Ever since the brethren had been in Labrador, they had heard the Esquimaux speak of Indians in the interior, of whom they seemed greatly afraid; frequently a sudden terror would be diffused among their tribes, if they discovered any trace of that formidable people near them. But in the summer of 1798, they were alarmed with the certain intelligence that five or six of their families had arrived at a European settlement, at Kippakak, about five or six miles distant from Hopedale; and in April 1799, some of them for the first time paid the mission-station a visit. They were a father and son, who came with the design of buying tobacco from the brethren. They lived with some Christians of French extraction in the southern settlements, and had been baptized by a French priest. All the Esquimaux immediately gathered round the strangers, and eyed them as objects of jealous curiosity. The old man appeared exceedingly alarmed at this, and was extremely glad when the brethren invited him and his son into the mission-house. The latter understood the Esquimaux language and English; but the father, when any one wished to speak with him, pointed to his ears, giving them to understand that he could hear nothing. When food was placed before them they took off their caps and crossed themselves; and before they went to bed they kneeled down and repeated a long prayer.
An Esquimaux wished them to lodge in his house, but when they came to the door they would not enter; the old man began to tremble, and made signs that they would rather sleep in the bushes. As the brethren tried to quiet them, the son cried out in the Esquimaux language, "They are so filthy," and added in English, "We cannot sleep with the Esquimaux, nor eat out of their dirty vessels. We have been accustomed to live as cleanly as the Europeans." The brethren, who saw that they were afraid of the great number of the Esquimaux, but wished to conceal their terror under the pretence of disgust at their filthiness, showed them into one of their own workshops, where beds were quickly prepared.
The following morning they asked them if they knew any thing of the crucified Jesus, in whose name they had been baptized; and showing them a picture of the Saviour's crucifixion, told them that he had suffered thus, and died that they might not everlastingly perish. The history of Jesus seemed not unknown to them; and they said, that they would not go down into the fire, but up into glory. As they saw a book lying on the table, they said, their priests, morning and evening, read kneeling, from such a book, that all the people listened to them, and in their meetings they made the sign of the cross. They also said that a great many Indians lived not far from thence, who, for fear of the Europeans, never ventured near the coast; that they had no fire-arms, but used bows and arrows in hunting. They wore a thin dress, evidently not calculated for a cold climate; their skin was brown, their hair black, and their features bore a greater resemblance to the Europeans than the Esquimaux. The morning after, they prepared to return; and on taking leave, reached over their hands to the brethren, and said, "You shall in future see more Indians." Since then the terror of the Esquimaux for the Indians, and their enmity towards them, have been greatly diminished.
Frederick Burghardt being appointed superintendant of the mission in room of Rose, who, after twelve years' service, returned to Europe, the latter, before leaving, transmitted home the following remarks on the internal state of the mission at the close of the year 1799. "It is the cause of great pain and grief to me and my sister, and my spirit often sinks within me, when I see those on whom the greatest care and faithful labour has been bestowed, so easily fall back to their heathenish practices; and who, if they are not treated with the greatest patience and tenderness, would be wholly carried away. In these cases it always occurs to me, how would the Saviour have acted with such persons? The hypocrisy that appears in many is abominable, and could we have received them upon a mere verbal profession of love to the doctrine of Jesus, we might in a short time have baptized the whole nation, as far as we could reach. Many would have come here to live, but we were obliged to prevent them, and many expressed a desire to be converted, though they felt little interest in the subject, and did not so much as know what conversion meant. Others, who had obtained rather more knowledge, and whose relations lived here, would pretend to be converted, and these we would receive in hope, but they only proved sources of affliction and sorrow. When I read the reports of other missions, and reflect on the little fruit of our many years' labour, how my heart is grieved, and I say, 'Ah! why is the hour of visitation to the Esquimaux so long delayed!' I expect not this for any faithful labours of ours—for when I think on them, I can only pray and entreat the Lord Jesus to forgive our great guilt, our many errors and mistakes in His service—but He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied; this makes me many times think, and why not among the Esquimaux? With all this, however, I am constrained to render thanks to the Saviour for what he has done in winning souls for himself even here, for there are a few who have received forgiveness of sins, who know the Saviour, and live in the enjoyment of communion with him. O! that this were the case with all the baptized; it is, however, with the greater part; although, alas! there are others who do not yet feel heathenish customs to be a burden, and many that, having tasted the good word of God, have been deceived and involved in the commission of sin."
