The Moravians in Labrador by Anonymous
page 80 of 220 (36%)
page 80 of 220 (36%)
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justified the presentiment of Jans Haven. Not far from Cape Keglapeit
they had the misfortune to encounter a dreadful storm, and when only three miles from Nain, their vessel struck on a sunk rock where she was wrecked. After a fearful night, about 2 o'clock next morning they attempted to get at the boat that belonged to their shallop, but through the violence of the waves it was driven on a rock and almost dashed to pieces. Brazen and Lehman were drowned, but Haven and Lister, together with the sailors, succeeded in reaching a barren rock, where they suffered much from cold and hunger--where they must have perished miserably had they not providentially got their boat, which was in tatters, drawn on shore, and with all the woollen clothes and seal skins they could spare, patched it together. Still it was a wretched barque, but they had no other resource, and were obliged to venture to sea in it such as it was. The wind was favourable, and at length they happily met Manamina in his kaiak, who towed them safely to Nain, where they arrived on the evening of the 18th of September, truly thankful to the Lord for his wonderful assistance. "After our return," Haven says in the account of his life, "I was overwhelmed with sorrow--spent days and nights in sighs and tears--thought much of my whole past life--cried to the Lord for help and forgiveness of all my many failings, and renewed my vows to devote myself entirely to his service." The bodies of both the brethren who were drowned were driven on shore, and afterwards brought to the settlement, where they were decently interred. Sad as this catastrophe was, it did not prevent the brethren, in the year 1775, from undertaking new journies to explore the south and north coast; nor deter others from offering themselves to supply the |
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