300 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



of unequal size sparkled, and finally flowed across the 

 stony beach at either extremity of the landing place. 

 Blowing violently though the wind was, and ruffling 

 the centre of Bute Inlet into white-capped waves, this 

 miniature harbour always remained in a state of per- 

 fect stillness, except for a faint pulsation or reflection 

 from the storm without. The rocks at the entrance, 

 rounded by the action of long-vanished glaciers, were 

 bare, owing to the weather, except for a covering of 

 yellow moss. Elsewhere, and especially at the head 

 of the bay, overhanging the beach, was to be seen 

 nothing excepting vegetation of the densest description 

 and the darkest and most vivid greens. Moss fes- 

 tooned the branches and carpeted the sharp stones 

 and fallen trees so closely as to form traps and pitfalls 

 everywhere. Under the shade of a grove of pines and 

 cedars of immense height lay a portion of flat, level 

 ground, almost hidden underneath a rich growth of 

 large-leaved plants of several varieties. In the centre 

 was erected an Indian shelter of the usual shape and 

 construction. Two sloping roofs, made of tree trunks 

 rudely split into planks by means of wedges, were 

 supported by a few uprights, and placed sufficiently 

 distant from each other to allow the smoke of a fire 

 lighted on the ground beneath to escape through the 

 slit thus left. At the opposite ends the two roofings 

 descended to within a couple of feet from the ground, 

 but side walls or doors there were none. Smooth, 

 water- worn logs lay stranded on the beach, and offered 

 convenient seats, and the stones at low tide were 



