THE LAST CKUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



33 



a few copies of old magazines, which I could see were highly 

 appreciated, for literature is very scarce at Cape Charles, and 

 these magazines will probably become family heirlooms. 

 From chatting with this family I learned that this is the modus 

 vivendi of the inhabitants of these regions : The men fish in 

 summer, of course, and in the fall they chop and saw wood, and 



THE PYE FAMILY. 



do odd jobs of various kinds in preparation for the rigors of the 

 winter ; in winter they mend nets and boats, and thus prepare 

 for summer, or the fishing season, for there is no spring worth 

 speaking of ; the ice blocks them until June. They hunt in 

 the winter also, and set their traps ; and this is their chief ex- 

 citement, as also their chief means for procuring food. The 

 principal game consists of rabbits, ptarmigan, spruce par- 



