aKkfjgan ^tlfWAliilll lii-^-----^lii:-;ip ;:;:!; is^iismiiifti^^imMi^^rAH • 7 ,'iiiV.'''^^ *.'^E^"';!Ii;ii!T!'l9vl mm ;,i;iiMii /»v.- J5iDiTJeD::x»:y;Y:"-' LIBRARY nivvrsity of California Irvine V F uAS.E.LAURIATciol ^o-- CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT AND HIS LABRADOR JOURNAL W. Hiltou, Pinxt. T. Medland, Sculp. Captain Cartwright Visiting His Fox-traps Fro7itispiece Captain Cartwright AND HIS LABRADOR JOURNAL EDITED BY CHARLES WENDELL TOWNSEND, M. D. Author of "Along the Labrador Coast," "A Labrador Spring," "Thk Birds of Kssex Cotnty," and joint author of "Birds of Labrador" WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY DR. WILFRED T. GRENFELL Illustrations from Old Engravings, Photographs, and a Map BOSTON DANA ESTES & COMPANY PUBLISHERS 1911 Copyright, 1911 By Dana Estes & Company All rights reserved Electrotyped and Printed by THE COLONIAL PRESS C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston, U.S.A. INTRODUCTION BY DR. GRENFELL Having been myself long familiar with the ad- mirable diaries of Captain Cartwright, and hav- ing received no little personal inspiration from them, I have often regretted they were not within reach of more men of the present day. I have even gone so far as to try and set time enough aside to do a work myself that it had not pleased any one else to do. I firmly believe, however, it is only the scarcity of copies, and the little knowl- edge of them, that has led to their not being pre- viously published. Thus it may readily be con- ceived how gladly I learned that Dr. Townsend had undertaken this labour of love— a work I con- sider altogether worthy of commendation. There are too few classics of the type of Borrow 's '' Bible in Spain " and \\niite's '' Natural His- tory of Selbourne " that picture so clearly and obviously trutlifully, the struggles and trials, the joys and interests of a very human being— such as most of us find ourselves to be. This book does not conventionally portray the life of a saint, but faithfully depicts that of a sinner— a class of })ooks f)erhaps likely to do just as nnich good- being more interesting and therefore likely to vii viii INTRODUCTION reach further, even if it would be classed by some as not so directly edifying to the soul. The Jour- nals are a concise illustration of the enterprise, pluck, perseverance, self-reliance and stoicism of the old English stock. Cartwright is even more than candid in the revelation of his own derelic- tions. But his carefully recorded series of facts about himself and the country paint a graphic picture which leaves one's mind informed and stimulated. It is, moreover, valuable, if for noth- ing else, for its contrast with the style of the journalistic records of passing events in the mod- ern press, where a minimimi of fact is made the basis for a maximum of letter press, so that the oculist rather than the mind or spirit benefits from the search for knowledge. Personally I feel very grateful for an accessible edition of these Journals. It would be a distinct loss to literature if they were permitted to disappear. It strikes me as somewhat appropriate this fore- word should be written from the home of the gallant Captain himself. Wilfred Grenfell, M. D., M. A., etc. Oct. 6, 1909. »S. S. Strathcona. Cartwright, Labrador. PREFACE Before mv first visit to Labrador in the sum- mer of 1906, I came upon the Journal of Captain George Cartwright, published in Newark, Eng- land, in 1792, detailing his experiences during a residence of nearly sixteen years on that inhos- pitable but interesting coast. I found it to be a mine of valuable information and acute observa- tions on many subjects connected with Labrador and Lalirador life and adventure, including ac- counts of the birds and beasts that he hunted and trapped, and of the people, both Eskimo and In- dian, all told with a fidelity to truth that cannot be doubted. Cartwright 's tact and judgment in dealing with the Eskimos, Avho had formerly been negotiated by the Europeans only at the musket's mouth, and his uniform justice in his treatment of them, to- gether with his interesting account of their cus- toms and of their behaviour both in Tjabrador and at the coui-t of King George the Tliird, are all admii'ablc. His account of the habits of polar bears and beavers studied under exceptionally favoura])lo circumstances, his obsen-ations on the caribou, on wolves, otters, wolverines and other fur-bear- ers, and oTi many species of water-birds, inclndinc: iz PREFACE the long extinct great auk, as well as his notes on matters botanical, are all of exceeding interest. His treatment of labour difficulties, his adven- tures with American privateers during the Revo- lution and the side-light he throws on the char- acter of Benedict Arnold, with whom he happened to share a cabin on a voyage to England, are all interesting; but above all one admires his keen sense of honour and his cheerful philosophy that cling to him in his numerous misfortunes. The care with which his observations are made, his avoidance of exaggeration and his evident in- tention to state the truth as clearly as he could, together with his excellent judgment, make these volumes of great value and ever increasing inter- est, as they deal with conditions many of which are now passed for ever. Intermingled with these interesting parts is much that is of necessity tedious and of little in- terest to the general reader, and much that is mere repetition, for the Journal, of over one thou- sand pages, in three large quarto volumes, is the every-day record of Cartwright's life, put down without embellishment evidently for his own con- venience, and, as he himself says, with no thought of publication. The volumes are now rare, and, in this age of hurry, few would care to wade through the great body of the work for the sake of the plums. In the following pages I have reproduced the Journal without any changes in the wording, spelling or punctuation, omitting only the unim- PREFACE xi portant details and the mass of repetition. Occa- sionally, only, have I introduced, but always in brackets, a few words of my own to explain any omissions. I have also added in foot-notes from time to time explanatory conmients, and have given as far as possible the common and scientific names of the beasts, birds and plants mentioned. In interpreting the names as given by Cartwright, I have been aided by finding many of them still in use on the Labrador coast, and also bv the fact that Cartwright often uses, very naturally, the names of allied or similar species in England. All of the animals and plants mentioned, with the ex- ception of a few extinct species, are known to occur in Labrador to-day. As these names are often repeated a reference to the index will show the page where the explanatory notes occur. Cartwright 's notes are indicated by asterisks, mine bv numerals. Manv of the unusual words are explained in Cartwright 's ''. Glossarj^," also entered in the index. I wish to express my thanks to Mr. Walter Deane for assistance in the identification of the plants and to Dr. Glover M. Allen in the identi- fication of the mammals and fishes. I am also indebted for some of the photographs of the Lab- rador coast to Drs. W. P. Bolles, W. R. MacAus- land and Glover M. Allen. A brief account of the family history and of the life of Captain Cartwright subsequent to his resi- dence ill Tyabrador — he himself gives his earlier life — is to be found in the introduction. xii PKEFACE Perhaps no more interesting picture of the man himself, nor any better praise for his Journal can be found than that in the following from the poet Southey, which I have already quoted in '' Along the Labrador Coast," but it is worth quoting again : '' I saw Major Cartwright (the sportsman, not the patriot) in 1791. I was visiting with the Lambs, at Hampstead, in Kent, at the house of Hodges, his brother-in-law; we had nearly fin- ished dinner when he came in. He desired the servant to cut Mm a plate of beef from the side- board. I thought the footman meant to insult him: the plate was piled to a height which no ploughboy after a hard day's fasting could have levelled; but the moment he took up his knife and fork and arranged the plate, I saw this was no common man. A second and third supply soon vanished. Mr. and Mrs. Lamb, who had never before seen him, glanced at each other; but Tom and I, with school boys' privilege, kept our eyes riveted upon him with what Doctor Butt would have called the gaze of admiration. * I see you have been looking at me ' (said he, when he had done). ^ I have a very great appetite. I once fell in with a stranger in the shooting season and we dined together at an inn. There was a leg of mut- ton which he did not touch. I never make more than two cuts off a leg of mutton; the first takes all one side, the second all the other; and when I had done this, I laid the bone across my knife for the marrow. The stranger could refrain no PREFACE xiii longer. *' By God, sir,'' said he, "I never saw a man eat like vou. ' ' ' " This man had strength and perseverance charactered in every muscle. He eat three cucimi- bers, with a due quantity of bread and cheese, for his breakfast the following morning. I was much pleased with him, he was good-humoured and com- municative; his long residence on the Labrador coast made his conversation as instructive as in- teresting. I had never before seen so extraordi- nary a man, and it is not therefore strange that my recollection of his manner, and words, and countenance should be so strong after an interval of six years. '^ I read his book in 1793, and, strange as it may seem, actually read through the three quartos. At that time, I w^as a verbatim reader of indefat- igable patience, but the odd simplicity of the book amused me — the importance he attached to his tra])s delighted me, it w^as so unlike a book written for the world — the solace of a solitan^ evening in Labrador. I fancied him blockaded bv the snows, rising from a meal upon the old, tough, high- flavoured, hard-sinewed wolf, and sitting down like Robinson Crusoe to his Journal. '* Tlie annals of his campaigns among the foxes and beavers interested me more than ever did the exploits of ]\rarl])orough or Ei-ederic; besides, I saw plain truth and the heart in Cartwright's book, and in what history could T look for this? ** The print is aii ('xccllcnf likeiiess. Tict me add that whoever would know the real history of xiv PREFACE the beaver must look for it in this work. The common accounts are fables. " Coleridge took up a volmne one day, and was delighted with its strange simplicity." Cartwright reveals himself in these pages as a lover of the truth, a good observer and hard worker, a philosopher in good fortune and in ill fortune, a resourceful man in many trying experi- ences, and above all a man of strict honour and justice. In a larger field he might have attained great eminence. The memory of his labours and observations in Labrador are well worth cherish- ing. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction by Dr. Grenfell vii Preface by Editor ix Introduction by Editor xix Explanation of the Frontispiece 3 Preface to the Journal 5 The First Voyage 13 The Second Voyage 132 The Third Voyage 148 The Fourth Voyage 213 The Fifth Voyage 292 The Sixth Voyage 316 Labrador; A Poetical Epistle 363 Glossary 373 Index 381 List of Illustrations PAGE Captain Cartwright Visiting His Fox -traps . Frontispiece John Cartwright xxii Edmund Cartwright xxvi Black's Head Inn, Nottingham xxx " Crabbed Spruce Bushes " at Cape Charles ... 32 Venison Harbour 32 Bake - apple and Labrador Tea in Blossom at Cape Charles 70 At the Mouth of Mary Harbour 82 Icebergs on the Labrador Coast 82 Covent Garden in 1732, from an engraving attributed to Hogarth 122 John Hunter 126 Ship Harbour 158 The Hudson's Bay Company's Post at Cartwright at the present day 168 Near the Mouth of White Bear River . . , .178 Looking South - east from the Mouth of Eagle River . 178 Spear Harbour with an Iceberg at its Mouth . . . 208 Fishing Schooners Going North, Mealy Mountains in the Distance 2r)2 " A Deal of Ice near the Land " '2rt2 Tumbled Rocks 2n4 " Island of Ice " at St. Francis Harbour .... 354 A Chart of Part of the Coast of Labrador The Chart original ia 34 by 24 inches; the smal] map of the straits of Bello Isle inserted in the lower left hnrid roriicr of the churt is a portion of the niiip of Newfoundland pub- lished with the oriKinal Journal. The design on the cover is from a photograph of a Labrador racket or snow-ahoe. INTRODUCTION BY DR. TOWNSEND George Cartwright, the second son of William Cartwriglit, was boni at Marnham, Nottingham- shire, England, on February 12th (old style), 1739. One of his ancestors, Sir Hugh Cartwright, who died in 1656, married the daughter and co-heiress of Cartwright, of Edinglej^ He was faithful to the cause of the unfortunate Charles, and was one of those who made themselves responsible for the debts contracted by the King during the siege of Newark. Had it not been for this loyalty of Sir Hugh to the cause of Charles, it is probable that the Labrador Journal would never have been writ- ten, for the family fortunes were so depleted in those stormy times that George Cartwright, in- stead of being able to follow his bent and live the life of a sporting English gentleman, was obliged to seek his fortunes over the seas among the rocks of Labrador. Owing to this same depleted state of the family exchequer, his education was cut short, and we have in his Journal possibly a more vigorous and less flowery record than we might have had if George's education had been embel- lished with all the latest touches of the age. Another of the ancestors of the subject of this memoir, Edmund by name, married the sister of ziz XX INTRODUCTION Archbisliop Cranmer, which enured to his tem- poral if not to his spiritual interests, as is shown in the following document: " Hee [Edmund Cart- wright] was a scholar and Master of Artes of Jesus College, Cambridge, where hee was inti- mately acquainted with his countryman and fel- low student, Thomas Cranmer, son of Thomas Cranmer, of Aslacton, whose only daughter Cart- wright married: which Cranmer, becoming after- wards Archbishop of Canterbury, tooke his brother Cartwright and sister into his house, and, at the dissolution of the abbeys, provided for him the abbey of Mauling in Kent, Rowney in Bed- fordshire, and Ossington in Nottinghamshire, which are at this day worth three thousand a year, and married his heir, Hugh, to one of the Lord Cobham's daughters." The father of our hero, William Cartwright, who married in 1731 his cousin Anne Cartwright, daughter of George Cartwright, was a man of very considerable talent and energy of character. He effected — temporarily it may be added — the abolition of the practice of giving vails ^ to serv- ants, which had become an intolerable abuse, and to his exertions the public are indebted for the execution of the work at Muskham near Newark, where the road for more than a mile was preserved from the effects of flood by being carried over thirteen brick arches. It was once observed of William Cartwright that " he had a genius for encountering difficulties," and it is evident that 1 TipB. INTRODUCTION xxi some of his sons inherited the same propensity in no common degree. He was blessed with five sons and five daughters. The oldest son, William, obtained a place in the Treasurj^ but died young. George was the second son. Then followed John, Edmund and Charles. John, the third son, was born at Marnham on September 28, 1740. At the age of five years he was sent to a grammar school at Newark, and later to Heath Academy in Yorkshire. A great part of his vacations from school were spent at the house of his uncle by marriage, John, Viscount Tyrconnel. Lord Tyrconnel, although eccentric, was a man of learning and integrity. He was a Whig of the old school, and it is related of him, '' that when divine service was performing in the Chapel at Belton, the old lord was observed to be greatly agitated during the reading of the prayer for the Parliament, stirring the fire violently, and muttering impatiently to himself, * Nothing but a miracle can mend them. ' " ^ At the age of eighteen, in 1758, John entered the naval ser^'ice of his country, and was present at the capture of Cherbourg, and the destruction of its naval basin. At this siege he showed his cour- age and generosity, by leaping from the deck of a 90-gun ship under sail to save the life of a man who had fallen overboard. In 1750 he joined the '* ^Fagnarn'me," com- manded ))y Lord Howe, whom he ever afterwards ' Thfi liifo and Corrfsponflcnrn of Major Cartwright. Edited by his niece, F. D. Cartwright, London, 1826. xxii INTRODUCTION regarded with feelings of the greatest affection and respect. The French fleet under Admiral Conflans were attacked in the great s^a fight of November 20th of that year by the English Ad- miral Sir Edward Hawke, and notwithstanding their knowledge of the coast, which enabled them to retire to the dangerous shallows amid rocks, more than half of their vessels were either cap- tured, disabled or driven ashore. Of the twenty- six men under the command of John Cartwright in this battle, thirteen were killed, while he es- caped with but a slight scratch from a splinter. In 1766 John was appointed by Sir Hugh Pal- lisser, the Governor of Newfoundland, to be his deputy or surrogate within the district of Trin- ity and Conception Bays, and the following year he was made deputy commissary to the Vice- Admiralty Court in Newfoundland. Here he served with great efficiency for five years. During this time he explored the River Exploits to its head-waters, in a lake named by him Lieutenant's Lake. Poor health, however, obliged him to re- linquish the post and he returned to England in 1771. Such was the spirit of fairness of the man that at the outbreak of the rebellion among the Amer- ican Colonists, he refused to accept a tempting appointment to fight against a cause which he believed to be just. These views of his were first expressed publicly to the world in 1774, when he published a pamphlet entitled: " American Inde- pendence the Glory and Interest of England." ' t £v>Mtj k >i-*i:^ /p/yrt ca^^ Ha^-^ John Cart Wright INTRODUCTION xxiii The full title \n\ge of the second edition of the work is interesting and furnishes much food for reflection as to what might have happened if Great Britain had followed the sage and far- seeing advice of the author. It reads : " AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE THE INTEREST AND GLORY OF GREAT BRITAIN A NEW EDITION To which is added, A copious APPENDIX, containing two additional Letters to the Legislature; a Letter to EDMUND BURKE, Esq.; controverting his Principles of American Government AND A POSTSCRIPT, containing new Arguments on the Subject; A Draught for a Bill proposed to be brought into Parliament for restoring Peace and Harmony between Great Britain and British America, and for perpetuating the same: Together with The essential Materials for a proposed Grand British LEAGUE and CONFEDERACY, to be entered into by Great Britain and all the States of British America. The whole of which shews, beyond Denial or Doubt, that by granting the Colonists an unrestrained civil Freedom and Lcyidative Independence, we may most effectually secure their future Commercial Dependence upon, and consequently shall best promote the Interest and support the Glory of, Great Britain. It i.s not to be hoped, in the corrupt State of human Nature, that any Nation will be subject to another, any longer than it find its own Account in it, and cannot help itself No Creatures suck the Teats of their Dams longer than they can draw Milk from thence, or can providf thciuHelves with better Food; nor will xxiv INTRODUCTION" any country continue their Subjection to another, only because their great Grand-mothers were acquainted. This is the Course of human Affairs, and all wise States will always have it before their Eyes. Trenchard on Plantations and Colonies, in Cato's Letters No. 106 Anno 1772 London: Printed for the AUTHOR, by H. S. Woodfall. Sold by J. Wilkie, No. 71 St. Paul's Church-yard; and at the Pamphlet-Shops M.DCC.LXXV." Later lie published many pamphlets on reform in Parliament, and worked incessantly in the holy cause of liberty. The first, and perhaps the most famous of these pamphlets, was entitled, *' Take your choice : Representation and Respect, Imposi- tion and Contempt : Annual Parliaments and Lib- erty, Long Parliaments and Slavery: The People's Barrier against undue Influence and Corruption: Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform etc." This appeared in 1776, that momentous year for the American Colonists when they proclaimed their independence. Later this pamphlet appeared as ^' The Legislative Rights of the Commonalty vin- dicated." John Cartwright always strove for annual parliaments and universal suffrage. In 1780 he originated the '' Society for Constitu- tional Information." Although much beloved by his family and friends, it is needless to say that such advanced and independent thinking on mat- ters political made him displeasing to the higher powers, and in 1819 he was indicted for conspir- INTRODUCTION xxv acy, and iiiuleted by a tine to the extent of a hun- dred pounds sterling. Only his excellent charac- ter, and the almost universal esteem in which he was held, prevented a sentence of imprisonment. In 1775 he was appointed major of the Notting- hamshire militia, and his love of liberty was shown by a design for a regimental button which was in use bv this militia for manv years. The design consisted of a cap of li])erty resting on a book, over which appeared a hand liolding a drawn sword. The motto was '' Pro legihiis ct lihertate.''^ Eighteen years later, after several attempts had been made to obtain his resignation, he was finally discharged from his position in the regiment, ow- ing to the opposition in the ruling powers to his liberal views. He received, however, many ex- traordinary testimonies of friendship and thanks from his brother officers for his long and meri- torious services. Major Cartwright died quietly at Hampstead on September 23, 1824. The great respect and love with whicli this remarkable man was held showed itself in the form of a popular subscription for a monument, which was erected to his mem- ory. ITie fourth son, Edmimd, bom at Marnham on April 24, 1743, displayed a great diversity of tal- ents. Educated at the grammar school at Wake- field, ho went in due course to Oxford, wIkm'c he bc^an his academical studies in University Col- lege. In 17G4 he was elected a demy of Mau^dalen College, and succeeded to a fellowshi]) there in xxvi INTRODUCTION the same year. In 1770 his poetical genius blos- somed forth in a legendary tale in verse, entitled ** Armine and Elvira." So successful did this prove that seven editions appeared in somewhat over a year.^ This was followed in 1779 by an- other successful poem, " The Prince of Peace." In the latter year he was made rector of Goodby Marwood, Leicestershire, to which was added a prebend in the Cathedral of Lincoln. Here it would seem his life would probably be passed in the peaceful occupations of a country clergyman. His attention, however, having been called to the possibility of applying machinery to weaving, his inventive genius declared itself, and he produced and patented in 1785 the power-loom. The first machine was somewhat rude, but he afterward gradually improved it, so that it became almost perfect. The opposition on the part of the hand weavers, which w^ent to the extent of destroying by fire the first mill constructed on his plan, de- layed, but did not prevent the complete success of his great invention. Besides the power-loom, Edmund Cartwright invented machines for comb- 1 The first and last verses of " Armine and Elvira " will give some idea of its scope. They are as follows: " A hermit on the banks of Trent, Far from the world's bewildering maze, To humbler scenes of calm content Had fled from brighter, busier days. Joy, Gratitude, and Wonder, shed United tears o'er Hymen's reign. And Nature her best triumph led, — For Love and Virtue join'd her train." Edmund Cartwright INTRODUCTION xxvii iiig wool and making ropes, and lie was also the author of many improvements in the arts, manu- factures and agriculture. In 1803 he was given the silver medal of the Society of Arts, for the invention of a three-furrow plough, and in 1805 he received the gold medal of the Board of Agricul- ture for an '' Essay on Manures." In 1793 Edmund removed to London, but in 1800 he accepted the position of domestic chaplain to the Duke of Bedford, who gave him the man- agement of an experimental farm at AVoburn. In 1806 the Universitv of Oxford conferred on him the degrees of B. D. and D. D. On June 10, 1809, Parliament voted him the sum of ten thousand pounds sterling in considera- tion of '' the good service he had rendered the pu))lic by his inventions of weaving, and as some recompense for the losses he had sustained in bringing to perfection the inventions by which the country had materially benefited." With part of this money, which made him independent, he bought a small farm at Hollander, between Seven- oaks and Tunbridge in Kent. He died on Octo- ber 30, 1823. Of the fifth son, Charles, history has recorded ))Ui little. When a lieutenant on board the *' Argo " ho distinguished himself on the African coast by taking the Dutch fort of Commenda, for which he received the thanks of the African Com- pany. He refused, however, notwillistandiug his own scanty means, to take bis share of Hie ]irize- moncy, amounting to about a thousand pounds, xxviii INTRODUCTION but insisted on distributing it among the sailors who served under him. Of the five daughters I can say nothing, but if, as was doubtless the case, they partook of the character and spirit of their parents and brothers, they filled well their stations in life. The manor house of Marnham where this inter- esting family was reared, was pulled down a cen- tury ago and a new hall built in its place. It oc- cupied a lonely site which commanded extensive views of the lovely valley of the Trent. In the introduction to his Labrador Journal, which follows, Caj)tain George Cartwright has given a brief account of his life before he went to Labrador. The Journal itself recounts his life during his sixteen adventurous years in Labrador. Of his life in England after his return for the last time, we have only occasional glimpses, but it is evident that his sturdy habit of mind and body remained with him to the last, and that his inter- est in Labrador never waned. Miss F. D. Cartwright, from whose excellent ^* Life of Major Cartwright " I have obtained many of my facts, speaks of her uncle George as '* a man of great strength of mind, as well as personal courage." In another place she says: " Captain Cartwright was possessed of uncommon vigour both of mind and body; his journal of * A Sixteen Years' Residence in Labrador,' has been long known to the public, and though from the nature of the subject, it contains much tedious detail, it cannot be perused without interest, as INTRODUCTION xxix the work of a niau ol luituraliy strong, though uncultivated talents, of great observation, and un- inipeached integrity. In early life, he served as aide-de-camp in the German AVar under the Mar- quis of Granby, to whom his activity and energy rendered him very useful; and it is probable he might have risen to considerable eminence in his profession had he not, as soon as peace left him at liberty to follow his inclination, preferred to military idleness, an adventurous life amidst the snows of Labrador. *' In the latter |)art of liis life he accej^ted the office of barrack-master at Nottingham, which he held for many years, till finding himself too infirm for a service of that nature, he retired to Mans- field in the vear 1817. *' His energy of mind continued to the last, and only a few months before his death, he w^as busied in proposing to the Hudson's Bay Compan}^, vari- ous plans and contrivances for hunting, &c. and nothing but increasing infirmity prevented his offering his services to put them in execution. *' His features were handsome, and his complex- ion blooming. His Herculean frame I'ctained, even in age, a peculiar air of dignit}^ and although a great part of his life liad l)een s])(mi1 in liardy exercises and rough pursuits, his maimers in com- pany were courtly, and his ('(^u^•('rsation agree- a})l('. Though (liffering so matorinlly in politics with his ])rothei- [Major John], whoso forl)earance on these subjects he eertaiul}' did not f.-iil some- times to exercise, theii* nmtual attachment con- XXX INTRODUCTION tinned through life, and Major Cartwright was not so much absorbed in political speculations as to be prevented from entering with apparent pleasure into those discussions on hawking, bear- hunting, wolf-catching, and deer-tracking, in which he had once taken an almost equal interest." These pleasant relations must have been par- ticularly tried at the time that the Duke of New- castle, to whom the Captain was particularly at- tached, treated his brother John with much sever- ity and appointed another officer as major of the Nottinghamshire militia in his place. In 1803, at the time of the electioneering dis- turbances, George Cartwright was barrack-mas- ter of Nottingham, and '' though holding an ob- noxious situation, and known to be a violent Tory politician, he used to walk and ride through the streets in the midst of the popular commotion; and while others on the same side were afraid to show themselves, a way was invariably made for him to pass without insult or molestation." During his residence in Nottingham he lived in a house in Broad-marsh, which afterwards bore the sign of the Black's Head,^ and was generally known as " Old Labrador." He much enjoyed the sport of hawking, and '* previous to the enclosure of the open lands, in the vicinity of Nottingham, he might be seen wending his way up the Mans- field road, during a fine autumnal morning, on horse-back, with his servant behind him, and the hawks on his wrist, in pursuit of his vocation. * At this Inn Lord Byron's body lay in state on July 15 and 16, 1824. Black's Head Inn, Nottingham INTRODUCTION xxxi But ai'ter tiic enclosure took place, the Captain entirely abandoned his favorite amusement."^ In 1811 he was much interested in having a device of his own tried that would make any boat answer the j^urpose of a life-boat. He sta,yed with his brother John at his house in Westminster at the time, and, as he was unfortunately confined by a severe rheumatism, his brother very kindly attended to the business. The invention '' con- sisted of a portable apparatus formed of bladders and corks, so arranged as to be easil}^ attached to the sides of a shi2:)'s boat in case of emergency, and, by affording the greatest possible degree of buoj^ancy, enabled it to support an extraordinary weight. ... ** The exi:)eriment was tried on the 7th of Oc- tober immediately below Blackfriars Bridge, and the apparatus was attached to a six-oared cutter belonging to the Cabalva East Indiaman, Captain Birch. ** It appeared that with twenty-three men on board all standing on her thw^arts, and eight hun- dred-weight of iron in the boat, which was also crowded with sail, the thwarts w^ere an inch above water, so that the w^eight actually sustained must have been equivalent to at least forty-five men properly stowed in case of a wreck. "^ But a few years later, in 1819, his l^rother John received news of the dangerous illness of his elder bi'other O corpse at ^fansficld. Although John was ' Annfil'^ of \ottinp;hnmphiro. Thos. Railpy. * Life and correspondence of Major Cartwright, loc. cit. xxxii INTRODUCTION in the niidst of an important election he hastened to his brother's bedside, where he remained until the 26th of February. A letter written by John to his wife at this time reveals some interesting traits of the character of both brothers. a To Mrs. Cartwright My Dearest and Best Friend, I have the pleasure to report that I think my brother much better; he makes very affectionate inquiries after all at No. 17; and though he gave me a little scolding in his way, for being at the trouble of so long a journey, I am glad to see that he is pleased with my coming. '' His voice is strong, and though not much in- clined for conversation, can occasionally talk with much animation of Hudson's Bay and a North- west passage. The chief thing I observe a defi- ciency in, (for the medical attendant is a man of skill and experience,) is an inattention to have in readiness suitable articles of nourishment. I am not much skilled in such things, but have been of some use in this respect. ' ' This improvement was of but short duration, for soon after Captain George Cartwright was again attacked by a severe illness, and on the 11th of March, 1819,^ in the eighty-first year of his age, he expired. 1 This date, which is from Miss Cartwright's book, does not correspond with the date given in the inscription ; if the difference were only twelve days it might be explained by the difference between th^ old and the new styles. INTRODUCTION xxxiii Many of the methods used bv Cartwris-ht in the capture of birds, beasts and fishes are still em- ployed on the Labrador coast, and many of the local names for these methods and for the game still remain. Some of the methods have been im- proved, but in agricultui'e Oartwright seems to have been far in advance of the Labrador dwellers of the present day, and the^^ could learn a lesson from his experiences. The names bestowed bv Cartwrio^ht on the is- lands and harbours of the Labrador coast still remain. One of his chief seats of residence there. Caribou Castle, near the entrance of Sandwich Bay, perpetuates his name as the Hudson's Bay Company's Post of Cartwright. At the little graveyard at this post is a stone erected by Miss F. D. Cartwright to the memory of the two broth- ers George and John. Tliis reads as follows: In Memon' of George Cartwright Captain in his Majesty's 37th Rpgiment of Foot. Second son of ^^'iUiam Cartwright, Esq., of Mamham Hall in Nottinghamshire. who in March 1770 made a settlement on the coast of Labrador where he remained for sixteen years. He died at Mansfield in Nottinghamshire the 19th of February 1819. Also of John Cartwright Lieutenant of the Guem.sey, five years surrogate of Newfoundland And afterwards Major of the Nottinghamshire militia. He died on the 23d of September 1824 To these distinguished brothers, who in zealously protecting and bofriending pavr-d the way for the introduction of Christiiuiity to the natives of these benighted regions This memorial is affectionately inscribed by their niece Frances Dorothy Cartwright. JOURNAL OF TRANSACTIONS and EVENTS, DURIKC A RESIDENCE OF NEARLY SIXTEEN YEARS OK THE COAST OF LABRADOR; •CONTAININC MANY INTERESTING PARTICULARS, BOTH OP THB COUNTRY AND ITS INHABITANTS, NOT HITHERTO KNOWN. ILLUSTRATED WITH PROPER CHARTS. By GEORGE CARTWRIGHT, Efi- IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I.. NEWARK: r«lNTED AND SOLD BY ALLIN AND RIOOE ; tOLA ALtO it C. C. J. AND J. ROBINSON, IN T ATEK NOSIIK-KOW, AUD J, tlOCKSALE, PICCADILLY, LONDOK. 1798. EXPLANATION OF THE FROXTISPli:CE Tlie Frontispiece represents a Winter Scene on the sea coast of Labrador, with the Author taking his usual walk round his fox-traps. He is supposed to have got sight of some deer, and has put his dog's hood on, to keep him quiet. His hat (which is white,) northwester, wrappers, cuffs, breeches, and buskins, are English; his jacket (which is made of Indian-dressed deer-skin, and painted,) sash, and rackets are Mountaineer; and his shoes Esquimau. The pinovers of his north- wester are loose, and hang down on the right side of it. On his back is a trap, fixed by a pair of slings, in the manner of a soldier's knapsack. A bandoleer hangs across his breast, from his right shoulder; to which are fastened a black-fox, and his hatchet. A Gemian rifle is on his left shoulder. Tn the back ground is a yellow fox in a trap; be- yond him, there is a white-l)ear crossing the ice of a narrow harliour; and at the mouth of the liar- bour the view is terminated hy a \)oo\) at the sea, wliirh is frozen ovci-. Tlie tops of a few small rocks appear, and the rocky summits of the distant hills arc bare, bul all the rest of the ground is covered with snow. PREFACE Conscious of my inability to entertain tlie reader with tlie Style and Language of some late writers, I humbly solicit his candor and indul- gence for the many inaccuracies he will meet with in the perusal of the work. However great some of its defects may appear, I hope they will in some measure be compensated for by the veracity of my narrative. I do not pretend to give animated descriptions of a country I have never visited, nor of the custom and manners of a people I have never seen. The transactions of the day w^ere in general entered at the close of the same; and little did I then suspect, that they W'Ould ever be ex- hibited to the eye of the Public. They were writ- ten for no other purpose, than to serve as mem- orandums for my own use and personal reference. After my return to England, I had often been solicited bv some of mv friends, who had occasion- ally read parts of the manuscript, to print the work; but I never could prevail on myself to do so, until T was urged thereto by one in particular, to whom I should have thought myself guilty of great ingratitude had T refused. T flatter myself that it will not be deemed imper- tinent, if, by way of excuse for not acquitting myself better, T give (fn those who do not already know it) a short sketch of my life. 6 6 PREFACE I was born on the twelfth of February (old style) 1739, of an ancient family at Mamham, in the County of Nottingham. Not being the eldest son, and my father having but a moderate estate and nine other children, it was not in his power to do much for me. I received part of my educa- tion at Newark, and during a few of the last years, attended the Latin School. I was one year at Randall's Academy, at Heath in Yorkshire; from whence I returned and continued another year at Newark. On the first of February 1753, I was appointed a Gentleman Cadet, in the Cadet Com- pany at Woolwich, where I had the opportunity of improving myself, at the Royal Academy in that place, for one year. But, sorry am I to say, that either the want of genius or application, ren- dered of little use to me, the instructions of those excellent masters with which that institution was then furnished. On the sixth of March in the following year, I embarked for the East Indies, being the seventh of twelve Cadets, who were sent to fill up the com- missions which might become vacant, either in a detachment of Artillery, commanded by Captain Lieutenant William Hislop, or in the Thirty-ninth Regiment of foot, which was then sent to that part of the world, under the command of Colonel John Adlercron, who was appointed Commander in Chief of all the Forces employed, or to be em- ployed in the East Indies. In little more than a year after my arrival in India, I obtained an Ensigncy in Colonel Adler- PREFACE crun's Kugiinent, by the death of Captain Lyon. But I had not the good fortune to be one of a de- tachment which went to Bengal on board Admiral Watson's squadron, where they were lauded under the command of Lieutenant Colonel * Clive, and assisted in the re-taking of Fort William, the taking of Chandernegore from the French, and in obtaining the signal victory over the Nabob of Bengal, at Plassy; which laid the foundation of the British power in that part of the world, and filled the purses of all who were employed on that service. In the year 1757 Colonel Adlercron and his regi- ment Avere recalled. At the end of the next year I was one of six officers who landed at Limerick; and soon afterwards I was promoted to a Lieu- tenancy. Early in the Year Sixty, on the application of the late ^farquis of Granby, T was ordered to Grer- many; where I had the honor to serve his Lord- ship in the capacity of Aid de Camp, during the remainder of the German War. An Aid de Camp to a Commander in Chief, is always supposed to be in the sure line of promo- tion; but it was my ill luck to obtain nothing bet- ter than Iho ])revet rank of Ca]itain. T still re- mained a Tiieutenant in the Tliirty-ninth Regi- ment: but after my return to England, at the express desii-e of the ^Marfjuis, to save me the mor- tification of s('i'\iiig uiidci- two junior officers who had ))een permitted to 2)urchase Companies over • Late I>ord Clive. 8 PREFACE my head without their ever being offered to me, I exchanged to half -pay, and received two hmidred and fifty pounds for the diiference, between that and my full pay. The greatest part of this sum was appropriated to the payment of the debts which I had contracted in Germany; by being obliged to keep a number of horses and servants, to enable me to attend his Lordship on all occa- sions. In the Spring of 1765 I made an excursion to Scotland, to indulge my insatiable propensity for shooting: but I soon found that two shillings and fourpence a day, was too small an income to enable me to live in a Baronet 's country seat, and to keep a female companion, two servants, a couple of horses, and three brace of dogs. As my pocket would not permit me to have any dealings with the butcher, myself and family were compelled to fast, when neither m}^ gun nor fishing rod would supply us with provisions. No sooner did my resources fail, by the scarcity of fish and game at the approach of winter, than I made an auction of all my furniture, and returned to London by sea with the lady and dogs. London being no place for a man of my scanty circumstances to remain in, I soon went down to Plymouth, where my brother John then com- manded the Sherborne Cutter, and cruised with him against the smugglers, until he was dis- charged from that vessel, and appointed first lieu- tenant of the Guernsey, of fifty guns, then lying at Spit Head and bound for Newfoundland; on PREFACE board which ship the present !Sir Hugh Palliser, who was theu Governor of that ishuid, had his Broad-pendant. Having- no partienhtr engage- ment, and hearing that l)ears and deer were plen- tiful there, I felt so strong an inclination to be among them, that I accompanied my brother on that voyage. On our arrival at St. John's, the command of a small schooner was conferred on my l)rother, and he was sent on some service to one of the Northern harbours, where I accompanied him; and it was then that I obtained m}^ first knowledge of the Red, or Wild Indians. On the return of the shij) to Portsmouth, I found, that my good friend the Marquis, who had been appointed Commander in Chief of the Army during my al)scnce, had o])tained for me a Com- pany in the Thirty-seventh Regiment of foot, ui)ou a vacancy made by the death of Captain Slack, who died in consequence of a wound in his shoid- der, which he received from one of the last shots that were fired by the French aniiy in Germany. The regiment was at that time at ^linorca, and r Joined it there the following Summer. T \ovy soon raught ihc inveterate endemic ague of tlial island, and in six nionlhs was so greatly reduced, that I must shortly have died, had not Tjieutenant Ciovernoi' Johnstone been so kind, as to pei'nu't mr fo jT'lni'ii to I'Jiglaud. 7 had a tedious passage honic, hut was perfectly fi'ce fi-om my complaint while at sen, altlionuli it constaiilly i-ctni'iicd the instant the ship entei'cd a liarhour. II was ihe 10 PEEFACE end of April 1768, when I arrived at Spit Head, where the Guernsey Man of War was then lying, under sailing orders for Newfoundland. Finding that I could not live on shore, I obtained leave from Lord Granby and made a second voyage to Newfoundland in that ship. By these means my health was perfectly restored. During the Guernsey's stay at St. John's, I went upon an expedition against the Wild Indians ; and it was that which first gave rise to the voyages which I afterwards made to Labrador. My design being laid before the King, his Majesty was gra- ciously pleased to permit me to retire on half -pay, early in the year 1770, in order that I might put it in execution, and I soon after sailed for that country. The reader may naturally conclude, from the life I have led since my leaving the Academy at Woolwich, that it was not probable that I should have improved the slight education which I re- ceived in my youth ; and indeed such a conclusion is very just, as I had seldom, during that time, attempted to read anything but a newspaper. On my arrival in Labrador, ])eing secluded from so- ciety, I had time to gain acquaintance with myself: and I could not help blushing when I perceived, how shamefully I had misemployed my time. The little improvement I have since made, has been entirely owing to writing my Journal, and to reading a small collection of books which I took out with me ; but it was too late in life, for me to receive much benefit from those helps. PREFACE 11 It was suggested to me, that I ought to have put the manuscript iuto abler hands, who would render it less unworthy the Public eye; but as it appeared to me, that by so doing I should arrogate to mvself an honour to which I was not entitled; and also pay such a price as would swallow up the greater part, if not the whole, of the profit arising from the sale of my books, I did not approve of the one, nor could I afford the other. The only merit to which I have any pretensions, is that of a faithful Journalist, who prefers the simplicity of plain language and downright truth, to all the specious oiTiaments of modern style and description. I humbly trust, that this apology will satisfv mv friends, and serve to extenuate those errors, which must be too obvious to be over- looked by critical examination. A JOURNAL OF TRANSACTIONS AND EVENTS ON THE COAST OF LABRADOR THE FIRST VOYAGE Sunday, March 30, 1770. Some previous com- munications having passed on the subject, Lieu- tenant Francis Lucas of the Royal Navy and I went down to Bristol and on this day engaged to enter into a partnership with ^lessrs. Thomas Perkins and Jeremiah Coghlan, merchants of that city, under the firm of Perkins, Coghlan, Cart- wright, and Lucas, for the purpose of carrying on various branches of business upon the coast of Labrador; and particularly, of endeavoui'ing to cultivate a friendly intercourse with the Esqui- maux Indians/ wlio have always been accounted the most savage race of people upon tlie wliole continent of Amerir'a. They have n1 different times committed several robberies and imii-ders on ' He refers to the Eskimofl, not to the Indians. CarfwriKht froquonfly unes the word Indian when he tneanfl Eskimo. This latter rare were in his day often r-alled " Fishing Indians " to distinRuish them from the true Indians, who were called " Hunting Indians." 1.J 14 CAPTAIN" CART WRIGHT'S the property and persons of the adventurers in Labrador. Three years ago, they murdered three servants at Cape Charles, who belonged to * Mr. Nicholas Darby, an adventurer from Bristol. This occasioned him to abandon that place, and has ever since interrupted all commerce between that nation and the British. That affair has also de- terred every other adventurer from extending his business to the northward of Chateau Bay, where Government, near five years ago, erected a block- house in a small Fort, which is garrisoned by an officer and twenty men from the Governor of New- foundland's ship. A Sloop of War is also sta- tioned there during the Summer, not only to pro- tect the merchants and their people from the In- dians, but also to prevent encroachments from the French, who carry on very extensive fisheries in all the northern harbours of Newfoundland. In consequence of our partnership it was re- solved, that we should purchase from Messrs. Per- kins and Coghlan (who are in the Newfoundland trade) a schooner of eighty tons, then lying in the harbour of Poole; that Mr. Lucas should have the command of that vessel; and that I should reside in Labrador, to direct and manage all our concerns on shore. In the beginning of May I returned to Bristol in expectation of going out to Labrador in the schooner which we had agreed for with Messrs. Perkins and Coghlan, but, by some extraordi- * Father to the since much celebrated Mrs. Robinson.