"THE HARMONY" 1
HOPEDALE 4
TITUS, NATIVE HELPER AT HOPEDALE 10
ESKIMO HOUSES 19
A GROUP OF WIDOWS AT NAIN 21
THE CHOIR AT NAIN 22
ICE AGROUND 29
RAMAH 36
TENTS AT RAMAH 37
AN ESKIMO IN HIS KAYAK 42
TRAVELLING IN LABRADOR 49
=LABRADOR=
Is an extensive triangular peninsula on the north-east coast of
British North America, Lat. 50° to 62° N., Lon. 56° to 78° W.; bounded
N. by Hudson's Straits, E. by the Atlantic, S.E. by the Strait of
Belle Isle, separating it from Newfoundland, S. by the Gulf and River
St. Lawrence and Canada, and W. by James' Bay and Hudson's Bay. Its
area is estimated at 420,000 sq. miles. The vast interior, inhabited
by a few wandering Nascopie Indians, is little known; the coast,
mainly but sparsely peopled by Eskimoes, is rugged, bleak and
desolate. Seals abound, and the sea is well stocked with cod and other
fish. The wild animals include deer (caribou), bears, wolves, foxes,
martens, and otters. The Eskimo dogs are trained to draw sledges, to
which they are attached in teams of from eight to fourteen.
The temperature in winter ranges lower than that of Greenland, the
thermometer often showing a minimum of 70° below freezing-point of
Fahrenheit. The climate is too severe to ripen any cereals, and the
flora is very limited.
The Moravian Mission to the Eskimoes on the north-east coast of
Labrador was established in 1771 by a colony of brethren and sisters
from England and Germany, who on July 1st reached Unity's Harbour, and
at once began the erection of a station, calling it NAIN. An earlier
attempt in 1752 under the direction of John Christian Erhardt had
failed, the leader of the little band of missionaries and the captain
of the ship, together with several men of the crew, having been killed
by the natives. Five more stations were subsequently added--viz., ZOAR
and HOPEDALE to the south, and OKAK, HEBRON, and RAMAH to the north of
Nain. The distance from Ramah to Hopedale is about three hundred
miles.
Since the year 1770, when the "Jersey Packet" was sent out on an
exploratory trip, the Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel has
maintained regular communication with Labrador by despatching each
year a ship, specially devoted to this missionary object. Eleven
different ships have been employed in this service, ranging from a
little sloop of seventy tons to a barque of two hundred and forty
tons. Of these only four were specially constructed for Arctic
service, including the vessel now in use, which was built in the year
1861. She is the fourth of the Society's Labrador ships bearing the
well-known name "THE HARMONY."
[Illustration: "THE HARMONY."]
=WITH THE HARMONY TO LABRADOR=.