The time having now arrived at which, according to the opinion of the
Bishop of Newfoundland, and the Warden of St. Augustine's, the
qualifications of Kallihirua might be turned to some account, as an
aid to missionaries in their efforts among the Esquimaux of Labrador,
he left England, in the autumn of the year 1855, for further training
at St. John's, Newfoundland. This step was taken at the expense of the
Admiralty, who agreed to allow him 25 pounds a year for three years.
The following notice of his character appeared in the 'Occasional
Paper,' published in St. Augustine's College at the time of his
removal to Newfoundland. At every step of his short but remarkable
course, such willing testimony always awaited him.
"Kallihirua, whose name is known as widely as that of his College, has
arrived at another crisis in his eventful history. Having resided more
than three years in College, he has been transferred to the
experienced care of the Bishop of Newfoundland, with the view to his
probable usefulness among the Esquimaux of Labrador. If integrity of
moral principle, gentleness of spirit, docility of manners,
willingness to be useful, and true Christian politeness, are essential
requisites in a Missionary, then is Kallihirua certain to fill his
place well, if only the right place is found for him."
Kalli arrived in St John's, Newfoundland, on the 2nd October, 1855,
and, on the following day, wrote a letter to Captain Ommanney, telling
him that he had suffered on the voyage from the motion of the vessel,
which had caused severe headaches. He added, "St John's puts me in
mind of my own country. I have already found a great number of kind
friends, and feel so happy."
He was immediately admitted into the College of the Theological
Institution for further training, and it was the Bishop's intention to
have taken him in the summer of 1856 in the Church-ship to the coast
of Labrador, with the view particularly of comparing his language with
that of the Esquimaux on the American continent, who are included
under the government, and consequently in the diocese, of
Newfoundland.
That he was not unfitted for this task, appears from a passage in the
preface to the Greenland-Esquimaux Vocabulary. Captain Washington
observes: "On comparing the Labrador with the Greenland dialect of the
Esquimaux, it was found that nearly one-half the words given by Mr.
Platon were similar to the former. On going over the vocabulary with
Kallihirua, generally speaking he recognized the Greenland word. When
he did not do so, the Labrador was mentioned, which, in most cases, he
caught at directly. These words have been added. There would thus
appear to be even a greater degree of similarity between the Labrador
and Greenland dialects than might have been expected, and it is
evident that the Greenland dialect, as Mr. Platon states, is spoken by
all the Esquimaux to the head of Baffin's Bay."
Kalli had some conversation with a Moravian Missionary from Labrador.
The language was in most respects similar, though there was evidently
a difficulty in understanding each other.