DISCOVERY OF SOURCE OF THE GANDER 229 



at least it seems so to me, is that the Newfoundlander being 

 purely a fisherman, and delighting only in the acquisition of 

 the harvest of the sea, knows and cares little about possible 

 farm lands. Moreover, he has always been unable to build 

 light draught canoes of tough wood, because no wood capable 

 of withstanding the rocks of the rivers is to be found in the 

 island. He is also clumsy in the rivers, and unable to use 

 a pole like the Indians. Perhaps he gets a few miles up an 

 easy river in his punt, but on meeting with difficulties, such 

 as the breaking of his soft wood boat, readily gives up the 

 task. He has any amount of pluck, but no skill on the rivers. 

 Though all at home at sea, he is all at sea at home. 



The little bit of unknown we were about to enter had 

 only been traversed by one man, a miner named Guzman, 

 who crossed from Bay Despair in 1875, led by Nicholas 

 Jeddore, Joe's father. Mr. Howley had ascended the Gander 

 on foot, and had reached Burnt Hill, which we could now 

 see about twenty miles to the east, and Alexander Murray 

 had surveyed and marked Partridgeberry Hill, the highest 

 mountain in Central Newfoundland, having reached it by 

 packing across from Round Bond. The country between the 

 Upper Gander and Dog Lake was unmapped and unknown, 

 a space of about fifteen miles in a straight line left blank. 

 Actually we found that this unknown area was about twenty- 

 five miles broad. It really meant about forty miles of walk- 

 ing, as it was necessary to keep on the high ground to the 

 south, so as to avoid the swamps. Our men therefore could 

 rely on little help in the way of water during their thirty 

 miles journey, for they must follow the valley route and 

 carry everything on their backs for the greater part of the 

 distance. 



Accordingly I determined to divide the party. Taking the 



