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DISCOVERY SHIPS.( FRCM A PRIVATE LETTER. )II. M. Ship Jlecla, Davis’s Strait, Jat. 69 deg. NT.lung. 54. W. June 25.Our passage across the Atlantic was exceedingly favorable, being only a fortnight from the Orkneys to Cape Farewell; and we have been enveloped in fog ever since, which has prevented our getting into the Whalc.fish Islands, whither Captain Barry proposes to unload the transport; and this evening the weather has become more clear, and wc see the islands about ten miles to windward of us, so that we may hope to be there to*morrow morning.Whale-fish Islands, June 29.We arrived here, os I had anticipated, on Saturday morning, and have been since busily engaged in removing our stores from the transport, which will m ail probability leave us on Thursday morning, and as I am going on an excursion to Disco, about 20 miles from this, I must finish my letters to night. There is resident on this island a Danish Governor or merchant, and about BO or 90 Esquimaux, or rather a mixer! race of Danes and Esquimaux ; they ore mostly Christians, and it was qu’te delightful to find the Holy Scriptures among them, and to see almost every one of these poor creatures enabled to read the Blessed Word in their own language. The huta of these people are, comparatively, clean and comfortable; they possess a great many of the Euro- « pean comforts of life; and among the things that excited our astonishment was, their having, in almost every hut, a musical instrument, called n mandolin, very much like a guitar, on which all the Esquimaux women play very tolerably. The Governor’s wife is from Copenhagen, and, judging by her appearance, the climate agree* well with her, for her fat ruddy cheeks bespeak robust health. With any other man for a husband she would seem a monstrous large woman ; but as the Governor happens to be six feet four and stout in proportion, they are tolerably well paired. They have a Missionary residing about 18 miles from this, who, during the summer months, is continually going about visiting the different islands to admonish and instruct, and to perform the Christian ceremonies of baptism and marriage, c. What devotion to the cause of religion is here exercised ? The privations and difficulties they must have bad to encounter are incalculable; ond it is quite delightful to see in this little place, that the blessed fruit of their labours it making its appearance among thrra. I have bad some pleasing proofs of the improved state of their moral character. Some ycarr ago I had a Labrador translation of the Gospel given me, aud I bad now the satisfactionof receiving the sincere thanks of a poor fellow for it, to whom 1 hope it will prove a blessing ; be could read it very well, and told me that his daughter, a girl 11 years of age, w ould also be able lo read it. The'tranalatiuus which they possess here were made by the celebrated Otto Fabriciux, anditbcy have also the Church Catechivm, *nd a Book of Hymns, in their own language. We are to have the Governor and his wife, and a littlr.girl, not their daughter, but a child they adopted and brought from Denmaik about 11 years of ago. to dine with us to day; the Utter is, 1 ihmk, the most interesting person on the islands, being a very pretty little girl, of good manner*, and able to play very sweetly on the mandolin,, and accompany it with a soft and pleasing voice; it is scarcely possible to look at her and bcr situation, and not regret that she is to grow bigger and to become older—poor little thing! she will be much delighted to day, as we shall have an abundant supply of beads, c. to give her. The settlement to which Captains Barry and Hoppner, c. are going to-morrow, is the principal one that the Diiqes have in this country, and we understand that there are several gentlemanlike intelligent men there; among them arc two Danish Naval Officers, who are em ployed in a survey of all the coasts in possession of tbeir country in this neighbourhood, and one of these is son to the first Minister in Copenhagen.
Newspaper Details
New Times
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Aug 07, 1824
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Jack E.
USA 18 May 2019
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