In the back ground, at the distance, stand out in horrible and melancholy contrast the effects of satanic influence on the conduct of his votaries. The wife of the old sorcerer, Uiverunna, having died, the old monster seized a poor orphan child, whom they had formerly adopted, and murdered him; then cut him across all the joints of his fingers and toes, ripped open his belly, and threw the body naked into the sea, an offering to appease the wrath of the water-devil he worshipped, and by whose aid he pretended to work great wonders, but who now required a greater sacrifice than usual, as he had not saved his wife's life. But his day of retribution did not long linger. Having boasted that his Torngak had killed a man, Kullugak's two wives, who died suddenly within a few hours of each other at Okkak, where the family had obtained leave to settle, Kullugak, in company with another Esquimaux, assassinated the poor wretch within eight days after he had sacrificed the unfortunate infant.
For several succeeding years the progress of the awakening continued to advance at all the three settlements, both among the heathen by whom they were visited, and among the residents, while the believers grew in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord their Saviour; and the decided nature of the change which had taken place was evidenced by the professing Esquimaux declining their pernicious intercourse with the Europeans, while their heathen countrymen, who were determined to retain the abominations of their forefathers, were as unwilling to reside among them; so much so, indeed, that the missionaries at Hopedale, writing to Europe in 1807, remarked, "No heathen families have lived near us, and it appears as if that old den of Satan at Avertok would remain unoccupied. Three Europeans lived about half a day's journey from hence, but as none of our Esquimaux went to them they did not call here." The report of the brethren in 1809 was: "Concerning our dear Esquimaux congregation, we may truly and thankfully declare that we have perceived a continued work of the Holy Spirit within their souls, leading them to a better acquaintance with themselves as depraved creatures, who stand in daily need of the saving grace of our Almighty Saviour. They are earnest in prayer to him that he would preserve them from falling back into their former wicked and superstitious courses." The accounts from Nain were to the same effect: "Our communicants," say they, "have made a perceptible advance both in the knowledge of themselves as sinners, and of Jesus as their Saviour. They have been taught to know how needful constant dependance on, and communion with him is, if they would walk worthy of their heavenly calling." It is a melancholy and stumbling remark, that as the converted Esquimaux advanced in knowledge and in decency of conduct, so in proportion those who formed an intimate connexion with the Europeans in the south increased in enmity to the word of God, and to the Saviour's name in particular, declaring they would hear or listen to nothing about him.
Oral instruction has, from the beginning, been the principal, and most efficient means, which God has employed in propagating the gospel; but the written word has been always necessary for establishing and building up the churches in their most holy faith. Never did Satan employ a more effectual method for covering the earth with thick darkness, than by instigating his servants, under pretence of a high reverence for the holy word, to shut it up from the people; and when God wills mercy to a nation, he removes all the hindrances which obstruct its diffusion. As the Esquimaux advanced in their course, they were furnished, by means of the press, with portions of the Scriptures as they could be got translated. The brethren, however, wisely prepared the way for this important work, by translating hymns and tracts, and a harmony of the Gospels, where any deficiency in the language could be more easily rectified than in a book, destined to be left as a permanent legacy to future generations. The joy of the Esquimaux on receiving the hymn books in 1809, was inexpressibly great. "We wish," the missionaries write, "our dear brethren had been present at the distribution, to see the fervent gratitude with which they were received. They entreated us, with tears, to express their thankfulness to their fathers and brethren in the east, for this present." In 1810, they received the Harmony of the Gospels, also printed by the Brethren's Society in London for the furtherance of the Gospel, and the Gospel of John and part of Luke, printed at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who undertook to print the other parts as they could be got ready. Meanwhile the superintendant, Burghardt, finished the translation of the Acts, and the epistles to the Romans and Ephesians, which were read from the MS to the Esquimaux congregation, who were highly delighted to hear the words and exhortations of our Saviour's apostles, and particularly struck with the character and writings of the apostle Paul. Along with their activity in the Christian life, the activity of the converted Esquimaux, in their temporal concerns, increased. The missionaries in the different settlements had erected saw mills; the Esquimaux, under their direction, kept them frequently in employment, and built substantial store-houses for themselves, for preserving their winter's stores; and when the scarcity of food in their own neighbourhood obliged them to go to a distance in search of seals or whales, or to the cod-fishing, their anxiety to return, to enjoy the benefits of instruction from their teachers, and of communion with their fellow-Christians, quickened their diligence in their necessary avocations. At the close of 1810, the number of the inhabitants at the three settlements amounted to 457, of whom 265 belonged to the different classes of communicants, baptized and candidates for baptism.
Hitherto the settlements, though occasionally visited by the contagious diseases that periodically afflicted the country, had never known more than a partial sickness; but in 1811, the small society at Hopedale suffered severely from an epidemic, which, so far as we are able to judge from the symptoms mentioned in the diary, quoted below, bore some distant resemblance to the spasmodic cholera. "On the evening of the 24th of July, we were all suddenly thrown into the greatest confusion, by the arrival of a boat, with our people, from Tikkerarsuk, one of their provision-places in the south: Mark—formerly Siksigak—was dead, and several others dangerously ill. When they went out in the morning, they were all in good health, 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.