presence powerfully felt, particularly when, from time to time, individuals were added to the church by baptism, or when they partook of the holy sacrament of our Lord's body and blood, in fellowship together.

The outward circumstances of the missions in Labrador this year were uncommonly prosperous--they sent to England upwards of 100 tons of blubber, 2000 seals' skins, and 2750 fox skins.