Diary of Shamokin 1747
Kept by Martin Mack from 29 September (Tuesday) o.s. to 31 December 1747
On 29 September Martin Mack arrived yesterday evening in Shamokin. The Brothers and Sisters were wondrously overjoyed because they had so greatly desired to see someone from Bethlehem. He found them in their hearts to be quite happy but in their bodies to be exhausted and sickly. I gave them the little letters and many heartfelt greetings and kisses.
On 30th September [Wednesday] we wrote to Bethlehem and reported the circumstances in Shamokin as they currently stand. Martin spoke with Shikellamy and conveyed a greeting from Brother Joseph and gave him a small present, which was most pleasing to him because he was sickly and weak after the long illness.
On 1 October [Thursday] Brother Post departed from here to Bethlehem. It was quite quiet here in Shamokin today. Brother Anton had many visitors in his smith shop.
On 2 October [Friday] we were happy and blessed with each other. We held heartfelt discourse about our Little Lamb of God and his Gemeine to which we also belong and are members of the same.
On 3 October [Saturday] Martin visited Shikellamy. He begins to get better. He asked me when it was Sunday. I said tomorrow.
On 4th October it was Sunday. It was very quiet in Shamokin. Martin read several letters to the Brothers and Sisters from Bethlehem that he had brought with him. The Little Lamb was close to us. We felt very close in our hearts to the Brothers and Sisters in Bethlehem. Sister Hagen fell very ill again today. We commended her to the heart of the Lamb.
On the 6th October [Tuesday] Shikellamy asked that I make him a skid. At this I went off into the bush and looked for a tree. Shikellamy’s son wanted to have an axe smithied today. But he could not get it done. The brothers and sisters were all sick today. Martin was their sickwaiter [The text of the day was, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (KJV Genesis 12: ii)].
On the 7 October the sickness continued. We commend our condition to the Little Lamb’s heart especially that of the sick ones [because he is the best doctor].
On the 8 October Martin opened Anton’s vein and he quickly became better. We thanked the Little Lamb. Sister Hagen had a difficult night [she felt as though she was being crushed because her chest was so heavy].
On the 9 October Anton went down the Susquehanna to the Ferry with a canoe to see whether he could pick up our provisions there. We could not find anyone to go with him and so he had to go alone. We prayed to the Little Lamb and his holy angels [because Sister Hagen is so sick on the chest that she cannot breath Martin opened her vein and the Little Lamb blessed this so that she became better from hour on.] We thanked the Lamb greatly. Sister Schmidt has had the fever all these days. In the evening Conrad Weiser and his son arrived here. Shikellamy told him that he should stay in our house. He came in our house and behaved very modestly. He said that Shikellamy had told him he should lodge here. We told him that this was fine.
On 10 October our sick ones recovered. We thanked the Little Lamb from our hearts. [Conrad gave Shikellamy ??? and two for his sons]
On 11 October it was Sunday and we were quiet but also quite cramped. Martin discussed much with Conrad Weiser. He showed himself to be quite friendly.
On the 12 October Conrad Weiser and his son departed again. He bade us a friendly farewell. He asked that when we travelled through Tulpehocken that we not pass his house [without stopping].
Today 14 warriors came home from the Flatheads [Catawba] and brought a blessing with them. They had lost five of their people and several were wounded. They soon visited us and behaved very well. In the evening the dear heart Brother Zeisberger and Brother Post arrived from Bethlehem. We were much overjoyed by their arrival and they brought us much written and spoken news about our dear Gemeine. We had a blessed evening and a sinner-like evening meeting. Shikellamy soon came to our house and saw who had arrived. He recognized David and gave him his hand. He was very happy. David began to talk with him immediately.
On 13 October our sick ones were a great deal better. Martin and David asked Shikellamy to come to them and gave him greetings from Brother Joseph [and his brethren] and gave him a present that Brother Joseph had sent. This pleased him greatly and he was very happy. He began to discourse with David and said it would be good if he [David] were to live in Shamokin, then he could talk to him sometimes. We discussed several things with him and that we held him dear and reminded him that our Brother Johann [Zinzendorf] over the great water also held him dear with whom he had travelled to Ostonwakin and Wyoming. He was pleased about this and said he remembered him well. And then it was midday. We said that he should have a midday meal with us, which pleased him greatly.
