1890-91.] DISCOVERER OF THE GREAT FALLS OF LABRADOR. 337 



East, or George s River, combined with reports that had reached me 

 since, of another large river flowing a short distance to the south of 

 Esquimaux Bay, suggested the possibility of carrying on our business on 

 this line of communication." He therefore had a boat built during the 

 winter, and on the 25th of June, 1839, as soon as the river was clear of ice, 

 he set out on his second journey, to discover, if possible, a river route 

 between the inhospitable Ungava and the southern coast. 



He reached the mouth of George's River on the 2nd of July. His 

 crew consisted of "ten able men" and "an Indian guide in his canoe." 

 Unusually low water rendered the ascent of the George's River a slow 

 and difficult undertaking, wading, towing, pulling, carrying and launching 

 the boat many times daily was " no easy matter," especially as he says, 

 " when myriads of sand-flies and mosquitoes filled the air and tortured 

 us incessantly." At length on the 15th of August, they reached the 

 interior post established by Mr. Erlandson, "half starved, half naked, 

 and half devoured." This appears to have brought the party to the 

 southern slope of the height of land, although no mention is made of 

 that fact, but what follow^s is evidence enough to this effect, and here I 

 quote in full what he says regarding the discovery of the Great Falls. 



" After one day's rest, we embarked in a canoe sufficiently large to 

 contain several conveniences, to which I had been for some time a 

 stranger, a tent to shelter us by night, and tea to cheer us by day ; we 

 fared, too, like princes, on the product of ' sea and land ' procured by 

 the net and gun. We thus proceeded gaily on our downward course 

 without meeting any interruption, or experiencing any difficulty in find- 

 ing our way ; when, one evening, the roar of a mighty cataract burst 

 upon our ears, warning us that danger was at hand. We soon reached 

 the spot, which presented to us one of the grandest spectacles in the 

 world, but put an end to all hopes of success in our enterprise. 



"About six miles above the fall the river suddenly contracts from a 

 width of from four hundred to six hundred yards, to about one hundred 

 yards; then rushing along in a continuous foaming rapid, finally contracts 

 to a breath of about fifty yards ere it precipitates itself over the rock 

 which forms the fall; when, still roaring and foaming, it continues its 

 maddened course for about a distance of thirty miles, pent up between 

 walls of rock that rise sometimes to the height of three hundred feet on 

 either side. This stupendous fall exceeds iri height the Falls of Niagara, 

 but bears no comparison to that sublime object in any other respect, 

 being nearly hidden from view by the abrupt angle which the rocks form 

 immediately beneath. If not seen, however, it is felt; such is the extra- 

 ordinary force with which it tumbles into the abyss underneath, that we 



