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diff --git a/14750-0.txt b/14750-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f209394 --- /dev/null +++ b/14750-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2511 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14750 *** + +BOWDOIN BOYS IN LABRADOR + +An Account of the Bowdoin College Scientific Expedition to Labrador +Led by Prof. Leslie A. Lee of the Biological Department + +by + +JONATHAN PRINCE CILLEY, JR. + +Rockland, Maine: +Rockland Publishing Company + + + + + + + +PREFACE + + +This letter from the President of Bowdoin College is printed as an +appropriate preface to the pages which follow. + +I thank you for the advanced sheets of the "Bowdoin Boys in Labrador." +As Sallust says, "In primis arduum videtur res gestas scribere; quod +facta dictis sunt exaequanda." + +In this case, the diction is equal to the deed: the clear and +vivacious style of the writer is fully up to the level of the +brilliant achievements he narrates. + +The intrinsic interest of the story, and its connection with the State +and the College ought to secure for it a wide reading. + + Very truly yours, + WILLIAM DEW. HYDE. + + + + + + +BOWDOIN BOYS IN LABRADOR + + ON BOARD THE "JULIA A. DECKER," + Port Hawkesbury, Gut of Canso, + July 6th. 1891. + + +Here the staunch Julia lies at anchor waiting for a change in the wind +and a break in the fog. To-day will be memorable in the annals of the +"Micmac" Indians, for Prof. Lee has spent his enforced leisure in +putting in anthropometric work among them, inducing braves, squaws and +papooses of both sexes to mount the trunk that served as a measuring +block and go through the ordeal of having their height, standing and +sitting, stretch of arms, various diameters of head and peculiarities +of the physiognomy taken down. While he with two assistants was thus +employed, two of our photographic corps were busily engaged in +preserving as many of their odd faces and costumes as possible, making +pictures of their picturesque camp on the side of a hill sloping +toward an arm of the Gut, with its round tent covered with birch and +fir bark, dogs and children, and stacks of logs or wood--from which +they make the strips for their chief products, baskets--cows, baggage +and all the other accompaniments of a comparatively permanent camp. +They go into the woods and make log huts for winter, but such +miserable quarters as these prove to be on closer inspection, with +stoves, dirt and chip floor, bedding and food in close proximity to +the six or eight inhabitants of each hut, suffice them during warm +weather. We found that they elect a chief, who holds the office for +life. The present incumbent lives near by St. Peter's Island, and is +about forty years old. They hold a grand festival in a few weeks +somewhere on the shore of Brasd'Or Lake, at which nearly every Indian +on the Island is expected, some two thousand in all, we are informed, +and after experiencing our good-fellowship at their camp and on board +they invited us one and all to come down, only cautioning us to bring +along a present of whiskey for the chief. + +The Gut, in this part at least, is beautiful sailing ground, with +bold, wooded shores, varied by slight coves and valleys with little +hamlets at the shore and fishermen's boats lying off the beach. The +lower part we passed in a fog, so we are ignorant of its appearance as +though the Julia had not carried us within a hundred miles of it, +instead of having knowingly brought us past rock and shoal to this +quiet cove, under the red rays of the light on Hawkesbury Point, and +opposite Port Mulgrave, with which Hawkesbury is connected by a little +two-sailed, double-ended ferry-boat built on a somewhat famous model. +It seems that a boat builder of this place, who, by the way, launched +a pretty little yacht to-day, sent a fishing boat, whose model and rig +was the product of many years' experience as a fisherman, to the +London Fisheries' Exhibit of a few years past, and received first +medal from among seven thousand five hundred competitors. The Prince +of Wales was so pleased with the boat, which was exhibited under full +sail with a wax fisherman at the helm, that he purchased it and has +since used it. Later, when the United States fish commission schooner +Grampus was here with the present assistant commissioner, Capt. +Collins, in command, the plans were purchased by our government on the +condition that no copies were to be made without Mr. Embree's consent. +A little later yet, a commissioner from Holland and Sweden came over, +bought the plans and built a perfect copy of the original, the +seaworthy qualities of which has caused its type to entirely displace +the old style of small fishing boats in those countries. The boat's +abilities in heavy waters have been tested many times, and have never +failed to equal her reputation. + +But, meanwhile, the Julia lies quietly at anchor, as if it were +mutely reproaching your correspondent with singing another's praises +when she has brought us safely and easily thus far, in spite of gales, +fog, and headwind, calm, and treacherous tide, and even now is eagerly +waiting for the opportunity to carry us straight and swiftly to Battle +Harbor in the straits of Belle Isle, where letters and papers from +home await us, and then up through the ice fields to Cape Chudleigh. + +[The Real Start] Our real start was made from Southwest Harbor, Mt. +Desert, the Monday after leaving Rockland. Saturday night, after a +short sail in the dark and a few tacks up the Thoroughfare to North +Haven village, we anchored and rested from the confusion and worry of +getting started and trying to forget nothing that would be needed in +our two and one-half months' trip. Sunday morning was nearly spent +before things were well enough stowed to allow us to get under weigh +in safety, and then our bow was turned eastward and, as we thought, +pointed for Cape Sable. Going by the hospital on Widow's Island and +the new light on Goose Rock nearly opposite it, out into Isle au Haut +bay, we found a fresh northeaster, which warned us not to go across +the Bay of Fundy if we had no desire for an awful shaking up. In view +of all the facts, such as green men, half-stowed supplies and +threatening weather, we decided that we must not put our little vessel +through her paces that night, and chose the more ignominious, but also +more comfortable course of putting into a harbor. Consequently after +plunging through the rips off Bass Head, and cutting inside the big +bell buoy off its entrance, we ran into Southwest Harbor and came to +anchor. In the evening many of the party thought it wise to improve +the last opportunity for several months, as we then supposed, to +attend church, and to one who knew the chapel-cutting proclivities of +many of our party while at Bowdoin, it would have been amusing to see +them solemnly tramp into church, rubber boots and all. It is a fact, +however, that every member of our party, with a possible exception, +went to church in this place yesterday largely for the same reason. + +Our little Julia rewarded our action of the night previous by taking +us out by Mt Desert Rock at a rattling pace Monday morning, bowing +very sharply and very often to the spindle-like tower on the rock, as +she met the Bay of Fundy chop, and at the same time administered a +very effective emetic to all but five or six of the Bowdoin boys +aboard. She is wise as well as bold and strong, and so after nightfall +waited under easy canvas for light to reveal Seal Island to our +watchful eyes. Shortly after daylight the low coast was made out, the +dangerous rocks passed, and Cape Sable well on our quarter. But there +it stayed. We made but little progress for two days, and employed the +time in laying in a supply of cod, haddock and pollock, till our bait +was exhausted. Then we shot at birds, seals and porpoises whenever +they were in sight, and from the success, apparently, at many when +they were not in sight; put the finishing touches on our stowage, and +kept three of the party constantly employed with our long +bamboo-handled dip-net, in fishing up specimens for the professor and +his assistants. As the result of this we have a large number of fish +eggs which we are watching in the process of hatching, many specimens +of crustacea and of seaweed. The photographers, in the meanwhile, got +themselves into readiness for real work by practicing incessantly upon +us. + +Thursday, we made Sambro light; soon pilot boat number one hailed us +and put a man aboard, whom we neither needed nor wanted, and we were +anchored off the market steps at Halifax. The run up the harbor was +very pleasant. Bright skies, a fresh breeze off the land, and vessels +all about us made many lively marine pictures. The rather unformidable +appearing fortification, on account of which Halifax boasts herself +the most strongly fortified city of America, together with the +flag-ship Bellerophon and two other vessels of the Atlantic squadron, +the Canada and the Thrush, the latter vessel until lately having been +commanded by Prince George, gave the harbor and town a martial tone +that was heightened upon our going ashore and seeing the red coats +that throng the streets in the evening. Halifax, with its squat, +smoky, irregular streets is well known, and its numerous public +buildings, drill barracks, and well kept public gardens, all backed by +the frowning citadel, probably need no description from me. After +receiving the letters for which we came in, and sending the courteous +United States Consul General, Mr. Frye, and his vice-consul, Mr. King, +Colby '89, ashore with a series of college yells that rather startled +the sleepy old town, we laid a course down the harbor, exchanged +salutes with the steamship Caspian, and were soon ploughing along, +before a fine south-west breeze for Cape Canso. + +[Ward Room of the Julia Decker] While our little vessel is driving +ahead with wind well over the quarter, groaning, as it were, at the +even greater confusion in the wardroom than when we left Rockland, +owing to the additional supplies purchased at Halifax, it may be well +to briefly describe her appearance, when fitted to carry seventeen +Bowdoin men in her hold in place of the lime and coal to which she has +been accustomed. Descending, then, the forward hatch, protected by a +plain hatch house, the visitor turns around and facing aft, looks down +the two sides of the immense centreboard box that occupies the centre +of our wardroom from floor to deck. Fastened to it are the mess +tables, nearly always lighted by some four or five great lamps, which +serve to warm as well, as the pile of stuff around and beneath the +after-hatch house cuts off most of the light that would otherwise come +down there. On the port side of the table runs the whole length of the +box; two wooden settles serve for dining chairs and leave about four +feet clear space next the "deacon's seat" that runs along in front of +the five double-tiered berths. These are canvas-bottomed, fitted with +racks, shelves, and the upper ones with slats overhead, in which to +stow our overflowing traps. + +At the after end, on both sides of the wardroom, are large lockers +coming nearly to the edge of the hatch, in which most of the +provisions are stowed. At the forward end, next to the bulkhead that +separates us from the galley, are, on the port side, a completely +equipped dark room in which many excellent pictures have already been +brought to light, and on the starboard side a large rack holding our +canned goods, ketchup, lime-juice, etc. Along the bulkhead are the +fancy cracker boxes, tempting a man to take one every time he goes +below, and under the racks are our kerosene and molasses barrels. +Between the line of four double-tier berths on the starboard side and +the rack just described is a handy locker for oil clothes and heavy +overcoats. Lockers run along under the lower berths, and trunks with a +thousand other articles are stowed under the tables. A square hole cut +in the bulkhead, just over the galley head, lets heat into the +wardroom and assists the lamps in keeping us warm. As yet, in spite of +some quite cold weather, we have been perfectly comfortable. +Sometimes, however, odors come in as well as heat from the galley, and +do not prove so agreeable. If to this description, clothes of various +kinds, guns, game bags, boots, fishing tackle and books, should, by +the imagination of the reader, to be scattered about, promiscuously +hung, or laid in every conceivable nook and corner, a fair idea of our +floating house could be obtained. On deck we are nearly as badly +littered, though in more orderly fashion. Two nests of dories, a row +boat, five water tanks, a gunning float, and an exploring boat, partly +well fill the Julia's spacious decks. The other exploring boat hangs +inside the schooner's yawl at the stern. Add to these two hatch +houses, a small pile of lumber, and considerable fire wood snugly +stowed between the casks, and you have a fair idea of our anything but +clear decks. A yellow painted bust, presumably of our namesake Julia, +at the end of figure-head, peers through the fog and leads us in the +darkness; a white stripe relieves the blackness of our sides; a green +rail surmounts all; and, backed by the forms of nineteen variously +attired Bowdoin men, from professor, their tutor, alumnus, to +freshmen, complete our description. + +[The Fourth of July] Meanwhile the night, clear but windless, has come +on, and we drift along the Nova Scotia coast, lying low and blue on +our northern board. The Fourth dawns rather foggy, but it soon yields +to the sun's rays and a good breeze which bowls us along toward the +Cape. An elaborate celebration of the day is planned, but only the +poem is finally rendered, due probably to increased sea which the +brisk breeze raises incapacitating several of the actors for their +assigned parts. The poem, by the late editor of '91's "BUGLE," is +worthy of preservation, but would hardly be understood unless our +whole crowd were present to indicate by their roars the good points in +it. + +At night our constant follower, the fog, shuts in, and the captain +steering off the Cape, we lay by, jumping and rolling in a northeast +sea, waiting for daylight to assist us to Cape Canso Harbor and the +Little Ant. About six next morning we form one of a fleet of five or +six sail passing the striped lighthouse on Cranberry Island, and with +a rush go through the narrow passage lined with rocks and crowded with +fishermen. Out into the fog of Chedebucto Bay we soon pass and in the +fog we remain, getting but a glimpse of the shore now and then, till +we reach Port Hawkesbury. + +JONA. P. CILLEY, JR. + + * * * * * + + + + + ON BOARD THE "JULIA A. DECKER," + OFF ST. JOHN'S BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND. + + +We are bowling along with a fine southwest wind, winged out, mainsail +reefed and foresail two-reefed, and shall be in the straits in about +two hours. The Julia is a flyer. Between 12 and 4 this morning we +logged just 46 knots, namely, 13.5 miles per hour for four hours. I +doubt if I ever went much faster in a sailing vessel. It is now about +10 o'clock, and we have made over 75 miles since 4. + +All hands are on watch for a first glimpse of the Labrador coast, +which will probably be Cape Armours with the light on it. + +I wrote last time from Hawkesbury in the Gut of Canso. We laid there +all day Monday, July 6th, as the wind, southeast in the harbor, was +judged by everybody to be northeast out in George's Bay, and +consequently dead ahead for us. Monday evening, at the invitation of +the purser, we all went down aboard the "State of Indiana," the +regular steamer of the "State Line" between Charlottetown, P.E.I., and +Boston, touching at Halifax, and in the Gut. + +After going ashore we stayed on the wharf till she left, singing +college songs, giving an impromptu athletic exhibition, etc., to the +intense delight of about fifty small boys (I can't conceive where they +all came from), and the two or three hundred servant girls going home +to P.E.I. for a summer vacation. + +I would put in here parenthetically, that since writing the above I +have been on deck helping jibe the mainsail, as we have changed our +course to about east by north, having rounded a couple of small low, +sandy islands off the Bay of St. John, and now point straight into the +strait of Belle Isle. + +In the afternoon we examined some of the old red sandstone which +underlies all that part of Cape Breton Island, found some good +specimens, and some very plain and deep glacial scratches. There is +also some coal and a good deal of shale in with the sandstone. + +We had a good opportunity to see this, since the railroad connecting +Port Hawkesbury with Sidney is new, having started running only last +March, and hence the cuts furnished admirable fields in which to +examine the geology. The road is surveyed and bed made along the Cape +Breton shore of the Gut nearly to the northern end, and when completed +will be a delightful ride. I think the Gut for 10 miles north of Port +Hawkesbury resembles the Hudson just by the Palisades. It is grander +than Eggemoggin Reach and on a far larger scale than Somes' Sound. At +the northern end it broadens and becomes just a magnificent waterway, +without the grand scenery. We were becalmed nearly all day in George's +Bay, at one time getting pretty near Antigonish, but got a breeze +towards evening. We tried fishing several times but could not get a +bite though several fishermen were in sight and trawls innumerable. We +passed one fisherman, a fine three-master, just as we were coming out +of the Gut from Frenchman's Bay, going home, but with very little +fish. + +I got the captain to call me about 4, Wednesday morning, to fish, but +got none. We were then off North Cape, having had a good breeze all +night. The wind was light all day, but towards the latter part of the +afternoon commenced to blow from the southeast, kicking up a nasty sea +very soon. We double reefed the mainsail reefed the foresail and +hauled the flying jib down. About 8 P.M. we laid to with the jib +hauled down, on the starboard tack. The wind had backed to the east +about four points and was blowing a gale. About 12 M. it suddenly +dropped, a flat calm, leaving a tremendous sea running from the +southeast, combined with a smaller one from the east. Our motions, +jumps, rolls