208 L'ANSE AU CLAIRE. 



we ascend from Blanc Sablon to this plateau, we descended to the 

 bay on the opposite side from an elevation of about four hundred 

 and thirty feet, and, as I later observed, the slope was nearly the 

 same on the southern side also, though the distance passed over 

 here was only about three miles. 



The ride was so full of interest that I scarcely realized when a 

 view of the little inlet of St. Claire or L'Anse au Claire Bay came 

 upon us quite unexpectedly, and the ride down the hill and along 

 the western bank of the bay afforded a fine view of the surrounding 

 beauties of nature. Here we took dinner with a most excellent 

 family, and the pleasant conversation of both host and hostess, who 

 were great friends with my guide, proved most interesting. The 

 gentleman who had for a long time resided here as a fisherman — 

 and certainly a very intelligent one — gave me much useful inform- 

 ation about the country, and stated the fact that he had, from 

 personal examination, found that this same sandstone formation 

 continued beneath the sea, as he found from soundings while fishing 

 for cod, and appeared again on the Newfoundland shore, which is 

 here about fourteen miles across its nearest point. I saw here, also, 

 that this litde bay partook of the same general character of so many 

 other bays along the coast here, and distincdy showed the former 

 extension of the sea in its basin beyond, while the limestone cliffs 

 and hillocks appeared in all directions, to the right, to the left, and 

 directly ahead. After our dinner and a little time allowed for rest- 

 ing ourselves we continued our journey in a cool, bracing air, across 

 the bay. We ascended the opposite ridge, a continuation of what 

 we had just passed over, and with a similar height above the sea, 

 only perhaps with a rather more even surface, and crossing several 

 large ponds, continued our way over these hills in a triangular 

 direction to the height above Forteau Bay, a distance of five miles, 

 passing through a slight snow fog, a peculiarity of this district per- 

 haps (though I am assured of rare occurrence in the month of 

 March), which, barely lifting, gave us a hazy view of what was 

 around. We now descended, in a tremendous hurry, the famous 

 steep Forteau hill, that is situated here, to the bay ; the dogs could 



