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diff --git a/14014-h/14014-h.htm b/14014-h/14014-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4443f4b --- /dev/null +++ b/14014-h/14014-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,362 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Dangers on the Ice Off the Coast of Labrador, by Anonymous</title> +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body { margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; } + p { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + font-size: 100%; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; } + hr { width: 50%; } + center { padding: 0.8em;} + .figure {padding: 1em; margin: 0; text-align: center; font-size: 0.8em; margin: auto;} + .figure img {border: none;} + hr.full { width: 100%; + height: 5px; } + a:link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:visited {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:hover {color:red} + pre {font-size: 8pt;} + // --> +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14014 ***</div> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Dangers on the Ice Off the Coast of Labrador, +by Anonymous</h1> +<hr class="full" noshade> +<br><br> + +<p style="text-align: right;"> + <b>No. 556</b> +</p> + +<h1> +DANGERS ON THE ICE +</h1> +<h3> +OFF THE COAST OF LABRADOR, WITH SOME INTERESTING<br /> +PARTICULARS RESPECTING THE NATIVES<br /> +OF THAT COUNTRY +</h3> +<br> +<br> +<hr> + +<div class="figure" style="width: 100%;"> +<a href="images/danger.png"><img width="100%" src="images/danger.png" +alt="" /></a> +</div> + +<center> +<small> +LONDON: +<br /> +<i>Printed for</i> +<br /> +<br /> +THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY +<br /> +<br /> +</small> +[<i>Price One Penny.</i>] +</center> + +<hr /> + + +<div style="height: 4em;"><br><br><br><br></div> + +<h2> + DANGERS ON THE ICE, +<br /> + OFF THE COAST OF LABRADOR +</h2> +<hr /> +<p style="text-indent: 0em;"> +<span style="float:left; font-size: 400%; margin-right: .25em;">T</span> +he Moravian Missionaries on the coast of Labrador (a part of North +America) for many years suffered much from the severity of the climate, +and the savage disposition of the natives. In the year 1782, the +brethren, Liebisch and Turner, experienced a remarkable preservation of +their lives; the particulars show the dangers the Missionaries underwent +in pursuing their labours. To this Narrative are added some further +particulars, which show their labours were not without success. +</p> +<p> +Early on March the 11th, they left Nain to go to Okkak, a journey of +150 miles. They travelled in a sledge drawn by dogs, and another sledge +with Esquimaux joined them, the whole party consisting of five men, one +woman, and a child. The weather was remarkably fine, and the track over +the frozen sea was in the best order, so that they travelled at the +rate of six or seven miles an hour. All therefore were in good spirits, +hoping to reach Okkak in two or three days. Having passed the islands +in the bay, they kept at a considerable distance from the shore, both +to gain the smoothest part of the ice, and to avoid the high and rocky +promontory of Kiglapeit. About eight o'clock they met a sledge with +Esquimaux driving towards the land, who intimated that it might be well +not to proceed; but as the missionaries saw no reason for it, they paid +no regard to these hints, and went on. In a while, however, their own +Esquimaux remarked, that there was a swell under the ice. It was then +hardly perceptible, except on applying the ear close to the ice, when a +hollow grating and roaring noise was heard. The weather remained clear, +and no sudden change was expected. But the motion of the sea under the +ice had grown so perceptible as rather to alarm our travellers, and they +began to think it prudent to keep closer to the shore. The ice in many +places had fissures and cracks, some of which formed chasms of one or +two feet wide; but as they are not uncommon, and the dogs easily leap +over them, the sledge following without danger, they are terrible only +to new comers. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the sun declined, the wind increased and rose to a storm. +The snow was driven about by whirl winds, both on the ice and from off +the peaks of the high mountains, and filled the air. At the same time +the swell had increased so much, that its effects upon the ice became +very extraordinary and alarming. The sledges, instead of gliding along +smoothly upon an even surface, sometimes ran with violence after the +dogs, and shortly after seemed with difficulty to ascend the rising +hill; for the elasticity of so vast a body of ice, of many leagues +square, supported by a troubled sea, though in some places three or four +yards in thickness, would, in some degree, occasion a motion not unlike +that of a sheet of paper upon the surface of a rippling stream. Noises +were now likewise heard in many directions, like the report of cannon, +owing to the bursting of the ice at some distance. +</p> +<p> +The Esquimaux drove with all haste towards the shore, as it plainly +appeared the ice would break and disperse in the open sea. When the +sledges approached the coast, the prospect before them was truly +terrific. The ice, having broken loose from the rocks, was forced up +and down, grinding and breaking into a thousand pieces against the +precipices, with a tremendous noise, which, added to the raging of +the wind, and the snow driving about in the air, nearly deprived the +travellers of the power of hearing and seeing any thing distinctly. +</p> +<p> +To make the land at any risk, was now the only hope left, but it was +with the utmost difficulty the frighted dogs could be forced forward, +the whole body of the ice sinking frequently below the rocks, then +rising above them. As the only moment to land was that when the ice +gained the level of the shore, the attempt was extremely nice and +hazardous. However, by God's mercy, it succeeded; both sledges gained +the shore, and were drawn