rying the gospel to the before
mentioned countries and places." "Now, dear Johannes," he concludes,
"thou knowest that I am an old Greenland traveller; I have also an
amazing affection for these northern countries, Indians, and other
barbarians; and it would be a source of the greatest joy if the
Saviour would discover to me that he has chosen me, and would make me
fit for this service. It is not for ease or convenience that I so
earnestly desire it. I think I can say before the Saviour, if this is
of thee thou wilt cause it to prosper, if not, yet it is a good work,
and no one will lose any thing by it."

On purpose to further the prosecution of this object, M. Stach, the
first Greenland missionary, had been recalled to Europe, and in the
year 1752 was sent for to London by Count Zinzendorff, to be consulted
with upon the occasion. Application was at the same time made to the
Hudson's Bay Company, for permission to preach the gospel to the
savages in the neighbourhood of their factories; but this being
refused, probably lest it should interfere with their mercantile
projects, M. Stach returned to found new settlements near the scenes
of his first labours. Meanwhile, three London merchants, but
unconnected with the Hudson's Bay Company, Messrs Nisbet, Grace and
Bell, fitted out a vessel for the coast of Labrador, to trade in oil
and whale fins, and engaged Erhardt, then at Zeist, to act as
supercargo, who, on account of his knowledge of the north seas, of the
trade, and of the language, they judged well qualified for that
office; but they also wished to make some preparation for a missionary
settlement, and four brethren, Golkowsky, Kunz, Post, and Krumm,
volunteered to remain in the country to learn the language, and
endeavour the conversion of the heathen; for this purpose they took
with them a wooden house ready to set up, a boat, various articles of
furniture, and some kitchen garden-seeds.

Count Zinzendorff, who, from former experience, was opposed to mixing
trading transactions with the work of a Christian mission, was not
without doubts as to the issue of this undertaking, he did not however
attempt to prevent it. The vessel on board of which this small society
embarked, named the Hope, reached the south-east coast of Labrador on
the 11th July 1752. The whole is precipitous, and skirted with
numerous barren rocky islands; among these they had to steer their way
under many difficulties, and with the greatest ca