THE LABRADOR JOURNAL 439 



we see to the westward. The buildings, though principally 

 of wood, are good-looking, and as cleanly as those in our 

 pretty eastern villages, white, with green shutters. The 

 style of the people, be it loyal or otherwise, is extremely 

 genteel, and I was more than pleased with all those whom 

 I saw. The coach is at the door, the cover of my trunk is 

 gaping to receive this poor book, and therefore once more, 

 good-night. 



August 24. Wind due east, hauling to the northeast, 

 good for the " Ripley." We are now at Halifax in Nova 

 Scotia, but let me tell thee how and in what manner we 

 reached it. It was eleven last night when we seated our- 

 selves in the coach ; the night was beautiful, and the moon 

 shone brightly. We could only partially observe the 

 country until the morning broke; but the road we can 

 swear was hilly, and our horses lazy, or more probably 

 very poor. After riding twenty miles, we stopped a good 

 hour to change horses and warm ourselves. John went to 

 sleep, but the rest of us had some supper, served by a 

 very handsome country girl. At the call, " Coach ready ! " 

 we jumped in, and had advanced perhaps a mile and a half 

 when the linch-pin broke, and there we were at a stand- 

 still. Ingalls took charge of the horses, and responded 

 with great energy to the calls of the owls that came from 

 the depths of the woods, where they were engaged either 

 at praying to Diana or at calling to their parents, friends, 

 and distant relations. John, Lincoln, and Shattuck, always 

 ready for a nap, made this night no exception ; Coolidge 

 and I, not trusting altogether to Ingalls' wakefulness, kept 

 awake and prayed to be shortly delivered from this most 

 disagreeable of travelling experiences, detention at all 

 times to be avoided if possible, and certainly to be dreaded 

 on a chilly night in this latitude. Looking up the road, the 

 vacillating glimmer of the flame intended to assist the coach- 

 man in the recovery of the lost linch-pin was all that could 

 be distinguished, for by this the time was what is called 



