214 



THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



Some items in this list may seem to be excessive, 

 but several things have to be borne in mind. Firstly, 

 everything, even down to the sticks for burning, 

 had to be imported from home. Then there was 

 the probability that they would be cut off from 

 home for two years, as it was not thought likely 

 that there would be enough produce from the 

 whale fishery to justify the vessel coming from 

 Scotland to fetch it oftener than every other year. 

 So they must be provisioned for that time at least. 

 Lastly, there was always the possibility of their 

 Eskimo friends being actually in distress from time 

 to time from scarcity of food. In such cases the 

 missionaries must have the means of succouring them. 



As soon as they had taken possession of their 

 hut, the two brethren settled down into a systema- 

 tic life. The usual routine, Mr. Peck tells us, was as 

 follows : Rise 6.45 a.m., light fires, prepare break- 