and pitches, can be better imagined than described. It +seemed at times that our bow and our stern were where the mastheads +usually are, and our rails were frequently rolled under. + +Rice and Hunt stood one watch, Cary and I the second, and here Rice, +though a good sailor and an experienced yachtsman, finally succumbed. +We hauled everything down with infinite difficulty, owing to the +violent motion, and made it fast, then let her roll and pitch to her +heart's content. A sorrier looking place than our wardroom, and a +sicker set of fellows it would be hard to find. The dishes had some +play in the racks, and kept up an infernal racket that I tried in +every way to stop and could not. To cap all, the wind came off a gale +northwest about 4 A.M., and made yet another sea. As soon as possible +we set a double-reefed foresail, and then I turned in. When I turned +out at noon we had made Newfoundland and set a whole foresail, jib and +one reef out of the mainsail. We were becalmed, but found excellent +fishing, so did not care. The sea had gone down and we began to enjoy +the Norway-like rugged coast of Newfoundland. The mountains come right +down to the water, and are about 1,400 feet high, by our measurement, +using angular altitude by sextant and base line, our distance off +shore as shown by our observation for latitude and longitude. + +There are many deep, narrow-mouthed coves and harbors, a good number +of islands and points making a most magnificent coast line. In many +cases 50 or 75 fathoms are found right under the shore. Great patches +of snow, miles in extent, cover the mountain sides. Great brown +patches, which the professor thinks are washings from the fine +examples of erosion, but which look to me like patches of brown grass +as we see in Penobscot Bay on the islands, vary with what is +apparently a scrubby evergreen growth and bald, bare rocks. As we are +about 18 miles off, the blue haze over all makes an enlarged, +roughened and much more deeply indented Camden mountain coast line. +The bays are in some cases so deep that we can look into narrow +entrances and see between great cliffs, only a few miles apart, a +water horizon on the other side. We wished very much to get in towards +the shore, but the calm and very strong westerly current, about 1-1/2 +knots, prevented. + +While enjoying the calm in pleasant contrast to our late shaking up, +it will be well to introduce the members of the party whom Bowdoin has +thought worthy to bear her name into regions seldom vexed by a college +yell, and to whom she has entrusted the high duties of scientific +investigation, in which, since the days of Professor Cleaveland, she +has kept a worthy place. + +[Members of the Expedition] In command is Prof. Leslie A. Lee, of the +Biological Department of Bowdoin. With a life-long experience in all +branches of natural history, the experience which a year in charge of +the scientific staff of the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer "Albatross" +in a voyage from Washington around Cape Horn to Alaska, and an +intimate connection with the Commission of many year's standing, and +the training that scholarly habits, platform lecturing and collegic +instruction have given him, you see a man still young, for he was +graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1872, and equal to all the +fatigues that out-of-door, raw-material, scientific work demands. + +The rest of the party have yet to prove their mettle, and of them but +little can now be said. Dr. Parker, who, with the Professor, captain +and mate, occupies the cabin proper, is an '86 man, cut out for a +physician and thoroughly prepared to fulfil all the functions of a +medical staff, from administering quinine to repairing broken limbs. + +Cary of '87, who is even now planning for his struggle with the +difficulties on the way to the Grand Falls, has had the most +experience in work of the sort the expedition hopes to do, save the +Professor and Cole. Logging and hunting in the Maine forests in the +vicinity of his home in Machias, and fishing on the Georges from Cape +Ann smacks, have fitted him physically, as taking the highest honors +for scholarship at Bowdoin, teaching and university work in his chosen +branch, have prepared him mentally, for the great task in which he +leads. + +Cole who accompanies him up Grand River, was Prof. Lee's assistant on +the "Albatross," and is well fitted by experience and by a vigorous +participation in athletics at college before his graduation in '88. + +From the expedition's actual starting place, Rockland, there are four +members: Rice, the yachtsman, Simonton, Spear and the writer, all fair +specimens of college boys, and eager to get some reflection from the +credit which they hope to help the expedition to win. + +Portland has two representatives: Rich, '92, and Baxter, 93, the +latter our only freshman; while Bangor sends three: Hunt, '90, Hunt, +'91, who has charge of the dredging, and Hastings the taxidermist. + +W.R. Smith, another salutatorian of his class, is one of the many +Maine boys whom Massachusetts has called in to help train the youth of +our mother Commonwealth, and has been at the head of the High School +at Leicester for the past year. He, too, is thought to equal in +physical vigor his mental qualities, and has been selected to brave +the hardships of the Grand River. + +To complete the detail for this exploration, Young of Brunswick and of +'92, has been selected, another athlete of the college, who has had, +in addition to his training at Bowdoin, a year or more of instruction +in the schools and gymnasiums of Germany. + +Porter, Andrews, and Newbegin, the latter, the only man not from +Maine, coming from Ohio, and only to be accounted for as a member of +the expedition by the fact that his initials P.C. stand for Parker +Cleaveland, finish the list, with but one exception and that is +Lincoln. The merry-maker and star on deck and below--except when the +weather is too rough--he keeps the crowd good-natured when fogs, rain, +head winds and general discomfort tend to discontent: and on shore he +sees that the doctor is not too hard worked in making the botanical +collections. + +For two days we lazily drifted, the elements seeming to be making up +for their late riot; but the weather was clear and bright, the scenery +way off to our starboard was grand, and no one was troubled by the +delay, except as the thoughts of the Grand River men turned to the +great distance and the short time of their trip. At last, however, the +breeze came, with which I opened this letter, and which we then hoped +would continue till we reached Battle Harbor. + +We just flew up the straits, saw many fishermen at anchor with their +dories off at the trawls, schooners and dories both jumping in great +shape; also a school of whales and an "ovea" or whale-killer, with a +fin over three feet long sticking straight up. He also broke right +alongside and blew. Considerable excitement attended our first sight +of an iceberg; it was a rotten white one, but soon we saw a lot, some +very dark and deep-colored. + +[Red Bay] Our first sight of the long-desired coast was between Belle +Armours Point and the cliffs near Red Bay, the thick haze making the +outlines very indistinct. Just two weeks out from Rockland we made our +first harbor on the Labrador coast. Red Bay is a beautiful little +place, and with the added features of two magnificent icebergs close +by which we passed in entering, the towering red cliffs on the left +from which it takes its name, and the snug little island in the +middle, and the odd houses we saw dotting the shores of the summer +settlement of the natives, it seemed a sample fully equal to our +expectations of what we should find in Labrador. + +There is an inner harbor into which we could have gone, with seven +fathoms of water and in which vessels sometimes winter as it is so +secure, but we did not enter it because the captain was doubtful which +of the two entrances to take and the chart seemed indefinite on the +point. There are about one hundred and seventy-five people in the +settlement, some of them staying there the year round, fishing in the +summer and hunting the rest of the time. They have another settlement +of winter houses at the head of the inner harbor, but, for convenience +in getting at their cod traps, live on the island in the middle, and +on the sides of the outer harbor in the summer. Their houses are made +of logs about the size of small railroad ties, which are stood on end +and clapboarded. The winter houses are built in a similar way with +earth packed around and over them. + +The party for Grand River--Cary, Cole, W.R. Smith and Young--have +decided to dispense with a guide; very wisely, I think, from what I +have seen of native Labradoreans. While the journey they undertake is +one in which the skill of Indians or half-breeds, familiar with +Labrador wildernesses would be of great value and would add to the +comfort of our party, it is very doubtful if any living person has +ever been to the falls or knows any more about the last, and probably +the hardest part of the trip, than Cary. And, further, the travel is +so difficult that about all a man can carry is supplies for himself; +and the Indians cannot stand the pace that our men intend to strike; +nor, if it should come to the last extremity, and a forlorn hope was +needed to make a last desperate push for discovery or relief, could +the Indian guides, so far as we have any knowledge of them, be relied +on. That the boldest measures are often the surest, will probably +again be demonstrated by our Grand River party. + +We tried the exploring boats very thoroughly at Chateau Bay, three of +us getting caught about six miles from the vessel in quite a blow, and +the well-laden boat proved herself very seaworthy. When loaded, she +still draws but little water, and is good in every way for the trip. + +This letter was begun in the fine breeze off Newfoundland, but could +not be mailed till the port of entry and post-office of Labrador, +Battle Harbor, was reached. A week was consumed in getting from our +first anchorage in Labrador to this harbor, as the captain was +unaccustomed to icebergs, and properly decided to take no risks with +them in the strong shifting currents and thick weather of the eastern +end of the straits. The wind was ahead for several days, and the heavy +squalls coming off the land in quick succession made us fear the wind +would drop and leave us banging around in the fog that usually +accompanies a calm spell, so we kept close to harbors and dodged in on +the first provocation. + +The season is three weeks late this year; the first mail boat has not +yet arrived, though last year at this time she was on her second trip. +The last report from the North--down the coast they call it--that went +to Newfoundland and St. John's was "that it was impassable ice this +side Hamilton Inlet." A vessel--a steam sealing bark--though, that was +here yesterday and has gone to Sidney, C.B.I., reports now that the +coast is clear to Hopedale. Beyond we know nothing about it. + +On Henley and Castle Islands, at the mouth of Chateau Bay, are +basaltic table-lands about half a mile across, perfectly flat on top +and about two hundred feet high. We walked around one, went to its +top and secured specimens from the columns. The famous "natural +images" of men, are, to my eye, not nearly so good as the descriptions +lead one to expect. The history of the place could hardly be guessed +from its present barren, desolate, poverty-stricken appearance; but +the remains of quite a fort on Barrier Point show some signs of former +and now departed glory. It seems that it has been under the dominion +of England, France and the United States, all of whom took forceful +possession of it, and England and France have governed it. An American +privateer once sacked the place, carrying away, I believe, about 3,500 +pounds worth of property. Now, a very small population eke out a +wretched existence by fishing, only a few remaining, living at the +heads of the bays, in the winter, and most of them going home to +Newfoundland. + +The icebergs are in great plenty. I counted eighty from the basaltic +table-land at one time, and the professor saw even more at once. Belle +Isle is in plain sight from this place, looking like Monhegan from the +Georges Islands, though possibly somewhat longer. + +[Battle Harbor] Finally, as the wind showed no signs of changing, the +captain, to our intense delight, decided to beat around to Battle +Harbor and we anchored here at about 5:50 P.M., July 17th. Many of the +icebergs we passed were glorious, and the scene was truly arctic. It +was bitterly cold, and heavy coats were the order of the day. We +passed Cape St. Charles, the proposed terminus of the Labrador +Railroad to reduce the time of crossing the Atlantic to four days, saw +the famous table-land, and soon opened Battle Harbor which we had to +beat up, way round to the northward, to enter. It was slow business +with a strong head current, but the fishermen say a vessel never came +around more quickly. We found the harbor very small, with rocks not +shown in chart or coast pilot, and had barely room to come to without +going ashore. We went in under bare poles, and then had too much way +on. + +The agent for the Bayne, Johnston Co., which runs this place, keeping +nearly all its three hundred inhabitants in debt to it, is a Mr. +Smith, who has taken the professor and seven or eight of the boys on +his little steamer to the other side of the St. Lewis Sound. The +doctor has gone with them to look after some grip patients, and the +professor expects to measure some half-breed Eskimo living there. The +boys are expecting to get some fine trout. The grip was brought to +this region by the steamer bringing the first summer fishing colonies, +and has spread to all and killed a great many. + +There is an Episcopal rector here, Mr. Bull, who says everybody had +it. I believe it is owing to his care and slight medical skill that +none have died here. It is hard for this people to have such a +sickness just as the fishing season is best. The doctor has +opportunity to use all and far more than the amount of medicine he +brought, much to Professor Lee's amusement. He is reaping a small +harvest of furs, grateful tokens of his services, that many of his +patients send him, and some of his presents have also improved our +menu. + +This place is named Battle Harbor from the conflict that took place +here between the Indians and English settlers, aided by a man-of-war. +The remains of the fight are now in a swamp covered with fishflakes. +There are also some strange epitaphs in the village graveyard, with +its painted wooden head-boards, and high fence to keep the dogs out. +These latter are really dangerous, making it necessary to carry a +stick if walking alone. Men have been killed by them, but last year +the worst of the lot were exported across the bay, owing to a bold +steal of a child by them and its being nearly eaten up. They are a +mixture of Eskimo, Indian and wolf, with great white shaggy coats. + +The steamer with mail and passengers from St. John's, Newfoundland, is +expected every day, and as our rivals for the honor of rediscovering +Grand Falls are probably on board, there is a race in store for us to +see who will get to Rigolette first, and which party will start ahead +on the perilous journey up the Grand River. As they have refused our +offer of co-operation, we now feel no sympathy with their task, and +will have but little for them till we see them, as we hope, starting +up the river several days behind our hardy crew. + +JONATHAN P. CILLEY, JR. + + * * * * * + + + + + ON BOARD THE JULIA A. DECKER, + OFF BIRD ROCKS, + Gulf of St. Lawrence, Sept. 10, 1891. + + +While our little vessel is rushing through the blue waters of the +gulf, apparently scorning the efforts of the swift little Halifax +trader who promised to keep us company from the Straits to the Gut, +and who, by dint of good luck and constant attention to sails has thus +far kept her word, but is now steadily falling astern and to leeward, +I will tell you about the snug little harbors, the bold headlands, +barren slopes, and bird-covered rocks, and also the odorous fishing +villages and the kind-hearted people with whom she has made us +acquainted. + +The Bowdoin scientific expedition to Labrador is now familiar with six +of the seven wonders in this truly wonderful region. It has visited +Grand Falls and "Bowdoin Canyon;" has been bitten by black flies and +mosquitoes which only Labrador can produce, both in point of quality +and quantity; has wandered through the carriage roads (!) and gardens +of Northwest River and Hopedale; has dug over, mapped and photographed +the prehistoric Eskimo settlements that line the shores, to the north +of Hamilton Inlet; has made itself thoroughly conversant with the +great fishing industry that has made Labrador so valuable, to +Newfoundland in particular, and to the codfish consuming world in +general; and finally is itself the sixth wonder, in that it has +accomplished all it set out to do, though of course not all that would +have been done had longer time, better weather and several other +advantages been granted it. + +It is almost another wonder, too, in the eyes of the Labradoreans, +that we have, without pilot and yet without accident or trouble of any +sort, made such a trip along their rocky coast, entered their most +difficult harbors, and outsailed their fastest vessels, revenue +cutters, traders and fishermen. + +It will be a good many years before the visit of the "Yankee college +boys," the speed of the Yankee schooner and the skill and seamanship +of the Yankee captain are forgotten "on the Labrador." + +The day after we left, July 19th, the mail steamer reached Battle +Harbor with the first mail of the season. On board were Messrs. Bryant +and Kenaston, anxiously looking for the Bowdoin party and estimating +their chances of getting to the mouth of Grand River. They brought +with them an Adirondack boat, of canoe model, relying on the country +to furnish another boat to carry the bulk of their provisions and a +crew to man the same. + +[Rigolette] When the news was received that we were a day ahead, the +race began in earnest, the captain of the "Curlew" entering heartily +into the sport and doing his best to overhaul the speedy Yankee +schooner. When about half way up to Rigolette, on the third day