WE APPEAL FOR CANADIAN SYMPATHY

In November, 1893, Dr. Bobardt and myself visited Canada, with the hope of getting help for our work, seeing that some Canadians would at least benefit by it. In Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto we found friendly audiences. St. Paul’s Church (Episcopal), the Brunswick Street Methodist Church, and the Garison Chapel, all of Halifax, each paid for the support of one cot for a year, promising to endeavour to do so annually; while a small committee was organized in each place to keep alive an interest in the work, and to help by sending clothes and reading to St. Johns, Newfoundland, for us to carry to Labrador. Governor Daly, General Montgomery Moore, and Bishop Courtney, of Nova Scotia, were good enough to assist us in Halifax; while everywhere the members of that admirable institution, “The Brotherhood of St. Andrew,” extended their generous friendship to us. In Montreal, Sir Donald Smith, Governor of the Hudson Bay Company, who himself had spent thirteen years in charge of one of the Company’s stations, presented a steamer to the Montreal Committee, to enable the work to be more efficiently carried out. Dr. Roddick, of Montreal, also presented the Mission with a sailing boat for Battle Harbour, called the Urelia McKinnon. His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Aberdeen, was good enough to preside at the meeting at Ottawa, and express his sympathy with the work. Indeed, for real interest and sympathy in every philanthropic work, and it is grand to know in every distinctively missionary work also, Canada is fortunate in possessing in both Lord and Lady Aberdeen examples of a kind alas far too rare in these so-called Christian days. A meeting was also held in Winnipeg, whither we went on a holiday trip, and here the Lieut.-Governor, Sir John Schultze, presided, and, with Lady Schultze, expressed great interest in the work. Samuel Blake, Esq., Q.C., so well known in Canada for his broad-minded Christian sympathies, was our chairman at Toronto. Our days at Toronto possessed for me an interest never experienced before. We fell on a great Missionary Convention, and from Mr. Warzawiak, of New York, Dr. MacKay, of Formosa, Dr. Gordon, of Boston, Dr. Pierson, of Philadelphia, and many other remarkable men, we heard of such difficulties overcome, obstacles removed, and successes attained by the Gospel in other fields in the missionary world, that it made one desire to be at work in China, Africa, and North America all at once.

Reaching England in March, while preparations were being made for 1894, I was enabled to visit the North Sea fleets. The English fishermen expressed a most lively interest in their brethren over the sea, and the warm-hearted admiral of the Red Cross fleet sent me a large flag, that they might be “represented in Labrador.”

Dr. Curwen having gone to China for the London Missionary Society, and Dr. Bobardt desiring to remain at home a year, our staff, consisting of Dr. Willway, Dr. Bennett, and the two sisters, sailed direct for Labrador in the Albert, while a volunteer Christian worker, who came and acted as chief engineer (Mr. W. B. Wakefield), and myself, left for Montreal, fitting out and despatching the S.S. Princess May, as we passed through St. Johns, Newfoundland.

The Albert had a long passage out, and meeting the outside of the floe ice, had a tough three days working her way through; now charging into large pans, now laying against masses piled up higher than her masts. Captain Trezise reported her as at one time in great danger of being overwhelmed by masses falling on to her decks. She, however, got through safely, and her magnificent sea qualities and rapid movements were more than ever before apparent to those in charge of her.

Having landed Dr. Bennett and Sister Carwardine at Battle Hospital, she proceeded to Indian Harbour, where the hospital was rapidly placed in working order. Here the little wood building almost came to an inglorious and premature end by fire the first week of its existence; and we were indebted to the strenuous efforts of a number of fishermen for saving it from destruction, and to Commodore Curzon-Howe, of H.M.S. Cleopatra, for landing a body of blue jackets to repair the damage, enabling the work to proceed. The Albert then returned and lay in Battle Harbour, to await the arrival of our steamer, the Sir Donald. Meanwhile, we had visited many stations from Montreal along the Labrador coast on the north side the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Everywhere we had had plenty of work to do: seeing sick people, operating where necessary, holding services, and distributing literature. We everywhere found people deeply grateful for our visit, and glad to gather to hear the Gospel. Many spoke eagerly of the hopes raised that a third hospital would be erected in the Labrador or lower province of Quebec, to which the sick could be carried, and were anxious to forward a petition to Ottawa to that effect. We were everywhere entreated not to allow this to be our last visit. At La Romaine, a station of the Hudson Bay Company, we had a severe operation on a young Montaignais Indian hunter—otherwise doomed to die—and when we left three days later he was lying in his tent, on a clean bed of spruce boughs, on the high-road to recovery. At the last places we visited, we took patients aboard for Battle Hospital—one poor lad with a horrible affection of the hip, a girl with a useless wrist and arm, a child with hip-joint disease, and a sick woman for operation. All of these eventually returned home benefited or cured.

Just before reaching Battle Harbour, with all our flags flying, our brass polished, and our spirits wild with expectancy of seeing our colleagues again, we suddenly struck a submerged rock, and for a few minutes lay in danger of rolling over and sinking in deep water. All hands behaved exceedingly well. Our boats were lowered, signals put up for two schooners which happened to be passing, to “stand by,” while kedge anchors were run out, in the endeavour to save the ship by warping her off the rocks. After a time, assisted by a heavy tide and the big ground swell, she came off and swung to her anchors in the deep water. Alas, for us, she had almost better have remained a complete wreck, for her keel and stem were broken, her rudder twisted, her propeller gone, her engines broken, and her side bulged in. Fortunately, we were able to travel over land to Battle Harbour; and Mr. Baine Grieve’s agent sent thence his bait launch and towed the Sir Donald into harbour. Here we found the Albert, very anxious about our long delayed arrival, but now overjoyed to see us in any plight. As nothing could be done to repair the steamer in Labrador, Captain Trezise undertook the exceedingly risky attempt to tow the Sir Donald to St. Johns, and this, after many exciting incidents and many close shaves of losing her, he successfully accomplished. There she now lies, undergoing repairs for another year’s work.

Meanwhile, I left with the Urelia McKinnon for Indian Harbour Hospital, and thence visited the Hudson Bay station at Rigolette, and many other places between Indian Harbour and Battle.

Dr. Bennett was anxious to leave early for England, as he was appointed by the London Missionary Society to Tien-Tsin Missionary Hospital in China; and so, till winter drove the Newfoundland people off the coast, Battle Hospital came under my charge. On November 1st the sisters and myself left for Newfoundland, Dr. Willway remaining to hold the fort alone till we could return in 1895. His arrangements were to visit, if possible, as far as Blanc Sablon, and then returning to his hospital to meet our good friend Mr. Wilson, of Rigolette, at Cartwright, to travel with him north to Hopedale and Davis Inlet, and then to await at Battle Hospital our return.

Thus, God willing, much good will be done, many sick and suffering ones relieved, many cheered and assisted in their struggle for existence, and, above all, the Gospel proclaimed in many homes where, but for the “Labrador Mission,” its sound would never reach during the long and weary winter months.[19]