their religion; they therefore determined at parting to give them a serious and affectionate admonition.  In this they reminded them that the members of the congregation, in going away, were departing from what they had heard of the Saviour, and what they had promised at their baptism, and from what the ordinance of the holy supper required them to be.  That they—­the missionaries—­ever since the time of their backsliding, had never ceased to cry to the Saviour, as they well knew that he was merciful and gracious, and would again receive repenting sinners; that though they would not now follow the counsel of their teachers, and would separate from them, yet it might be, that when they were in necessity or affliction, they might think on what they had heard of Jesus, and take refuge in him; and then, though their bodies should return to the dust, their souls, purchased by his precious blood, would be saved.  One of the baptized replied that he knew all that, and understood it quite well, but he must be allowed to follow his own discretion.  He promised, however, at parting, that he would continue to love his teachers—­would think on their words, and if he should die in the south, he would order that his baptized children should be sent back to the congregation and put under their care.

During the winters 1796 and 1797, an infectious disease visited all the settlements, a violent cough, accompanied with fever and pleurisy; it attacked both Europeans and Esquimaux, but proved fatal chiefly to the latter, and lasted for about two months; at Nain it was so universal, that when they met together they could not proceed, as the coughing rendered the service altogether unintelligible.  When an Esquimaux is taken ill, he expects, from any medicine that may be prescribed, an immediate cure, and if this does not take place grows dejected; and now, fears at the thoughts of death, which are deeply rivetted, shewed themselves even in believers.  The missionaries were assiduous in their attendance, and in using every means they possessed for their cure; but learned, to their inexpressible grief, that the impatience of some also who had received the gospel, led them to follow the old superstitious ways of the sorcerers to procure relief, and this at the very time when they were professing to follow implicitly the prescriptions of the brethren.  They were very cautious, however, lest it should reach the missionaries’ ears; nor do the latter seem to have been aware of it, till one of the communicants at Okkak, constrained by uneasiness of mind, confessed the whole with many tears, saving that he had grievously sinned against the Lord.  The hypocrisy and equivocation which many, of whom they had hoped better things, evinced, added greatly to the anguish of the missionaries; but they had great consolation in the death of others, who departed happy in the faith to their Saviour.  Among these was Daniel, a communicant; he said in his last illness, “All the things I had confidence