^ * A famous actress who wrote poems and novels under the pen name of Perdita. LABRADOR JOURNAL 15 nary management of those gentlemen, I found that the vessel was already sailed for Fogo, a small island contiguous to the eastern coast of New- foundland (where they carry on the principal part of their business) in order to be delivered to us there. Messrs. Coghlan and Lucas sailed for Fogo on the morning after my arrival; and as no other vessel was going from thence to that part of the world, Mr. Perkins and I inirchased a schooner of fiftv tons, which had latelv arrived with dispatches from Boston. We named her the Nimrod, appointed a ^Ir. French to the command of her, and on the 25th I sailed in her for Fogo. My suite consisted of Mrs. Selby, my housekeeper; Charles Atkinson, who was a soldier in my com- pany in the thirty-seventh regiment of foot and my servant for the last four years; and to whom, at my request. General Grey gave his discharge; and Edward Watson, late an under keeper in Averham Park. I took also, three couple of fox- hounds, one couple of bloodhounds, a greyhound, a pointer, a spaniel, and a couple of tame rabbits. Saturday, Jidij 7, 1770. Nothing material hap- pening during the voyage, we arrived safe in the harbour of Fogo this day. I found here ^lessrs. Coghlan and Lucas, who had 1)oon employed in getting ready our schooner called the Eniorprize, for the pur]iose of landing me u])on some part of Lal)i'ador, and ^\v. Lucas was afterwards to ex- plore the Coast to the Northward in quest of the Esquimaux. From these ^\v. Lucas had great expectations, in consequence of the interest he 16 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S had with Mycock, the woman whom he took to England about a year and a half ago, and from whom he had learned their language. Finding that it would still be some time before the Enterprize was fit for sea, I borrowed a small sloop of Mr. Coghlan, took Captain French, Mrs. Selby, Charles and Edward, together with all the dogs, and sailed this morning on a cruise up the Bay of Exploits, in hopes of meeting with some of the Wild Indians,^ as numbers of them fre- quent that bay at this time of the year. Wednes., July 11, 1770. We got under weigh soon after daylight, and as we towed towards Comfit Island I discovered, by the help of a pocket Dolland,^ a party of the Wild Indians upon a very small island which lies contiguous to the East end of Little Cold Hall. They had two whigwhams, about a hundred yards from the shore, with a fire in each, and two canoes hdng on the beach; one of which they seemed to be mending. I counted six people, and one of them appeared to be re- markably tall, but I could not distinguish of which sex they were; they did not seem to be alarmed at us, because their ignorance of the powers of the telescope, made them not suspect we had dis- <30vered them at that distance. * The long since extinct and little known race, the Beothttk. They are now considered to have constituted a distinct linguistic stock of the Indians. Carmack's Expedition, conducted in behalf of the Beothic Society in 1827, failed to find a single individual of this once prominent tribe. The cause of their extinction is only too plainly shown by Cartwright in his valuable account of them. ^ A telescope made by John Dollond or Dolland, an English optic- ian, the inventor of the achromatic telescope in 1757. LABRAJJOK JOUHNAL 17 These ludiaus are the original inhabitants of the island of Newfoundland, and although beyond a doubt descendants from some of the tribes upon the continent of America, and most probably from the ^lountaineers of Labrador, yet it will be very difficult to trace their origin. The}^ have been so long separated from their ancient stock, as well as from all mankind, that they differ widely in many particulars from all other nations. In my o])inion, they are the most forlorn of any of the himian species which have yet come to my knowl- edge, the Indians of Terra del Fogo excepted; for these are not onlv excluded from all intercourse with the rest of mankind, but are surrounded by inveterate enemies, and not even possessed of the useful services of a dog. As far as I can learn, there w^ere many Indians on the island when it was first discovered by Eu- ropeans, and there are still fishermen living, w^ho remember them to have been in much greater number than at present, and even to have fre- quented most parts of the island. They are now much diminished, and confine themselves chiefly to the parts between Cape Freels and Cape John. The reason, I presume, of their preferring that district to any other is, because, wnthin it are sev- ci-al deep, winding bays, with many islands in tlicni, where tliey can more easily procure sub- sistence, and with greater secm'ity hide them- selves fv()^\\ nil I- fishermen. I am sorry to add, that tin- latter ai-c iiiiicli greater savages than the Indians themselves, for they seldom fail to 18 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S shoot the poor creatures whenever they can, and afterwards boast of it as a very meritorious action. With horror I have heard several de- clare, they would rather kill an Indian than a deer! These Indians are called Red, from their custom of painting themselves, and everything belonging to them, with red ochre, which they find in great plenty in various parts of the island; and Wild, because they secrete themselves in the woods, keep an unremitting watch, and are seldom seen; a conduct, which their defenceless condition, and the inhuman treatment which they have always experienced from strangers, whether Europeans or other tribes of Indians from the Continent, have compelled them to adopt. They are extremely expert at managing their canoes, which are made with a very thin, light wood-work, covered with birch rinds, and worked by single-headed paddles; they vary in size, ac- cording to the number of persons which they are intended to carry. They are excellent archers, as many of our fishermen have too fatally experienced, and they are likewise good furriers. Indeed, if they had not these resources, the whole race must long since have been extirpated by cold and fam- ine. Formerly, a very beneficial barter was carried on in the neighbourhood of Bonavista, by some of the inhabitants of that harbour. They used to lay a varietj^ of goods at a certain place, to which LABRADOR JOURNAL 19 the ludians resorted, who took what they were iu want of, and left furs in return. One daj^, a viHain hid himself near the deposite, and shot a woman dead, as she was furnishing herself with what pleased her best. Since that time, they have been alwa^^s hostile to Europeans, I fear that the race will be totall}" extinct in a few years; for the fishing trade continually increasing, almost every river and brook w^hich receives salmon is already occupied hy our people, and the bird- islands are so continually robbed, that the poor Lidians must now find it much more difficult than before, to procure provisions in the sum- mer; and this difficulty will annually become greater. Nor do they succeed better in the win- ter; for our furriers are considerably increased in number, much improved in skill, and venture farther into the country than formerly; by which, the breed of beavers is greatly dimin- ished. About two years ago, I went on an expedition up the River Exploits, which is the largest in Newfoundland, many miles higher than any Euro- pean ever was before, and I there saw^ a great number of the Indian houses uninhabited; I con- cluded from thence, that the Indians retired into the r'ountiy at the approach of Winter, to feed on venison and beaver, and, if I may judge by the number o^ deer's heads wliirli I saw 1)y the v'wov side, fliey must be vei-y dexterous hunters. Tlie very lonj::, and strong fences whidi Ihcv liad made, were convincing proofs, that they knew their busi- 20 CAPTAIN CART WEIGHT'S ness. I observed, that these fences were of two kinds. Those Indians who lived on the South side of the river, erected theirs on the top of the bank, and extended it for a mile or two in length. Where they found plenty of tall trees, they felled them so as to fall parallel to the river, and one upon another; the weak places they filled up with the tops of other trees. Where any open place inter- vened, they made use of a sort of sewell, made of narrow strips of birch rind, tied together in the form of the wing of a paper kite: each of these was suspended from the end of a stick, stuck into the ground in an oblique position, that it might play with every breeze of wind. These sewells were placed at no great distance from each other, and the effect produced by their motion, was con- siderably heightened by the noise of the strips, when they struck against each other. By these means, the deer^ were deterred by the sewells from attempting to enter the woods at the open places, and the fences were too high to be over- leaped, and too strong to be forced. Of course, they were compelled to walk along the shore, until 1 The name deer is used by Cartwright as it is by the present day in- habitants of Newfoundland and Labrador for the caribou, — the American reindeer. There are no other deer native to either Newfoundland or Labrador. The Newfoundland caribou, Rangifer terroe-novce, belongs in the group of woodland caribou. In Labrador the woodland caribou, Rangifer caribou, occurs throughout the wooded portions and in Cartwright's time was abundant on the southeastern coast. In the treeless northern region the barren ground caribou occurs, Rangifer ardicus. The reindeer of northern Europe, Rangifer tarandus, is a smaller animal and is at present writing being introduced by Dr. W. T. Grenfell into Newfoundland and later into Labrador to take the place of the Eskimo dogs as a beast of burden, and to supply milk, mea?t and clothing. LxVBRADOR JOURNAL 21 tliey could pass those obslruetions, and proceed to the Southern parts of the ishind, to which they always resort in great luunbers, at the approach of AVinter. Thev iiud there many extensive tracts of hind destitute of wood, and covered with plenty of Reindeer Lichen,^ Empetrum Nigrum,- and other herbage; and which the want of trees keeps free from snow, by the wind drifting it off, from all such places as are exposed to its force. The Northern parts of the island are in general so well covered with timber, where the snow never drifts, that the herbage is buried too deep for them: yet there are some small spots of open ground in those parts, where a few herds of deer find subsistence everv Winter. At certain intervals the Indians make stands, from whence they shoot the deer with their arrows, as they pass along under the fence: some of those I observed were erected in large spreading trees, and others were raised be- hind the fence. The other kind of fence is always built on the North side of the river, and is so constructed, tliat a herd of deer having once entered, it is almost impossible for one of them to escape. From their house, which is alwavs situated bv the side of the river, they erect two high, and very sti-ong fences, parallel to each other, forming a iian-ow lane of some length, and stretching into the country. From the farther end of eadi, they extend two v('i'\- lonu: wing-fences, the extrenn'ties of wln'ch ^ CUuUinin rnrKjifcrina . Cartwrinht is rnrrort in criirmn tliis ;i Urhen iinfl not (I moHS. » This ifl the scientific imrno Htill used for tlx- crow-berry or curlew-berry. 22 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S are from one mile to two, or more, asmicler/ The deer travel in small companies, few of them ex- ceeding a dozen head, and when they meet with these hawk, or wing-fences, they walk along them, until they are insensibly drawn into the pound, as partridge are into a tunnel net. The women prevent them from returning, and they are all killed with great ease by the men. Besides the whigwhams (which are constructed with slight poles, in the form of a cone, about six or seven feet in diameter at the base, eight or nine in height, and covered with birch rinds, or skins, and often with sails which they contrive to steal from the fishing-rooms) we also observed several houses substantially built of timber. They were about ten or twelve feet square; some of the sides were constructed with squared timber, laid hori- zontally upon each other, with moss between; others were built of upright logs standing very open, with a slight frame of lattice-work on the inside; upon the latter we observed deer's hair, from which we concluded they made use of the skins of those animals to keep out the weather. The roofs were low pyramids, with a hole in the top for the emission of smoke; the fire was in the centre, and the inhabitants sleep round it. ' Carmack (or Cormack) in his descent of the River of Exploits in 1827, previously referred to in a note, says: " But what arrests the attention most, in gliding down the stream, is the extent of the Indian fences to entrap deer. They extend from the lake downwards, continuous on the banks of the river, at least thirty miles, with openings here and there, for the animals to go through, and swim across the river." LABRADOR JOURNAL 23 The bows of these people are made of sycamore, but they do not seem to thiiik a straight clear piece anv way essential; for we found none of them to be so. The backs were round, the inner side flat, except in the grasp, and we observed, that all of them had one edge thicker than the other, which we supposed was for the truer direction of the arrow; a principle not attended to by other arch- ers. The length was about five feet and a half. The arrows are made of Wejanouth pine; ^ they are slender, light, perfectly straight, and about three feet long. The head is a barbed lance, made out of an old nail, and about six inches long, let into a cleft in the top of the shaft, and secured there by a thread of deer's sinew. They are feathered at the other end from the wing of the goose or eagle. As they cannot always get a regular supply of provisions; in times of plenty, they take care to provide for those of scarcity. This they do by jerking venison, seal's flesh, birds, and fish; and by making sausages, several of which I often found when I was formerly in Newfoundland. They consisted of the flesh and fat of seals, eggs, and a variety of other rich matter, stuffed into the guts of seals; for wnnt of salt and spices, the composition had the h(Ui\ f/oiil to perfection. It is a singular and almost incredible fact that these people should visit Funk Island,' whidi lies forty miles from Cape Freels, and sixty from the ' Or whito pino, PimiA Strnhus. ^ Funk I.slanfl wan a famous brooHinR Rrnund for tho Rront. auk, tfs in southern linhrndnr, red spnifo, P. nihrn) on this roast indcwi buwhes, W)mPtirnoH not more than a foot high, yot ofton fifty yoarfl old, lus I havf drtrTiiiinod liv roiinlinc th«' rinirs, Vuh; " A Labrador Spring." Dunu EhIch & Co., Boston, 1010, pp. 200-219. 32 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S one to three feet high; and on the farther side, there is an elevated hommock, from whence I had an extensive view. The foot of this hill, which I named Prospect Hill, is washed to the eastward, by a pool, at least a mile in length, and above two hundred yards in breadth. About two hundred yards above that, is a lake three miles in length, and half a mile in breadth, in which are several small islands; and still higher up, are many other pools of an inferior size, which, I presume, are supplied from small tributary streams : and below the first of these are two or three small ponds. To the two principal ones I gave the names of Island Lake, and Long Pool. In the woods be- tween the river and the hill, I observed a great deal of very useful timber, but no large trees. Friday, August 10, 1770. Early in the morning, I took Charles and Ned with me, and sailed for Chateau in our baitskiff; but we had no sooner got below the narrows, into the more open part of the river, than I met my brother John in a whaleboat. I was informed by him, that Sir Ed- ward Hawke, judging I should meet with many unforeseen difficulties in establishing my new set- tlement, had been so particularly kind and atten- tive to me, as to give directions to Governor Byron to furnish me with such assistance as was in his power. In consequence of this, the governor had sent my brother, from St. John's in Newfound- land, in the Ranger schooner, with Mr. Dixon, a midshipman; Mr. Langman, a mate; two carpen- ters, and ten seamen, under his command. My " Crabbed Spruce Bushes " at Cape Charles Venison Harbour LABRADOR JOURNAL 33 brother lieariug of Mrs. ISelby's accident, had also brought from Chateau, ]\Ir. John Williams, a sur- geon's mate, belonging to the Antelope, who chanced to be there. Mr. Dixon was with him, but he had left the Ranger at Seal Island, under the care of ^Ir. Langnian, until he should discover the place of my abode. We returned home to break- fast, and afterwards went down to South Head a shooting; where my brother killed a brace of spruce-game,^ and I, a curlew.^ In the mean time he sent the whale-boat to Seal Island, to order the schooner up the river. [xVfter several days passed pleasantly with his brother in shooting ducks and in hunting caribou and foxes, the Captain sailed for Chateau and then going north, sailed up Gilbert's River, as far as the peninsula called Olivestone.] Fridajj, August 24, 1770. Mr. Langman went on shore at Olivestone to roast a haunch of veni- son, and bake a venison pasty; just as they were ready, the woods caught fire, and burnt with great fury, which forced him and his assistants to make a preci])itate retreat: though he saved the venison and imi>lements of cookery; but a boat's sail and a few other things were considerably injured by the accident. Su}idaf/, Aufjust 2fJ, 1770. The scliooner got under sail at day-light, and ]>rof'eeded up the river. ' Hudsonian spnifP jctousp, Canachilrs rnnndnisis. * Eflkimo nirlow, Xtinu-nius linrralis, fnniierly ahiiiiflant, and one of the moflt intprcsting and fharartoristif l)irdH of tlio Labrador coa.'^t, increaa- inctv raro siriro IROO, nf)w almost extinct. TIuh is the " dough-bird " of the New England coast. 34 CAPTAIN CART WEIGHT'S At the same time I landed on the South shore, and walked along it until I passed Grove Island, where the boat took me on board again. At the mouth of Beaver Brook was a Momitaineer ^ whig- wham that had been occupied very lately; and near this place we observed the head of a beaver, which appeared to be newly picked. I could see no difference of structure between this whig wham and those made by the wild Indians of Newfound- land. On some low hills, partly barren, and the rest covered with small bad spruce-bushes, were many large flocks of curlews feeding on the ber- ries, which were very plentiful there; but could kill only one. The berries of the Empetrum Ni- grum, and likewise some delicious blue berries which grow on a small shrubby plant, called Ground Whortle,^ both of which are now ripe, are what the curlews delight to feed on. These not only make them uncommonly fat, but also give their flesh a most delicious flavor. In the evening we anchored a little below Gil- bert's Narrows, when mv brother and I landed on the north point, which is low, flat, and without trees. There we found another whigwham which we concluded had been lately inhabited, as we saw the fresh footmarks of the Indians on the sand. On the upper side of the point were abundance of ^ Mountaineer Indians or Montagnais of the southern half of Labrador. North of Hamilton Inlet in the interior dwell the Nascaupee Indians. Both belong to the Algonkin family. 2 Probably bog whortleberry, Vaccinium uliginosum, called in some places on the coast whorts. Other blueberries, V. ccBspitosum, V. pennsyl- vanicum and V. Canadense, also occur in Labrador. LABR.VDOR JOURNAL 35 beaver-cut sticks, that had been carried down the river, and had lodged there. From this circum- stance, I judged, that beavers must be very plen- tiful in the lakes, pools, and ponds, which lie upon these streams. Monday, August 27, 1770. Early in the morn- ing we weighed, ran through the narrows, and anchored again about a mile above, near to the north shore. My brother and I went higher up in the whale-boat, and found several obstructions from sand-beds. About four miles above, are sev- eral small low islands, on which grow many fine white and black spruces. We found the water there quite shallow; having a bed of very white sand. On each side there is much useful timber. The woods, from their appearance, afford good shelter for foxes ^ and martens.- We saw many signs of black-bears, and porcupines,^ and in the river, salmon '' are most probably to be found. I tailed a couple of traps for otters,"* but did not find * The red fox of Labrador is Vulpes rubiginosa bangsi. Of this there are several individual colour varieties, known a.s cross fox, silver fox and black fox. The Arctic fox, also called blue fox and white fox, Vulpes Ingopijis ungava, is also found on this coast. * The Labrador form of the marten or American sable, Mustela americana brumnlis. ^ Labrador porcupine, Erelhizon dorsatum picinum. * Salmon, Salmo Solar. ' Otter, Lutra canadensis. The " rubl)inp; places " are the otter slides. The fact that the otter slides down hill for amusement is well attested, and is of considerable interest. Seton says, " Life-Histories of Northern Animals." lOtK), Vol. 11, p. 834: " This is the only ciuso I know of among Amorican quadnjpfds where the entire race, young and old, unite to keep np an institution that is not connected in any way with the instincts of feeding, fighting, or multiplying, but is simply maintained jis an amuse- ment." 36 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S many rubbing places. On the north side was an- other fresh whigwham. We observed in the water many geese ^ and seals. Friday, August 31, 1770. We sailed at day-light and anchored again off the east-end of Cartwright Island, where all the shooters landed and stationed themselves across the middle of it; each placing himself within proper distance of his next neigh- bour. After sending the two boats to lie off differ- ent points, we dispatched a few of the sailors into the woods with the hounds. In the afternoon, a young hind passed within shot of my brother, but he did not see her. An hour after, I saw her again, standing up to her belly in a pond, which was above a mile below me; there I got within distance and killed her. In the course of the day I shot three curlews, three grouse," and an auntsary;^ the rest of the party killed four grouse, one cur- lew, one auntsary, and a whabby.^ Tuesday, Septemher 4, 1770. We arrived at the mouth of the river [Charles] at four o'clock this morning, and there anchored. We then landed on South Head, and met with the track of a very large * Canada goose, Branta canadensis. 2 By " grouse " Cartwright means the willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus. By " ptharmakin, " or ptarmigan, he means the rock ptarmigan, Lagopus rupestris, which is found in Labrador throughout the barren, treeless regions, except in the extreme north, where it is replaced by Rein- hardt's ptarmigan, Lagopus rupestris reinhardi. Cartwright was familiar with the red grouse of Scotland, Lagopus scolicus, a species of ptarmigan, which does not turn white in winter, as well as with the ptarmigan of that country, Lagopus mutus, which puts on a winter plumage of white. » Greater Yellow-legs, Tolanus melanoleucas. The name auntsary is still used in Labrador. * Red-throated loon, Gavia stellata. LABRADOR JOURNAL 37 white-bear, which was so fresh, that the bkiod- houiid challenged it. Ned drew upou it with the dog for a considerable distance, but could not ob- tain sight of him. In the meantime ^Ir. Dixon and I walked o\er the hills, where we killed seven curlews and three grouse. On our rettirn on board, we got under weigh, ran up into Pond Reach, where we anchored and moored; after which, we came home in the whale-boat. The car- penter, whom my brother left here, died of an apoplexy on the 2nd of August. The buck rabbit had the misfortune to be killed bv the greyhound: in consequence of which the breed is lost, as the surviving doe brought forth two female young ones. Moudaj/, September JO, 1770. After breakfast, we w^ent in the boat to the mouth of Island Hrook, where we landed, and "walked to the top of a steep, craggy hill; to which I gave the name of Rugged and Tough. The sides of this hill l)eing abru])t, and covered with short, rough spruces and firs,* about six feet high, it was very difficult either to ascend or descend. The top, from whence there is an extensive prospect, is barren. 1 kiUcd two brace of grouse there; and my ])i-other, one brace, and a cui'lcw. On oui* return, I tailed a snare, in the mean time, ^Ir. Dixon moved the schooner up the rivej', and moored her near the house. At mid-night Mr. Tiangman i-eturiied IVom (Pla- teau, and iiifoi-iiicd us, thai ilic soutlimi ti'ibes of "Rsf|uini;iu.\ h;i one most froquontlv tnkpn on thn Lahnulor ('oiist, but thf followinR also occur: hooded seal, Cyxlo- phnra rrwtntn: ^ray seal, Unlirhrrrun gmpitJ^: heardod Boal, Erignaihus harhatun; ringed seal, Phoca hispida; harbour seal, Phnrn vitulina con- color. 52 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S at the other to capstans, which are fixed on this island; by these means, the headropes are either lowered to the bottom, or raised to the surface of the water, at pleasure : and, being placed about forty yards behind each other, form tw^o pounds. There is a narrow tickle of twenty yards in width, between this island and the continent; across which a net is fixed, to stop the seals from passing through. I shot a raven with my rifle. Wednes., December 5, 1770. At eleven o'clock this morning I set off homeward, accompanied by my two men; but separated from them on the top of Twelve o'clock Head. When I came to Cross Pond, I found myself sinking with extreme exer- tion; which I had been obliged to make, to get through the thick, stubborn, bushes, that grew on the West side of the Head. I therefore left my gun, hatchet, and rackets; and also all which my pockets contained. At half after four I got home ; but was so completely worn out with fatigue, that I was scarce able to speak for an hour; and was with difficult}^ kept from fainting, during the greatest part of that time. My attendants found a better way down the hill, and arrived an hour after me, very little worse with their journey. As I did not expect to walk much, I had, unfortu- nately, put on an under waistcoat, and a pair of drawers, made of lambs' skins, with the wool inwards, which heated me most intolerably. I found every thing had been neglected in my absence: the beaverhouse was frozen up; the traps and deathfalls choked with snow 5 and only LABRADOR JOURNAL 53 four inartens brought in. i had the cramp se- verely all night. Thursdaij, December 6, 1770. I had a slight fever, and was nnich troubled with the cramp all day. Finding my head man to be a drunken, worthless, fellow, I degraded him; and appointed Obrien in his place. At night the Indian maid-servant came here, and informed me, that her master had attempted to kill her; and that he and his family had threat- ened to murder me and all my people. Although I did not give much credit to her; yet, I thought it prudent to load all my fire-arms, lest there might be some truth in the report; especially as my peo- ple were under great apprehension of danger, from the account of the Indian women. She re- mained here all night. Attuiock, accompanied by one of his wives and his brother, came here this morning after the girl; and spent the day with me. Finding the affair to be only a slight quarrel, I reconciled the par- ties; and they all returned home in the evening, apparently good friends. By the instruction I received from a very imperfect A'ocabulary of the Esquimaux language, which ^li'. TiUcas wrote out, we were mutually enal)]ed to understand each other; but it was a work of* gi"ea1 difficulty, and proved very tedious, foi* we often were nuicli em- Ijarrassed in our conversaf i<>ii. Wediics.^ Drrrmhrr 12. 1770. T wcuf down flie ri\('i' .■ind \isi1('(l tlic 1r;ip^; also iTiiioxcd flint which ("iiaries taih'd i'o]- a fox vestei'dav, and set 54 CAPTAIN CABT WRIGHT'S it for an otter; together with five snares for rab- bits. Although they are pretty numerous in the woods, yet they are not easy to be caught, because they do not keep any path. I afterwards called on the Indians, begged some seal's flesh for my dogs, and some oil for the lamps ; at the same time gave them an invitation to the lodge; on which they accompanied me back to my house, and dined with me: one dish, among the rest, consisted of a fox; which was boiled, and tasted very well. Thursday, December 13, 1770. Four men were sawing, and three making sleds and dogs. Took- lavinia came this morning with his dog, and went with the furriers, to try if he could find under what part of the pond bank, the beavers had taken up their abode: but the cur would not hunt. Charles visited his traps, but got nothing. I went to those which are down the river, but nothing had been caught. Observed two otters going downwards under the ice, and frequently coming upon it through cracks and holes, which they found, (being low-water mark:) I headed them a considerable distance, and then walked upwards, until I met with a hole, near which I sat watching for three hours. They then came through it upon the ice, when I fired upon them with my double- barrel, and knocked them both over; but one got down the hole again, before I could get at him, and made his escape; the other was killed dead. Saturday, December 15, 1770. While I was at breakfast, the house was discovered to be in flames. The penthouse, which was constructed LABRADOR JOURNAL 55 over the t'lmiiel of the stove, had taken tire, and communicated it to the roof. Fortmiatelv, how- ever, seven men were at home, by whose assistance it was extinguished; yet not before I had almost despaired of saving the house: for we had much difficulty in access to water; the boy having neg- lected to open the hole through the ice, which I had directed always to ])e kept clear. I then shifted the gunpowder into the store, for fear of a similar accident. Charles altered some deathfalls; but the frost was too severe to do much at them. Three of the men were sliglitly frostburnt,* and most of them seared. The pig was so much burnt, that I was forced to kill it; and was obliged to house the fowls, their combs and feet being frozen stiff. The day was clear, and calm; and the frost un- commonlv severe: for at eisrht o'clock in the mom- ing the mercury stood at 25° below 0. Sunday, Decemhcr 16, 1770. I sent Ned with the Indians, to trv if thev could walk down to Seal Island upon the ice; but thev could not get any lower than Otter Island. On their return, they met with an otter upon the ice in Charles Harbour, and killed him \\iili ilie grey-hound. T made a visit to the Lidiau l.-idics, in tlie morning; and read prayers to my family in tlie afternoon. A fortnight ago, T placed a box of earth near the top of the stove, and sowed some seeds in it; there • Frofltbumt is a tfrm ii«o Houthcrn Labrador, and Nova Scotia. It wjls variously known by the early ex- plorers ;ls the sea-cow, .sea-<»x. sea-horse and morse, while Lescarbot say.s that the creatures seen in the Hay of Seven IsiandH were " hippopotami "! 58 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S pie ushered in Christmas, according to the New- foundland custom. In the first place, they built up a prodigious large fire in their house ; all hands then assembled before the door, and one of them fired a gun, loaded with powder only; afterwards each of them drank a dram of rum; concluding the ceremony with three cheers. These formalities being performed with great solemnity, they re- tired into their house, got drunk as fast as they could, and spent the whole night in drinking, quar- relling, and fighting. It is but natural to suppose, that the noise which they made (their house being but six feet from the head of my bed) together with the apprehension of seeing my house in flames, prevented me from once closing my eyes. This is an intolerable custom; but as it has pre- vailed from time immemorial, it must be submitted to. By some accident my thermometer got broke. Tuesday, December 25, 1770. The people were all drunk, quarrelling, and fighting all day. It snowed early in the morning, the forenoon was dull, and the rest of the day clear, with hard frost. Sunday, December^ 30, 1770. After breakfast I took Ned with me and intended to walk down to Eyre Island; but, near Barred Island, coming upon the fresh slot of fifteen deer, leading towards Punt Pond, we followed them. On one of the small ponds we met with the tracks of four stout wolves,* * Gray wolf, called also timber wolf, Cams occidentalis. The resem- blance between the Eskimo dog of the Eastern Labrador coast and this wolf is very striking. '^Hiile the wolf, however, carries its tail out behind, the 'Eskimo dog generally curls it up over its back. The wolf of Europe is by some considered the same as the American gray wolf. LABRADOR JOURXAL 59 which had but just passed. When we arrived at Niger Sound we saw the slot of other small com- panies of deer; some of which were gone towards Drifty ^lountains, and the rest upon the cape land. The day being then far spent we hastened to Seal Island, where we arrived at tive in the evening. I had then the pleasure to be informed, that Guy and his people had killed near eight hundred seals, and had got all their nets on shore. On Niger Sound we saw a good silver fox; and I killed a grouse on the cape land with my rifle. It was a very fine day, although the frost was severe. Sunday, Jamiart/ 6, 1771. My maid-sen^ant and boy not being very well, I took some blood from both of them; and gave the latter two doses of James's powder,' of seven grains each. After breakfast I paid a visit to my neighbours. Wednes., January 9,1771. I took Ned with me up the river, where I tailed five snares for rabbits, caught a grouse with a partridge net, and shot a spruce-game with my rifle. A wolf had lately been frequently traversing the river, and lind made himself a very snug kennel upon the bank in the snow, where some long grass grew. Attuiock and Tooklavinia came here this evening, and informed me, that thev had met with a herd of deer to-dav upon Great Caribou: and that Attuiock would have killed one of them, had he not broke liis arrow in drawing his bow so strong, as to catch the i)0\nt ' A oelebrated nostnmi of Dr. .Tam«'s, an Knulinli j)liyni(iMn who died in 1770, compoBcd of oxide of antimony and pliospliaf*- of calciuin. 60 CAPTAIN CARTWEIGHT'S in the inside of it. The deer then went off for Lyon Neck; and they returned home. They also said, that a wolf had been in one of the lower traps, but had gotten out again. Thursday, January 10, 1771. Taking Charles, Ned, Mihnouth, and the greyhound with us, Attui- ock and I went in quest of the deer. Judging that they would be found near Cutter Harbour, we went up the sawyers' path b}^ Watson Pond, and crossed at the foot of Belvoir Hill to the head of Atkinson Pond; but not meeting with their slot there, we walked down the lake to Lyon Neck; where the Indian left us and returned home. Soon after, we came upon the slot of the deer, and fol- lowed them to the top of Lyon Head; at which place, the greyhound was so eager to get loose, that we judged they must have been feeding there very lately: night now overtaking us, we retired a little way under the side of a hill; made a good fire, and, considering the weather was extremely cold, and we lay in the open air, on the Labrador coast, we passed a tolerably comfortable night. Friday, January 11, 1771, The frost was so immoderately severe this morning, that we did not leave the fire before the sun was up, we then pro- ceeded along the North East side until we got to the extreme point of the hill, that we might get to leeward of the deer. At nine o'clock we dis- covered them feeding by the side of a bleak hill, not far from where we slept: we approached as near to them as the situation would permit, and there lay watching, in expectation that they would LABEADOR JOUEXxVL 61 soon shift their ground; but not tinding them dis- posed to move, and the frost increasing, we at- tempted to gain their right, but they discerned us and gallopped avcay till they came upon the ice in the harbour; where thev lav down, about three hundred yards from the shore. There I flattered myself that the dog would have been a match for one of them, and I divided the people in order to surround the herd, but they were too cmming for us. On their rising, the dog was slipped, when he soon ran in and separated them, but they joined again presently; and there being a])out six inches of light snow upon the ice, with a thin shell, frozen on the top, the dog struck so deep in, and cut his legs so much, that he was at length obliged to de- sist from the pursuit. Never did I see creatures more sensible of the advantage they had, or make better use of it. At first starting they ran up wind, and keeping as close together as possible, they kicked u]i such a shower of frozen snow, that I could scarcely discern the dog when he was near them; and wondered at his resolution in continu- ing the chase. When they came near the shore, they wheeled gently round, well knowing, that they could not run there near so well as on the ice, and might l)e in danger of an ambuscade. As the dog abated of his speed, they diminished iheii's; and when he gave up the pm^suit, they ran no longer, but turned about and looked at liiiii. On (>l)S('rving our attempts to surround them, they trotted away upon the iee towards Great Caribou, passing be- tween Eyre Island and Little rari])ou. This herd 62 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S of deer, eighteen in number, were all hinds and calves; and I believe, that the slot which we saw some time ago, was made by them. Great Caribou being a barren island, and hav- ing no shelter near it, we were under the necessity of returning home, though the distance is seven miles: accordingly we made the best of our way, and arrived safe ; but were most completely tired. By the way we had a yellow fox in one of the traps. Tuesday, Jmiuary 15, 1771. At day-light this morning, taking Charles, Milmouth, and Haines with me, I set off for Eyre Island. I found my way to the tilt very well; but the men lost themselves for some time. I sent one of the woodmen to Seal Island, and two of them home. The tilt not being finished, we all lay in the woods, where we passed a most uncomfortable night. At midnight the frost increased; the wind blew the fire about, and made it smoke most intolerably. The fuel was not of a good kind for burnings and the trees in the wood being small and rather thinly scattered, those parts of us which were not imme- diately next to the fire were ready to freeze: we were therefore obliged to turn ourselves continu- ally; during which time I often wished to be lashed to a spit, and turned like a roasting goose, without the trouble of doing it myself. Thursday, January 17, 1771. Early this morn- ing I went to great Caribou, and walked all over that Island; but the deer were gone; and I saw only the tracks of a wolf and some foxes. The tilt was so far finished to-day, that we all lay in LABRADOR JOURN.VL (53 it, and 1 got a most luxurious night's sleep. The Indians eanie here in their way to JSeal island, and remained with us all night. Sunday, Januanj 20, 1771. At noon our sealers and all the peoi)le went olt' for Seal Island, and I aeconipanied them as far as South Head: from whenee I took a circuit over the Barrens and then returned home, having three of my toes frostburnt a little. As they were not ver}^ bad, the innnedi- ate application of snow only soon revived them. All my peoi^le returned from the tilt in the evening. Mo)iday, January 28, 1771. In the evening Guy arrived here, and informed me, that on Friday last, he should have accompanied ^Ir. Jones from Cha- teau to Seal Island, in his way to this place; (in order to render that assistance to my maid-serv- ant, Nanny, which she will soon stand in need of) but, as it was not convenient to him, ^Ir. Jones came off by himself: he added, that he had crossed the track of a man yesterday upon Niger Sounds who had gone down towards the sea. On hearing this account I w^as much alarmed; for, as ^Ir. Jones had not arrived at the island, I concluded that he must have lost his way, or some other mis- fortune befallen him. The Indians returned, and ])rought me three round harps. Tuesday, January 2.0, 1771. At day-l)reak this morning, T sent off two men across the country to Chateau, to enquire if Mr. .Tones hnfl i-etui'ned ]);i<'k again; T also sent anothci- ui.nt \v iHi Cny to Niger Sound, to follow the track which lie had observed 64 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S there. In the evening, two of the sealers arrived with a letter from Guy, informing me, that on Pmit Pond he had met with the footsteps of a man (crossing into the track made by me and one of Guy's men, on Friday last) who had followed us to the end of the pond, and there broken a few boughs, upon which he supposed he had lain dur- ing the night, and gone forward again on Saturday morning. He pursued the track to the mouth of Niger Sound, and upon the North end of Romid Island he found the unfortunate Mr. Jones frozen to death, with his faithful Newfoundland bitch by his side! He gave the poor creature what bread he had about him, but could not prevail on her to leave her master. He had been so imprudent as to leave Chateau, not only by himself, but also, without either a hatchet, provisions, tinder, or matches. It was evening, I suppose, when he met with my track, and he certainly did not know where he was; for had he taken it the other way, he might have reached my house in about an hour's good walking. The loss of this young man is the more to be regretted, as he was of a very amiable disposition, and likely to prove an ornament to his profession. Thursday, January 31, 1771. The Chateau men went off for Seal Island early this morning ; from which place my man returned today, accompanied by those whom I sent from Chateau ; also another party from the same place, joined them upon the road. These people brought me what things they found in Mr. Jones's pockets, and informed me i LABRADOR JOURX.AL 65 tliat tiiey had cuveied tiie corpse wiili snow and boughs of trees; but could not prevail on the bitch to leave her deceased master, i went down to mv traps, where I met with the fresh slot of live deer upon the river, and followed them over South Head; but on observing that one of the Indians had pursued them, I turned l)ack. Thursday^ Fchniary 7, 1771. I employed myself most i)arl of this day in making a pair of scales and weiglits; that I may have the advantage of proportioning my medicines with more accuracy. Satiirdaij, Fehruanj 9, 1771. The sawyers en- gaged in felling and bringing home firewood. I had the fat of two seals melted, and it produced fourteen gallons of oil. I was nmch indisposed this morning, and have been so for some time past. My ]ndse is quick and low, particularly after meals; I am subject to profuse sweating, and con- sequent weakness. I attempted to bleed myself, but was so very aw^kward, that, after making six incisions, I could not get more than four ounces of Idood. However, I was much Ijetter in a few hours. Tuefidaij, Fchruarjf 12, 1771. At six o'clock this evening, my niMid was taken in l;il>i>nr: and foi" want of l)etter assistance. I was obliucd lo officiate as midwife myself. Slie li.-id w sexcre time; h\\\ at half after eleven T delivfM'ed licr of a stout ])oy: and she did nie the lioiioi' t«> s;iy, lli;i1, nlthough she had been under the li.inds - flection of the lam])S made the apartment glitter with the ap})earance of radiant diamonds, or lunn"- ' EHkimo. It iiniHt bf> rompmborotl th.'it Cartwriftht frecjucntly usch the word Iiifiiaii for Ewkiuiu. 68 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S nous crystalizations. The lamps were formed of stone, wliicli they contrive to hollow out properly for this purpose; and the wicks, (for each had several laid in. a row on the edge of the lamp) were bits of a particular kind of moss, well dried. Having first poured some oil into the lamp, they then spit a number of small pieces of fat upon a stick, and place them horizontally, at such a dis- tance behind the wicks, that their heat melts the fat, equal to the consumjDtion of oil. The entrance was two feet square, and the upper part of it re- clined outwards, making a considerable angle, and was near the central part of the front of the apart- ment. The door was a block of thick ice, which they laid upon the inside of that aperture. From the door was a descent of four steps into a porch, which was sixteen feet long, four feet wide at the bottom next the house, but narrowed towards the outer end till it was but just sufficient for them to enter at, where it was quite open. It was built of large, oblong blocks of snow laid one upon an- other, and meeting at the top, which was ten feet high. By the entrance of the house projecting for- ward into the porch, and the steps before it, any person might walk in without stooping. Adjoining to the entrance of the porch was a detached kitchen, formed with blocks of snow, and shaped like a glass-house; but not more than ten feet high, and five in diameter. A stick was laid across it to hang the pot upon, which was boiled by the blaze of a few small sticks. LABRADOR JOURNAL 69 After speudiiig an agreeable hour with the In- dians, I returned to tlie tilt on Eyre Island; but was disappointed in linding nobody there: all the firewood was nearly burnt up; and I was too lazy to cut any more myself. Tlie weather being- ex- ceedingly cold, and neither of the men returning, I passed an uncomfortable, solitary night. The wind forced so much drift in between the boards, that my bed, and the whole floor of the tilt, were soon coyered a foot deep with snow. A yery fine day, l)ut an extremely bad night. JVednes., Fchniarii 27, 1771. At one o'clock this afternoon, Ned and ^lilmouth returned from Seal Island, where they lay last night. They in- formed me, that the ice w^as driyen off shore, to the distance of some miles; and that a boat ar- riyed last night from Chateau, with some people belonging to Messrs. Noble and Pinson of Dart- mouth, who carry on their business in Temple Bay. In the eyening one of my people came from the Lodge, and Ijrought me a letter h'om Mr. Ged, who relieyed Lieutenant Dayyes in the command of York Fort. Hard frost with low^ drift. Thursday, March 7, 1771. Nanny was so Ijad to-day, that I was greatly alaniied. Tier face was intensely red, her eyes had a fiery briglitness, and she had such a quick succession of fainting-tits, that each was of longer dui'ation lliaii the interyal which preceded. Being destitule of eyery medi- cine which Dr. l^rookes pi-escrib<'s in siicli cases, I was entirely at a loss what to give lici-; but as 70 CAPTAIN CART WEIGHT'S I judged, that Indian tea ^ was of the same nature with the herbs which are recommended by that author, I had some gathered from under the snow in the woods, and gave Iier a pint of the strong infusion of that plant sweetened with sugar; re- peating the same three hours after. In a short time, I had the pleasure to find her complaints removed, and the unfavorable symptoms disap- pear. I visited my traps, and shifted them both. Charles, Haines, and Milmouth, went to Island Lake, and brought home three spruce-game, and the old beaver, whose foot they took off the 25th of last month. At night the Indians brought two seals and a pair of ducks. Sunday J March 10, 1771. The Indians went to the tilt, and returned in the evening accomj)anied by Ned, with a good silver-fox, and most of the things which were there. I read prayers to my family, and churched Nanny, who is now, thank God, perfectly recovered; an event which I have reason to believe, was effected by the Indian tea. Monday, March 11, 1771. I set off at seven o'clock this morning, attended by Ned, Attuiock, and Tooklavinia, for Chateau. We went down Charles Eiver to the mouth of Punt Brook, and crossed the Isthmus to Niger Sound; which we continued till we were opposite to Niger Island. We landed on the South side, and advanced across * I believe that our author refers to Labrador tea, Ledum grcenlandi- cum and L. palustre. This being; evergreen rould be gathered from under the snow, and its medicinal value for various affections was formerly highly esteemed. < 1?* J^^^^^^^r ^.J^^y^j^BC^^HMH ^ Jr*' .^• * ' K'L F-i"^ \ _ w •\;f!«i !*",.<•:*'■, '^W^' Jm U*^ 10 Xi u (L> U o o s ir-hJi}i(l. Upo]i forcing my eyes o])en with my fingers, the sensation wns exquisite, attended wiHi n plentiful dischai'gc of shai'p water; which brought on a quick succession of severe spasms. 