But as this would not by any means satisfy an Esquimaux’s stomach, the missionaries offered to give one of their dogs to be killed for them, on condition that in case distress obliged them to resort again to that expedient, the next dog killed should be one of the Esquimaux’s team.  They replied they should be glad of it, if they had a kettle to boil the flesh in; but as that was not the case, they must suffer hunger, for they could not even yet eat dogs’ flesh in its raw state.  The missionaries now remained in the snow-house, and every day endeavoured to boil so much water over their lamp as might serve them for two dishes of coffee a piece.  Through mercy, they were preserved in good health, and brother Liebisch quite unexpectedly recovered on the first day of his sore throat.  The Esquimaux also kept up their spirits, and even the rough heathen Kassigiak declared that it was proper to be thankful that they were still alive, adding, that if they had remained a very little longer upon the ice yesterday, all their bones would have been broken to pieces in a short time.  He had however his heels frozen, and suffered considerable pain.  In the evening the missionaries sung an hymn with the Esquimaux, and continued to do it every morning and evening.  The Lord was present with them, and comforted their hearts by his peace.

Towards noon of the thirteenth, the weather cleared up, and the sea was soon, as far as the eye could reach, quite freed from ice.  Mark and Joel went up the hills to reconnoitre, and returned with the disagreeable news that not a morsel of ice was to be seen even from thence in any direction, and that it had been forced away from the coast at Naasornak.  They were therefore of opinion that nothing could be done, but force their way across the mountain Kiglapeit.  This day Kassigiak complained much of hunger, probably to obtain from the missionaries a larger proportion than the common allowance.  They represented to him that they had no more themselves, and reproved him for his impatience.  Whenever the victuals were distributed, he always swallowed his portion very greedily, and put out his hand for what he saw the missionaries had left, but was easily kept from any further attempt by serious reproof.  The Esquimaux eat to-day an old sack made of fish skin, which proved indeed a dry and miserable dish.  While they were at this singular meal, they kept repeating in a low humming tone, “You was a sack but a little while ago, and now you are food for us.”  Towards evening, some flakes of ice were discovered driving towards the coast, and on the 14th, in the morning, the sea was covered with them.  But the weather was again very stormy, and the Esquimaux could not quit the snow-house, which made them very low-spirited and melancholy.  Kassigiak suggested that it would be well “to attempt to make good weather,” by which he meant to practise his art as a sorcerer to make the weather good.  The missionaries opposed it, and told him that his heathenish practices were