54 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. IO7 



that when the land was higher, the coast line was in keeping with the 

 description in the Saga. Nevertheless, it would not seem that men 

 from Greenland who had recently passed along the Labrador coast 

 would describe that of Nova Scotia as "bleak" as does one version 

 of the Saga. A minor criticism is furnished by the fact that the Flat 

 Island Book seems to say that they sailed west into Streamfirth, 

 whereas the Bay of Fundy extends from southwest to northeast. In 

 view, however, of the uncertain value of so many Flat Island Book 

 statements this must not be overrated. On the other hand, I have 

 omitted one argument in Nova Scotia's favor which will appear when 

 we come to take up the problem presented by Wineland. 



What may be called the Labrador theory of the location of the 

 Wonder-strands was first proposed by Steensby, and it has been 

 accepted by a number of the best subsequent students such as Her- 

 mannsson and Thordarson (Steensby, 1918, pp. 42-47 ; Hermannsson, 

 1936, p. 59; Thordarson, 1930, p. 21). It derives its great strength 

 from the fact that the southern Labrador coast is relatively straight, 

 long, and "bleak," but particularly because one can here point to a 

 considerable number of long sandy beaches. Dr. Lewis has kindly 

 supplied me with data regarding these which are as follows. 



Miles 



Blanc Sablon Bay i 



Anse des Dunes, Bradore Bay i 



Sandy Island, St. Augustin i 



Vicinity of mouth of Netagamiu River 8 



Kegaska Bay to Natashquan 31 



Vicinity of mouth of Agwanus River g 



Clearwater Point to west of Eskimo Point 9 



Mingan River to Magpie 23 



Matamek to Bay of Seven Islands 26 



The first considerable stretch of sand occurs just east of Cape 

 Whittle, where the trend of the coast as one enters the Bay of St. 

 Lawrence changes from southwest to west, and from Kegaska Bay on, 

 sand beaches are fairly numerous and long. East of Netagamiu 

 River the coast is generally bold, rocky, and desolate. I quote the 

 following from Packard (1891, p. 63) regarding this part of the 

 coast : 



As we approach land no capes run out to greet us, or sheltered harbor opens 

 its arms to embrace. An uninterrupted line of coast confronts the gulf. In one 

 place alone is the intense monotony of the outline relieved by the hills of 

 Bradore, where the coast sweeps round fifteen miles to the eastward, and the 

 Strait [of Belle Isle] widens out. 



