readth of it, and none of the rest of us really know what
hunger means. I tried to get him to talk about it, but he said he wanted
to forget it. He said he was ashamed to think of some of the things he
had done and of some of the terrible thoughts that had come to him, and
I pressed him no more. I have always felt that, even in its last
hideousness of cannibalism, only God Himself can judge starvation.

[Sidenote: TWO INTERPRETERS]

Here began my first experience of the difficulties of conducting a
mission at the same place for two different races of natives speaking
totally different languages. Although the Indian language spoken here is
the same as at Tanana, and much of the liturgy, etc., had been put into
that tongue by Mr. Prevost and was therefore available, yet it was found
impracticable to have two sets of services whenever the church was used,
for both races would always attend anyway. Since the mastery of the two
tongues was out of the question, and there were no translations at all
into the Esquimau, it became a question of teaching the Esquimaux to
take part in an Indian service or dropping both vernaculars altogether
and conducting the service in English. After much doubt and experiment
the latter was resolved upon, and the whole service of prayer and praise
is in English. When the lessons are read and the address delivered it is
necessary to use two interpreters; the minister delivers his sentence in
English, then the Koyukuk interpreter puts it in Indian, and when he is
done the Esquimau interpreter puts it into that tongue.

It is a very tedious business, this double interpretation and a
twenty-minute sermon takes fully an hour to deliver, but there is no
help for it. The singing is hearty and enthusiastic though the repertory
is wisely very limited; and here, north of the Arctic Circle, is a
vested choir of eight or ten Kobuk and Koyukuk boys who lead the singing
and lead it very well.

Already the influence of the mission and the school was very marked.
Given the native off by himself like this, in the hands of those in whom
he has learned to place entire confidence, remote from debasing
agencies, and his improvement is evident and his survival assured.

[Illustration: THE DOUBLE INTERPRETATION AT THE ALLAKAKET.]

[Illustration: THE WIND-SWEPT YUKON WITHIN THE RAMPARTS.]

In two days the doctor and Arthur and the team came up, and so was
brought to a happy conclusion a perilous journey over the f