712 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



northernmost of the Magdalenes. In spite of the distances, courses, and 

 descriptions so carefully recorded in the log-books of the early naviga- 

 tors, it is quite impossible to recognize the small places at which they 

 stopped, and very difficult to definitely locate any. It is also a little 

 puzzling, at first, to see why Cartier and his immediate followers should 

 have gone around Newfoundland to enter the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 but bearing in mind that at that time Newfoundland was supposed to be 

 a portion of the American continent, it is easy to see the reason for 

 the course pursued. Vessels made Cape Bonavista for a land-fall, and 

 thence ran north to Oarpunt (some place on the Labrador coast), at the 

 entrance of the Strait of Belle Isle. 



Proceeding down the strait, Chateau Bay and Blanc Sablon were 

 often visited, two places that still bear the appellations originally be- 

 stowed upon them, and from there the course was to the southwards 

 until the Islands of Birds, Brion's Island, and Ramea were successively 

 reached. Bamea is another stumbling-block, and from the manner in 

 which it is described may have been either the Magdalenes or Prince Ed- 

 ward's Island, Charles Leigh's account seeming to point to Amherst 

 Island, the southernmost of the Magdalenes, this supposition being the 

 more probable from the fact that the Isle of Ramea was a famous place 

 for walruses. 



It is now many years since a walrus has been taken in the gulf at 

 all, much longer since one was killed on the Magdalenes, and since the 

 disappearance of the walrus, the sources of prosperity so much dwelt 

 upon by the early voyagers have one by one dwindled away.* 



The goodly fir-trees have become scrubby spruce, the great cods have 

 become few and far between, the herring industry is comparatively 

 unimportant, and a few short years have sufficed to seriously reduce 

 the lobster fishery. All this means want and distress for the popula- 

 tion of these islauds, which, never tcowell off at best, has several times 

 been saved from starvation by government aid, and once during the 

 last twenty-five years forced to eat their very dogs. 



While lying at Grindstone Island we first made the acquaintance of 

 the Gannets, whose headquarters are the Bird Bocks, and had a good 

 opportunity to watch them fishing. The birds are usually associated in 

 small, straggling flocks, and with outstretched necks and eyes ever on 

 the lookout for fish, thej fly at a height of from 75 to 100 feet above the 

 water, or occasionally somewhat more. The height at which the Gan- 



* The following glowing description by Charles Leigli occurs in Hakluyt, edition of 

 1600, p. 201 : 



"Concerning the nature and fruitfulnesse of Brion's Island, Isle Blanche, and of 

 Ramea, they do by nature yield exceeding plenty of wood, great store of wild corue 

 like barley, strawberries, gooseberries, mulberries, white roses, and store of wilde 

 peason. Also, about tbe sayd islands the sea yieldeth great abundance of fish of 

 divers sorts. And the sayd islauds also seeme to proffer, through the labour of man, 

 plenty of all kinde of our graine, of roots, of hempe, and other necessary commodi- 

 ties." 



