The Diary of Abraham Ulrikab: Text and Context

Abraham's Diaries and Letters/Moravian Letters and Documents

My dear teacher Eisner! I write to you, because I'd like to tell you the following . We are greatly sad. When they brought me to Europe, I probably totally ignored it at first, but then I prayed to the Lord continuously that He might teach me, if it really was a mistake, because I believe in all His words. But becauseI wasin deep misery, I often prayed to God to help me to free myself from this and to hear my sighs, because I even wasn't able anymore to take care of my relatives, which I was usually able to do, even when I LETTER FROM THE HEBRON CONFERENCE TO UAC, AUGUST i6TH, 1880 A schooner with a German flag entered our port to our astonishment on August 10th. It was a Mr. Jakobsen from Hamburg who is traveling on behalf of Hagenbeck, the menagerie owner, and is looking for antiquities etc. but at the same time also for Eskimos in order to exhibit them in European cities. Originally he had wanted to get heathens from Northumberland but could not reach the coast because of the huge amount of drift ice so he came to us THE DIARY OF ABRAHAM ULRIKAB [3] did not believe in my Lord and Saviour yet who died for me. In different kind of ways we have been lured, but even all this I didn't recognize. But as I was in doubt to pay all my and my late father's debts from kayaking, I thought (at this chance) to collect some money for discharging them. I also believedthat I might see you. Then o o o ] I thought: Our wayis destined by the Lord. We all cried a lot, my wife, I, and our relatives; but none of them wanted to hold us back. This way we took our decision before the Lord. Not that we would have been tired of from there within nine days. We resolutely explained to him that we neither are allowed nor willing to help him so that our christened people are exhibited outside and looked at like wild animals for money. But he could not share our reservations and could not see why we did not want to be useful in the interest of science, since the Eskimos would be generously rewarded like the people from Greenland, whom he took with him three years ago. In spite of our resistance it would have been accomplished and one family had already agreed. But, because he did not want to take only four but eight to ten people with him, it [4] THE DIARY OF ABRAHAM ULRIKAB our teachers, but due to the weight of my debts, of which I still have 100 Shilling. I didn't want to act like a fool, but I remember to have wished to see Europe and some of the communities over there for a long time. But here I wait in vain for someone to talk about Jesus. Until now we only saw reckless people in our house. We pray that the Lord may help us here and everywhere we will travel to with our show. I admonished my relatives that they above all do not forget Jesus. We didn't expect that! Such recklessness is not our pleasure. I thought we would see did not happen and he will now try the Nachvak region. However, we would like to know how to behave in cases like this. Kretschmer, W. Haugk A. Hlawatscheck P.S. The Eskimos' contribution to the mission£2.12s.4d. AUGUST zoTH, 1880 DEAR BROTHER CONNOR Now something quite new and special. The vessel "Eisbdr" (Polar Bear) from Hamburg, which was here recently, returned from Nachvak yesterday and got only one family THE DIARY OF ABRAHAM ULRIKAB [5] you very soon ... Once we have been to church, in a big community in Berlin. (Because of that) we have been feeling happy until late night; yes indeed, we didn't want to go to sleep. The Lord seemed to be with us for a long time. Even as we went through the streets we sang praises and were astonished. And it became clear to us how well we were taken care of in our country, yes indeed, long and great are the blessings we receive, yes indeed. [. . .] Mr. Hagenbeck has done much good to us: he gave us beds and a violin and music to...