from +Battle Harbor, as we were drifting slowly out of "Seal Bight," into +which we had gone the previous night to escape the numerous icebergs +that went grinding by, the black smoke, and later the spars of the +mail steamer were seen over one of the numerous rocky little islets +that block the entrance to the bight. The steamer's flag assured us +that it was certainly the mail steamer, and many and anxious were the +surmises as to whether our rivals were on board, and earnest were the +prayers for a strong and favoring wind. It soon came, and we bowled +along at a rattling pace, our spirits rising as we could see the +steamer, in shore, gradually dropping astern. Towards night we neared +Domino Run, and losing sight of the steamer, which turned out to make +a stop at some wretched little hamlet that had been shut out from the +outer world for nine months, at about the same time lost our breeze +also. But the wind might rise again, and time was precious, so a +bright lookout was kept for bergs, and we drifted on through the +night. The next morning a fringe of islands shut our competitor from +sight, but after an aggravating calm in the mouth of the inlet, we +felt a breeze and rushed up towards Rigolette, only to meet the +steamer coming out while we were yet several hours from that place. + +Here we had our first experience with the immense deer-flies of +Labrador. Off Mt. Gnat they came in swarms and for self-protection +each man armed himself with a small wooden paddle and slapped at them +right and left, on the deck, the rail, another fellow's back or head, +in fact, wherever one was seen to alight. The man at the wheel was +doubly busy, protecting himself, with the assistance of ready +volunteers, from their lance-like bites, and steering the quickly +moving vessel. + +At last the white buildings and flag-staff which mark all the Hudson +Bay Co.'s posts in Labrador, came in sight, snugly nestled in a little +cove, beneath a high ridge lying just to the north-west of it, and +soon we were at anchor. Our intention was to get into the cove, but +the six knot current swept us by the mouth before the failing breeze +enabled us to get in. + +After supper the necessary formal call was made on the factor, Mr. +Bell, by the professor, armed with a letter of introduction from the +head of the company in London, and escorted by three or four of the +party. A rather gruff reception, at first met with, became quite +genial, when it appeared that we wanted no assistance save a pilot, +and called only to cultivate the acquaintance of the most important +official in Labrador. + +With a promise to renew the acquaintance upon our return, we left, and +after a hard pull and an exciting moment in getting the boat fast +alongside, on account of the terrific current, we reached the deck and +reported. + +Our rivals were there, and had hired the only available boat and crew +to transport them to North West River. This threw us back on our +second plan, viz: to take our party right to the mouth of the Grand +River ourselves, which involved a trip inland of one hundred miles to +the head of Lake Melville. This it was decided to do, and after some +delay in securing a pilot, owing to the transfer at the last moment of +the affections of the first man we secured to the other party, John +Blake came aboard and we started on our new experience in inland +navigation. Just as we entered the narrows, after a stop at John's +house to tell his wife where we were taking him, and to give her some +medicine and advice from the doctor, we saw our rivals starting in +the boat they had secured. That was the last we saw of them, till they +reached North West River, two days after our party had started up the +Grand River. + +North West River is the name of the Hudson Bay Co.'s post at the mouth +of the river of the same name, flowing into the western extremity of +Lake Melville, about fifteen miles north of the mouth of Grand River. +Hamilton Inlet proper extends about forty miles in from the Atlantic +to the "Narrows," a few miles beyond Rigolette, where Lake Melville +begins. A narrow arm of the lake extends some unexplored distance east +of the Narrows, south of and parallel to the southern shore of the +inlet. The lake varies from five to forty miles in width and is ninety +miles long, allowing room for an extended voyage in its capacious +bosom. The water is fresh enough to drink at the upper end of the +lake, and at the time of our visit was far pleasanter and less arctic +for bathing than the water off any point of the Maine coast. About +twenty miles from the Narrows a string of islands, rugged and barren, +but beautiful for their very desolation, as is true of so much of +Labrador, nearly block the way, but we found the channels deep and +clear, and St. John's towering peak makes an excellent guide to the +most direct passage. + +One night was spent under way, floating quietly on the lake, so +delightfully motionless after the restless movements of Atlantic seas. +A calm and bright day following, during which the one pleasant swim in +Labrador waters was taken by two of us, was varied by thunder squalls +and ended in fog and drizzle, causing us to anchor off the abrupt +break in the continuous ridge along the northern shore, made by the +Muligatawney River. Although in an insecure and exposed anchorage, yet +the fact that we were in an inclosed lake gave a sense of security to +the less experienced, that the snug and rocky harbors to which we had +become accustomed, usually failed to give on account of the roaring of +the surf a few hundred yards away, on the other side of the narrow +barrier that protected the rocky basin. + +The following day was bright and showery by turns, but the heart's +wish of our Grand River men was granted, and while the schooner lay +off the shoals at the mouth of the river they were to make famous, +they started as will be described, and the rest of the expedition +turned towards North West River, hoping they, too, could now get down +to their real work. + +The noble little vessel was reluctant to leave any of her freight in +so desolate a place, in such frail boats as the Rushtons seemed, and +in the calm between the thunder squalls, several times turned towards +them, as they energetically pushed up the river's mouth, and seemed to +call them back as she heavily flapped her white sails. They kept +steadily on, however, while the Julia, bowing to a power stronger than +herself, and to a fresh puff from the rapidly rising thunder heads, +speedily reached North West River. + +North West River is a sportsman's paradise. Here we found the only +real summer weather of the trip, the thermometer reaching 76 deg. F. on +two days in succession, and thunder storms occurring regularly every +afternoon. Our gunners and fishermen were tempted off on a long trip. +One party planning to be away two or three days, but returning the +following morning, reported tracks and sounds of large animals. They +said the rain induced them to return so soon. + +[Montagnais Indians] Here we found a camp of Montagnais Indians, +bringing the winter's spoils of furs to trade at the post for flour +and powder, and the other articles of civilization that they are +slowly learning to use. They loaf on their supplies during the summer, +hunting only enough to furnish themselves with meat, and then starve +during the winter if game happens to be scarce. Measurements were made +of some twenty-five of this branch of the Kree tribe, hitherto unknown +to anthropometric science, and a full collection of household utensils +peculiar to their tribe was procured. Several of the Nascopee tribe +were with them, the two inter-marrying freely, and were also measured. +The latter are not such magnificent specimens of physical development +as the Montagnais, but their tribe is more numerous and seems, if +anything, better adapted to thrive in Labrador than their more +attractive brothers. + +The only remains of their picturesque national costume that we saw, +was the cap. The women wore a curious knot of hair, about the size of +a small egg, over each ear, while the men wore their hair cut off +straight around, a few inches above the shoulders. + +In point of personal cleanliness, these people equal any aborigines we +have seen, though their camp exhibited that supreme contempt for +sanitation that characterizes every village except the Hudson Bay +Co.'s posts on the Labrador coast, whether of Indians, Esquimaux or +"planters," as the white and half-breed settlers are called. + +Some curious scenes were enacted while the professor was trading for +his desired ethnological material. With inexhaustible patience and +imperturbable countenance, he sat on a log, surrounded by yelping +dogs, and by children and papooses of more or less tender ages and +scanty raiment, playing on ten cent harmonicas that had for a time +served as a staple of trade, struggling with the dogs and with their +equally excited mothers and sisters for a sight of the wonderful +basket from whose apparently inexhaustible depths came forth yet more +harmonicas, sets of celluloid jewelry, knives, combs, fish-hooks, +needles, etc., _ad infinitum_. The men, whose gravity equalled the +delight of the women and children, held themselves somewhat aloof, +seldom deigning to enter the circle about the magic basket, and making +their trades in a very dignified and careless fashion. + +That these people are capable of civilization there can be no doubt. +Missing the interpreter, without whom nothing could be done, the +professor inquired for him and learned that he had returned to his +wigwam. Upon being summoned he said he was tired of talking. Thereupon +the professor bethought himself and asked him if he wanted more pay. +The interpreter, no longer tired, was willing to talk all night. + +The camp was in a bend of the river and at the head of rapids about +four miles from the mouth, up which we had to track, that is, one man +had to haul the boat along by the bank with a small rope called a +tracking line, while another kept her off the rocks by pushing against +her with an oar. At that point the river opened out into a beautiful +lake from one to two miles in width, whose further end we could not +see. As this river never has been explored to its head, we were +surprised that Messrs. Bryant and Kenaston, who were ready for their +inland trip about a week after our party had started up the Grand +River, had not chosen it as a field for their work rather than follow +in the footsteps of our expedition. + +[A carriage road] Of all Labrador north of the Straits, North West +River alone boasts a carriage road. To be sure, there are neither +horses nor carriages at that post, but when Sir Donald A. Smith, at +present at the head of the Hudson Bay Co.'s interests in Canada, but +then plain Mr. Smith, factor, was in charge of that post his energy +made the place a garden in the wilderness, and in addition to luxuries +of an edible sort, he added drives in a carriage through forest and by +shore, for about two miles, on a well made road. Now, we are informed +there is not a horse or cow north of Belle Isle. The present factor, +Mr. McLaren, is a shrewd Scotchman, genial and warm-hearted beneath a +rather forbidding exterior, as all of our party who experienced his +hospitality can testify. + +In spite of all its attractions we could not stay at North West River. +In five weeks we were to meet our river detail at Rigolette, and +during that time a trip north of 400 miles was to be made and the bulk +of the expedition's scientific work to be done. + +Our day's sail, with fresh breezes and favoring squalls, took us the +whole length of the delightful lake, whose waters had seldom been +vexed by a keel as long as the Julia's, and brought us to an anchor +off Eskimo Island. Here we had one of our regular fights with the +mosquitoes, the engagement perhaps being a trifle hotter than usual, +for they swarmed down the companion way every time the "mosquito +door," of netting on a light frame hinged to the hatch house, was +opened, in brigades and divisions and finally by whole army corps, +till we were forced to retreat to our bunks, drive out the intruding +hosts, which paid no respect whatever to our limited 6x3x3 private +apartments, by energetically waving and slapping a towel around, then +quickly shutting the door of netting, also on a tightly fitting frame, +and devoting an hour or two at our leisure to demolishing the few +stragglers that remained within; or possibly the whole night, if an +unknown breach had been found by the wily mosquito somewhere in our +carefully made defenses. A few bones were taken from the Eskimo graves +that abound on the island, but the mosquitoes seriously interfered +with such work and the party soon returned to the vessel. The +absolutely calm night allowed the mosquitoes to reach us and stay; and +in spite of its brevity and the utter stillness of the vast solitude +about us, broken only now and then by a noise from the little Halifax +trader whose acquaintance we here made for the first time, and of whom +we saw so much on our return voyage across the gulf, or by the howling +of wolves and Eskimo dogs in the distance, we were glad when it was +over and a morning breeze chased from our decks the invading hosts. + +A short stop at Rigolette, to send about fifty letters ashore, a two +days' delay in a cold, easterly storm at Turner Cove, on the south +side of the inlet, when the icy winds, in contrast to the warm weather +we had lately enjoyed, made us put on our heavy clothes and, even +then, shiver--a delay, however, that we did not grudge, for we were in +a land of fish, game and labradorite--this of a poor quality, as we +afterward learned--and where the doctor had more patients than he +could easily attend to. At last a pleasant Sunday's run to Indian +Harbor got us clear of Hamilton Inlet. There we found the usual +complement of fish and fishing apparatus, but with the addition of a +few Yankee vessels and a church service. + +The latter we were quite surprised to find, and several went, out of +curiosity, and had the satisfaction of finding a small room, packed +with about fifty human beings, with no ventilation whatever, and of +sitting on seats about four inches wide with no backs. The people were +earnest and respectful, but did not seem to understand all that was +said, as, perhaps, is not to be wondered at, since they are the +poorest class of Newfoundlanders. + +Indian Harbor is like so many others on the coast, merely a "tickle" +with three ticklish entrances full of sunken rocks and treacherous +currents. The small islands that make the harbor are simply bare +ledges, very rough and irregular in outline. The fishing village, +also, like all others, consists of little earthen-covered hovels, +stuck down wherever a decently level spot fifteen feet square can be +found, and of fishing stages running out from every little point and +cove, in which the catch is placed to be taken care of, and alongside +of which the heavy boats can lie without danger of being smashed by +the undertow that is continually heaving against the shore. + +[Storm and fog] A two days' run brought us up to Cape Harrigan, +rounding which we went into Webeck Harbor, little thinking that in +that dreary place storm and fog would hold us prisoners for five days. +That was our fate, and even now we wonder how we lived through that +dismal time. + +One day served to make us familiar with the flora, fauna, geography +and geology of the region, for it was not an interesting place from a +scientific point of view, however the fishermen may regard it, and +after the departure of the mail steamer, leaving us all disappointed +in regard to mail, time dragged on us terribly. + +Two or three of the more venturesome ones could get a little sport by +pulling a long four miles down to the extremity of Cape Harrigan, +where sea pigeon had a home in the face of a magnificent cliff, +against the bottom of which the gunners had to risk being thrown by +the heavy swell rolling against it, as they shot from a boat bobbing +like a cork, at "guillemots" flying like bullets from a gun out of the +face of the cliff. One evening a relief party was sent off for two who +had gone off to land on a bad lee shore and were some hours overdue. +To be sure the missing ones arrived very soon, all right, while the +search party got back considerably later, drenched with spray and with +their boat half full of water, but the incident gave some relief from +the monotony. + +Another evening several visiting captains and a few friends from +ashore were treated to a concert by the Bowdoin Glee and Minstrel +Club. All the old favorites of from ten years ago and less were served +up in a sort of composite hash, greatly to the delight of both +audience and singers. + +[Abundance of codfish] At Webeck Harbor, which we came to pronounce +"Wayback," probably because it seemed such a long way back to anything +worthy of human interest, we saw the business of catching cod at its +best. They had just "struck a spurt," the fishermen said, and day +after day simply went to their traps, filled their boats and bags, +took the catch home, where the boys and "ship girls" took charge of +it, and returned to the traps to repeat the process. An idea of the +amount of fish taken may be given by the figures of the catch of five +men from one schooner, who took one thousand quintals of codfish in +thirteen days. We obtained a better idea of the vast catch by the +experience of one of our parties who spent part of a day at the traps, +as the arrangement of nets along the shore is called, into which the +cod swim and out of which they are too foolish to go. They are on much +the same plan as salmon weirs, only larger, opening both ways, and +being placed usually in over ten fathoms of water and kept in place by +anchors, shore lines, and floats and sinkers. Once down they are +usually kept in place a whole season. The party were in a boat, inside +the line of floats, so interested in watching the fishermen making the +"haul," as the process of overhauling the net and passing it under the +boat is called, by which the fish are crowded up into one corner where +they can be scooped out by the dozen, that they did not notice that +the enormous catch was being brought to the surface directly under +them till their own boat began to rise out of the water, actually +being grounded on the immense shoal of codfish. + +It was a strange sensation and makes a