IN AUDUBON'S LABRADOR 



Higher up the surface crust for a quarter of 

 an inch or so was soft and crumbling, while, 

 where the vegetation was luxuriant, many of 

 the pebbles had entirely lost their shape, and 

 others were split into many pieces by the frost 

 entering cracks wedged apart by plant-growth. 

 In this way vegetation aided by frost changes 

 even polished crystalline rocks into soil suit- 

 able for plant-food. 



"You could not have happened in better 

 weather," said the captain as the sea quieted 

 down under the lee of the shore and we en- 

 tered the mouth of the harbor, sailed through 

 the narrows, and beat up to the head of the 

 wonderful rock-enclosed bowl. The water was 

 so deep that we were almost on shore be- 

 fore we could anchor. In this quiet harbor 

 five or six schooners, Newfoundland fisher- 

 men, had taken refuge, but there were no 

 signs of human habitation on the shore. It 

 was as deserted as in Audubon's day. 



As we had started early from Harrington, 

 it was only half-past seven in the morning 

 when we landed, and for five glorious hours 

 we scrambled about the rocky mountains that 

 surrounded the bowl. Heights are deceptive, 



156 



