CHOOSINGAHOME 39 



chair had been made by old Kohlmeister, who made 

 a famous journey to the heathen of the north in 

 1809. I was sleeping in Kohlmeister's room, and 

 sitting on the chair of his making, a chair sound and 

 strong after a hundred years . When I asked about it 

 all, I was shown a tin mould ; and I was told that in 

 the olden days the missionaries used to get deer's 

 fat and make candles for themselves ! 



Yes, the sacrifice, the unselfishness, the frugal- 

 mindedness, the simplicity of purpose ; these things 

 are something to admire. They took but little 

 thought for clothing ; they would dress like the 

 Eskimos, in sealskins and furs ; but I have been told 

 that one year at least the ship took out a bale of 

 cloth as a gift, and every missionary had a cut of 

 it to make him a suit of clothes. Up and down the 

 coast, all dressed alike ! Laughable, maybe, but 

 almost sad for those old pioneers worked without 

 pay ; their reward was that they should have food 

 and shelter and the joy of preaching the Gospel 

 to the Eskimos. 



So they hoped that a ship would come, at least 

 once a year ; and they must have a safe anchorage. 



A second thing was a beach for the boats, for the 

 ship could not anchor off a rocky coast where land- 

 ing was unsafe ; there must be sand or shingle for 

 the safe beaching of boats. 



Well, the old heathen village offered that, though 

 a ship's captain might prefer a better anchorage for 

 his vessel. 



And a third thing, a shelter from the north-west 

 wind. 