strange story. All the time +that we were storm-stayed at Webeck the "spurt" continued, and the +trap owners were tired but jubilant. The "hand-lining" crews were +correspondingly depressed, for, though so plenty, not a cod would bite +a hook. It is this reason, that is, because an abundance of food +brings the cod to the shores in great numbers and at the same time +prevents them from being hungry, that led to the abandonment of +trawling and the universal adoption of the trap method. We did not see +a single trawl on the coast, and it is doubtful if there was one there +in use. + +During these spurts, the day's work just begins, in fact, after the +hard labor of rowing the heavy boats out, perhaps two miles, to the +trap, hauling, mending the net, loading and unloading the fish--always +a hard task and sometimes a very difficult one on account of the heavy +sea--has been repeated three or four times; for the number of fish is +so great that the stage becomes overloaded by night, and the boat +crews then have to turn to and help take care of the catch and clear +the stage for the next day's operations. Till long after midnight the +work goes merrily on in the huts or shelters over the stages, for the +hard work then means no starvation next winter in the Newfoundland +homes, and the fish are split, cleaned, headed, salted and packed with +incredible rapidity. + +The tired crews get an hour or two of sleep just as they are; then, +after a pot of black tea and a handful of bread, start out to begin +the next day's work, resting and eating during the hour between the +trips, and then going out again, and repeating the some monotonous +round over and over till we wondered how they lived through it, and +what was to be done with all the fish. When there is a good breeze the +boats are rigged and a large part of the weary labor of rowing is +escaped. How tired the crews would look as the big twenty-four feet +boats went dashing by our vessel in the fog and rain, on the outward +trip, and how happy, though if possible more tired, as they came back +three or four hours later, loaded to the gunwale with cod, and +thinking, perhaps, of the bags full that they had left buoyed near the +trap because the boat would not carry the whole catch. It is a hard +life, and no wonder the men are not much more than animals; but they +work with dogged persistence, for in a little more than two months +enough must be earned to support their families for the year. When the +"spurt" ends the crews get a much needed rest, and attend to getting a +supply of salt ashore from the salt vessel from Cadiz, Spain, one of +which we found lying in nearly every fishing harbor, serving as a +storehouse for that article so necessary to the fishermen. + +As to the magnitude of the industry, it is estimated that there are +about 3,000 vessels and 20,000 men employed in it during the season. +Some of the vessels are employed in merely bringing salt and taking +away the fish, notably the great iron tramp steamers of from 1,500 to +2,000 tons, which seem so much out of place moored to the sides of +some of the little rocky harbors. The average catch in a good year is, +we were informed, from four to six hundred quintals in a vessel of +perhaps forty tons, by a crew of from four to eight men. The trap +outfit costs about $500 and is furnished by the large fish firms in +Newfoundland, to be paid for with fish. As the market price, to the +fishermen, is from five dollars to six dollars a quintal, the value of +the industry is at once apparent. + +The great bulk of the fish go to Mediterranean ports direct, to +Catholic countries, chiefly, and also to Brazil. The small size and +imperfect curing which the Labrador summer allows make the fish almost +unsalable in English and American markets. Many of the cod are of the +black, Greenland variety, which are far less palatable, and are +usually thrown away or cured separately for the cheaper market. + +All storms come to an end finally, and at last the sun shone, the +windlass clanked and we were underway. The long delay seemed to have +broken our little schooner's spirits, for after being out three or +four hours we had gone but as many miles, and those in the wrong +direction. + +At length the gentle breeze seemed to revive her and we gently slipped +by the Ragged Islands and Cape Mokkavik. That Sunday evening will long +be remembered by us, for in addition to the delight we felt at again +moving northward, and the charm of a bright evening with a gentle, +fair wind and smooth water, allowing us to glide by hundreds of fulmar +and shearwater sitting on the water, scarcely disturbed by our +passage, the moon was paled by the brightest exhibition of the aurora +we saw while in northern waters. Its sudden darts into new quarters of +the heavens, its tumultuous waves and gentle undulations, now looking +like a fleecy cloud, now like a gigantic curtain shaken by still more +gigantic hands into ponderous folds--all were reflected in the quiet +water and from the numerous bergs, great and small, that dotted the +surface, till the beholder was at times awe-struck and silent, +utterly unable to find words with which to express himself. + +The next day we rounded Gull Island, which we identified with some +difficulty, owing to the absence of the flagstaff by which the coast +pilot says it can be distinguished, and, after a delightful sail up +the clear sound leading through the fringe of islands to Hopedale, we +spied the red-roofed houses and earth-covered huts, the mission houses +and Eskimo village, of which the settlement consists, snugly hidden +behind little "Anatokavit," or little Snow Hill Island, at the foot of +a steep and lofty hill surmounted by the mission flagstaff. Here we +were destined to pass five days as pleasant as the five at Webeck had +been tedious. + +[Hopedale] The harbor at Hopedale is the best one we visited on the +coast. The twelve miles of sound, fringed and studded with islands, +completely broke the undertow which had kept our vessel constantly +rolling, when at anchor, in every harbor except those up Hamilton +Inlet and Lake Melville. + +About two miles south of us a vast, unexplored bay ran for a long +distance inland, while to the north, looking from Flagstaff Peak, we +could see Cape Harrigan and the shoals about it, the numberless +inlets, coves and bays which fill in the sixty miles to Nain. We were +very much disappointed at our inability to go north to that place, but +before our start from the United States Hopedale had been named as the +point with which we would be content if ice and winds allowed us to +reach it, and that point proved the northern limit of our voyage. + +About half a mile across the point of land on which the missionary +settlement lies, is the site of the pre-historic village of "Avatoke," +which means "may-we-have-seals." It consisted of three approximately +circular houses, in line parallel with the shore, at the head of a +slight cove, backed to the west by a high hill, and with a fine beach +in front, now raised considerably from the sea level. Along the front +of the row of houses were immense shell heaps, from which we dug +ivory, that is, walrus teeth; carvings, stone lamps, spear heads, +portions of kyaks, whips, komatiks, as the sleds are called, etc., +etc., and bones innumerable of all the varieties of birds, fish and +game on which the early Eskimo dined; as well as remnants of all the +implements which Eskimos used in the household generations ago, and +which can nearly all now be recognized by the almost identically +shaped and made implements in the houses of Eskimos there in Hopedale, +so little do they change in the course of centuries. The village has +been completely deserted for over one hundred years, and was in its +prime centuries before that, so the tales of its greatness are only +dim Eskimo traditions. + +The houses were found to average about thirty-five feet across on the +inside; are separated by a space of about fifteen feet, and each had a +long, narrow doorway or entrance, being almost exactly in line. The +walls are about fifteen feet thick and now about five feet high, of +earth, with the gravel beach for a foundation. The inside of the wall +was apparently lined with something resembling a wooden bench. When, +in one of the houses, the remains of the dirt and stone roof that had +long since crushed down the rotten poles and seal skins that made the +framework and first covering, had been carefully removed, the floor +was found to be laid with flagstones, many three or four feet across, +closely fitted at the edges and well laid in the gravel so as to make +a smooth, even floor. This extended to the remains of the bench at the +sides, and made a dwelling which for Eskimo land must have been +palatial. The evidences of fire showed the hearth to have been near +the center of the floor, a little towards the entrance, in order to +get the most from its heat. The Hopedale Eskimo were themselves +surprised at the stone floor, but one old man remembered that he had +been told that such floors were used long ago, in the _palmier_ days +of Eskimo history, if such an expression is fitting for an arctic +people. + +A village arranged on a similar plan, except that the houses were +joined together, was found to constitute the supposed remains of a +settlement on Eskimo Island in Lake Melville. + +In both cases the front of the row is towards the east, and the houses +are dug down to sand on the inside, making their floors somewhat below +the level of the ground. + +[Eskimos] A more thorough investigation than we were able to make of +the remains at Eskimo Island would undoubtedly yield much of interest +and value, for they were if anything even older than those at +Hopedale, probably having been abandoned after the battle between +Eskimo and Indians, fought on the same island, which has now become a +tradition among the people. + +Five days were spent in this most interesting ethnological work, and +hard days they were, too, as well as interesting, for the mosquitoes, +black flies and midges were always with us; but on the other hand, the +Eskimo interpreter was continually describing some national custom +which some find would suggest to him, and very ingenious he proved to +be in naming finds which we were entirely ignorant of or unable to +identify. + +The race as a whole is exceedingly ingenious, quick to learn, handy +with tools, and also ready at mastering musical instruments. One of +the best carpenters on the Labrador is an Eskimo at Aillik, from whom +we bought a kyak; and at Hopedale in the winter they have a very fair +brass band. The art of fine carving, however, seems to be dying out +among them, and now there is but one family, at Nain, who do anything +of the sort worthy the name of carving. Prof. Lee obtained several +very fine specimens for the Bowdoin cabinets, but as a rule it is very +high priced and rare. Most of it is taken to London by the Moravian +mission ship, and has found its way into English and Continental +museums. The figures of dogs, of Eskimos themselves, as well as of +kyaks and komatiks, seals, walrus, arctic birds and the like are most +exquisitely done. + +The mission itself deserves a brief description. It was founded in +1782 and has been steadily maintained by the Moravian society for the +furtherance of the Gospel, and is now nearly self-supporting. There +are three missions of the society in Labrador, the one at Nain being +the chief and the residence of the director, but Hopedale is very +important as it is the place where the debasing influence of the +traders and fishermen is most felt by the Eskimo, and the work of the +missionaries consequently made least welcome to them. However, they +have persevered, in the German fashion, and seem to have a firm hold +on the childlike people which the seductions of the traders cannot +shake off. + +There are five missionaries now stationed at Hopedale: Mr. Townly, an +Englishman, whose work is among the "planters" and fishermen; Mr. +Hansen, the pastor of the Eskimo church; and Mr. Kaestner, the head of +the mission, and in special charge of the store and trading, by which +the mission is made nearly self-supporting; Mrs. Kaestner and Mrs. +Hansen complete the number, and the five make up a community almost +entirely isolated from white people during nine months of every year. + +The fact that the two ladies spoke very little English was somewhat of +a drawback, but detracted very slightly from our enjoyment of Mrs. +Hanson's delightful singing and none at all from our appreciation of +her playing on the piano and organ. To get such a musical treat in the +Labrador wilds was most unexpected and for that reason all the more +thoroughly enjoyed. + +The mission house is a yellow, barn-like building, heavily built to +prevent its being blown away, snugly stowed beneath a hill, and +seeming like a mother round which the huts of the Eskimo cluster. The +rooms in which we were so pleasantly entertained were very comfortably +and tastily furnished, a grand piano in one of them seeming out of +place in a village of Labrador, but so entirely in harmony with its +immediate surroundings that we hardly thought of the strangeness of +it, within a few yards of a village of pure Eskimo, living in all +their primitive customs and in their own land. + +A few rods behind the mission are the gardens, cut up into small +squares by strong board fences to prevent the soil from blowing away, +each with a tarpaulin near by to spread over it at night. In this +laborious way potatoes, cabbages and turnips are raised. In a large +hothouse the missionaries raise tomatoes, lettuce, and also flowers, +but for everything else, except fish, game and ice, they have to +depend on the yearly visit of the Moravian mission ship. She left for +Nain just the day before we reached Hopedale, and after unloading +supplies, etc., there, she proceeds north, collecting furs and fish +until loaded, and then goes to London. + +About fifty Eskimos were measured and collections made of their +clothing, implements of war and chase and household utensils, which +are the best of our collections, for the World's Fair and the Bowdoin +museums. + +After spending these five pleasant and profitable days at Hopedale, +and regretfully looking out by Cape Harrigan, to Nain, whose gardens +are the seventh wonder of Labrador, through which, reports say, one +can walk for two miles, and whose missionaries, warned of our coming, +were making ready to give us a warm reception; and near it Paul's +Island, on which was so much of interest to our party; all this we +thought of mournfully as our vessel's head was pointed southward and +we sped along, reluctant on this account, and yet eager to hear of the +success of our boldest undertaking, the Grand River exploration party. + +At Aillik, where there is an abandoned Hudson Bay Co.'s post, we +measured a few more Eskimo, obtained a kyak, which a day or two later +nearly became a coffin to one of our party, and tried a trout stream +that proved the best we found in Labrador. In about an hour, three of +our party caught over eighty magnificent trout, and, naturally, +returned much elated. + +The next day we poked the Julia's inquisitive nose into one or two +so-called but misnamed harbors that afforded very little shelter, and +had a threatening and deserted look which, although the characteristic +of the Labrador shore in general, has never been noticeable in the +harbors we have visited. Many of them are very small, and in some it +is necessary to lay quite close to the rocks, but yet we have had no +trouble from the extremely deep water that we were told we should have +to anchor in, nor yet from getting into harbors so small that it was +hard to get out of them. + +[Tickles] As a matter of fact, experience has taught the fishermen to +use "tickles," as narrow passages are called, for harbors, that there +may always be a windward and a leeward entrance. In a few cases where +the harbor is too small to beat out of, and has no leeward entrance, +we have found heavy ring bolts fastened into proper places in the +cliffs, to which vessels can make their lines fast, and warp +themselves into weatherly position from which a course can be laid out +of the harbor. + +Meanwhile we are again approaching the Ragged Islands, which we passed +just as we were beginning that memorable Sunday evening sail, about +fifteen miles from the place we so much dread, Webeck Harbor. + +On them we found the only gravel bed we saw in Labrador, and yet their +name is due to the rough piled basaltic appearing rock, that proved on +close examination to be much weathered sienite and granite. The harbor +is an open place amidst a cluster of rocky islets, and we found it +literally packed with fishing vessels. Here an afternoon was spent +making pictures and examining the geology of these interesting +islands, and here the adventure of the kyak, before referred to, took +place. + +Our fur trader thought he would take a paddle, but had not gone three +lengths before he found that he was more expert in dealing with Eskimo +furs than in handling Eskimo boats. He rolled over, was soon pulled +alongside, and clearing himself from the kyak climbed aboard, just as +our gallant mate, his rescuer, rolled out of his dory into the water +and took a swim on his own account. All hands were nearly exploded +with laughter as he rolled himself neatly into the dory again and +climbed aboard, remarking, "That's the way to climb into a dory +without capsizing her," as he ruefully shook himself. We wanted to ask +him if that was the only way to get out of a dory without turning her +over, but we forebore. + +The next morning as we got clear of the harbor, a trim looking +schooner of our size was sighted just off Cape Harrigan, about ten +miles ahead. The breeze freshening we gradually overhauled her, and +finally, while beating into Holton harbor, one of the most dangerous +entrances on the coast, by the way, we passed her, and noticing her +neat rig and appearance guessed rightly we had beaten the +representatives of the Newfoundland law and the collector of her +revenues from this coast. + +Mr. Burgess, who combines in one unassuming personage the tax and +customs collector, the magistrate and the commissioner of poor relief +from Labrador, afterward told us that the "Rose" had been on the coast +for thirteen years and had been outsailed for the first time. The next +morning we again beat her badly, in working up to