IN AUDUBON'S LABRADOR 



fully tended by the priests, who respected its 

 infirmities, used it occasionally in farming 

 operations, and, in a springless wagon, on rare 

 occasions made the journey with it of five 

 miles to the post at the mouth of the Great 

 Natashquan River. At last it became too in- 

 firm to work, and for several years it was 

 maintained in idleness by the bounty of the 

 Church until its demise, when its body served 

 as food for M. Beetz's foxes. 



Supper at the Presbytery was a very pleas- 

 ant affair from all points of view. I learned 

 much of the history of the little hamlet. There 

 was a trading-post on the farther side of the 

 big river for many years, but it was moved to 

 the right bank of the river in 1858, The first 

 settler at American Harbor was Paul Vignot, 

 an Acadian who came here from the Magda- 

 lens in 1855. His two sons, Alfred and Charles, 

 still live here. I have met them both. The 

 church was built in i860. About forty years 

 ago the name American Harbor was dropped 

 and the term Natashquan, or Nataskouan as 

 it used to be spelled, was retained. Our con- 

 versation ranged from the history of the place 

 and the prospects of the people to Kant, evo- 

 78 



