CHAPTER XIV 



THE COAST OF JAMES BAY TO THE HEAD OF THE 

 RIVER ABBITIBBE 



WE arrived at Fort Albany on 1st June, and left again 

 on the 4th. The distance from Fort Albany to Moose 

 Factory is about a hundred miles, and, short-handed as 

 we were, we paddled that distance in thirty hours' actual 

 work, arriving on the 6th. The coast-line here is as 

 different as possible from that about Fort Severn, being 

 high, bold, and rocky, affording some remarkable scenery, 

 though barren and inhospitable looking. The sea, at the 

 time of our voyage, was calm, but it broke on the rocky 

 shore at places, and we more than once found tides or 

 currents, I am not sure which, drawing us inshore at a 

 rate that induced us to give the land a wide berth. On 

 the first night we landed under the rocks, and slept in 

 a cavern ; but the cliffs were so precipitous that it was 

 impossible to climb up them. I have therefore no idea 

 what the country inland was like. The second night it 

 was impossible to land on the mainland, and we were 

 compelled to pass the hours of darkness on a rock about 

 a quarter of a mile from the shore, drawing the canoe up 

 after us to prevent accidents, as, if it had happened to 

 break loose, we should have been in a terrible plight. 



Our temporary possession of this rock, which may 

 have been an acre hi extent, disturbed a large colony of 

 guillemots, Uria troile. They winged their flight to the 

 maui shore, looking not unlike ducks when flying, and 

 uttering a tremendous clamour. We saw other flocks 

 during the three days ; and there was another guillemot 



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