Indian Harbor, and +only then would he acknowledge himself fairly beaten. + +[Puffins and Auks] Saturday, the 22d of August, having yet three days +before we were due at Rigolette to meet our Grand River party, we made +memorable in the annals of the puffins and auks of the Heron Islands +by spending three or four hours there and taking aboard three hundred +and seventy-eight of them. Many more of them were killed but dropped +into inaccessible places or into the water and could not be saved. + +The sound of the fusilade from over twenty gunners must have resembled +a small battle, but it did not drive the birds away, and as we left +they seemed thicker than ever. Not only was the air alive with them, +but as one walked along the cliffs they would dart swiftly out of +holes in the rocks or crevices, so the earth, too, seemed full of +them. It was great sport for a time, but soon seemed too much like +slaughter, and we would let the awkward puffins, with their foolish +eyes and Roman noses, come blundering along within a few feet of our +muzzles, and chose rather the graceful, swift motioned auks and +guillemots, whose rapid flight made them far more sportsmanlike game. + +The next day, though Sunday, had to be spent in taking care of the +best specimens, and the game was not fully disposed of for several +days. Our bill of fare was correspondingly improved for a few days. + +Three days were consumed in beating up to Rigolette. At Indian Harbor +we had heard rumors of the return of some party from Grand River on +account of injuries received by one of the men, but the description +applied best to the second party, and we decided it must refer to +Bryant or Kenaston. Near Turner's Cove we found more rumors, but +nothing definite enough to satisfy our growing anxiety, and at last, +unable to bear the suspense any longer, three of the party took a boat +and started to row the fifteen miles between us and Rigolette, while +the vessel waited for a change of tide and a breeze. + +Alternate hope and fear lent strength to our arms as we drove the +light boat along, and soon we came in sight of the wharf. There we +saw a ragged looking individual, smoking a very short and black clay +pipe, with one arm in a sling, who seemed to recognize us, and waved +his hat vigorously with his well arm. Soon we recognized Young and +were pumping away at his well hand in our delight at finding his +injuries no worse, and that Cary and Cole were yet pushing on, +determined to accomplish their object. + +Young's hand had been in a critical state; the slight injury first +received unconsciously, from exposure and lack of attention had caused +a swelling of his hand and arm that was both extremely painful and +dangerous, and which, the doctor said, would have caused the loss of +the thumb, or possibly of the whole hand, had it gone uncared for much +longer. Of course it was impossible to leave a man in such a +condition, or to send him back alone. So Smith very regretfully +volunteered to turn back--at a point where a few days more were +expected to give a sight of the Falls, and when all thought the +hardest work of the Grand River party had been accomplished--and +accompany Young back to Rigolette. + +It was a great sacrifice of Smith's personal desires, to be one of the +re-discoverers of the falls, to the interests of the expedition, and +it involved a great deal of hard work, for, after paddling and rowing +all day, he had to build and break camp every night and morning, as +Young's hand grew steadily worse and was all he could attend to. At +the mouth of the river, which was reached in shorter time than was +expected, and without accident, Young obtained some relief from +applications of spruce gum to his hand by Joe Michelini, a trapper and +hunter, famous for his skill in all Labrador. Northwest River was +reached the following day, and after a few days of rest for Smith, +during which time Young's injury began to mend also under the +influences of rest and shelter, they hired a small schooner boat to +take them to Rigolette. On the passage they were struck by a squall in +the night, nearly swamped, and compelled to cut the Rushton boat +adrift in order to save themselves. The next day they searched the +leeward shore of the lake in vain, and had to go on without her, +arriving at Rigolette without further accident, and had been there +about a week when we arrived. The boat was picked up later in a badly +damaged condition, and given to the finder. + +While Young outlined his experience we hunted up Smith, who had been +making himself useful as a clerk to the factor at the Post, Mr. Bell, +and all went on board the Julia as soon as she arrived, to report and +relieve in a measure the anxiety of the professor and the boys. + +[Anxious waiting] The day appointed for meeting the river party was +the day on which we reached Rigolette, August 25th, and so a sharp +lookout was kept for the two remaining members of the party, on whom, +now, the failure or success of that part of the expedition rested. As +they did not appear, we moved up to a cove near Eskimo Island, at the +eastern end of Lake Melville, the following day, and there spent four +days of anxious waiting. Some dredging and geological work was done, +and an attempt was made to examine more carefully the remains of the +Eskimo village before referred to on Eskimo Island, which some +investigators had thought the remains of a Norse settlement. The turf +was too tough to break through without a plow, and we had to give it +up, doing just enough to satisfy ourselves that the remains were +purely Eskimo. + +All the work attempted was done in a half-hearted manner, for our +thoughts were with Cary and Cole, and as the days went by and they did +not appear, but were more and more overdue, our suspense became almost +unbearable. Added to this was the thought that we could wait but a few +days more at the longest, without running the danger of being +imprisoned all winter, and for that we were poorly prepared. + +The first day of September we moved back to Rigolette to get supplies +and make preparations for our voyage home, as it was positively unsafe +to remain any longer. The Gulf of St. Lawrence is an ugly place to +cross at any time in September, for in that month the chances are +rather against a small vessel's getting across safely. + +It was decided that the expedition must start home on Wednesday, the +2nd, and that a relief party should be left for Cary and Cole. With +heavy hearts the final preparations were made, and many were the looks +cast at the narrows where they would be seen, were they to heave in +sight. + +At last, about 3.30 p.m. Tuesday, the lookout yelled, "Sail ho! in the +narrows," and we all jumped for the rigging. They had come, almost at +the last hour of our waiting, and with a feeling of relief such as we +shall seldom again experience we welcomed them aboard and heard their +story. + + * * * * * + + + + + ON BOARD THE JULIA A. DECKER, + GUT OF CANSO. + + +Bowdoin pluck has overcome Bowdoin luck, and though they literally had +to pass through fire and water, the Bowdoin men, from the Bowdoin +College Scientific Expedition to Labrador have done what Oxford failed +to do, and what was declared well nigh impossible by those best +acquainted with the circumstances and presumably best judges of the +matter. Austin Cary and Dennis Cole, Bowdoin '87 and '88, +respectively, have proven themselves worthy to be ranked as explorers, +and have demonstrated anew that energy and endurance are not wanting +in college graduates of this generation. + +A trip up a large and swift river, totally unknown to maps in its +upper portions, for three hundred miles, equal to the distance from +Brunswick, Me., to New York City, in open fifteen feet boats, is of +itself an achievement worthy of remark. But when to this is added the +discovery of Bowdoin Canon, one of the most remarkable features of +North America, the settlement of the mystery of the Grand Falls, and +the bringing to light of a navigable waterway extending for an +unbroken ninety miles, and three hundred miles in the interior of an +hitherto unknown country, something more than remark is merited. + +July 26th the schooner hove to about four miles from the mouth of the +Grand River, the shoals rendering a nearer approach dangerous, and the +boats of the river detachment were sent over the side, taken in tow by +the yawl, and the start made on what proved the most eventful part of +the Labrador expedition. Cheers and good wishes followed the three +boats till out of hearing, and then the Julia gathered way and headed +for North West River, while the party in the yawl with the two +Rushtons in tow put forth their best efforts to reach the mouth of +the river and a lee before the approaching squall should strike them. + +The squall came first, and as it blew heavily directly out of the +river, we could simply lay to and wait for it to blow over. Then a +calm followed and by the time the next squall struck we were in a +comparative lee. After the heaviest of it had passed, the Grand River +boys clambered into their boats and with a hearty "good by" pulled +away for the opening close at hand. The yawl meantime had grounded on +one of the shoals, but pushing off and carefully dodging the boulders +that dot those shallow waters, she squared away for North West River, +following around the shore, and with the aid of a fresh breeze reached +the schooner shortly after 10 o'clock P.M. + +[Grand River] The river party was made up of Austin Cary in charge, +and W.R. Smith, '90, occupying one boat, and Dennis Cole and E.B. +Young, '92, with the other, all strong, rugged fellows, more or less +acquainted with boating in rapid water, and well equipped for all +emergencies. Their outfit included provisions for five weeks, flour, +meal, buckwheat flour, rice, coffee, tea, sugar, beef extract, tins of +pea soup, beef tongue, and preserves. They were provided with +revolvers, a shot gun and a rifle, and sufficient ammunition, +intending to eke out the stores with whatever game came in their way, +although the amount of time given them would not allow much hunting. +All the supplies, including the surveying, measuring and +meteorological instruments, were either in tins or in water-tight +wrappings, while the bedding and clothing were protected by rubber +blankets. The boats, made by Rushton, the Adirondack boat-builder, +were of cedar, fifteen feet long, five feet wide, double-ended, and +weighed eighty pounds apiece. A short deck at each end of the boats +covered copper air-tanks, which made life-boats of them and added much +to their safety. Each boat was equipped with a pair of oars, a paddle +and about one hundred feet of small line for tracking purposes. +Proceeding about three miles the first camp was made on the south +shore of Goose Bay, amid an abundance of mosquitoes. The next day +twenty-five miles were made through shoals that nearly close the +river's mouth, leaving but one good channel through which the water +flows very swiftly, by the house of Joe Michelin, the trapper, at +which six weeks later two very gaunt and much used up men were most +hospitably received. Here another night was spent almost without +sleep, owing to the mosquitoes. + +Tuesday a large Indian camp was passed, the big "pool," at the foot of +the first falls and some three miles long, rowed across, and at noon +the carry was begun. It was necessary to make seventeen trips and four +and one half hours were used in the task. When the last load had been +deposited at the upper end of the carry, the men threw themselves down +on the bank utterly weary, and owing to the loss of sleep the two +previous nights, were soon all sound asleep. In consequence camp was +made here, and the first comfortable night of the trip passed. +Including the carry eight miles was the day's advance. + +The twenty-five miles of the next day were made rowing and tracking up +the Porcupine rapids through a series of small lakes, one with a +little island in the centre deceiving our boys for awhile into +thinking they had reached Gull Island Lake, and then up another short +rapid at the head of which the party encamped. + +Sixteen miles were made next day by alternate rowing and tracking, the +foot of Gull Island Lake was reached, and after dinner it was crossed +in one and a half hours. Then the heaviest work of the trip thus far +was struck and camp was made, about half way up Gull Lake rapid. +Supper was made off a goose shot the previous day. It was necessary to +double the crews in getting up the latter part of Gull Island rapids, +and finally a short carry was made just at noon to get clear of them. +From the fact that the light, beautifully modelled boats required four +men to take them up the rapids we may get some idea of the swiftness +of the river as well as the difficulties attending the mode of +travelling. As the river in its swiftest parts is never less than half +a mile wide, and averages a mile, it can readily be seen that it is a +grand waterway, well deserving its name. + +Nine miles were made this day and camp was reached at the beginning of +rough water on the Horse Shoe Rapid. Here the first evidence of shoes +giving out was seen. Constant use over rough rocks while wet proved +too much for even the strongest shoes, and when Cary and Cole returned +there was not leather enough between them to make one decent shoe. +Rain made the night uncomfortable, as the light shelter tent let the +water through very easily and was then of little use. At other times +the tents were very comfortable. Upon arriving at the spot selected +two men would at once set about preparing the brush for beds, pitching +the tent, etc., while the other provided wood for the camp and for the +cook, in which capacity Cary officiated. I cannot do better than use +Cary's own words in reference to his "humble but essential +ministrations." "Camp cooking at best is rather a wearing process, but +the agonies of a man whose hands are tangled up in dough and whom the +flies becloud, competing for standing room on every exposed portion of +his body, can be imagined only by the experienced." + +The party believed that a good night's rest was indispensible where +the day was filled with the hardest kind of labor, and spared no pains +to secure them. Even on the return Cary and Cole, when half starved, +stuck to their practice of making comfortable camps, and it is +probable that the wonderful way they held out under their privations +was largely due to this. While many in their predicament would have +thrown away their blankets, they kept them, and on every cold and +stormy night congratulated themselves that they had done so. + +[Loss of boat] On Saturday, Aug. 1st, the first accident happened. +Tracking on the Horse Shoe Rapids was extremely difficult and +dangerous. Shortly after dinner a carry was made, taking three and a +half hours to track out a path up and along a terrace about fifty feet +high. Shortly after this the boat used by Cary and Smith capsized, +emptying its load into the river. The party were "tracking" at the +time, Cole being nearly the length of the tow line ahead, tugging on +it, while Cary was doing his best to keep the boat off the rocks. At +the margin of the swift unbroken current there were strong eddies, and +in hauling the boat around a bend her bow was pushed into one, her +slight keel momentarily preventing her from heading up stream again, +and the rush of the water bore her under. At the same time Cary was +carried from his footing and just managed to grasp the line as he came +up and escape being borne down the stream. When things were collected +and an inventory taken of the loss, it was found to include about +one-fourth of the provisions, the barometer and chronometer rendered +useless and practically lost, measuring chain, cooking utensils, +rifles with much of the ammunition, axe and small stores, such as +salt, sugar, coffee, etc. The loss was a severe one, and arose from +failure to fasten the stores into the boats before starting, as had +been ordered. The time given the party for the trip was so short, the +distance so uncertain, and the things they desired to have an +opportunity to do on the return that would require comparative leisure +were so many, that they begrudged the few minutes necessary to +properly lash the loads into the boats, each time they broke camp; and +delay and disaster were the results. As the day was nearly spent, camp +was made but about a mile from the last, and time used in repairing +damages. A very ingenious baker for bread was contrived by Cole from +an empty flour tin, a new paddle made to replace the one lost, and a +redistribution of the baggage remaining effected. + +In the following five days sixty-six miles were made with a few short +carries, some rowing and a good deal of hard tracking. Having passed +the Mininipi river and rapids, the latter being the worst on the +river, the bank furnishing almost no foothold for tracking the Mauni +rapids were reached and finally at 5 P.M., Aug. 6th, the party emerged +into Lake Waminikapo. As Cary's journal puts it, here the party "first +indulged in hilarity." The hardest part of the work was over and had +been done in much less time than had been expected. According to all +accounts the falls should be found only thirty miles beyond the head +of the lake, which is forty miles long and good rowing water, and +about three weeks time yet remained before they were due at Rigolette. +Added to this a perfect summer afternoon, comparatively smooth water, +running around the base of a magnificent cliff and opening out through +a gorge with precipitous sides, showing a beautiful vista of lake and +mountain, with the knowledge of rapids behind and the object of the +trip but a short way ahead and easy travelling most of that way, and +we may readily understand why these tired and travel worn voyagers +felt hilarious. Cary says of the scene: "As we gradually worked out of +the swift water the terraces of sand and stones were seen to give way +and the ridges beyond to approach one another and to erect themselves, +until at the lake's mouth we entered a grand portal between cliffs on +either hand towering for hundreds of feet straight into the air. And +looking beyond and between the reaches of the lake was seen a ribbon +of water lying between steep sided ridges, over the face of which, as +we pulled along, mountain streams came pouring." + +One day was used in making the length of the