LABRADOR JOURNAL 259 



of these birds, torus, and bulls ' dead upon the 

 ice, or land, at a great distance from water; yet 

 I could never tell how they came there; the mys- 

 tery is now unravelled. During the whole of the 

 winter season, small holes, like ponds, are kept 

 open on one side or other of most of the outer 

 islands (by the set of the wind) to which these 

 birds resort for food. Upon the shifting of the 

 wind, the ice fills up those holes, and the birds are 

 then forced to betake themselves to flight to seek 

 others: and, as it often comes on to snow and 

 drift excessivelv hard at those times, with severe 

 frost, they are most completely lost. Sometimes 

 they fly into the country; at other times, along 

 shore: and in short anv wav, as chance directs 

 them, until their eyes are frozen in their heads; 

 and, being quite overcome by the severity of the 

 weather they drop dead;^ as was the case with 

 this biiYl, to-day. 



Mondaj/, Frhrunrji 15, 1779. At three this af- 

 ternoon, the up]")er part of the kitchen chimney 

 Twhich, foi* want of bricks, T was obliged to finish 

 with wattles clayed over) took fire; which quickly 

 found its way to the boarded partition l)etween it 

 and the dining room, and burnt with such fury, 

 that the whole house, the provisions, and all that 

 were in i1 nuist soon have been consumed, had 

 we not fortunately ])eeu all a1 home. The great 

 pot chanced to be on the fire, in which was spruce, 



• Dovokif' or liltlf auk, Allr nllr. 



*StHrvntion in unfloubfofllv tho rhiof fnrtor in this mortnlity. North- 

 ern bini« stnnH pxtrrrno rnl<l [)rovi<ior| thoy havo plonty of foot!. The 

 freezing of the cyea is probably a post mortem phenomenon. 