72 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S Tlie effects were exactly the same as would be produced by a person having his eyes filled with the most pungent snuff'. As soon as I got up, I held them over the steam of hot water, and by repeatedly doing the same in the course of the day, and keeping them well defended from the light with handkerchiefs bound over them, the pain was greatly diminished at night, when I ap- plied a poultice of boiled bread and oil. Friday, March 15, 1771. My eyes were so much better, that I could keep them' open all day, and even bear to go to the door for a few minutes at a time. A white-bear was seen in Temple Tickle. The deer-hunters returned this evening, and had seen near forty head; but could not get within shot of them. All the ground which lies along the shore of the straits of Belle Isle is generally much frequented by deer during the Winter, but partic- ularly so at this time of the year; and they con- tinue there till the end of April, or later. Thursday, March 21, 1771. Rising at day-light this morning, I prepared for my departure, but a white-bear being discovered upon the ice, com- ing towards the fort from Henly Island, we all ran out to attack him. The people made so much noise, that he turned back, took the water, and swam across to Wliale Gut, where he landed and went into the country. A party of the marines pursued, but could not overtake him. These ani- mals travel at a much greater rate than is gen- erally supposed; for they take very long steps. Friday, March 22, 1771, At eight o'clock this LABRADOR JOURN.VL 73 morning, leaving Ned behind nie, who is yet too weak to travel, and borrowing a marine of Mr. Ged, 1 set oft' on my return home. We kept along the low land till we came near St. Peter's Bay, then turned up the hills and ascended St. Peter's Head; which is bald on the top, and the highest mountain in this neighborhood. We had a com- manding view of the country, and I could plainly discern Prospect Hill. We descended on the North side of the head, where we found thick woods, in which the snow was very deep and light. Here we met with the recent marks of porcupines ; and I killed a spruce-game Avith my rifle: ])ut my eye not being clear enough to attem]^t beheading the bird, as I usually do, I fired at the body, and the ball knocked him entirely to pieces. After- w^ards we made a straight course to Ranger Lodge, but did not arrive there till seven o'clock in the evening. At the head of Fox Pond we crossed the fresh track of a white-bear, but I had not the least inclination to follow him. Since my departure, Charles had brought in two martens; the furriers one, and a wolvering; ^ one trap was lost, and they found a foxhound dead in another, in which he had the misfortune to be caught. A delightful mild day. Sunday, Ajtril 7, 1771. Eai'ly in llie morning I put my provisions, bedding, nnd othei" l)aggage on tlie Indian sled; my gun and I'ackels ui)on my own, drawn ])y thi'ce flogs, and set off witli Haines for the tilt; wliidi willi nnu-li (lirfi<'ul1y we found. • Wolverine, also culled Glutton or Indian devil, Gulo luscua. 74 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S Monday, April 8, 1771. At ten o'clock Mil- mouth came from the Lodge to remain with me. Soon afterwards two of the sealers called to in- form me that they had killed a wolf at the East end of this island, which had got into one of their traps upon White-Fox Island this morning. He travelled at such a rate with the trap upon one of his fore feet, that they had much difficulty to overtake him, though assisted by a couple of stout Newfoundland dogs; for the wolf so intimidated the dogs, by frequently snapping at them as he ran, that they were afraid to attack him. I went with them to take a view of the beast, and a large old dog he was, but very poor; for he had been impelled by hunger to haunt about the sealers' house for some time past, to eat the seals' bones which had been left half picked by their dogs. Milmouth and I were employed all the rest of the day in cutting boughs to sewel the harbour, in order to cause the deer to come close to a point of Eyre Island, where I intend to watch for them. It snowed hard all last night, and drifted the whole of this day. Tuesday, April 9, 1771. A man came from Seal Island and brought me a forequarter of the wolf, a piece of which was roasted for dinner, but it proved so hard, dry, tough, and rank, that I could swallow but one mouthful. As I was, however, determined to get the better of my squeamish stomach, I set the remainder by for supper, but my success was not then much greater. At one o'clock I joined Haines, and we made a shooting- LABRADOR JOURN^y;. 75 stand of suow at llie iSoutli West point of tins island. >> Sandal/, April 14, 1771. A man came here from Seal Island, who informed me that another wolf had carried oft' one of their traps last week; and, that in his way to this place, he had killed. an otter upon the ice. The Indians having caught six seals, they brought them to the Lodge this eve- ning, as a fresh supply of provisions for the dogs. Whether my appetite or the taste of the wolf be better, I cannot tell; but I can now make a tol- erable good meal of him. Monday, April 15, 1771. Tlie evening being clear, I walked to the top of the highest hill upon this island, and had an extensive view out to sea; but could not discern a drop of fresh water. I finished mj^ quarter of wolf to-day, and I believe, that my stomach will not refuse such food again, during my residence in this country. Sunday, Ajjril 21, 1771. Attuiock and his fa- vourite wife came here, and brought Haines home. Upon an examination of my provisions, I found no more left than will be sufficient for five weeks. Various complaints w^ere made to me against the sawyers; and, upon a full investigation of the circumstances, I found them all to be rascals. Monday, April 22, 1771. After breakfast the Indians set me down at the tilt, and then returned home. In the afternoon T walked to the top of the highcsl hill, and ^'ould jjoi-ccive all the land ;irniiii(l still covered with snow, and nothing but tinn ice to be disc'crned out at sea, as Cai' as the 76 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S eye could reach: which, I suppose, cannot be less than fifty leagues from the land. Satiirdaij, April 27, 1771. The ice being driven to a distance from the shore, some of the people went with me this morning to the outer point of Indian Island, in expectation of shooting some ducks; but, although many thousands flew to the Northward, they all kept too far off. Sunday, May 5, 1771. Etuiock came here early this morning with their sled; and taking Charles, Bettres (the boy) and Williams with me, we went to Seal Island. At noon we set out for Chateau in a skiff, taking also a couple of the sealers. We had clear water till we passed Camp Islands; but on observing a jamb of ice which extended from Table Point towards Belle Isle, we endeavored to go on the outside of it. In this attempt we got so far out to sea, (and such abundance of ice at the same time came after us from the North East) that it was with great difficulty we regained the shore at Birchy Cascade: we hauled our skiff up and spent the night by a good fire in the woods. Monday, May 6, 1771. Early in the morning we launched the boat, and rowed along shore to Foul- weather Broke, but could get no farther; the ice being firmly jammed quite across, from Table Point to Belle Isle. There we hauled up the boat and I walked upon the point where I met with eight deer, and shot one of them through the haunches, at a considerable distance, but did not kill him; I then pursued him a long way without success. The rest of the people went round the LABRADOR JOURNAL 77 shore to the Head of St. Peter's Bay, but killed nothing. We suffered greatly all night from cold, for the woods were thin, cliiefly old bireh,^ the snow was very deep, and we could scarce keep our fire alight, the fuel being full of sap. Tuesday, May 7, 1771. At day-light this morn- ing, finding the ice was driven back to the North- ward, I ordered the boat round the Point, alid walked across to Conden Tickle; where I found fourteen deer feeding upon wild rye ^ which ap- peared through the snow. Unfortunately they got sight of me at the same time, and went off, when I fired at above two hundred yards distance, without effect. The boat meeting me there, we made the best of our wav to Chateau, and arrived in Henlev Tickle at four in the afternoon, where I shot four ducks and then went to York Fort. Friday, Maij 10, 1771. Early in the morning, leaving Charles to follow with the sealers, and taking Bettres with me, I went to the Table Land in a boat belonging to the garrison, and sent it back immediately on my arrival. In my way hither I measured the flight of the eider ducks bv the following method: viz. on arriving off Duck Island, six miles distant from Henley Tickle, I caused the people to lie on their oai's; and when I saw the flash of the guns, which wen* fii-ed at a flock of ducks as they passed through, I observed by my watch how long they were in flying abreast ' Papor or Canoo Mnli, lirluln AUm. Tim dwarf birch, B. glandulosa var. rntunrlifolia, is alno (■oniiiioii in lyahradnr. ' Elyrnua arcnariua. 78 CAPTAIN CAET WRIGHT'S of us. The result of above a dozen observations, ascertained the rate to be ninety miles an hour. After making a tilt with some seal skins which I borrowed at Chateau, I took a walk across the point, and got shots at a good fox and a black duck, with my ritie; also saw a deer, but night came on before I could get up to it. It was nine o'clock when I returned to the tilt very hungry; having eaten nothing since six in the morning: but, instead of dinner being ready, the boy had not been able to light a fire; therefore I was obliged to do that business myself; I soon effected it, and broiled some ducks for our suppers. In my way hither I killed one duck out of the boat, and brought some others along with me. Sunday, May 12, 1771. Early in the morning Etuiock and the Indians came to the tilt, and con- ducted me and my baggage home on their sled. We found the bay broken up in the middle, as high as the South head of White-Bear Sound, where we inadvertently got upon loose pans of ice, and were in danger of being driven out to sea; but by the activity of the dogs, we escaped the danger. From Seal Island to Otter Island the ice was very rotten, and knee deep in water. On my arrival at home I was informed that one of my people had killed a deer last week. Monday, May 13, 1771. I had the skiff caulked and payed; the boards piled; the foundation for the salmon-house cleared; and other things done. Charles began to dig the garden, Ned took up some seweling, and was at work down the river LABRADOR eJOURNAL 79 all day. in the evening the river broke up as far as Rabbit Island; having been entirely frozen twenty-seven weeks and three days. A very warm day. Tuesday, Maij 21, 1771. The first green leaf ap- peared to-day, which was a currant.^ Monday, May 27, 1771. I killed a gull" with my little rifle, and caught five large trouts with baits. Milmouth returned at night, and brought a goose. Charles was at work in the lower garden. Wednes., May 29, 1771. At day-light I sent most of the peojole down to the shallop, and went myself with two hands into St. Lewis's Bay. We tailed one trap for an otter in Cutter Harbour; then Avent into Mary Harbour, where we tailed two more. At the head of this place we found a very fine salmon river, which precipitates over a flat rock, extending across the mouth of it, and forms a most beautiful cascade. Near this spot was a mountaineer whigwham of last year, on which we spread our sails, and slept in it. I killed a seal and a spruce-game with my rifle, but lost the former. It snowed and hailed all day and night. Fridaj/, May 31, 1771. Wo ]ii"oceede(l lo "Ryre Island, where we found a duck in a trap: l)('ing caught there by a hard squall of wind, we were • Rihes Iriste or R. prostrahim. On May 24, 1000, at EBquimaux Point, I found the currants just boKiniiinK to opon thoir l(>af-bu(lH. * The most common larijc jrull on the l>abr;ifl()r coa-st is the herring? gull, Imtiik ar(icTtlahis. Tlie preat blafk-l jacked null, L. marinus and the glaucous KuU or biirKoniasfer, />. hyptrhorruH, are ulso conmion. The kittiwakc, Rinm trvl(u-tijla, is an abundant Bmall gull. 80 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S obliged to run tlirougii Raft Tickle into a cove, where we hauled up our boat; killed a pair of eider ducks, and winged a black-duck, but lost it. In the evening the squall abating, we set off, and got home by ten at night; in the way I killed a seal with goose shot, but it sunk. Ned and Haines were come from Chateau, but had brought only twelve ducks. They had begun to build the salmoii-house. Attuiock sent me a present of his old kyack. Clear weather. Saturday^ Jiuie 1, 1771. I turned the people out at four o'clock, and finding that the work at the salmonhouse was not well executed, I made them pull it down and begin afresh. The boatsmaster came up and informed me, that he had brought the shallop into the river. Milmouth and Bettres went to Eyre Island with traps ; where they killed a duck and a tinker,^ and gathered thirty-three eggs. Two of the Indians came up, and brought me a duck and a few eggs. The instant I got home I sat down to write letters to Fogo and England, and continued at that work all day. Sunday, June 2, 1771. I continued writing all the last night, and until noon to-day; when, hav- ing finished, the shallop immediately sailed for Fogo. I went to bed at half after two in the after- noon, not a little fatigued. Mo7iday, June 3, 1771. At four o'clock all hands were at work on the salmonhouse, except two; at the same time I sent down the river for the skiff and punt, which were left in Furriers ^ Still called " tinker," the razor-billed auk, Alca torda. LxVBRADOK JOURNAL 81 Cove: they returned at eight, when Mihiiouth went to Niger Sound, shifted the trap, and killed a shell-bird and a bottle-nosed diver/ Thursday, June 6, 1771. At day-Hght I began to prepare for a cruise; and at seven o'clock, taking Charles and Bettres with me, I sailed for St. Lewis's Bay: we had three otters in the traps, tailed three more, shot three ducks, and gathered seventeen eggs. We passed the night in Mary Harbour. Friday, J une 7, 1771. At noon w^e sailed up the bay, got to the head of it at night, and there found a large river, with plenty of good timber on the north side of it. We landed at the mouth of a small brook, where there were some old Nescau- pick whigwhams, and erected a tilt for ourselves; but had not a very pleasant night, as it snowed hard the whole time. I named the river, the Col- leroon; from a large river in the East Lidies of the same apjoellation. Saturday, J tine 8, 1771. We spent the morning in taking off some rinds to cover our tilt, and in skinning the otters. Li the afternoon we went about two miles higher up the river, which ap- peared very likely to produce plenty of salmon, but difficult and expensive to fish; being In-oad, shoal, and rapid. On examination of the timber we found a great number of white spruce trees, which were tall, clear, and straight; fi-om six, to ' Surf Bcoter or Rkunk-head cool, Oidcniin jHr^picilUiln. 'Ilic white- winj^ed scoter, 0. der/Inn/li wa« and ia still known on the Labrador coast ua the " brass-wing diver." 82 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S nine feet in circumference. We killed a spruce- game, and returned to the tilt in the evening. Sunday, June 9, 1771. At ten o'clock this morn- ing we set out homewards. About two miles lower, we met with a small river on the* South West side of the bav. I named it the Alexander; abundance of that plant ^ growing on its banks. A warm day, but froze sharp in the night. Monday, June 10, 1771. We made sail down the bay at five this morning. On the South shore were several groves of good birch, fit for hoop- poles; plenty of trees proper for rinding; and many spots of good grass fit for hay. I killed a goose and wounded two more. We visited the traps in Mary Harbour, and had an otter. We then went to Hutton Island, where I killed five ducks and a shell-bird; we also gathered twenty- nine eggs, and fomid a goose-nest with seven. At half past seven we left that place, and, with the help of our sails and oars, reached home at midnight, very well pleased with the discoveries which had been made: for, beside the above-men- tioned advantages, there are many good rubbing places, and the country seems likely for martens; but not so for beavers. We saw but few signs of deer or black-bears; nor were there many ves- ^ Cartwright frequently speaks of " alexander " by which he un- doubtedly means the cow-parsnip, Herocleum lanaium, belonging to the carrot family, Umbellifereae. This plant resembles superficially the English Smyrnium olusatrum or alexander, with which Cartwright was doubtless familiar. This was used as a pot herb in England just as H. lanaium was used in Labrador by the Indians. I found the cow-parsnip very common at Cape Cliarles and in the Mary Harbour region. Icebergs on the Labrador Coast I At the Mouth of Mar3' Harbour LABRADOR JOURNAL 83 tiges of Indians, and those we found were old. The length of the bay, from Lion Head to the river mouth, is about seven leagues. I was writing letters all the remainder of the night. Tlinrsdcuj, June 20, 1771. I was making flies and a fishing-line till dinner; after which I went in the punt up the stream, and killed one slink and a brace of trout. Charles took up the sewels in Sewel Cove. The skiff came up at night with two of Guy's crew, who brought me a confused ac- count of a rupture with Spain, which they had heard of from some people of Chateau, that had arrived at Seal Island this day: that a vessel be- longing to Noble and Pinson had arrived at Cha- teau; that the codfish were on the coast, and that they had caught a quintal ^ this morning with a few trouts, which I sent them yesterday. Bright sun, and very hot weather. Friday, June 21, 1771. My maid, through care- lessness in heating the oven, set the hill on fire, but by timely assistance, it was extinguished; otherwise, the buildings; and the whole country round, would soon have been in flames. Had twenty-seven slinks in the net. A very hot day, and the moschettos bit for the first time tliis year. Wednes., June 26, 1771. In the afternoon John Tilsed came, and brought intelligence of his re- turn with the shallop from Fogo; from whence he had l)r<)Ught ])i\ck aiiothci- fisliorman and a coopei'. Slic was laden with ciiipty hogsheads, 'A weif^ht of 112 poundfl. 84 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S (for the seals' oil,) and a fresh supply of provi- sions. He delivered to me some letters from Eng- land and Fogo. From the former place I received the very afflicting information of the death of my good friend Lord Granby; and from the latter I was informed of the loss of my partner lieutenant Lucas, who was supposed to have foundered at sea, in our schooner Enterprise, on his passage from Fogo to Oporto; for which place he sailed the latter end of October last, with a cargo of dry fish on freight. They also advised me, that our schooner Nimrod was to be consigned to me with a cargo of supplies from England ; and that a shal- lop, intended as a present to Attuiock, was to be immediately sent to me from Fogo. Tilsed and his crew returned to Stage Cove at night to assist in carrying on the work there. A very hot day. Tuesday^ July 2, 1771. At five o'clock this morning, taking a couple of men with me in the wherry, I went to Seal Island; where Hezekiah Guy and company delivered to me two thousand seven hundred and five gallons of seals' oil; thirty- two fox, and four otter skins; one wolf and one deer skin, with two bags of feathers; being part of their winter's * voyage. I then made a visit to the Indians who are encamped on Cape Island; and my old friend Attuiock made me a present of a beautiful ranger ^ skin. * A term used in this country, to express the whole of what any set of men make, catch, or procure, in the course of a winter, or summer. ^ Harbour seal, Phoca vitulina (xmcolor. LABRxVDOR JOURNAL 85 I was greatly pleased with their method of ciiriug eodhsh without salt; which, m that state, they call pipsliij. The fish is split down the back, the bone taken out, and the thick parts scored down to the skin, an inch asunder; two of them are then fastened together by theii' tails, and hung across a pole to dry in the open air. This method of curing fish or flesh, we call jerking. It is an excellent wav, and anvthinoj which is so cured, will keep perfectly sweet and good, for a great length of time, provided no wet or damp affect it; but it requires to be well soaked before it be dressed. Thiirsdaij, July 4, 1771. Attuiock and Tookla- vinia came up in their kyacks, accompanied by five other Esquimaux, who had arrived at Cape Charles this morning with their families. They supped with me, and afterwards smoked a few whiffs of tobacco and drank a little callibogus; but they seemed to prefer sugar and water. Friday, July 5, 1771. It was astonishing to see what a quantity of hot cake and coffee my seven uncouth friends swallowed for breakfast this morning. After their repast, I went with them to the Cape on a visit to their wives, and was rowed thither in the wherry by Charles and one of the Indians. Tlie other six attended in their kyacks, and threw their different kinds of darts as they went along; an art at which they are amazingly dexterous. T shot a seal with my TT;iiio\-cri;m riflo but he sunk. AiTi\ing at Cape Island, close adjoining At- 86 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S tuiock's tent, I found several others, each of which was inhabited by a numerous family attended by dogs. There seemed to be no distinction between these people and their faithful attendants; for they all lived together in common, much in the same way as I have already described in the former part of my journal. The ground within and about the tents was covered with codfish, seals, ducks and eggs: of which the Indians or their dogs made a repast at pleasure, without cere- mony. They had lately killed an old white-bear, and every tent was supplied with a sufficient quantity boiled in a pot; out of which each in- dividual helped himself as often as he found room to cram down a little more: and no sooner was the pot empty, than it was immediately replen- ished. From Shuglawina the chief, (whose tent and shallop were both larger and better than those belonging to any of the other) I received a present of five * silver fox-skins : another gave me a ranger-skin; and a third an arrow. There were several pretty girls, and some good-looking youths among them. My old friend, I believe, had made a very favourable report of my behaviour to him during the Winter; for they seemed to be as pleased to see me, and as obedient to me as if I had been their king. On my departure, I dis- tributed about a pound of small beads and a few needles among them, with which they were well satisfied; and the men promised to conduct their wives to my house on the morrow to return the * These five skins were sold at Bristol for ISl. 7s. Qd. LABRADOR JOURNAL 87 visit, and at the same time to bring theii- whale- bone and skins to trade with me. In my way home I called at Seal Island, where I received six hundred and twentv-live seal-skins from Guy and company. I then proceeded to the stage, where I gave some directions, and got home by ten at night, accompanied by two Indian men in their kyacks. Milmouth had shifted the net, and put it out again. The weather was very fine to-day. Sunday, July 7, 1771. At one o'clock this after- noon, our bait-skiff full of Indians, attended by several others in their kyacks, came here; having left their shallop in the river below. They brought a small quantity of whalebone and a few skins, which I purchased with some trifling arti- cles. There were in the whole, thirty-two people, of both sexes and of all ages. Nine salmon were boiled for them, and, although the fish were fifteen pounds weight each, on an average, they ate the whole at a meal. T can eat pretty well myself; ))ut my perfoi'mances in that way are not worth recording in the history of men of such superior talents. They all returned in the evening except Shuglawina, his daughter, Attuiock and Ickon- gorjue. There was excellent fishiuc; todav, and had there been but one fleet of good nets in the water, we could have killed ten tierces. Tuesday, July !f, 1771. Early this morning I went to Cape Tharles, and there pitched my tent upon the eontinont, flii'crtly opposite the Indian 88 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S Camp; having a tickle between us, not more than eighty yards wide. The instant that I was ready to open shop, I sent my people home, with injunc- tions not to come near me until I sent them an order in writing for that purpose ; or, unless they had any business with me, which could not be deferred till my return. My tent was soon filled with Indians, and we carried on a very brisk trade till tw^o o'clock in the afternoon. Shuglawina then came in, spoke a few words in a rough tone of voice, and all the rest instantly walked out. Taking me by the shoulder and speaking sternly,, he made signs for me to go along Avith him. As these people have hitherto plundered and mur- dered Europeans whenever they had the oppor- tunity, I must confess, that I expected that was to be my fate now; and my suspicions were con- firmed, upon recollecting the apprehensions which they expressed at the sight of my fire-arms, till I convinced them, that they were not loaded. How^- ever, being well assured, that if they were deter- mined to kill me, I could not prevent them; I put the best face possible on this unpleasant affair, locked up my goods, and followed him out. He led me to the top of an eminence, at the back of my tent, and we were followed by all the men and boys. On observing a collection of brush wood and other dry fuel, I naturally concluded, that I was to be sacrificed; but whether they intended to roast me alive or dead, I could not determine. I did not, however, long remain in suspense, for Shuglawina soon dispelled my fears by telling me, LABRADOR JOURNAL 89 that we had done business enough for one day, and therefore he had brought me there to look out for vessels at sea (that station eonmianding a view quite across the straits of Belle Isle as far as Quirpon and the adjoining parts of Newfound- land) adding, that the wood was to make signals to them. On discovering a whabby swimming in a small pond, I sent for my rifle, and broke both its thighs at the first shot; Shuglawina then fired and killed it. It was really surprising, that he should kill a bird with a single ball, the first shot which he ever fired in his life, at a distance of a hundred yards at the least. They all returned to their own tents at sun-set, and did not steal a single article from me, al- though several of my goods lay exposed to them; which I firmlv believe was the first instance of the kind ever known. Wedne.s'.j JuJij 10, 1771. Not an Indian of- fered to cross the tickle this mornins: until thev saw me up at five o'clock. Most of the men were gone out to kill seals and codfish, and those who were in camp then came to my tent, ])ut as I had yesterday purchased the greatest part of their goods, my traffic with them was now trifling. These people live at the three southoriunost set- tlements, where no whales are killed; they do not trouble themselves much to rntrh furs, not being furnislied with traps; uov do Ibcy iiiidcM'stand the use of dcathfnlls. ^Pliey Icill plenty of seals, fish, and fowl iii flieii- own neighborhood; and barter with the noi'thern tribes for whalel)one. 90 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S Very little more than the mere necessaries of life (which, a little reflection will convince every- one, are few indeed) will satisfy an Indian; for he has no stimulus to industry. When he has killed food he has generally procured clothing also; therefore he will work no longer. As seals are infinitely more valuable to an Esquimau, and much more certain to be kjlled by him, than foxes, martens, or any other animals, on the skins of which luxury has fixed a better price; it is not surprising that he will stick close to the chase of the one, to the great neglect of the other. Besides, the catching of furs is so fatiguing and precarious, and the carcasses so small, that, were he to give up his time to that business, his family must perish with hunger. Yet I have not a doubt, but com- merce will, in progress of time, have the same effect on these people, that it ever has had on other nations : it will introduce luxury, which will increase their wants, and urge them to much more industry than they at present possess. They will then purchase traps, learn to build deathfalls, and contrive other devices to kill furs, at such times as a successful seal-chase shall give them lei- sure to pay proper attention to that branch of trade. In the afternoon I went over to the island and visited the ladies. I found them variously em- ployed, and observed that great attention was paid to the providing of belly-timber: for the kettle was either boiled, or boiling, in every tent. Some were busy in dressing green seal-skins, and LABRADOR JOURNAL 91 others iii jerking tisli; some, in making boots and jackets, whilst others were sucking the fat from eidei'-diick skins, intended for winter garments, and engaged in a great variety of other employ- ment. The most perfect good humour prevailed among them, and they took great pains to enter- tain me with singing and dancing. Although I did not admire their tunes, yet I could perceive that manv of them had very soft and musical voices; but as to their dancing, one would have supposed that they had learned that art from the bears of the country. As mere visiting was not my sole object, Jew like, I took with ine a box of beads and other trifles, with which I j^icked up several skins and a little whalebone. Shuglawina made me a present of a very fine silver fox-skin; but he insisted on having the same price for the brush of it, as I had just paid for an entire skin. However, as he only demanded a small ivory comb, which cost me no more than twopence halfpenny, and the skin was worth four guineas, I made no scruple in comple- ting the purchase. Saturday, July 13, 1771. In the afternoon, Shuglawina and I took a walk on the Cape land in quest of deer, but saw none. I detected his son in attempting to sell me some of my own whalebone whi^'h he had stolen out of my tent: T complained 1«» Ills father, but for w^ant of being perfect in the language, T could not make him understand me; oi- ;i1 least he would not: however, he offered me a present, by way of settling the affaii*, which I 92 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S refused; but made liim sensible that I was satis- fied. Wednes., July 24, 1771. At five this morning, I sent the sahnoniers with the net up the river. We caught sixteen fish with it, in the pools above the pound; the latter had sixty-three in it, and the Indians killed twenty with their darts. Saturday, July 27, 1771. I jourehased a few skins from the Indians to-day, and, in the evening, they went off for Camp Islands. One of the In- dian men behaving rudely to my maid, I seized him by the collar, and launched him out of the door. I was most heartily tired of their company before they went, they were so very rude and troublesome: and although they eat no less than fifteen large salmon in twenty-four hours, yet they were much displeased that I would not give them another meal. I did not count the number of visitors, but I do not believe they exceeded forty. I had two new salmon-nets put out to-day. We had but few fish out of the pound, and only a score out of the nets; most of which had been some time in the river, I fished a little with the fly at noon, and killed a few trouts. I received several letters by the Indian Prince, among which was a packet from Marnham. Friday, August 2, 1771. I lent Guy my chart of the coast, and ordered both boats to Port Char- lotte to try for fish and baits about Point Spear and Cape St. Francis. Having examined the In- dian traffic, I found that I had got three hundred weight of whalebone; ninety-seven ranger, four LABRADOR JOURNAL 93 doater, and nineteen fox skins; twenty-one spare fox brnslies; twelve deer, four otter, and two mar- ten skins; one wolf, one wolvering, and one black- bear skin. xVt night the skilf eanie n\) with a let- ter. We found a wolvering to-day in one of the traps, which was tailed some time since in AVat- son Brook, but he ^vas tainted. Few salmon going. Suudai/, Amju.st 4, 1771. At eight this morn- ing, being accompanied by Shuglawina, we got under weigh [in the Nimrod] and sailed for Fogo; but immediately got aground on the bar between White Fox and Little Island: we lay there an hour, then got otf ])y the help of a warp, and went to sea. There being but little wind all day, we got no farther than the back of Belle Isle, and were beating in the mouth of the straits all night. Mondai), August 5, 1771. We were about foiu' leagues from Groais Island at sun-set, when we saw a snow ^ standing in for Croque. During a calm in the afternoon, Shuglawina went off in his kyack in pursuit of a penguin ; - he presently came within a proper distance of the bird, and struck his dai't into it; ])ut, as the weapon did not enter a mortal part, the penguin swam and dived so • A Bailing vessel, whoHo rip; Is now obaolple. The snow had two larpe maflts, and a third small ma.st which carried a trysail just abaft of the mainmast. 'Great auk or Kare-fowl, Plnntus impcnnis, exiinet since about 1850. This interest inn l»ird Wius fulled jxTifjuin by tli<' t-aiTuT voyagers, a name subsequently use', where we arrived in a short space of time. We found there, seventeen tents and nine shaHops. I pitched my tent, and carried on a very brisk trade during the whole of the da3\ In the evening, two fresh boats ar- rived from the northward, one of which was a whaling-boat, and had a good deal of bone in her. At sun-set, the Indians amused themselves with playing at ball; this amusement consisted only in tossing the ball at pleasure from one to another, each striving who should get it; but I soon per- ceived they were very bad catchers. I taught them the sports of threading-the-needle, and leap- frog; the latter of which diverted them much, as it did me likewise: for as thev liad no idea of springing, and the women playing as well as the men, they were continually tumbling over each other in glorious confusion; but as the women wore breeches, it was of very little consequence on which end they fell; their heads, or their heels. They had likewise a game much resembling that of threading-the-needle; but instead of the last couple turning hands over head, the leader ran round, till they were all wound u[) in a circle; when pulling and hauling different ways, they tumbled over each other, and 1lius linished their sport. One of them having a veiy bad cold, which I understand is a prevalent disorder amongst them, T bled him. Friday, Jidy 5, 1772. Two shallops went off this morning for Chateau. T saw great plenty of 108 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S caplin/ and several large slioals came close in shore, when the Indians and I killed many with darts. Monday, July 6, 1772. I had but little trade to-day. The Indians were diverting themselves with shooting at a mark with their arrows; but I cannot say, that I think them good archers, al- though their bows are constructed on an excellent principle; for by the assistance of a back-string the bow preserves its elastic power, and by slack- ening or tightening this string, it is rendered weak enough for a child of five years old, or strong enough for the most powerful man amongst them. As there is something particular in their sport of to-day, I shall endeavour to describe it. They provide two targets of four feet square, made of sticks, and covered with deer-skins. These they fix on poles about eight feet high, and at sixty yards distance from each other. The men divi- ding themselves into two parties, each party shoots twenty-one arrows at one of the targets, standing by the other. That party which puts the most arrows into the target, gains the honour, for they have not the least idea of gaming. The victors immediately set up shouts of mockery and deri- sion at the conquered party; these they continue for some time; when the wives and daughters of the conquerors join in the triumph, and walking in procession round the targets, sing a song upon the occasion, priding themselves not a little with 1 Mallotus villosus, a fish resembling the smelt, a good food-fish, but used chiefly as bait for cod. LABRADOR JOURNAL 109 the defeat of their opponents, who at length join in the langh against themselves, and all are friends again, without any oft'enoe (seemingly) behig either given or taken. Upon this occasion the women wear a pair of clean gloves, made of the skins of white foxes or hares, and these they endeavom' to make as much shew of as possible, by holding up and displaying their hands. At a little distance they look very well, but on inspec- tion, they do not seem to be calculated so much for use as ornament; the fur being on the outside. They are dressed likewise in their best clothes and large boots, and having marched round the tar- gets, they retire to one side, whilst the men renew their sport. As I had formerly practiced a little with the l)ow, I was not quite a stranger to the use of it, and having observed them for some time, I desired permission to shoot; when, more by ac- cident, than superionty of skill, I sent an arrow near to the centre of the target at the first shot. They expressed very great astonishment at my performance, and innnediately began to dance and shout around me; which thev continued for a con- siderable time. But a different scene was soon after exhibited; for being informed by one of their people, that a principal man amongst them, had stolen a skein of thread; I immediately sent to the chief a peremptoT'v order to bring the thread to my tout, wliicli lie accordingly complied with. TTaving I'cpi-ovcd liiiii in a ^'cl•y angry tone for his })ehavi()nr. I u'a\c 1iini a tVw si i-okcs. lie instantly made resistance, when catching him in 110 CAPTAIN CARTWEIGHT'S my arms, I gave him a cross-buttock (a method of throwmg unknown to them) and pitched him with great force headlong out of my tent. I then appealed to the rest for the justice of my cause, who not only applauded me for the action, but seemed to have a high opinion both of my lenity and strength. The man went immediately to his tent, and returned with a beautiful seal-skin as a present to me; but I would by no means accept of it, making him and the rest understand, that I did not quarrel with him, that he should make me a present to be reconciled; but because he had been guilty of a dishonest action; and that as he now seemed to be sensible of his crime, I was per- fectly satisfied. I told them, that I would never steal anything from them, and as I would not suf- fer any of my people to plunder them, so neither would I suffer them to rob me with impunity: and I moreover assured them ; that nothing should ever induce me to take away their lives. By words and signs together, I made them fully comprehend my meaning, which had the desired effect; for we were afterwards not only upon the most friendly terms; but I seemed likewise to have established an authorit^y over them. Tuesday, July 7, 1772. I spent the greatest part of the day in visiting from tent to tent, and in conversing with the principal men; who not only behaved to me with respect, but did me the honour to call me an Esquimau: and, indeed, in outward appearance the difference between us was but lit- tle; for, being habited in the dress of the country, LABRADOR JOURNAL 111 the only marks of (listinctioii were 1113' hat and complexion. SiDuJaij, July 12, 1772. I was so extremely ill all this day, as to be obliged to keep my bed. Now, indeed, mv situation was trulv wretehed! My bed lay on the wet ground in a small tent, so close as to admit but little air, and the heat was equal to that of a cucmnber frame; whilst the steam occasioned hj the moisture extracted from the earth, kept a continual dropping from the top. I had nothing to eat but salted beef and pork, and nothing proper to give me relief. I had no one near me to whom I could make known my com- plaints, except the Indians, with whose language I was but little acquainted. They seemed how- ever to be really affected with my situation, though without the knowledge of administering relief; nor were thev sensible that a continual noise could disturb a sick person. After it was dark they gave me a convincing proof of their attachment (which T would most gladly have ex- cused) by assembling in and about the tent near- est to mine, and there performing some super- stitious ceremonies for my recovery. As T was not an eye witness of their rites, T can only say that they were accompanied with such horrid yells and hideous outci-ies, as T never before had heard from the mouths of the human species. These dismal notes were continued till day-light; add to this, their dogs were incessantly fighting, and tumbling ii])o)i my tenl. [Cartwright soon i-ec(»\ci'c(l, althojiigh a cough, 112 CAPTAIN CAET WRIGHT'S " which resembled the explosion of gunpowder " troubled him at first. Trading, fishing and hunt- ing continued as usual.] Friday, August 14, 1772. At eleven o'clock Mr. Hill accompanied me down the river, [Charles] on a party of pleasure; we went in our kyacks, with provisions for two or three days, and landed by the brook in Salt Cove. In the evening, twenty geese came into the fresh-water pond, which emp- ties itself into the Cove; but as we could not get near enough to them, we let them alone till it was dark, when we divided and tried again. As we were watching the geese, a hind and calf came close up to Mr. Hill, but he did not fire, on a sup- position that he could not kill one wdth shot. The deer winding him, went hastily off, and drove away the geese. We then laid dowm under some trees, and endeavored to compose ourselves to sleep; but we were prevented till mid-night, by the intolerable biting of the moschetos,^ at which time we met with another as unpleasant attack, but of a different kind. A storm came on at that time, which lasted an hour, during which, it thun- dered and lightened most tremendously, accom- panied with much rain. Mr. Hill got up, and would have had me done the same, but I replied, ^' Since I can be no better off, I am resolved to lie where I am till day-light, unless I am floated off the ground." After the storm was over a set- tled rain set in and continued all night. Mr. Hill ^ The mosquitoes, midges, black flies, moose flies and horse flies of Labrador are the equals of any in the world in ferocity and numbers. LABRADOR .JOURNAL 113 killed three curlews as we were crossing the isthmus. Mo)iclaij, August 24, 1772. At day-light we sailed for Chateau, and arrived in Lance Cove at four ill the afternoon; we left the shallop there, and went on board the Otter, where we remained the iiiiiht. Bv the wav we met the Otter's boat coming to me, with a message from captain ^lurris. Thursday, August 27, 1772. Captain Morris sending his boat for me this morning, I went on board and breakfasted with him; after which I set off homewards in the Otter's yawl, under the command of Mr. Sympson, the gunner, whom cap- tain Morris sent to order all the Indians to return home immediately; excepting those w^ho were to go to England with me, and a few^ others wdio w^ere to remain all winter at my settlement. Thursday, September 10, 1772. After breakfast I w^eiit down the river in mv kvack and landed on the north east side of Salt Cove; from whence I walked across to Wolf Cove, where I saw^ several geese and a sniiDC ; ^ w^hich is the first I have seen in this country. Saturday, Septenther 12, 1772. Early in the morninji; a shallop of Noble and Piiison's came u]) here; whicli I sent off immediately for the Colle- roon, to bring down the salmon, the crew, and craft. They had not been gone lialf an li<»ur, be- fore my house took fire, and having nobody at home to assist me })ut the boy, it was burnt to ' WilHon'8 Hnipe, Gallinago delicala, a rare summer resident of Labrador. 114 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S the ground in a short time, together with the serv- ants' house and sahnon-house. We saved but twenty-nine tierces of salmon, and a few other things, most of which were damaged. Sixteen tierces were burnt, as were all the goods for In- dian trade ; all our slops, and my private baggage. With much labour we saved the store-house, and prevented the woods from taking fire. As soon as that was effected I walked in among the ruins, picked up some gun barrels, and broiled some steakes of venison upon them, to refresh my wear- ied spirits. I then took up my lodgings in the store-house, having fortunately saved some bed- clothes. My private loss I computed at near five hundred pounds; and that of the partner- ship at two hundred and fifty. In the eve- ning another shallop of Noble and Pinson^s ar- rived. A fine day, but rained hard in the night, which prevented the fire from spreading again. Sunday^ September 13, 1772. The fire still burns fiercely in the ruins, particularly among the sahnon. I picked up some of my plate, but most of it was melted. We shipped the salmon on board the shallop, and sent her off for Chateau at night. Rainy weather. Saturday, September 19, 1772. All hands were set to work on a new house, which we got studded by night, and part of the chimney built. I killed a seal from the door, but did not get it. Monday, September 21, 1772. Early in the LABRADOR JOURNAL 115 morning I had the sealing skiff repaired, and took an inventory of what goods remained. I then engaged two of tlie people afresh, and, at noon, sailed with the rest for Chateau to get a passage for England. At midnight we came to an anchor at Seal Island. It snowed very hard both before, and some time after, day-light; it lay eight inches deep, but went off at noon. Thursday, October 29, 1772. I sent part of our baggage on board [the Mary at Lance Cove]. In the morning the Indian shallop came here, and they pitched their tents on the beach. It was this day determined, that Attuiock, Ickcongoque, his youngest wife; Ickeuna, her daughter; (a child under four years of age) Tooklavinia, Attuiock 's youngest brother; and Caubvick his wife, should accompany me to England. Another brother, with his wife, are already gone to England with Perkins and Coghlan's head-man; and their other two brothers, Nawadlock and Scheidley, with their families, and Attuiock 's other three wives, with the rest of their children, are to winter at my sealing-post at Stage Cove. I gave them very parti r^ular injunctions for their behaviour, and they pi'omised obedience. Friday, Ortohrr 30, 1772. This afternoon the vessel went hip^her up the bay, to be ready to go to sea as soon as the wind serves. The rest of the Indians l)ciiig gone to Charles TIar})our, those who are to go to England with me are accommodated in ^Ir. Pinson's house. On 116 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S going into the room where they slept, I observed Attuiock performing a ceremony, which, for its singularity, I shall take the liberty to relate. His wife was laid upon the floor, with her hands by her sides: Attuiock sat on the right side of his wife, so far back, as to have her head opposite to his knees. He had placed a loose strap under her head, which came over her forehead. In this strap he put the end of a strong stick, which he held in his hands across his knees. With great gravity, and in a low, doleful cadence, he sung a song, fre- quently laying a strong emphasis on some par- ticular word which I did not understand; at the same time, by the help of a lever, he raised her head as high as the length of her neck would per- mit, and then let it bump down again upon the floor, keeping time to the tune. As I supposed it was a religious rite, (he being a priest^) I si- lently observed what was going foreward. At length, the old gentleman fixing his eyes on me, pointed to his wife, with an important look, and said, ''It is very good, very good.'