ON THE LABRADOR. 71 



The story of the journey of George Elson, who, 

 feeding as he could on grouse and porcupine, fought 

 his way to Grosswater Bay, is one of the epics of the 

 Men of the Woods, and it can be read, and should 

 be read, in "A Woman's Way through Unknown 

 Labrador," which tells also how Hubbard's widow under- 

 took the task her husband had given his life for and 

 carried it through with a splendid courage to success. 



On the fifth day on rising in the morning I found 

 that two large bears had visited the vicinity of the 

 camp during the night. The almost human track 

 passed within fifty yards of our cabin, when doubtless 

 the smoke of the fire had sent both animals off at speed. 

 After a couple of days spent in earnestly searching for 

 sign or sight of game, we broke camp and passed to 

 other hunting-grounds. But in all the days we spent in 

 Labrador neither of us saw either bear or caribou in the 

 flesh. 



It was the 7th of October when we again found 

 ourselves at Broomfield's house. Here I learned that 

 the summer colony of cod-fishers at Fanny's Harbour 

 had already departed for the south, and the captain of 

 the Virginia Lake doubted whether the Newfoundland 

 Government (in this matter the Reid Company are the 

 agents of Government) would sanction the steamer's 

 venturing so far north as the date arranged, but he had 

 promised to pick me up at Hopedale, sixty miles to the 

 south, about the 15th of the month. It was now that 

 the trap-boat proved of service. 



Sam was absent on his monthly errand to fetch the 

 mails, and incidentally my boat from Fanny's Harbour. 

 We, while awaiting his return, thoroughly explored the 

 inlet. It was at the north-western end of this creek 



