402 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



They are alfo every where overgrown with pines of 

 pfuches, as the French call them, fo as to be prac- 

 ticable only in thofe parts, where the inhabitants 

 have cut roads. This fpecies of pine feidom exceed 

 the height of two or three toifes in the open parts s 

 but in valleys where they are fheltered from the frod 

 and the piercing winds, they rife to a much greater 

 height. In winter the cold is excelllve here, nothing 

 hut fnow and ice being' feen ; and the Bays and har- 

 bours entirely frozen. This fevere weather fets in fo 

 early, that though it was but the 21ft of November 

 when we were there, it froze to fuch a degree, that we 

 were obliged to wait till the fun had begun to break 

 the ice and thus force a way through without waiting 

 till the next day^ left the froft fliould return ^ and therr 

 it would have been impofTible, and the fliips under the 

 dreadful neceflity of wintering among the ice. 



This is the more remarkable, as the latitude of 

 Placentia is only 47 deg. 10 min. and the bay 

 where we happened to be was but little more. The 

 inhabitants of the ifland keep themfelves (hut up in 

 their houfes during the winter, except in fair and 

 fun-fhiny weather, when they go out with a great 

 deal of pleafure to enjoy the enlivening rays of the 

 fun. 



The whole circuit of the ifland fs full of bays 

 and harbours, all fo fpacious and fheltered on all 

 fides by the mountains except their entrance, that 

 the veflels lie in perfect fecurity ; they all grow gra- 

 dually narrower from their entrance, that at the end 

 ef them, there is fcarce room for a fingle velTcl to 

 anchor. Some of thefe harbours are a league and 

 a half or two leagues in length ; and their greateft 

 breadth about half a league. But there are alfo 

 others much larger and fome lefs ; into them run 

 feveral rivers and brooks, v^hich befides the finenefs 

 of their v/ater afford great quantities of trouts and 

 other kinds of frefli water fifh, kcum^ to vie with 



the, 