^ " That may be," replied I, " but pray what is it good for? " " My wife has got the head-ach," answered the priest. Not willing to affront him, I got out of the room as fast as possible, that I might indulge myself in a hearty laugh, at the curious Esquimau method of curing that complaint. Saturday, November 7, 1772. In the evening Mr. Pinson, the Indians, myself, and Mrs. Selby, and all the other passengers embarked and lay on * Eskimo, angakok. LABRADOR JOURNAL 117 board the Mary; a ship eonmianded by Mr. George Monday. Sunday, Xoventher <9, 1772. At day-break we put to sea, and set sail for Ireland. We found a very great sea in the streights, and by night were two leagues to the eastward of the island of Belle Isle. Saturday, Novemher 21, 1772. Nothing more occiUTed than is usual in vovaees at this time of the year across the Atlantic, till three o'clock this morning; when, by some mismanagement of the hchn, the ship was caught by the lee as she was scudding under the fore-sail, and was near foun- dering before the sail could be clued up; that being effected, we brought to under the mizen- stay-sail. At day-light we found the bolt-sprit was sprung; we then reefed the fore-top-mast, secured the fore-mast and bolt-sprit, and put her before the wind again. Tliick weather, and a great sea. Sunday, Novemher 22, 1772. The Indians grew extremely uneasv to-day, and insisted that we had lost oursehes and should neyer more see land. I then examined the log book, and shewed them upon the chart where we were; adding, that we should make the land of Ireland, near Cape Clear, to-morrow; but they gave very little credit to what I said. Thick weather. Monday, Novemher 23, 1772. At day-break, the wind havint;- sliiflcd and rlcnrcd tlie sky, we \)vv- ceived ourselves to be not more llian four niilcs 118 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S from the land, and near Bantry Bay. Nothing but the unmediate interposition of Divine Provi- dence, or a series of fortunate accidents (should the former be doubted) could possibly have saved our lives. For had we not broached to on Satur- day last, and by so doing lost twenty leagues of ground, we must have run on shore in a heavy gale and thick weather, at ten o'clock last night. Had not the wind abated to almost a calm at five this morning, we should have been on shore by six; and if it had not cleared up just when it did, and the wind shifted, we should soon have been too near the land to have cleared it. We passed Cape Clear in a little time, and ran along shore till midnight, when we brought to for day-light. A fine day. Tuesday, November 24, 1772. At day-light we found ourselves between Youghall and Dungar- von, and hauled close up to the mouth of the latter place in hopes of a boat coming off to take the servant passengers on shore; in which case we should immediately have proceeded for England: but none appearing, we went forward for Water- ford, and anchored at Passage at three in the afternoon. We found here, his Majesty's frigate Glory, commanded by my old acquaintance cap- tain Chads. In the evening my friends and I landed at Passage, where we supped; then went to Waterford in a noddy* and two carrs, where we arrived at one o'clock the next morning. Wednes., November 25, 1772. We remained at * A four-wheeled cab with the door at the back. LABRADOR JOURNAL 119 Watert'ord from this day till the twenty-eighth, and I was teased to death bv the curiosity of the whole town and country to see the Indians/ Saturday, November 28, 1772. After breakfast we set off for Passage, but could scarcely get through the streets for the concourse of people; eA'ery window likewise was full. Sunday, November 29, 1772. At day-light we unmoored, and soon after sailed for Dartmouth, with a fair wind and fine weather. Friday, December 4, 1772. Meeting with con- trary winds and yery thick weather, we were working between L^eland, England, and Scilly imtil this day; when not being able to do better, we ran into St. Helling 's Pool in Scilly. Saturday, December 5, 1772. After breakfast I took the Lidians with me and went to St. Mary's, the largest of the Scilly Islands, and stayed the night there. Sunday, December 6, 1772. Meeting with the Proyidence brig bound for I^ondon, I took pas- sage in her; the Indians and myself then returned to the ship and brought away all our baggage and put it on board the Proyidence. Wednes., December 9, 1772. At four o'clock this morning we sailed for T^ondon; the master and mate both di'unk. At eight at night wo were abreast of Mount's Bay. Friday, 11, fn Sunday, IS. At throe o'clock this afternoon we came to an anchc^i- in tlio Downs, ' Tho rffidfr nocd not be romindod that this word in constantly used for Eekimos. 120 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S and took a pilot on board. We sailed from thence the next morning, and in twenty-four hours came to an anchor in Gravesend Road; I landed with the two men, and set off for London in a post- chaise, where we arrived at three in the after- noon. Monday, December 14, 1772. I went down the river this morning, met the vessel in the Pool, and brought the women on shore. They were greatly astonished at the number of shipping wdiich they saw in the river; for they did not suppose that there were so many in the whole world : but I was exceedingly disappointed to observe them pass through London Bridge without taking much no- tice of it. I soon discovered that they took it for a natural rock which extended across the river. They laughed at me when I told them it was the work of men; nor could I make them believe it, till we came to Blackfriars Bridge, which I caused them to examine with more attention; shewing them the joints, and pointing out the marks of the chizzels upon the stones. They no sooner com- prehended by Avhat means such a structure could be erected, than they expressed their wonder with astonishing significancy of countenance. On landing at Westminster Bridge, we were immediately surrounded by a great concourse of people; attracted not only by the uncommon ap- pearance of the Indians who were in their seal- skin dresses, but also by a beautiful eagle, and an Esquimau dog; which had much the resem- blance of a wolf, and a remarkable wildness of LABRADOR JOUEX.VI. 121 look.^ 1 put tlieiii all inlo euac-hcs, with as iiiiicli expedition as possible, and drove oft* to the lodg- ings which I had prepared in Leicester Street. In a few days time, I had so many applications for admittance to see the new visitors, that my time was wholly taken up in gratifying the curi- osity of my friends and their acquaintance;' and the numbers who came made my lodgings very inconvenient to the landlord as well as to myself. I therefore resolved to look out for a house. I soon hired a small one, ready furnished, for ten guineas a month, in Little Castle Street, Oxford Market, and removed thither. Being willing, as far as lay in my power, to comply with the incessant applications of my friends for a sight of the Indians; and finding it impossible either to have any rest, or time to transact lousiness, I appropriated two days a week to that purpose, viz., Tuesdays and Fridays. On those davs, not onlv mv house was filled, even to an inconvenience, but the street was so much crowded with carriages and people, that my resi- dence was a great nuisance to the neighbourhood. As their skin dresses had a dirty appearance and an offensive smell, I provided a quantity of broad-ch)th, flannel, and beads, together with whatever else was necessaiy; and i]\o women now having leisure to work, and being excel- lent tavlors, soon clothed tliem all anew; pre- ' 'ITif EHkimo dop; of I.abnulor f)f ihc present day resembles von' elosely tho northern wolf, exeept that it usually carries the tail curled over the back instead of partially extended beliind. 122 CAPTAIN CABT WRIGHT'S serving their own fashion in the cut of their gar- ments. I once took the men to the opera when their Majesties were there, and we chanced to sit near Mr. Coleman, the manager of Covent Garden The- atre, who politely invited all the Indians and my- self to a play at his house. He fixed on Cymbeline, and they were greatly delighted with the repre- sentation. But their pride was most highly grati- fied, at being received with a thundering applause by the audience on entering the box. The men soon observed to their wives, that they were placed in the King's box, and received in the same manner as their Majesties were at the opera; which added considerably to the pleasure which they felt from the tout ensemhle. Never did I observe so young a child pay such unremitting attention to the whole representation, as little Ickeuna; no sooner did the swords begin to clash, in the fighting scene between Posthumus and lachimo, but she set up a most feeling scream. About a fortnight after our arrival in town, having provided great-coats, boots, and hats for the men, in order that they might pass through the streets unobserved, I took Attuiock with me and walked be^yond the Tower. We there took boat, rowed up the river, and landed at Westmin- ster Bridge ; from whence we walked to Hyde Park Corner, and then home again. I was in great ex- pectation, that he would begin to relate the won- ders which he had seen, the instant he entered the room; but I found myself greatly disappointed. cS O •c c > w c s o o U LABRADOR JOURNAL 123 He immediately sat down by the tire side, placed both his hands on his knees, leaned his head for- ward, tixed his eyes on the ground in a stupid stare; and continued in that posture for a con- siderable time. At length, tossing up his head, and fixing his eyes on the cieling, he broke out in the following soliloquy; ''Oh! I am tired; here are too mam^ houses; too much smoke; too many people; Labrador is very good; seals are plentiful there; I wish I was back again." By which I could plainly perceive, that the multi- plicity, and variety of objects had confounded his ideas; which were too much confined to compre- hend any thing but the inconveniences that he had met with. And indeed, the longer they continued in England, the more was I convinced of the truth of that opinion; for their admiration increased in proportion, as their ideas expanded; till at length they began more clearly to comj^rehend the use^ beauty, and mechanism of what they saw ; though the greater part of these were as totally lost upon them, as they would have been upon one of the brute creation. Although they had often passed St. Paul's with- out betraying any great astonishment, or at least not so much as all Europeans do at the first sight of one of those stupendous islands of ice, w^hich are daily to be seen near the east coast of their owTi country, yet when T t(wk thorn to the top of it, and convinced them that i1 was ])nilt by the hands of men (a circumsiancj^ wliich had not en- tered their heads before, for they had supposed 124 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S it a natural production) tliey were quite lost in amazement. The people below, they compared to mice; and insisted, that it must at least be as high as Cape Charles, which is a mountain of consid- erable altitude. Upon my asking them how they should describe it to their countrymen on their return, they replied, with a look of the utmost expression, they should neither mention it, nor many other things which they had seen, lest they should be called liars, from the seeming impos- sibility of such astonishing facts. Walking along Piccadilly one day with the two men, I took them into a shop to shew them a col- lection of animals. We had no sooner entered than I observed their attention riveted on a small monkey; and I could perceive horror most strongly depicted in their countenances. At length the old man turned to me and faltered out, '* Is that an Esquimau? " I must confess, that both the colour and contour of the counte- nance had considerable resemblance to the people of their nation; but how they could conceive it possible for an Esquimau to be reduced to that diminutive size, I am wholly at a loss to account for; unless they had fixed their attention on the countenance only, and had not adverted to any other particulars. On pointing out several other monkeys of different kinds, they were greatly diverted at the mistake which they had made; but were not well pleased to observe, that mon- keys resembled their race much more than ours. The parrots, and other talkative birds, next at- LABRADOR JOURNAL 125 tracted their notice. And it was a great treat to me, both then and at all other times, to observe their different emotions, much more forcibly ex- pressed in their countenances, than is possible to be done by those, whose feelings are not equally genuine. Civilized nations imperceptibly con- tract an artificial expression of countenance, to help out their languid feelings; for knowledge, by a coimnunication with the world and l)ooks, enlightens our ideas so much, that they are not so liable to be taken by surprise, as the unin- fonned mind of the savage, who never had the least hint given him, that certain things are in existence; consequently, they break upon him as unexpectedly, and forci])ly, as the sun would do upon a man who was born deaf and blind, in case he should suddenly be brought to sight on a clear day. Bemg on a dining visit, with that excellent sur- geon and anatomist, the ingenious John Hunter,* in the afternoon Attuiock w^alked out of the room by himself, but presently returned with such evi- dent marks of terror, that we w^ere all greatl}^ alarmed, fearing some accident had happened to liiin; or, that he had met wdth an insult from one of the servants. lie seized hold (►f my hand, and eagerly pressed me to go along with him. I asked the cause of his emotion, but could get notliiiig more from him than '' Come along, come along with me," and he hastily led me into a room in ' NoUhI siirKoon, ;inatomiflt, :iniir immense numbers, by being al)l(' t<» lill so much land and consume the produce of it in ,i year; exclusive of the ;niimal food with wliidi Ihey saw our tables and iii.'ii'kets abounded. I low the inhabitants of 130 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S London were supplied with food, I could never make them fully comprehend, any more than I could the number of people by which the metrop- olis was inhabited. Their arithmetic goes no higher than the number twenty-one; therefore, the best I could do, was to tell them, that a certain number of large whales would serve them for one meal only. Nothing surprised them more, than to meet with a man who assured them he could not shoot, had never killed an animal, nor seen the sea in his life. After my return to town, by his Majesty's per- mission, I took them to Court; where their dresses and behaviour made them greatly taken notice of. They were also at the houses of several of the nobility and people of fashion; and I omitted nothing, which came within the compass of my pocket, to make their stay in England agreeable, or to impress them with ideas of our riches and strength. The latter I thought highly necessary, as they had often, when in Labrador, spoken of our numbers with great contempt, and told me they were so numerous, that they could cut otf all the English with great ease, if they thought proper to collect themselves together; an opinion which could not fail to produce in me very un- pleasant reflections. But they had not been long in London before they confessed to me, that the Esquimaux were but as one, compared to that of the English. At the same time, I did not neglect to provide everything that was necessary for my return. I LABRADOR JOURNAL 131 represented to the Earl oi" Dartnioutli (who was then at the head of the board of trade and planta- tions) the unjust proceedings of Noble and Pin- son, in dispossessing me of my fishing-posts, and obtained an order for mv salmon-tisherv in Charles River to be restored; but I could not suc- ceed with respect to my sealing-post near Cape Charles. I also presented to his lordship a plan for the encouragement of the trade in Labrador, and was examined by the board upon that head. Their report was laid before his Majesty in coun- cil, and my plan was partially adopted. The term of my partnership with Perkins and Coghlan being expired, T dissolved it, and made preparation for returning to Labrador on my own bottom; which the liberalitv of mv father enabled me to do, by assisting me with tw^o thousand poimds. THE END OF THE FIRST VOYAGE. 132 CAPTAIN CAKTWRIGHT'S THE SECOND VOYAGE May, 1773. Having purchased a brig of eighty tons, and named her the Lady Tyrconnel/ I shipped on board her all such goods as had been provided in London; and having ordered others at Lymmington, Weymouth, and Waterford, I quitted my house on the fifth of May, and em- barked on board my vessel in the river Thames; together with Mrs. Selby, the Lidians, Mr. John Williams, a surgeon, whom I had engaged to serve me in the capacity of clerk also, his wife, a maid- servant, a cooper named William Mather, and two apprentice boys. The command of the vessel I gave to Mr. George Monday, late Master of the Mary, in which I returned from Labrador; and I brought along with me a brace of greyhounds, a terrier, and some tame rabbits. A party of friends dined on board with me, and we had a merry leave-taking. Saturday, May 8, 1773. Having now completed all my business in town, and the wind being fair, at two o'clock this afternoon we made sail down the river; the Esquimaux well pleased in the ex- pectation of soon seeing their native country, their relations and friends again; and I very *The name of Cartwright's aunt. LABRADOR JOURNAL 133 liai)py iu the prospect of carrying tlieni back, ap- parently in perfect health. Tuesday, May 11, 1773. We passed through the Downs this evening, when I discharged the pilot, and went to sea. Th ursday, May 13, 1773. The pleasing prospects which I so lately had before me were of very short duration; for this evening as Caubvick was going to bed, she complained of great sickness at her stom- acli, had a very bad night, and daily grew w^orse. On my arrival at L^nnmington on the thirteenth, and consulting a surgeon there, (for my own, I found, was utterly ignorant of her complaint) he declared her malady to be the small-pox: which had nearly tlie same effect on me, as if he had pro- nounced my sentence of death. As it was vain to expect that the rest should escaj^e the infection, medicines were immediately given to prepare them for it; and I thought it a fortunate circum- stance, that an opportunity offered for doing it.^ Having taken on board forty tons of salt, and some other goods, I sailed from thence on tlu^ eighteenth, and arrived in AVeymoutli Roads a few hours after. There I received on board some nets and other goods from Bridport, and had tlie pleasure to find Caubvick go on as well as pos- silde; her disorder being of the mild kind. I took the others out in the l)oat every day, and we went to the Bill of Portland to shoot niuri's.^ On the twenty-second Caub\i<'k tnnied the * Vaccination wafl first practised by .Iciincr in 17%. ' Murre or common RuiH^'niot, Vrui troille. 134 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S height, and did not appear to be iii the least dan- ger. At the same time Ickongoque began to com- plain. We sailed for Ireland on the twenty-eighth, bnt the wind taking us ahead when we got off the Bill of Portland, we put back and anchored in Port- land Road. Tooklavinia now was taken ill. At two o'clock in the morning of the twenty- nihth, we weighed again, and proceeded down the channel with a fair wind and pleasant weather; still in hopes of arriving in sufficient time for my business; but at ten o'clock, so dreadful a stench pervaded the whole vessel, all the Indians being now ill, that three of the ship's crew now were seized with a fever, and we had reason to expect, that a pestilential disorder would soon attack us all. I therefore ordered captain Monday to carry the vessel into Plymouth, although I foresaw that measure would prove an immense loss to me, by the ruin of my voyage, and we came to an anchor in Catwater the next afternoon at two o'clock. I went on shore immediately, and made a personal application to Earl Cornwallis, Admiral Spry, and the Mayor of Plymouth, for an house to put the Indians in, but could not succeed. Monday, May 31, 1773. Ickeuna died this morn- ing, Caubvick had a violent fever on her, and the rest were extremely ill. In the evening I bar- gained for a house at Stonehouse, for two guineas and a half per week. At four o'clock the next morning we weighed and removed the vessel to Stonehouse Pool. I got the Indians on shore un- mediately, and Ickcongoque died that night. LABRADOR JOURNAL 135 Wednes., Jiiue 2, 1773. On the second I en- gaged Dr. Farr, the physician to the Naval Hos- pital, and Mr. Monier, an apothecary of Plymouth, to attend the Indians; and, by the doctor's direc- tions, I removed the two men into separate tents, which I had pitched in an adjoining close. In the evening I went to Plymouth, in order to set off for London, which I did the next morning at six o'clock, and arrived there at two in the afternoon of the fifth. On the morning of the sixth I waited on the Earl of Dartmouth, his Majesty's Principal Sec- retary of State for America, and acquainted his lordship with what had happened. And I must take this opportunit}'- of gratefully acknowledg- ing the many obligations which I had the honor to receive from his lordship upon this, as well as upon several other occasions. Thursdajj, June 10, 1773. I left London on my return to Plymouth at six o'clock this morning, and arrived at Stonehouse on Saturday evening. I was now informed that both the men died in the night of the third Instant, and that Caubvick had been given over, but was at length in a fair way of recovery, though reduced to a skeleton, and troubled with a great many large boils. She re- covered so verv slowlv, that it was not until the fourth r)f July that T durst venture to remove her, when T once more embarked with her and all the rest of my family Texcept my maid whom \ had disfhai-ged foi- bad behaviour) to proceed on my intended voyage. 136 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S We sailed from Plymouth early in the morning of the fifth, but meeting with contrary winds we had a tedious passage to Waterford, for we did not arrive there till the afternoon of the tenth. It was some consolation, however, to be favoured with fine weather, and to catch great plenty of mackarel every day. My time was taken up till the sixteenth, in pur- chasing and getting on board such provisions as I had occasion for; I also hired another woman- servant, and on that day I sailed for Labrador. As voyages across the Atlantic at this time of the year are generally tedious, by reason of the prevalency of the westerly wind, I was not sur- prised, that this proved longer than was conve- nient to me. The weather, in general, was exceed- ingly fine, and we caught plenty of fish of different kinds; such as mackarel,^ a small shark, a few fish greatly resembling tench, (which I killed with an Esquimau birding-dart under the stern) a por- poise and a dolphin. It is not usual for dolphins ^ to come so far north, but we saw two, three bonetas ^ and a few flying-fish ^ in the latitude of 49° 15', on the twelfth of August. Caubvick's hair falling off, and being matted with the small-pox, I had much difficulty to pre- vail on her to permit me to cut it off, and shave her head. Notwithstanding I assured her that the ' Scomber scomheus. 2 Coryphcena hippurus. 3 Probably tuna or horse-mackerel Thunntis thynnus. * Exocoetus volitans. LABRADOR JOURNAL 137 smell oi' tile liair would euimnunicate the iufeetion to the rest of her eountiy folks ou her return, yet I was not able to prevail on her to consent to its being thro^Yn overboard. She angril}' snatched it from me, locked it up in one of her trunks, and never would permit me to get sight of it after- wards; flying into a violent passion of anger and grief whenever I mentioned the subject, which I did almost every day, in hopes of succeeding at last. Friclai/, August 27, 1773. This evening at sun- set w^e got sight of the land, and judged om-selves to be nine or ten leagues from it; the next morn- ing at day-light we found ourselves about three leagues from Cape St. Francis, and at eight o'clock at night came to an anchor in Charles Harbour. Sundaij. August 29, 1773. Early in the morning I went on shore at Stage Cove, and found the house locked up. I sent the boat to the Lodge, and walked across the Barrens to Bare Point, where I met her again, Avith two of my people on board. From them I learned that they had killed in the winter as many seals as produced twelve tuns <»r oil: and caught fifty tierces of salmon this suninici-. I shot six curlews, and n utov plover' in my way thither, and returned to llic boat. Tuesdaj/, August 31, 1773. About noon almost the whole of the three southernmost Iribes of Es- (|uimaux, amoiuiting to five hundi'ed souls or ' Thf bird known in Enjjlimrl its the Rn-y plover w rallcent in horrid yellings, which were considerably augmented by 140 CAPTAIN CARTWEIGHT'S the variety of echoes, produced from the multi- plicity of hills surrounding the harbour, till the whole rung again with sounds that almost pet- rified the blood of the brig's crew and my new servants. Wednes., September 1, 1773, I sent three In- dian shallops up the river for wood. My people were at work on the platform. At noon I sailed for Chateau in an Indian shallop; but the wind shifting I turned back. I then visited the Indians at their Camp; they received me very well, but not with that lively joy they were wont; the late melancholy news having spread an universal sor- row throughout the tents. They took great pains to assure me, that they still continued their friend- ship for me, and desired I would not be under any apprehensions on account of what had happened. In the evening all the shallops re- turned with wood. I killed a black-duck and a curlew. I found Caubvick along with this [Eskimo] family, and wondered at her taking so cordially to her former way of living, after the comfort and luxury to which she had lately been used, and which she seemed most heartily to enjoy. Twee- gock, the girl whom I had bought, and Caubvick came along with me in the shallop. Thursday, September 16, 1773. Having found, by a variety of instances, that Shuglawina, the chief of these tribes, is not only a man of superior understanding, but also one whose fidelity and honesty may be relied on, I made him up a small LABRADOR JOURNAL 141 cargo of goods to take home with hhn; aud deter- mined that he should go to the northward next smnmer, to trade w^th the whaling tribes of his nation; for I understand that the southern Li- dians never kill any whales/ but either purchase whalebone from the northern tribes, or cut it out of a dead whale when they chance to meet with one, which often happens. The Lidians being all assembled now% and the wind fair, the whole fleet sailed to-day for their respective settlements; and w^e parted on the most friendly terms. Tuesday, September 38, 1773. Being in a con- tinual hurry of business and much perplexity, by reason of my distressed situation, I have ne- glected to keep a regular journal. This morning I took a walk upon the hills to the w^estward, and killed seven brace of grouse.- These birds are exactly the same with those of the same name in Europe, save only in the colour of their feathers, which are speckled with white in summr'7% and perfectly white in winter, (four- ' There are five species of large whales regularly found on the Labrador coast at the present time besides several smaller whales or porpoises. The five large whales are: siilpliiir-boltom, Balnmnptern miisniln.s; fin- bark, B. phy.'induH ; pike-headed, li. nculoroMraln ; polku^k, B. horculis hump-baeked, Megaplera nodosa. The southorn right whale, Ralfwna glncialis, is now extirpated in that region owing to the efforts of the Basque fishermen from the Ifith to the end of the ISth nenturi(>s. It wjw prnbubly rare in Cartwright's time, although eommon ejirlier. The sjx'nn whale, Phyneln mnrmnphdluH, is a more southern speeies, but ocrasionally wan- ders to the Labrador coa.st. ' Willf)W ptarmigan, Lurio/nm Idfjnpv/^, also ff)und in Europe jind Asia. The red grouse of Gniat Britain, L(mo[)iui Scolican, docs not turn whitu in winter. 142 CAPTAIN C ART WRIGHT'S teen black ones in the tail excepted) which always remain the same. When I was in England,* Mr. Banks, Doctor Solander, and several other naturalists having enquired of me, respecting the manner of these birds changing colour, I took particular notice of those I killed, and can aver, for a fact, that they get at this time of the year a very large addition of feathers, all of which are white; and that the coloured feathers at the same time change to white. In spring, most of the white feathers drop off, and are succeeded by coloured ones: or, I rather believe, all the white ones drop off, and that they get an entirely new set.^ At the two seasons they change very differently; in the spring, beginning at the neck, and spreading from thence; now, they begin on the belly, and end at the neck. There are also ptharmagans in this country, w^hich are in all respects, the same as those I have killed on some high mountains in Scotland.^ Wednes., October 6, 1773. [At White Cove] I killed a brace of spruce-game with my rifle, and a diver with shot; and one of my people killed a * Now Sir Joseph Banks. ^ 1 An English naturalist and patron of science. He equipped the En- deavour, and accompanied Cook's first expedition 1768-71, visited Iceland in 1772 and was president of the Royal Society from 1778 to 1820. 2 This latter view is the one generally accepted today, especially by most American ornithologists, who have discarded the view that the colour of the mature feather changes. ' The ptarmiaian found in tho Highlands of Scotland is Lagoptis wiifvs, and turns white in winter. The American bird h? refers to is the rock ptarmigan, Lagopus rupestris, LABRADOR JOURNAL 143 pair uf pied-birds,^ which afforded us an excellent supper, ur we must hare fasted. Sidtihtij, October 10, 1773. Li the morning I got some things into the boat and went up to the Lodge, where I found all well, except that my maid-servant had run away with John Temple- ton, (Noble and Pinson's head-man) and that the' Indian man (my slave girl's father) was dead, and had left me a legacy of two wives and three children. This man sailed in a bait-skiff (wdiich was the price of his daughter) along with the rest of his countrymen; but meeting with a severe gale of wind, he soon after parted from them, lost his kyack, and was near losing himself and all his family. This disaster caused him to return, and to beg I would permit hun to winter near my seal- hig-post. I foresaw that great inconvenience and expense would be the consequence of permitting him to become so near a neighbour; but as I was well aware that they must all perish if I refused, humanity would not suffer me to give him a denial. This was the first night I slept at home since my arrival upon the coast, and my bed w^as now laid upon the floor; but even that w^as luxury, having seldom had my clothes off these six weeks past, and constantly slept before the fire. Monday, November 7, 1773. The brig not being yet returned from Quel)ec, and the season so far advanced, this day we went to short allowance for ' See note on pipd-duck. It is possihlc he refers hero to tJie oyster - ratrher, HfFmnlnpus ptillinlus, now exf ir[)!ite<| from Labrador, but cotnmoD when Audubon waa there in IS'M. 144 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S the winter, viz. fourteen pounds of flour, three pounds of rice, four pounds and a half of bread, and three quarts of peas per week, for nine people ; as for meat, we have plenty. Tuesday, November 9, 1773. To my inexpres- sible comfort, this day a boat came up here and informed me that the brig was returned from Quebec, and had brought me all I wrote for. Thursday, November 11, 1773. After a famine comes a feast. Yesterday I had scarcely enough to live on; today w^e abound in luxuries. I have now, not only great plenty of dry provisions, but also two sheep, several turkies, geese, ducks and fowls; also potatoes, cabbages, carrots, onions and apples. Tuesday, November 16, 1773. I went round my traps and had one marten. In the evening my slave girl ran away; I pursued her by her foot- steps in the snow on this side of the river, to the Narrows: night then coming on I returned, knowing she could not cross it below. Wednes., November 17, 1773. Early in the morning I crossed the river in search of the girl, and found the marks of her feet where she had crossed the ice, a little below the house, and tracked her below the Narrows; where I met a skiff, coming up from the sealing-post, with her on board. She arrived late last night at her mother's house. This boat brought some more boards, and two casks of corn for the poultry; likewise a letter from captain Monday, inform- ing me that the vessel was ready for sea. LABRADOR JOURNAL 145 Friday, Xove)nber 19, 177 S. After breakfast I went down in the boat to Stage Cove, and there had the satisfaction to find ahnost all the sealing- eraft in order, and four nets out; I liauled them, but had nothing. At night I slept on board the Ladv Tvreonnel. Moderate frosty weather. Saturdai/, November 20, 1773. We unmoored at nine this morning, hauled out of the cove, and weighed the anchor; when we found the sails so hard frozen, that it was with great difficulty we got them loose. We ran out of the harbour through Enterprize Tickle, and got to sea. I brought awa}^ Noozelliack, a boy about twelve years of age; part of the old man's legacy. It froze exceedingly hard last night, and this morning proved clear and fine; but at noon it be- gan to snow fast, and continued till after dark. The sides of the A-essel were a foot thick of ice, all round near the water edge, and every rope was quite stiff with frost. Tuesday, November 23, 1773. I had hitherto intended going to St. John's in Newfoundland, to try to get a freight for the vessel, she having onl}^ eleven tons of seal-oil and a few furs on Ijoard; but the wind being directly against us, and the season far spent, lliis morning I ordered the mas- ter to Ijeai- away for England. It was not initil to-day that llie ice fell off our sides, and the ropes grew lini])er. The passage was extremely fine, considering the time of the vear; foi- we lind a rontiimed fair, 146 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S moderate wind, with good weather till we got into soundings, which w^as on the fifth of December, when the wind came to the eastw^ard. On the sixth came on a smart gale, which continued all the next day, and reduced us to our courses. At night we were so near being run down by a stout snow, that our jib-boom touched her tafferel as she passed us; for she had mistaken the tack which we were upon. The wind came round again on the tenth, and we got sight of Scilly that morn- ing. We saw the Lizard in the afternoon, got into the Downs on the night of the twelfth, and in the afternoon of the fourteenth came to an anchor at Cherry Garden Stairs. I landed immediately, and hastened to George's Coffee-house, where I aston- ished several of my old friends, by the great quan- tity of beef-steakes which I ate to my dinner; for I had not had one good meal since I left Ranger Lodge. Fearing lest Noozelliack should take the small pox in the natural way, I determined to have him inoculated.^ For this purpose I went to Knights- bridge the next morning, and waited on Mr. Sut- ton; to whom I told what had happened to those Indians I was carrying back in the spring, and desired him to receive the boy into his own house and take all possible care of him ; which he readily consented to do. I left the boy with Mr. Sutton on the seventeenth, and when he thought he had ^ Inoculation for smallpox was introduced in Europe from the East by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and was first performed in London in 1721. About 1800 it was superseded by vaccination. LABRADOR JOURNAL 147 sufficiently prepared liiiii, lie introduced the in- fection. The disease appeared in due time, but he died in three days after; so fatal is that disorder to this race of mortals! This was a very great mortification and disap- pointment to me; for, as I intended, at a future period, to have visited all the northern tribes of Esquimaux, I had brought home this boy, in order to put him to school to be instructed in the Eng- lish language; intending him for my interpreter. Through him I should have been enabled to have gained full information of their religion, customs and manners. At the same time, I should have im]iroved myself in their language, my dealings with his countrj^nen would have been greatly facilitated, and I should have acquired much knowledge of the northern parts of the coast. THE END OF THE SECOND VOYAGE, AND FIRST VOLUME. 148 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S THE THIRD VOYAGE December, 1773. Soon after my arrival in town, I entered into a partnership with captain Robert Scott, late commander of the Speaker East India- man, and Mr. John Scott, his younger brother, who had been his fourth mate on board the said ship. They were jointly to have one half of the trade, and I the other. My vessel and stock were to be received at a valuation of two thousand pounds, and they were to furnish an equal sum in cash. We appointed Mr. Robert Hunter, mer- chant in London, our factor, and ordered him to purchase another vessel for us, and provide such goods as I judged we should want. Mr. Hunter having purchased an American- built ship for us, almost new, of two hundred and thirty tons burthen; we named her the Earl of Dartmouth, gave the command of her to Mr. John Dykes , fitted her for sea, and on the tenth of March she sailed for Cadiz, to take in a freight of wines for Mr. Adam Lymburner of Quebec. There she was to procure bread, flour, planks, boards, hogshead and tierce packs, hoops, and such other articles as were cheaper, in general, at that place than in England, and carry them to Charles Harbour for the use of the Company. Mr, LABRADOR JOURNAL 149 Joliu Seott sailed in iier in quality of super- cargo. Captain ^londay having misbehaved himself greatly, in several instances, during the course of my last voyage, 1 discharged him, and gave the command of the Lady Tyrconnel to Mr. Thomas Venture. That vessel having taken on board all such things as had been provided in London, sailed on the twenty-third of March for Ply- mouth; where she was to receive several other goods. Captain Scott eml^arked; as did also Mr. James Pitkethley, whom we had hired to serve us in the double capacity of surgeon and clerk, in the place of Mr. Williams. I was to go by land to Poole and Bridport, and meet the vessel at Plymouth. I left London the next day, and arrived at Plymouth on the second of April, where I found the vessel safe moored. Having shipped off all our goods, and hired a joiner, two men, and a couple of women servants, we sailed at six in the morning of the thirteenth for Waterford or Cork; as the wind might best suit. Tlie wind being fair and a fine gale, we ran down the Channel ;i1 the rate of seven knots. At tlu-ee in the afternoon, ('a])tain Venture, ])eing em- ])loyed in the ca])in in i)r('paring some tackle for tiout on his arrival in La])rador, did not pay ])roper attention to the course of the vessel; in fonsequenf-e of wliidi slic i-;m upon llial well- known r(jck called Rujidlcsloiic, which lies about 150 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S four miles southward of the Land's End. She in- stantly stopped, and we imniediately saw many spKnters from her bottom, floating on the surface of the water. In a few minutes she went on again, and we tried the pumps continually, but she made no water; this surprised us greatl}^ for the shock was a severe one. It blew fresh all night, and the tide out of the Irish and Bristol Channels, having set us farther to leeward than we had supposed it would; the next morning we found ourselves far to leeward of Waterford, and therefore bore up for Cork, where we anchored at eight in the evening near the village of Cove. On the twenty-eighth we began to unload the vessel. The goods were obliged to be sent up to Cork, and stored under the care of a custom-house officer. We then had a regular survey on the ves- sel, when it was discovered, that eight of her floor timbers on one side, and six on the other were snapped short off. In consequence of which, and the other damages together, she was condemned as unfit to proceed on her voyage. On the thirtieth we purchased a new brig, built at Cork, but the inside work was not quite fin- ished; the burthen was one hundred and thirty tons, and name, Success. The Lady Tyrconnel being thrown upon the hands of her underwriters, it was necessary that captain Ventfire should remain to take care of her. We therefore appointed Mr. John Lafoyle, late mate of the above vessel, and formerly boat- swain of the Speaker, to be master of the Success; LABRADOR JOURNAL 151 but did not provide any mate under him, as cap- tain Scott imdertook, in fact, to conunand the A'essel. We began to reship the goods on the tlfth of ]\Iay, and having completed every thing by the twelfth, we cleared out of the custom-house, and in the afternoon warped down the river as low as Marshwall End. The tide serving in the morning of the four- teenth, we worked down to Cove, where the blun- dering pilot ran the brig aground upon the spit; she floated off again with the flood, and received no damage. In working down the river, the people observed a coimtry-man going to Cork to sell milk, which he carried in a couple of churns slung, one on each side of his horse. AVe l)eing then very near the shore, some of them began to banter him, which put him out of temper, and he retorted Avitli some warmth. At that instant the vessel was put in stays; when the shivering of the sails, and the noise which the crew made in l)racing them about, so affrighted the horse that he threw his rider and gall()i)C(l off; spilling the milk all the way he went. A loud laiiuli immediately broke out from the whole crew, accompanied by many taunt- ing speeches, which, together with the biaiise he had received, and the loss nf Ids nnik, so exas- perated pool" Paddy, that lie instantly sti'ipped into buff, advanced to the edge of llic water, and flourished liis fists about in a menacing manner: th\is he vented his anger, })oth by woi'ds and ges- tures, till wc were too far off lo hear his voice. 152 CAPTAIN CART WEIGHT'S We had the pleasure to hud our uew vessel sail well; and nothing remarkable occurred till the thirty-first. There being then a great head swell, occasioned by preceding strong gales at west; at one in the afternoon we had the misfortune to carry away our main-mast, eight feet above the deck; the fall of which carried away also the boom, larboard cat-head, bumpkin and rail in the waist; together with both top-masts, and the main-top gallant mast. Unfortunately, two good seamen were aloft at the time, both of whom were saved, but very much bruised; particularly one of them. By ten at night we had got all the wreck on board, and found neither yards nor sails dam- aged. We laid the vessel to under the fore-sail, and the rest went to sleep, while Pitkethly and I kept the watch all night. As there was but little wind she rolled, gunwale to, incessantly; and I often thought she would have turned bottom up; for she is well built for that work, and is the most uneasy vessel in a sea that I ever sailed in. She is also of true Hibernian fabric, having a pine bottom, and oak upper works. By six o'clock in the evening of the second of June, we had got up jury-masts, such as they were, and then made sail again. Saturday J June 4, 1774. By an observation of the sun and moon, we found our longitude to be 36° 24' west from London. We saw a gannet;^ a bird which is seldom seen out of soundings; and many sailors affirm that it never is, but they are * Gannet or Solan goose, Sula bassana. LABRADOR .IOURN.VL 153 mislakeu. This day we liad anotlier uiisfortuue: we brought two sows big with pig from Ireland, under the assurance that they woidd not pig in less than six weeks, but one of them brought forth today. Being the anniversary of the King's birth- day, (•a])tain Seott and myself drank an extra bot- tle to his Majesty's health, and gave our people some rum, that the}" might do the same. Fridaji, Juuc 10, 1774. Tliis day we saw the first penguin and several bulls/ Longitude per ac- count corrected from the last obserA^ation 48° 42'. We have had hard gales with a great sea for this week i^ast, which made the vessel labour prodi- giously. Tuesday, June 14, 1774. At four o'clock this morning we saw the island of Belle Isle bearing West Xoi-tli West, distance five leagues. At five we saw the land of Drifty ^lountains, Cape Charles, and Cape St. Lewis; and, continuing our course we ran directly into Charles Harbour, where we anchored at one o'clock in the afternoon, by which we found the observ^ation true within foui- or five Tuiles; an exactness very sufficient foi- every ]»ur])ose. At three T Avent up to the Lodge in a skiff, anrl found .-ill my ]X'0]>le well, excepling one man wlio had lost his toes hy the frost ill ^ilay last; and had the mortification to heai", that there was a general failui'c of seals last season. [On June 26, 1774, ** our new dwelling-house " at Stage Cove, r»n the point of land on the noi'th • Dovekiea or little auks, Allc alle. 154 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S side of White Bear Bay was begun and on July 14th he says: " All the shoremen were employed on the dwelling-house, and the bricklayer began the kitchen chimney."] Saturday, August 27, 177 A. Our new house be- ing now habitable, we took possession of it to-day. It is seventy feet by twenty-five, and contains a kitchen twenty-four feet square, a dining room twentj^-four by sixteen, six bed-rooms and a small passage, being only a ground floor; which I pre- ferred, for fear of fire.^ Saturday, Septemher 3, 1774. The Otter sailed under the command of captain Dykes, with a cooper's crew, consisting of two coopers, and two young men, for Alexis River, where they are to make hoops during the winter. From thence she is to proceed to Sandwich Bay with Joseph Friend, a youngster, and an apprentice, where they are to remain during the winter, to kill furs ; and in the sprmg, to prepare for a salmon-fish- ery. Saturday, October 1, 1774. In the morning I sent two hands to look at the traps by Atkinson Pond: one of the small ones was carried away by a bear: they killed a pair of ladies and an aunt- sary. At one o'clock this afternoon, I married William Bettres to Catharine Gourd (one of the maid-servants whom we brought from Plymouth; the other returned with captain Scott.) The re- ^ On July 30, 1906 I traced the faint remains of the ruins of this house, and satisfied myself by measurements of its identity. See " Along the Labrador Coast," pp. 217-220. LABRADOH JOURNAL 155 maiuder of the day was spent by all the servants in great festivity. Tuesday, October 18, 1774. The man whom I sent vesterdav for the trai), found his wav back at noon; he had lost himself, although the dis- tance is not more than two miles, and no wood so high as his head all the way. I gave him a severe beating, to cause him to take more care in future than rim the risk of losing his life through stu- pidity and carelessness. At the same time I in- structed him in unerring rules how to find his way home, should he ever be bewildered hereafter. [The winter passed uneventfully in the usual occupations of trapping and shooting.] Sunday, April 2, 1775. At six o'clock this morn- ing, I set off for Port Marnham on a deer-shooting party, taking Indian Jack, with our provisions and necessaries, upon my Esquimau sled, drawn by a couple of blood-hounds and a Newfoimdland dog. Monday, April 3, 1775. Early in the morning, I ordered the Indian boy home, with the sled and dogs; but the bad weather which soon came on, caused him to return. I went up Porcupine Hill and traversed about there till the weather drove me back again. T killed an old ])orcu])ine big with young, ready to bring foi-th. I do not know how many these creatures have at a }»irth; but imagine they are not very prolific: for if they w^ere, they would destroy all the ti'ees in the country, as they feed on nothing but llic rinds ^ the whole winter, ' Bark of trfica. 156 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S and by so doing kill a prodigious number of trees of all sorts; tliougb tliey prefer the silver-fir to all others. In spring, they are very fond of the leaves of the larch, and in the autumn, they eat a bad species of mushrooms, which grow here in tolerable plenty. This creature is a good deal like the beaver, in size and shape; the only difference is in the tail and feet. They both sit up, and make use of their fore feet to feed themselves with. The porcupine readily climbs trees, for which pur- pose he is furnished with very long claws; and, in winter, when he mounts into a tree, I believe he does not come down till he has eaten the bark from the bottom to the top. He generally makes his course through a wood, in a straight direction ; seldom missing a tree, unless such as are old. He loves the young ones best, and devours so much, eating only the inner part of the rind, that I have frequently known one porcupine ruin near a hun- dred trees in a winter. A man who is acquainted with the nature of these animals, will seldom miss finding them when the snow is on the ground, if he can but hit upon the rinding of that winter; by making a circuit round the barked trees, he will soon come upon his track, unless a very deep snow should chance to fall after his last ascent. Having once discovered that, he will not be long, ere he find the animal. The belly of a porcupine is covered with coarse fur, but all the rest of him, with sharp prickles; the longest and strongest of which are on his rump and tail. It is a received opinion, that a porcupine can dart his quills at LABRADOR JOURNAL 157 pleasure into a distant oljji'd; Imt, I venture to affirm that this species cannot (whatever any other may do) for I have taken nutch pains to ascertain the fact.