Читать книгу The Moravians in Labrador - Unknown - Страница 5

Contests between the Colonists and Savages revive—Murderous skirmish.—Mikak.—Karpik, his conversion and death.—The Moravians receive a grant of land on the coast of Labrador—resolve to renew the mission—voyage to explore the land.—Jans Haven, Drachart, &c., arrive at Labrador—their interview with the natives—meet Mikak and Tuglavina—their kindness.—Segulliak the sorcerer.—Anxiety of the Esquimaux for their remaining among them—ground purchased for a settlement—manner of bargaining with the Esquimaux—sail for Esquimaux bay—the natives troublesome—the Captain's method of checking them—conduct of the missionaries—they preach on shore.—Conversation with the Esquimaux—search out a place for a settlement—purchase it of the natives—ceremonies used on the occasion—take formal possession.—Deputation return to England.

Various impediments prevented any further negociations with the government of Great Britain, in regard to establishing a mission among the Esquimaux, for nearly five years. During this period the English merchants and the natives on the coast of Labrador were anew involved in strife and bloodshed. With the missionaries all confidence had left the country; the colonists had no check, and the savages had no friend. The mercenary views of the traders were ever leading them to cheat and deceive these poor untutored unprotected beings, who in return, deemed retaliation no crime; nor in balancing the amount of guilt would it be easy to settle which of the parties were most deeply implicated; the one who gave trifles, or worse—beads or brandy, for articles of real value; or the other, who secretly pilfered some useless toys or iron implements, for which in fact they had greatly overpaid. Both were rogues in their dealings, only the Europeans had the advantage of superior knowledge, which enabled them to rob with superior dexterity, and to cloak their knavery under the name of barter.

But at this date—1766-9—the Esquimaux, from their intercourse with their civilized neighbours, had learned to estimate the value of European arms and vessels, and they stuck at no method by which they might possess themselves of them, while the murders which the whites committed with impunity, led them on every occasion that offered, eagerly to gratify their cupidity and revenge. They accordingly watched their opportunity; and in 1768, when the Europeans were off their guard, killed three men and stole two boats. A battle was the consequence, when twenty of the savages were left dead on the field, and four women, two boys and three girls were taken prisoners, and brought to Newfoundland. Among the women prisoners were Mikak; one of the boys was her son; the other, Karpik, about fifteen years of age, had previously lost his mother, and his father fell in the engagement. Their own story forms a remarkable episode in the history of the mission. These three were sent to England, where they were treated with much kindness.

Mikak, who seems to have been a person of very superior understanding, was noticed by many of the nobility, and particularly by the Princess Dowager of Wales, mother to George III; but nothing could overcome her love for her native land, or erase from her mind the deep sense she entertained of the sufferings of her kindred. We are not furnished with the facts of the case, but it appears sufficiently plain, that from all she saw in England, and during the time of her captivity, that she discerned and appreciated the immense superiority of the Europeans over the Esquimaux, and was extremely anxious to return home, and, if possible, carry with her the means of their amelioration. Providentially Jans Haven came to England in 1769 for the purpose of endeavouring to renew the mission, and meeting with Mikak, she immediately recognised him as an old acquaintance, who had formerly lodged in her tent, and expressed the most unbounded joy at meeting with a friend by whom her language was understood. Her first and constant theme was the condition of her countrymen; and she incessantly entreated Haven to return to Labrador and endeavour to do something for their relief. Besides, now that she had a medium of communication, she never ceased to urge her prayer among those distinguished personages, by whom she had been patronized, and her applications had no small influence in paving the way for a renewal of the mission. Soon after she was sent home in a King's ship, and rendered essential service to the brethren who followed.

By the especial direction of Sir Hugh Palliser, Karpik was consigned to the care of Jans Haven for the purpose of being properly educated, that he might afterwards be employed in the important service of introducing Christianity, and the peaceful arts of civilized life, into the savage and inhospitable coasts of Labrador—the Governor being deeply impressed with a sense of the great benefits to be derived from a well conducted mission among the wild tribes in the neighbourhood of the colony, with whom they meant to carry on a safe or a gainful traffic. Naturally ferocious and untractable, Karpik was very averse to restraint; and it was not till after the most unwearied display of disinterested kindness, that Jans succeeded in gaining the affections of this stubborn boy, and persuading him willingly to accompany him to his dwelling.

