CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH OF JULY. 149 



had a fresh salmon and canned peas, excellent after- 

 courses, washed down with champagne brought out 

 with especial reference to the. occasion by Mr. Phoenix. 

 The evening was thick and foggy, and at sunset the 

 American flag was again saluted and cheered, and the 

 ship's bell rung, due response being made by the people 

 ashore and by the crews of the other vessels, while the 

 captain of one of the Newfoundland vessels politely 

 sent up rockets, Roman candles, and burned Drum- 

 mond lights. The effect of -the fire-works in the fog and 

 mist, the glare reflected from the ice into the sky and 

 upon the surrounding cliffs, the cheers and shouts, which 

 were prolonged to after eleven o'clock at night, all made 

 a scene, we venture to say, never before witnessed by 

 Labradorians. 



Before dinner a party was equipped and armed to the 

 teeth to go on land and look up a black bear which was 

 seen ashore yesterday. I joined them with my insect-net. 

 We pushed and shoved through the ice, at times haul- 

 ing the boat over some refractory floe. A cloudy, misty 

 day is anywhere unfavorable to insect life, but on this 

 coast scarcely an insect is then to be seen, so I turned 

 ray attention to the tilts and jacks. A raccoon's skin 

 was shown us, and we were told that four or five years 

 since two white-bear cubs were captured near here and 

 carried into St. John's, while a large white or " water 

 bear" was shot last week up at Tub Island. This proved 

 not to be a fish story, as Mr. Bradford afterwards secured 

 there a good skin which was destined to adorn his New 

 York studio on Tenth Street. A white bear's skin with- 

 out the head is worth more than that of a black bear, 

 for which six dollars is asked. 



