APPENDIX VII. 263 



* inferior beings.' These inhabitants of the coast of Labrador 

 are only one tribe of a race which is scattered over the whole 

 coast, from Greenland, round Baffin's Bay, as far as Behring's 

 Straits, all of whom speak the same language, though in various 

 dialects, and bear the common name ' Karalit.' 



A hundred years ago the inhabitants of the coast of Labrador 

 were all heathen, who, in the ignorance and blindness of their 

 hearts, worshipped Torngak, an old man, as they supposed, who 

 ruled the sea and its inhabitants, and Supperuksoak, the goddess 

 of the land. The Angekoks, or sorcerers, held the people com- 

 pletely in superstitious bondage. By the Europeans they were 

 dreaded, even as far as Newfoundland, for their robberies, which 

 were often accompanied by murder. Permission was therefore 

 readily granted to the Brethren, when, pursuant to a resolution 

 of the Synod, held at Marienborn in 1769, they made known to 

 the British Grovernment their desire to commence a mission 

 among these heathen. Previous to this date several exploratory 

 journeys had been made to this coast. As is well known, 

 Br. J. C. Ehrhardt was murdered, together with five sailors, by 

 the savages in a bay to the south of Hopedale, in the year 1752. 

 The four Brethren who accompanied him returned home. In 

 the year 1770, Jens Haven came to Labrador, and took posses- 

 sion of the land which had been granted by the Crown to the 

 Society for the Furtherance of the Grospel for the purposes of 

 the Mission. In the year following, Nain was begun to be built; 

 two years afterwards, Br. Paul Eugene Layritz, of the Unity's 

 Elders' Conference, held a visitation of the Mission, in conse- 

 quence of which Okak was commenced in 1776, and Hopedale 

 in 1782. Hebron was begun in 1830. 



The land is a land of rocks and crags. On the farther sea- 

 ward of the numberless islands which line the coast, there is 

 not the slightest trace of vegetation ; they are the abodes of sea- 

 gulls and eider ducks. The mainland, on the contrary, at least 

 the southern half, is here and there green ; besides underwood, 

 the fir, the birch, and larch, grow in the more sheltered bays. 

 Many Alpine plants occur, various species of saxifrage and 

 gentians, Erigeron alpinum, Empetrum iiifjrum, &c. To a 



