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LA \I..\ND is an island of Denmark, remarkable for 

 its fertility. It produces all sorts of grain ; and 

 considerable quantities of wheat are exported from it to 

 Copenhagen, and other parts of Denmark. It is, how- 

 ever, low, -marshy, and insalubrious. The principal 

 towns, are Naskow, the capital, which is walled, and has 

 a considerable trade, with a rich hospital, and a good 

 harbour ; Mariehow, situated on a lake near the middle 

 of the island ; Nysted, on the south-east coast ; and 

 Saxkioping, on the north-east part of the island. See 

 DENMARK. \'o'. \ II. p. CU, 650, &c. 



LABORATORY is a place furnished with all the 

 various kinds of chemical apparatus. An account of 

 the different instruments and apparatus used in experi- 

 mental chemistry, will be found in our article CHCHIS- 

 THV, Vol. VI. p. 151. 



LABDAM'M, <.r LADAM'M, is a resinous substance, 

 which oozes from the leaves of the cislm crelicut, or 

 la-inniffra. An account of this gum has already been 

 given in our articles ('INDIA. Vol. V. p. 366, and CHC- 

 MisTftt, Vol. VI. p. 123. See also Milburn's Oriental 

 Commerce, vol. i. p. 138. 



LABOl'K. See MIDWIFERY. 



I. VBRADOR, a large peninsula about 850 miles 

 square, lying between 5O and 60 of North Lat and 

 55* and 71 J" of West Long, from Greenwich. It is 

 bounded on the south by Canada and the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence ; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean , on the 

 north by Hudson's Straits; and on the west by Hud- 

 son's Bay. It was discovered, in 1496, by the Portu- 

 guese, and named Terra de Labrador, or " ploughman's 

 land," a designation to which it seems to have very lit- 

 tle title. It is frequently called also New Britain ; and 

 its western coast u generally denominated the East 

 Main, by the Hudson's Bay settlers. The whole of this 

 vast tract of country, as far as it has hitherto been ex- 

 plored, ii extremely barren and dreary, the surface every 

 where uneven, and covered with large stones ; the 

 mountains devoid of herbage, and producing at best a 

 little mot*, or a few blighted shrubs ; the vallies, in 

 some places, full of low crooked trees of the pine and 

 birch species. The southern parts present some ap- 

 pearance of soil capable of cultivation ; and in some of 

 the deep bays a little timber may he found. The native 

 plant* are wild celery, scurvy-gran, reddocks, and In- 

 dian *allad. The prevailing apect of the whole re- 

 gion is a heap of bare and frightful rocks. The high- 

 est mountains extend along the eastern coast, from lati- 

 tude ; V to latitude 5<J* or 60' ; but their elevation does 

 not appear any where to exceed 3000 feet There are 

 vast chains of lakes and ponds throughout the country, 

 produced by the rains and melting of the snow ; but 

 springs are extremely rare. There are several streams, 

 which empty themselves info the sea ; but they are not 

 deserving of the name of rivers, and are nothing more 



than drains from the lakes and ponds of the interior, Labrador, 

 running on a bed of solid rock, sometimes broad, but > -V * 

 rarely of any depth. The climate is remarkably rigo- CUmat * 

 rous ; and the winter lasts about nine months, from the 

 middle of September to the middle of July. But, on 

 this point, the following extract from a meteorological 

 journal of the weather at Nain, in 57 of north latitude, 

 will afford the most accurate information, as far as re- 

 gards the state of the thermometer. 



Of the mineralogy* of Labrador, very little is known ; Mineral. 

 and the only subterranean productions hitherto disco- 

 vered, are a little iron ore, granite, hornblende, lime- 

 stone, lapis ollaris, lurmatite, and the beautiful shining 

 spar, called the Labrador stone. This last mentioned 

 substance was discovered by the Moravian missionaries 

 hi sailing over the lakes, where its bright hues were 

 reflected from the water ; and is supposed to be the 

 same article, which some of the early navigators brought 

 from the coast as a specimen of gold ore. Its native 

 rocks have not been discovered, but it is collected by 

 the F.tquimaux on the shores of the sea and lakes. 



The animals of this country are neither very nume. Animal* 

 rous nor various. Rein-deer, whose venison is excel- 

 lent, are tolerably abundant Black and white bears 

 are frequently seen in considerable numbers, especially 

 where the fish, being retarded in their progress by the 

 cataracts, are found collected in one place Wolves, 

 foxes, carkashew, mountain cats, martins, beavers, ot- 

 ters, hares, a few ermines, and plenty of porcupines, 

 are the principal quadrupeds met with in this drea- 

 ry region. The more permanent feathered inhabi- 

 tants, are eagles, hawks, horned owls, the red game, 

 and a smaller species, called the spruce partridge. Ma- 

 ny migratory birds frequent the woods and lakes in 

 summer and autumn, and tome of the smaller sort are 

 remarkable for their beautiful plamagc ; but, after the 

 breeding season is past, they seek a happier climate be* 



9 a notice on thu subject, by the Her. Mr. Suialiauer, in the " Trannctiont of the Geological Society," Tol tit 