lake, and at the camp at +its head Young and Smith turned back. A very badly swelled hand and +arm caused by jamming his thumb had prevented Young from getting any +sleep and threatened speedily to become worse. This in connection with +the loss of provisions in the upset made it expedient to send the two +men back. The returning party was given the best boat, the best of the +outfit and provisions for six days, in which time they could easily +reach the mouth of the river. Meantime Cary and Cole pushed on into +what was to prove the most eventful part of their journey. + +The lake is simply the river valley with the terraces cleaned out, and +was probably made when the river was much higher, at a time not far +removed from the glacial period. The head of the lake is full of sand +bars and shoals, much resembling the mouth of the river as it opens +out into Goose bay. On both sides of the lake mountains rise steeply +for one thousand or twelve hundred feet. Its average width is from two +to three miles and it has three long bends or curves. Only one deep +valley breaks the precipitous sides, but many streams flow in over the +ridge, making beautiful waterfalls. + +The river as it enters the lake is about half a mile wide, but soon +increases to a mile. Twenty miles were made by the advance the day the +parties separated, and at night, almost at the place where the falls +were reported, nothing but smooth water could be seen for a long +stretch ahead. Sunday, the 9th, twenty-five miles were made the good +rowing continuing, by burnt lands, and banks over which many cascades +tumbled. Monday, the last day's advance in the boats was made, the +water becoming too swift to be stemmed, This day Cary got the second +ducking of the trip--a very good record in view of the roughness of +the work and the smallness of the boats. During this and the day +previous an otter, a crow and a robin were seen. As a rule the river +was almost entirely deserted by animal life. + +[Mount Hyde] The next day the boat and the provisions, excepting a six +days supply carried in the packs, were carefully cached, and at 10:45 +camp was left and the memorable tramp begun. Each man carried about +twenty-five pounds. The stream was followed a short distance, then the +abrupt ascent to the plateau climbed, old river beaches being found +all the way up. Ascending a birch knoll, the river was in view for +quite a long distance and a large branch seen making in from the west. +To the north the highest mountain, in fact the only peak in the +vicinity, was seen towering up above the level plateau. Towards this +peak, christened Mt. Hyde, the party tramped, and arriving at the top +saw the country around spread out like a map. Way off towards the +northwest a large lake was seen from which Grand River probably flows, +and nearer was a chain of small, shallow and rocky ponds. The country +is rocky, covered with deep moss and fairly well wooded, with little +underbrush. The wood is all spruce save in the river valleys where +considerable birch is mixed in. The black flies were present in +clouds, even in the strong wind blowing at the top of Mt. Hyde, and +made halt for rest or any stop whatever intolerable. Leaving the +mountain, after taking bearings of all the points to be seen, the +party struck for the river and camped on the bank between the two +branches coming in from the westward, several miles apart. The +following day, with faces much swollen from fly bites of the day +before, the line of march was along the banks till 2 P.M. when the +upper fork was reached. + +The course of the river is southeast. This branch course is from the +northwest. The main stream turns off sharply to the northeast and +after a few miles passes into a deep canon, christened "Bowdoin +Canon," between precipitous walls of archeac rock from six hundred to +eight hundred feet high. This canon was afterward found to be about +twenty-five miles long and winding in its course. In but few places is +the slope such as to permit a descent to the river bank proper, and +the canon is so narrow, and the walls of such perpendicular character, +as to make the river invisible from a short distance. It might truly +be said that the discovery of this canon, infinitely grander on +account of its age than any other known to geology, and surpassed by +few in size, is the most important result of the expedition. Several +photographs of it were made, which were not injured by the exposure to +wet and rough usage that the camera had to receive during the return +journey, and alone convey an adequate idea of this most wonderful of +nature's wonders. + +At night the first camp away from the river was made, on the plateau. +The two men felt that the next day must be their last of advance, so +weakened were they by the terrible tramping over deep moss and the +persistent bleeding by black flies. The stock of provisions, too, was +running low, and with their diminishing strength was a warning to turn +back that could not be neglected. A half dozen grouse, three Canada +and three rough, had been added to their supplies, but even with full +meals they could not long stand the double drain upon their strength. + +In the morning a high hill was seen, for which they started, drawing +slightly away from the river. Soon a roar from the direction of the +river was noticed, which differed from the ordinary roar of the +rapids. Altering their course it was found the roar "kept away," +indicating an unusually heavy sound. Pushing forward, thinking it must +be the desired falls, they soon came out upon the river bank, with the +water at their level. This proved the falls to be below them, and +looking down they could be seen "smoking" about a mile distant. A +distinct pounding had also been felt for some time previous, which +further assured them that the falls were at hand. The roar that had +attracted their attention was of the river running at the plateau +level. At the point they came out upon it, it was nearly two hundred +yards wide, a heavy boiling rapid. Walking down the great blocks of +rock which form the shore, the river appeared to narrow and at 11.45 +A.M., the Grand Falls were first seen. + +[The marked Bowdoin Spruce] After making pictures of the Falls a +feeling of reaction manifested itself in Cary's physical condition, +and he remarked, "I do not wish to go farther, I need sleep." Cole, as +assistant, had avoided the wear and anxiety of leadership. His +athletic work at Bowdoin, in throwing the shot and hammer and running +on the Topsham track, had given him stored energy of arm and leg. This +reserve strength prompted him to press forward and see more of a +region new to human eyes. Leaving his hatchet with Cary, now rolled up +in his blanket, with the hope and expectation that on waking he would +use the same in preparing fuel and cooking supper, Cole pressed +forward into the strange and unknown country three or four miles, and +then, for a final view of the location, climbed the highest tree he +could find and from its top surveyed the waste of land and river. He +stood thus exalted near the center of the vast peninsula of Labrador. +Four hundred and fifty miles to the east lay the wide expanse of +Hamilton Inlet. Four hundred and fifty miles to the north lay Cape +Chudleigh, towards which he could imagine the Julia A. Decker, vainly +as it proved, pointing her figure head through fog and ice. Only six +hundred miles due south the granite chapel of Bowdoin College points +heavenward both its uplifted hands. Four hundred and fifty miles to +the west rolled the waves of that great inland ocean, Hudson's Bay, +into whose depths, Henry Hudson, after his penetrations to northern +waters above Spitzbergen, after his pushing along the eastern coast of +Greenland, after his magnificent and successful exploration of the +American coast from Maine to Virginia, penetrating Delaware bay and +river and sailing up that river crowned by the Palisades and the +hights of the Catskills, honored with his name and whose waters bear +the largest portion of the commercial wealth of our own country; still +fascinated by the vision of a northwest passage that intrepid explorer +penetrated into the waters of the unknown sea whose waves unseen dash +along the coasts of Labrador from its westward to its northern shores +and Cape Chudleigh. All these explorations he accomplished in a +sailing vessel about the size of the Julia A. Decker, the ship +"Discoverie" of seventy tons. He had wintered at the southern +extremity of Hudson's Bay surrounded by a mutinous crew. In the +hardships and suffering of the next season, after he had divided his +last bread with his men, in the summer of 1611, while near the western +coast of Labrador, half way back to the Straits, by an ungrateful crew +he was thrust into a sail boat with his son John and five sailors sick +and blind with scurvy, and was left to perish in the great waste of +waters, which, bearing his name, is "his tomb and his monument." Cole, +with his mind and imagination filled with these facts, involuntarily +took his knife and carved his name and the expedition on the upper +part of the tree which formed his outlook. It might be his monument as +the Inland Sea was that of Hudson. Then to have the tree marked and +observable to other eyes, in case other eyes should see that country, +he commenced to cut the branches from near the top of the tall spruce. +He regretted much the leaving of the hatchet with Cary as he was +obliged to do the work with his knife. It was a slow and laborious +job. His imagination, as it roamed over the wide land, and his +interest in his present efforts, had consumed time faster than he +knew, and the slanting rays of the western sun started him with +thoughts of Cary and supper. It was dark when he reached Cary and he +was still asleep. The hatchet was idle, and he wished more than ever +that his efforts on the branches of the marked Bowdoin Spruce had been +rendered less laborious and more expeditious by the aid of this, to be +hereafter his constant companion and source of safety along with +another and more diminutive friend, a pocket pistol. + +[Grand Falls] The falls proper are three hundred and sixteen feet +high, and just above the river narrows from two hundred and fifty to +fifty yards, the water shooting over a somewhat gradual downward +course and then plunging straight down with terrific force the +distance mentioned, and with an immense volume. The river is much +higher at times and the fall must be even grander, for while the party +was there the ground quaked with the shock of the descending stream, +and the river was nearly at its lowest point. At the bottom is a large +pool made by the change of direction of the river from south at and +above the falls to nearly east below. The canon begins at the pool and +extends as has been described, with many turns and windings, for +twenty-five miles through archaic rock. Above the falls in the wide +rapids, the bed was of the same rock, which seems to underlie the +whole plateau. In 1839, the falls were first seen by a white man, John +McLean, an officer of the Hudson Day Co., while on an exploring +expedition in that "great and terrible wilderness" known as Labrador. +His description is very general, but he was greatly impressed with the +stupendous height of the falls, and terms it one of the grandest +spectacles of the world. Twenty years later, one Kennedy, also an +employe of the Hudson Bay Co., persuaded an Iroquois Indian, who did +not share the superstitious dread of them common among the Labrador +Indians, to guide him to the thundering fall and misty chasm. He left +no account of his visit, however, and in fact, though one other man +reached them, and Mr. Holmes, an Englishman, made the attempt and +failed, no full account of the falls has been given to the world, +until Cary and Cole made their report. Above the falls as far as could +be seen, all was white water, indicating a fall of about one hundred +foot per mile. In the course of twenty-five or thirty miles there is a +descent of twelve hundred feet, nearly equal to the altitude of the +"Height of Land," as the interior plateau of Labrador is called, which +has probably been previously overestimated. The next forenoon was +spent in surveying and making what measurements could be made in the +absence of the instruments lost in the upset. At noon, after having +spent just twenty-four hours at Grand Falls, the party turned back. +The very fact of having succeeded, made distance shorter and fatigue +more easily borne, so they travelled along at a rattling pace, +surveying at times and little thinking of the disaster that had +befallen them. Camp was made on the river bank, beneath one of the +terraces which lined both sides. + +Saturday Aug. 15th, the march back to the boat cache was resumed. +Towards night, as they approached the place, smoke was seen rising +from the ground, and fearing evil, the men broke into a run during the +last two miles. As Cary's journal puts it: "We arrived at our camp to +find boat and stores burnt and the fire still smoking and spreading. +Cole arrives first, and as I come thrashing through the bushes he sits +on a rock munching some burnt flour. He announces with an unsteady +voice: 'Well, she's gone.' We say not much, nothing that indicates +poor courage, but go about to find what we can in the wreck, and pack +up for a tramp down river. In an hour we have picked out everything +useful, including my money, nails, thread and damaged provisions, and +are on the way down river hoping to pass the rapids before dark, +starting at 5." + +Their position was certainly disheartening. They were one hundred and +fifty miles from their nearest cache, and nearly three hundred from +the nearest settlement, already greatly used up, needing rest and +plenty of food; in a country that forbade any extended tramping inland +to cut off corners, on a river in most places either too rough for a +raft or with too sluggish a current to make rafting pay; and above +all, left with a stock of food comprising one quart of good rice, +brought back with them, three quarts of mixed meal, burnt flour and +burnt rice, a little tea, one can of badly dried tongue, and one can +of baked beans that were really improved by the fire. Add to this some +three dozen matches and twenty-five cartridges, blankets and what +things they had on the tramp to the falls, and the list of their +outfit, with which to cover the three hundred miles, is complete. +There was no time to be wasted, and that same night six miles were +made before camping. The next day the battle for life began. It was +decided that any game or other supplies found on the way should be +used liberally, while those with which they started were husbanded. +This day several trout were caught, line and hooks being part of each +man's outfit, and two square meals enjoyed, which proved the last for +a week. A raft was made that would not float the men and baggage, and +being somewhat discouraged on the subject of rafting by the failure, +another was not then attempted, and the men continued tramping. +Following the river, they found its general course between the rapids +and Lake Wanimikapo, S.S.E. During part of that day and all the next, +they followed in the track of a large panther, but did not get in +sight of him. Acting on the principle that they should save their +strength as much as possible, camps were gone into fairly early and +were well made; and this night, in spite of the desperate straits they +were in, both men enjoyed a most delightful sleep. + +[Squirrel and Cranberries] After this some time every morning was +usually occupied in mending shoes. All sorts of devices were resorted +to to get the last bit of wear out of them, even to shifting from +right to left, but finally Cole had to make a pair of the nondescripts +from the leather lining of his pack, which lasted him to the vessel. +Cranberries were found during the day and at intervals during the +tramp, and were always drawn upon for a meal. About two quarts were +added to the stock of provision, and many a supper was made off a red +squirrel and a pint of stewed cranberries. + +Wednesday, the 19th, another raft was made, which took the party into +the lake. This was more comfortable than tracking, yet they were in +the water for several hours while on the raft, which was made by +lashing two cross-pieces about four feet long on the ends of five or +six logs laid beside each other and from twenty to thirty feet long, +all fastened with roots, and having a small pile of brush to keep the +baggage dry. The still water of the lake made the raft useless, even +in a fresh, fair breeze, and so this one was abandoned two miles down, +and the weary tramping again resumed. Fortunately the water was so low +that advantage could be taken of the closely overgrown shore by +walking on the lake bed, and far better progress was made owing to the +firmer footing. Three days were used in getting down the lake, during +which time but one fish, a pickerel, was caught, where they had +expected to find an abundance. + +At the foot of the lake, tracks were seen, which it was thought might +be those of hunters. It was learned later that they were more +probably tracks of Bryant's and Kenaston's party, who were following +them up and probably had been passed on the opposite side of the lake, +unnoticed in the heavy rain of the preceeding day. Some bits of meat +that had been thrown away were picked up and helped to fill the gap, +now becoming quite long, between square meals. Supper on this day is +noted in Cary's journal because they "feasted on three squirrels." +Having gotten out of the lake into rapid water, trout was once more +caught, and as on the following day, Sunday, the 23d, a bear's heart, +liver, etc., was found, and later several fish caught. The starvation +period was over. + +In the afternoon another raft was built and the next day carried them +five miles down to the last cache. Though so terribly used up that the +odd jobs connected with making and breaking camp dragged fearfully, +and each day's advance had to be made by pure force of will, the men +felt that the worst was over and their final getting out of the woods +was a matter of time merely. At this cache, also, a note from Young +and Smith was found announcing their passage to that point all right +and in less time than expected, so they had drawn no supplies from the +stock there. + +Tuesday, the 25th.