Trail and Camp-Fire 



age to the northward. Toward their heads 

 the rivers flow nearly on a level with the sur- 

 rounding country without definite valleys, but 

 as they approach the coast they descend into 

 deep valleys, which they follow to the sea. 

 The Saguenay is an example of one of these 

 valleys, cut down 1,500 feet below the level 

 of the surrounding country, while the valley 

 of the Hamilton extends 400 miles inland, and 

 is everywhere several hundred feet below the 

 general level. 



As might be expected with a range of 

 1,000 miles in latitude, there are great dif- 

 ferences in climate between the southern and 

 northern portions of Labrador. Along the 

 shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence hardy crops 

 are easily grown, and many of the river-valleys 

 are well fitted for settlement. As the central 

 area is approached the climate becomes more 

 rigorous, and varies from temperate in sum- 

 mer to extreme cold in winter, when the ther- 

 mometer often registers 50 degrees below 

 zero. Along the coast of Hudson Bay good 

 root crops are raised at Fort George in lati- 

 tude 54 degrees, but on the Atlantic coast 

 the summer temperature is so lowered by the 



ice-laden arctic current that only at the heads 



26 



