130 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



first volume only having been as yet issued, he chartered a 

 small vessel, the " Ripley," at Eastport, Maine, for the pur- 

 pose, and accompanied by four young gentlemen, fond of 

 Natural History and adventure, set sail for the North. He 

 describes his out-fit, mode of life on board and ashore. 



We had purchased our stores at Boston, with the aid of my 

 generous friend Dr. Parkman of that city ; but unfortunately 

 many things necessary on an expedition like ours were omitted. 

 At Eastport in Maine we therefore laid in these requisites. 

 No traveller, let me say, ought to neglect anything that is 

 calculated to insure the success of his undertaking, or to con- 

 tribute to his personal comfort,- when about to set out on a long 

 and perhaps hazardous voyage. Very few opportunities of 

 replenishing stores of provision, clothing or ammunition, 

 occur in such a country as Labrador ; and yet, we all placed 

 too much confidence in the zeal and foresight of our purvey- 

 ors at Eastport. We had abundance of ammunition, excellent 

 bread, meat and potatoes ; but the butter was quite rancid, 

 the oil only fit to grease our guns, the vinegar too liberally 

 diluted with cider, the mustard and pepper deficient in due 

 pungency. All this, however, was not discovered until it was 

 too late to be remedied. Several of the young men were not 

 clothed as hunters should be, and some of the guns were not 

 .so good as we could have wished. We were, however, fortunate 

 with respect to our vessel, which was a notable sailer, did not 

 leak, had a good crew, and was directed by a capital seaman. 



The hold of the schooner was floored, and an entrance 

 made to it from the cabin, so that in it we had a very good par- 

 lor, dining-room, drawing-room, library, &c., all those apart- 

 ments, however, being united into one. An extravagantly 

 elongated' deal table ranged along the centre ; one of the 

 party had slung his hammock at one end, and in its vicinity 

 slept the cook' and a lad who acted as armorer. The cabin 

 was small; but being fitted in the usual manner with side 

 berths, was used for a dormitory. It contained a small table 



