128 Our North Land. 



The present residence of the chief trader has a record of over 

 thirty years, and is still in a good state of preservation. It is a 

 small cottage, with only four or five rooms ; but is comfortably fur- 

 nished, and best of all is well tenanted. Here we were received by 

 Mr. Spencer, and introduced to his good wife and four little children. 

 He has two not at home, one at York Factory, and one attending 

 St. John's College at "Winnipeg. And here also we met Mr. Mac- 

 Tavish, the Rev. J. Lofthouse, and were rejoined by Dr. Bell. 



The Rev. Mr. Lofthouse becomes at once a person of interest to 

 my readers, for one reason in particular. He is, as you will have 

 supposed, the missionary stationed at this post by the Church of 

 England, and is a pleasant looking, affable young person, well quali- 

 fied to get along in a quiet way, without occupying any more space 

 in the world of thought and action than the small duties of his 

 limited sphere require. He came out from his Yorkshire home in 

 1882, and has been since located part of the time at York. He had 

 only a few days before completed the journey from that place to 

 Churchill along the coast on foot, a distance of over one hundred 

 and fifty miles, in order to meet the outcoming Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany's ship as soon as she reached her first anchorage on the west 

 shore of the bay. Do you ask why he could not wait for her arrival 

 at York ? For the best of all reasons ! If arrangements have not 

 miscarried, his future wife comes out with the vessel to join him in 

 matrimony and the cares of married life in his adopted home on the 

 chores of Hudson's Bay., As soon as these circumstances had been 

 communicated to me, I told him that I felt quite sure the much 

 longed-for and, no doubt, constantly prayed-for ship which we had 

 undoubtedly passed in the Strait would sail into the Churchill 

 before the close of the day ; but his confidence had become shaken 

 in such prophecies, and my attempt 'at consolation was a failure. 



There is a good deal of romance connected with the story of the 

 reverend gentleman's courtship. After becoming settled in his new 

 north-western home he bethought him of the necessities of his new 

 position. Of course the comforts of home could not be complete 

 without a wife, and neither at York nor at Churchill was there to 

 be found a person suitable. In fact there were no ladies — unmarried 



