Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Divine truth, which are attributed to Andrew of Lichtenau, and distinguished by the love for souls and zeal for their conversion, which rendered the service of Samuel Kayarnak and Daniel Ingoak so blessed in the earliest period of the mission. If the Lord shall

be pleased to prosper the effort to train native teachers, which has been in progress for the past two years at New Herrnhut, this most desirable object may, to a considerable extent, be gradually attained. And who, that hears of the tribes of Esquimaux discovered in previous unknown localities, by arctic explorers like Captain M'Clure, but must earnestly implore the Lord, to hasten the arri val of the day, when a company of native Evangelists shall be ready to go forth, in order to "beseech their distant countrymen, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God."

Of temporal provision, our Greenland congregations seem to have no lack. The extreme mildness of the winter proved favora ble to their obtaining an abundant supply of the neccessaries of life; and though the chilly spring and summer which followed threatened to deprive the missionaries of a considerable portion of their garden-produce, it does not appear to have exercised an equally injurious influence upon the seal-hunt. Epidemic diseases were mercifully averted, and a good state of health was generally enjoyed by both missionaries and converts.

The letter from br. Ihrer alludes in grateful terms to the benev olence of some esteemed friends in Scotland, who at the instance, and mainly through the exertions of our venerable friend Miss Mary Aikman*, of Edinburgh, have, for forty years past, been in the habit of ministering to the personal comforts of the missionaries sojourning in the Greenland wilderness; on act of Christian kindness, which has laid the latter under deep obligations.

The Jubilee of the Bible Society excited no less interest in Greenland than in Labrador, and our brethren were proposing to celebrate it on the 12th of October, the day suggested by the Committee.

The renewal of the project to reach the Esquimaux on the shores of Northumberland Inlet, was hailed with satisfaction by our missionaries, and one of their number, br. Warmow, of Lichtenfels, was quite ready to accompany the expedition under Capt. Penny, as interpreter and explorer. The result of this attempt, they await, like ourselves, with lively interest and prayerful expectation.

*Authoress of the interesting little work entitled "The Moravians in Greenland," and "The Moravians in Labrador," which have contributed not a little to make the Missions in those countries generally, known to British Christians.

DEAR BROTHER,

From br. S. KLEINSCHMIDT.

NEW HERRNHUT, August 14th, 1853.

One of the most interesting portions of your letter was the information respecting the proposed expedition to Northumberland Inlet. If it should be effected, it would remove the difficulty which seemed to attend former proposals for the establishment of a mission there, viz. the uncertainty of a regular communication. Br. Warmow has cheerfully accepted the commission to accompany Captain Penny, and I am sure he is well suited to this undertaking. He is now daily expecting the arrival of the vessel.

I fully agree with you, that it would be well to have a few faithful and able national assistants, whom we might employ in such an undertaking; but I am equally sure, that, for the present at least, they will be sought in vain. The few qualified assistants we possess, are indispensable for the work among their own countrymen; and I fear they would neither realise our expectations of a new post, nor be willing to forsake their homes and accustomed manner of life, for the sake of the heathen at such a distance, though they be of their own race. I entertain the hope, that ere long all prejudices with respect to the attempt at a Training Institution for National Assistants will disappear; and I propose, if the Lord will, in a few years, to visit our southern congregations, both for the sake of explaining orally the advantage of such an instruction, an object which cannot be effected by occasional correspondence, and of completing a Dictionary, which I have in hand, by comparison with the dialects of the south.

Last winter the Training-school gave me much pleasure and satisfaction, and it was not until then, that my first anticipations respecting its efficiency were realized. I perceived with thankfulness, in the conduct of some of my pupils, that the Spirit of God had begun a good work in their hearts.

I was much interested in reading the extract from the account of Captain Penny's exploratory expedition in 1850 and 1851, and was surprised, that the Europeans in the north, from whom Dr. Sutherland most likely obtained his information, should know so little of our mission, regarding which almost every Greenlander might have furnished him with more correct information.

"DEAR BROTHER,

From br. J. F. TIETZEN.

"LICHTENFELS, July 18th, 1853.

I wished to defer replying to your kind letter till the arrival of the vessel which brings our provisions, that I might inform you whether Captain Penny has been here to take on board br. Warmow, who is preparing for the expedition to Northumberland Inlet.

Though we should have been glad to retain his services, especially as we propose erecting a house in the Graeder-fiorde, a station where last year 119 of our members resided, in order to enable one of our number to sojourn among them, several times in the fully gave him up for this undertaking.

year, we cheer

In answer to your inquiry respecting the New Testament, I beg to state, that a copy has been given to every family, and that a portion of Scripture is read every evening by the father of the family, or if he should not be able to read, by another member of the household.

You think that the Esquimaux and Greenlanders are not more degraded than the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands. I would, however, remark, that the latter seem more independent in thought and action than the Greenlanders, who remain too much like children in conduct as long as they live. Nevertheless, we will not on that account withhold from them the instruction by which they may be further imbued with the spirit of Christianity, and the right understanding of the Bible; and we pray God that He would grant a special blessing to our imperfect efforts, and vouchsafe a revival among the people committed to our care.

DEAR BROTHER.

From br. JOHN KOEGEL.

