Natasquan River. 313 



mots playing in the very spray under our bow, plunging 

 as if in fun under it, and rising like spirits close under 

 our rudder. The wind was fair, and the land in sight 

 *rom aloft, and I now look forward to our landing on 

 Labrador as at hand, and my thoughts are filled with ex- 

 pectation of the new knowledge of birds and animals 

 which I hope to acquire there. The Ripley sails well, 

 hut now she fairly skipped over the water. The cry of 

 land soon made my heart bound with joy ; and as we ap- 

 proached it we saw what looked like many sails of vessels, 

 but we soon found that they were snow-banks, and the 

 air along the shore was filled with millions of velvet 

 ducks and other aquatic birds, flying in long files a few 

 yards above the water. 



" We saw one vessel at anchor, and the country looked 

 well from the distance ; and as we neared the shore the 

 thermometer rose from 44 to 60, yet the appearance of 

 the snow-drifts was forbidding. The shores appeared to be 

 margined with a broad and handsome sand-beach, and 

 we saw imaginary bears, wolves and other animals scam- 

 pering away on the rugged shore. About thirty boats 

 were fishing, and we saw them throwing the fish on deck 

 by thousands. 



" We soon reached the mouth of the Natasquan Riv- 

 er, where the Hudson Bay Company have a fishing estab- 

 lishment, and where no American vessel is allowed to 

 come. The shore was filled with bark-covered huts, and 

 some vessels were anchored within the sand-point which 

 forms one side of the entrance to the river. We sailed 

 on four miles further to the American harbor, and came to 

 anchor in a beautiful bay, wholly secure from any winds. 



" And now we are positively at Labrador, lat. 50, and 



farther north than I ever was before on this continent. 



But what a country ! When we landed and reached the 



summit we sank nearly up to orr knees in mosses of dif- 



14 



