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Updated: May 8, 2025
On account of the tempestuous weather, the whole party, amounting to fourteen, were detained during the whole night on board the vessel. Early next morning they left them, followed by Messrs Haven and Drachart, who, going from tent to tent, preached the gospel to them.
On which two aged men, with long beards, coming up to him, said, 'We are Angekoks. Drachart took them by the hands, and introduced them to Sir Thomas Adams, who, with the sailors, had been standing by during the conversation, and told them, 'This is our captain, who is sent by a greater captain to invite you to visit him to-morrow. Sir Thomas then hastened back to Pitt's harbour, to give an account of this interview to the Commodore, who had remained there, and we continued our course a few miles farther north in St Louis Bay, where we remained during the night."
Drachart next informed them, that when they should return to Esquimaux Bay, after the rein-deer hunt, they would see four great stones erected with figures on them, which were called letters, and these would mark out the boundaries of the land which had been bought from them.
Drachart being taken ill, it was not till the 21st September that the brethren were able to take their final departure, on which occasion Jans Haven, when bidding the natives farewell, made them promise that they would not forget what Drachart had spoken to them.
When they mentioned that they meant to "buy" the land, the whole crowd, who perfectly understood the term, cried out, "Good! good! pay us, and take as much land as you please!" Drachart said, "It is not enough that you be paid for your high rocky mountain; you may perhaps say in your hearts, when these people come here, we will kill them, and take their boats and all their valuable articles."
"No! no!" they exclaimed, "we will never kill any more, or steal any more; we are brethren!" "That gladdens my heart," said Drachart; "but how shall we buy the land? You have no great chief, and every one of you will be lord of his land. We will do this: we will give each of you what will be more useful to you in your fishing than the land you may give us."
Next day Drachart and Jensen went on shore, when they were immediately surrounded by a great crowd, who took the missionaries under the arm, and shook them by the hands, and then conducted them from tent to tent, where they proclaimed to them the unsearchable riches of Christ. Mikak invited them into her large tent, and begged they might hold a meeting in it.
Hill and the ship's surgeon endeavoured to follow the vessel in a small boat, in order to attempt some arrangement; but just as they had reached her, they were dashed by the waves against the ship's side and overset, and narrowly escaped with their lives. Drachart and Haven now betook themselves to the stranded shallop, but they were destitute of provisions, and the rain fell in torrents.
Observing Drachart, who was awake, appear startled when he came near him, as often as he laid his hand on his face he kissed him. He then lay still for a while as if dead after a little began to moan, and at last raised himself up, and requested that they would kiss him, as that gave him some relief, after which he sat down and began to sing.
Having remained till the 5th of September, and having seen the brethren, to all appearance, comfortably settled in their dwelling, the vessel left to proceed further to the north, for the purpose of completing her cargo, and Drachart, who had engaged to return to Europe, received in charge the brethren's letters for their friends, and bade them farewell.
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