188 A SNOW FLURRY. 



selves ; but there was nothing to be done but keep up the spirits 

 and march along. I have heard of fierce storms quickly aris- 

 ing in these arctic regions, that frequently bewildered the best of 

 even native travellers and turned him astray from an almost straight 

 road. I have, no doubt, frequently seen such from some house or 

 safe harbor without fully appreciating its intensity ; but I then saw 

 it and felt its full meaning, though I was too near a shelter to be 

 lost, unless overcome by fatigue or bewildered with fright, neither 

 of which seemed probable though of course possible. The wind 

 blew the snow in fine dust all over my clothes, and the cold pene- 

 trated even the thick cloth of which they were made. It was a 

 terrible walk to the mainland, but I soon gained it, and sheltered 

 myself in the fish stage of one of the establishments on the east 

 side. Here I rested while watching the storm. There was a strug- 

 gle in my mind as to whether to proceed at once across the small 

 bay to my friend's house a distance of about half a mile, or wait 

 until the storm had passed ; a determination, however, to brave the 

 worst ; and, perhaps, a sort of feeling that it was better to con- 

 quer the elements, than be conquered by them, took possession of 

 me, so I braced on the rackets again, buttoned my coat tightly 

 about me, and with an extra pull to my cap I started off. How the 

 wind did blow ! how the blinding snow beat over and around me ! 

 that half mile seemed longer than all the other seven that I had 

 gone over combined. At last the other side was reached, the well 

 known place gained, and in a few moments I was in the presence 

 of the nicest and most pleasant family on the coast of Labrador, 

 without exception, while the weariness vanished as I was greeted 

 by friends and sat down with them to a capital venison dinner. 



Any one who has been half starved for the space of several 

 weeks (almost months) on bread without butter, and tea and coffee 

 without sugar or milk, with any kind of meat save salt pork out of 

 the question, will appreciate a meal of good food when they get 

 it. The case was mine exactly ; and the savory smell of a good 

 venison stew with some large mealy potatoes as an addition, as it 



