156 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



stone in passing down a rapid, but we were for- 

 tunately carried into shallow water before the canoe 

 filled. We were able to patch up our shattered craft 

 and proceed on our way." 



Enough has been written in the transcription of 

 these notes to convey some impressions to the mind 

 of the reader. The appalling solitude, the merciless 

 swarms of insects, the danger, the toil continuing 

 for three and a half weeks, must rouse a certain 

 amount of sympathy in even the most apathetic. 

 That it was a journey worthy of consideration from 

 other than the missionary point of view is attested 

 by the fact that it was noticed by the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society, and Mr. Peck's notes were repub- 

 lished in its journals. 



At last, on August n, the travellers found the 

 tide flowing with such force in the afternoon that 

 they were unable to make headway against it. 

 This was a clear indication that they were nearing 

 their goal, as the coast could not be very far distant. 

 It turned out they were twenty miles from the mouth 

 of the river, and as the rise and fall of the water 

 at Ungava Bay is about sixty feet, it can be readily 

 understood that to stem its adverse torrent was 

 out of the question. So they waited for the turn 

 of the tide, and then went down the river at a 

 swinging pace. Towards evening Fort Chimo was 

 reached. A hearty welcome was given them by the 

 officer of the Hudson's Bay Company in charge of 



