A LABRADOR SPRING 



June ist in a bog near the Natashquan River 

 I found ice everywhere about eight inches 

 below the surface of the moss. In a space where 

 there was no moss, and the dark brown, almost 

 black surface of the peaty mud attracted the 

 sun's rays, the ice was ten inches down. On the 

 same day in the lee of a bank a hundred feet 

 above the sea, the sun felt hot and the thermom- 

 eter registered 76 when exposed directly to its 

 rays. In the shade the temperature was 47, 

 and at a depth of eleven inches in sandy, 

 peaty soil, all was hard frozen, and the ther- 

 mometer registered 32. No wonder vegeta- 

 tion, with such a cold region about its roots, 

 was tardy in its appearance. 



On June nth near the Romaine River back 

 of Esquimaux Point I found the ice surface 

 ten inches beneath the moss in the bogs where 

 the surface was dry, while in wet places the 

 ice was sometimes twice as far away from the 

 surface, and in the mudholes and ponds, with 

 the sticks at hand I could find no hard ice 

 bottom at all. My friend remarked, in a mildly 

 sarcastic manner, as we were resting in one 

 of these endless Labrador bogs, that when 

 there were no birds in sight, and I had col- 



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