Today more warriors arrived who were going to the Flatheads. There were several Shawnee among them who had stayed this summer in Gnadenhütten. They knew me well and were also able to visit us in our house. In the evening we had a very blessed evening service. We commended ourselves to the Little Lamb’s heart, just as we were, and thanked him with all our hearts that we have a little place in Shamokin where we can live together in peace and quiet.
On the 14th [Wednesday] we were visited a lot by Indians. Today a great many of them were drunk and they made a lot of noise.
On the 15th we spoke with Shikellamy. He was very open with us. Our Brother Anton can once again return to us from the ferry by land because the Susquehanna is so shallow that you cannot float on it. We wrote to Bethlehem again today and reported our circumstances.
On the 16th in the morning, Shikellamy came to David [Zeisberger] and said that he sent greetings to Brother Joseph and his brethren and wanted to let them know that he was quite well again. Brother Post departed from here again for Bethlehem. Martin and David split boards to lay a floor in our house as the ground is very damp and unhealthy especially for the sisters.
On the 17th October we thought a great deal about our dear Bethlehem. We felt a Sabbath-like air in our hearts. We perceived the little Lamb of God in us and had a blessed evening quarter of an hour, laid our plan in Shamokin to the heart of the Lamb, asked him, that he should soon gladden our hearts with souls, also from this Nation.
On the 18th it was very quiet here. We were very blessed with each other and held a Love Feast today. Martin read out something to the brothers and sisters from the letters he had received from Bethlehem. [Spoke with Anton and her again because the little Lamb was especially close today]. We had a blessed evening quarter of an hour. We thought of our dear Bethlehem often and the blessed hours that one enjoys there.
ON the 19th Shikellamy visited us a great deal. Anton worked for him the whole day in the smithy. Martin and David looked for charcoal. In the evening we had a little House Conference with each other.
On the 20th the Susquehanna has risen over 2 feet so that Jed. and Anton travelled down to the ferry by land so see whether they could bring the canoe and the provisions that are there for us up by water. We accompanied them with our love and prayer. We had a blessed evening quarter of an hour.
On the 21st Shikellamy’s wife died. They let off five shots immediately. He, Shikellamy, shot twice out of his hut. They buried her in the afternoon. It was conducted quite quietly other than a few women who cried. He himself did not go to the burial. He also never visited her during her sickness. Many unknown Indians arrived here today from the Shawnee.[63]
On the 22nd we began to pull our turnips out because we will not got many otherwise. The Indians have visited them often up to now. In the evening we were very blessed and content with each other.
On the 23rd Shikellamy visited us. He was very friendly. A Mohican woman also visited us who has love in her heart for us. Martin laid a floor in our house today. Three traders arrived here today who behaved very foolishly. But they left us in peace. In our evening quarter of an hour we thought a lot about our dear brothers and sister, especially of our Brothers David and Anton, and asked the little Lamb that he bring them back to us healthy in spirit and body.
On the 24th October we were visited a great deal by Indians. We were in Bethlehem a great deal in our hearts and felt a Sabbath-like air. We also thought of our two brothers who were supposed to arrive today. But they did not come. We commended them to the Lamb’s heart, that he should protect them.
On the 25th of October it was Sunday. We were quiet in our house. The Indians made quite a lot of noise around us because several of them were drunk. Shikellamy fetched firewood. He is very happy that he has a skid again. Martin walked several miles down the Susquehanna, thinking that he might meet up with our brothers. But they did not come. [We commended them to the Lamb’s heart.]
On the 26th several Delaware Indians who had been in Wyoming came down the Susquehanna. The man knew me well. He had spent two months this summer in Gnadenhütten. On the way, they had heard a child crying on the shore. They went onto land with their canoe and as they approached the land they found four children sitting together and crying, and the mother lay next to them dead. The smallest child was just 3 months old. They took the woman and children into the canoe and brought them down to Shamokin. It was a Delaware woman who had lived about 25 miles from here. They took her away again though. Two women took the children. Her husband is several days journey away on the hunt. We waited with longing for our two brothers, but they did not come. We were visited a lot by Indians today. One brought a shirt to be sewed by our sisters.
On the 27th October our two brothers arrived here [with things]. It took them three days to canoe back here. They also had a man with them who they had paid to help. Shikellamy visited us a lot at lunchtime. We had a blessed evening quarter of an hour.
On the 28th October Martin and David went back down the Susquehanna to fetch Shikellamy’s canoe which Brother Anton had brought to the mill and the people had taken it away from there and brought it to six miles this side of the mill. Anton stayed at home because he has a lot of work for the Indians. Shikellamy’s son brought two baskets of coal [charcoal?] today, which he had burned himself because Anton did not have anymore. He had to work for him.
