210 THE LTFE OF E. J. PECK 



Mr. Peck also writes about his first impressions 

 of his new home. After talking of the voyage 

 generally, and of his ministrations to the crew of 

 eight hands, he goes on : " Speaking of the nature 

 of the country near Cumberland Sound, it has a 

 decidedly forbidding and desolate aspect, and the 

 rugged mountain tops rise hundreds of feet above 

 the level of the sea and are still in many 

 places covered with a white mantle of snow. On 

 landing we had the pleasure of finding in the shel- 

 tered spots some signs of vegetable life. These, 

 however, were chiefly of the nature of grasses ; 

 not a tree or a shrub could be found." 



First impressions were confirmed by after ex- 

 perience, for a little later on Mr. Peck wrote : 

 " In very truth this island is a gloomy-looking 

 spot, almost absolutely nothing to be seen but 

 rocks, and the bones of whales which strew the 

 place everywhere. Sometimes in a particularly 

 sheltered spot, one may come across a tuft of 

 coarse, stunted grass." 



After landing the missionaries and their propertv, 

 the Alert sailed on Monday, August 27, for Kikker- 

 ton, another whaling station belonging to Mr. Noble, 

 on the opposite side of Cumberland Sound. To 

 avoid delay, however, and possibly to retain her 

 ballast, she did not discharge the coal belonging 

 to Mr. Peck, amounting to fifteen tons. The 

 arrangement was that she should return to Black- 