LICHTENAU, July 19th, 1853.

I was glad to receive a paper in reference to the Jubilee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and shall be happy to be furnished next year with whatever you may be able to send me on this interesting subject. There is no Society in the wide world, which can be compared to this, as to the blessing which it has been instrumental in diffusing. The fruits which are manifest are numberless, but eternity will disclose many more. We are much indebted to that venerable Institution, inasmuch as it has printed for us two editions of the New Testament and one of the Book of Psalms. I can scarcely imagine how any one, who feels the least interest in the salvation of his fellow-creatures, can remain unaffected by joy, on contemplating what has been already achieved. I have no doubt, that our brethren and sisters here will gladly respond to the wish of the Society, and appoint the 12th of October as a day of solemn commemoration; and it will be a fit opportunity, to remind our people of their great obligation to their fellow-Christians in Britain.

DEAR BROTHER.

From br. J. M. IHRER.

FREDERICKSTHAL, August 9th, 1853.

The prohibition, by which we were last year restricted in our labors has not been removed. A new inspector has been appointed for the southern district, but a printed circular, which he has published, strongly recommends the dispersion of the Greenlanders, as being profitable to the trade. We can, therefore, expect no relief at his hands; but the Lord reigneth; and "He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." The out-dwellers belonging to this congregation are like scattered sheep, dispersed over thirteen different stations. We do what we can to preach the Gospel to them in their dispersion, both by periodical visits, and by the appointment of helpers to visit them and keep school. Even where only two or three families reside together, we select one from the midst of them, and enjoin him to read the Scriptures to the rest, and to instruct the children. But though our hands are tied, the Gospel is not bound. Whenever we meet heathen from the east coast, we preach to them Christ and Him crucified, as the power of God unto salvation. They do indeed return unto their homes, apparently in an unconverted state, because we are prohibited from receiving them under our care; but we know, that they tell their ignorant countrymen of the things they have seen and heard among the believers, and thus they may be instrumental in promoting the cause of our Savior among these perishing heathen. Adult baptisms are now of course of rare occurrence, as none can be admitted, except the young people of such families as have come to reside here, previously to the publication of the rescript. Three young persons were baptized in the course of last year, and eight persons admitted to the Lord's Supper. The spiritual course of our congregation was far from satisfactory, as we had to lament painful departures from the holy precepts of the Scriptures. Nor did their temporal condition improve. Some of our people who thoughtlessly had bartered away their blubber, for coffee and sugar, had to spend many a cold and dark winter's night without light in their dwellings, a circumstance specially trying to such as had little children. But the mild and almost snowless winter enabled them to gather wood for cooking food; and in spring, they were again successful in the seal-hunt. The whole of the present summer has been wet and cold, and scarcely a week has passed that we did not see the tops of the mountains around us covered with snow. The plants in our garden are, consequently, much retarded in their growth.

Br. Schneider has so far succeeded in the art of managing the kayak, that he could visit several stations last spring, in company of a Greenlander.

This year we have been again rejoiced by the receipt of a box of sundries from our venerable benefactress, Miss Aikman; and we thankfully record this renewed proof of the liberal remembrance of our British friends.*

EXTRACTS

FROM THE REPORTS OF SOME OF OUR MISSIONARY BRETHREN LABORING AMONG THE LIVONIANS AND ESTHONIANS, IN THE EMPIRE OF RUSSIA.

(Continued from p. 77.)

II. From the Report of br. Windekilde of Dorpat and its vicinity, 1850.

January 6th 1850 I travelled with my wife to the Wolti meeting-house in the parish of Exsi, during a bitter cold day. A deplorable quarrel had arisen between two aged pre-lectors, belonging to this meeting-house, which threatened to be the ruin of the whole society. One of them, Ado by name (the Livonian abbreviation of Adolphus), a very wealthy farmer, justice of the peace, schooldirector and trustee of the church, universally respected on account of his good sound sense, had secretly and insensibly accustomed himself to the use of spirituous liquors. The other, named Adam, a teacher of a district school, residing near the meetinghouse, more goodnatured but rather more shallow than his brother, thinking his aged friend's deviation a dangerous one, he kindly took him to task about it. But the other, already too strongly attached to his sin, and blinded by his reliance on his wealth and reputation, not only turned a deaf ear to these remonstrances, but even entertained the thought in his heart, of getting rid of this friend. The wealthy Ado, excelling all the neighboring farmers, esteemed by his patron, and being the creditor of his pastor, accordingly soon framed a plan, how to depose the schoolmaster from his office, that he might no longer be annoyed in his evil course, by his admonitions, so irksome to himself. Unfortunately

* The gift referred to was from Christian friends in Scotland, and was collected and forwarded by Miss Mary Aikman, of Edinburgh. It consisted of four boxes, one box to each settlement, each box containing clothing, and other useful articles, in value 121. The value of the whole amounted to 481. 5s., being a private gift to the Missionaries laboring on that inhospitable coast. Similar gifts of like amount have been sent every second and third year, from the same friends, ever since 1813, when some missionaries from Greenland paid a visit in Edinburgh, and excited by their presence and their statements, a lively interest on behalf of this ancient mission.-ED.

« AnteriorContinuar »