66 pearances, but the captain's answer was, "that at least an attempt ought to be made." The vessel being tossed about exceedingly, we were both confined to our beds. During the night we constantly sailed between huge fields of ice, and, according to the captain's report, were only eight miles from the harbour where we had lain so long. Aug. 23d, we had little wind, consequently made scarcely any way. In the afternoon we ran foul of a piece of ice, by which the fore part of the vesse received some injury, which, however, was soon repaired. The sea was very rough, and the ice surrounding the ship rose sometimes to a great height, with a roaring noise. In the evening, several large pieces of ice were fastened with grappling irons as fenders to the ship's side; and thus that night, and the next day, the 24th, we forced our way through the floating ice. The day following it was nearly calm, when we made but little way. Seeing in the evening a great quantity of ice around us, we could not refrain from expressing our anxiety, expecting to be exposed to great danger, as the rising wind threatened a storm. We asked the captain, whether it was not possible to run back into our former anchoring-place. He answered, that we were already too far distant, and the wind unfavourable. Indeed he himself wished to try to reach some harbour farther to the north, but was obliged to give up that project, as no Greenlander was present to direct him, and the quantity of ice was another impediment. We could therefore do nothing, under these precarious circumstances, but earnestly commend ourselves to the preservation of our Almighty Lord and Saviour. On the 25th of August early, a storm arose from the southwest, which drove the ice-mountains close to our ship. The scene was awful and horrible, and we expected every moment that the ship would be crushed to pieces. We earnestly in treated treated the Lord to have mercy on us, and to support and preserve us; but were at the same time resigned to His holy. will. The ship, with close-reefed sails, drove through the numerous pieces of ice before the wind, till she struck upon a small rock, from which, however, she got off, without receiving any damage. But soon after, she struck with her bows with such force against a large field of ice, that several planks started at once, and the water rushed rapidly into her. The captain immediately jumped into the small boat, with part of the crew, and having placed them on a large field of ice, he returned for another party. The rest were employed in unloosing the large boat, in order to save themselves; for the ship was filling fast with water, and perceptibly going down on her starboard side, till by the time the boat was hoisted out, only the larboard gunwale appeared above water. The captain and all the sailors having left the ship, I and my wife were left alone, above our knees in water, holding fast by the shrouds. At last, Capt. Kiär, whose ship, as above mentioned, was stranded last year near Staatenhuck, came to our assistance, saying; "These good people I cannot possibly forsake.” He then assisted us to get into the boat, and ordered the sailors to secure our hammock and bed, which, having been brought on deck, was now swimming in the water. O how thankful were we unto God our Saviour, and to this worthy man, for delivering us from a danger so imminent, for in a few moments we must have been overwhelmed! Although we were obliged to leave all our things behind, we were glad and thankful that the boats were preserved, by means of which we hoped soon to get on shore. We had in the two boats several tons of ship-biscuit and butter, some coffee and sugar, a kettle, and a pan for roasting coffee, which had been immediately secured, when the ship struck. The captain and crew had likewise many of their own things in the the boats; and in the captain's trunk were all the letters, as well from the three settlements of the Brethren, as from all the southernmost colonies in Greenland. We now left the wreck, being about twenty-eight miles distant from Lichtenau, in the neighbourhood of Nunarsuit, and about a league from the land, and made towards the shore. Our boat was heavily laden with men and baggage, and had already, when lowered from the ship, taken in much water. The wind was so high, that the sea broke over us continually. The steersman fearing that the boat would sink, we were obliged to make for the nearest rock, or small island, and landed upon the first we could reach. It proved to be a rough, pointed, and naked rock, upon which, however, at a considerable height, we found a small spot, covered with low grass. We might conclude, from the many excavations in the rock, that the sea, in stormy weather, beats high against it. The captain, who was in the smaller boat, would gladly have sought out a better landing-place; but as he wished to be with his people, he came to us. We now endeavoured to land the provisions saved from the wreck, but the waves beat frightfully against the rock, and tossed the great boat, with her lading, up and down, till the rope, with which she was fastened giving way, she was hurried out to sea. Immediately eight men leaped into the small boat, in order to get hold of the larger, and having reached it, four men went on board. They now laboured with all their might, but the storm, which made the waves rise in the air like smoke, baffled all their efforts to regain the landing-place, and they were driven to the other side amongst heaps of ice, among which the foaming waves broke with great fury, and we now beheld with horror how both our boats were crushed to pieces; nor did we entertain the smallest doubt but that all the eight sailors had perished, as it appeared impossible that they could get get over the ice to shore, the waves rising so exceedingly high. All our hopes now vanished, as to a possibility of our being saved, and the whole company began to cry and weep aloud, seeing no other prospect but that of miserably perishing with hunger on this naked rock. In the evening, during a very heavy rain, which had continued the whole day, we lay down to rest, close together, without tent or covering. We were wet through and through, and lay, as it were, in a pool of water; for, besides the heavy and incessant rain, the water flowed in streams from the summit of the rock, upon our resting-place. I and my wife commended ourselves and our fellow-sufferers, in these awful circumstances, to the compassion and help of our Lord and only Saviour, and were, for our part, resigned to His gracious will. He likewise granted us to feel His comfort and peace in our souls in the midst of tribulation.. Aug. 26, we saw three men walking on the shore, opposite to the spot where the boats were wrecked the day before; and concluded, that these three had been saved, and the other five perished. As a signal that they had reached land, they erected the only oar they had saved, and tied a handkerchief to it. During the distress we all were in, many of the ship's crew, even those who before were most noted for profane language, now uttered expressions, from which it might be concluded, that they began to reflect on the state of their souls. The captain said: "God has, by this accident, brought me to serious reflections; for when a man is young, and 86 every thing goes on prosperously, he is inclined to be care"less and live at random." With respect to those five men of whom we thought that they were lost with the boats, we heard their companions make the following remark: "They are now appearing before their God and Judge, and we have "have soon to expect the same summons; O that our com"rades might obtain a favourable sentence!" A young mariner, twenty-one years of age, was heard repeatedly, with great earnestness, to cry out, in the words of an ancient hymn: O God, for Jesu's sake, I pray, save me in this my dying day. I assured him, that if he took refuge to our Saviour, He would certainly attend to his prayer, and have mercy upon him. It continued raining heavily day and night, but though we were thereby continually kept soaking wet, we were supplied with fresh water, which settled in holes, and was of great use to us. August 27th, both the captains, their mates, and the greatest part of the sailors, got ready to try to gain the shore, by walking across the ice. In doing this, they were obliged to leap from one piece to the other, and he that first got firm footing cast a leather thong to the next, and helped him over; and likewise when the flakes of ice happened to be at too great a distance, they cast out the thong with a hook, and drew them nearer together, which was a very dangerous business, as they might easily have fallen in between the openings. Before they left, us, they took leave with tears, not knowing whether they should ever see us again. And we likewise with tears earnestly besought them, should they succeed in getting to the Greenlanders, to send off a boat, that we also might be saved; which they faithfully promised to do. We would willingly have ventured to go along with them, but having been without a morsel of food now for two days, we knew we were not able to bear the fatigue of leaping from one ice-field to another, and climbing over high rocks for two days together, but that we should certainly have perished by the way. We were now alone on the rock, with the ship's cook, who likewise was not able to follow them, being afflicted with boils on his arms and legs. There was besides, on an adjoining rock, two men left behind, who |