70 LABRADOR 
phobia or of the Tenia echinococcus, or fatal tapeworm, 
that dogs transmit to man. 
The restorative influence of a holiday in Labrador on 
a jaded and overwrought system is often truly wonderful, 
and I feel sure that, under proper conditions, a constitution 
will be toned up much faster than in the summer resorts. 
Commander Peary has recently added his testimony to the 
great value of the Arctic air to consumptives. 
There has somehow got abroad an idea that Labrador 
is continually wrapped in fog. This is an entirely erroneous 
idea, and has arisen from the fact that at the line of junction 
of the Gulf and polar currents, in the regions of the Banks 
of Newfoundland and England, more or less fog is preva- 
lent. Asa matter of fact, fog is almost left behind at the 
Strait of Belle Isle. Many times as we have steamed out 
of the strait in thick fog, and passed the southeast corner 
of Labrador, we emerged from what, on looking back, re- 
sembled a dark wall, to bask suddenly in the clearest of 
sunshine. As master of my own vessel for fifteen years on 
the coast, I can say that the delays that I have experienced 
in the summer from fog between Battle Harbour and Cape 
Chidley have been quite immaterial. Thus, during last 
year’s cruise, commenced on May 7, and ended November 
13, we were delayed by fog only one day. On the average, 
a more or less foggy day once a fortnight may be expected. 
The rainfall again is exceptionally small, and the small 
amount of snow that falls in the eight winter months, which 
is at that time the rain of the country, is not sufficient to 
leave a permanent ice-cap even on the highest peaks. 
There are no accurate statistics to show exactly what the 
rainfall is, but the experience of visitors is that a whole 
