I 



WW' 



THE LABRADOR JOURNAL 



433 



w abated, and 

 ng a flock of 

 travelled due 

 it against the 

 ame on board 



s. 



' ; this morning 

 f a Reindeer or 

 ;n before. We 

 and gave in ex- 

 of ship-biscuit, 

 J, which plainly 

 ;he value of the 

 on of the day in 

 eked Diver, after 

 camp across the 

 lying down pell- 

 ire of blood was 

 portment; some 

 1 to say that the 

 if and lazier they 

 ularly disgusting, 

 ased some rough 

 len had been out 

 apple" [i2«*«^ 

 [astes exactly like 

 tged in catching 

 nibers in all the 

 The young Indi- 

 |rned the eel grass 

 ich parley, we en- 

 le interior to pro- 

 were to receive a 

 lety-nine lobsters, 

 nd in this valuable 

 fire of brushwood, 



and devour them without salt or any other et ccteras. The 

 Caribous are now " in velvet," and their skins light gray, 

 the flesh tender, but the animal poor. The average weight 

 when in good condition, four hundred pounds. In the 

 early part of March the Caribou leave the hills and come 

 to the sea-shore to feed on kelp and sea-grasses cut off by 

 the ice and cast on the shore. Groups of many hundreds 

 may be seen thus feeding. The flesh here is held in low 

 estimation ; it tastes like poor venison. I saw to-day several 

 pairs of Cayenne Terns on their way south ; they flew high, 

 and were very noisy. The Great Terns passed also in vast 

 multitudes. When the weather is stormy, they skim close 

 over the water ; if fair, they rise very high and fly more at 

 leisure. The Tell-tale Godwit is now extremely fat, ex- 

 tremely juicy, extremely tender, and extremely good. 

 The Parus hudsonicus is very abundant ; so is the Pine 

 Grosbeak, but in a shocking state of moult. The Kalmia 

 angustifolia} the natives say, is an antidote for cramp and 

 rheumatism. I was on the point of bidding thee good- 

 night, when we all were invited to a ball ^ on shore. I am 

 going with the rest out of curiosity. 



August 16. The people seemed to enjoy themselves well 

 at the ball, and John played the violin for them till half-past 

 two. I returned on board before eleven, and slept soundly 

 till the young men hailed for a boat. This morning has been 

 spent drawing a kalmia to a bird. The young men went 

 off with the Indians this morning, but returned this evening 

 driven back by flies and mosquitoes. Lincoln is really in 

 great pain. They brought a pair of Willow Grouse, old and 

 young; the latter had no hairy feathers yet on the legs. 

 They saw Canada Jays, Crossbills, Pine Grosbeaks, Robins, 

 one Golden-winged Woodpecker, many Canadian Titmice, 

 a Martin Swallow, a Kingfisher (none in Labrador) heard 

 a Squirrel which sounded like the Red Squirrel. The 

 country was described as being " up and down the whole 



1 Sheep laurel. » See Episode, " A Ball in Newfoundland." 



VOL. I. — 28 



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