On the 29th Anton was visited a great deal in his smithy. However, he used up all the coal today.
On the 30th Anton worked on building up his coal pile. Shikellamy’s son fetched the wood on the skid. Martin and David slept on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna. We were very happy among ourselves. We thought of our dear Bethlehem often. We were about 40 miles from Shamokin.
On the 31st October almost all of the Indians left for the hunt and most are not thinking of returning until spring. Shikellamy is still at home and a few old women. Martin and David lodged on an island in the Susquehanna again about 4 miles from Shamokin. We had a very cold night, but made a big fire and the Sabbath-like air of Bethlehem kept us cheerful and content.
On the 1st of November we pushed off from the island early and arrived in a timely fashion at our brothers and sisters in Shamokin. We found them to be quite well. We thanked our little Lamb heartily that he had brought us happy and blessed back to our brothers and sisters. In the evening we had a blessed evening quarter or an hour.
On the 2nd in the evening Brother Post and his Rachel and also Mrs. Mack [our Annerl] arrived here safely from Bethlehem. We were filled with incredible joy by the many heartfelt greetings and pieces of news that they brought with them. Shikellamy soon visited us and was happy to see my wife again. They immediately began a discourse with each other.[64]
On 3rd November we began our Sabbath. The Watchword for the day was very significant to us. It was “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” [Isaiah 58:12 KJV] A few Indian women visited us and were very friendly. They had a sweet girl with them and because she was smiling at my wife, Annerl, my wife kissed her and then she was full of incredible joy. We had a blessed evening quarter of an hour […and thanked the Lamb] who also had safely brought these brothers and sisters to us.
On 3rd November [sic] we visited Shikellamy. He was very friendly. David told him that he was planning to leave the next day. Shikellamy said, “it is not good that you are leaving again. You should stay here.” We wrote today and reported our circumstances.
On 4th our brothers and sisters set off on their journey. As David [Zeisberger] and Brother Post and his Rachel and Sister Hagen [left] we commended them to the Lamb of God and his father that they might protect them on their way. We were blessed and content, discoursed in a heartfelt fashion with each other and in our evening quarter of an hour the air of the Cross manifested itself and we felt an joy in us at this.
On the 5th November [my Annerl] Sister Mack visited Shikellamy. He was friendly. For the time being he is quite alone among the men in Shamokin. [my Annerl also had a heartfelt bonding with Sister Schmidt and Martin had the same with Anton].
On the 6th November we both worked on the pole house roof and towards evening we fired it. We had Shikellamy over today for lunch. It was very pleasing to him. He also really liked the food, thanked us heartily for it and we gave him some to take home. He lives now very poorly and has not had a bit of meat for some weeks and no-one is there to cook for him.[65]
On the 7th we began our Sabbath. The Watchword for the day was very important to us. It was “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” [Isaiah 58:12][66] He bestows all the posts for the building of the Church. [we had our married persons quarter of an hour for the first time together during which the Lamb was very close to us.][67] Oh, how often we thought of our dear Bethlehem. We felt some of the Sabbath air that was wafting around them. We also held a little lovefeast with each other. Various Indians came home from the hunt who wanted to have ‘POUS’ made for them by the smith. But he did not have any coals yet. In the evening we were much visited by the Indian women. [my Annerl] Mrs Mack spoke with them a little. Martin and Anton visited Shikellamy. Today an Indian brought us a piece of venison as payment because our sister had sewed a shirt for him. In the evening we had a blessed quarter of an hour [thanked our little Lamb for the peace of the Sabbath.]
ON 8th November we were visited again by Indians, We also had a little Prayer Day among ourselves where we read our little letters that we had recently received from Bethlehem, especially about Brother Cammerhof’s and Gottlieb’s travels around the land here.[68] The little Lamb was very close to us and the air of the Cross wafted all day among us.
On the 9th many Indians came home from the hunt to go to the smith and have things done to their flintlocks. Shikellamy received some venison today. He came immediately and gave us venison ribs and said, “There is also meat.” He was very friendly and visited us several times. 2 Shawnees visited us today also. My [Annerl] wife and Sister Schmidt pounded corn for us to eat today on Shikellamy’s pounding block. This pleased Shikellamy greatly and he was happy that our sisters could pound corn also. We also pulled out our turnips today [Sister Schmidt got a thorn in her foot around her ankle today, which stuck in there about an inch. It caused her much pain and her foot swelled up much after that.]