Here, perhaps, the good man's most trying labours began. Karpik inherited the prejudices of his nation: he had a high opinion of himself, and despised all others; and when told that God the Creator of the world desired to make him happy, received the information as a matter of course, replying to his teacher with a comfortable self-complacency, "That is right, for I am a good karaler!" The filthiness of his skin had superinduced a cutaneous disorder, which, when the care and attention of Haven had got removed, he expressed high delight, but he soon became dissatisfied with the clean plain clothing in which he was dressed; boys of any rank at that time being absurdly decorated with ruffles and lace, and such like trumpery; and as if human folly had wished to caricature its own ridiculous extravagance, some of the children were even introduced into company with cocked hats and swords.

Poor Karpik, it seems, caught the infection, and conceived a violent passion for a hat and coat bedizzened with embroidery; and it is amusing to remark his wayward ingenuity, when insisting upon being gratified. On one occasion Jans had remonstrated with him upon the uselessness of finery, and exhorted him to apply himself to useful learning; and above all, to seek to know the Lord who dwells in heaven—"Poor clothes," retorted he instantly, "will not teach me that! my countrymen, who have poor clothes, die and know nothing of God. The king has fine clothes, and knows God as well as you, and why should not I? give me fine clothes, I can still know God and love him!" Haven told him he had no money to buy him fine clothes—"Then go to the king," said Karpik, "and get money from him." "Well," replied the missionary, "we will go; but if the king asks, what has Karpik learned? can he read, or write, or is he acquainted with the God in heaven? what shall I say? If I am forced to answer, He has learned nothing; the king will say, Take him on board the man of war, let him serve my officers and clean their shoes for seven years, till he has learned something.—You know how these boys are treated." Karpik perceived the force of this simple reasoning, fell on the neck of his instructor, and promised all obedience in future. It was not, however, till some time after, that eternal things began to make a serious impression on his mind.

At length he grew thoughtful, and under the powerful conviction of his wretched state as a sinner, would often exclaim, "Woe is me! I am good for nothing, I am a miserable creature!" Under these uneasy sensations he at first felt exasperated, and he wished he had never heard of a God or of a Bible; but as the truth beamed in upon his soul, he became calm and peaceful, and manifested a strong desire to be further instructed. He was in this interesting state of mind, when Haven, being called away, committed him to the charge of Mr Drachart, who was then residing at the Brethren's settlement in Yorkshire, under whose tutilage he made rapid improvement in knowledge; and evidenced, by the change of his disposition, and his mildness of manner, and simplicity of conduct, that the gospel had taken powerful hold upon his heart; and this he evidenced still more clearly, when early called to grapple with the last enemy.

From the encouraging progress he was making, his friends were fondly anticipating the time when he should go forth as a zealous missionary of the Lord Jesus among his benighted countrymen, but their hopes were suddenly overcast. On September the 22d, he was seized with the small pox, which, in spite of the best medical assistance, speedily proved fatal. He bore his distemper with patience, and some of his last expressions were, "O! Jesus, I come to thee, I have no where else to go. I am a poor sinner, but thou hast died for me! have mercy upon me! I cast myself entirely upon thee." The day before his death he was baptized by Mr Drachart, who, at his own request, made use of the Greenlandish language in administering the rite. On the 4th October 1769, he expired, the first fruits of Christ's vintage among the Esquimaux; and although not employed to spread the savour of his name among his heathen kindred by the living voice, yet he was honoured by his death to encourage the exertions, and strengthen the faith of those soldiers of the Lord who were buckling on their armour for the glorious combat.

