40 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S 



guislied. It is easy to perceive, that these wooden 

 houses, are very inflaniinable buildings; particu- 

 larly, when the chinmeys are constructed with 

 boards, and the back of the fireplace is a stone 

 wall four feet high only. 



Sunday, September 30, 1770. Mr. Langman 

 killed a porcupine upon the hill at the East end 

 of the house, which I have named Battery Hill; 

 from a battery of swivel guns which Captain 

 Darby erected on it, to defend himself against the 

 Esquimaux. I wrote several letters to England 

 and Newfoundland; also settled the accompts of 

 the Ranger's crew, and gave them bills for the 

 balance. My brother left me this evening, in 

 order to return to St. John's. 



Tuesday, October 2, 1770. Ned walked down the 

 river on one side, and Charles on the other; they 

 returned with three shellbirds ^ and a saddleback.^ 

 I made a spring for the slider of my Hanoverian 

 rifle, and a cap for my large-shot gun. 



A fall of snow the whole day, for the first time. 



Wednss., October 3, 1770. The West end of 

 the house took fire four times to-day; the 

 chimney of the copper being too near the studs, 

 I shall be mider the necessity of taking it 

 down. 



Thursday, October 4, 1770. At nine o'clock at 

 night, two sailors belonging to the Enterprize 

 came here by land, with the intelligence of the ar- 

 rival of that vessel, in the mouth of the river this 



^ Red-breasted merganser; shelldrake, Mergus serraior. 

 ^ Great black-backed gull, Larus marinus. 