On 10th of November we received many visits from Indians. Today Martin and Anton began to build a house for the coals. In the evening we were very content and blessed with each other. We held heartfelt discourses about our little Lamb of God and his wounds and about our dear Bethlehem.
ON 11th and 12th everything was very quiet in Shamokin. There were few Indians at home. 2 Shawnee came to the smith from the hunt to have their flints repaired.
On the 13th we were visited by several Delaware Indians. In the evening we had a blessed quarter of an hour.
On the 14th we held our Sabbath. The little Lamb revealed himself to us with a palpable blessing [especially in the Married Quarter of an Hour]. Martin and his Annerl visited Shikellamy today. We gave him some turnips. He thanked us in a friendly fashion. We also visited other huts but found few people at home. Today we also had a little love feast during which we were very content and blessed. We often thought of our dear Bethlehem during this.
On the 15th November we were visited by various Indians. Martin and Anton visited Shikellamy and also ate with him at lunch. He was very cheerful. An Indian Doctor visited us today also. The little Lamb blessed our evening quarter of an hour service.
On the 16th everything was quite quiet here. We were blessed and content among ourselves.
On the 17th Shikellamy visited us in the early morning. He said that Anton had to show two horses for him. He wanted to go to Tulpehocken. My Annerl and Catharina Our sisters went visiting today in Shamokin and found several Delaware women at home who were friendly, and pleased to receive a visit on this occasion. They had the opportunity to discourse with them.
ON the 18th we were content and blessed among ourselves [we held heartfelt discourses about our little Lamb and his children]. There was a great panic in Shamokin today about the canoes because the Susquehanna River had risen so much in the previous night that it had swept away almost all the canoes. Shikellamy visited us diligently today. He ate with us this evening.
On the 19th we removed our coals from the coal house. Anton shoed two horses for Shikellamy today. He looked very friendly during this.
On the 20th Shikellamy travelled today to Tulpehocken. In the afternoon two of his sons returned from the hunt. One of them had a Mohican as a wife. She also returned home. She has a love in her heart for us and I believe she is no longer dead open in her heart. She had a little girl of about 4 years who also loves us. A sweet child that she took to the hunt 14 days ago and a few days ago a Delaware Indian had VERGEBEN the child so that it died soon after and today she brought it to us and wanted to bury it here. The Mohican woman was crying greatly because it was the only child that she still had. This summer another child of hers died in the same way. My [Annerl] wife visited her and was able to speak with her very sincerely.
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On the 22nd the Mohican woman came into our house early in the day and said, “Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, make me a few nails … I want to make a box for my child so that I can close the box.” We promised to do this for her and she thanked us greatly. The Mohican woman had told [Annerl] my wife that just before her child died she had said, “Mother I want to die. Tell the white people who live in Shamokin that I loved them and tell them that I did not steal any turnips from them, they should not think that of me but rather that if I had wanted to eat a turnip then I would have asked for one.” The next day she died. The child affected us greatly because we loved her. We were also happy because we believe that she has gone to the Lamb. She looked quite joyous as she died.
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ON the 22nd November [Sunday] we were visited by many Indians.
Martin and Anna went visiting today also. Otherwise we were much in our hearts with our brethren in Bethlehem and the peace of the little Lamb of God lived among us. We were cheerful, blessed, and content among ourselves. We were happy that we are sinners and blessed children through the blood of the Lamb whom he has chosen and who count among his people.[69] Thanked him also with heartfelt tears for what He has done for us here in Shamokin. Also laid our plan for here to his heart anew so that He might make each of us follow Him with a whole heart and soon gladden us with the fruits of His bitter sweat and Blood which He spilt also for these people as well as for us. The little Lamb blessed our evening quarter of an hour.
On the 23 November in the morning Shikellimy’s eldest son’s 2 year old child died. They were very despondent and wept and let off shots. They brought our sisters a piece of linen and said they should quickly make a shirt for the child, which they did. Martin and Anton also visited the child after it had died. They had painted it almost all over with red paint. In the evening they buried it.
