4l6 AUDUBON 



dogs; and as I was caressing one of them he said, "Tell 

 my brother-in-law at Bras d'Or, that we are all well here, 

 and that, after visiting my wife's father, I will give him 

 a call." 



Now, reader, his wife's father resided at the distance 

 of seventy miles down the coast, and, like himself, was a 

 recluse. He of Bras d'Or, was at double that distance; 

 but, when the snows of winter have thickly covered the 

 country, the whole family, in sledges drawn by dogs, 

 travel with ease, and pay their visits, or leave their cards. 

 This good gentleman had already resided there more than 

 twenty years. Should he ever read this article, I desire 

 him to believe that I shall always be grateful to him and 

 his wife for their hospitable welcome. 



When our schooner, the "Ripley," arrived at Bras 



d'Or, I paid a visit to Mr. , the brother-in-law, who 



lived in a house imported from Quebec, which fronted the 

 strait of Belle Isle, and overlooked a small island, over 

 which the eye reached the coast of Newfoundland, when- 

 ever it was the wind's pleasure to drive away the fogs 

 that usually lay over both coasts. The gentleman and 

 his wife, we were told, were both out on a walk, but 

 would return in a very short time, which they in fact did, 

 when we followed them into the house, which was yet 

 unfinished. The usual immense Dutch stove formed a 

 principal feature of the interior. The lady had once, 

 visited the metropolis of Canada, and seemed desirous of 

 acting the part of a blue-stocking. Understanding that I 

 knew something of the fine arts, she pointed to several of 

 the vile prints hung on the bare walls, which she said 

 were elegant Italian pictures, and continued her encomi- 

 ums upon them, assuring me that she had purchased them 

 from an Italian, who had come there with a trunk full of 

 them. She had paid a shilling sterling for each, frame 

 included. I could give no answer to the good lady on 

 this subject, but I felt glad to find that she possessed a 