Whether the ruinous effects of the state of anarchy, and murderous contests which prevailed whenever the natives and the Europeans came in contact, or whether the various memorials with which they had been for several years annoyed, had most influence, we know not; but the Board of Trade made a representation early in 1769 to the king, (George III.) and on the 3d May, the same year, a Privy Council was summoned to consider of a petition from the Brethren for establishing a mission on the coast of Labrador. The result of their deliberations was, "That His Majesty in Council gave, and authorised the Brethren's Unity, and the Society for the furtherance of the gospel among the heathen, to take one hundred thousand acres of land (belonging to the Esquimaux,) on the coast of Labrador, where, and in whatever place of the same was most convenient for their purpose." And the Governor of Newfoundland was directed to afford the brethren in their settlement every protection, and to furnish them from the royal stores with fifty muskets and the necessary ammunition.

Following up this favourable opening, the Moravian Synod, which was held at Marienborn, resolved to renew the friendly intercourse with the Esquimaux, and to search out a convenient situation for the establishment of a mission. In consequence, Jans Haven, Drachart, and Stephen Jensen, received this in charge; and some other brethren resolved to take a part in it, and go themselves as sailors in a ship which a Society of the Brethren in London had fitted out, and which they resolved should annually visit the coast of Labrador to carry out supplies of the necessaries of life to the missionaries. They first made land at a place called Arnitok, an island about six miles from the spot where Nain now stands; there they found twenty-nine boats full of Esquimaux, but they behaved in a very unruly manner and with great insolence, till the report of the great guns, fired over their heads, frightened them into order; they then showed themselves friendly, and the missionaries, who understood the language, preached the gospel to them. After this the two brethren, Haven and Jensen, traversed the coast unmolested in search of favourable ground for a settlement; but being unable to find such a spot they set sail again, and on the 15th July ran into an harbour upon the most eastern point of the mainland, near Nain, 55 deg. N.L. Here they found many Esquimaux, and the joy on both sides was greatly heightened, when they recognised among them several of their old acquaintances, in particular Segulliak, who said to Jans Haven, "When I first saw your boat I was afraid, but I no sooner heard that little Jans Haven was there than all fear departed, and I am very glad to see you again, for I have a great love to little Jans." He then bound a strap of leather round Drachart's arm, at the same time saying, "We love thee much!" and laying his right hand on Drachart's breast, continued, "This band on thy arm shall from henceforth be a sign that our love shall never cease. I have not forgot what I heard of the Lord in heaven, and I long to hear more." Drachart answered, "You may indeed be assured that I have a great love for you, when I, an old man—he was then in his sixtieth year—have come again to visit you, that you might hear more of your Lord in heaven, your Creator, who became a man and died on the cross for your sins, for mine, and for the sins of the whole world." The Esquimaux replied, "We will hear the word you have for us!" Drachart continued, and spoke of the great love of the Creator of all things, which moved him to come down from heaven to earth, and by his sufferings and death to redeem us from our sins and eternal punishment. When the brethren confirmed to the savages what Mikak had formerly told them, that they intended to settle among them, they rejoiced like little children, and every one of them gave Jans Haven a small present.

As Mikak had told them that her relations, who had gone to the south, anxiously wished to see them, the missionaries sailed on the 19th July back to Byron's Bay, and sent the Esquimaux boats before them. It was not long before a kaiak arrived with the father of Mikak, who instantly coming on board said, "My daughter and her husband are here on the island before you, and they strongly desire to see and speak with you." Indeed, scarcely had they cast anchor in the open creek, when Mikak with her husband Tuglavina, and their son and daughter, came to them. The man had a white woollen coat, but Mikak herself wore a finely ornamented dress, trimmed with gold, and embroidered with gold spangles, which had been presented to her by the Princess Dowager of Wales, when she was in London, and had on her breast a gold medal with a likeness of the king. Her father also wore an officer's coat. Being invited into the cabin to partake of some refreshments, Jans Haven asked her if she would receive the brethren as her own people. "You will see," she replied, "how well we will behave, if you will only come. We will love you as our countrymen, and trade with you justly, and treat you kindly." 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. Mikak acted in the most friendly manner—assuring her kindred of the brethren's affection for them, and telling them of all the kindness she had experienced in England, where she had lived in a great house, and been most liberally treated. The missionaries being about to take leave, Segulliak came up to Drachart, and renewed his expressions of attachment; the latter replied, "I do not forget that five years ago you assured me of your love; and only a few days since you bound this thong on my arm as a token of your affection, and by this you have declared that you are willing to hear the word of the sufferings and death of Jesus." When the others heard this, they all cried out, "We also are willing to hear." The missionary then mentioned some particulars of the history of the life and sufferings of the Saviour, and asked if they would wish, as the Greenlanders did, to hear something of Jesus everyday? "Yes! yes!" they all replied. "Then," said Drachart, "if that be the case, we will look out for a piece of land in Esquimaux Bay, where we may next year build a house."