^ On the approach of danger, he retreats into a hole, if possible; btit where he cannot find one, he seizes upon the best shelter that offers, sinks his nose between his fore legs, and defends himself by a sharp stroke of his tail, or a sudden jerk of his back. As the quills are bearded at their points, and not deeply rooted in the skin, they stick firmly into whatever they penetrate. Great care shottld be taken to extract them immediatelv; otherwise, bv the muscular motion of the animal into which they are struck, enforced by the beards of the quills, they soon work themselves quite through the part; but I never perceived the puncture to be attended with worse sym2)toms, than that of a chirurgical in- strument.^ This porcupine chanced to be upon the ground; and my greyhound, which always attends me and never had seen one before, no sooner set eyes on him, than he struck at him with the same resolu- tion that he would have done at a fox. I thought he would instantly have gone mad. His tongue, the whole inside of his mouth, his nose and face were stuck as full of quills, as it was possible foi- tlicin to be; insomuch, that his mouth was gagged wide open, and he was in such agony, Hial he 'This is a rommon " received opinion " at tho prospnt day, but Cart wrif^ht's statement is rorreot. - It is to he rfmornbcTed that " ciiinirniciil iiiHlruincntw " in those days were not aneptic. 158 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S would have bit me, when I attempted to give him relief, could he have closed his mouth. Upon returning to the house, I made Jack hold him down, and then, with the assistance of a pair of bullet moulds, in about three hours time, I ex- tracted most of them. Some were broken too short to take hold of, and I drew out several by their points, which had penetrated quite through the roof of his mouth and the cartilage of his nose. Tuesday, April 4, 1775. We singed the porcu- pine, and made a good soup of it. It blew, snowed, and drifted exceedingly hard, with sharp frost all day. Thursday, May 11, 1775. Some of the people were employed in making a salmon-net, others in collecting sealing-craft, and the rest in carrying away the chips and dirt from about the house. I caught an ermine ^ in the store-room. It rained till six in the morning, and froze after- wards. Monday, May 15, 1775. I saw the first shell- birds, divers and sandlarks.^ I went out a duck- shooting in the evening, and killed four, and a pair of shellbirds; and had a marten in one of my, traps on Otter Point. Sunday, May 27, 1775. I went out in a skiff this morning to Battle Harbour ^ and the adjacent ^ Bonaparte's weasel, Putorius cicognanii. It is brown in summer and white in winter. ^ Probably sandpipers although he may refer to the horned lark or shore lark, Otocoris alpestris. ^ This is the first mention by Cartwright of that now important fishing- station. 3 O u a a. LABRADOR JOURNAL 159 Islands, and killed thirty ducks and a paii' of ladies. Sundaijy June 4, 1775. At eight o'clock this morumg I sailed in the Otter, with five of our people and Indian Jack, for Alexis River and Sandwich Bay. At two we were abreast of Port Charlotte; and the wind taking us a head, we ^vorked to windward up Alexis River, as high as a small cove in Denbigh Island, opposite to Sugar Island, where we anchored at ten at night. I had been out in the skiff, and shot a goose. The boat proved so leaky, that the spudgel * was scarce ever out of hand. M 0)1 da I/, June o, 1775. AVeighing at day-light, we towed and worked till eleven o'clock, and find- ing we gained nothing, came to an anchor again off the east head of Ship Harbour. I went off innnediately in the punt with two hands up the river, landed at midnight opposite to Grove Is- land, and lay down to sleep. T^ast night seven hundred spudgels of water, was thrown out of the boat in three hours. Tuesday^ June 6, 1775. At half past three this morning, we rowed into Grove Tickle, where we found a ])oat's crew of Toghlan's, rinding; from them we learned where oui* coo])ers lived, and ar- rived at theii- house at five o'clock. T foinid they had marie five hundred and fifty bundles of hoops, and had cauii:ht twelve martens and one fox. The Mountaineei' Indians, with whom we ;iic ac- • A sjiii'lcfl i'i M Hpifill soH of l»iickf't fixcfl in thf cni] nf m HfafT; and ifl used to bail honfs uitli. when they have not a puinj) li\<'. At noon T sent tw^o men a shooting on Stoney Lsland, and they returned at five o'clock with a ])tai'migan, and re])orted that no ice was in sight 1o the uoi-lhward: but, thai to the southward it was janmied in n])on the shore. We irot some wood and water on bo.ii-d and at nighl uiiiii<»<»ic(|. r^Tdiii Ihe gi"e;i1 pleiitv of veni- son which we got liei-c, I ii;imed this. Vp}}i<. n J" 'c o (/) •o 3 w H LABRADOK JOURNAL 169 rabbits and two mink skins, besides a good quan- tity of feathers; and about the door, twenty four porcupine skins. They had also killed some otters and a wolf; the carcasses of the whole were more than would have served them two months, exclu- sive of the provisions they brought with them, whieh alone were sufficient to have lasted them imtil this day. But I could plainly perceive they had made great waste; which was the cause of their want. I stayed here the night. A clear hot day. Thursdai/, June 29, 1775. At dny-light I sent the people on shoi'e to ])uild tlie wliarf on a point which T named Paradise. At six o'clock in the evening the wharf being finished, we heaved along side and began to deliver the goods; but were soon obliged to desist, as the tide was near carrving awav our new fabrick. We had six slinks in the net. A \ery hot day. SiDulai/, Jul// 2, 1775. Sending the ]ieople on shore at day-light, Hayes repaired and caulked the old punt. Two hands were rinding part of the day, and got eighty-two; the rest were at work on the salmon-house. At elexcii o'clock I went in my kyack iiilo I lincbinbrook \\;\\\ on the south shore of wlii<'li, and near Ibe bc;i(l, T found the new skiff di-iven on sho7-e ])y tlic wind, and staved; her paintei* was tied to one of licr niasls, which had the sail on it, and was lying on the beach: her thwai'ts, l)f»ttom bonrds, some fnr bo.-ii'ds, and five rackets w<'i-e at hiL,di water mark; and a spade, 170 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S drawing-knife, liatclaet, gouge and seven trap- chains were in her; so that all hopes of their being yet alive are now over. Monday, July 5, 1775. The fish here are the largest, fattest and best I ever saw on this coast. We had a pike ^ of six pounds in one of the nets, . which is the first I ever heard of in this country. Thursday, July 6, 1775. We ballasted the Otter, brought down the lost men's chests from their house, killed thirteen tierces of fish, and left the nets full. At two o'clock, leaving three salm- oniers, the cooper and Jack, and taking the other three hands with me in the Otter, I made sail for Charles Harbour. Tuesday, July 11 , 1775. At five in the evening we came to an anchor in Charles Harbour and moored. I found our ship. Earl of Dartmouth, arrived; she came in, the twenty eighth ult. in a shattered condition, having met with the ice, five or six degrees off the land, and had been fast in it for twenty-three days. By her we learnt, that the Lady Tyrconnel had been repaired, and re- turned upon our hands by the underwriters, and was on her voyage from Barcelona to Quebec with wine, for Mr. Lymburner; from whence she was to come here, Avith supplies of bread, flour and other goods. Of all the dreary sights which I have yet beheld, none ever came up to the appearance of this coast, between Alexis River and Cartwright Harbour, on my late voyage to Sandwich Bay. The conti- ^ Esox Indus, LABRADOR JOURNAL 171 iient is all of it iiiuuiitaiiiuus, except the peninsula which parts Rocky Bay, from Table Bay; the extreme point of which forms one side of Indian Tickle. All the islands, the Isle of Ponds, the Seal Islands and some of the small ones which are within the bays excepted, are high; the faces of all the hills which front 1lie sea, ai"e scarce any- thing but bare rocks. The spots where any ver- dure was likely to appear, were covered with drift baidvs of snow; the shore was barricaded with ice, seven feet thick; most of the best harbours were then not open, and all the rest had so much loose ice, driving about with every wind as to render it dangerous to anchor therein; the water which we had to sail through, had a])undance of scat- tered ice floating uj^on it, and all towards the sea was one, uniform, compact body of rough ice. How far it reached from the shore must be left to conjecture; but I make no doul)t it extended fifty leagues at least; perhaps double that dis- tance. There w^as however some advantage from it, since it kept the water as smooth, as land would have done at that distance. Tlie badness of the weather also contributed to increase the horror of the scene. But we no sooner entered Cartwright ITarboin-, than the face of nafni-o was so greatly and suddenly changed, as if we had shot witliin tlie ti-opics. There we saw neither ice nor snow; the hills were of a niodei-ale height, com))letely covered with spruces, lan-hes, iii's and Itii-ch, the different hues of w]ii<-h caused ;i ph'asing variety, and the sh(.>re was bordered round with verdant 172 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S grass. The water too, instead of pans of ice, was mottled over with ducks and drakes, * cooing amorously; which brought to my remembrance, the pleasing melody of the stockdove. That noth- ing might be wanting to complete the contrast, there was not a cloud in the sky: the sun had no sooner attained a sufficient height, than he darted his rays upon us most vehemently; which were reflected back, by the glossy surface of the water, with intolerable heat; while zephyrus played upon us with a tropical warmth. The scene was greatly altered on our return, for the jam ice was not to be seen, the barricados were fallen off from the shore, most of the snow melted, all the har- bours were open, and we had much pleasanter prospects, since we ran within several of the largest islands, and of course saw their best sides. Wednes., July 13, 1775. No codfish on the coast yet. Hard gale with rain all day. Thursday, July 13, 1775. This morning Cath- erine Bettres was delivered of a son. Strong gales with rain. Friday, July 14, 1775. I examined all the furs which we got last winter, and found we had a hundred and thirty-two martens, fifty-seven foxes, eighteen beavers, seventeen otters, and four minks. A skiff came up from our stage, * Eider-ducks make a cooing at this time of the year, not unlike the first note of the stockdove. [Columba (xnas.]'^ * The courtship of the eider is an interesting performance, and is ex- pressed by curious gestures of the head, neck and body, as well as by the notes which sound like the syllables aah-ou or ah-ee-ou. See " A Labrador Spring," pp. 84-89. LABRADOR JOURNAL 173 which was built siiice I left this place on Great Caribou, for a caplin-sein, and reported that there was plenty of caplin, but no cod. A rainy day. Tui.sdinj, July IS, 1775. An Indian family (moinitaineers) came here to-day, who said, that, thev had been towards Sandwich Bav, and saw a great smoke thereabouts. The other Indian family was here when I arrived. Wt'dnes., Jul// J 9, 1775. We completed the loading of the Otter, and at four in the afternoon, taking captain Dykes, with four of his men, the boatbuilder, a cooper, and both the Indian fami- lies, consisting of thirteen persons, I sailed for Sandwich Ba.\ , with the ship's long-boat in tow. Sioiddi/, J ((I If .23, 1775. At four this morning I sent the long-boat for the salt, and wliilo it was bringing off, I went with captain Jack (the princi- pal Indian) in his canoe, round the cove [Devil's Cove]. Wc killed live ducks, four geese, and an otter. Wc returned at seven, just as the salt was stowed, and g<»1 undci' sail immediately. We saw" great plenty of cod and ('a])lin round the Dismal Islands; and obseiwed, that ])l('n1y of shaggs ^ and tinkers breed on them. In the afternoon we aiieliored in Sand Hill Cove, where we found a profligious (juantity of cod and ea|)lin; the foi'mer wc cauLdit as fast as we eonld hand them in, and ' Thf U-Tvn Hhag iw nppli'n, both of which brcH-eared to be janniied to the northward of it; upon which 1 went a head with captain Jack in his i-anue, landed and walked to the top of the Cape, where we saw fresh slot of deer, and ob- served the ice to extend in a large compact jam, from the Gannet Islands to Wolf Island; and a great deal of scattered stuff to the north-east. We got on board again on the north-west side of the cape, and proceeded to the mouth of Blackguard Bay, when the wind failing, we came to an anchor near Venison Head, where the Indians went on shore, and erected a wdiigwham. Tuesdcu), Jul}) 35, 1775. At four this morning we hauled up and came to sail, leaving the Indians on shore; they refused to go any further, because I would not give cai)tain Jack some rum last night when he was almost drunk. At one we anchored off Black Head to stop tid(^; I went forward in my kyack to Cartwright Ilarljour, to look for a place for building my house upon; intending to reside there, to conduct the business in Sandwich Bay. I found a convenient and agi'eeal)le spot on the point at tlie entrance of it. At \\\vvo o'clock we got under sail again and worked up to the mouth of Dykes River, where we came to for the night. \Vcd}iLs., .1 1(1 11 :>(;, 1775. At Ibrcc ibis morning we got nndcr sail, and at six in ibc cxcning we anchored at the salnion-pf)st ;\i P.-ii-.idisc. I found about a hunfliv-d and fort \ 1i('iT<'s of salmon on 176 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S shore, the salt nearly expended, and fish still plentiful. The peoi3le informed me the fish came in so fast after I left them, that they were obliged to take two of their nets up, and fish with two only, till Monday last ; when they put out others. Sunday, July 30, 1775. We put out two more nets, took up two, and boated * two. We set up the frame of the fishermen's house, packed five tierces of fish, (a puncheon contains two tierces and a half; a hogshead, one and a quarter) and caught two hundred and three fish; also, had a spot of ground dug, sowed some radish and turnip seeds, and set some cabbage-plants which I brought from Charles Harbour. Wednes., August 2, 1775. Four hands were at work on the house till five in the evening, when they were driven off by rain; they afterwards picked oakum. We caught one hundred and sixty- seven fish, and packed four tierces. At noon I went up the river, landed on the east side, about half a mile above Friend's Point, and walked to the top of a small hill, from whence I had a good view of the surrounding country. I observed a very fine lake, about three miles long, and one broad, lying on the south river, a mile higher up. By the side of the east river, there were some large marshes; and most of the adjacent country is covered with good birch, fit for making hoops and staves: the whole had a beautiful appear- ance; and particularly so at this time of the year, * To boat a net, is, to take it into a boat and put it out immediately in the same place. LABRADOR JOURNAL 177 when birches have a richer, and more lively ap- pearance than spruces or lirs. Nor are the hills either so hii;h or so steep as in most parts of this comitry, and they arc divided by a variety of little brooks and rills, which adds to the beauty of the prospect. Fridaij, August 4, 1775. Having tinished the studding of the house, we covered it in, and par- titioned oft' a room for salt; packed six tierces, killed two lunidred and twenty-five salmon, and a trout; ' such a one as neither I nor any of our people had ever seen before; it was of a lead col- our; the flesh was very pale, the skin was like that of a tench, and it had no scales, but marked as if it had plenty of very small ones; the belly was white, and it had two rows of small red-spots, just perceptible, down each of its sides: the In- dian l)oy called it a '^ salt-water trout," and said, the livers to the northward had ])lenty of them. In the evening T killed a loon in the water, at a hiuidred yards distance, with my rifle. I saw the first Ijaked a])])les.2 Tiiursdd//, August 17, 177.'). In tlic forenoon I went up the river in my kyack, and took two men, the greyhound and a Newfoundland dog in the punt, to hunt for the bear. We got the ])mit in to the lake without nnich difficulty, and found a yearling dog-bear fast by both hind legs, in that trap which cnpfnin Dvkos s;i\v l;is1 night: the ' Ah thcrr are ho many Hpccics liclrdiirinii to tlic trout fiiniily it is iin- poswiblf to niiriu" this on«' with any ccrtiiinty, hut it is jxisHiblo that Cart- wriRht rofiTH to Salvdinim nqvansn narein. ' Or " bake-applc," cloudberry, Ruhxia Cluicmaemorua. 178 CAPTAIN CAET WRIGHT'S other was not moved, but Dykes was near being caught in it himself. After baiting the bear for some time, to enter the dogs, I shot it through the head and brought it, and both the traps down with us. On our return we skinned the bear, which proved in good condition for this time of the year. Monday, August 21, 1775. At five in the morn- ing we set off again, and soon came to the mouth of a large river, which I named Eagle River, from seeing several of those birds by the side of it. The mouth being very shallow, I sent the skiff to the point on the north side, and went up in my kyack to the head of the tide; which I found broad, rapid, and discharging a deal of water; the sides were bounded by high, rocky hills, well covered with wood, appearing to be much fre- quented by salmon and bears, but difficult to fish; nor did I see a proper place for buildings to be erected upon. Returning to the skiff, we rowed round a sharp point, which I named Sepamtion Point, into another large river, to which I gave the name of White-Bear River; the month of which is full of sand banks. At four in t>ae after- noon we got to the head of the tide, where a smaller stream falls in; and a little higher, there is a most beautiful cataract, the perpendicular fall of which is about fourteen feet, with a deep pool underneath. It was so full of salmon, that a ball could not have been fired into the water without striking some of them. The shores were strewed with the remains of thousands of salmon which had been killed by the white-bears, many of them Near the Mouth of White Bear River Looking South-east from the Mouth of Eagle River LABRADOR JOURNAL 179 quite fresh; and scores oi' salmon wei'e continu- ally in the air, leaping at the fall; but none of them could rise half the height. The country all round is full of bear-paths, leading to the fall. We watclied there till dark, but saw no beast of any kind. Rctui'ning to the mouth of the small river, we made a tire under a high, sandy hill, and lay there. Tuesday, August 22, 1775. At day-light the greyhound awoke us by barking; we jumped up and found it was at a black-bear, which was at the foot of the bank. He immediately ran off, when one of our people going about fifty yards from the resting place, came close upon a large wolf, and was glad to make a speedy and safe retreat. Captain Dykes and I instantly went after him, and saw the beast not far from the same spot: when I sent a ball at him, and laid it close to his heels. We then walked to the cat- aract, but saw nothing. Returning to the boat, we put our things in and were just going off, when I perceived a wolf coming up on the other side of the river, and expected he would have come within shot; but ho turned off on winding the smoke. Al)out a mile below, we saw a large stag crossing the l•i^'e]•, and T pui'sued him \u my kyack; but he winded me, and gal]o])ed off into the woods. Al the mouth of the i-ivci-, we landed and walked I'ound .i flal, sandy ]:>oint; co\('i'(^d with tall })ad wood, to the moiilli of a small ])rook, which comes down a valley from the northward, close under the foot of Mealy ^lountains and on 180 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S the west side of them; the bed of this brook is a fine, white quicksand. Near the mouth of the brook we saw a pair of doves/ and I killed one with my rifle; it was much like a turtle dove and fed on the berries of the Empetrum Nigrum. I never heard of such a bird in the country before and I believe they are very scarce. Returning to the boat, we sailed for Cartwright Harbour, and had much wind and sea in crossing the bay, which is twelve, or thirteen miles broad in that part. I found the Otter arrived and unloaden. Wednes., August 33, 1775. We ballasted the shalloway, pitched my tent, made a tilt for the people, dug a spot of ground and planted some cabbages in it. In the morning, one of the people walked along shore to the head of the harbour, and there saw five deer feeding; he returned and informed me, but they were gone before I could get to the place. I found some good deer paths, and observed, that the white-bears frequently walked along the shore. At eight in the evening, the Otter sailed for Charles Harbour. Thursday, August 24, 1775. At eight o'clock this morning, recollecting that I had not much to do here at present, and that it would be more con- venient for me to go to Charles Harbour now than hereafter, I put a few clothes into the skiff, took all hands and rowed after the Otter; knowing she could not be far off, as there had been but very little wind ever since we sailed. In an hour I 1 Either the passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, now probably extinct, or the mourning dove, Zenaidura macroura Qarolinen^H. LABKADOK JOURNAL 181 boarded her, abreast of Goose Cove, and then sent the skiff back. [Capt. Cartwriglit reached Charles Harbour, and after xisitins: lli'iik'X- Harbour returned on the Lady Tyrconncl, bringing Mrs. ISelby and the Indians with him.] Sundiifj, Sepfenibi r 10, 1775. At halt' past seven we anchored in Cartwright Tickle, abreast of the landing })lace, for there was too tliick a fog to go an}' t'ai-thor. Our ]"»eople came off and informed me tliat the house was studded and covered in. Mondaij, Septonher 11, 1775. At one this morn- ing it ])('gan to blow hard; at five the gale was heavy, and in half an hour after, our cable parted: we were then near driving on shore upon Western Point, which is shoal, and rocky; but we got her before the wind, ran up the harbour, and let go the other anchor between a small woody island, and Earl Island, where we brought up in four fathoms and a half of water, over a bottom of tough black nnid, and there rode out the gale. The water was perfectly smooth, but the wind blew so excessively hard, that the vessel was fre- (juentl}- laid almost on her beam ends, the tide making her ride athwart the wind, and the s})oon- drift flew entirely f>ver her. We got u|) the s])are anchor, and bent the i-emnius of the ])arted cable to it. It snowed and li.'iiled all da>', was severely cold, and we were in (•(•iistant appi'ehension of partiiig (lU?- cable and l<»sinLi- the \-ess<'l, at least, if not ourselves also. Tuesday, September 12, 1775. At seven o'clock 182 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S we weighed the anchor, and we found it had lain in very tough mud with many large stones in it; for the cable hung on them as it came in, and was rubbed in several places, nor was the anchor canted, notwithstanding the violence of the gale. We then set the forestay-sail and ran into the bight on the south side of my house, there came to an anchor in nine fathoms good, clear, ground, which is an excellent place for a ship to ride in. I went on shore and was informed, that the tide yesterday, flowed two feet higher than usual; that it rose two inches high in the house; and that the violence of the wind was so great, as to turn the bottom up of a sealing-skiff, which lay on Rocky Point. I never experienced so hard a gale before. Sunday, October 1, 1775. We landed all the salt and part of the provisions [at Hoop-pole-Cove]. At noon taking Jack with me, I went up the East River in a skiff, landed at the head of the tide, and wall^ed by the side of it to the foot of the second pond; we then ascended a high hill on the south side, from whence we had an extensive view of the country. We saw a lake lying on the river, to the eastward of that hill, and several small pools to the northward. On our return, we observed a salmon in the second pond, and found a gooseberry ^ bush on the bank of it, which is the first I have either seen or heard of in this country. From the top of Rodghill, I observed two other good streams fall into the river, before it empties into the tide way, and several large marshes by * Rihes oxyacanthoides. LABRADOR JOL'RXAL 183 the sides of them. The country is very promising for deer and l)eavers, and the whok^ that we went over to-day, is so clear of woods and rocks, that I could have galloped a liorse all the way from the boat, except the first two hundred yards. In one place were several acres of ground with long grass growing on it fit for tihage: I tried the soil, and found it a light sand, with a good mixture of black mould, and of a great de]ith. We killed a porcupine and a spruce-game. Wcihics., Orfohrr 11, 1775. At nine o'clock, captain Kinloch and I went off in the yawl for mv house, and took the new skiff in tow, laden with casks. On our arrival there, we were in- formed that three deer had taken the water in front of the door, about an hour before, and swum down tlie Tickle into Tluntingdon llarliour, where they still remained. Leaving the skiff we pur- sued, and soon got sight of them, lying to in the middle of the harbour. They made towards us until we got very near; they then made off*, and caused a long and severe chase, but at length T killed them all. They proved a staggard.' a knoblei*,- and an (dd hind: the quarters Jind humbles"'' of the whole. wciLihed foin" liundre(l aiul ninety-six pounds. Il is inci-edible how fast thev swim,'' and how lone: lliev can hold it; al- though the boat ?'ows veiw well, yet we had hard ' A 8tal('asant situation; for we could not get far, either to tlie right or the left, nor was i1 i)ossi])le to mount the hill again, on account of its steepness and tlie depth of the snow. We were therofoi-c rodnced to the alternative, either of remaining where we 186 CAPTAIN CiiRTWRIGHT'S were to perish with cold or of dropping over the precipice, which was at least twenty feet high, at the risk of breaking our bones on the fragments of rocks beneath, unless they were sufficiently cov- ered with snow to break our fall. On searching my pockets, I found a fathom of cod-line, one end of which I tied to a small birch tree, which grew close to the top, eased myself down over the edge, and then dropped as soft as on a feather-bed; and Jack followed in the same manner; our guns, rackets, and hatchets, having been previously thrown down. We soon after came into Laar Cove, and returned home along the back-shore, on which we found a yellow-fox and a marten in two of my traps. Thursday, Decemher 21, 1775. We had a capital silver-fox, a good cross-fox, and a marten in the traps, and shot a spruce-game. Many foxes had been in my walk, and several of my traps were robbed. I gave out twenty-one traps to the seal- ers. I have now thirty-one in my walk, and Jack has nineteen in his. Sunday, December 24, 1775. Jack and I looked at our traps and each of us brought in a yellow- fox. The sealers, according to custom, began to usher in Christmas, by getting shamefully drunk. Thursday, January 4, 1776. I sent John Hayes and one of the western furriers to reconnoitre the country about Cape North, and the rest of us went round our traps. The eastern furriers followed the wolf which carried off the trap yesterday, and met with it near Goose Cove ; it proved a grizzled LABRADOR JOURNAL 187 bitch, weighed forty-iiiiie pounds, stood twenty- seven inches high, and, from her nose-end to her rmnp, measured three feet seven inches. Another wolf followed my track of yesterday, to seven of my traps, one of wliicli he struck up but would not meddle with the rest. I had a loin of w^olf, and part of a loin of wliite-bear roasted for my dimier; the former was the sw^eetest, but the lat- ter, by much the tenderest of the two. MoHclau, January 15, 1776. All hands went round the traps, which were found drifted up; I had a raven's beak in one, and a marten had been caught in the spring-snare, but carried it off by cutting the line. My feet w^ere on tlie point of freezing the whole tune I w^as out although they were well defended by flannel and Indian boots: the httle finger of my left hand was burnt from end to end, by touching a trap as I was tailing it; but I soon took the frost out of it by the immediate application of snow\ This accident brought a couplet of Hudibras to my recollection: he says, " And many dangers shall environ, The man who meddles with cold iron; " which so tickled my fancy, that I could not help repeating it all the rest of the day. Sunday, January 21, 1776. T made prepara- tions {{iY a cruise on a party of pleasure. Monday, January 22, 1776. At half past seven this morning, taking four men with me, and our provisions on two Nescaupick sleds, one drawn by two Newfoundland dogs, Ihe other by two of the 188 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S men by turns, I set off for Isthmus Bay, and ar- rived there at half past three o'clock. We went to the best inn in the place, which was a spot of strong wood, under a hill on the west side, and there made a good fire, by which we lay. By the way, we met with two cross-foxes in a couple of my traps, and saw a silver-fox by the South Hare Island, and also some old tracks of wolves. Clear, mild weather all day, and till midnight. Tuesday, January 23, 1776. At one o'clock this morning, it began to blow, snow, and drift exceed- ingly hard, insomuch that we could not go out of the wood. Wednes., January 24, 1776. At five this morn- ing the gale and drift abated, but it continued to snow till ten o'clock; we then went out, crossed the bay and walked upon the cape land, but saw neither deer nor fresh slot; from which I conclude that they are gone upon the outer islands. From the top of Mount Marten I could not see any water at sea, although I could plainly discern Wolf Is- land, which is thirteen leagues off. We returned to our quarters at three in the afternoon, when it began to snow again, and held it all night. We observed, that a fox had been very near the fire; and, although the dogs were tied up there, he had the impudence to gnaw a hole in a bag and carry off a piece of pork. Thursday, January 25, 1776. It continued to snow till half past ten this morning, when it cleared up and we set off homewards. The fox came again last night, and we having secured our LABRADOR JOURNAL 189 provisions, he revenged himself by cutting the harness from the sled, and canying it off; to- gether with a racket, which distressed us not a little, however we repaired the loss in the best manner we could. Tlie day was severe, the Avind in our faces, and the snow soft, which made it laborious walking. Finding the people could not keep pace with me, I pushed forward by myself, and felt very stout until I passed Black Head; but then, the snow growing lighter and deeper, (by being sheltered from drift) I sunk up to my knees even in Indian rackets, and soon was tired so com- pletely, that it was with the utmost difficulty I got home; and even when within gun-shot of my own house, I was almost ready to lie down and give it up. I got home at half past five in the eve- ning, and sent four men to meet the others, who did not get in till eight o'clock, and were as much tired as myself; had I not sent them assistance, they most likely would have perished. The dis- tance from hence to Isthmus Bay, I judge to be fifteen miles. A good silver-fox was brought out of one of my traps on Monday, and Jack had a white one on Wednesday. Stinrhi//, JoDnary 28, 1776. Dull, severe weathei". Notwithstanding the weather is so extremely severe, yet the cold feels healthy and pleasant; much more so than the winters of Europe; nor does it ever cause a person to shake. Thursdaji, Fchruarif 1, 1776. The business of this day was as follows: the eastern furriers had 190 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S a cross-fox and carried out two more traps from the cat-path. Also, Jack shot a spruce-game. A prodigious number of foxes had been every where. The glow of the snow was offensive to my eyes today, for the first time. Saturday, February 17, 1776. Jack, P. Hayes, and I went round our traps; the former carried the three which he brought home yesterday to Diver Island. As I was returning home, I dis- covered a wolf at one of Hayes's traps in Great Marsh ; I watched him with my glass and saw him go a great number of tunes round it, trying to rob it from every side, but without accomplishing his purpose; he then went to another, which he tried in the same manner, but not so long, and after- wards turning into Laar Cove, took my footing, and robbed six of ni}^ traps in succession, by dig- ging at the backs of them. I waylayed him at the seventh, and waited for him as long as the severity of the frost would permit me, and should have killed him, could I have remained there a little longer; but being almost frozen stiff, I walked gently towards him, and when he perceived me, he went off into the woods. I lost another trap in the drift. Tuesday, February 20, 1776. P. Hayes, Jack, and I went to our traps; the former saw a wolf in Great Marsh, and two others were all round, and even walked over my house last night; one of them visited some of my traps, robbed the spring snare, and cut the line it was tied by. Three were about Jack 's traps on Diver Island : in LABRADOR JOURNAL 191 short, they are iio\v so very plentiful, that their tracks are to be met with every where. Wednes., Fehruartj 21, 1776. All hands visited their traps; some wolves had been round them all, and P. Hayes had an old grizzled one. At three o'clock in the afternoon, as I was standing at the door, I observed a wolf going down the tickle, by the side of the water which is not frozen, and stop at the lower end. Taking my gun and dog I went towards him; but he never took the least notice of the dog, until he got within a few yards of him, and then went off in a gentle canter, making a running fight: the dog soon left him and went to the water 'side ; at the same time I saw Jack creep down and fire a shot, which I supposed was at a seal. When I returned home, the boy soon after came m and informed me, that the wolf had chased a deer into the water, and that it was still there. I went with him immediately, and shot it through the head: it proved an old, dry hind, was with calf and very fat: the head and carcass weighed one hundred and fifty-five pounds. Thursday, February 22, 1776. Jack and I went round our traps, and he brought home three, wbicli were all that remained on the south side of the harboui'. Thank God, T had some venison for dinner to-day; having scarce tasted any thing for these ten weeks past, except white-bear, wolves, and foxes. I Imve so great a dislike to salted meat, that I would I'athcr cat any animal whatsoever that is tVesli, than the best beef or p(jrk that is salted. 192 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S Saturday, February 24, 1776. I went with Jack round Diver Island: a wolf had visited several of his traps, and had been caught in the last, but had got out again. At the west end of the island we met with the fresh slot of a deer, which I followed to the top of the westernmost hill, where I ob- served a wolf had attacked a deer; and, from observing some ravens, I believe he had killed it in the woods on the north side; but the weather then coming on so exceedingly bad, I made the best of my way home, and was met by four men who were in quest of me. After some difficulty in finding the road we arrived safe. I observed that numbers of foxes and martens traverse the woods on that island, in quest of spruce-game and rabbits; which, from their tracks, must be very plentiful. Friday, March 1, 1776. Jack went to one of his traps on Earl Island and brought a rabbit: on examining it, I find the white coat is an additional one which is got in autumn, and will lose it again in spring; it is composed of long, coarse, king- hairs: the summer fur-coat remaining under- neath, and retaining its colour. Clear, sharp, frosty weather, with much drift all day. Tuesday, March 12, 1776. P. Hayes, Jack, and I visited our traps ; a wolf had robbed one of mine and looked at some others. I also went to Laar Pond, and from thence to the top of a high hill, which lies between it and Goose Cove, from whence I had a good view of the country round LABR.VDOR JOURNAL 193 about, it IS very nioiuitaiiious, with but few pouds or marshes, and covered with bad wood, which is chiefly small, old, stunted, black-spruce. I observed a chain of ponds, or marshes run from the south side of Goose Cove, across to Table Bay; a small part of which, I could see. The Gannet Islands on one side, and Wolf Islands on the other were plainly to be discerned, but there was no water in sight. From the Gannet Islands in- wards, the ice was new made, and clear of snow; without, was the main jam, perfectly Arm. To the northward, the coast is low, with many small islands; from which I judge it would be danger- ous to navigate from hence to sea that way. On the hill there was much tracking of grouse and some of spruce-game in the woods; also, signs of porcupines, but I could find none. I was pleas- ingl}" entertained with the melodious singing of the cross-beaked linnets;' they remain all winter with us, and feed on the seeds of black spruce. What made their music more agreeable, was the novelty; this being the first time that I have heard the note of any bii'd this year, except the jay,^ which chants its short coarse tune everv mild dav thi-ou.^!! the whole winter. Thiirsdaij, March 14, 1770. As I was going to ' Probably the whito-winged crossbill, Loxia leucoptera, part of whose Bong, wliifh is very indodioiiH, roscrnblos that of the canary- The song of the Anu'rican crossbill, Loxia currirostra ininnr, althongh sweet is not so pleasing. This latter species probably spends the winter farther to the wMjth. ' I,abrafh)r jay, I'lrisorrvs nnin/h-risis 7iii/rirti/nllits. Vov a discussion of this subject of the song of the jay, sec 'I'ow nscnd and Allen, " Hirds of Labnulor," Boston, 1907, p. .380. 194 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S bed to niglit I perceived myself to be attacked with scurvy.^ I have long had some trifling com- plaints, to which I have paid no attention; but why I should now have the scurvy I cannot imag- ine, as I have tasted very little salted flesh, or fish, for these twelve months past; have drank great plenty of good spruce-beer, but no drams of any kind, nor have I been the least heated with liquor: I have used a great deal of exercise : having walked out every day that a man dare shew his nose to the weather, unless detained by indisposition, or business; neither of wliich has often happened, and I was always out from three to six hours; sometimes more. Friday, March 15, 1776. Early this morning I sent the Bay-men off. Jack and I went round our traps; my old plague the wolf had struck up one, and robbed two more: I believe this scoundrel is one of those which got out of some of the traps before, as he follows me every night, and is so cunning that he will not go fair upon them; but if he does not take care of himself, I will be the death of him yet. I tailed two more traps in my walk. Saturday, March 16, 1776. Jack and I went our rounds; he had two martens, and some of my traps had been robbed by foxes, of which there had been a good run. I tailed . another, which make thirty-four small and two large ones. Severe frost in the morning, less, the rest of the * I am inclined to think his diagnosis was incorrect, as his diet was largely fresh meat. LABRADOR JOURNAL 195 day; clear with hot sun, and very warm out of the wind. Simday, March 17, 1776. This being St. Pat- rick's Day, the people as usual, got beastly drunk. I sent Jack round my walk, and he brought the fore-half of a good cross-fox ; the cursed wolf had eaten the rest. Wednes., March 20, 1776. Jack and I went round our traps; I shot an American bulltinch,^ wliicli is as large as an English thrush. They come here in s})ring to breed, and leave us at the latter end of summer; this bird was full of par- tridge-berries. Wednes., April 3, 1776. At three o'clock this morning Nooquashock, the eldest India woman, was taken in labour: my skill in these matters, was now fairly put to the test, for she had both a cross birth and twins, but at two in the after- noon, I delivered her of a brace of daughters. I then visited my traps, and had a marten; another had been at the seal, but the traps w^ere so loaded with wet snow, they could not strike up. Several foxes, and some wolves had looked at many of them, ])ut they would not meddle with any. Sim day, April 7, 1776. I went round some of my traps, and found six of them robbed by foxes, and five out of the seven about the seal, struck up; a marten w^as in one, and a jay had been eaten out of another; the other three, T fancy had l)een struck up by jays. At three o'clock the deer- ' Canadian pino proflbpak, Pinirnla cnvrlrnlor Icnrvrn. Cnrtwright lator Hpeaks of the American robin under the name of the robin-red-breast. 196 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S hunters returned and brought a marten which they had shot as it was feeding upon their provi- sions. Friday, April 12, 1776. In the afternoon I per- ceived a bitch white-bear, and a cub of last year coming down the harbour on the ice; we all got our guns and waited until they came within half a mile of the house, when they winded it and turned off for Earl Island : I then slipped the greyhound and we all gave chase. As soon as the dog got near them, the old bear turned about and attacked him with the greatest fury; she made several strokes at him with her fore-paws, but by his agility he avoided the blows. He then quitted the bitch and pursued the cub, which he caught near the island and pulled it down, but was obliged to desist on the approach of the enraged dam. As he would not fasten on her behind, both of them gained the island at the time we got up within fifty yards of them, when two of the people fired, and I snapped my rifle several times, but without effect, as the main-spring I afterwards found was broke. Two of the people followed them for some distance into the woods, but, as they had not their rackets and the snow was very rotten, they could not overtake them. Thursday, April 18, 1776. I sowed some mus- tard, cresses, and onions in a tub, and hung it up in the kitchen. It rained all day, but cleared in the evening. Friday, April 19, 1776. Jack and I went round our traps; he shot a grouse on the hill, where we LABRADOR JOURN.VL 197 saw live, and in the evening' he went there again and killed another; they are beginning to change coloui' now. Several saddlebacks ^ and a pair ot* eagles were seen to day; and from the top of the hill I cunhl perceive that the ice was broken up on the outside of Sandy Point. By tlie saddle- backs coming up here, 1 am certain that the ice is gone off the coast, so far as to leave a clear passage all along shore. A clear dny, with gentle frost. SatunUni, April 20, 1776. We went our rounds as usual, and ui)un Oreat Marsh Jack saw^ a w^olf struggling in one of his small, double-spring traps; but just as he got up to him, one of the springs came off and he got aw^ay. The boy then shot him through the flank with a ball, and pursued him a long way into the woods; but not being able to come up with him, he turned up to the top of the hill which I was upon the twelfth ult. from whence he could see that the ice was driven some distance off the coast, and w^as broken ui3 as high as the west end of the north Hare Island. He brought home a porcupine and a spruce-game. The tickles are daily l)]-eaking up slowly; the snow goes off fast; and, as we haA^e not had so much as usual this last winter, T expect it will nil be gone early. Plenty of saddlel)acks come up here, and there are now" many flocks of snowbirds.' Fridaji, April 2G, 1770. Jack and T went round our traps; he had a silver fox and a wolvering. ' Or (?TPat blafk-backod gull, LnrvM mnrimis. * He refers probably to the suow bunting, Plertrohcnax niralis. 198 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S He also went on the top of Black head, where he saw much tracking of foxes. Tuesday, April 30, 1776. At noon, a pair of geese came into the tickle, and at two o'clock a brace of wolves came over from the south side of the harbour, directly towards the house; I waited to receive them at the door, but they either winded or saw the smoke, and turned down the harbour before they came within shot. I innnediately ran to the top of Signal Hill, expecting they would get into some of the traps, but they made a streight course to Huntingdon Island. I sent Jack to try for ducks, and he saw plenty going to the northward, but killed none. Friday, May 3, 1776. At six o'clock this morn- ing, I took my station on the top of Signal Hill, to watch for deer, which, at this time of the year, are generally travelling to the northward. At ten I discovered two hinds and a calf come round Black Head upon the ice, and make towards Great Marsh. I got within eighty yards of them and fired at one, but being greatly out of wind I missed it. From thence they went out upon Cartwright Harbour and I followed; Jack headed them and turned them back, I then slipped the greyhound and we had a very fine course. The dog gained fast on them so long as he had bare, rough ice to run upon, but he lost ground when he landed, the snow being both deep and rotten upon the ground. However, he pursued them across the marsh and part of Huntingdon Harbour, but there gave them up, and they went to Huntingdon Island. I meas- LABRADOR JOURNAL 199 ured the length uf their stroke at lull s]mh'(1 and foiuid it to be sixteen feet on an average. Wedne.s., May S, 1776. At three o'clock this morning I took John Hayes, his crew, Jack, the greyhound, and two Newfoundland dogs with me, intending to kiunch the skiff into the water, and go a duck shooting. As they were hauling her along, I went forward to Puml)ly Point, from whence I discovered a white-bear lying on the ice near Huntingdon Island; we left the skiff, and all hands went towards him, but finding the ice extremely weak in the middle of the channel we stopped. I then sent one man rotmd to drive him towards us: in the mean time the bear went into a pool of water which was open near the island, and the man got on the other side and fired at him; but as he did not come out so soon as I ex- pected, I sent the rest of the people l)ack for the skiff, intending to launch it into the water to him. He soon after got upon the ice, and came close up to me. I could have sent a ball through him; but as I wished to have some sport first, I slipped the greyhound at him, but he would not close with him till the Newfoundland dogs came up; we then had a fine battle, and they stopped him imtil I got close up. As I was laying down one gun, that I might tire at hijn with the other, I observed the iee which I was u)><>n, to be so very weak Ihat it Ix'iit under nie; aii- possible fli.it tliis wius m Iliulsoniaii ciirlow, Numenius hii'lumiiriiH. This speoies haa boon rccordcil for Labrador by Couea, Turner and othcrH. 208 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S Mountaineers came here in two canoes; tliere were two men and their wives, a boy about sixteen years old (a son of captain Jack's) and two small children. They gave me four beaver-skins, and afterwards stole them again and sold them to me. They continued to drink brandy, of which they were very greedy, until they were quite drunk, but were not near so troublesome as captain Jack and his family. Thursday, Septeynher 12, 1776. All this morn- ing was spent in purchasing furs from the Indi- ans; they had not much, but they sold them cheaper than the others had done. They shewed me their method of shooting deer; although they were very drunk, yet they made several good shots, which convinced me of their expertness.