After the evening meal we went down to the shore and embarked. The
people crowded the pier, and many a hand was stretched out with a
hearty "Aksunai." As we rowed away they were singing, and when their
voices sounded fainter across the water Thomas began of his own accord
the following hymn in his own language:--
"O Lord! lift up thy countenance
Upon thy Church, and own us thine;
Impart to each thy peace divine,
And blessings unto all dispense.
'Tis our desire to follow thee,
And from experience to proclaim
Salvation in thy blessed name:
O bless thy servants' ministry."
The other Eskimoes rowing our boat sang with him, until we reached the
"Harmony."
We were having a quiet time of cheerful converse in the cabin, when
the sound of singing again called us on deck. A procession of eight or
ten boats, the bow of one almost touching the stern of the other, was
rowing slowly round and round the ship, and the people in them were
singing sweet Christian songs to the measured beat of the oars. Sarah
was in the first boat, evidently the leader and director of the
proceedings.[C] Hymn after hymn, in well-sustained parts, sounded
beautifully over the still water, and not till it was getting quite
dark did they row away, singing "Victoria," _i.e._ "God save the
Queen," in honour of the English visitor. Her Majesty has very loyal
subjects in that unknown corner of her realm; and, by the way, some of
them charged me to bring home an "Aksunai" to her, too.
_Tuesday, September 25st._--Yes, "good-bye;" yet, when your vessel is
not a steamer, but dependent on the wind, you may have repeated
"good-byes," as often happens in Labrador. Not till this afternoon
could the "Harmony" hoist her sails and speed away to the broad
Atlantic. As soon as the Eskimoes saw our sails being unfurled, they
again came around the vessel in their boats, and anew commended us to
the Divine protection in their version of a very favourite hymn of
Count Zinzendorf's ("Jesu geh voran").
"Jesus, day by day,
Guide them on their way."