128 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



upper part of the iglo, which acted as a sort of 

 ventilator or air escape. Having wrapped myself 

 up in a deer-skin robe I soon went to sleep, my 

 quarters being far warmer than one would imagine. 

 This is accounted for by the number packed together 

 in the small space of one tiny house, and the way 

 in which we were encased with the snow, which, 

 however cold and windy the weather may be, acts 

 as a capital screen from the piercing blast. 



" The next morning we left our friends at about 

 6 a.m. The wind was extremely cold and piercing, 

 but I managed to keep myself warm by running and 

 helping to guide the sledge through the rough ice. 

 In some places there were pretty large cracks in the 

 ice, but we managed to get across them with but 

 little difficulty. 



" After going in close to the coast we made our way 

 to a river, where we hoped to see some more Eskimos. 

 We were not disappointed, as we soon had the 

 pleasure of seeing an iglo, and of making the ac- 

 quaintance of some more of our hardy friends. 



" After I had settled down I gathered the people 

 together and spent some time in teaching them 

 the Syllabic characters and in ministering to their 

 spiritual wants. One of these Eskimos (a woman) 

 has of late shown a great desire for instruction, and 

 she seems to be ashamed of her ignorance." 



Early in March Mr. Peck returned again to Great 

 Whale River. " During my absence," he writes, 



