208 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



" On Tuesday, July 10," Mr. Peck writes, " every- 

 thing being ready we went down to the vessel. 

 We met several friends who wished us every bless- 

 ing on our voyage and work. As the mouth of 

 the harbour is very narrow we had to employ a 

 tug, which had not towed us very far before she 

 broke down, one of her boiler plates having given 

 way. This necessitated our return to as near 

 our old berth as we could get. God is doubtless 

 overruling all for His glory and our good." 



At last on Friday, July 13, a fortnight after 

 the arrival of the two missionaries at Peterhead, the 

 Alert finally cleared the port. Numbers of people 

 gathered to see them off, who sped them on their 

 way with three resounding British cheers. Nothing 

 further could be heard of or from the travellers 

 until the return ship brought letters in the autumn. 

 Mr. Parker's letter, which was written on Sep- 

 tember 14, 1894, is interesting as giving the freshness 

 of impressions made on one who had never sailed 

 in Arctic seas before . 



" We made a good passage, a possible average 

 of five knots an hour. August 6 gave us an intro- 

 duction to the ice in the shape of some immense 

 bergs. A just description of them is beyond me. 

 They fill one with admiration by day, but at night 

 their presence creates fear. We met a pack of 

 ice in Davis Strait. When in latitude 65 N. we 

 came to an immense field of it. A skilful navigator 



