Jan. i6, 1909.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
89 
Sometimes the beds and banks of the rivers Seal Lake, where they were doubtless left when 
were formed almost wholly of these, while on the land was less elevated than now and where 
the hills we would see the great stones perched they thrive and breed in fresh water. White 
where they had been left, possibly thousands foxes seem to be plentiful, but during the sum- 
of years ago. In some places the action of frostmer their skins are of a blue color and of but 
has broken the solid rocks of the hills into great little value; we also saw some wolf tracks and 
cracks as if the whole country had been shat-a few hares, but no other evidence of fur-bear- 
tered with dynamite. A little way from manying animals. The Indians on the coast informed 
of the rivers we found the country in all stages us that a little to the south, where the timber 
of formation; clear lakes with a hard bottom,is larger, they get beaver, otter, marten and 
CAMP ON SEAL LAKE, LABRADOR. 
next those with a vegetable bottom, then those 
which have become swamps and finally the sites 
of swamps now filled with dried moss. 
Almost the only trees met with were a 
dwarfed variety of larch and spruce. These 
grow only in protected lowlands and along the 
borders of the rivers and lakes; the upper parts 
of the hills are always entirely bare. The gen¬ 
eral size and appearance of these is welt shown 
in the photographs! No trees of large size were 
seen near the cold waters of Hudson Bay and 
but very few others inland. 
Quantities of wild flowers were found on the 
Hudson Bay coast, berries taking their place 
inland. In the photograph of the rapids on 
Still Water River, light patches of reindeer moss 
may be seen. This occurs in such great abund¬ 
ance that I believe it capable of supporting vast 
herds of domesticated caribou. When these 
valuable animals are firmly established in the 
country and the dogs exterminated or kept in 
bounds, Labrador and its people will take on 
a new life, for the dogs require food which 
might support the natives, people are killed by 
them each year and when they are hungry or 
mad they are dangerous enemies. Whenever 
we were near Eskimo camps we had to guard 
our tents continually, yet they broke in many 
times and destroyed valuable articles, particu¬ 
larly those containing any leather. In contrast 
to these, the caribou is less troublesome to keep; 
it is not dangerous; it can carry more than the 
dog and indirectly it could furnish abundant 
food, as does the Lapland animal. The intro¬ 
duction of these animals is too important a sub¬ 
ject to be fully dwelt on here, but Dr. Grenfell, 
with his experience and help, will successfully 
carry it to completion. I believe that caribou, 
fair traders, missionaries both medical and 
spiritual, and a little government help are the 
greatest present needs of the Labrador peo¬ 
ple. 
In Hudson Bay white whales and seal were 
numerous, the latter occurring as far inland as 
mink. Some white bears are seen on both coasts 
and a number of walrus are killed each year. 
The Indians stated that caribou were scarce 
west of the watershed, but we were led to be¬ 
lieve that after crossing this we would find them 
by the thousand. To our surprise, during our 
entire trip, we saw but a single caribou, al¬ 
though the moss upon which they feed was 
abundant everywhere. Bird life also was scarce 
with the exception of the willow grouse, the 
ever-present gull and loon, and on the coast the 
sea-pigeon. 
The fishing all the way from Hudson Bay to 
well past the height of land could not be better. 
Brook and lake trout and whitefish throng all 
these waters and afford the best kind of sport. 
I refrain from going into details as to the size 
of these fish and the quantities we saw, but it 
certainly seemed as if there were no small trout, 
so seldom was one taken. We have stood on 
the edge of the rocks and seen trout from two 
to three feet long lazily swimming up and down. 
At one time we saw at least six of these mon¬ 
sters all trying to eat a two-foot whitefish. They 
reminded us of so many sharks. These fish 
were more numerous in the rapids than at their 
foot. We found that an artificial fly was of 
little use, but a hook baited with pork or the 
fin of a trout seemed irresistible to them. This 
must be cast far out into the rapids, for the 
largest fish are usually found some distance 
from the shore. 
As Ungava Bay is approached, the wonder¬ 
fully clear water changes abruptly to a chalky 
muddy color and the fishing in the main streams 
ceases, but in the smaller tributaries brook trout 
may still be taken, and as soon as tide water is 
reached we find sea trout and magnificent sal¬ 
mon. 
From the time we left Richmond Gulf until 
we reached Fort Chimo we did not see a single 
native, but this did not greatly surprise us, for 
we supposed their absence was explained by 
the scarcity of caribou. The Eskimo near Hud¬ 
son Bay are, I believe, in a cruder state than 
in any other part of Canada. There are no 
missionaries, posts, nor settlements of any kind 
here, and many of the natives have never come 
in contact with white men. Their mode of liv¬ 
ing is crude and filthy in the extreme. We sel¬ 
dom saw firearms, tinware, calico or other signs 
of civilization; to all appearances the natives 
were the same as we have reason to believe they 
were hundreds of years ago. They were in a 
chronic state of starvation, depending entirely 
upon the seals for food, wholly unprepared for 
the morrow and incapable of providing in any 
way for the future. Like all savages, they feast 
to-day and starve to-morrow. 
Even the Indians, halfbreeds and Eskimo we 
found on James Bay were equally improvident. 
These spent their spare moments and cartridges 
in shooting the seals whose heads appeared from 
time to time above the water. A successful 
shot always brought forth merriment and ap¬ 
plause, though of course the dead animal sank 
at once and was lost. It is perhaps little wonder 
that seals are growing scarcer along this coast. 
Another illustration of this trait of savage 
character was furnished by a band of thirty- 
five miserable, starving Indians whom we met 
on the coast. They had had no meat for three 
days. A few days before we met them they 
had sent six men into the interior for game, but 
the hunters, though they succeeded' in killing 
three caribou, brought nothing back with them. 
SHORE OF HUDSON B.AY NEAR GREAT WH.\LE RIVER. 
