132 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



read. His knowledge of spiritual things increased, 

 and he became in many respects a most helpful 

 man. Several times he addressed the Eskimos in 

 the church, and when I was away he often carried 

 on the services during my absence. 



" One day the poor fellow went out on the ice to 

 catch seals. He waited long and patiently at a 

 seal hole waited too long, in fact, for he caught a 

 severe chill. Inflammation of the lungs set in, and 

 he finally succumbed to this terrible malady, and 

 soon he passed away to be, we trust, for ever with 

 the Lord." 



In May, 1881, Mr. Peck had to journey south to 

 Fort George, in order to visit the Cree Indians. 



At Great Whale River Mr. Edward Richards 

 joined him, and the two started on their itinera- 

 tion together, having Fort George as their ultimate 

 goal, on May 18 : " The weather was fine, and the 

 ice in tolerably good condition, so we made good 

 progress. We saw several seals on the ice basking 

 in the sun. This is a favourable time for seal hunt- 

 ing with the Eskimos, and great numbers are cap- 

 tured by the wary men, who creep up to them as 

 they lie on the ice and then shoot or harpoon them. 

 But this is no easy matter, as the seals are remark- 

 ably acute in hearing, and when alarmed soon dis- 

 appear through their holes, by the side of which they 

 generally lie. 



" In crawling to a seal the hunter must use the 



