A LABRADOR SPRING 



across from the east, behind which are shel- 

 tered the fishing boats. Back of the little vil- 

 lage with its faded pink church was a great 

 cross on the bleak hillside, and in the distance, 

 about a dozen miles from the sea, Mount 

 St. John, looking as if it had split open and 

 fallen apart, stood up blue and snow flecked. 



Again more beach and Long Point was 

 reached, a flat sandy place, a not inconsiderable 

 village abounding in fishing boats, but destitute 

 of a harbour. Some of the houses were of logs, 

 others clapboarded and neatly painted pea- 

 green, yellow or slate with red roofs. There 

 were two churches, a large new one evidently 

 to replace the old one. Behind stretched the 

 eternal forest of pointed firs and spruces, and 

 the grim barrier of rock, blue, gray and white, 

 brought up the rear. Men pushed out through 

 the surf to meet the steamer, while boys and 

 mongrel dogs waited on the beach. About 

 six miles off Long Point on one of the Perro- 

 quet islands is a lighthouse. 



The Perroquets were formerly the nesting- 

 places of countless puffins, razor-billed auks 

 and gannets. Now these birds are all gone ex- 

 cept a few pairs of puffins and possibly a razor- 



58 



