74 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. chap. xxv. 



ont he beach, where strips of two or three yards across 

 and half a mile long were occasionally covered with it. 

 The fruit is very good, and resembles in taste the garden 

 berry; it is smooth and black-coloured, and about the 

 size of a common marble. The shrub appeared to be very 

 prohfic. 



Eed and black currants are likewise abundant ; there 

 appear to be two kinds of each, in one of wliicli the berry 

 is smooth, resembling both in taste and appearance that 

 of the garden; the other rough and prickly, with a bitter 

 taste. Strawberries are found near the beach ; in size 

 and flavour they are but Httle inferior to the garden fruit ; 

 they are most abundant among the grass in the openings, 

 and their season is from the middle of July to the end of 

 August, Five or six other kinds of fruit-bearing plants 

 were observed, some of which might be found of value. 

 The low cranberry was seen in one or two places in some 

 abundance, but was less abundant than in many other 

 past seasons. The raspberry was rarely met with. 



The most surprising part of the natural vegetation was 

 a species of pea, which was found on the beach, and in 

 open spaces in the woods. On the beach the plant, hke the 

 ordinary cultivated field pea, often covered spaces from a 

 quarter of an acre to an acre in extent ; the stem and the 

 leaf were large, and the pea sufficiently so to be gathered 

 for use. The straw when required is cut and cured for 

 feed for cattle and horses during the winter. 



But little is yet known of the agricultural capabilities 

 of the island ; the only attempts at cultivation that have 

 been made are at Gamache Bay, South-west Point, and 

 Heath Point. South-west Point and Heath Point are two 