up the beach, though with much difficulty. +</p> +<p> +The travellers had hardly time to reflect with gratitude to God for +their safety, when that part of the ice from which they had just now +made good their landing, burst asunder, and the water forcing itself +from below, covered and precipitated it into the sea. In an instant, +the whole mass of ice, extending for several miles from the coast, and +as far as the eye could reach, burst, and was overwhelmed by the rolling +waves. The sight was tremendous and awfully grand; the large fields of +ice raising themselves out of the water, striking against each other, +and plunging into the deep, with a violence not to be described, and a +noise like the discharge of innumerable batteries of heavy guns. The +darkness of the night; the roaring of the wind and the sea, and the +dashing of the waves and ice against the rocks, filled the travellers +with sensations of awe and horror, so as almost to deprive them of the +power of utterance. They stood overwhelmed with astonishment at their +miraculous escape, and even the heathen Esquimaux expressed gratitude +to God for their deliverance. +</p> +<p> +The Esquimaux now began to build a hut with snow, about thirty paces +from the beach, but before they had finished their work, the waves +reached the place where the sledges were secured, and they were with +difficulty saved from being washed into the sea. About nine o'clock +all of them crept into the snow-house, thanking God for this place +of refuge; for the wind was piercingly cold, and so violent, that it +required great strength to stand against it. +</p> +<p> +Before they entered this habitation, they could not help once more +turning their eyes to the sea, which was now free from ice. They beheld +with horror, mingled with gratitude for their safety, the enormous waves +driving furiously before the wind and approaching the shore, where with +dreadful noise they dashed against the rocks, foaming and filling the +air with spray. The whole company now got their supper, and having sung +an evening hymn in the Esquimaux language, lay down to rest about ten +o'clock. The Esquimaux were soon fast asleep, but brother Liebisch +could not get any rest, partly on account of the dreadful roaring of +the wind, and partly owing to a sore throat, which gave him much pain. +His wakefulness proved the deliverance of the whole party from sudden +destruction. About two o'clock in the morning, he perceived some salt +water dropping from the roof of the snow-house upon his lips. On a +sudden, a tremendous wave broke close to the house, discharging a +quantity of water into it; a second soon followed, and carried away +the slab of snow placed as a door before the entrance. The missionaries +having roused the sleeping Esquimaux, they instantly set to work, One of +them with a knife cut a passage through the house, and each seizing some +part of the baggage, threw it out on a higher part of the beach; brother +Turner assisting them. Brother Liebisch and the woman and child fled +to a neighbouring eminence. The latter were wrapt up by the Esquimaux +in a large skin, and the former took shelter behind a rock, for it was +impossible to stand against the wind, snow, and sleet. Scarcely had the +company retreated, when an enormous wave carried away the whole house. +</p> +<p> +They now found themselves a second time delivered from the most imminent +danger of death; but the remaining part of the night, before the +Esquimaux could seek and find another and safer place for a snow-house, +were hours of great distress and very painful reflections. Before the +day dawned, the Esquimaux cut a hole in a large drift of snow, to serve +as a shelter to the woman and child and the two missionaries. Brother +Liebisch, however, owing to the pain in his throat, could not bear the +closeness of the air, and was obliged to sit down at the entrance, +being covered with skins, to guard him against the cold. As soon as +it was light, they built another snow-house, and miserable as such an +accommodation must be, they were glad and thankful to creep into it. +</p> +<p> +The missionaries had taken but a small stock of provisions with them, +merely sufficient for the short journey to Okkak. Joel, his wife and +child, and Kassigiak, a heathen sorcerer, who was with them, had +nothing. They were obliged therefore to divide the small stock into +daily portions, especially as there appeared no hopes of soon quitting +this place and reaching any dwellings. They therefore resolved to serve +out no more than a biscuit and a half per day to each. The missionaries +remained in the snowhouse, and every day endeavoured to boil so much +water over their lamps, as might supply them with two cups of coffee +a-piece. Through mercy they were preserved in good health, and, quite +unexpectedly, brother Liebisch recovered on the first day of his sore +throat. The Esquimaux also kept up their spirits, and even Kassigiak, +though a wild heathen, declared; that it was proper to be thankful that +they were still alive; adding, that if they had remained a little longer +on the ice yesterday all their bones would have been broken in a short +time. +</p> +<p> +Towards noon of the 13th, the weather cleared up, and the sea was seen +as far as the eye could reach, quite clear and free from ice; but the +weather being very stormy, the Esquimaux could not quit the snow-house, +which made them very low-spirited and melancholy. They, however, possess +one advantage, namely, the power of going to sleep when they please, +and, if need be, they will sleep for days and night together. +</p> +<p> +In the evening of the 15th, the sky became clear, and their hopes +revived. Mark and Joel went out to reconnoitre, and reported that the +ice had acquired a considerable degree of solidity, and might soon +afford a safe passage. The poor dogs had now nearly fasted four days, +but in the prospect of a speedy release, the missionaries allowed to +each a few morsels of food. The temperature of the air having been +rather mild, it occasioned new source