Today we had many visitors from Indians of different nations. The Mohican woman made us a little present of dried cherries. She stayed with us for a long time and was friendly. We gave her a little bread. She said she would have to hide the bread, she could not let it be seen by the other Indians because they were envious of her and had accused her, “You are more loved by the white people than we are. One can see that you are one of their friends or from the nation that they love.”[70]
A Delaware Indian, who came to visit the smithy today, and who lives not far from Wyoming , a good man, sat down this evening at our fire. There he complained to my wife Anna about his plight and said he had come a long way and he was wet and cold and also very hungry and he had been in Shamokin since yesterday and had still not received a single bite of food to eat, and whether she did not mind giving him a piece of bread. She gave him a piece of bread and he thanked her greatly for it.[71]
ON the 24th and 25th it was very quiet in Shamokin. We were content and blessed in each other’s company.
On the 26th a woman trader came to the house again who had been here for a while already. She had brought quite a lot of rum with her. We again had many Indian visitors today [Catharina fell ill with a strong bout of the fever today. In the evening she became very ill]
On the 27th Anton had a lot of work in the smithy shop. Martin sewed shoes and the sisters chopped wood and carried it here.
On the 28th November we held our Sabbath. We were blessed and content in each other’s company and the little Lamb was intimately close to us and we often thought of dear Bethlehem and the blessed air of the Cross that is there especially on the Sabbath. In Shamokin there was not much peace today because so many were drunk and made such a noise. Especially tonight they howled in an astonishing fashion around our house. But they did not disturb us. Shikellamy returned from Tulpehocken today. Martin and Anton visited him. He showed himself to be very friendly [he gave Martin a letter from Conrad Weiser and a piece of beef which Catharina’s mother had sent us.] In the evening we held a blessed quarter of an hour service and we blessedly and happily laid ourselves down in the arms of the little Lamb.
On the 29th November Martin read the two sermons of Brother Ludwig (Zinzendorf) today that were very blessed to us. The sisters went visiting today and found several good women at home. My wife Annerl had the opportunity to speak with the Mohican woman today about the love of God’s little Lamb for us, during which she and her husband listened attentively. The Mohican woman also told my wife Annerl that last spring she had felt something in her heart like her cousin [that is Nathaniel, the Indian] and Martin had been present and since that time she had been troubled in her heart. The Mohican woman asked my wife Annerl what she thought about her child who had died, whether it were with [our] God and whether we all believe that it is with [our] God. My wife Annerl said that if she got to know our God then she would find her little girl with Him, because our God was also her God and He loved us all equally and loved us so much that he died out of love for us. The Mohican woman also related to us further about her little girl that since her cousin [Nathaniel] and her husband Martin had been there that the girl had often spoken the words that she had heard from her cousin and until she had died she had been very obedient. The Mohican woman became very agitated and was happy and did not know why. Her husband was present during this discourse and paid great attention. He is Shikellamy’s eldest son.[72] Today Anton visited Shikellamy and gave him a present of turnips, for which he thanked us cordially. In our evening quarter of an hour service we laid all our concerns at the heart of the little Lamb, especially the Mohican woman concerned us greatly. We were able to pray for her to the little Lamb with our whole hearts that He might take mercy on her and open her heart.
On the 30th November Anton had much work in the smithy. We were visited by various Indians.
On the 1st of December the Mohican woman visited us. Also Shikellamy. [My Annerl was sick again today. She had cramps in the side. Otherwise we were contented in each other’s company, held heartfelt discourse on the wounds of our God, the Little Lamb.]
On the 2nd December Shikellamy’s sons left for the hunt again. He is quite alone again at home. He visited us today. Also ate lunch with us.
ON the 3rd December we were visited by several Delaware Indians. It snowed the whole day today and through the night. The snow was knee deep. Shikellamy visited us diligently today.
On the 4th December Shikellamy’s sons returned from the hunt because they could not get away on account of the deep snow.
On the 5th December we were happy and contented in each other’s company. We felt something of the Bethlehem Sabbath air in our hearts and the little Lamb was tangibly close to us and his Blood warmed our hearts and smelted us together anew. In our evening quarter of an hour service we thanked our little Lamb heartily for all He has revealed to us until now in Shamokin and that He has taken our part in such a loyal fashion both in internal and external things.
ON the 6th December [Anton, who had not been feeling well for a time now had a very bad cough today and took something in order to sweat] Martin and his wife Annerl visited Shikellamy and took him a present of turnips; he thanked them and was very friendly. Many Indian women visited us today, among them the Mohican woman who was very friendly.
