THE LABRADOR JOURNAL 



375 



acquaintance with man. We saw a great number of Gulls 

 of various kinds, but mostly L. marinus and L. tridac' 

 tyliis ; these were on the extreme points of sand-bars, but 

 could not be approached, and certainly the more numer- 

 ous thoy are, the more wild and wary. On entering the 

 river we saw several nets set across a portion of the 

 stream for the purpose of catching salmon; these seines 

 were fastened in the stream about sixty yards from either 

 shore, supported by buoys; the net is fastened to the 

 shore by stakes that hold it perpendicular to the water; 

 the fish enter these, and entangle themselves until re- 

 moved by the fishermen. On going to a house on the 

 shore, we found it a tolerably good cabin, floored, con- 

 taining a good stove, a chimney, and an oven at the bot- 

 tom of this, like the ovens of the French peasants, three 

 beds, and a table whereon the breakfast of the family was 

 served. This consisted of coffee in large bowls, good 

 bread, and fried salmon. Three Labrador dogs came and 

 sniffed about us, and then returned under the table 

 whence they had issued, with no appearance of anger. 

 Two men, two women, and a babe formed the group, which 

 I addressed in French. They were French Canadians 

 and had been here several years, winter and summer, and 

 are agents for the Fur and Fish Co. , who give them food, 

 clothes, and about $80 per annum. They have a cow and 

 an ox, about an acre of potatoes planted in sand, seven 

 feet of snow in winter, and two-thirds less salmon than 

 was caught here ten years since. Then three hundred 

 barrels was a fair season ; now one hundred is the maxi- 

 mum ; this is because they will catch the fish both ascend- 

 ing and descending the river. During winter the men 

 hunt Foxes, Martens, and Sables, and kill some Bear of 

 the black kind, but neither Deer nor other game is to be 

 found without going a great distance in the interior, 

 where Reindeer are now and then procured. One spe- 

 cies of Grouse and one of Ptarmigan, the latter white 



