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 place of those who had perished in the cause.  When the accounts of Brazen’s departure reached the Unity Elders’ Conference, they appointed Samuel Liebisch superintendant of the mission, who, on the 16th August, the same year, arrived at Nain with some new assistants to the mission.

As usual, about the month of November, all the Esquimaux left the neighbourhood of Nain for their winter places, but towards Christmas great numbers came on their sledges over the frozen sea to visit the brethren.  Among their visitors was Kingminguse, who had formerly been an Angekok, but who, by the preaching of the word of God, had experienced such an apparent change of mind as to give hopes of his conversion; and, indeed, early next year, on the 19th of February, the day on which the meeting-hall at Nain was consecrated, he was baptized as the first fruits of that mission, and received the name of Peter.  Some days before his baptism he told the brethren, “that he had been an Angekok, and believed what his forefathers said, but now he believed it no more; that he would give up all his former evil customs and follow the Lord Jesus, though he should be persecuted by his countrymen; that he was ignorant, but what the brethren who had come thither had told him of the Lord who made heaven and earth, who had become a man, and shed his blood from love to us, had taken fast hold of his heart—­he had rejoiced in it, and would forsake all for it.  He knew but little of the Saviour, but was willing to learn, and placed his confidence alone on him, because he truly believed he only was good; and that when the body died the soul went to the place of rest to be with him, and happy for ever.”  Shaking hands with every brother, individually, he promised that he would remain with the congregation of the believers, to be constantly obedient to his teachers, and walk worthy of the gospel.  In the administration of the ordinance he was quite overcome, as were also several of the other Esquimaux, who expressed their wishes likewise to be baptized, which afforded the missionaries an opportunity of speaking earnestly and affectionately to them.