On the 7th of December Shikellamy visited us diligently. He also inquired whether Martin and Annerl would stay in Shamokin this winter. The Mohican woman told him however that she did not think we would stay here much longer. To this he replied that he would be very sad that those people always left who could speak to him. He had nothing against that we travelled now and again, if only there were always someone there with whom he could talk. He loved us very much as though we were his own children and for this reason he liked to visit us occasionally and talk with us. Shikellamy also told the Mohican woman today that we had often told him that he should fetch himself some turnips to eat. But he was too embarrassed to fetch something from us because we were poor ourselves and did not have much. Yes, if I could give them something, that would be better, he said. In the evening he sent the Mohican woman to us and had her ask us for a little piece of meat for his sick child. He desired some so much and he did not have a single bite in his house to give him. We sent him some for which he was very thankful!
On the 8th December Anton worked the whole day in his shop for Shikellamy. The sisters went visiting again today. Two traders, who live on the other side of the Susquehanna, were here today to have some work done in the smithy. In the evening the Mohican woman and her husband visited us. They said that we were a very different kind of people than those that she knew already of the white people. They did everything evil as much as they (the Indians) did, but about us they said that we were able to live so nicely with each other and were so friendly and loved each other so much and were so content the way the other people could not do. And they were mostly all like this, the ones they had seen of T’girhonti’s people. T’girhonti most really have good people where he lives. At this the Mohican’s husband said that he had travelled with T’girhonti two years ago. He had never in his life travelled with such good people or such a good man as with him and then he said that in the spring they wanted to visit T’girhonti and his people. We had the opportunity to tell these two people something about our God the little Lamb, what he can do for poor people when they believe in him and that He helps them too because he loves them astonishingly much. At this they asked after the big man [Zinzendorf] and all the people who had been with him four years ago, whether they were still alive, that they were good people also. We said yes, they were still alive and they also loved them greatly and wished that they would get to know our God who had spilt his blood out of love for us so that we could be eternally happy together with him. In our evening quarter of an hour service we commended our plan anew to the heart of the little Lamb, we also commended the Mohican woman to his loyal and dear heart, that he would take mercy on her and reveal his dear heart to her.
On the 9th and 10th of December we were content and blessed with each other. We thought a great deal about our dear Bethlehem, also desired to hear something soon about their business, that the little Lamb tells them, asked the Lamb to receive their prayers that they were sending him for us and tell them that they should ask him to allow us to be part of them and that he should remain among us with his peace as he had done until now and allow us to keep his love and intimacy with us.
On the 11th December the Mohican woman and her husband visited us. We were able to speak with them from the heart.
On the 12th of December we held the Sabbath (we had a blessed Married Persons Quarter of an Hour). Martin and his wife visited Shikellamy and also the Mohican woman and her husband. They once again told us much about T’girhonti and that they desired greatly to visit him if their horses had not wandered so far into the bush, then they would go with us.
On the 13th of December we were visited by Indian women. Shikellamy’s daughter visited us with a sick child. She asked for a piece of bread for the sick child. We gave it to her. She was very grateful. [Martin opened Catharina Schmidt’s vein today, which she tolerated well.] The little Lamb was very close to us during the evening quarter of an hour.
On the 14th and 15th it was very quiet here. Shikellamy visited us diligently. He stays with Anton in the smithy most of the time. A few days ago he had tools made for himself.
On the 16th it snowed very heavily all day, so that the snow is now over 2 feet deep. Shikellamy ate lunch with us today. He thanked us greatly for it. Martin chopped firewood. The Mohican woman also visited us.
On the 17th and 18th of December there was a great frost here and such a bitter wind that the snow in many places had drifted to over 4 feet deep. Shikellamy stayed with us a lot.
On the 19th the Susquehanna was frozen over. 2 Delaware Indians came here to the smithy, to have their flints mended. One was the brother of Beate. He had been in Gnadenhütten a lot this past summer. He knew us both well. [We had our Married Choir Quarter of and Hour today. Our dear Bethlehem was much in our hearts. We desire to hear something from there.]
On the 20th [Sunday] we were visited by several Delaware Indians. They begged for several turnips from us and behaved modestly. Another child of Shikellamy’s son has died. They were very sad because 5 children of the one son have died this year. We were content and blessed with each other.
On the 21st of December Anton received a great deal of work in his smithy shop. We were visited by various Indians.
On the 22nd we were visited by many Indians. Shikellamy and his sons spent most of the day with us because Anton worked for them the wole day. In the evening quarter of an hour the little Lamb was very close to us and his blood melted our hearts in many tears.
