112 CAPTAIN CAET WRIGHT'S 



" which resembled the explosion of gunpowder " 

 troubled him at first. Trading, fishing and hunt- 

 ing continued as usual.] 



Friday, August 14, 1772. At eleven o'clock Mr. 

 Hill accompanied me down the river, [Charles] 

 on a party of pleasure; we went in our kyacks, 

 with provisions for two or three days, and landed 

 by the brook in Salt Cove. In the evening, twenty 

 geese came into the fresh-water pond, which emp- 

 ties itself into the Cove; but as we could not get 

 near enough to them, we let them alone till it was 

 dark, when we divided and tried again. As we 

 were watching the geese, a hind and calf came 

 close up to Mr. Hill, but he did not fire, on a sup- 

 position that he could not kill one wdth shot. The 

 deer winding him, went hastily off, and drove 

 away the geese. We then laid dowm under some 

 trees, and endeavored to compose ourselves to 

 sleep; but we were prevented till mid-night, by 

 the intolerable biting of the moschetos,^ at which 

 time we met with another as unpleasant attack, 

 but of a different kind. A storm came on at that 

 time, which lasted an hour, during which, it thun- 

 dered and lightened most tremendously, accom- 

 panied with much rain. Mr. Hill got up, and 

 would have had me done the same, but I replied, 

 ^' Since I can be no better off, I am resolved to 

 lie where I am till day-light, unless I am floated 

 off the ground." After the storm was over a set- 

 tled rain set in and continued all night. Mr. Hill 



^ The mosquitoes, midges, black flies, moose flies and horse flies of 

 Labrador are the equals of any in the world in ferocity and numbers. 



