cuAP. xxxni. HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH MISSIONS. 1V5 



Before the year 1848, no bisliop of the Church of 

 England had ever visited the Labrador coast proper, and 

 no clergyman had ever gone beyond Forteau Bay, in the 

 Straits of Belle Isle, 10 miles east of Blanc Sablon. In 

 1848 the present Bishop of JSTewfomidland landed at 

 Forteau, and touched- at different parts of the coast as 

 far as Sandwich Bay. In 1849 the first clergyman (the 

 Eev. Algernon Gilford) was placed in residence at For- 

 teau.* In 1850 a second clergyman, the Eev. H. Disney, 

 M.A., went to reside at Battle Harbour. In 1851 the 

 first church was commenced, and in 1853 consecrated in 

 St. Francis Harbour. Since 1851 two clergymen have 

 been almost constantly in residence, both winter and 

 summer, at the places before named. In 1857, the first 

 Esquimaux were confirmed and admitted to the holy 

 communion at Battle Harbour. There are now three 

 churches finished and consecrated, and two others nearly 

 completed between Seal Island and Blanc Sablon. 

 There is no resident minister of any other denomination 

 between Blanc Sablon and Sandwich Bay, on the Atlan- 

 tic coast about fifty miles east of Hamilton Lilet ; and 

 only one Eoman Cathohc chapel, visited annually by a 

 priest from Quebec. At Forteau Bay and Battle Harbour 

 parsonages have been erected, and are now occupied by 

 the resident ministers — a blessing not easily to be appre- 

 ciated by those who have never felt the lonehness and 

 apprehension which sometimes comes over the sohtary 



* A Wesleyan minister resided for one winter on the shores of Hamilton 

 Inlet about thirty years ago ; but he retired from the station, disheartened 

 at the manner in which he was treated by the ' whites/ and at the effects 

 of their bad example upon the natives. 



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