LABRADOR JOURNAL 97 



The sky was clear, and the frost not so severe 

 as yesterday. [Charles, from much drinking- be- 

 came ill, and was treated by the Captain with 

 bleeding, James' jjowders and so forth, from tune 

 to tmie.] 



Sunday, Janaari) 5, 1772. All the people got 

 drunk today, and the cooper behaving in a very 

 insolent manner, I gave him a few strokes w^ith a 

 small stick; upon which he had the impudence to 

 complain of being so bruised as not to be able to 

 eat his dinner. Charles relapsed, and was very 

 ill again. 



It snowed hard all last night and till noon, w^hen 

 it turned to rain for the rest of the day; mild 

 weather. 



Morula tj, January 6, 1772. I bled one of the 

 sealers, and two of my dogs. The cooper refused 

 to work, pretending he could not use his right 

 ami; I gave him nothing but water gruel, and 

 made a deduction from his wages for his neglect. 

 Charles so ill, that I think he will scarce live till 

 the morning. 



Foggy, with silver thaw. 



Friday, January 10, 1772. Charles is now likely 

 to recover; he w^as up most of the day. At noon 

 an otter came up the watering hole; I shot at him 

 out of the window with a rifle, but missed him. 1 

 made a net for the fowl house, and worked on the 

 furlew net. 



Saturday, January 11, 1772. T met the two St. 

 Lewis's-Bay-mon and one of the sealers, coming 

 from Seal Island, who inrornicd nic that an old 



