36 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. cHAr. xxti. 



he (the priest) has taught me. I do not know what 

 to do ! 



' This is wliat I was thinking of, when you saw me on 

 the beach. This is my dream. 



' Mah thsit ka Isitskinashka paslatils a ia mitonan ' 

 (Mary, thou refuge of sinners ! pray for us). 



Poor Otehie ! well might he sit there on that beautiful 

 shore and ' dream.' His fate, and that of all who remain 

 on the coast, is sealed. 



The Kasquapees cannot endure sudden changes of 

 temperature, fogs and damp ; they have been accus- 

 tomed to dry cold, however severe. The simple yet 

 excellent artifices which they employ to keep tliemselves 

 from freezing on the coldest night, are useless against the 

 penetrating damp of spring on the coast. A JSTasquapee, 

 on tlie bleak and cheerless mountains of the interior, has 

 his leathern tent, his bag full of eider down, his deer-skin 

 robe, his kettle, and a little caribou meat. At the approach 

 of night he throws his limbs into the leather bag, and 

 arranges the down al)out him, rolls himself in his robe, 

 draws his knees to his chin, and under the half shelter of 

 his little tent sleeps soundly, however cold and insinua- 

 ting may be the driving snow. But on the coast, tlie 

 damp penetrates to his bones ; he sits shivering over a 

 smoky fire, loses heart, and sinks under the repeated 

 attacks of influenza brought on by changes in the tem- 

 perature. 



The trading post at Seven Islands was formerly one 

 of the most important on the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. 

 It is of ancient date, and more than 130 years ago was 

 frequented by the French. It subsequently belonged to 