--The day, by the way, that the Julia Decker and +party arrived at Rigolette according to plans, expecting to find the +whole Grand River party, and instead found only Young and Smith, who +had been waiting there about a week. Rafting was continued in a heavy +rain down to the Mininipi Rapids over which the raft was nearly +carried against the will of the occupants. At the foot of these rapids +a thirty mile tramp was begun, the raft that had carried them so well +for forty-five miles being abandoned, which took them past the Horse +Shoe and Gull Island Rapids and occupied most of the two following +days. The tracking was fair, and as starvation was over pretty good +time was made. + +Thursday, the 27th.--A raft was made early in the morning that took +them by the Porcupine Rapids and landed them safely, though well +soaked, at the head of the first falls. Camp was made that night at +the first cache below the falls, forty miles having been covered +during the day. + +[The last pistol shot] Friday, they fully expected to reach Joe +Michelin's house and get the relief that was sadly needed, but as the +necessity for keeping up became less imperative, their weakness began +to tell on them more. Cary's shoes became so bad that going barefoot +was preferable, except over the sharpest rocks, and Cole's feet had +become so sore that as a last resort his coat sleeves were cut off and +served as a cross between stockings and boots. They were doomed to +disappointment, however, and compelled to camp at nightfall with four +or five miles bad travelling and the wide river between them and the +house. Fires were made in hopes of attracting the trapper's attention +and inducing him to cross the river in his boat, but as they learned +the next day, though they were seen, the dark rainy night prevented +his going over to find out what they meant. The last shot cartridge +was used that night on a partridge, and the red squirrels went +unmolested thereafter. This last shot deserves more than a passing +notice. In one sense these shot cartridges for Cole's pistol were +their salvation. Just before the expedition started from Rockland it +was remarked in conversation that the boat crew under DeLong, in the +ill-fated expedition of the "Jeanette", met their death by starvation +in the delta of the Lena, with the exception of two, Naros and +Nindermann, simply because their hunter, Naros, had only a rifle with +ball cartridges, the shot guns having been left on board the +"Jeanette;" that on the delta there was quite an abundance of small +birds which it was almost impossible to kill by a bullet and even when +killed by a lucky shot, little was left of the bird. Cole was +impressed by these facts and upon inquiring ascertained that the +pistol shot cartridges ordered by the expedition had been overlooked. +He energetically set about supplying the lack, and after persistent +search, almost at the last hour, succeeded in finding a small stock in +the city, which he bought out. To the remnant of this stock which +escaped the fire at Burnt Cache camp, as has been said, is the escape +of Cary and Cole from starvation largely due. + +The value of these cartridges had day by day, on the weary return from +Grand Falls, become more and more apparent to the owner. At the +discharge of the last one, the partridge fell not to the ground, but +flew to another and remote cluster of spruces. To this thicket Cole +hastened and stood watching to discover his bird. Cary came up and +after waiting a little while, said, "It is no use to delay longer, +time is too precious." The value of this last cartridge forced Cole to +linger. He was reluctant to admit it was wasted. In a few minutes he +heard something fall to the ground, he knew not what it was, but with +eager steps pressed towards the place, and when near it a slight +flutter and rustling of wings led him to discover the partridge, +uninjured except that one leg was broken; that by faintness or +inability to hold its perch with one foot it had fallen to the ground. +The darkness and rain of that night then closing around them were +rendered less dark and disagreeable by the assurance that kind +Providence showed its hand when the help of an unseen power was needed +to deliver them from the perils of the unknown river. It rained hard +all the next forenoon, and as the river was rough, the men stayed in +camp, hoping Joe would come across, until noon, when a start was made +for the house. A crazy raft took them across the river, the waves at +times nearly washing over them, and landing on the other side, they +started on the last tramp of the trip, which the rain and thick +underbrush, together with their weakened condition, made the worst of +the trip. About 3 P.M., they struck a path, and in a few minutes were +once more under a roof and their perilous journey was practically +done. + +Seventeen days had been used in making the three hundred miles, all +but about seventy-five of which were covered afoot. When they came in, +besides the blankets, cooking tins and instruments, nothing remained +of the outfit with which they started on the return except three +matches and one ball cartridge for the revolver, which, in Cole's +hands, had proved their main stay from absolute starvation. The +following day, Sunday, after having had a night's rest in dry clothes +and two civilized meals, Joe took them to Northwest River, where Mr. +McLaren, the factor of the Hudson Bay Company's posts showed them +every kindness till a boat was procured to take them to Rigolette. A +storm and rain, catching them on a lee shore and giving the already +exhausted men one more tussle with fortune to get their small vessel +into a position of safety, made a fitting end to their experiences. + +[On board the Julia A. Decker] Tuesday at 4 P.M., they reached the +schooner and their journey was done. Amid the banging of guns and +rifles, yells of delight and echoes of B-O-W-D-O-I-N flying over the +hills, they clambered over the rail from the boat that had been sent +to meet them and nearly had their arms wrung off in congratulations +upon their success, about which the very first questions had been +asked as soon as they came within hearing. They were nearly deafened +with exclamations that their appearance called out, and by the +questions that were showered on them. At last some order was restored, +and after pictures had been made of them just as they came aboard, +dressed in sealskin tassock, sealskin and deerskin boots and +moccasins, with which they had provided themselves at Northwest River, +ragged remnants of trousers and shirts, and the barest apologies for +hats, they were given an opportunity to make themselves comfortable +and eat supper, and then the professor took them into the cabin to +give an account of themselves. It was many days before their haggard +appearance, with sunken eyes and dark rings beneath them, and their +extreme weakness disappeared. + +The return trip of Young and Smith from Lake Waminikapo, who reached +Rigolette Aug. 18th, was made in five days to Northwest River, and +after resting two days, in two more to Rigolette. Their trip was +comparatively uneventful. At the foot of Gull Island Lake they met +Bryant and Kenaston, who with their party of Indians were proceeding +very leisurely and apparently doing very little work themselves. At +their rate of progress it seemed to our party very doubtful if they +ever reached the falls. They had picked up, in the pool at the foot of +the first falls, one of the cans of flour lost in the upset, some +fifty or sixty miles up the river, with its contents all right, and +strange to say not a dent in it, and returned it to Smith and Young +when they met them. That night, with the assistance of the officers +and passengers of the mail steamer, which lay alongside of us, a +jollification was held. Our return race to Battle Harbor, the last +concert of the Glee Club in Labrador waters, the exciting race over +the gulf with the little Halifax trader, the tussle with the elements +getting into Canso, the sensation of a return to civilization and +hearty reception at Halifax, and greeting at Rockland, must remain for +another letter. + + * * * * * + + + + + ON BOARD THE JULIA A. DECKER, + ROCKLAND HARBOR, ME., + September 23, 1891. + + +The staunch little schooner has once more picked a safe path through +the dangers of fog, rocks and passing vessels, and her party are +safely landed at the home port, before quite two weeks of the college +term and two weeks of making up had piled up against its members. + +The crew that weighed anchor at Rigolette on the morning of September +2nd, when the wind came and the tide had turned, was a happy one, for +from Professor to "cookee" we all felt that we were truly homeward +bound, and that we had accomplished our undertaking without any cause +for lasting regret. The mail steamer, whose passengers had joined in +the jollification of the night preceding, being independent of the +wind, had started ahead of us. Another race was on with the "Curlew," +this time a merely friendly contest, without the former anxiety as to +some other party's getting the lead of ours in the trip up the Grand +River. But the result was not different this time. A fine breeze kept +us going all day and the following night. But the next day the fog +came. It was no different from the cold, damp, land-mark obscuring +mist of the Maine coast in its facility in hiding from view everything +we most wanted to see in order to safely find the harbor that we knew +must be near at hand, though we could not tell just where. A headland, +looming up to twice its real height in the fog about it, was rounded, +and the lead followed in the hope that it would take us to the desired +haven. Soon a fishing boat hailed, and a voice, quickly followed by a +man, emerged from the fog and shouted that if we went farther on that +course we would be among the shoals. We were told we had passed the +mouth of the harbor, and so turning back, tried to follow our guide, +but he soon disappeared. Just at this moment when it seemed +impossible for us to find any opening, the fog lifted and we saw a +schooner's sail over one of the small islets that lay about us. Taking +our cue from that we poked into the next narrow channel we came to, +and getting some sailing directions from a passing boat, and from the +signal man stationed on a bluff to give assistance to strangers, we +glided into an almost circular basin, hardly large enough for the +vessel to swing in, set among steep rising sides, into which many ring +bolts were seen to be fastened, and perfectly sheltered from every +wind. The use for the ring bolts we found later. The fog kept rolling +over, and the little fishing vessels kept shooting in, till it seemed +the harbor would not hold another. As all sail had to be hauled down +before the vessels came in sight of the interior, the vessels seemed +literally to scoot into the basin. A few of the vessels were anchored +and kept from swinging by lines to the bolts, and the rest of the +fleet made fast to them. In all the number of vessels crowded into the +space where we hardly thought we could lie was about twenty. How they +would ever get out seemed a puzzle, but the next morning it was +accomplished, with a light fair wind, by all at once without accident +or delay. Had the wind been ahead, the ring bolts would have aided in +warping to a weatherly position. + +During the evening the mail steamer caught us, and after putting a +little freight ashore, left us behind again. Here were some strange +epitaphs painted on the wooden slabs, also people ready to exchange or +sell at a far higher rate than we had hitherto paid, anything they +possessed for the cash which was all we had left to bargain with, the +available old clothes having been already disposed of. + +It was hard to disabuse the minds of the people at Square Island +Harbor of the idea that we had come to seek gold or other valuable +mines, the reason being that several years before a party from the +States had spent considerable time prospecting in that vicinity and +partly opened one or two worthless mica quarries. + +[A Bold Skipper] It was a glorious sight to see the fleet get under +way the next morning. Many a close shave and more bumps but no serious +collisions were caused by the twenty or more vessels crowding out +together through the narrow opening, each eager to get the first puff +from the fair breeze outside the lee of the cliffs. The whole fleet +was bound up the coast, but before many of the schooners had drifted +far enough out to catch the breeze it had failed, and only after an +hour or more of annoying experience with puffs from every quarter, did +the strong sea breeze set in. Sheets were trimmed flat aft, and all +settled down to beating up the coast. The Julia soon left the mass of +the fleet and before reaching Battle Harbor, where a long desired mail +was awaiting, had nearly overtaken the lucky ones who had drifted far +enough off shore to make a leading wind of the afternoon breeze. +During the calm a school of whales disported themselves in the midst +of the fleet, chasing one another, blowing and churning the water to +foam about us, apparently as though it was rare fun. + +Late in the afternoon we approached the entrance to Battle Harbor, but +with the wind blowing directly out of the narrow, rocky and winding +entrance we wondered how we should get in. Our captain was equal to +the problem, however, and undeterred by the crowded state of the +harbor, within whose narrow limits were two large steamers, one or two +barks and several fishermen, performed a feat of seamanship the equal +of which, we were told, preserved in the traditions of the port, and +only half believed, as having been done once, thirty years before. + +Getting about ten knots way on the vessel, and heading her straight +for the steamer nearest the mouth, we just brushed by the rocks of the +entrance, sheered a bit and shot past the steamer before her +astonished officers could utter a word of warning, and were traveling +up the harbor at a steamboat pace, the sails meanwhile rattling down, +and some of us on board wondering if we should not keep right on out +the other entrance to the harbor, while boats scurried out of our way, +two men in one fishing boat looking reproachfully at us as we missed +them by about two feet just after our fellow on lookout had reported +"nothing but a schooner in the way, sir;" and people rushed to their +doors and to the decks to see what was exciting such a commotion, just +as the anchor was let go with a roar and we quietly swung to and ran +our mooring line, as though we had done that thing all our lives. + +Here about one hundred letters were brought aboard amid much +rejoicing, for many had not heard from home at all during the trip. + +By the time we were ready to make what we hoped would prove the last +departure from a Labrador harbor, the next morning, the wind, which +had changed in the night and was blowing in exactly the opposite +direction, had become so strong that the little steam launch of Bayne +& Co., which had been tendered us to tow us out of the harbor, was not +powerful enough to pull the schooner against it. The other entrance, +for like all the rest this Labrador harbor was merely a "tickle" and +had its two entrances, was narrow, shoal, and had such short turns +that it seemed impossible to run so large a vessel as the Julia +through it. However, our impatience would not brook the uncertain +delay of waiting for the wind to change, so taking on board the best +pilot that town of pilots could afford, we made the attempt. Three +times we held our breaths, almost, as we anxiously watched the great +green spots in the water, indicating sunken rocks, glide under our +counter or along our side, while the steady voice of the weatherbeaten +old man at the fore rigging sounded "port," then in quick, sharp, +seemingly anxious tones, "now starboard--hard!" and again +"port--lively now," and the graceful vessel turned to the right or +left, just grazing the rock or ledge, as though she too could see just +how near to them it was safe to go and yet pass through without a +scrape. It was a decided relief to all, and the silence on board, that +had been broken only by the rush of wind and water, the pilot's voice +and the creaking of the wheel as it was whirled around by the skillful +hands of the captain, suddenly ceased, when the pilot left his place +and walked slowly aft, praising the admirable way in which the vessel +behaved at the critical points, and apparently unconscious that in the +eyes of twenty college boys he had performed an almost impossible +feat. + +After a hard pull to windward for two of us, to set the pilot ashore, +and a wet and rough time getting aboard again, and after our laugh at +the expense of the mate, who had cast off our shore warp, as we +started out of the harbor, and then had been unable to catch the +schooner, which was equally unable to wait for him in the narrow +passage, and who had, therefore, to row all the way after us at the +top of his speed, and only caught us when we lay to to send off the +pilot; we made everything snug and started down the straits, hoping to +reach Canso without further delay. + +[Last harbor in Labrador] That was not our fortune, however, for soon +the wind hauled ahead, and with a strong current against us it was +impossible to make any progress, so after jumping in a most lively +manner all day, in the chops of Belle Isle, we made a harbor for +the night at Chateau Bay, in almost the same spot where we had waited +two dreary days two months before. The next day we worked along the +coast, but at night again put in to what proved our last, as well as +our first harbor on the Labrador--Red Bay. Here we found a mail +steamer and were allowed irregularly to open the bag to Battle Harbor +and take out that which belonged to us, much to our delight, of course, +for it gave us news comparatively fresh, that is, not over a month +old, from home. + +Here, also, we laid in a supply of the only fruit that Labrador +produces, called "bake apple." It is a berry of a beautiful waxen +color when ripe, otherwise looking much like a large raspberry, and +having a most peculiar flavor, which we learned to like, and grew very +fond of, when the berries were served, stewed with sugar. We had been +deprived of fresh fruit so long that we should probably have learned +to like anything, however odd its flavor, that had its general +characteristics. + +Here, too, we