he perceived some salt
water dropping from the roof of the snow-house upon his lips. On a
sudden, a tremendous wave broke close to the house, discharging a
quantity of water into it; a second soon followed, and carried away
the slab of snow placed as a door before the entrance. The missionaries
having roused the sleeping Esquimaux, they instantly set to work, One of
them with a knife cut a passage through the house, and each seizing some
part of the baggage, threw it out on a higher part of the beach; brother
Turner assisting them. Brother Liebisch and the woman and child fled
to a neighbouring eminence. The latter were wrapt up by the Esquimaux
in a large skin, and the former took shelter behind a rock, for it was
impossible to stand against the wind, snow, and sleet. Scarcely had the
company retreated, when an enormous wave carried away the whole house.

They now found themselves a second time delivered from the most imminent
danger of death; but the remaining part of the night, before the
Esquimaux could seek and find another and safer place for a snow-house,
were hours of great distress and very painful reflections. Before the
day dawned, the Esquimaux cut a hole in a large drift of snow, to serve
as a shelter to the woman and child and the two missionaries. Brother
Liebisch, however, owing to the pain in his throat, could not bear the
closeness of the air, and was obliged to sit down at the entrance,
being covered with skins, to guard him against the cold. As soon as
it was light, they built another snow-house, and miserable as such an
accommodation must be, they were glad and thankful to creep into it.

The missionaries had taken but a small stock of provisions with them,
merely sufficient for the short journey to Okkak. Joel, his wife and
child, and Kassigiak, a heathen sorcerer, who was with them, had
nothing. They were obliged therefore to divide the small stock into
daily portions, especially as there appeared no hopes of soon quitting
this place and reaching any dwellings. They therefore resolved to serve
out no more than a biscuit and a half per day to each. The missionaries
remained in the snowhouse, and every day endeavoured to boil so much
water over their lamps, as might supply them with two cups of coffee
a-piece. Through mercy they were preserved in good health, and, quite
unexpectedly, brother Liebisch recovered on the first day of his sore
throat. The Esquimaux also kept up their spirits, and even Ka