to use our
paddles desperately to reach the shore, and when we had done so, we
found our canoe half-full of water, in which our bedding and food were
soaked. We hurriedly built a fire, melted some pitch, and mended our
canoe, and hurried on.

On this lake, which can give us such pictures of wondrous beauty, I have
encountered some of the greatest gales and tempests against which I have
ever had to contend, even in this land of storms and blizzards. Then in
winter, upon its frozen surface it used to seem to me that the Frost
King held high carnival. Terrible were the sufferings of both dogs and
men on some of those trips. One winter, in spite of all the wraps I
could put around me, making it possible for me to run--for riding was
out of the question, so intense was the cold--every part of my face
exposed to the pitiless blast was frozen. My nose, cheeks, eyebrows,
and even lips, were badly frozen, and for days after I suffered. Cuffy,
the best of my Newfoundland dogs, had all of her feet frozen, and even
Jack's were sore for many a day after. My loyal Indians suffered also,
and we all declared Oxford Lake to be a cold place in winter, and its
storms worse than the summer mosquitoes.

The Indians of Oxford Lake were among the finest in all the great North-
West. It was ever a joy to meet them as I used to do once in summer by
canoe trip, and then again in winter by dog-train. God blessed my
visits to them. The old members were cheered and comforted as the
Gospel was preached to them, and the Sacraments administered. Some
pagans were induced to renounce their old lives, and the cause of
religion was more and more established. The Reverend Mr Brooking, and,
later, the studious and devoted Reverend Orrin German, did blessed
service in that lonely Mission. At the present time the Reverend Edward
Papanekis is the acceptable Missionary there.

Long years ago I found Edward a careless, sinful young man. Once he
rushed into the Mission house under the influence of liquor, and
threatened to strike me. But the blessed truth reached his heart, and
it was my joy to see him a humble suppliant at the Cross. His heart's
desire was realised. God has blessedly led him on, and now he is
faithfully preaching that same blessed Gospel to his countrymen at
Oxford Mission.

In responding to the many Macedonian cries my Circuit kept so enlarging
that I had to be "in journeyings often." My canoes were sometimes
launched in