again fell in with our little Halifax trader, which gave +us so hot a race to Halifax in the coming week, both vessels arriving +at Halifax within an hour of each other, after starting at the same +time from Red Bay and keeping within sight nearly all the time. At +length the wind came to the south, and we started, laying our course +west, along the Labrador shore, so as to get a windward position and +be able to "fetch" Canso when the wind came around to the west, as it +is certain to do at that season of the year, compelling us to "tack +ship" and stand right out against the stormy Gulf of St. Lawrence. +These southwesterly winds had been our dread, for they blow so +strongly and in September make the Gulf so rough that getting to +windward against them is impossible. Hence our satisfaction can be +imagined as we sped along the Labrador coast that day, the wind +becoming a trifle easterly, so as to allow us to "start our sheets" +and at the same time steadily increase our offing, getting such a +weatherly position for Canso that the moment the expected change of +direction began we promptly "tacked ship" and at the worst had a +leading wind across. + +For three days we hobnobbed with the little "Minnie Mac" across the +Gulf. The first thing we did in the morning was to hunt her up with +the glasses from aloft, if not in sight from the deck, and the last +thing in order at night were speculations as to where we should next +see her. The difference in the build of the two vessels, the one being +shoal and centerboard, the other deep and heavily laden, made the race +a zigzag. When the wind favored a little and the sheets could be +"eased" then the shoal model would push ahead, but when the wind came +more nearly ahead, and we had to plunge squarely into a head sea, then +the deeper draught and heavier lading told to advantage. + +During this time we were not idle on board. The Grand River men were +beginning to feel vigorous again, and their notes and data had to be +worked up. The collections, too, though largely packed away securely +for the rough voyage, yet gave plenty of occupation to those not +otherwise employed, while the few really industriously inclined used +their superfluous energy in seeing to it that the lazy were given no +opportunity to enjoy their idleness. + +The morning of the fourth day the coasts of Cape Breton were in sight, +but the wind came straight out of the Gut of Canso in half a gale, and +then our rival, owing to her greater weight, forged ahead, and it +seemed that we were to be beaten. However, much to our amusement, when +we got a few miles off the mouth of the Gut, we found a calm, into +which the "Minnie Mac" had run and where she stayed till we came up. +With us also came a breeze, and we forged ahead of her into the +anchorage at Port Hawksbury just as we had said we would do when we +left Red Bay. Here we spent the rest of the day, laying in a stock of +much needed fresh provisions, and sending nine of our college +base-ballists, at the invitation of the Port Hawkesbury nine, to give +them some points on the game. About the fifth inning the game closed +on account of darkness, with score in Bowdoin's favor something about +30-0. + +A short run brought us into Little Canso, where we had to turn to the +west to go along the Nova Scotia coast to Halifax, but fog shut down +so we spent a day inspecting the plant of the Mackay-Bennett cable, +which has its terminus at Hazel Hill, about two miles from Canso, +finding some very agreeable acquaintances in the persons of Mr. +Dickinson, the manager, and Mr. Upham, his first assistant electrical +expert, who proved to be a Castine man and was deligted to meet some +Yankees from his old cruising grounds, Penobscot Bay, and getting some +interesting knowledge concerning ocean telegraphy. It seemed strange, +to say the least, to be in communication, as we were, with a ship out +in mid-Atlantic, repairing a cable, and to have an answer from Ireland +to our message in less than a minute after it was sent. + +[Solid shot at Halifax] With one stop on account of fog and +threatening storm, we reached Halifax in two more days. The +introduction to it, though, was not so pleasant, for as we were +running up the harbor solid shot from one of the shore batteries came +dropping around us and skipping by us, altogether too near for +comfort. However, no damage was done beyond the injury threatened to +Her Majesty's property in the proposition for a while considered to +call away boarders, land and take the battery. We found later that it +was merely target practice and nothing disrespectfully intended +towards the flag flying from our peak, so were satisfied that we had +not made any hostile response. + +Once ashore the hospitable Haligonians began by inviting the Professor +and others to a dinner at the Halifax Club. The next day we enjoyed +an official reception, and accompanied by Premier Fielding and members +of his Cabinet, Consul General Frye and other gentlemen, were taken on +an excursion about the beautiful harbor in the steam yacht of one of +our entertainers, given a dinner and right royally toasted at one of +the public buildings, and were finally taken to the Yacht Club House +for a final reception. + +At Halifax some of our party fearing more delay in reaching Rockland, +left us, so with diminished numbers but plenty of enthusiasm we made +ready for the last stage of the voyage. After some rather amusing +experiences with our assistant steward or "cookee," who seemed to +reason that because he had been so long deprived of the luxuries of +modern civilization he should employ the first opportunity he had to +enjoy them in making himself incapable of doing so, and who was +brought aboard the morning we sailed only after a somewhat prolonged +search, we "squared away" for Cape Sable. The fine fair wind ran us +nearly down there, but just as we thought to escape the provoking +calms that delayed us in this vicinity on the outward trip, we found +the wind drawing ahead and failing. A day was spent in slowly working +around the cape, drifting back much of the time, and then we struck +one of the southerly fog winds that are too well known on the Maine +coast. We were in waters on which our captain had been bred, and so we +pushed on into the night, looking eagerly or listening intently as the +darkness closed over us for some sign of approaching land. At length, +just about eleven, when it seemed we could not stand the suspense of +knowing that thousands of rocks were just ahead but not just where +they were, and yet equally unwilling to stop then, when so near home, +we heard the sound of the breakers, and standing cautiously in on +finding the water very deep, soon made Mt. Desert rock light. It was a +welcome sight, and from there an easy matter to shape our course for +home. At day-break we could still see nothing, but towards noon, the +wind being light and our progress slow, we passed the desolate house +of refuge on the Wooden Ball Island, and soon the lifting fog showed +us the mouth of Penobscot's beautiful bay, and shortly after we +dropped our anchor in the long wished for Rockland harbor, and the +cruise of the Julia Decker and her crew of Bowdoin boys was ended. + +[The royal welcome] The account would be incomplete, though, were +reference omitted to the royal welcome that awaited us at Rockland. +Upon landing we found the church bells ringing, and the city's +business for the moment stopped, while the city fathers as well as a +goodly number of her sons and daughters greeted us at the wharf. In +the evening there was another reception, and there the expedition as +such appeared for the last time, and as the most fitting way in which +we could express our gratitude at the interest shown in our work and +safe return, as well as to contribute our share towards the evening's +entertainment, the Bowdoin College Labrador Expedition Glee Club +rendered, as its last selection, a popular college song, of which the +burden was, as also the title, "The wild man of Borneo has just come +to town." + +JONATHAN P. CILLEY, JR. + + * * * * * + + + + +[Missionary in Labrador] Since the Bowdoin College Labrador Expedition +much interest has been taken by charitable women in the missionaries +who are laboring in that bleak country. As often as possible barrels +of clothing and other useful articles have been sent to them. In +return the missionaries have sent interesting letters describing their +work and acknowledging the gifts. One of these, written to Mrs. James +P. Baxter, of Portland, gives a description that will be of general +interest: + + + HOPEDALE, LABRADOR, + October 3, 1893. + +Dear Madam: + +For your very kind letter and for the very useful articles for our +people, accept my best and kindest thanks. We have already made some +of the people glad with cloth, and we will but be so glad for them in +the winter time. + +Happily the codfishery has been much better this year than last, thus +we can more confidently look forward to the coming winter time than we +could last year; because our people were so poor and we finished the +many kind gifts long before the spring came on, when they were able to +earn their own bread. + +We have had a very cold and dreary summer, the few warm days could +easily be counted, and now the winter is at the door. + +On last Christmas day we had a nice Christmas celebration with our +school children in the chapel. For this purpose we had placed two nice +Christmas trees and two illuminated transparents in the chapel. My +dear husband translated some lovely Christmas songs into Eskimo, and I +taught the children to sing them. Between the hymns they recited songs +and texts from the Bible. Sometimes one by one and then again +altogether. The children made it very nicely. The choir, which sang +some nice pieces, helped to make the whole to sound better. Finally +every child got a large biscuit and a cup of tea, which seemed to make +greater impression than the whole celebration. The congregation were +also invited and they were very much interested in it. + +In the midst of February I accompanied my dear husband on his journey +around to the settlers belonging to our congregation, which live +scattered far away from here towards the South. + +We left Hopedale one morning, having 30 degrees Cen. of cold, of +course by "kamatik" (dog sledge). I was well wrapped up so that I did +not freeze so very much, but the worst is always on such a trip that +we cannot eat anything. Before we started I made some meat balls for +the purpose to use them during the nine hours driving, but it was +impossible to make use of them because they were like stones without +fearing to loosen our teeth. Happily I had some biscuits and to become +more strengthened I used a little chocolate. We were nearly three +weeks away from home and in that time we were nearly every day on the +kamatik. Never less than five hours at a time, but generally from +seven to nine hours, and twice from eleven to twelve hours. It was +indeed sometimes very exhausting especially one time when we came to +very poor people where we had for two days nothing to eat and the next +day we had to travel for about eleven hours having nothing but dry +biscuits. I did not feel so very well that time. + +Many of these settlers have only the opportunity once a year to hear +the gospel of God preached to them, that is when the missionary is +visiting them. Many are too far away from Hopedale to come and visit +us, and some are too poor; or at least the dogs' food is too +expensive. My dear husband made this journey last winter for the fifth +time, that is only towards the south. To the north he has also been +different times. In such a journey the Sacraments are spent, marriage +performed, and meetings are kept as many as possible. The poor +children who grow up without having any school are examined as to how +much they have improved since the last year. We felt this year very +much again the need of having a station among them. There are children +among them from 16 to 17 years of age who cannot read at all. We have +now asked our society in London and Berthelsdorf, if possible, to +build a station for them that they may have their own minister and +teacher. We hope it may be done, then we would not have to travel any +longer only in cases of need. Every one who has to travel ruins his +health if he has to do it for a long time. The settlers could then +easily reach the Mission Station or the missionary could in one day +get to the place where he is wanted. + +[Hungry children] May I, dear madam, give you some instances? First +about a family having ten children of ages ranging from two to +eighteen years. We came to that place in the afternoon about 5 o'clock +accompanied by four other persons belonging to their relationship who +joined when we left their homes. As soon as we opened the door of the +house we were in the dwelling room. At the first sight we saw that +great poverty governed here, even the children looked consumed and +clothed in rags. The house was so bad that the wind made its way +through the many gaps. After I had wrapped myself in a large shawl and +placed myself beside the big stove I was still freezing. Some windows +were broken, the opening filled with rags. My dear husband asked why +they had not nailed a board on the place instead of rags; they +answered, "We have got none." But my husband said "You could easily +have made a nail of wood," which they promised to do. We could only +get a very little bread, because they had only one small piece. I gave +the tea. My dear husband spent the Sacrament, communion and baptism +in the evening in the hope we would be able to go further the next +day, for we could not stay any longer here if we would not starve. We +had a poor resting place. It was not possible to undress ourselves. +The whole time we felt the snow on our faces and the wind through the +many gaps. We froze very much although the fire was kept on during the +night. Not very far from us Mr. and Mrs. Tacque were resting, and we +heard how the one said to the other, "I hope Mr. and Mrs. Hansen can +go further to-morrow, for we have nothing to eat." That was indeed a +very sad prospect, for we heard too well the snow storm was howling +outside and there was no hope for us to go on. And so it was. The next +day I gave from our provisions as much as I could, but we had not very +much, and I could not give everything away because we might afterwards +be caught out in a snowstorm, which often happens, where we then have +to live in a snow house until the storm is over. I gave now coffee for +19 persons, bread we had none, for it always freezes so hard that it +is useless. The poor woman collected all the bread she had and we took +as little as possible. During the day time my dear husband kept +different meetings, talked and prayed with them. For dinner I asked +for a large pot and put it on the stove. I had happily taken some +preserved soups and cooked now for all the people in the house, put +all our meat balls and broken biscuits into the same pot, and gave now +from this dish a plateful to every person in the house. I had also put +some "Liebig" in my box, before I left my home, and was now able to +make the best use of it. It was something touching to see the many +hungry children, how they devoured their portion. Anything like that +they have perhaps never tasted before, and would gladly have taken +some more, but it was already gone. In the afternoon my dear husband +kept school for the children, told nice stories and instructed them +about different things, and the children would have gone on for a long +time. The smell in the house was not so very pleasant, 19 persons in +one room, beside this the men smoked their pipes nearly the whole +time. The children were crying and would not obey their parents and +the parents are so very weak in this way. + +In the evening I gave once more what I possibly could spare, and for +the next morning too. But we really did hunger. + +The Lord heard our prayers that we were able to go on the next morning +to the next place, but because of the deep snow we could only move on +very slowly. First after 11 hour's travelling we came in the evening +to our next station. We did hunger more in these three days than we +have done in our whole lives. The next place was a nice clean house, +where we restored ourselves again. + +In one place we visited an Eskimo. When we entered the room, what did +we see? A seal living in the midst of their room. The people had heard +of our coming and thus put the monster in the room to thaw it up to +feed our dogs with. The animal was soon taken away. The house was +clean, but small. In this place we had to sleep on the floor, and we +used our blankets to make a couch as well as we could. A sailcloth was +used as a curtain, so that we had something like a separated place for +us. Our two drivers were also in the same room, and they cared for +music during the night, for they snored like a saw mill, and when they +woke up they smoked their pipes and gave the air in the room such an +odor, which I shall not try to describe. Nevertheless, for all that, +we were happy together, and I did not repent one minute to have +accompanied my dear good husband, in order to be a faithful partner to +him. We remembered also it was not a pleasant, but a mission trip we +made, where we may expect many things like that. What is that little +we can do for our Lord and Saviour? It is like a drop of water in the +bottomless sea of his love. If our journey has but been a blessing to +some, and if here and there one corn of gospel's seed may grow up we +are more than paid for. + +[Easter] We had four nice places where the good people did all they +could to make it comfortable for us. Everywhere they were very +thankful for my coming, and expressed their gratitude in many ways. +At Easter time we had more visitors than usual and they seemed to be +more happy than else. + +Will you kindly excuse this short description, dear madam; it would +take me too long to describe the whole journey. I used some of your +kind gifts for the people whom we visited, and I hope you will, dear +madam, and the kind ladies who contributed to your large and rich +sending accept our and the people's warmest and best thanks. + +With kindest regards from my dear husband and me, I am, dear madam, +believe me, + + Your affectionately, + ANNIE HANSEN. + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14750 *** |