^ When a Mountaineer gets up to a herd of deer, he puts three or four balls into his mouth; the instant he has fired, he throws some loose powder down his piece, drops a wet ball out of his mouth upon it and presses it down with his ramrod, but puts in no wadding, either upon the powder or the ball; by which means he gets more shots than if he loaded in the common way. As they use no measure for their powder, but throw it in by hand, the}^ generally over-charge; a spring-flask, with a ball made up in a cartridge would be a much better way, but those flasks come too high for the ^ This adoption of fire-arms by the Indians earlier than by the Es- kimos, and their evident skill in their use, may partly account for the abandonment of southern Labrador by the latter people, although the prime factor was of course the white race. Indians and Eskimos have always been enemies. o n(lon, shipped Ihcm on J)oai'(k ;iiid tlicii oj-dei'ed ilic sliip 1o Tiymming- <<'ii to take in some salt, and to wait for my arrival. 214 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S Tuesday, Api^il 29, 1777. We got under weigh at ten o'clock this morning, but having the tide against us, it was two in the afternoon before we passed the Needles. Sundaij, May 4, 1777. We got sight of Dungar- von Hills at noon to-day, and anchored at Passage, in the harboui' of Waterford, at eight o'clock at night. We found lying here the Pegasus Sloop of War, captain Gore ; and the Wasp Sloop, captain Bligh ; also a number of vessels which were bound to Newfoundland, under convoy of the Pegasus. The lieutenant of the above ship boarded mine soon after she passed Duncannon Fort, and although it was then tide of ebb and the wind was very scant, he obliged her to lie to, until she was very near being on shore upon the rocks. After a great deal of improper behaviour, he pressed Roco Gas- per, an Italian; notwithstanding he had a pro- tection. I was at that time on shore, and on receiving information of the above particu- lars, I waited on captain Gore; but very sorry am I to say, that I neither obtained the man's discharge, nor met with that degree of politeness which it was natural for me to ex- pect. I went to Waterford the next morning, where I purchased provisions, and hired upwards of thirtv fishermen for the use of my concerns in Labrador. These transactions found me with full employment till the evening of the ninth; by which time the provisions were on board, most of LABRADOR JOURNAL 215 the servants were embarked, and 1 put my ship under eonvoy of the Pegasus. Sutulay, May IS, 1777. Nothing worthy of re- mark occurred until this day, unless that captain Gore, having a fleet of ships under his care, and a report prevailing of privateers being near the Irish Coast neglected his duty: for he neither took the least pains to keep his fleet together, nor at- tempted to collect them when dispersed; he neither carried sail in proportion to the heaviest sailers, nor did he ever examine such ships as appeared in sight: although several vessels actu- ally ran through his fleet, he never spoke to one, nor even shewed his colours, in answer to theirs. By such conduct, he soon lost the fourth part of his fleet; and as he persisted in keeping on the starboard tack, with the wind at south west, in the latitude of 46" 4fi' north, at noon, I ordered the signal to be made for speaking with him; but notwithstanding we were no more than a mile from him, and on his lee quarter, he took no notice of it. At l\v(. o'clock I caused the signal to be ha\ded down, the colours to be hoisted, the vessel to be put about, and left him. W'c had \erv tempestuous weather all night, and met several vessels, wliidi .ilarnu'd us greatly, feni'iiig lest any of them should prove American Piivateers. On the twenty-eighth we saw a ]iaii' of gannets, wliicb ni.'idc 11u' sailors suspect that we were in sounrador. Seven different .•species of willows have been iflentified from the H|.M'cirn(ns I have hrouuht from the eastern and south- ern eoa«tH. * Labrador homed owl, Huho virgininnun htlerocnemis. 220 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S on the south side, and walked up the valley to the marsh; then turned westward along the is- land, looked at the deertrap, settled it afresh, and went to the top of the burnt hill over the north- west point, where I sat watching for some time. After which, merely by accident and contrar}^ to my intention, I crossed upon the trap in my way back to the boat, and by this Avandering prevented the poor Indian boy (Jack) from loosing his leg, at least, nay perhaps I saved his life; for, seeing me upon the hill, he intended to come to me, but in stepping over the trap, his foot slipped, and staggering back, he was caught by one leg above the calf; consequently he must have remained a prisoner there all night. When I came up to him, he smiled in my face and humourously said, '^ Here is a young fool of a deer caught at last." Wednes., December 10, 1777. This morning Jack and I crossed the ice to Earl Island above the tickle. I went to my traps at the east end of the island; the first I could not find, but shifted the other there, and baited them all with old Cheshire cheese and honey. Just as I had finished the last, a cross-fox came out of the woods to wind- ward, and turned downwards; as soon as he winded some bits of the cheese which I had thrown at a distance, he stopped as if to consider whether he should venture to eat them or not, at last advancing with the greatest care, and tndng the snow with his feet as he went along, he crept up and took them; growing more bold, he then T.ABRADOR JOURNAL 221 trotted up and set oue foot fairly w itliiii the trap, but not touching the ])ridge, lie was not eauglit. xVt the same time, either winding or feeling the trap, or perhaps winding my footstep on a rock close by, he gave a sudden spring, and ran off at full speed. I lay all the time flat uj^on the ice at the water's edge, and on observing him go off I tired at him, l)nt having only small shot, and being full sixtv vards olf, he was not much the worse for it. Moudaji, January 5, 1778. This morning, two thirds of mv house was S(^ entirelv drifted over, as to appear like a hill; and nobody would snp- })ose it to be any other, were it not for the top of the chinmey. At eleven o'clock, two of the sealers arrived with a letter from the head-man, inform- ing me, that on the day when they left this place, thev got no further than a few miles bevond Sandv Point: and that the next day, Josej)!! Poole going on about two miles ahead of the rest, fell through the ice and was drowned. Patrick AVoods, one of those who came to-day, broke in also; but being near the shore and within his depth, fortunately gr)t out again, and by immediately drying himself l)efore a good fire which they made in the woods, took no harm. Fridd//, Januar// .9, 1778. Dull, mild weather, witli ;\ Utile snow at times until i]]o evening, when it t^i-ew clear, and fi'oze sharj)ly. Although sudden and great changes of the weathei' most commonly cause sickness in England, yet I ncx-er found tliey had the same effeet in this countrv, notwithstand- 222 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S ing those wMcli we experience liere, are so much greater; as may be observed in many parts of this work. TJmrsday, January 15, 1778. Jack returned in the afternoon without any thing. He lay in Goose Cove on Monday night ; in Eagle Cove on Tuesday night; and at the stage last night; from whence he came early this morning. On Venison Head, he saw much slot of deer, and the tracks of both wolves and foxes. AVlien he got near to the stage, three wolves came from thence upon the ice, and seemed disposed to attack him. As I never knew the boy given to lying, I cannot doubt his story; which, for its curiosity, I will relate. The three wolves separated and surrounded him; the two smallest clapped down on their bellies, and the largest, which he said was a very stout old dog, then ran full cry at him. He all this time en- deavored to imitate the appearance and motion of a deer as well as he could, by holding his gun be- hind his back, with the muzzle over his head for a horn, and stooping and walking with his hatchet for a fore-leg. This scheme would have succeeded, had not the old wolf, before he got near enough, took the wind of him; when, finding his mistake, he ran off and howled in a different tone of voice, which the others perfectly understood; for they jumped up, wheeled round and joined him, and then all went off together. One of them has, per- haps, been in one of Wrixon's traps lately; for it was lame, and Jack saw blood in the shoremen's house, where they had taken up their quarters for LABRADOR JOURNAL 223 some time; and they had fed upon ihe blubber whieh had been left in the casks. Wedma., February 25, 1778. On my giving Tweegoek a small slap for some sluttish and dirty tricks, she snatched up a penknife, which chanced to lie on a table near her, and would certainly have stabbed herself to the heart, if the point of it had not iK'en stopped by a rib: 1 innnediately took it from her, when she took her own knife out of her pocket and made a second attempt with tliat, but without effect likewise. She made two small punctures under her left breast, l)ut of no consequence. I then took good care to pacify her effectually, before I let her go out of my sight. Siuulaii, March 29, 1778. Jack and Terry ex- amined the countrv to the southwards: where they found two marshes, four ponds and some pretty good timber: but the latter is too far from the water side to be of use. They saw no signs of beavers, but met with the tracks of a few martens, and killed two ]»oi'('upines. I took Patrick with me, and went up I he suuth-east brook to the first pond; then turned uoi'th-west, and came back, through the woods. I had a cat ^ in a trap by the brook, killed a porcupine, and saw flic tracks of a lynx and another cat. T heard some crossbeak- liunets sing, f'oi- the fii'st time fliis year. Moiiflnii, April C, 177H. At eiiiht this morning. I set off for Last Ai-m, taking Pati-ick .iiid Jnck ' As th*' wildcat, LynT nifTus, is not known to occur in I ahriuior, it in po«Hiblf that CartwriKht rpfprn to the fisher, MunUla pcnnnntii, some- tiiuui called the fliih cat or black cut. 224 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S with me, who, together with the bloodhound dog, drew our provisions and baggage on a sled. At the south point of Earl Island, Jack built a death- fall for foxes, and then followed. At two in the afternoon we got to the brook, when I pitched a tent upon the snow, and then sent Patrick home again with the dog. Tuesday, April 7, 1778. I went to the top of the high hill with a bare crown, which is on the south side of this brook, from w^hence I commanded a most extensive view in every direction, except from south-west, to west north-west. I observed a valley, full of marches and ponds, to extend from Dykes River to Paradise East River; and another, with a string of ponds in it, which run from the middle of the former vallev, to Table Bay Brook. I am of opinion, that a few beavers may be found in some of those ponds; that they must be good places for otters; and that the marshes are exceedingly well situated for inter- cepting deer at the passing times. I observed a range of very high, barren mountains towards the head of White-bear River, a long way in the country, which I never saw before. But what pleased me most, was, to discover plenty of good rinds, in the woods not far from the water-side, as I shall want a great number this spring. I found a porcupine on the top of a tall fir-tree, and after taking the trouble to climb up and cut off the head of the tree with my knife (as he climbed higher than it would bear my weight) T lost my labour; for, before I could get down and overtake LABRADOR JOURNAL 225 liiiii, he shuttled iiilu his liule, wliieh was under a large roek not far distant, and escaped. Thursday, April D, 1778. I sent the boys in quest of the porcupine which I saw on Thursday, which thev not onlv found and killed, l)ut they dressed and eat it too, without saying a word to me; who lay all the time m my deer-skin bag in the tent, where I continued from the night of last Tuesday, until after it was dark this evemng; nearly perishing with cold the whole time. Friday, April 10, 1778. At eight this morning we set out homewards. It then froze so severely, that I was obliged to walk above a mile without my rackets, to prevent my toes from l)urning; but b}' the time we got half way home, the weather ,was grown very hot, and it was most intolerably so, after we got into the harbour, insonmch, that we were obliged to lay down on the snow to cool ourselves. The boys brought a sled load of baggage, and we tailed three traps for foxes by the way. I judge, the distance from my house, to be about tw('l\e miles. A clear day. Thcr. 5" 1° below - 2*^ 56° - 8*^ 19\ Tuesday, May 5, 1778. After l)i'('akfast T went upon the hill and watched till clcNcn o'clock, but no deer a])pearing, made me conjecture, that the fresh water on the 1o)) of ihc ice, now being frozen, it was too slippci-y for lliciii to walk upon, as thev would casilv become a pi'c\' to (lie wolves; besides, the snow is now so liai'd in the woods, 226 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S tliat it is very good travelling across the country, and all the marshes being clear of snow, they can get food as they travel along. I am the more con- firmed in this opinion, as I never knew them cross the ice at this time of the year, until the sun had thawed the surface sufficiently to enable them to keep their feet. The bridge of ice at the east end of the small island at the head of the harbour, broke up last night. Clear, frosty weather. Monday, May 18, 1778. At six this morning, taking the cooper and Jack with me, I went up the harbour in the Roebuck, to look for the lost traps, but found only one of them. I sent Jack to strike up the deer-traps, but we could get at only one ; the other being yet covered with much snow. In the mean time the cooper and I sat watching for geese, but we could not get a shot as mqtj few were stirring; but we saw a great many black- ducks. Two swallows ^ appeared today, which is very early for them, and I observed a stem of grass shewing its seed, although not yet two inches out of the ground. Monday, June 1, 1778. Early this morning we took up the net and hung it upon the scaffold to dry; there was a pike of six pounds and a half in it. I went to the beaver-house, out of which the two beavers were caught last fall, and tailed a trap near it. In a small pond, which has been made by the beavers a little above, we found an ' The tree swallow, Tridoprocne h' color, bank swallow, Rijmria riparia, and barn swallow, Hirundo erylhrogaaler , all occur in Labrador. LABKADOR JOURNAL 22 zzt old house. The stint was the longest and eom- pletest i ever saw; it extended across a small vale, through which ran a narrow rill of water, b}^ which means a pond, ot* about an acre, was formed; this is often the practice of those industrious animals. But when i\\ey are found in such a place, it is a very easy matter to kill the whole family (or ci-ew, as the furriers term them), for, by cutting a hirge breach in the stint, all the water is soon drained otf, and they cannot make their escape. We saw a brace of deer on an island in the river, but could not get a shot. Tucsdaii, Juuc 2, 1778. Some more of the gar- den was dug, and we sowed some radishes, onions, turnips, nuistard and cresses. I then went to a large pond which lies luider the south end of that ridge, and empties into Eagle River; on the north side of which, 1 found three large beaver-houses, with a strong crew of beavers belonging to one of them: for, in the wood, lay as many trunks of stout l)irch trees as would load the biggest lighter on the rivei- Thames; and in the pond, were as many logs and sticks, fresh cut, as would load two or three large stage waggons. Tu( sdajf, Jinir 30, 1778. After breakfast 1 went ill the skiff with the women, to the ti'aps in the li;irl)oiir. one of wliicli liad a robin-i'ed-breast ' in it. Wc l.iiidcd on tbc woody island and there g,'it]ici-c(I sixteen eggs, 1 also shot six ducks, and my dog caught one. Thiirsthiif, Jidif !). 1778. At day-break a skiff • AmfTif-an robin, PUintMiruH migrnloriuA. 228 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S came here from the stage to mform me that a vessel of mine was arrived from England. I im- mediately went down there, and found her to be the Reconciliation, John Kettle master; a new brigantine which had been taken from the Amer- icans, and purchased for me this spring. She is about eighty tons burden; is laden with provi- sions and stores; she brought out some new serv- ants from England and Ireland. B}^ my letters I find, that the Countess of Effingham is ordered to load with salt at Lisbon, to which place she carried a cargo of corn on freight for Leghorn, and to come from thence here. Sunday, July 19, 1778. The Otter coming up at ten this morning; I put some empty tierces on board her, and sailed immediately for Wliite-bear River, where I arrived at four in the afternoon; but found no fish going, and only seventy tierces on shore. Wednes., July 22, 1778, At four o'clock this morning we weighed anchor, towed out of the river, and anchored again a little below the mouth of it, where we moored. Leaving one man on board the shalloway, to take care of her, I got into the yawl with captain Kettle, Jack, and the other two sailors; and rowed up Eagle River to bring some of the salmon-craft from thence. On entering the river, we observed a wolvering going along on the south shore of it, which is the first I ever saw alive, unless in a trap. When we got to the first rapid, which is as high as a boat can go, we saw a brace of white-bears in the river LABRADOR JOURNAL 229 aljuvc; and a blae-k oiie, walking along the north shore. I landed on the south side with my double barrel and ride; ordering captain Kettle to land Jack on the opposite shore; then to follow me with one of his men, and leave the other to take care of the boat and keep her atioat. I had not gone far, before I observed a very large black- bear walking upwards, on the other side of the river; which soon took the water and swam across, but landed at some distance above me, and went into the woods. About half a mile higher, I came to a very strong shoot of water, occasioned by the river being pent in between two high points; from thence I saw several white-bears fishing in the stream above. I waited :^or them, and in a short time, a bitch vrith a small cub swam doAvn close to llie other shore, and landed a little below. The bitch immediately went into the wockIs, but the cub sat down u])on a rock, when I sent a ball through it, at the distance of a hundred and twentv vards at the least, and knocked it over; but getting ii]) again it crawled into the woods, wlicre T heaid i1 ci-ying nionrnfuUy, and con- chidcd that it coiilfl not long surx'ive. Tlic I'cpoi-f <»r my gun 1)rought some others down, and it was no so(»ner re-loaded, than an- f>ther she bcai-, with a cub of eighteen months old <';inic swiimiiiiig close undei" inc. T shot the liitch thi'oiiL:li the bend .'ind killc(l Ik r dc.'id. M'lic (•lib j)cr-<'('i\ iiig tlii< ;in(] L!:ctting sight of inc, .-is T was standing close to tlic I'da^i' of the ])a]dc, which 230 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S was near eight feet above the level of the water, made at me with great ferocity; but just as the creature was about to revenge the death of his dam, I saluted him with a load of large shot in his right eye, which not only knocked that out, but also made him close the other; during which time, he turned round several times, pawed his face, and howled most hideously. He no sooner was able to keep his left eye open, than he made at me again, quite mad with rage and pain; but when he came to the foot of the bank, I gave him an- other salute with the other barrel, and blinded him most completely; his whole head, was then entirely covered with blood. The second shot made him act in the same manner as the first, until he struck the ground with his feet, when he landed a little below me, and blundered into the woods; knocking his head against every rock and tree that he met with. I now perceived that two others had just landed about sixty yards above me, and were fiercely looking round them. As both my guns were dis- charged, the ram-rod of my rifle broken by load- ing in too great haste the last time, and as I had left my shot, and ball-bag belonging to the other in the boat, I freely confess, that I felt myself in a very unpleasant situation. But as no time was to be lost, I darted into the woods and instantly loaded my double-barrel with powder only; that I might singe their whiskers at least, if I were attacked; for the rifle balls were too large. Having loaded my rifle also with as much ^expe- LABRADOR JOURNAL 231 ditioii as a broken rod would permit, I returned to my former post. The bears having advanced a few yards, were at the edge of woods, and the old one was looking sternly at me. The danger of firing at her I knew was great, as she was sec- onded by a cub of eighteen months; but I could not resist the temptation. She presenting a fair broadside to me, I fortunately sent my ball through her heai't, and dr()})ped her; l)ut getting up again, she ran some yards into the woods; where I soon found her dead, without her cub. The captain, his man, and Jack coming up, I was informed that Jack could not get a shot at the lilack-bear; but had shot one of those white ones which first passed me; that the beast had landed on this side of the river, and had gone up on a small ])arren hill, some little distance within the woods, and there died; that they were going after her, but thought it best to come inunediatel}" to mv assistance, when thev heard me fire so often. Leaving them to skin this bear, I advanced higher up the river, until I came opposite a beau- tif'nl cataract, and to the end of a small woody ishind which lies near the south shore. There T sat down upon some bare rocks, to contemplate thr^ scene before me, and to observe the manoou- \-j'es f>f the bears; ninuliors of whidi were Ihcii in sight. Tlie cataract is foi-mcd l»y the i-Inci' Ix'ing con- fined bciwccii < wo <'lc\;il('(l |>()inci"iu'ndicuhn" f.ill of wliicli is ciirhi feel; Crniii wliciicc there was 232 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S a gradual descent for about forty yards, with sev- eral rude cubical rocks standing upon it. These made a most complete and magnificent cascade; far superior to the best artificial one I ever saw. Immediately beneath was a deep pool; and the river widened in a circular form, into a spacious basin of three hundred yards diameter, which, taking a short turn below, resembled a circular pond. The water being low, there was a space of some yards between it and the woods: some parts were composed of fragments of rocks; others, of gravel, sand, or flat rocks, w^ith bushes of alder growing in their interstices. The whole was sur- rounded by small, detached hills, covered with spruces and firs, interspersed with larches, birch, and aspin, forming a most pleasing landscape; a drawing of which I greatly regretted I was not able to take. In the lower part of the pool were several island-rocks from one to two yards over; with salmon innumerable, continually leaping into the air, which had attracted a great con- course of bears. Some of them diving after the fish: and I often observed them to get upon a rock, from whence they would take a high leap, fall headforemost into the water, dive to the bottom, and come up again at seventy or eighty yards dis- tance. Others again were walking along shore; some were going into the woods, and others com- ing out. I had not sat there long, ere my atten- tion was diverted, from the variety of objects, which at first presented themselves, to an enor- mous, old, dog bear, which came out of some alder LABRADOR JOURNAL 233 bushes on my right and was walking slowly towards nu", with his eyes fixed on the ground, and his nose not tar from it ; at the same tmie he presented a fair forehead to me: I turned myself roimd to front hiin, di'ew^ up my feet to elevate my knees, on which I rested my elbows, and in that position suffered him to come within five j^ards of mo before I drew the trigger; when I placed my ball in the centre of his scull, and killed him dead: but as the shore was a flat reclining rock, he rolled round until he fell into the river; from the edge of which, he dropped at least fotir yards. On casting my eyes aroimd, I perceived another beast of equal size, raised half out of the water. He no sooner discovered me, than he made towards me as fast as he cotdd swim. As I was not then prepared to receive him, I ran into the wood to make ready my unerring rifle. Whilst I was em- ployed in that operation, he dived and brought up a salmon; which he repeatedly tossed up a yard or two in the air, and letting fall into the water, would dive and l)ring it up again. Li this manner he diverted himself for some time, fall- ing slowly down with the stream until he was shut out from my sight, by some bushes, which grew^ a little lower down. Being now ready, T advanced to the attack, anrl ])resently perceived him, stand- ing in the watci* w itii bis foi'o paws upon a rock, dexouring the salmon. I ci-c))! thi'ougb the bushes uiilil I caiiic (i|i|M»si1o to him, and tinding myself then within fifty yai'ds, 1 interi'upted his repast, by sending a b.ill through his head; it 234 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S entered a little above his left eye, went out at the root of his right ear, and knocked him over, he then appeared to be in the agonies of death for some time; but at last recovered sufficiently to land on my side of the river, and to stagger into the woods; where I found he bled so copious a stream, that it was impossible that he could go far. Captain Kettle and his assistants had now finished their work, and joined me a second time; and as I wished them to skin the other bear, I sent them to him for that purpose. Never in my life did I regret the want of am- munition so much as on this day; as I was by the failure interrupted in the finest sport that man ever had. I usually carried fourteen balls in a box which is in the butt of my rifle, exclusive of the load; besides a couple of bags, tied to my bandoleer, for the use of my double-barrel; one containing six balls, and the other shot. But this morning, I had inadvertently neglected to replen- ish the box, which had only seven balls in it, and had left my bandoleer with the bags in the boat, as I mentioned before; otherwise I am certain, that I could w^ith great ease have killed four or five brace more. They were in such plenty, that I counted thirty-two white-bears, and three black ones : but there were certainly many more, as they generally retire into the woods to sleep after making an hearty meal; and they could not be long in doing that here, for the river was quite full of salmon. Having now only two balls left beside that in LABRADOR JOURNAL 235 my ritle, and fearing I might be tempted to fire them, and afterward have my retreat disputed, or be attacked by one or more enraged bears im- mediately after I had tired a shot, when I should have nothing to defend myself with but the powder only, Avhieh was in my other gun, I thought it was most prudent to retiu'n to the boat and get a fresh supply of annnunition. When I got down, I not only found myself very much fatigued, but the day was much spent, and we had as much other work to do, as the remainder of it was competent to. The Shalloway likewise was left in so exposed a situation, that she might eas- ilv be driven from her anchors, if it came on to blow strong; I therefore altered my intention, and waited the return of the other three people. It was not long before they came down; for they were not able to skin the bear. Although his body was afloat in the water, which was about four feet deep, and nothing but his head rested upon a flat rock, yet they could not lift even that up. It was with the utmost exertion of their united strength, that they could heave him off the rock with assistance of leavers; nor could thev cant him on his back, after he w^as wholly atloat, in order to skin him in the watei*; much less were thev able to draw him on shore. V\'v iiidgcd liim to })e as much as twelve hniidrcd pounds weight; nor c(juld Ik- well be h*ss than tlial, as lie stood six feet high, as his carcass was as big as the largest ox I ever saw. Fiudinu llieuisclves foiled in every other attem])t, a1 Iciiglli tli<'.\- lied wind- 236 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S falls to him and launched hhn into the stream, in hopes that we might pick hun up with the boat; but the trees came down without the bear, which made us conclude, that he had grounded some- where above. Thus ended in disappointment, the noblest day's sport I ever saw: for we got only one skin, although we had killed six bears, and not one morsel of flesh; which at this time would have been particularly acceptable, as we had eaten nothing of fourteen hours. The black-bear which I saw cross the river, ap- peared to swim very heavily; and I do not believe that they can dive and catch fish in deep water, but content themselves with walking along the shores, where the water is not out of their depth, to pick up the offals which are left by the white ones and otters; or such as die of their wounds and drive on shore; but they will catch fish in shallow streams, and rake up clams and other shellfish. When they first come out of their caves in the spring, for want of better food, I have ob- served that they eat dead grass; they also feed on ants and other insects which they get out of rotten windfalls; these they tear to pieces for that purpose, but when Empetrum Nigrum is ripe, they feed almost wholly on the berries ; which not only make them fat, but also give their flesh a very good flavour. As they have no chance with a white-bear, they always avoid the unequal com- bat; and I do believe they will attack no animal that is able to make a stout resistance: even the porcupine, I am inclined to think, they do not LABRADOR JOURNAL 237 molest, for I never saw or heard of one, which had any quills of that creature in him. Being now all assemliled, we picked up the killicks and buoys, which we stowed in the salmon- house along with such other things as I intended should remain there during the winter. We then took the nets and moorings into the yawl, and rowed on l)oard the Otter, which we reached at ten o'clock at night as tired and ravenous as a pack of fox-hounds after a hard day. Tucsdaif, Juhj 28, 1778. Having got on board a few beams from above the salmon-post, at nine o'clock we sailed for Caribou Castle; where we arrived at four in the afternoon. We then took on board some beams, longers, and blubber-casks; also the three hogs, with some other things; and at midnight sailed for the stage. Wedncs., Julj/ 29, 1778. We arrived at the stage at four this morning; at which time the shoremen were just coming out of it. I found tlirce hundred and twenty quintals of fish on shore, one small ])ile was made, and five boats were at sea; but no ))aits were to be had. At noon Ml-. l)aul)eny went away in the baitskiff for Table Bay, in quest of baits. We unloaded part of the timber out of the Otter. The boats came in lietween five and six this evening, with forty quintals of fish.' Thursdaji, Juhj 30, 1778. TTaving landed most of the timber out of the Otter, I had the inner end ' At thr' firfHont day fmh is the technical name for codfitth on tho Labralaiii1 in 1liis iiisl.-nirc; but now, in my ju-cs- ent scarcit} of food, i must look upon it as ii<» 250 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S inconsiderable loss; for he was a noble, fat beast. I also saw many grouse, and killed four. Wednes., September 30, 1778. At eleven o'clock I went up South-east Cove, and walked from thence to the eastern traps; the bridge of the furthest large one had been turned by a fox; but a small stump which I did not perceive before caught one of the jaws and prevented it from striking up; by the side of the trap I found five large mice,^ which the fox had dropped out of his mouth. In the mean time, Martin walked to the top of Mount Martin, where he met with several grouse, and killed four; from thence he discov- ered a large stag, which he supposed had winded me, and was coming up the path, which leads from the south-east end to the top of the hill, where he waylayed and killed him. I have mentioned this hill before, yet it was not until to-day, and from the above circumstance that I named it. Thursday, October 1, 1778. At eight this morn- ing, I went with four hands in the Roebuck, to fetch home the venison. We broke him up where he lay, and brought all down at one time, together with two brace of grouse which Martin shot. He proved a noble creature, had twenty-nine points on his head, measured twelve hands and three inches in height, produced ten pounds of suet, and weighed as follows: viz., his quarters two hundred and seventy pounds, head twenty pounds, * Perhaps the larger Labrador meadow mouse, Microtus pennsylvanicus enixus. LABRADOR JOURNAL 251 aud bumbles twenty pounds. He is just sucb a beast as I shot at ou Saturday last, perhaps he is the same; yet neither so old nor so large as the one which I killed on the tw^enty-seventh of Oc- tober in the year seventy, but in much better con- dition; having an inch of fat on his ribs, and an inch and a half on his haunches. Sunday, October 4, 1778. This afternoon, four Nescaupick, or Mountaineer Indians came hei^ in two canoes, and were the same whom I had seen at Caribou two years ago. They had no furs with them, and went back at sunset; promising that they would return in a day or two, and bring all the rest of their tribe, whom they had left at Cari- bou. Monday, October 5, 1778. Three Indians ap- pearing upon Berry Hill, I went and brought them over to my house. These were the chief, whose name is Pere Barecack; his wife, Cowcosish, and their daughter, Catherine Ooquioo; a girl about sixteen years of age: they did me the honour to stay all night; got drunk, and were very trouble- some. I purchased one ranger, and five beaver skins of them, being all they brought. Sunday, October 11, 1778. Winter begins now to appeal"; the Mealy Mountains have put on their new liveries, and every downd'all whitens the heads <»f the liigli hills. Thf decj- are beating out to the barren headlands on the sea coast; the eider, and king-ducks' are hastening to the southward; and ^T'onse arc chatterinu: in great flocks upon the 'King f'idpr, Somateria Hperlahilifi. 252 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S hills: I am afraid it will overtake me, before I am ready for it. Mr. Daubeuy not being yet re- turned, with a supply of provisions and clothing, makes me very uneasy. Under these distresses and inquietudes, would any man believe, that my people have been ready to mutiny, because I would give them no salted pork along with their two pounds of fat venison each day for dinner? Yet it is a fact: nor could I quiet them until I peremptorily declared, that I could not possibly suffer any salted meat to be expended, whilst any fresh remained in the house; and that, if they were not content, I would give them, what I verily believed they much deserved, a hearty drubbing. Monday, October 12, 1778. At nine at night Mr. Collingham returned from Paradise with some hoop-poles, planks, salmon-nets, and all the peo- ple from thence. At Longstretch he found all the Indians, who intended going to Paradise. They had eight canoes, and were about forty in num- ber; from them he purchased forty-eight beaver, eleven otter, and three black-bear skins. Thursday, October 29, 1778. At three o'clock this morning, I sent off all my discharged servants in the Otter; there were thirteen of them. We repacked the largest pile of fish, upon the place where it is to stand all winter. Wednes., November 4, 1778. About one o'clock this morning, Mr. Daubeny, and the four hands whom he took with him, returned in a shallop be- longing to Mr. Seydes and Co. He had borrowed this vessel to bring the provisions, &c. which he Fishing Schooners going North, Mealy Mountains in the Distance A Deal of Ice near the Land '* LABRADOR JOURXxVL 253 had purcliased in Newl'oundlaiul; having had the misfortune to be cast away at the mouth of Inglis Harbour, and to loose the Stag in his return to this phice; but he saved all the provisions and the rigging of the boat. He met the Otter in Bat- teau Harbour, and would have persuaded the peo- ple to turn back, in order that these men might go away also, as I did not want them; but he could not prevail on them to do so, as the winter was so far advanced. This is an additional dis- tress to me; for I now have but nine barrels of pork for fourteen people, when I ought to have as much more; as I don't expect any vessel before the middle of July; so that we are now in great danger of being stamped for want of food, before we can get a fresh supply. Friday, November 13, 1778. Early this morn- ing I went to the new house, with Mr. Collinghani and one man in the Roebuck, and then walked to Blackguard Bay to look for the last lost trap, but could not find it. At noon Mr. Daubeny and the rest of the family followed in the Caplin with a load of furniture, and we now took possession of our new^ habitation; which is much too small, for want of more boards and nails. Su)\(ht}f, November 1.5, 1778. T went round my traps in Blackguard Bay; in one, T had a capital silver-fox, approaching Ticarly to a l)lack; * in an- othei- there was a good cross-fox, and T shot an- * In Ff'hninry 17S0, fliis fox w.-l'^ hoM hy iiuclion in London, for forty guineas; nnfl hud lie not Ju'<'n nliRhtly nil)!)»'d on one liip by beinR two ninhts in th*- trnp, he; would liavo fftrhcd sixty; being esteenu'd the best that fiad hcon imported of Hcvcn years, 254 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S other cross-fox with my rifle, and tailed the three traps which I struck up some time ago. Mr. Dau- beny papered part of the roof of the house. Thursday, December 24, 1778. Mr. Daubeny visited two of his traps and had the leg of a white- gull,^ which had been eaten out by a fox. I went to two of mine and shot a brace of ptarmigans. This being Christmas Eve, I gave the people some brandy as usual, and they all got very drunk, in conformity to annual custom; which, I presume, was first imported into Newfoundland from Ire- land, and brought hither from thence. Severe frost with some drift. Thursday, January 21, 1779. I rested very in- differently last night, and was much indisposed all this day; occasioned by drinking too much new spruce-beer j^esterday; and the fatigue of the two last days; having walked full fourteen miles each, without rackets; which caused me to sink into the snow three or four inches in general; frequently down to my knees, and sometimes to my middle. Notwithstanding all this, and the walking as fast as possible, some spruce-beer, which I carried in an elastic bottle in my upper waistcoat-pocket close to my ribs, froze so, as to lose all fluidity. 1 This was perhaps an ivory gull, Pagophila alba, a bird that comes to Labrador with the winter and arctic ice, at the time when the kittiwakes • and herring gulls are departing for the south. The Labrador men at the present day call them " ice partridges " and shoot them as they hover about seals' blood which has been poured on the ice to attract them. Mrs. Holmes in the " Log of the Laura," p. 60, speaks of the-.shooting of " snow grouse or ivory gulls " on the east coast of Greenland. LABRADOR JOURNAL 255 Thiir.sdaij, Fcbraarij i, l^t'J. 1 visited my southern traps, and found both stations robbed. From thence I intended going to the top of Table Hill, but on coming to the foot of it, I crossed the track of a wolvering with one of ]\Ir. CoUingham's traps on his foot. Leaving my sled and dog there, I followed, and came up to him on the w^est side of the hill; and on my return, tailed the trap in a marsh by the shoal ponds; observing that the foxes had followed his bleeding track. As this beast went through the thick of the w^oods, under the north side of the hill, where the snow w^as so deep and light, that it was with the greatest dif- ficulty I could follow him even in Lidian rackets, I was quite puzzled to know" how he had contrived to prevent the trap from catching hold of the branches of the trees, or sinking in the snow; but, on coming up with him, I discovered how he had managed: for, after making an attempt to fly at me, he took the trap in his mouth and ran upon three legs. I now do not w^onder at the stories which I have heard of their carrying a trap so far. Tliese creatures are surprisingly strong in proportion to their size : this weighed only twenty- si x pounds, and the trap ei«;ht, yet, including all the turns he had taken, he had carried it six miles. Tuf'sday, Ffhruary 9, 1779. From the abun- dance of fresh slot, which has generally been seen herea?)outs, by visitoi-s to these parts during the three preceding winters, T was indnced to believe, tbat the peninsnla of ra|»e Noj-th was never with- out deer. But I am now convinced, that they 256 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S resort thither in the greatest numbers from the time the rut first begins to affect them (which is early in October) until the ice is firm to the east- ward of it, which is generally by the middle of January. At this time they go off to the outer- most islands, in order to b<3 more out of the way of the wolves; and those islands lie so far from hence, that we cannot go to them and back again in a da}^, nor do they afford shelter to pass the night in, being destitute of wood. In about an- other month, I expect they will begin to draw in a little more to the continent, but I do not think they are so plentiful on this part of the coast as they were in former winters; because, I never knew wolves to be so scarce as of late. Not a single track of a white-bear has been seen for a long time past, which makes me think that those creatures keep out upon the outer edge of the ice during the winter; for, there they may meet with seals. When they come on shore, I presume it is chiefly on the outer islands; yet I have sometimes known them go far into the coun- try in the winter: but how they can procure food there, is to me unknown; for I cannot believe they can catch any other land animal than the porcupine, and of them but few; they must also pay severely for a scanty meal, from the pain occasioned by the quills which nature has pro- vided for its defence. As to fish, they certainly can catch but few, and those only small ones, in such parts of rivers and brooks, as the strength or particular sets of their currents, or warm LABRADOR JOURNAL 257 spriugs may keep open. I should have imagined that they Avould resort greatly to those parts of the tiekles going into Sandwich Bay, which are open all winter, because great mnnbers of winter seals (harps, and their young, called bedlamers) constantly remain there; yet we never saw the track of one in the depth of winlcr. These ani- mals are prodigious travellers, and nnist certainly be able to go a long time without food. AVhen they can get nothing else, they will feed on the long stalks of the sea weed ^ from which kelp is made; so will seals likewise, for I have seen ])oth of them do it. Great numl)ers of them, I believe, are destroyed CA^ery spring, by being carried upon the ice too far from land to be able to regain it, although they will swim to a very great distance. I have heard of their being met with, on loose pans of ice, fifty leagues from the land, by ships which have been coming upon the coast. Tliey bring forth their young about IMarch, and drop them upon the ice, where they lie for some days before thev are able to follow their dams, which leave them there while they go in quest of prey; and when they are fir^t able to travel, frequently ciU'vv them on tlicii- ])acks. Thev most commoulv have but one at a time; sometimes, however, they have two, and T have heard of their having three. They breed but once in two years, and their cubs follow them all that time; l)n1 how long they suckle them, or h<\w lonii' 'clock, and the rest of the day proved as bad weather as it usu.illy is in the montli (A' JaiiuaF'v in Enii:land. }fo))r]fiif, Mdif .?/, J779. Noi withstanding Dau- bciiy o^U'Voc] to take his oath lliat he was per- fect! v innoceni iA' all which he had ])een accused 266 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S of, yet, this day, he confessed to me, that he was guilty of the crime laid to his charge. Tuesday, June 1, 1779. At nine o'clock this morning I sent Daubeny in a skiff with four hands to White-bear River, a rinding. I had a punt trimmed, and at six in the evening, sent four other men after him. I took an account of the provisions which are left, and found that, owing to the success of our traps, slips, and guns, to- gether with good oeconomy, I have now enough left to last until the end of September. I was under the greatest apprehension all winter, of falling short of provisions before any vessel could arrive with a supply. From the delays of wait- ing for, and sailing with convoy, I did not sup- pose the arrival could be earlier than the middle of July; and, if the vessel should chance to be taken, I should be obliged to send a boat to St. John's, in Newfoundland. I therefore would not suffer a morsel of salted meat to be expended at such times as there was anything fresh in the house: and it was no small additional uneasiness to me, that my people were, three or four times, on the point of mutiny, because I would not give them salted pork, which they threatened to take by force: but I prevented their doing so, by as- suring them, that I would shoot the first, and every man, who should make an attempt of the kind. Unfortunately, the foxes went out of season much sooner than usual, and by the month of March, they smelled so rank, that I could not LABRADOR JOURNAL 267 insist on their eating tiieni. i then hit upon an expedient whieh was of singular help to nie; for on cateliing- the tirst wliite-fox, I skinned him \\ith great care and ate him myself, telling my l)eoi)le, thai a white-fox was superior to a hare. This set them a longing; and then, by way of an indulgence, I gave them all we caught aftenvards; ))ut the fact was, thev were no better than those of other colours; they however satisfied the cra- vings of the appetite, and kept us from famishing. Before thev went off this morning, I had the sat- isfaction to receive their voluntarv thanks for not giving way to their unreasonable demands; they being now convinced, that we must all inevitably have perished if I had. Tui'yiihijj, June 8, 1779. This was a teriible, bad day. The ground is greatly flooded, and I fear the rivers will overflow. If any ships are on this coast now, God help them! unless they are pirat- ical privateers, coming to plunder innocent peo- l)le again: for such, I recommend to their friend the D -1. Fridcuj, J arte 11, 1779. I got a shot at about fully eider-dueks, pretty well doubled up, and killed three; also ei'i])j)led five or six more, but got only one. Upon examining the down of these ducks, whicli is so valuable, warm, elastic, and b'ght, 1 round tliat it gi'ows out of the body in tlic in;iiinei- of ;i rc'itlici-; whose whole length, bolli mI" (piill ;ind shaft, is cxti-emely line, and does not exceed one tenfh oi' .-m iii<-li in lengih. On this grows a buncli of feather}' substances, resembling r 268 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S the harle ^ on the sides of a peacock's tail-feather, which are from eight tenths of an inch to an inch and two tenths in length. I counted the number of harles on two of these stems, and fomid one to have ninety-six, the other fifty-two; but not hav- ing a microscope, I could not tell if either of them was entire or not. Weather as yesterday, till seven in the eve- ning, the sky then cleared, and we were blessed with the smiles of the enlivening sun once more. Friday, June 18, 1779. This afternoon William Phippard and his crew arrived from Ivucktoke Bay,^ on their way to Sandhill Cove. He in- formed me, that they had killed but twenty-six beavers, twenty-two martens, six white-foxes, and three wolverings: that he had seen but two families of Mountaineer Indians, from whom he had gotten twelve martens and an otter. I got eight beaver-skins and three wolverings from him, in balance of a debt, which his late partner John Wrixon had contracted. He had been three weeks from his winter-house. He also told me, that they met with white-geese,^ and another sort of spruce-game, much larger than the common ones, the cock having a long tail; * that they were a scarce bird, and so very tame, they would almost ' Harl, the little plumelets growing on each side of the tail feathers of the peacock. Used in making flies. 