, seventy or eighty from the
river _Koksoak_, which we had fixed upon as the final object of the
voyage, being the outermost western boundary of the Ungava country.
Insurmountable difficulties seemed now to present themselves, owing
partly to contrary winds and cold weather, and partly to loss of time,
for we had been already two months on the voyage, and had not yet
obtained our aim: so that our return might be unseasonably late, if we
proceeded. We could not possibly make up our minds to spend the winter
here, as we had not a sufficient supply of provisions, and knew what
distress it would occasion to our Brethren at Okkak.

We felt quite at a loss what to do in this dilemma, and our path seemed
enveloped in obscurity. We remembered, that "_to the upright there
ariseth a light in the darkness_," (Ps. 112, 4): that is, to them who
fear and trust in the Lord, and sincerely desire to know and do His
will, He will reveal it. In His name we had entered upon this voyage,
the only ultimate object of which was, the conversion of a benighted,
neglected nation, in one of the remotest corners of the earth. We were,
therefore, sure that He would not forsake us, nor leave us in
uncertainty as to His will concerning us, but that He, "_whose eyes run
to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the
behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Him_," (2 Chron. 16, 9.)
was, even in this desolate region, present with us, and would hear and
answer our prayers. Many comfortable texts of scripture occurred to our
minds on this occasion, filling us with an extraordinary degree of faith
and confidence in Him, particularly such as, "_He will be very gracious
unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer
thee_," Isa. 30, 19. Also, Dan. 10, 19; Jer. 16, 21; Isa. 43, 2, &c. The
mercies, also, which we had already experienced, excited within us a
sense of the deepest gratitude and most firm trust; and we therefore
told our people, that we indeed participated in their concern, would
take the subject into serious consideration, and acquaint them with our
determination on the morrow.

19th. In the morning we met in our tent, where we were safe from the
intrusion of the Esquimaux, to confer together upon this most important
subject. We weighed all the circumstances connected with it, maturely
and impartially, as in the presence of God, and, not being able to come
to any decision, where reasons for and