34 LABRADOR 



made. Two years later the Brethren began to build their 

 mission house at Nain. " It was as if," wrote one of them, 

 " each with one of his hands wrought in the work and with 

 the other held a weapon." Before winter broke on them 

 they had the house finished. 



In 1773 the British government sent out Lieutenant 

 Curtis, R.N., as a commissioner to report on the progress 

 of the mission. Some sentences from his report may be 

 transcribed : 



"They have chosen for their residence a place called 

 by the Indians [Eskimos] Nonynoke, but to which they 

 have given the name of Unity Bay. . . . Their house is 

 called Nain. It is a good situation, and is well contrived. 

 They have a few swivels mounted, although they have 

 no occasion for them, as the Indians [Eskimos] are awed 

 more by their amiable conduct than by arms. There 

 is a sawmill, which is worked by a small stream conducted 

 thither by their industry from the mountains, and they 

 find this engine to be extremely serviceable. . . . They 

 have a small sandy garden, and they raise salads in toler- 

 able perfection. . . . The natives love and respect them, 

 because they have happily adopted and strictly adhere 

 to that conduct which is endearing without being familiar. 

 None of the Indians [Eskimos], a very few excepted, 

 ever presume to come within the palisades without per- 

 mission, nor is a bolt necessary to prevent their intrusion. 

 .. . . The progress which the mission has made in civiliz- 

 ing the Indians [Eskimos] is wonderful." 



In 1775 the mission at Okkak was established; and in 

 1782 that at Hopedale. Everything, however, did not go 

 smoothly at first. About 1787 a mysterious person named 

 Makko, a French Canadian (says the historian of the 

 mission), who combined the character of merchant and 