2 Eskimo Bay, The month of Hamilton Inlet. ^ Greater snow goose or " wavy," Cken hyperhorea nivalis. * Sharp-tailed grouse, Pedioecetes phasianellus. It is probable that this bird occasionally strays to the shores of Hamilton Inlet, but it occurs regularly on the Hudson Bay coast. LABRxVDOR JOURNAL 269 suffer tlieuisclves to be taken off the trees by hand. These, I presume, are the swans,^ and pheasants, said b}' Mr. Ellis to be found in Hud- son's Bav. He saw the ruins of three French settlements, and found several beaver-houses; but the place was so nnich frequented by India^is, that the crews he then fainted, i stopped and released hmi; when he thanked me on his knees for my kMiity, and acknowledged that he not only deserved the punishment, but expected that I should hixxe flogged him nearly to death, And as I had the pleasure to observe, that all my people expressed themselves well pleased with what I liad done, I therefore hoj^e to have no more occasion to be reduced to the painful neces- sity of inflicting corporal punishment as an ex- ample to the rest. A sharp frost this morning, a cloudy day, and moist evening. Sftfurrlnif, August 14, 1779. I took a walk round the island with the dogs, but saw nothing. I was also attended hy my young deer, which is now perfectly tame, and I shall now make some remarks on those animals. Notwithstanding rein- deer are nattirallv verv wild and timorous, vet no creature is so soon, or so effectually tamed if taken young; but what they may be when caught after- wards I cannot tell. They not only grow very bold, but also shew great affection for such men and dogs as they take a likiug to, and have a great spite against those who affront them. This deer of mine has had its full liberty ever since the fourth day aft(M- i1 was caught (except a few nights conflneuiciit in Ihe crib, lest the dogs should kill it wlx-u we were all aslee]^) but since that, it has constantly lain oui. Tt is not in the least alarmed at any noise, not even at the report of a gun fired close to it; but il is nmch terrifled, 276 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S if any dog runs after, or even near it, and any running of the people instantly affrights it; but the moment all is quiet, it is so too. It will often go up to a dog and smell to him: it is well ac- quainted with all mine, and will lie down by the fire amongst them. I believe they scarce ever sleep, for as much as I have watched this, I never could observe, that it was ever asleep, or kept its eyes closed for more than two seconds at a time; and if I moved ever so little, it would start up. When I have lain down on the bed, at a time when it was lying on the floor, it would start up every five or six minutes, and come to see that I was not gone; and having licked my face, or sucked my neck handkerchief a little, it would quietly lie down again. When at any time it lost me, it would run about grunting somewhat like a hog, and never rest until it had found me, when it would run up to me in full speed. Sometimes I have diverted myself, with stooping and running, both after and from it, which pleased it much; and it would do the same, and frisk about in the same manner, as I have seen the wild calves one among another: and I have likewise observed, that whenever it is frightened, it erects its single ^ which at all other times hangs down. It is a mis- taken notion that they will not eat grass, or scarcely anything but white moss; for they will eat every kind of vegetable which this country naturally produces; alexander, and some few other things excepted: nor have I yet been a})le 1 Tail. LABRADOR JOURNAL 277 tu discover that any beast in this country would eat alexander, except black-bears, which are A^ery fond of it. Rein-deer do not seem to relish grass much, yet 1 have seen mine eat a little, and it gen- erally preferred the coarsest kinds. 1 have often observed, that in the latter end of April and in the month of Mav, the wild ones eat little else be- sides dry grass and wild r^^e, which then appear through the snow. They affect great variety in their food, while things are in a growing state; preferring the youngest and most juicy. This causes them to varv their food everv month; and also several times on the same day, accordingly as it is moist or dry; rejecting now^ what an hour ago they preferred to every thing else. The leaves of the dogberry ^ bush when young, and a tender plant wdiich growls by hill sides on moist ground, resembling cross lettuce, as also a succu- lent, aquatic plant wdiich growls in ponds, all these they devour most greedily. Tliere is a small pond near this house w^hich is full of the latter, and this deer of mine has eaten it close down to the w^ater. I think T have seen the same kind of plaiit in the Highlands of Scotland, and is what they use there ill tlicir ])('('!', instead of hops. They also delight to eat young leaves of most sorts of trees and shru})S whicli have not a resinous juice; ]inrti<'U- larly the willow: l)ut T have knowm them eat the ' The name doKberry is applied to a species of Koosoberry, Rihes Cy- noatnili, to the bhwk chokeberry, P]/rus mdanocnrixt, mii'I to the moun- tain JLsh, P]iTUH nmcrirmin. The hi.st naniecl species f^:irt\\riM;ht recoRnized by its proper name, the first he would h.-ive r:i!lcd ;i nooselierry. Whether the black chokeberry occurH in Labrador or not, 1 do not know. 278 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S outer shoots of the black spruce in the winter time, though but sparingly. I most wonder that they are not fond of vetches,^ which grow in great abundance here. I have often tracked the wild ones through large beds of them, without observ- ing that they cropped any; yet I have seen mine eat a few sometimes. This will eat a little of the crumb of soft bread, but will scarcely touch the crust, or biscuit; but that may be owing to the tenderness of its teeth. Pudding and boiled potatoes it is very fond of, but will not eat the latter raw; it will also eat boiled salt meat. They are very sure footed; for they will run along shore, over sharp rough rocks, or smooth, round, loose stones, without ever stumbling or slipping; l)ut on smooth ice they can with difficulty stand. The}^ are beautifully made, are as straight limbed and have nearly the same shape as the horse, only not so good a neck. They walk, trot, and gallop in the same manner, and no old hunter will take either a flying, or standing leap with more grace or judgment than my young deer will now. They have great strength and are remarkably active; which renders them very useful in a sled. They go very wide behind, are fearless of their road, and will swim with most extraordinary swiftness, and to a prodigious distance: I am certain they will swim more than five miles in an hour, and I verily believe, six. The stags have a deal more courage than the hinds, and those hinds which ^ Milk vetch, Astragalus alpinus, and beach pea, Lathyrus maritimus, are both common on this coast. LABRADOR JOURNAL 279 have calves, have less than the dry ones. When they hear a noise, or if they see a man standing perfectly still, their cnriosity will often tempt them to make out the object; a curiosity which I have known prove fatal to them: for they will frequently gallop, or trot down within sixty or a hundred yards, and there stand and gaze for the space of a minute or two. When they are satisfied, they run off, and generally sink the Avind to be in- fomied of a pursuit. In the winter they most com- monly go several miles before they rest. If pur- sued by a dog they husband their speed and wind surprisingly; for they will suffer their pursuer to come by degrees within a few yards of them, but no nearer if they can prevent it; they will then continue to run at his rate till he is tired; and as soon as he stops, they will do so too, and turn about and look at him; after which they will go leisurely on, but often stop to look back. If they are upon ice, where there is much snow, they will not quit it for the barren hills. When pursued in the sunnner time, they always make for the near- est water, in \\liicli im land animal has the least chance witli lliciii. if lluir ciiciny comes u]^ with them, they defend Hiciiiselves with their hoi'us and bind feet; and aj'c so strong and active, that a f.'iir sti'oke wilji cithci', generally proves fatal to wolf (»!• doLi, if 1b(' (\('('V 1)0 an old one. 1 have often eat of \nrious kinds of venison, .'ind in dil'- ferent eounlries; but T tliink none e<|nal 1o ihat of tbe rein-dr'er \\licn in |>ro|)ei* season. From the o])serA'nf icjns \\1iic]i mine li;is L^i^■'^'n me opportuin'- 280 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S ties to make, I am fully of opinion, that there are many parts of England where they would live and thrive well, but I do not think they would exist in such parks as produce nothing but fine grass. Sunday, August 15, 1779. Most of the people were shamefully intoxicated to-day. I take as much care as possible to prevent these things, but they willjiappen sometimes. Friday, August 20, 1779. At one this morning, I was greatly alarmed by one of my people knock- ing at my door, and telling me, that I was taken again; for that a stout ship was at an anchor in Blackguard Bay, and her boat was gone to take possession of my ship. On opening the door, I saw her riding abreast of my house. I immedi- ately ran out, without stocking or shoe, to hide some guns; sending the man to do the same by my plate. On returning to the house for more, I found an officer in possession of it; but he soon relieved me from my fears by informing me, that the ship was his majesty's sloop of war, Marten, commanded by Thomas Durell, Esq. At the same time he delivered me a letter from his captain, and another from John Becher of London Esq. He then returned on board, and I to bed again; but the alarm had put my spirits into such an agitation, that I could not close my eyes. At six o'clock I went on board the Marten to pay my respects to captain Durell; soon after, she got under weigh, and captain Kinloch piloted her into the harbour; where she moored. I shipped two LABKAJJOK JOUENAL 281 liugsheads of furs ou board the Marteu, to be carried to 8t. Joiiu's for fear of accidents here, and spent the day on board with her captain. I sent a man ont a deer shooting, upon the Cape kind, but he saw none. Satardaij, Aucjtist 21, 1779. Captain Durell was so obliging as to give me the assistance of some of his people, who put a new mainmast and boom into the Beaver, and did some work on the Count- ess of Effingham; also the captain and his purser dined, and spent most of the day with me. The boats came in at night without a fish; and it was a double mortifipatinn to me, to reflect that much about this time last year, Avhen I was visited by that accursed privateer, I had venison, curlew^s, and other good things in the greatest plenty; but, that now, when friends were come, I had not one morsel of anything but salted provisions to set before them: the weather likewise was too bad to get anything. Sunday, Auf/usf 20, 1779. We saw an old, bitch l)lack-bear with a very small cub, going up wind ())i the south-west shore; T landed behind them, gdf a sliot nt the old one, and struck her through: llicy then I'.Mii 11)) Ibe hill. T laid down my gun, ])iij-sued and raiight the cul) in my li;mds. Tbe ihuw no sooner heard it ery, ihan she sk)])pe(l, I'narcd ;iii(l llii-c.-iiened nic with an attack; but the mate fii-cr] ;in(l l^illcd licr. T sent the cub on board, intendiiiL: lo kccj) 11 ;ili\'e; l)iit my people being miK'b ;irF-;iioods out of mv houses and seize his tish for satisfaction: but he not being at home, and observing that neither his wife nor chil- dren had a shoe to their feet, and were in the utmost i^overty and distress, my resentment was turned into pity, and I accordingly made him a present, by a written deed of gift, of my houses and all my interest in that place and Deer Har- bour, which is an appendage to it, and also of what salmon-racks and cribs I had at Charles Harbour. Taesdaij, Septemher 14, 1779. We saih'd at four this morning, and at six anchored in Charles Harljoui-. wlici-c T found all my liouses shut up, and nolliing missing of what had Ix-en lefl tliis spring. [Cartwright returned to Blackguai-d Bay wliere he settled In's .'iccdinifs, .-ind hcidcd tlic (N>nntcss of Effingham deep with fish.] Monda//, October 25, 1779. T shi])])cd off all my own ha'jii'agc, also flic dicsts and bedding l)('h)ng- iwu; 1" ni\' (lisch.'ii'Licd s(i'\ ;inls; who. jogeihor witli Mr. Daubcny, Mrs. Sclby, [wliosc chihl had 284 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S died on September 16tli] and I, embarked in the evening. Wednes., October 27, 1779. At lialf past seven this morning we began to heave up the anchor, but it was so firmly fixed in the ground, which is tough black clay, that it was with the utmost dif- ficulty, and not without the assistance of all the men from the shore, we could weigh it; we broke a couple of purchasing bars in the operation. At nine we got to sea through the eastern passage, with a strong gale at north-west; there being a high sea running, and the ship extremely deep, and too much by the head, she plunged into it in such manner, that it made quite a free passage over her. The gale kept gradually increasing un- til the next evening, by which time it became a very heavy one, and continued so for twenty-four hours, which carried us into the latitude of Funk Island, and as we judged, about fourteen leagues to the eastward of it. All that time it froze so severely, that everything Avas solid ice, as high up the rigging as the spray of the sea reached: but now both wind and frost abated, and we had after- wards mild, foggy weather, with light baffling winds, until the fourth of November, when we had a fresh breeze at south-west, with which we got safe to an anchor in the harbour of KSt. John's, in Newfoundland, where I went to get convoy. I found lying here Admiral Edwards, the governor of Newfoundland, in the Romney man of war of sixty guns; the Surprise and L^^corne frigates; the Marten and Cygnet sloops; and the Wildcat o 3 a H LABRADOR JOURNAL 285 and C'uuriei" armed vessels; besides a great uum- ber of inerc'haiitmen, I immediately waited on the admiral, \v1k» informed me, that if the wind permitted, he shonld sail in the morning for Eng- land; accompanied by the Snrprise, Lj'corne, and Marten, and shonld take nnder his convoy all snch vessels as were bonnd to England or Ireland. I dined on board the Ronmey with captain Mercier of the marines, and in the evening I went on shore to transact my bnsiness there, bnt conld do noth- ing, everybody being in hnrry and confusion. The next morning, the admiral made the signal to pre- pare for sailing, but the wind not serving, he could not stir. I landed all my discharged serv- ants, and got on board provisions and w^ater for the ship. At four o'clock the following morning (the sixth) the admiral made the signal to unmoor, and at ten, another signal was given to w^eigh; when tlie 8ur]irise, Marten, and several merchant- men u<»1 (Mil of the harbour with all speed. At eleven the admiral w(Mit out; we got up our an- chor at two in the afternoon, and the Lycorne frigate did the same immediately after. WHien we got out to sea, the admiral and the body of the fleet were so far ahead, that we could not distin- guish his ship, nor any of the men of war, except the Lycoriic; wliich by Ihat time was two miles off, and going fast from us. We wci'c about two leagues oD' at sunset; many vessels were tlien .just got out, .-iiid We observed sevei'al otlicrs get- ting under' \v;i\-; tlic inoutli of llic ]i;ii"b<>u]' bcMUg open to US. That harb(jur being very narrow, a 286 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S fleet of eighty-four sail of merchant ships, must necessarily take a long time to get out; or they would fall on board of each other; and I saw sev- eral do so. We expected that the admiral would heave to for the remainder of the night, when he had got to a proper distance from the land; yet although we carried sail the whole night, and every day and night after, with very strong and heavy gales (in which we split the head of our rudder; strained the ship so, that she leaked very much, which she had never done before; split some of her sails to pieces, and were most of the time nearly under water, by cariying to such extrem- ity) we saw nothing more of the admiral or the fleet, until the morning of the twelfth; when we discovered them about four leagues off upon our weather bow. At eight o 'clock, we saw some guns fired by a ship, which we supposed to be the ad- miral, but could not tell the meaning of them. We continued to carry every sail which could stand, and threw out a signal for seeing a strange vessel, but no notice was taken of it; nor did the admiral shorten sail in the evening to collect his fleet, although other vessels, as well as mine, were far astern and one large ship a great way to lee- ward. That night, and the following day proving foggy, we never saw him or the fleet afterwards. We had every day from leaving St. John's seen several unfortunate vessels, who like ourselves, had been left behind; and we continued to do the same, for above half the voyage after. We still carried sail to the very utmost extremity for many LA:BRAD0K JOUKNAL 287 d-c\ys after, and then, giving np all hopes ut' joining the fleet, we carried only as mneh as prndence warranted. For fear of being taken, I directed that the ship shonld be kept in the latitude of the Shannon; intending to land there myself; be- cause, had 1 been taken, the ^jeople whom 1 left behind would probably have been starved to death next year, for want of a suppl}^ of provisions. We had a very Ijlowing passage, with many contrary winds, and much dark weather. On the evening of the twentv-ninth, bv an observation of the moon and a fixed star, taken by captain Kinloch tlie night before, we found ourselves still thirteen leagues to the westward of the Blasques, although we ought to have been half way up the Shannon, according to the dead reckoning. It then blowing verv hard at north-west bv north, we stood under (jur courses to the southward; but seeing no land, at eight the next morning, by which time we knew we were to the southward of the Blasques we bore away right along shore till noon; when being in the latitude of 51 "" 22' north, T ordered a course to be shaped direct for Cape Clear, which, if the longitudinal obsei'vation was right, and the wind held, would cany us abreast of the island called Dorses, by foui- in llie afternoon, and the length of Cape Clear by midnight. The observation proved so very exact that we actually made tlie foi-mer on our l;irl)oai-(l bejim ;it a quarter ])efore four, and at midniulit we wej-e dose in with tlie Inttei'. Tliis is the thii'd time I1i;if I jiave seen tiiose ol)serva- tions t.-ikcn. ;ind e;ic1i time the\- ;is('ert;iin th<^ 288 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S longitude to the greatest nicety; full as much so, as the meridian observation of the sun does that of the latitude. It immediately after became calm, and so continued till day-light, when we had a fair sight of the land, at about three leagues dis- tance. A light breeze then came from the south- ward and brought on thick fog, when we stood along shore to the eastward, sometimes seeing the land, and others not. The wind increased bv de- grees until it reduced us to close reefed topsails; the fog was then become very thick, and w^e began to think ourselves in danger of being lost; as we were not far from the shore, the wind being dead on it, and a gale of wind, with a long dark night at hand. Lost we must have been, beyond all doubt, had not a pilot boat, lying off the Old Head of Kinsale, got sight of us, and boarded us at two o'clock in the afternoon; w^e then were within a mile of that land vet could not see it. We immedi- ately put up the helm, squared the yards, and at four, came safe to an anchor in the excellent har- bour of Kinsale; by which time it blew a desper- ate gale of wdnd, with so thick a fog, that we could not see across the harbour, and both continued for three days. The next morning I went on shore, and took up my quarters at a house called the Bowling-green, and had the pleasure to find gen- eral Moucher and several of my old friends of the Regiment of Buffs; I dined at the mess of the latter. The following day I dined with the gen- eral; on Sunday the fifth of December I went to church, where I returned God thanks for my safe LABRADOR JOURN^VL 289 arrival, and the merciful deliverance I had hitely received from his hands. I heard a most excellent sermon on Patience; after which I dined with Mr. Othwell, who is at the head of the Customs here. On Wednesday I went to Cork to get some money from Mr. Jasper Lucas, merchant at that place, and to settle a credit for my ship with him. I re- turned the next day; and late the following night embarked on board the George Privateer of Bris- tol, commanded l)y captain John ]\lajor, a gentle- man like young man, who very politely offered me a passage for myself and ]\Irs. Selby, to Bristol. He had returned from a six months cruise, in which he had taken only one Spanish ship, l)ound from Cadiz to the Havanah. Early the next morn- ing we sailed with a fair wind at south-west, and pleasant weather; but the wind kept creeping forward until we were forced to haul the bow- lines; and as we did not make a sufficient allow- aivo for the indraught of the tide into St. George's Channel ; at two the next morning, we discovered the light of the Smalls on our weather bow. The consequence was, that for the remainder of that day, and all the next night, we were tossed about ])y a hard gale of wind in St. George's channel; but, instead (^f repining at our fate, we liad great cause to icjoicc; for had we got into Bristol (1ian- nel thai iiiiihl, we iiiiisl li<-i\-e been cast away on the Welsh coast. At day-break the following moniing, we saw land ahead and to leewai'd, which we sii|)posed was Bai'sey Island, and the land ad- joining; and that consecjuently we were imljayed 290 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S on the Welsh Coast, and should be lost; but on drawing nearer to it, we were agreeably surprised to discover that it was Tuscar and part of Ireland ; we had still a smart, close-reefed gale with which we tacked, and at one o'clock got sight of St. David's Head. At three in the afternoon, having weathered the Smalls, we bore away up Bristol Channel with a strong gale, which by that time had got to north-west. At ten we heaved to, and saw Lundy the next morning at four. We were abreast of Illford Coome at nine, when a Pilot boarded us, and at the same time we were chased by two press boats from thence, which the people kept oft' by firing shot at them. At four in the afternoon we anchored at Posset, and I had very soon after the pleasure to set my foot on Old Eng- land once more, by landing at a place called Lamp- lighters Hall, where I spent the night. I sent a man to Bristol this morning for a Permit from the Custom-house, for landing my baggage; but the forms of office requiring more ceremony and de- lay, than were either necessary in my case, or con- venient to myself, I set out for Bristol in a chaise in the evening. M)^ baggage arrived at the Cus- tom-house the next morning, and each legal fee being paid, as well as some, which, perhaps, were not so, it was delivered to me again; and at noon I set off in a chaise towards London. I lay that night at Devises, and the next day, at nine in the evening, I arrived in Town. In a short time after I went into the country to my father's; I set Mrs. Selby down at her brother's house, by the way. LAEK.U)OK JOUKNAL 291 and made hvr an annual allowance for life; having strictly kept the resolution which I made on the twentieth of May last, and the declaration made on the twentv-sixth. END OF THE FOURTH VOYAGE, AND SECOND \'OLUME. 292 CAPTAIN CART WEIGHT'S THE FIFTH VOYAGE Soon after my arrival in England in the year 1779, I found npon settling my accompts, that the various and great misfortunes which I had met with had involved me in a much larger debt than I was able to pay. Interest then suggested to me, that an immediate bankruptcy would be the most advantageous step I could take ; but honor forbade it; because, I knew that my father had by his will, made me his sole heir and executor, after paying his debts and such legacies as were contained in his will: and by my calculations, I judged there w^ould be a sufficiency, not only to pay them, but also both principal and interest of my own debts, and leave a competent maintenance for me into the bargain when ever his exit should happen, which, from his age and infirmities, I had reason to sup- pose could not be at any distant period: besides which, I had other expectations. I therefore laid those things before my principal creditors, and gave them their choice whether they would im- mediately proceed to extremities, or give me time and wait for that event. They chose the latter, but required me to give bonds and such other securities as were in my power; and as I had no intention of doing any thing but what was strictly LABRADOR JOURNAL 293 honest and just, I hesitated not to comply with their demands: but I have since found, that I should have acted more prudently if I had taken good advice first, and had the accompts strictly examined, bv which, mv debts would have been greatly reduced. I now contiimed to carry on my business as usual, and every year after met with more misfortunes: in particular, my ship, the Countess of Effingham was dashed to pieces in Trinity Bay, in the spring of 178L A new schooner, which had been that year built by my orders at Paradise, arrived at Dartmouth, about Christmas, a mere wreck; with great part of her cargo thrown over board, and only a single hun- dred pounds insured on her, and that was done, at thirty-three guineas per cent. The next year, she was taken bv the enemv. These misfortunes caused great hindrance to my business in Labra- dor, and prevented the fish, and other things which were procured there, from being sent off the coast to their respective markets. On the eighth of Decenibei- 1781 my father died; and towards the end of the following year, I discovered, that he had, a little before his death, settled upon my next bi'otln'i', John, landed estates to the amount of nine Inindi'cd and fifty jxiunds live shillings a \'ear; and lliat the demands which were upon the residue of bis estates and effects, foi* de])ts and legacies, would nf>t only swallow u]^ the whole, hnl weie nioi-c hy a few hundi'eds than they would satisfy; conse(|uently, tlial no1 one sliilling would come to me from that quarter; and that, what with 294 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S the accumulation of interest and the late addi- tional losses, my debts were considerably in- creased. However, I had yet one chance left, for I received a letter from my agent, Mr. Robert Collingham, informing me that he had met with a vein of some kind of ore, twenty inches wide. I therefore determined to return again to Labrador, and take a miner from Derbyshire with me to ex- amine it; not in the least doubting, but I should soon be out of debt, and also in very affluent cir- cumstances. I then appointed my brother John my attorney, to transact all the business of the executorship, put all my late father's effects into his hands, and prepared for my intended voy- age. June 5, 1783. This morning at three o'clock I left London, and went in the stage coach to Poole. I arrived there at eight o'clock that night, and went to Mr. Lester's house; where he politely en- treated me to continue until my embarkation, and I accepted his offer. I found Samuel Mather, a Derbyshire miner, had arrived here some time since. July 7, 1783. This afternoon, I embarked on board a brig belonging to Mr. Lester, called the Labrador, commanded by Mr. John Pitt; and bound to Trinity in Newfoundland. [On August 24th Cartwright landed at Trinity Harbour, and on August 30th he sailed in the brig Catharine for Paradise, in Labrador, where he arrived at noon on September 11th]; but found no living creature there, except a Newfoundland LABRADOR JOURNAL 295 bitch. The doors were all locked up, nor could we discover, where the people were gone. In the evening the Esquimaux which we had seen at Spotted Island, arrived here in a small shallop and a whaling-boat, and pitched their tents among my houses: which now consist of a dwelling-house and store-house in one, sixty feet by twenty five, and two stories high; a house for the servants, thirty feet by seventeen; three salmon-houses, ninety feet by twenty each; and a smith's shop, sixteen feet by twelve. On the south side of the dwelling-house, we found a tolerable large garden; with i)lenty of cabbages, turnips, let- tuces, pease, and other things in full perfec- tion. Friday^ Septemher 12, 1783. I had the vessel warped to the wharf head and landed all my goods; having taken the liberty of breaking open the servants house. T had a little trade with the Indians, but they had not much to sell; having already dis])Osed of most of the goods which they brought this year. At eight o'clock at night Mr. rVillingham, the cooper, and a boy arrived in the Neddy (formerly the Caplin) from White-bear, and Eagle Ivixci-. wliither they had been to bring away some nets and tivips, which were left there. I now had the moi'titication to hear, that my peo- ple ]\;\(\ killed x'ei'v few furs last winter, and only seventy-one tieives of salmon this summer. But those disap|>oiiitnieiits were nothing, compared to anothej' wliieli I now experienced; foi* the sup- posed ore, proved to be a friable substance of no 296 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S use or value; consequently, all my expectations from it were blasted, and I clearly foresaw inevi- table ruin, waiting my return to England. Saturday, September 13, 1783. I had a small matter of trade to-day with the Indians, and ad- mired exceedingly the honest principle of one of them, who absolutely refused to part with a bundle of whalebone, which he had brought to pay a debt with; notwithstanding I assured him that the person to whom he owed it was not in this country, nor would ever return to it again. Tuesday, Septemter 23, 1783. After breakfast I took two men with me in a skiff, and went to the mouth of South-east River: where we landed and walked into the countrv, on the south side of it, as far as the east end of the large black hill, called Thickhead. The distance which we walked to- day, is about seven miles; we found the woods but thin in general; the walking good and plenty of feed for deer at this time of the vear, and for black-bears in the summer. The food, which the black-bears meet with here, is ants and flies: the woods have been burnt several years ago, and great numbers of trees lie on the ground; which being now perfectly rotten, are filled with plenty of ants and other insects. The bears break these trees to pieces with their paws, and lick out the insects with their tongues. This is no supposi- tion, but a real fact; for I have killed a bear with her paunch almost full of such insects, and with nothing else in her. We saw in the course of the LABRADOR JOURNAL 297 day three otters, a niusqiuiisli,' and uiiie spruce- game : I beheaded one of the latter with my rifle, and Ivilled another with shot. Sioidaij, September 28, 1783. As all accounts which I have hitherto read of beavers, are very erroneous, I shall here comnumicate my observa- tions on those animals. I suppose, that none of the writers who have mentioned them, ever saw a beaver-house, but related only the tales of illit- erate furriers, whose veracity is not to be de- pended upon. I tremble at seeing myself under the necessity of contradicting that celebrated nat- ural historian Compt de Buffon; yet I must take the libertv to do it. He savs, '* A beaver has a scalv tail, because he eats fish: " I wonder much tliat ^fonsieur Buffon had not one himself for the same reason; for I am sure that he has Cclten a great deal more fish, than all the beavers in the world put together. Beavers will neither eat fish, nor any other animal food; but live upon the leaves and bark of such trees and shrubs as have 7i(»t a resinous juice, and the root of the water- lilly. 1 liavc known them eat black spruce; and Ihcy will sometimes cut down silver fir; but T Itelieve, that is ojily to build with when other trees at-e scarce. A\nien they eat, they hold their food in their forepaws and sit u)) like monkies. Ill tlie sumiiier lime lliey fainble abont very nuich, pa\ing liitle regard to their houses, and will make ' I.abrarlor mupqiifmh or miiskrat, Fiher zihpthirus aqidlonins. Tho anirnnl foiinH in Labrador is smaller and darker than the common musk- rat, Fiber zUnlhinut. 298 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S a bed of sticks shred fine, under a bush near the water-side, and there sleep: the first bed of this kind which I found, I took to be the nest of a goose. If the pond which they lived in the last winter, has plenty of such food as they like, grow- ing by the side of it, and they have not been dis- turbed by man, they will seldom quit it; but if there be a scarcity of food, they Avill wander about in search of another, where they can be more plentifully supplied: and it has long been ob- served, that of all the trees which grow in New- foundland or Labrador, they like the aspen ^ best, and next to that the birch. Having found a place convenient for the purpose, they connnonly begin early in August to erect their house. Their mode of constructing it I had from a very intelligent observer, John Edwards, who has made the catch- ing of them his whole employment for several winters; in which time he has killed several hun- dreds. He told me, if the pond be deep close to the bank, and that free from rocks, they begin under water, at the foot of the bank, and scoop out a hole, rising gradually to the surface ; carry- ing all the earth which they dig out there to the top, and mix abundance of sticks, and even stones among it. The sticks which they make use of on this occasion, are of all sizes, from the thickness of a man's ancle to his little finger, but very sel- dom of larger dimensions. They pile up these materials in the form of a dome, sometimes to the height of six, or seven feet above the level of the * Populus tremuloides. LABRADOR JOURNAL 299 ground, but coiniiionly not more than four. The base is generally of an oval form; the height ten or twelve feet, and eight or nine in width. As they raise this pile above, they hollow it out below, taking care that their bed, or lodging place, shall be above the reach of the floods, and sufficiently roomv to contain the whole familv. From the fore part of the house, they build a projection into the pond, sloping downwards all the way, and under this they enter into their house. This en- trance is called by the furriers, the Angle; nor do they always content themselves with one, but more commonly will have two, and sometimes three. They have but one apartment, which is tenned the lodging, and which is shaped in the inside like an oven, the bottom of which is cov- ered with the shreds of sticks, resembling fine narrow shavings. At a little distance from the angle, is their magazine of provisions, which con- sists of the roots of water-lilly, and the branches of trees; the but-ends of the latter they stick into the mud, where there is any. The whole is tenned (crith, and T have seen as much as a cart would hold; great part appearing above water. They are verv industrious creatures, for even amidst a superabundance of provisions, they will con- tinue to add to the store; and though their house be completely built, they will still carry on fresh works, until the pond is fi-ozen Hi-ni oNcr; they will even keep a hole open to \\(ii-l< on the house for some nights after, provided tlie frost is not very severe: and as they will enter every old house 300 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S and do a little work upon it, young furriers are frequently deceived thereby, supposing those houses to be inhabited. Although they will some- times continue in the same pond for three or four years or more, yet they will frequently build themselves a new house every year; at other times they will repair an old one, and live in that; and they often build a new house upon, or close adjoining to an old one, making the two tops into one, and cut a communication between the lodg- ings: hence, I presume, arose the idea of their having several apartments. When the pond is not deep enough for them, they will throw a dam across the mouth of the brook, by which it dis- charges its water, to raise it to a sufficient height ; making use of sticks, stones, mud, and sand for this purpose. Some of these I have seen of great length and strength, insomuch that I have walked over them with the greatest safety, though not quite dry-shod, if they be new, as the water al- ways sheds over them, being on an exact level from end to end. But if, notwithstanding the stint, they cannot raise the water to a proper depth, near the bank, they build their house in the pond, at a few yards distance from the shore, be- ginning at the bottom and hollowing it out as they go on, for they must have about three feet depth over the end of the angle, or the water would freeze in it, and they could go neither in nor out. If there be an island in the pond, they generally make their house on that, being the safest place; and by far the greatest number of houses are on LABRADOR JOURNAL 301 the north shore, for the advantage of the sun. They have no openmg from their house on the land side, and for these reasons; because the frosty air would enter at that hole and freeze up the water in the angle, whereby they would be cut off from their magazine: the wolves likewise and other enemies might enter thereat and kill them; and the cold would be greater than they could bear. For, although they are provided with a thick skin, covered with plenty of long, warm fur, they cannot endure severe frost, being well known, that they die if exposed to it for a short time. By what I have said, the reader will sup- pose they are endued with unerring sagacity, but that is not the case; for they have been known to build their house in a pond, where there was such a scarcity of food, that they have all died for want; or in one, that lay in a flat cotmtn^, which, by a great thaw in the winter, has been flooded; when they have been obliged to cut a hole through the crown of the lodging, and by so doing, and the water freezing in their house on the return of the frost, they have not been able to get into it again, but have all been found dead upon it. At other times, they have lived on a brook, where a thaw has caused such a stream as has washed away all their food, and consequently starved them. They will often i-im a siint across a narrow valley, through which a siii;ill drain of water runs, and where plenty of willows, alders and such like things grow, .-hhI make a ponrl for themselves. The fntTier has then oiilv to cut the stint, and 302 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S when the water is run off, he kills them all with the greatest ease. As the killing of beavers is an art appertaining to the science of furring, which I do not wish to make public, I shall say no more on that head, except that they are always killed by staking their houses, by guns, or by traps; and not by hunting them with dogs, by men on horse-back with spears, as I have seen ridiculously described in prints. Nor do they ever castrate themselves to escape their pursuers, for that part is not only of no use, but both those, their prides and oil-bags (the two latter vessels being common to both sexes, and the prides only used in medicine, known by the name of casto- reum) lie so completely within them, that the operation must be performed by a very skilful hand indeed, and with the greatest care not to kill them. Besides, what made them acquainted with the cause of their being pursued? If their flesh were not such excellent eating, very few beaver-skins would ever come to market. Bea- vers generally bring forth two young ones at a time, which are most commonly male and female; yet they will often have but one, especially the first time of breeding; and sometimes three or four; and I was told by a man of mine (Joseph Tero) that he once cut seven out of an old one. The first year, they are called pappooses; the sec- ond, small medlers; the third, large medlers; the fourth, heaver; and after that, old or great heaver. They copulate in May, and bring forth toward the end of June. The young ones continue to LABRADOR JOURNAL 303 live with tlieir parents until tliey are full three years old; then pair oft", build a house for them- selves, and begin to breed. Yet sometimes, and not imcommonlv, if the\- are undisturbed and have plenty of provisions, they will continue longer with the old ones, and breed in the same house. They are then called a double crew; and that was the case with the family \vhich w^e found yesterday. It oftentimes hap- pens, that a single beaver lies retired, and it is then stiled by furriers, a hermit: they sa}^, it is turned out from the family, because it is lazy and will not work; and what is very singular (for be the cause wdiat it will, the fact is certain) all hermit beavers have a black mark on the inside of the skin u])on their backs, called a saddle, which distinguishes them. I rather think the cause of hermit beavers to be fidelity; as they are very faithful creatures to their mate; and by some accident or other, losing that mate, they eithei' will not pair again, or remain single until thev can tind another hermit of the contrarv sex; and that the saddle ])roceeds from the want of a partner to keei) their back warm. T am sure that supposition is more natuj-.il, tli<-m, that it should be turned out ])ecause it is lazv; for manv of those hermit Ijeavers do so uiucli woi'k that good fur- riers have sometimes been (h'ceixcd, and imag- ined, they had I'onnd a small ci'ew. Whethei' they do, oi" do nol make use of tlicii- 1ails as 1 rowels to plaster llieir bouses with, I cainiol say, ihougli T am inclined to believe they do not; because theii* 304 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S tail is so heavy, and the tendons of it so weak, though numerous, that I do not think they can use it to that effect ; and that therefore they daub the earth on with their hands, for I must call them so. When they dive, they give a smack on the water with their tails as they go down; but that appears to me to proceed from the tail falling over with its own weight. They move very slowly on land, and being also a very cowardly creature, are easily killed there by any man or beast that chances to meet with them: yet, being defended by long fur, and a thick skin, and armed with long, strong teeth, firmly set in very strong jaws, they are capable of making a stout resistance. I have heard of an old one, which cut the leg of a dog nearly off at one stroke, and I make not the least doubt of the truth of the information. Still I have been informed, that otters will enter their houses and kill them; but I believe it must only be the young ones, when the old ones are from home ; for I hardly think, that an old beaver would suffer itself to be killed by an otter. When met on shore by a man, they have been known to sit upon their breech and fall a crying like a young child; an instance of which I must relate. A man newly arrived in Newfoundland, was walking through a wood, and near a pond; where he chanced to meet a beaver with a billet of wood on his shoulder, going down to the water. . As soon as the creature saw him, he laid down his load, sat upon his breech and cried exactly like an infant. The man having more tenderness in LABRADOR JOURNAL 305 his disposition than sueh niun usually have, not knowing what it was, and, perhaps, taking it for a creatiu'e superior to the brute creation, stopped and addressed it thus, " Thou need'st not cry, " poor thing, for I would not hurt thee for the " world; so thou mayest take up thy turn of fire- " wood and go home about thy business." The above story I do not give as a positive fact; re- latino- it onlv as I have often heard it. It is an actual truth however, that a late servant of mine, Charles Atkinson, could ne\cr be prevailed upon to taste the flesh of beavers, because he was sure, he said, " They were enchanted Christians." When beavers meet with a sufficiency of aspen, birch, or such shrubs as they are fond of, and which are not bigger than a stout pole, they will seldom cut those of a larger size; but, when neces- sity obliges them, they will cut down the largest tree that ever grew. How long they are in per- forming the work, 1 have no opportunity to as- certain, but I believe it is done in no great time: for I once found at the foot of a black spruce, that they had ^-ut down, a chip of four inches in length and two in l)readth, whir-h seemed to ha\-e been taken off at one sti'oke. And T have secMi so many stout trees, whieli 1i;ive l)een felled by ilieni in the course of one season, tliat T nni convinced tliey must work liotli (piick and diliucnlly. Small trees they cut on one side only, l»iij large ones they go round <'ind ;il\\;iys t'cli them towards Hk" water, to sa\e thenisch es ciirriage. A stick, llic thick- ness of a stoni walking c;iiic, llicy will cnl off at 306 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S one stroke, and as clean as if done by a gardener's pruning-knife. It is the bark only of trees which they eat, and seem to like that of the branches best, though they will eat the rind of the trunks also. Having felled a large tree, they lop off all the branches, and those, as well as the bodies of small trees, they cut up into lengths according to their weight and thickness; the larger ones they carry on their shoulders to the water side, throw them in, and tow them to the place where they are wanted; the long branches they drag along in their mouths. They always cut on the windward side of a pond, because, by swimming along the shore before they land, they can wind any enemy who may perchance be there; the wind also assisting them to fell the tree towards the water, and to tow the wood home. These crea- tures begin to grow fat after the middle of July, are in tolerable case by the end of August, and by the end of September, are at their best, provided they have good living and are not disturbed. Those which feed upon bronze,^ particularly on birch, are the most delicious eating of any animal in the known world; but the flesh of those which feed upon the root of the water lil}^, although it makes them much fatter than any other food, has a strong taste, and is very unpleasant. After Christmas they begin to decline, and by May are commonly poor; in these particulars they resem- ble the porcupine, as they do in many other re- spects. If their house is disturbed much before ^ Or brouae, the tender shoots or twigs of shrubs and trees. LABRADOR elOURNAL 307 the pond is frozen, they commonly quit it, and go into the next, either above or below; or they will go into an old house in the same pond, or a small one of their own there, which they generally have besides the one they live in, and it is termed the hovel. If they have been teased much in former years, they will often fly for a very slight disturbance; but should the furrier chance to catch the two old ones at first, the rest of the family will scarce ever quit the pond. So long as the pond is free from ice, the}^ keep adding to their magazine of provisions; but when it is frozen firm, they begin to live upon it. As the sticks which compose their magazine are entan- gled one in another, so as to make it difficult to extract a whole one, they cut a piece off, bring it into their house, and then eat off the bark: after which, they carry it out again and cast it loose in the water. In bringing their food into their house, thev often strike one end of the stick on the bridge of a trap, which the furrier has placed for them in the angle. From this circumstance, many of the ignorant people have positively as- serted, that the sagacity of the beaver induced him so to do, to prevent being caught himself; but if beavers had so much knowledge, very few of them, I am persuaded, would be taken. Whereas, the beaver's safety depends chiefly on the furriers' ignorance, for he who understands his business well, will certainly catch the whole family, nr .'ill the families which are in the same ponr] nr it he not too larg<') in a very few nights, 308 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S be they ever so numerous. If they are caught young, they are soon made tame, and then are very fond of boiled pease. Buffon and others say, that they make use of their tails as sleds to draw stones and earth upon: I cannot contradict their assertions, as I have never seen these animals work; but I do not believe it, because, their tails being thickest at the root and down the centre part, it would be almost impossible for them to keep a stone on it, unless held there by another. Nor have I ever observed, that they had taken any stones oif the ground; but they bring them from the sides and bottoms of the water, and must make use of their hands for those purposes; as they could easier shove and roll them along, than draw them on their tails: besides, the skin of the under part of the tail would be rubbed off by the friction on the ground; which never yet has been observed to be the case with them, and is a stronger proof, that they never do make use of them for that purpose. Those who compare this account with the writings of Butfon ^ and others, 1 Buffon (translation by William Smellie, London, 1791) says of the beaver: " The form of the edifices is either oval or round . . . some of them consist of three or four stories; and their walls are about two feet thick, raised perpendicularly upon planks, or plain stakes. . . . They are built with amazing solidity, and neatly plastered both without and within. They are impenetrable to rain, and resist the most impetuous winds. The partitions are covered with a kind of stucco, as nicely plastered as if it had been executed by the hand of man. In the application of this mortar, their tails serve for trowels, and their feet for plashing. . . . These retreats are not only very safe, but neat and commodious. The floors are spread over with verdure. The branches of the box and the fir serve them for carpets, upon which they permit not the smallest dirti- ness. The window that faces the water answers for a balcony to receive LABRADOR JOURNAL 309 will tiiid a great difference, but it must be leniem- bered, that tliey wrote entirely from hearsay, and I, from experience chietly. As so many noble- men and gentlemen in England have expended large sums on curiosities and pleasure, I greatly wonder, that not one, out of so manv who have parks well walled round (for no other fence will do) with convenient ponds in them, have been curious enough to establish a colony of beavers; which might easily he done, by planting plenty of birch, aspen, ash, willow, sallow, osier, alder .and other such like trees round the ponds, accord- ing to the nature of the soil, and j^rocuring a few pairs of beavers to turn in. But care should be taken to have pairs of the same families, lest they should all turn hermits. Thursday, October 2, 178S. I sent Edwards this morning with two other men to the l)eaver-house, and thev returned in the eveninc; with a beaver and a great beaver; another tra]) had ])een struck the fresh air, and to bathe. During the greatest part of the day, they sit on end, with their head and anterior parts of the body elevated and their posterior parts suni< in tlie water. . . . The continu.il habit of keeping their tail and po-;terior |)arts in the water, appears to have clianKed the nature of their flesh, 'i'iiat of their anterior parts, as far as the reins, has the taste and consistence of the flesh of hind or air .iiiiinals, but that of the fail and posteriors has the odour and all the otlifr (jualities of fish." Huffon repeats only to reject as incredil)le the stories " that, after the beavers have established a society, they reduce strangers and travellers of their own sfjecies into slavery; that these they enijjloy to carry their earth ami to drag their trees; that they treat in the same manner the la/.y and old of their own society; that they turn them on their backs, and make thern serve as vehicles for tin* carriage of their materials; that these refjublicans never associate Imt in .in odii iniinln r, in onjci- to have always a casting voice in their dejiber.itioiis; that each tribe has its chief; that they have establi.shed .sentinels for the public safety," etc. 310 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S up and hauled out, and some others would also have been caught, had not the late rains raised the water about a foot higher than it was when the traps were tailed; by which, the whole of their stint had been carried away. The great beaver, which was the mother of the family, weighed forty-five pounds; measured two feet seven inches in length, from the tip of her nose to the root of her tail, and her tail was a foot long and six inches and a half in breadth. The beaver weighed thirty-three pounds and three quarters; both of them were paunched before they were brought home. Wednes., October 8, 1783. The first flight of eider-ducks went up the river this evening. As those birds trim the shore along in the flight- times, great numbers of flocks go up this river as high as Friend's Point, and sometimes higher, but on finding their mistake, they commonlv re- turn again along the opposite side. Some few flocks are supposed to cross the country to the sea again, and in spring some have been seen to come down the river, which were supposed to return the same way back, but in general they keep over the salt water. Thursday, October 9, 1783. Mr. Collingham and four men nearly finished the new kitchen by breakfast-time; he then served out provisions to the two coopers, who are to have a couple of youngsters with them and live this winter at the head of Hinchingbrook Bay, to make tierces ; and also to one furrier, who is to live bv himself about LABRADOR JOURNAL 311 a mile from the coopers. In the evening they all sailed for that place in the Neddy. Friday, Octohcr 10, 1783. I sent Edwards to the beaver-house to shift the traps and stay the night if he saw occasion. ^Ir. Collingham having fin- ished the new kitchen, we made a good fire in it, and found the chimney to carr}^ smoke very well. Saturday, October 11, 1783. At noon Edwards returned with a small medler, and informed me that he had found another new house in one of the ponds above, in which he supposed were tw^o great medlers. At the same time, the people from Hinchingbrook Bay returned in the Neddy, and took back with them the remainder of their things in their skiff, ^ly people are now all fixed for this winter. Besides the above, and the five people who are to seal at Lidian Island, ^Ir. Collingham and the boy are to remain here. Thursday, October 16, 1783. The brig was un- moored at seven this morning, and at nine the miner and I embarked. We got under sail imme- diately. [On the 20th they reached the Coast of New^- foundland and drove in a gale of wind towards Cape John.] At eiglit the wind shifted to north by east, and lilcw with iri-eat violence, driving us toward the Barrack and other rocks. At noon the following day, captain Oayler told me that we should be among those rocks before day-light, if the gale held; and that the vessel w^ould bear no more sail, withr)iii liTcal dnncr^r of upsetting. T replied, *' It 312 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S is not now a time to consider what a vessel will do, but to determine what she shall do. For my part, it is a matter of the greatest indiffer- ence to me w^hether I am drowned by being driven on the rocks, or by the upsetting of the vessel, but as the one seems to be certain, and the other is only a supposition, I am decidedly for setting more sail immediately, and endeav- ouring to get outside of Funk Island, where we shall have drift enough.'