Of those who appeared truly converted there are some delightful examples in the diary of 1799, who evince the power of the grace of God; though the missionary, under a sense of his own unworthiness, cried out, "My leanness! my leanness!" It is a practice with the missionaries, occasionally, to read to the Esquimaux extracts from the accounts of other missions, particularly those of Greenland, that nation having so great a resemblance to themselves, in their language, manners, and way of procuring their livelihood; these generally give rise to interesting conversations, and draw from the natives some striking remarks. At Nain, upon an occasion of this kind, one of the baptized observed, "If we had so far advanced in grace, that our walk and conversation shone as a light among our heathen countrymen; and if some who are baptized had not, after their baptism, behaved again as bad as the heathen themselves, we should soon see an increase of our number; for the heathen would soon perceive the difference between a believer and an infidel, and seek to obtain the same happiness, but we ourselves are in fault." Upon a similar occasion Jonathan—of whom the missionaries write, "He is, without a particular commission, a faithful assistant among his nation, and proves useful in averting much mischief, and in exhorting them to obedience to the Saviour,"—dictated the following remarkable letter to the believing Greenlanders:
"My brethren and sisters, you who live on the other side of the water, and are baptized, I salute you by these lines, and send my words to you in the name of Jesus. When I hear your words come forth out of the written accounts, I ardently desire to be a partaker of your faith; for whenever these writings are read to us, my heart begins to burn within me. Of that long period since my baptism, (fifteen years) I can reckon but about three years during which I have had solid and constant thoughts towards Jesus; and have begun to enjoy my Saviour's peace in my heart. I reflect also, that the time of my life in this world may possibly be soon past, since I begin to grow old. At the time when I was baptized I was still very ignorant, and for some time after walked in error and darkness. But now, I cleave with my whole heart to Jesus, my Lord and God, and weep for desire after him. I search my heart frequently, and examine my conduct on account of my sinfulness; for I find myself exceedingly depraved and sinful, therefore it is my concern that I may never lose sight of him again. Of myself I am not able to abide faithful; but Jesus my lover will help and protect me.
"I will relate to you something of my chief wanderings and perverse ways in which I have lived:—I was not clever enough to have to do with Satan, and to use sorceries; but I have lived in the sins of the flesh—from these I have now ceased, for I perceive I should be worse than a beast if I were to go to the holy communion, to partake of the body and blood of Jesus, with a heart defiled with such impurities. Henceforth I could not bear to be separated from my teachers, for I think thus—Why was Jesus crucified and put to death? Surely for this cause, because he would atone for me, an exceeding sinful creature. When I was a poor orphan child, for I have seen neither father nor mother, then Jesus became my father. As long as I live I will not forget him, and even in eternity I shall be with Him.
"I sometimes think, if I were with you and beheld your faith, I should be much more happy and cheerful than I am now; however, though I be ever so needy—be it so—yet, like Thomas, I will call him my Lord and my God! This, 'tis true, I cannot do of myself; but when I continue asking it as a favour he grants it me, and I experience it.
"With respect to my countrymen, I must tell you, that they often grieve me when they will not follow my advice. I do not say this as if I fancied myself to be a man of importance, for I will gladly be the meanest of these before the eyes of Jesus. When I think on my former resistance and stiff-necked behaviour in the work of conversion, I could strike myself. It causes deep sorrow and repentance within me, when I consider that I have been most faithfully instructed by my teachers for so many years, and yet have been like one that had no ears to hear. But now, not my ears only are unstopped to hear and understand the doctrine of Jesus and the hymns we sing, but I feel that what I hear and learn penetrates into my heart, and since I am thus inwardly affected, warmed, and enlivened, I am the more astonished and amazed at the change, when recollecting, that I have been so hard and callous, that whenever any of my nearest relations departed this life, being taken from my side by death, I was not able to weep a tear for them; but now I can shed a flood of tears, both from a fervent desire of living intimately attached to Jesus, and for delight and pleasure to think what happiness I should enjoy if incessantly thus disposed. However, since I am so poor and defective, I find that I cannot procure it by my own efforts; but I am taught that I may yet enjoy this constant happiness, by entreating our Saviour for it to-day, to-morrow, and every day. As long as I am on this earth, I shall remain like a sick one, and be always apt to stray; for my heart is naturally untoward and hard as a stone, but when Jesus softens it, then it becomes truly soft and tender. Ah! that I had not such corrupted senses! yet, being conscious that I am constantly in danger on account of my depravity, I am determined faithfully to attend to the gospel, and to my teachers, to be guided and advised by them and to follow after righteousness. When I search my own heart, I still find many things condemnable in the sight of Jesus, of which I had never thought before. Hear these my poor words to you in love. Jonathan."
At Okkak, Solomon, a baptized man, thus complained to the brethren: "I will now utter words of truth only. I am unhappy because I cannot regain that state of mind I enjoyed when I was baptized. There is as it were a dark shadow between me and our Saviour; this is the only thing that gives me pain at present. I feel, 'tis true, some desire after Jesus, but I cannot always pray to him. This is, alas, my case, for whole days together, and yet I cannot live without him. I know, also, that it was he alone who first saved me from my evil ways, for neither you nor I could do it!" Here he was so much affected, that he burst into tears. The missionaries encouraged him, and bid him not cast away his confidence in Jesus; for since he, according to his own confession, had bestowed such mercy upon him, he might believe and be sure, that he would not suffer him to weep in vain for a new manifestation of his love towards him.