A NEW VENTURE 211 



lead Island a little later, deliver the coal and pick 

 up her own stores and cargo for the return voyage. 

 She came back in three weeks' time on September 

 20, but in a sorry condition. During a heavy gale 

 she had struck a huge piece of ice, and it was only 

 with the greatest difficulty that she was kept 

 afloat long enough to reach Blacklead Island. 



The first thing now to be done was to lighten 

 the vessel in every possible way, and Friday,the 21st, 

 was a busy day with everyone, Eskimos, missionaries, 

 and vessel's crew unloading the Alert of all that 

 could be taken out of her. The fifteen tons of coal, 

 among other things, were safely landed and stored, 

 and with a burst of very natural gratitude, Mr. 

 Peck writes in his diary, under that date : 



" To God be the praise for His exceeding kind- 

 ness to usward in this matter ! What a mercy that we 

 were not left without fuel in this miserable region ! " 

 On September 22 they were able to get the Alert 

 round to a place on the mainland, called Niatalik. 

 In a few days she returned fitted as far as was 

 possible for the voyage to Scotland. In this in- 

 terval Mr. Peck writes : " We have now to spend 

 some time writing our home letters,as it is more than 

 probable that we shall have no other opportunity 

 for two years, so we must make the most of this." 

 St. Paul spoke of loneliness among the trials that 

 he had to undergo. What words can describe 

 the solitude and isolation of Blacklead Island ? 



