ITINERATIONS AND RESULTS 125 



Western Railway. Enterprising as our companies 

 may be, they have not found trade amongst the 

 Eskimos encouraging enough to induce them to 

 penetrate their country with iron roads. The mis- 

 sionary had one travelling companion, an Eskimo. 

 They accomplished only some twenty-two miles the 

 first day, and encamped for the night. At least, 

 this is what Mr. Peck describes himself as doing ; 

 but it may be allowable to object to his description, 

 seeing that the travellers are up again soon after 

 midnight to resume their journey. They reached 

 Great Whale River the next day in spite of a heavy 

 head wind, which made it almost impossible to keep 

 warm. But on arrival a disappointment awaited 

 Mr. Peck, for it was found that only a small number 

 of people were encamped there instead of the many 

 he had expected. He consoled himself, however, 

 in a very characteristic way, for he says he was glad 

 as a consequence to be able to minister to them 

 with so much the more individual care. 



The sojourn was a short one only five days. 

 On February 23 the missionary started again on a 

 tour of discovery, to seek and save those who were 

 ready to perish from spiritual cold and starvation. 

 The dogs were fresh and the snow quite hard, so, 

 getting away at 6 a.m., a good day's work was done 

 before night. Then the two encamped, cooked 

 their supper, had prayers, and tried to make them- 

 selves snug and comfortable. They lay down to 



