48 Our North Land. 



something after the fashion of an old style, high cupboard. The 

 pipes are of tin, in its natural colour ; the bellows are operated by 

 pulling out at one side a leather string and allowing it to recede ; 

 the keys are of bone ; it contains six stops, and is cased in some sort 

 of wood of dark colour, probably mahogany. Its tone is a combina- 

 tion of the organ, the harmonium, and nearly all other musical 

 instruments you can think of, but is really very sweet. At least it 

 sounded so to me in that far-off out-of-the-way and desolate village 

 church. 



Evidently the natives are very fond of music, and I was not 

 long in discovering that the missionaries show a commendable enter- 

 prise in meeting their inclinations in this respect. Hence, the choir 

 of the Moravian chapel at Nain will compare favourably with that 

 of a modern church in Canada. I refer more particularly to its 

 numerical and vocal strength. Besides the organist, who is always 

 a pleasant-looking missionary's wife, and the twelve leading Eskimo 

 singers, there are eight Eskimo violinists. With this combina- 

 tion the whole congregation joins in right good earnest; and my 

 informant said : " The house is filled with music to its fullest 

 capacity." I do not know what he meant by this expression, unless 

 it was that an augmentation of the choir would raise the roof. The 

 church will seat about two hundred, but as many as three hundred 

 have crowded into it. 



The Moravian festival season begins about the first of November 

 and continues until Easter. During this period they have three 

 services each Sunday ^ and nine during the six working days. So 

 that if the Eskimos get small pay for their services in procuring furs 

 and fish for the Moravians, they make up for it in the number of 

 religious services to which the missionaries treat them. 



They have large hymn-books, containing both hymns and tunes, 

 printed in Eskimo. One of these includes most of the popular 

 Sankey collection. So that the husky of Nain can sing, " Gates 

 Ajar," " The Home Over There," " Bye-and-By," in his or her 

 own tongue, with considerable ease, and sometimes with good effect. 



The gardens are an attractive feature of Nam. They are all 

 neatly enclosed by board or picket fences, approached through 



