ght
live, and be taught what I had told them; I asked if they would assist
to bring the stones, and help to raise the building. They signified
their willingness by shouting again in their usual manner. I mentioned
the above circumstance, as conceiving it to be practicable and
advisable, from the best information I could obtain, that the first
attempt to form an establishment on the shores of the Bay, to educate
the children of the Esquimaux, should be made at Knapp's Bay, or, as
called by the Esquimaux, Aughlinatook. Augustus's tribe traverse this
part of the coast, which is about two hundred miles north of Churchill;
from whence the frame of the building and some dry provisions in casks
might be taken in boats, to maintain the party, at first making the
settlement, independent of the common resources of the country, and of
the Esquimaux; and a communication kept up with the Company's Post,
which might easily be done, both in summer and winter. It is said that
the word, difficulty, is not known in the English Military dictionary,
and surely ought not to be found in that of the Missionary; and a
mission undertaken to the Esquimaux, upon the plan suggested, conducted
with prudence, intrepedity, and perseverance, can leave little doubt as
to its ultimate success. They tied knots upon a sinew thread, tieing a
knot for each child as it was named, to inform me, at my request, of
the number of children they had belonging to their tribe, and which
they would bring to the school for instruction. The number on the sinew
thread was sixty-two boys and sixty-four girls. Whenever I spoke to
them about provisions, they uniformly said that they would bring
plenty; but should the establishment be made, a small number of
children would at first of course be taken, and increased in proportion
as the resources of the country, and the supplies afforded by the
Esquimaux towards the support of their children, were pretty accurately
ascertained. It is true that they live in a country, as those do on the
Labrador coast, of hopeless barrenness, and endure almost a perpetual
winter's blast; but the success of the faithful devoted Moravian
Missionaries, on the coast of Labrador, and on that of Greenland, in
their labours, privations, and perseverance, to impart the knowledge of
Christianity, which has been blessed of God to the salvation of the
Esquimaux, holds out every encouragement to the intrepid Missionary, in
his attempts to benefit, with Chr