Although these good men had received the extensive grant we have mentioned from His Majesty of England of the Esquimaux country, they did not consider that that gave them any right to take possession without the consent of the inhabitants, or without giving them an equivalent, notwithstanding the settlement was intended solely for their advantage, and was to communicate to them what was of infinitely more value than millions of acres in the finest country of the world, instead of a patch of barren ground on the bleak and inhospitable coast of Labrador. 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." "Pay us," they repeated, "pay us, and take as much land as you please." Drachart and the other brethren then going from tent to tent, divided among the men, women, and children, all kinds of tools and fishing tackle, which having done, he produced a written agreement to which all their names were attached, and telling them its import, required each to put a mark before his name with his own hand, that it might be a perpetual memorial of their having sold the land. When they had done so, he again shewed each his name with his mark, adding, "In time to come, when yourselves or your children shall learn to read and write, as the Greenlanders have done, they will be able to read these names, and they will remember what they have just now seen and heard." 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. The Esquimaux, of whom about one hundred were present, then gave the brethren their hands, and solemnly promised to abide by their agreement "as long as the sun shone."

After this sacred transaction the brethren, along with Mikak and her family, returned to the ship, which set sail the same day for Esquimaux Bay. On the dangerous passage, Mikak and her husband were of essential service in directing their course among rocks and islands, and likewise in trading with the Esquimaux they met with on their way, and inducing them to receive the brethren favourably, and attend to their instructions. Notwithstanding, however, the uniform expressions of love with which the savages everywhere hailed them, the missionaries found it necessary always to be upon their guard, and use the utmost circumspection in their intercourse with their new friends, especially on shipboard, where they behaved with a rude intrusion, often extremely troublesome, and not always without showing marks of their natural propensity to thieving; they therefore prohibited more than five from coming on board at one time to trade, and that only during the day; and informed them that if any were found in the ship during the night, they should be treated as thieves; and, to fix the time allowed for trading more exactly, a cannon was fired at six o'clock in the morning, and another at the same time in the evening. Finding that his regulations, however, were not so strictly observed as he could wish, and the natives becoming rather troublesome, Captain Mugford, while lying off the Island Amitok, deemed it necessary to show them that he possessed the power of punishing their misdeeds if he chose to employ it. He fired several shot from his great guns over their heads against a high barren rock at no great distance. When the broken pieces of the rock rolled down threateningly towards them, they raised a mournful howl in their tents, as if they were about to be destroyed; but they afterwards behaved more orderly, and not with the savage wildness they had done before, yet the missionaries were always obliged to act with firmness and decision, in order to prevent all approaches to any transgression that it might have been necessary to punish, or that might have exposed any of the men to danger.

