l64 A summer's cruise to northern LABRADOR. 



the full force of the Labrador current which hugs this 

 shore, running at the rate of three knots an hour, its 

 effects not much weakened by the outer islands. The 

 water at the surface was perceptibly fresh, brought down 

 by the rivers and streams emptying into these bays. 



Going ashore in our harbor (Dumplin) we found the 

 beautiful dwarf arctic laurel {Kalmia glauca) just in 

 flower ; associated with it was a narrow-leaved Ledum 

 in full bloom, and very distinct from the Labrador tea 

 {Ledum latifolium), which was only just beginning to 

 flower ; besides, it is more procumbent and lives on more 

 exposed surfaces than the broad-leaved species. In one 

 sheltered spot was a thick growth of spruce, mostly 

 dwarfed, though one stump was seen to be thirteen 

 inches in diameter. Dredging in four fathoms did not 

 bring to light any novelties. On the north side of the 

 island there was a good deal of ice. Before sunset the 

 sky cleared in the west ; there was a fresh westerly breeze 

 through the night, and a good prospect of a fair day on 

 the morrow. Salmon trout were caught here, and the 

 sea-trout are at places common enough ; but the shallow 

 lakes do not abound in fish, although the deep lakes 

 among the mountains of the interior were said by Davies, 

 at the time he wrote, to be well stocked with them. 

 Pike's Harbor was three miles above us, and Tub Island 

 was also in sight. 



From this point we could see the famous Mealy 

 Mountain range, composed of lofty hills said by ex- 

 plorers to be from 1,500 to 2,500 feet in height ; we 

 judged their height to be not much less than 2,000 feet ; 

 they are certainly considerably higher than the moun- 

 tains of Mt. Desert, Maine, the highest peak of which is 



