SOME LABRADOR RIVERS 



into a language which has not the r-sound at 

 all." ' 



Although we caught a glimpse from the 

 steamer of the Romaine River as it empties 

 into the sea, our most satisfactory and inter- 

 esting acquaintance with it was in the wilder- 

 ness north of Esquimaux Point, for here the 

 river flows from east to west parallel with the 

 coast. Our search for the Romaine was made 

 on July nth, a day on which many of the 

 smaller birds had arrived, and winter was 

 changing to summer, a day when the tempera- 

 ture climbed above 60 at noon, although it 

 registered only 48 Far. morning and night. 



The path from Esquimaux Point starts at the 

 crucifix behind the village, and goes north 

 through the spruce and balsam woods, woods 

 that were stunted by frequent cutting. We 

 soon came to a bog, the familiar bog of Labra- 

 dor, overflowing with moisture, a great sponge 

 of sphagnum moss and reindeer lichen, inter- 

 spersed with clumps of Labrador tea and laurel 

 and alder, and with scattered larches and 

 spruces, so dwarfed and prostrate as to scarce 



Labrador, by W. T. Grenfell and Others. New York, 

 1909, p. 193- 



231 



