Ze, In Great Waters

or three missionaries travelling about in their crude
canoes. But when the gradually rising numbers
of incoming white men demanded their attention
it was evident that at least some better means of
transportation must be found. With this upon his
mind Crosby went east on furlough in 1882. Green,
who was stationed at the Naas River, had been called
to England. So the whole northern field, with its
thousands of indians in various missions, and its
few scattered groups of white men, settlers, loggers,
miners, fishermen, and cannerymen, was left in the
care of Tate. Summer and winter he kept at it,
travelling in an open dug-out, visiting all the tribes
regularly, and calling on the whites as often as he
could. In summer-time, if the weather was fine,
the work was not unpleasant; but in days of wind
and rain it was dangerous and _ disagreeable.
Winter was especially bad. For one solid month he
was scarcely a day out of hiscanoe. Often he had to
face head winds, and often was wrapped in blinding
snowstorms, working the paddle from daylight to
dark. At night he was glad to get what rest he could
in lonely, cheerless camps on rocky shores.
Meanwhile Crosby was at work in an effective
way in theeast. There he told the enthralling story
of this mission and its needs, appealing in parti-
cular for a much-needed steamboat. His stories
““gripped,’’ and his appeal touched the hearts of his
hearers. Sunday-school children gave their pennies
and wealthy folks their dollars until the building of
a little steamboat seemed really possible. Then he