On the 23rd there were many drunk Indians around here. They made a lot of noise with dancing and drumming. It sounded quite terrifying. Otherwise we were quite blessed and content with each other. Held heartfelt discourses about our little Lamb of God and his children in our evening quarter of an hour. We laid all our circumstances at the heart of the little Lamb.
On the 24th we thought countless times about our dear Bethlehem and about the blessed Christmas Eve vigil. Oh how our hearts desired to enjoy that too and to hear something soon.
On the 25th of December it was quite quiet here. We were much in our hearts with our brothers and sisters in Bethlehem. We had a little Love Feast at noon time, for which each of us had a little bread roll baked in the ashes. We were quite content with this and we felt the tender meditations on our behalf of our brothers and sisters. In the evening my wife visited the Mohican woman. There were several people in her hut. She asked Annerl if today were Sunday. My wife answered no, it was Christmas Day. Oh, said the Mohican woman and her husband. Why are you so quiet. The white people usually have a fun time on that day. You are definitely a quite different kind of people than the white people we know. Yes, said Annerl, that we are. It is a great day and we are quiet and gaze with our hearts on the Husband, God who holds us so dear that he [text corrupt] Annerl and she had the chance to talk about the little Lamb with him. We were visited today by several Delaware Indians. Our evening quarter of an hour was blessed by the little Lamb in our hearts. We made a present to Shikellamy and his people today, of turnips, which were very welcome.
On the 26th December we were visited by several Indians [today we had a blessed Married Persons Quarter of an Hour. The little Lamb dissolved our hearts into many tears and tied us to each other anew]. Martin and his wife [Annerl] visited Shikellamy and the other huts also. In the evening we were blessed and content in each other’s company. Held heartfelt discussions about our happiness that the little Lamb had accepted us to be among his children and had brought us to the Gemein. We were humbled and grateful, gave ourselves to him anew, promised to live for him and with willing hearts to be cheerful stewards of his will.
On the 27th December [Sunday] a trader came to our house and brought some work for the Smith. We told him that today was Sunday. He was surprised that today was Sunday. He said they had observed Sunday yesterday. Martin read a sermon by Brother Ludwig [Zinzendorf]. In the evening we read the Litany of the Wounds. We could feel the closeness of the little Lamb.
On the 28th and 29th many Indians returned home from the hunt. Anton had much work in his smithy shop. Most of the time our house was full of Indians. We were blessed and content among ourselves. We very much desire to see someone from Bethlehem here.
On the 30th [December] my wife [Annerl] visited the Mohican woman. Various Shawnee were in her house. They told the Mohican woman that this last summer they had been in the place where we had lived[73] and had enjoyed much that was good. And many good people lived there and they gave one something to eat immediately when one arrived there. The Mohican woman and her husband showed a great desire to go there also. After this my wife visited Shikellamy. He gave her a shirt that she should wash for him, which she accepted. In the afternoon the Mohican woman visited us. She complained bitterly that she had nothing left to eat and there were so many people who had come to lodge in her house. We gave her some turnips. Otherwise we had nothing ourselves. In the night, 2 Delaware women arrived who complained bitterly for some flour. They said they had a sick person in their house. We gave them a little and said that we had only little ourselves and had not planted any this year. We could not spare any more.
On the 31st [December] various Indian families came home from the hunt. Anton had a lot of work with their flints and axes. Martin helped him with forging and hammering. Shikellamy ate with at lunchtime. He was friendly. In the evening we held a little Lovefeast with each other and held a short Nightwatch. We reminded ourselves of what the Little Lamb of God had done for us this year, especially in Shamokin. We thought of our dear Bethlehem often during this, and asked the little Lamb to make us part of their thoughts on this night also. We closed this year with a heartfelt prayer to the little Lamb and with many hot tears, thanked him heartily for his loyal and loving heart which we have experienced this year greatly, and that he might forgive us for all that we have omitted to do and also for all that we have done wrong, that he might make it good again and wash us anew and clean us with his blood. Thanked him for our Plan which he has entrusted to us out of his grace, we laid especially at his Heart the poor heathens among whom we lived, especially the Mohican woman and her husband, Shikellamy. We would like to see them saved soon. We blessed each other with a Kiss of Love during several Blood Verses and then laid ourselves down to sleep.
Martin and Anna [Mack]
Anton and Catharina [Schmidt]