EXPEDITION UP THE GANDER RIVER 99 



it fell into a crevice of the rock ; one of the prisoners, a 

 long, slim fellow, was lowered down by the heels to recover 

 it. All the accused and witnesses in the case were keen 

 hunters. I knew right well that if I had made a bad shot, 

 neither my legal acumen nor sound judgment would have 

 won their appreciation half as much as straight shooting."' 



But we have wandered away to the south coast, and 

 must return to the Gander. 



Looking up the river from the lower fall of the Gander 

 was, I think, one of the most beautiful landscapes that I 

 have seen in my expeditions in Newfoundland. The rocks 

 in the foreground were of the most lovely colour, a rich 

 blue grey. Over these poured masses of amber water of 

 pellucid clearness. Little brooks and shining barrens peeping 

 out from amidst the dark forest on the right bank, led the 

 eye away up to distant hills of the most intense blue, whilst 

 in the middle distance, away up the glistening river, were 

 islands covered with the finest "haps" (poplars) in New- 

 foundland, every leaf a-quiver in the blazing sun. On the 

 left bank the land rose in rugged and distorted shapes, and 

 was all covered with a medley of golden birch and scarlet 

 rowan, and trees standing clear against a brown mass of 

 tall " vars," and spruces in whose depths the glints of sun- 

 light mixed with the purple shadows. Yet all this hetero- 

 geneous mass of colour seemed to blend, for nature makes 

 no mistake with her paints, whilst for once the composition 

 of the picture was perfect and worthier of a more skilful 

 brush than mine. " Rolling Falls " of the Gander is such 

 a subject as only a great artist could do justice to. 



About two miles up the river was another small water- 

 fall, not so heavy as the lower one, but nevertheless neces- 



' Cornhill Magazine, April 1904. 