of distress, for, from the warmth +of the inhabitants, the roof of the snow-house began to melt, which +occasioned a continual dropping, and by degrees made every thing soaking +wet. The missionaries considered this the greatest hardship they had to +endure, for they had not a dry thread about them, nor a dry place to +lie in. +</p> +<p> +On the 16th, early, the sky cleared, but the fine particles of snow were +driven about like clouds. Their present distress dictated the necessity +of venturing something to reach the habitations of men, and yet they +were rather afraid of passing over the newly frozen sea, and could not +determine what to do. Brother Turner went again with Mark to examine the +ice, and both seemed satisfied that it had acquired sufficient strength. +They therefore came to a final resolution to return to Nain, committing +themselves to the protection of the Lord. +</p> +<p> +Notwithstanding the wind had considerably increased, accompanied with +heavy showers of snow and sleet, they ventured to set off at half past +ten o'clock in the forenoon of the 19th. Mark ran all the way round +Kiglapeit before the sledge to find a good track, and about one o'clock, +through God's mercy, they were out of danger and reached the Bay. +Here they found a good track upon smooth ice, and made a meal upon the +remnant of their provisions. Thus refreshed, they resolved to proceed +without stopping till they reached Nain, where they arrived at twelve +o'clock at night. +</p> +<p> +It may easily be conceived with what gratitude to God the whole family +at Nain bade them welcome. During the storm, they had considered with +some dread, what might be the fate of their brethren, though its +violence was not felt so much there. Added to this, the hints of the +Esquimaux had considerably increased their apprehensions for their +safety, and their fears began to get the better of their hopes. All, +therefore, joined most fervently in praise and thanksgiving to God, +for this signal deliverance. +</p> +<p> +For many years the conversion of the heathen in Labrador, not only +proceeded very slowly, but was attended with many discouraging +circumstances. The missionaries had patiently persevered in preaching to +the natives, and watching every opportunity to make them attentive to +the best interests of their soils: but reaped little fruit from their +labours. Visits were frequent, and there was in general no want of +hearers to address, but they showed no disposition to be instructed. +If even a salutary impression was occasionally made on their minds, it +was not abiding. Some families were indeed collected in the different +settlements, but after staying there the winter, they mostly moved away +again in summer, and apparently forgot all they had heard. +</p> +<p> +Before the close of the year 1804, a new period commenced. A fire from +the Lord was kindled among the Esquimaux, accompanied with the clearest +evidence of being the effect of the operations of the divine Spirit on +their hearts. It commenced at Hopedale, the very place which presented +the most discouraging prospect. +</p> +<p> +When the Esquimaux of that place returned from their summer excursions, +the missionaries were delighted to find, that they not only had been +preserved from sinful practices, but had greatly increased in the +knowledge of divine truth. They had obtained an humbling insight into +the corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, and the wretched state +of a person void of faith in Christ. This constrained them to cry for +mercy, and gladly to accept salvation on the terms of the gospel: and +some afforded encouraging hopes, that they had found forgiveness of sins +in the blood of Christ, by which their souls were filled with peace +in believing. Out of the abundance of the heart their mouths spake of +the love and power of Jesus. Their artless but energetic declarations +impressed the rest of the inhabitants. They began to feel the necessity +of true conversion; and in a short time all the adults appeared +earnestly to seek peace with God. Even several of the children were +awakened. The missionaries were daily visited by people, who either +inquired "what they must do to be saved," or testified of the grace of +God manifested to their souls. +</p> +<p> +The progress of the mission, in the sequel, supplies sufficient proof, +that the effect of the gospel, just related, was not a wild fire, or the +mere consequence of a momentary impression, but a divine work wrought in +the hearts of the natives by the Spirit of God himself. The missionaries +frequently mention the attention and diligence shown in the schools, +both by adults, and children, and the delight and fervour with which +they engage in their family devotions, and in conversations with each +other respecting the influence of the gospel on their own souls. Their +behaviour at public worship likewise very strikingly differed from that +of former years, with regard to the eagerness with which they now +attended the house of God, and their deportment during the performance +of divine service. On one occasion the missionaries remark, "We no +longer see bold, undaunted heathen sitting before us, with defiance or +ridicule in their looks; but people expecting, a blessing, desirous to +experience the power of the word of life, shedding tears of repentance, +and their whole appearance evincing devotion and earnest inquiry." +</p> +<p> +Christians! does not this narrative present us with some useful subjects +for reflection? +</p> +<hr /> +<p style="margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><small> +London: <i>Printed for</i> <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">The Religious Tract Society</span>; <i>and sold at their +Depository</i></small> +</p> + +<br> +<br> +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14014 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/14014-h/images/danger.png b/14014-h/images/danger.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..4c169b9 --- /dev/null +++ b/14014-h/images/danger.png |
