162 THE LABRADOE PENINSULA. CHAP. x. 



night-blind; and my experience is such as I hope few 

 will ever be troubled with ; but one of the gentlemen has 

 been far in the lumbering country, and I've no doubt he 

 has seen many night-blind men. He will tell you as well 

 how it comes on and how it is cured ; and now by your 

 leave, sir, I '11 light my pipe, just take three whiffs, and 

 turn in.' 



I picked my way through the spruce woods to my 

 companions' tent, which shone like a gigantic Chinese lan- 

 tern, highly illuminated, but of one colour only, and that 

 almost pure white - - for the tent was new, and made of 

 very white but strong American cotton. I pushed aside 

 the canvas curtain of the tent, which was closely shut to 

 keep out the mosquitoes, and found my friends on each 

 side of a large sheet of paper, on which they were plotting 

 the day's work. ' I thought,' said one, ' you had turned 

 in half an hour ago.' * 



' So I should have done,' I replied, ' had not Laronde 

 kept me awake with a story of night-blindness, with 

 which he was attacked when in the Matawan ; and I 

 came to ask you whether you ever heard of or saw a 

 night-blind man when you were on the Ottawa or the 

 St. Maurice?' 



' I have known as many as seven night-blind men,' he 

 replied, ' in one shanty of thirty.' 



' How are they affected ? ' I asked. 



' They are absolutely blind during the absence of the 

 sun ; they are insensible to any artificial light, although, 

 perhaps, they might see a strong Hash from an electrifying 

 machine, as they can see when it is lightning. I myself 

 have led blind men over portages. In lumbering districts 



