BEAVER HARBOUR. 159 



edge of a lake, and subsist principally on deer 

 and bear, and such fish as they can take in the 

 lake. They own no canoes, neither do they 

 know the use of firearms, their only weapons 

 being the bow, arrow, and spear.' 



The wind came on to blow as we left this 

 interesting spot, and soon increased to a gale 

 from the south-east, making the Otter rock most 

 unpleasantly in the cradle of the deep. About 

 10 A.M. we ran into Beaver Harbour, our destin- 

 ation. This so-called harbour, being nothing 

 more than an open roadstead, is disagreeably 

 rough ; a heavy sea rolls angrily in, dashing in 

 foamy breakers on the rocky coast. 



We anchor about a mile from shore, the 

 captain deeming it unsafe to venture nearer. 

 To announce our arrival, a gun is to be fired : 

 this, I observed, was rather a service of danger 



' O 



to the sailor who had to touch it off, as it was 

 just an equal chance whether the bulk of the 

 charge came through the barrel or the touch- 

 hole ; the latter having become so capacious from 

 rust and long usage, as to necessitate the em- 

 ployment of an enormously long wand, with a 

 piece of lighted slow-match tied to the end of it. 

 All hands having cleared away, and carefully 

 concealed themselves, the wand slowly appears 



