CHANGED PLANS 191 



By August 1891 Mr. Peck is able to report that 

 the work has not suffered so much as he had feared 

 it would by the abandonment of Little Whale 

 River. The people began to come to the more 

 southern station in far greater numbers than he 

 had expected them to do, though there were many 

 who would not or could not move so far. Some 

 owing to the loss of their dogs, mentioned in the 

 last chapter, were obliged to leave their families on 

 the ice. The men would then band together and 

 haul their trading goods to the place. The more 

 fortunate, i.e., those who had a few dogs, would 

 arrive with what my Eskimo friends call "loaded 

 sledges " a very suggestive and appropriate name 

 indeed, especially when one remembers that an 

 Eskimo not only piles on his sledge his bedding, 

 clothing, and trading goods, but the younger mem- 

 bers of the family may often be found lashed on top. 



Altogether it was an encouraging retrospect 

 which the missionary was able to take from this 

 point of time. " There have been " he says " four 

 adult baptisms during the present year. All of 

 these were in earnest about their souls, and each 

 one was closely questioned regarding his know- 

 ledge, faith, and life before being admitted into 

 the visible Church by baptism. We tried, with 

 God's help, to give them a clear knowledge of the 

 Saviour's work, and to teach them the depravity 

 of their fallen nature, and their lost, sinful state 



