which they perceived there were still some persons
alive beneath the snow; and hastening back to Nain with Sirmek, they
returned with additional hands, and the necessary tools from the
brethren. They soon found that there were more Esquimaux within, and
by great exertion and labour succeeded in extricating nine persons
from the rubbish, but one of them was so much bruised that she died
very soon after. By this visitation twenty-one persons lost their
lives. The Esquimaux were greatly alarmed by it for a little, but the
impression soon wore off, and all was forgotten.

In January and February 1783, the famine increased among the natives,
and the brethren redoubled their endeavours to supply their
necessities, which however appears only to have had the effect of
encouraging their indolence, for so long as they could get food in
this way they would not stir abroad, or make the least exertion to
supply their own wants. If urged to go in search of food, they alleged
that hunger prevented them; "for," said they, "when we go out and
catch nothing it makes us the more hungry." If advised to go and hunt,
they replied, "We have no gun." Yet did not this waywardness tire the
patient benevolence of the missionaries; but, like children of their
Father in heaven, who causeth his sun to rise on the evil and the
good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust, when the famine had
reached its height, brother Lister sent to Okkak to fetch a sledge
load of dried fish.

Ere they arrived, news was brought that the Esquimaux in the island of
Kerniteksut, two hours distant from Nain, had been so fortunate as to
find a dead whale. On hearing this, the whole inhabitants of the
country hastened to the place to satisfy their hunger; an immense
number of foxes came for the same purpose; these they killed, and thus
the starving natives were supplied both with food and riches, the
skins of these animals forming a principal article of exchange with
the Europeans. But this last occurrence proved that wealth among
savages, as well as in more civilized countries, is not always a
blessing; it renewed anew the desire to go to the south, as the
greater part were now in circumstances to carry merchandize thither,
to barter with the good and kind Europeans. Nothing then was spoken of
but trade in the south, and they could hardly wait for the season to
undertake the journey. When the brethren visited them in the spring,
they treated them with the greatest ind