BEARING BURDENS 275 



there seemed to be a bright prospect before the 

 missionaries. 



But once more the devil showed them that he 

 did not intend them to have things all their own 

 way, and by his opposition he gave them the satis- 

 faction of knowing that he considered their work a 

 serious invasion of his own dominions. 



Difficulties arose, chiefly from an unusually 

 stormy season setting in and the consequent scarcity 

 of provisions. Time after time we read of a " trying 

 week," and that the people on the island were 

 " almost starving " because they were unable to 

 catch any seals ; or again it is " no whales seen, 

 and the outlook is anything but pleasant." 



The effect of this continued bad state of things 

 was two-fold. First, numbers of the Eskimos 

 " moved by the powers of darkness, commenced 

 their heathen practices again." The conjurors 

 met together and started their incantations on 

 behalf of fine weather. 



This was on a Saturday, and they kept up their 

 ceremonies during the following Sunday, making 

 the island " more like a pandemonium than a place 

 where Christ's Gospel had been preached." But 

 even this was a crisis not without its encouraging 

 side. For the missionaries, determined that Satan 

 should not have it all his own way, summoned the 

 people to morning and evening services, and their 

 hearts were rejoiced to find that many who had held 



