hree times, particularly on the night of January 14th. It
consisted of a vast quantity of inflammable matter in the air, which
seemed to ascend from all parts of the horizon, and then to pour
itself towards the earth, in immense fiery rays and balls. Karpik and
his people, who first saw the phenomenon, ran to Hopedale in the
greatest agitation and amazement, and awakened the Esquimaux there,
with the awful intelligence that the world was at an end. They, upon
suddenly rising from bed, struck with the spectacle, imagined that the
stars were falling from heaven, and that they were the signs which
announced the near approach of the Lord, as he had foretold. Karpik
cried out in agony, "Let us turn with our whole hearts to our
Saviour--this is the hour;" and began to pray aloud to Jesus, to sing
hymns, and to entreat, with the greatest concern, all his household to
unite with him.

These Esquimaux now attended the meetings daily, and evinced by their
conduct a change in their minds; for they were not only anxious
themselves about their eternal concerns, but were desirous that their
children should also regard them. Instead of preventing them as
formerly, they now intreated that they might be allowed to send them
to school, which from this time was well attended by both old and
young. Among the primary objects of the brethren is the instruction of
the youth. Old trees are ill to bend, but the tender sapling is more
easily impressed, and there are peculiar promises to bless the
instruction of children, and to encourage to a patient and proper
performance of a very trying, and not unfrequently a very irksome
task. But while the brethren communicate to their interesting charge
the elements of knowledge, they employ as the grand instrument for
shaping their characters, the word of the gospel of Christ, and
subject their pupils to a moral training, without which, the mere
communication of knowledge, whether sacred or profane, is often a
curse rather than a blessing. So soon as they had attained a
sufficient knowledge of the language, the missionaries composed
elementary books, and for those who were farther advanced they
translated a history of the sufferings of Jesus, which was gratefully
received by those who could read and eagerly listened to by those who
could not.

About three months after this occurrence, Karpik declared that he was
now in his heart convinced that the blood of Jesus could blot out his
exceeding great sins