During the voyage, Drachart held a meeting morning and evening, in the cabin, with the young Esquimaux, who seemed to take great pleasure in it, and were highly attentive. Some of their expressions were remarkable. "They wished they had such a desire for the Saviour as a child has for its parents"—"or a man to hunt the rein-deer, and obtain his prey."—"They would not cease to think of Jesus' sufferings and death, but would remember that merciful and generous Saviour who had died from love to them, and learn to know and love him." In the evening of the last day of July they cast anchor in the southernmost corner of Esquimaux Bay, and on the following day entered the harbour of Nanangoak, in which lay fourteen European and two women's boats, and on shore fourty-seven tents were pitched. Here Mikak and her husband had wished to rejoin their countrymen. Before they left the ship Drachart reminded them of what he had taught them, and recommended to them every morning when they rose, and every evening before they went to sleep, to think on the Saviour and his sufferings; and exhorted them, when any wicked thoughts should arise in their minds—theft, adultery, or murder, or any other bad thing they had heard from their youth up from the Angekoks their teachers—that they should pray to him that he would take them away, adding, "if you thus turn to Jesus and diligently seek to him, then you will no more belong to the heathen, but to the Saviour, who will receive you as his own, and write your names among the faithful." Jans Haven accompanied them to their friends, who rejoiced to receive them in safety, and among them Jans found his old acquaintance Seguilliak. 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. Soon upwards of seven hundred Esquimaux were collected within and around it, to whom Drachart, for the first time, preached the gospel, and was heard here, as elsewhere, with the utmost apparent attention. When he had finished, Mikak and her husband began to testify, in their own simple manner, how the Lord in heaven had become man, and died for their sins. Supposing that this alluded to their own murders, some of their countrymen appeared startled, and cried out, "Ah! that is true, we are sinners, and old murderers; but we will never more carry concealed knives, either under our arms or under our clothes; and we shall never have bows and arrows hid in our kaiaks, because the Lord in heaven has said, Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed. If we kill Europeans, as we did three years ago, then we deserve that they should kill us and our countrymen." But they seemed likewise alarmed lest the boats they had then taken should be demanded back; but Mikak and her husband explained that the Europeans did not come to desire them to give back the boats, but that certainly if they did so any more they would be punished. "That is good!" they replied "we believe your words, Mikak; and shall also love the great and powerful chief you saw in London, and his people, and will trade honourably with them;" and renewed their protestations of affection for the missionaries, telling them, "Now we are brethren." Drachart seized the opportunity of explaining what he meant by brethren:—"Ye have heard that many of the Greenlanders are our brethren; now you must learn rightly to understand why we call one another brethren. Hear what the reason is,—our hearts and the Greenlanders are fast bound together by the love of Jesus our Saviour, who died on the cross for our sins, therefore do we call the Greenlanders, and all who are united in the death of Jesus, our brethren. If you will now be converted to Jesus, then shall you be such brethren as the Greenlanders are." At a subsequent meeting, the missionaries informed them that they were desirous of finding a proper place on which to build a house, as it was their intention to return next year and settle among them, and requested their opinion as to where would be the best spot. They told them there were many good places on the continent which they might examine and choose for themselves; or if they would prefer an island, they were welcome to the best; and the old men added, "You may build and dwell in our country, and do what you will, either on land or sea—you shall have the same liberty as we have, for you are Innuit, as we are, and not such Kablunat as the other wicked Europeans." "Well," replied Drachart, "you and we and the Greenlanders are also as one family." "Yes," returned the old men, "we are friends and brethren." "Then, dear men, when you speak thus, do you in your hearts really think so?" "Yes! yes! you may firmly believe that." The brethren then proceeded from tent to tent, and distributed gifts, and obtained the marks of the old men, to the number of sixty-seven, to an agreement similar to that which they had made with the other Esquimaux, and the land from Monenguak to Kangerlack being marked out with four great stones, was given to the brethren for a possession. The ceremony being concluded, Drachart addressed them thus: "These signatures will shew to your children, and your children's children, that you have received us as friends and countrymen, and have given us the piece of land marked out by these stones, and then your children, and your children's children, will remember this transaction after your death, as if you spoke to them, and said, We, your fathers and grandfathers, called the brethren here for our sakes, and your sakes, and they have built a good house to meet daily with you, in that you may hear of the Lord in heaven. Do not forget that we your parents have given this piece of land for an inheritance to our brethren that came to us from the east of Greenland; and when you are converted to Jesus, you must live near the meeting house, love your teachers, and follow them as the Greenlanders do. Will you," continued he, "tell your families what you have now heard, as well as what you have now said? that your wives and children may know." They answered, "That we will,—and we have already begun to spread it through our country, and shall continue to do so." The missionary proceeded:—"The Lord, your and our Saviour, is over all. He is truly here with us—I feel his presence in my heart; he knoweth all things, and hath heard your words and mine; he is calling for your hearts—will you now give them to him? And will you keep to the words you have now said to me?" "Yes!" cried all the men, and gave him their hands, and some kissed him.