' 1l 



THE LABRADOR JOURNAL 



393 



;nt with me. 

 vent off this 

 en boats, but 

 er enjoyed in 

 as numerous 



Was at work 

 3 my situation 

 Jrawing-paper, 

 3ts and falls in 



now and then 

 n may be said 

 ling, I finished 

 , and now con- 

 party returned, 

 ip disagreeable, 

 Wolf, and found 

 rcticiis breeding 

 utiful Colymhui 



eeable ; wet and 

 te in the world, 

 ts blooming by 

 such as would 

 perate climes. 

 Lt describe them 

 me the list of 

 coast as far as 

 at the Loon, a 

 It, I cannot help 

 |ur authors, who 

 up to nature." 

 ■opy His works; 

 ,n and Shattuck 

 e pond inland; 

 For an Owl, but 



which they could not approach ; they also caught a frog, 

 but lost it out of their game bag. 



July 10. Could I describe one of these dismal gales 



which blow ever and anon over this desolate country, it 



would in all probability be of interest to one unacquainted 



with the inclemency of the climate. Nowhere else is the 



power of the northeast gale, which blows every week on the 



coast of Labrador, so keenly felt as here. I cannot describe 



it; all I can say is that whilst we are in as fine and safe a 



harbor as could be wished for, and completely land-locked 



all round, so strong does the wind blow, and so great its 



influence on our vessel, that her motion will not allow me 



to draw, and indeed once this day forced me to my berth, 



as well as some others of our party. One would imagine 



all the powers of Boreas had been put to work to give us a 



true idea of what his energies can produce, even in so snug a 



harbor. What is felt outside I cannot imagine, but greatly 



fear that few vessels could ride safely before these horrid 



blasts, that now and then seem strong enough to rend the 



very rocks asunder. The rain is driven in sheets which 



seem scarcely to fall on sea or land ; I can hardly call it 



rain, it is rather a mass of water, so thick that all objects 



at any distance from us are lost to sight every three or 



four minutes, and the waters comb up and beat about us 



in our rock-bound harbor as a newly caged bird does 



against its imprisoning walls. The Great Black-backed 



Gull alone is seen floating through the storm, screaming 



loudly and mournfully as it seeks its prey; not another 



bird is to be seen abroad ; the Cormorants are all settled 



in the rocks close to us, the Guillemots are deep in the 



fissures, every Eider Duck lays under the lee of some 



point, her brood snugly benea*.h her opened wings, the 



Loon and the Diver have crawled among the rankest 



weeds, and are patiently waiting for a return of fair weather, 



the Grouse is quite hid under the creeping willow, the 



Great Gray Owl is perched on the southern declivity of 



