276 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



aloof from their heathen neighbours, and had not 

 bowed the knee to Baal, responded to the call. 

 Then again a second result was that the men had 

 to be away so much of their time, Sundays included, 

 seeking for their bare means of subsistence, hunting 

 seals, that they had but few opportunities of meeting 

 together for instruction. If they did return at 

 night they were too weary and tired for anything 

 but to take such food as was available and turn in 

 for a night's rest. We find frequent laments in 

 Mr. Peck's diaries that Sunday was not better 

 observed by those who had attached themselves 

 to Christian teaching, but in the face of dire necessity 

 he found it quite impossible to forbid the men 

 going. It certainly was a case of endeavouring to 

 pull the ox or the ass out of the pit on the Sabbath 

 day, and the action of the hunters would come under 

 the sanction of our Lord : " To do good on the Sabbath 

 day is lawful." 



But there is at least one note of thankfulness 

 in this connection. On one occasion " the weathei 

 was nice and bright, and some of the men refrained 

 from hunting so as to join us at our meetings 

 Thank God for this token of His help and blessing.' 



Great perils had at times to be faced in hunting 

 as we have seen in previous chapters, and general!; 

 it might be said that the greater the scarcity, th 

 greater the danger. For naturally the men in the: 

 need would go further afield and brave all kinc 



