182 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



trading post. The second was the decision of the 

 Hudson's Bay Company to abandon the trading 

 station at Little Whale River and concentrate on 

 Great Whale River. Although this was only sixty 

 miles further south, there was no probability that 

 the Eskimos, for some time at least, would journey 

 there in the same numbers that had congregated 

 at the more northern station. " Under the cir- 

 cumstances," writes Mr. Peck " I have, after prayer- 

 ful consideration, made up my mind what to do. 

 With God's blessing and help, I shall go to the 

 Eskimos if they cannot come to me. With a 

 Christian Eskimo as companion, and sledge and 

 dogs, I shall doubtless find many on the vast fields 

 of ice, and God, I am sure, will be with me, and He 

 will bless me." 



But perhaps the most encouraging feature in the 

 work at this time was the fact that there was a 

 prospect of self-help among the Eskimos themselves. 

 Youths there were coming forward ready to work 

 for Christ, and fit also to be trained as leaders in the 

 evangelization of their heathen fellow-countrymen 

 and instructors in the Christian church. Of them 

 Mr. Peck writes : " I am glad to say that I am now 

 able to do a little in the matter of preparing Eskimo 

 lads as teachers (D.V.) for their fellow-countrymen. 

 One, a very promising youth indeed, was appointed 

 teacher by our Bishop, and I believe, with God's 

 blessing, he will become a real help in the work. 



