230 ROBINS — SPRING SCENES. 



abundant once more, and apparently sighing for their mates, while 

 all nature began to rejoice. 



I cannot describe the characteristic aspect of a Labrador scene. 

 It is one peculiar to the region itself and must be seen and felt to 

 be appreciated. 



The extensively broken coast line affords you a varied view of 

 now sea and now land, in the shape of some island or promontory 

 of the mainland — the former being more usually the case. High 

 and low hill tops crown the immediate coast line, in the majority 

 of places, while often their somewhat distant outline reminds you 

 much — if you close the view in other directions — of our own 

 eastern United States scenes of hilly outline in the distant horizon. 

 A spring month, to one situated on one of these little islands, is 

 always most delightful. The novelty of busy preparation for the 

 summer season combined with the animation which all nature pre- 

 sents as well as the balmy air and the peculiarities of situation and 

 surrounding objects, cause one to feels a freedom scarcely to be 

 imagined, since care is thrown to the winds and you immediately 

 find something that occupies you pleasantly, almost without know- 

 ing it ; while each day, as it passes, adds to the pleasure felt. 



My joy can easily be imagined when, one day, towards the latter 

 end of the month, one of the men, knowing how I sought for birds 

 and other natural objects, brought me a robin which he had shot 

 a short time previous outside the yard, and not far from the house. 

 It was the first real home bird that had greeted me, and was all the 

 more appreciated for that. The robin does not appear abun- 

 dant in Labrador ; though a few breed here, inland and along the 

 rivers. 



This week I rosined the bottom and sides of my canoe. In this 

 operation, as generally performed by the Indians, the seams of 

 the canoes are covered tightly with spmce gum and rosin, while 

 should any leaks appear, they are covered over with a different 

 preparation usually made by the Indians, thus : a quality of rosin is put 

 into a tin can, and a small portion of oil — seal or whale, usually 

 the former — is added to it, with a very little paint, — white lead — the 