^ He approved of my arguments, set more sail, and the little vessel plunged through the sea better than could be ex- pected. [On Thursday, October 30th, Cartwright reached Trinity Harbour, and on Thursday, De- cember 18th, he sailed on the ^' Little Benjamin '* for Poole. A month later, on Saturday, January 17, 1784, they "" endeavoured to get into the bay of Biscay."] At two in the afternoon, a most dreadful hurri- cane came on from the northward, such as none of us had ever seen, and which beggars all de- scription, suffice it to say, that it was dreadful and terrible to the greatest degree. Although captain Pitman, the master of the vessel, had the prudence to take in what sail he had out, yet it laid the vessel nearly on her beam ends, and we expected that she must either have upset or lost her masts. It lasted three quarters of an hour, and even afterwards blew so hard till ten at night, that we could not shew one rag of sail: and as it had shifted again to north north west, we sup- LABRADOR JOURNAL 313 posed that we were driving upon the coast of France, between Ushant and the Seimes. To re- tard her drift somewhat, a cable was veered out, which at ten at night was cut aAvay, and we set a reefed foresail and balance-reefed mainsail. It is easier to imagine than to describe the anxiety of our minds, expecting every minute, from ten o'clock on the Saturday morning to eight on Sun- day night, to discover ragged rocks close under our lee, and soon after to be driven upon them in a most violent gale of wind. We then, most devoutly, went to prayers; I officiated as chap- lain, and no sooner had we done, than, to the ad- miration and astonishment of every man on board, the wind became perfectly moderate; it shifted four points in our favour, the sky cleared, and, miraculous to relate, the sea which but the mo- ment before ran as high and as dangerous as it could well do, in an instant became as smooth as if we had shot under the lee of Scilly at five or six leagues distant! We could attribute all these things, to nothing but the effect of the immediate interposition of the DIVINITY, who had ))een graciously ])leased to hear our prayers, and grant nil)' |)('titions; and 1 liojx', I shall never be of a colli rary way of thinking. After this, we had various weather with hard-hearted winds, which (li-ovc us to the westward of Tape Clear, so thai it was not till tho fif'tli of 'P('l)ruary, at midnight, that we saw the land; and at eleven at night, on Snfnrda\- the seventh, we let go an andioi" in St ii, 1n 1li<' no small Joy and satisfac- 314 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S tion of every man on board. I then had the mor- tification to hear, that the ship, John, foundered at sea m a few days after she left Trinity; conse- quently all my furs and whalebone went to the bottom; and I soon after learnt that, Mr. Lester not receiving my letter till after the above news arrived in England, not one penny had been in- sured on them. Early the next morning Mr. Stone and I, together with three other passengers got into the pilot boat and went up to Poole, where we landed safe at nine o'clock. We immediately dressed ourselves, and went to church to return God thanks for the mercies which we had so lately received at his hands; and, through the minister, offered our public thanks, also. I remained at Mr. Lester's house during my stay at Poole, which was till the eighteenth; when I set out for Lon- don in the Post Coach, lay that night at Alresford, departed from thence the next morning at seven, and arrived in London at five o'clock in the eve^ ning. Well knowing that it was utterly out of my power to satisfy the demands of my creditors, principal and interest, together amounting to upwards of seven thousand pounds, on my arrival in town, I employed a friend to make the follow- ing offers to them; and to request of them to choose that which they thought would be most conducive to their interest. 1st. I would give up to them, upon oath, every article of property I possessed in the world, pro- vided they would give me a discharge in full. LABRADOR JOURNAL 315 2d. If they would allow me live years free of interest, I would return to Labrador, in expec- tation of being able, now that peace was restored, to pay the whole of my debts in that period. 3d. If neither the above offers w^ere satisfac- tory, I requested of them to make a bankrupt of me. But, strange as it appeared to me, and must do so to others, ni}^ principal creditors absolutely re- fused to accede to any of these proposals. How^- ever. Peregrine Cust, Esq. to w^hom I owed a hundred pounds, taking compassion on me, imme- diately struck the disgraceful Docket.^ During all these transactions and until I had received my certificate, it was necessary for me to keep close in my lodgings, w^here I amused myself with transcribing my journal, and in wri- ting a poem, which, bad as it is, I will take the liberty of laying before the public, at the end of my next voyage, in hopes that it may afford some little amusement: at the same time, assuring the gentle reader that, if I am so fortunate as to ob- tain his pardon for this presumption, I will never more be guilty of the like offence. Tho' T have often slept whole nights on mountains as high as that of famed Parnassus, yet, never having taken a naj) in its sacred summit, it cannot be expected, that I should have awoke a Poet. ' To Hlrike n fforket, is to pivo ii honfl to tbo lord cliann-Ilor, onRuping to provr- thf debtor to b'- a bankrupt, whereupon a fiat of bankruptcy ia issued against the debtor. END OF THE FII'I'II \T)YAGE. 316 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S THE SIXTH VOYAGE April, 1785. Although, the certificate which I have received, is equal to a receipt in full; the very liberal offers which my brother John has made to me, are sufficient to enable me to live in England with comfort; and the tormenting sci- atica, with which I have been afflicted for these five years last past, renders me totally unfit to encounter those hardships and fatigues which a life in Labrador is subject to; yet, since I am con- vinced that there will be far short of twenty shil- lings in the pound for my creditors, when the final dividend on my bankruptcy is made, and as I can- not look upon myself to be an honest man, unless I pay up the last deficient penny whenever it is in my power to do it; consequently I feel it my duty to put myself in the way of obtaining money for that purpose. As I see no j^rospect of doing that by remaining in England, I have determined to return to Labrador once more, to try m)^ for- tune upon as large a scale, as my present confined circumstances will admit of. My plan is, to keep but few servants, and to employ them and myself, in killing furs in the winter, and in trading with the Indians in the summer. In consequence of the above resolutions, I have, LABRADOR JOURNAL 317 with my brother's assistance, for sometime past been making preparations accordingly. And Mr. Nepean, under Secretary of State to Lord Sydney, having prevailed on me to take some of the con- victs, who are under sentence of transportation for seven years, I went to Newgate and pitched upon Alexander Thompson, "William Litchfield, John Keshan, and Thomas Connor; the first twenty-two, the second seventeen, and the other two sixteen years of age, and gave in their names to ^Ir. Nepean. [On Friday, April 29, 1785, in the brigantine Susan, J^Ioses Cheater master, and a ship's com- pany of thirty-nine souls, Cartwright sailed from Studland Bay for Newfoundland.] Friday, May 27, 1785. At ten this morning [near the Newfoundland Coast] observing several birds very busy about something in the water, the small boat was hoisted out, and it proved to be a large squid,' which measured seven feet, ex- clusive of the head, whicli broke off in hoisting it in; when gutted, the ])ody filled a pork barrel, and the whole of it would have filled a tierce. Al- though such of these fish as come near the land, and are generally seen, seldom exceed six or eight inches; yet I am told, that Hiey grow to a most enormous size; even to that of a large whale. They are also called the ink-fish, from emitting a black liquor when pursued by other fish. They are caught in greal numbers in the harbours of Newfnniirllnnd; and multitudes run on shore at • ArcheteuthU, spociee? 318 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S high water, where they are left by the tide, espe- cially if a fire be made on the beach. They are used in Newfoundland for baits to catch codfish, and are excellent for that purpose. I have eaten them, but the taste is not pleasant, being very sweet; perhaps plenty of pepper and salt might make them better, but I had none at the time. [On Tuesday, June 14, Cartwright sailed in the shallop Fox for Isthmus Bay, Labrador.] Tuesday, July 5, 1785. This morning I had my boat moved nearer to the Lyon, [a British armed brig commanded by Lieutenant Michael Lane, who was employed to survey Newfound- land and the points adjacent] and we spent the day on board that vessel. A boat came in from Funk Island laden with birds, chiefly penguins. Funk Island is a small flat island-rock, about twenty leagues east of the island of Fogo, in the latitude of 50° north. Innumerable flocks of sea- fowl breed upon it every summer, which are of great service to the poor inhabitants of Fogo; who make voyages there to load with birds and eggs. When the water is smooth, they make their shallops fast to the shore, lay their gang-boards from the gunwale of the boat to the rocks, and then drive as many penguins on board, as she will hold; for the wings of those birds being remark- ably short, they cannot fly. But it has been cus- tomary of late years, for several crews of men to live all the summer on that island, for the sole purpose of killing birds for the sake of their feathers, the destruction which they have made is LABR.VDOR JOURNAL 319 incredible. If a stop is not soon put lo that prac- tice, the whole breed will be diminished to ahnost nothing, particularly the penguins: for this is now the only island they have left to breed upon; all others lying so near to the shores of Newfound- land they are continually robbed. The birds which the people bring from thence, they salt and eat, in lieu of salted pork. It is a very extraordi- nary thing (yet a certain fact) that the Red, or Wild Indians, of Newfoundland should every year visit that island; for, it is not to be seen from the Fogo hills, they have no knowledge of the com- pass, nor even had any intercourse with any other nation, to be inforaied of its situation. How they came by their information, will most likely re- main a secret among themselves. Thursday, July 21, 1785. At half after five in the evening, came to an anchor in the harbour of Quirpon, which is the northernmost one in New- foundland, and formed by a large, high island, which gives name to the harbour; the north-east point of which, is called Cape Quirpon, is the north-east extremitv of Newfoundland, and is in sight of Labrador. Here we found several French ships, and were well received by captain Guidelou, who conmianded the Monsieur privateer in the last war, during hei- first cruise; when, in the space of four months, he took twenty-eight prizes on the coasts of Fn2:lnnd and Ireland. For which services, he was honoivd with a sword, and a let- ter of thanks f?'om his kinc He is muHi of a £[,or\- tlcman, speaks Fnglish tolerably well, having 320 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S formerly been a prisoner in England; he has a great respect for our nation, and takes every op- portunity of rendering services to the English in this part of the world. He is a proprietor of the greatest French house in the Newfoundland trade, and has the direction of all their concerns on this side of the Atlantic. Here also, and in almost every harbour between this place and Conch, the fishery has been good: but in those within the Straights of Bell Isle, and Gulph of St. Lawrence it has failed greatly. Tuesday, August 2, 1785. Mrs. Collingham and I dined on board the Echo with captain Nichols, [at Temple Bay] and we all went on shore at Lance Cove, and drank tea with Mr. William Pinson; who is agent to Noble and Pinson, and son of the latter. Two families of Esquimaux, part of some who lived last winter at the Isle of Ponds, are now here, but no others have been seen hereabouts this summer. Two men of that nation were shot last year at Cape Charles, by two others (Tukelavinia and Adlucock) for the sake of their wives, which is the reason that the rest did not come as usual. At Ance-a-Loup and parts adjacent, the fishery has been pretty successful. I saw one flock of curlews, Thursday, August 11, 1785. At six this morn- ing we came to sail; at half past four, doubled Cape North; and at seven, came to an anchor in Isthmus Bay, opposite the house which I built immediately after the privateer left me in the year 1778: and in which I lived, that winter. I LABR.V130R JOURNAL 321 had the pleasure lu liiul il uiioecupiecl, and in as good condition as possible. I immediately took possession of it; intending to make it m}^ resi- dence in future. Monday J September 5, 1785. In the evening I placed a hare-net across this end of Slink Point, and had it beat l)y two of the boys and thi'ee dogs, but found nothing. At noon, a shallop belonging to Noble and Piiison, arrived here from Table Bay, and brought part of my provisions from Bat- tle Harbour. ^h\ AVilliam Dier, late master of the Mary, came in this boat, and brought some people to complete the winter crews at Paradise, where he is to be superintendent, and as soon as he had landed my goods, he sailed for that place. My late possessions in Sandwich Bay, together with what goods remained there, were sold last winter, by my assignees, to Noble and Pinson; fur the paltry smii of two hundred and fifty pounds: whereas, the goods alone were valued at two hundred and eighty pounds; and I had in- formed my assignees, that the fishing-posts and the buildings thereon, were well worth a thousand pounds. But ^Ir. Rolx'i-t Hunter,* merchant in London, who is the adin^' assignee, does a great deal of l)usiness l)y comniission, for Noble and Pinson; theref(jre it is no wonder, that my prop- erty was sold by ])rivate contract io those ])eo])le; rather i1i;iti by public anclion -.\i Potdc; as T de- sired il ini^lit !)('. I nnist confess, that T eannot help f'eelinL^ U-reatly hurt, thai Noble ;in(l Pinson, who lia\'e been in\ iii\<| ci-.'it e enemies e\-er since 322 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S I first came to this country, should get, for less than nothing, possessions \Yhich cost me so much labour, to find out, and money to establish. Had they given a fair price for them, I should have been contented, and my creditors would not have been injured. Thursday, Septemljer 8, 1785. At eight o'clock at night, a man arrived with a letter from Mr. Collingham, informing me, that Mr. Dier had forcibly seized upon all his whalebone, oil, and furs, together with what belonged to my as- signees and m^^self, and sent the w^hole to Mr. William Pinson, at Temple Bay. Mr. Collingham requested me to go immediately to Paradise in my boat, to bring himself, his wife and baggage away from thence, as he had no other chance of getting from that place, nor any means of living at it. Monday, September 12, 1785. At one o'clock this morning the Fox brought Mr. Collingham and his wife, and also his baggage: likewise all the remainder of those goods w^hich formerly be- longed to me, and had either by accident or mis- take not been mentioned in the inventorv; Mr. Collingham having put them up to auction, and bought them himself for sixty-two pounds ten shillings. This day Mr. Collingham and I agreed to enter into partnership for so long a time as should be hereafter determined upon. Wednes., September 14, 1785. At two o'clock this morning Mr. Collingham sailed for Temple Bay in the Fox, with Tilsed, Will, and Jack, to demand, from Mr. William Pinson, restitution for LABRADOR JOURNAL 323 the stolen goods, and in ease of refusal to proceed to England to lay the case before His ^lajesty's ministers, and also to endeavour by law to obtain redress. Wcdues., September 28, 1785. At five in the evening, ^Ir. Collinghani returned in our boat, and another of Noble and Pinson's came along with him, with four hands to winter at Paradise. These boats brought the remainder of my provi- sions, all the pine boards, and the goods from In- dian Island. JVlr. Collinghani informed me, that Mr. William Pinson had restored the goods which Dier robbed him of, and that he had shipped them on freight in the Mary, commanded by Mr. Pin- son himself, and had consigned them to our friend Benjamin Lester, Esq., at Poole. He also said, that he saw a brig and a shallop among the Seal Islands, which belonged to an adventurer from Quebec; who was going in the shallop to winter in Ivucktoke Bay, and intended leaving the brig witl) ;i able of ]iro- ducing; but on a closci- inspection T found, the 360 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S extent of that fertility was confined to those places on which fish had formerly been cured; some small degree of verdure appeared on the adjoining land, which I knew must have been trampled on; but beyond that, the earth exhib- ited its original barren state. I was consequently led into a belief, that the brine, which drained out of the fish when they were first spread, was the cause of so great an alteration: and I was con- firmed in this opinion, on my arrival at Conch; where I found but few of the former fishing-rooms occupied, and all the rest bearing a burden of fine grass, which would not have disgraced the best meadows in England; while the surrounding land still remained as barren, as any other parts of the island. All the old encampments of the Esquimaux, point themselves out to you on sailing along the shore. And the south-west point of Great Island, on which I had a cod-fishery for three successive summers, is now covered with grass, where noth- ing but heath formerly grew. My garden in Isthmus Bay, which the reader would observe, produced excellent crops the first year, by being manured with sea-weed and offals of fish; and also by mixing a greater portion of the barren sand that lay underneath, among the peat soil on the surface, it has since, I have been informed, brought every thing to a degree of per- fection, which had never been seen in that part of the world, in any former year. Hence it appears to me, that nothing can so LABRADOR JOURNAL 361 eft'ectually improve and alter the nature of hot, barren sand, as unctuous, animal manures; since, by binding it, the moisture is retained much longer; and more food is obtained for the plants which are grown upon it. But the worst of it is, that such manures are to be had in Engk\nd, but in small quantities only, and at a great expence, unless the refuse of the whale's fat, after the oil has been extracted, will have the same effect; but I should reject the skin, as a substance not likely to answer any good purpose. For the same rea- sons that I would recommend unctuous manures to dry sand land, I would not attempt to put them upon strong soils, lest they should become too adhesive. The black peat, or car soil, I should suppose, would receive great benefit from an admixture of barren sand, assisted by the produce of the fold yard. But, as in England, that kind of land generally lies so low as to be very difficult to drain, little is to be expected from it, unless that can effectually be done. END OF THE SIXTH VOYAGE. LABRADOR: A POETICAL EPISTLE » Well may you, Charles, astonishment express To see my letter in poetic dress. How can he, you will say, in Nature's spight, Who ne'er found time to read, attempt to write? Write verses too! and words to measure cut! Unskill'd in cutting, save at Loin or Butt.* No matter how; a project's in my head, To write more verses, than I've ever read. The whim has seiz'd me: now you know my scheme; And my lov'd Labrador shall be my Theme. The Winter o'er, the Birds their voices tune, To welcome in the genial month of June. Love crouds with feather'd tribes each little Isle, And all around kind Nature seems to smile. Now Geese and Ducks and nameless numbers more, In social flocks, are found on every shore. Their eggs to seek, we rove from Isle to Isle, Eager to find, and bear away the spoil: These in abundance, every hand picks up. And when our toil is o'er, on these we sup. The Furrier now the Fox and Mart gives o'er, To trap the Otter rubbing on the shore. The Rein-deer stag, now lean and timid grown, In dark recesses, silent feeds alone. The Willow's tender leaf, and various plants, He fails to find not in those dreary haunts. His fearful Hind, now shuns the Wolf's dire wiles, And seeka her safety on the neighb'ring Isles; ' See page 315 for an account of the writinK of this poom. • In his younger daya, the Author had a remarkable good appetite. 303 364 CAPTAIN CART WRIGHT'S Whether in Lakes, or near the Ocean's shore, Cleaving the liquid wave, she ventures o'er. Now pond'rous grown, she Nature's law obeys, And on the ground her tender nursling lays. O'er this she watches with maternal care. Nor danger dreads, unless fell man comes there; (Him, beast of prey, or Rock, or Wave ne'er stops) For, mark'd by him, to him a prey she drops. Fond, in the Summer, on young twigs to browse, The social Beavers quit their Winter's house. Around the Lake they cruise, nor fear mishap, And sport unheedful of the Furrier's trap. The Salmon now no more in Ocean play, But up fresh Rivers take their silent way. For them, with nicest art, we fix the net; For them, the stream is carefully beset; Few fish escape: We toil both night and day, The Season's short, and Time flies swift away. The Esquimaux from Ice and Snow now free. In Shallops and in Whale-boats go to Sea; In Peace they rove along this pleasant shore, In plenty live; nor do they wish for more. Thrice happy Race! Strong Drink nor gold they know; What in their Hearts they think, their Faces shew. Of manners gentle, in their dealings just. Their plighted promise, safely you may trust. Mind you deceive them not, for well they know. The Friend sincere, from the designing Foe. They once were deem'd a People fierce and rude; Their savage hands in Human blood imbru'd; But by my care (for I must claim the merit) The world now owns that virtue they inherit. Not a more honest, or more gen'rous Race Can bless a Sov'reign, or a Nation grace. With these I frequent pass the social day: No Broils, nor Feuds, but all is sport and play. My Will's their Law, and Justice is my Will; Thus Friends we always were, and Friends are still. Not so the Mountaineers, a treach'rous Race; LABRADOR JOURNAL 365 In stature tall, but meagre in the Face. To Europeans long have they been known ; And all their \'ices, these have made their own. Not theirs the friendly visit; nor the feast Of social intercourse; but like brute beast, They greedily devour the reeking meal : And then get drunk and quarrel, lie, and steal. The Codfish now in shoals come on the coast, (A Fish'ry this, our Nation's chiefest boast) Now numerous Caplin croud along the Shore; Tho' great their numbers, yet their Foes seem more: Whilst Birds of rapine, hover o'er their Heads, ^'oracious Fish in myriads throng their Beds. With these our Hooks we artfully disguise. And soon the glutton Cod becomes our Prize. Not one stands idle; each Man knows his post, Nor Day, nor Night, a moment must be lost. The western Wind of low Ice clears the Sea, And leaves to welcome Ships a passage free. Yet huge large Isles of wond'rous bulk remain, (To drive off which, the Wind still blows in vain) In size, surpassing far thy bulk, Paul! * Immeasurably wide, and deep, and tall. To Seaward oft' we cast an anxious eye; At length th' expected Ship with pleasure spy. Impatient Joy then seizes ev'ry Breast; And till we've boarded her Adieu to rest. Eager the News to learn, from Friends to hear; The long seal'd letter hiiatily we tear. — The Cargo landed, and the ship laid by. To Fishing straight, the jolly Sailors hie. If you love sporting, go to Lahrador: Of Game of various sorts, no land has more. There you may suit your Taste, as you're inclin'd. From the fierce White-bear to the timid Hind. Of Fishing too, you there may have your fill: Or in the Sea, or in the purling Rill. Of feathcr'd (Jame, variety you'll find. And plenty you may kill, if you're not blind. • Saint Puul'a London. 366 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S If in the shooting Bears, or black or white, If in this larger Game, you take delight, In summer time, to some large Stream repair, Yet mind no Salmon-crew inhabit there. This savage Tribe, averse to social joys, Frequent those parts, most free from Men and noise; Save, where the Cataract's stupendous height. Stops the fleet Salmon in their sportive flight. Bears in abundance oft' frequent this place. And noble Skins your Victory will grace. Of the Black-bear you need not be afraid ; But killing White ones, is a dangerous Trade. In this be cool, and well direct your Lead, And take your Aim at either Heart or Head; For struck elsewhere, your Piece not level'd true. Not long you'll live, your erring hand to rue. To kill this Beast, the Rifle I like best; With Elbows on my Knees my Gun I rest. For self-defence, the double Gun I prize. Loaded with Shot, directed at his Eyes. Or would you rather a stout Rein-deer kill, (July now in) observe and climb some hill, Environ'd by extent of open ground; For there the Rein-deer at this time are found. " Nor walk about, but from a Station watch, And soon his motions with your Eye you'll catch. Be steady now; with cautious Eye explore The Wind's true quarter, or your sport is o'er. Nor less his Eye and Ear demand your care; No Beast more quick can see, more quick can hear. Yet oft' his curious eye invites his fate, And makes him see his Error when too late. With strict Attention all your ground survey; To steal up Wind, then take your silent way. Shoes with fur soles, the sportsman ought to wear; Your lightest footsteps, else, he's sure to hear. If unperceiv'd, you've work'd with toil and pain, Lie still awhile till you your Breath regain. A Deer in feeding looks upon the ground: Then to advance the surest time is found. LABRADOR JOURNAL 367 When broadside to you, and his Head is down, Aim at his Heart, but, and he drops your own. Observe, no Ball will kill these Creatures dead, Save such, as strike the Spine, the Heart, or Head. Struck in those mortal parts, Death quick comes on; But wounded elsewhere, sick, he will lie down; There let him he: anon, with cautious tread. Steal softly up and shoot him through the head. But shou'd it chance the Deer keeps open ground, "VMiere, to approach him, shelter is not found. And, Night now near, you cannot longer wait, Tr>' this device, it may draw on his fate : Full to his view, and motionless appear; This oft excites him to approach you near. He then will stop, to take a careful view; Be ready with your Gun, and level true. If the voracious Wolf shou'd please you more, All sandy beaches you must well explore. Chiefly, by Lakes, or by a River's side; (In Summer, in the Woods themselves they hide;) Be careful not to walk along the Strand, But at convenient places there to land. His tracts discover'd, seek some snug retreat. And patient lie, till with your Came you meet. A Wolf alone, is not your only chance; Perhaps a Bear, or Deer may soon advance. For various reasons, when the water's low, AU Beasts along the Shore delight to go. If safely hidden, you have naught to mind. But, that your Game shan't have you in the wind. When August comes, if on the Coast you be, Thousands of fine Curlews, you'll daily see: Delicious Bird! not one with thee can vie! (Not rich in plumage, but in flavour high) Nor Ortolan, nor Cock, with trail on toast. Of high-fed Epicures, the pride and boast! Young Geese too now, in numbers croud the shore; Such are the Dainties of our I-ahkador. If you wou'd wish witli Hares 1o sport awhile, You're Hure to find them on each barren isle: 368 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S But shou'd you there, the signs of Foxes trace, Your Sport is o'er: No Hares frequent that place. Grouse, Ptarmigan, and various sorts of Game, With Birds and Beasts too tedious here to name, You'll find in plenty through the Year to kill; No Game-Laws there to thwart the Sportsman's Will! September comes, the Stag's in season now; Of Ven'son, far the Richest you'll allow. No Long-legg'd, Ewe-neck'd, Cat-hamm'd, Shambling Brute: In him strength, beauty, size, each other suit. His branching Horns, majestic to the view, Have points (for I have counted) seventy-two. But do you think, you'll all this pleasure share, And, when fatigu'd, to some good Inn repair; There on a Chop, or Steak, in comfort dine. And smack your Lips, o'er glass of gen'rous Wine? No, no; in this our Land of Liberty, Thousands of Miles you'll walk, but no House see. When Night comes on, it matters not a Rush, Whether you sleep in that, or t'other Bush. If Game you've kill'd, your Supper you may eat; If not, to-morrow you'll be sharper set. Yourself, both Cook and Chamberlain must be, Or neither. Bed, nor Supper will you see. Drink you will want not, Water's near at hand; Nature's best Tap! and always at Command. Now Works of various kinds, employ all hands; Each to his Post; for no one idle stands. The Salmon now we pack; the next our care, The Codfish for the IMarket, to prepare. Crews to their Winter-quarters now we send; Whilst some, the Firewood fell; Nets, others mend. The Furrier now, with care his Traps looks o'er, These he puts out in paths, along the Shore, For the rich Fox; although not yet in kind. His half-price Skin, our Labour's worth we find. And when the Beaver lands, young Trees to cut, Others he sets for his incautious foot. On Rubbing-places, too, with nicest care, LABRADOR JOURNAL 369 Traps for the Otter, he must uext prepare. Then deathfalls, in the old tall Woods he makes, With Traps between, and the rich Sable takes. Now cast your Eyes around, stern Winter see, His progress making, on each fading Tree. The yellow leaf, th' effect of nightly frost, Proclaims his Visit, to our dreary Coast. Fish, Fowl, and Ven'son, now our Tables grace; Roast Beaver too, and e'ery Beast of chase. Luxurious living this! who'd wish for more? Were Quin ' alive, he'd haste to Labrador! Some new variety, next Month you'll find; The stately Stag now seeks his much-lov'd Hind. Grown bold with Love, he stalks along the plains; And e'en, to fly from Man, now oft disdains. If, in your Walks, you meet this noble Brute, And with him wish his progress to dispute; Be cool, collected; let him come quite near; Then take your Aim well, and you've nought to fear. If struck not dead, reluctantly he flies; And soon grows faint; then trembling, falls and dies. But shou'd a sudden panic seize your frame, And fear misguide you, in your Point and Aim, Your Error's fatal ; 'tis in vain you fly, T' evade the fury of your Enemy. Now Eider-ducks fly South, along the shore; In milder Climes, to pass the winter o'er. At some fit Point, there take your secret stand. And numbers you may kill, from off the land. All this is pleasure; but a Man of Sense, Looks to his Traps; 'tis they bring in the Pence. The Otter-.sea.son's short; and soon the frost Will freeze your Traps, then all your Labour's lost. Of Beaver too, one Week will yield you more. Than later, you can hope for, in a Score. ^ An English actor, 1693 to 1706. One of his most famous parts waa that of KalritaEf. 370 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S In paths, the Foxes now, will nightly cruise; But when snow'd up, no longer paths they use. November in; the Ships must now be gone, Or wait the Winter, for the Spring's return. The Lakes are fast; the Rivers cease to flow; Now comes the cheerless Day of Frost and Snow. In chains of Ice, the purhng stream is bound; Black Woods remain; but Verdure is not found. And Here we feel, the Tyrant's iron sway, Till a more genial Sun, returns with May. Seals now we take; which, when the Frost's severe. In crouded Shoals, along the Coast appear. Hamper'd in strong-mesh'd Toils, in vain they dive; Their Freedom to regain, in vain they strive; Strangled they die; and with their Skins and Oil, Amply repay expence, and Time, and Toil. By Christmas-Day, this work is always o'er. And Seals and Nets, safe landed on the shore. Now blows December with a keener blast; And Ocean's self, in Icy Chains binds fast. Ascend yon Mountain's top; extend your view O'er Neptune's trackless Empire, nor will you. In all his vast Domain, an Opening have, Where foams the Billow, or where heaves the Wave. A dreary Desart all, of Ice and Snow, Which forming Hills, fast into Mountains grow. So cutting cold, now blust'ring Boreas blows, None can with naked Face, his blasts oppose. But well wrapp'd up, we travel out secure. And find Health's blessings, in an Air so pure. Now to his Cave, the Black-bear hies his way, Where, lock'd in Sleep, he spends both Night and Day; Nor, till a milder Sun revives his Blood, Wakes from his Dreams, to prowl abroad for food. Not so the White one; ever on the stray In quest of Seals, his present only prey. This monster fierce and strong, you need not fear. If that your Dog attack him in the rear. 1 LABRADOR JOURNAL 371 There teas'd, he wields about his pond'rous Frame, And gives the Sportsman time to take his Aim. But shou'd your untaught Cur attack before, Both Dog and I\Iaster soon will be no more. To barren ground, the Fox-traps now we shift, Where they can stand secure, and free from Drift; Bait well your Trap; observe too how it lies; And soon, a Fox, or wolf, will be your prize: For Wolves, in plenty, on such ground appear, Compell'd by Hunger, there to seek for Deer. Oft have I seen this Animal display. Much artful skill, in hunting down his prey. The Herd descri'd, he slily creeps up near; Then, rushing forward, singles out his Deer. Greedy of Blood, and with keen Hunger press'd, This he pursues, regardless of the rest. With well strung Sinews, both maintain the Strife; The one for Food — the other runs for Life. If light the Snow, the Doer evades the Chase; If drifted hard, the Wolf supports his pace. Then, bold with fear, he turns upon his Foe, And oft'times deals him a most fatal blow. But oft'ner falls a \'ictim in the fray. And to his ruthless Jaws becomes a prey. We'll shift the Scene, and to the Woods repair, And see what various Works are doing there. In yonder Birchen grove, there lives a Crew, Employ'd in mending Casks, and making new. This wood of Spruce, which rises to the sky, The fish'rj^'s future Sliipping will supply. Some fell the Trees, and some saw out the Stock, Whilst others form the Vessel in tlic Dock. In these Employments, Winter's jiassed away; No change is found, till near the api)roach of May. Returning small Birds then the Country (ill, And Cock-grouse chatter on each barren Hill. The Ice parts from the Shore, and now tlic Ducks Their Northward course beat back in ninii'rous flocks. Deer in small licrdd the same route bend tlicir way, 372 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT Affording pastime for your Gun each day. All Animals their Winter-quarters leave, And Ocean, now awake, begins to heave. Ice rotten grown, in ev'ry Lake you'll see, And swelling Rivers, from their Bonds set free. The Woodmen now with Sledges, on the Snow, Their Winter's Work draw out and homeward go. What's yet to do, must instantly be done. For other Work must shortly be begun. Shallops now launched, the Crews no longer stay. But in their Boats, bring all their Work away. In such like Toils and Sports, the Year goes round, And for each day, some Work or Pleasure's found. FINIS. GLOSSARY AuNTSART. A bird of the wading genus, resembling a redshank. (Greater Yellow-legs, Tolanus melanoUucus. The name is still used in Labrador.] Angle of a Beaverhouse. The entrance; it is always under water. Baked Apples. The fruit of a plant so called, from the similarity of taste to that of the pulp of a roasted apple. [" Bake apple " or cloud- berry, Ruhus Chamaemorns.] Barrens. Elevated lands, which will not produce timber. Barricados. That ice which is formed upon the shore above low- water mark. Beavek - CcTONGS. A furrier's term for those trees or sticks which have been cut down by beavers. It is also used for the stumps which are left. Block up a Boat. To place blocks, or logs of wood under her keel. Bobber. A small piece of wood, which is made fast by a piece of line (called the bobber-line) to that corner of a shoal-net next to the land, which, by floating upon the water, shews where the net is. Bridge of a Deatiifall. A piece of board placed within a deathfall; one end of which is hung to a small stake by a piece of twine, and the other end Ls supported in an horizontal position by a peg (called a tongue.) NVhen an animal treads on it, the peg Is drawn out, which sets the cat- killer at liberty, and that falls upon the back of the creature and kills it. Bridge of a Trap. A plate of iron in the centre of a trap for the animal to tread on, which then falling down, sets the jaws at liberty. Bulk of Fish. A quantity of fish salted one upon another. Bull. A small sea bird. I believe it is called the ice-bird. [Dovekie or little auk, Alle alle.] Busk. \ piece of board which is pointed at one end and broad at the other. V\'hen a furboard is not broad enough to spread a skin prop- erly, the bask is introduced on the belly side to stretch it completely. Callibogus. a mixture of spnico-boor and rum. Cai'LIN. a fish " Salrno Archcus " IVnnant. \.\fnlhtus trillosiis.] Cat - house. A hut of boughs erected over a trap, to defend it from snow. CuiNRiNf;. Filling with mo.ss, the vacancies between the studs of houses, to keep out the wind and frost. CoDSTAGE. A covered platform, which is built, projecting over the water, to split and salt codfish in. 878 374 GLOSSARY Craft. A fisherman's term, signifying the whole of the implements they use; such as nets, hooks, Unes, &c. Crew of Beavers. The two old beavers, and all their young ones which have not yet begun to breed. If there are more breeding pairs than one in the same house, it is said to be inhabited by a double or treble crew. Cross - fox. A fox which is bred between a silver and yellow. [A colour variety of the Labrador red fox, Vulpes rvbiginosa bangsi.] Cuffs. Mittens to wear upon the hands. They resemble those made use of by hedgers in England. Deathfall. a trap made of logs. They are chiefly used to catch martens, but they will kill any beast, by erecting them in proportion to his size and strength. DiLLROOM. The well in a boat. DoATER. An old, common seal. [Probably harp seal, Phoca groen- landica.] Eddy Flaw. When the current of wind is interrupted by a hill or any other body, short puffs will often strike in a contrarj' direction; those are called Eddy FlaWs. Faggots of Fish. Small parcels of codfish, from a dozen to a score, laid one upon another, with their backs upwards to be defended from wet, during rain or the night. Fall in a River. A small cataract. Fish upon the Gangboards. An expression used by fishermen to denote a boat being completely laden with fish; to shew which, they bring in two or three upon the Gangboards. Flakes. Sets of beams, which are supported on posts and shores, and covered with boughs. They are used to dry fish upon. They are of two sorts, viz: Broad-flakes and Hand-flakes. Fleet of Nets. A number of nets, which are fastened to each other, in such manner as to form a pound, or pounds. A fleet of salmon-nets, commonly speaking, is but three. But there is no determined number for a fleet of Stopper-nets for seals. Flight - time. The periodical migration of ducks. Frostburn. a deep and serious penetration of frost on any animal substance. The effect of severe frost on animal substances being equal with that of fire, is the reason of that term. Furboards. Boards to spread furs upon. Ganging Hooks and Leads. To fix fine twine in a particular man- ner to fish-hooks, and small straps of line to leads, that they may be ready for immediate use. Gigger or Jigger. A pair of large hooks fixed back to back with some lead run upon the shanks, in the shape of a fish. The Gigger being let down to the bottom, is played by sharp jerks, and such fish are hooked by it, as are enticed by the resemblance of the leg^ l^o a real fish. GLOSSARY 375 Gully. A Barrel with only one head in it, and a couple of large holes bored under the chime hoop3 of the other end, to introduce a stang to carry it upon. They are used chiefly to carry salt in. Harp. An old seal of that kind called by Pennant, " Blackback." [Harp seal, Phoca groenlandica.] Haul a Net. Such nets aa are constantly moored in the water are hauled by going out to them in a boat, laying hold of one end, and hauling the boat along by the head-rope to the other end, taking the fish out into the boat; the meshes being made large enough for the fish to entangle themselves in them. A seine is hauled, by».shooting it, bj' de- grees, out of a boat into the water, and hauhng it on shore again by the two ends. HocND. A water-fowl rather larger than a teal. These birds migrate to the north in large flocks in the spring, and as they fly, make a continual noise, than which nothing can more resemble the cry of a pack of beagles when in chase. When, and how they return to the south again I am unacquainted. [Old-squaw, Harelda hyemalis.] Hl'mmoc. a little hill. Ja.m Ice. The low ice with which the whole face of the ocean is cov- ered every winter, and until late in the summer. Jar. The young of the smallest kind of seal; the old ones are called Double .Jars. [Either the harbour seal, Phoca vitulina concolor, or ringed seal, Phoca hispitJa, probably the latter.] Jerk. To cure fish or meat in the open air without salt. Killers of a Deathfall, are three, viz. The Ground-killer; which lies upon the ground, across the front of the Deathfall. The Cat-killer; one end of which turns upon a nail which is driven into a strong stake, and the other is supported high up by a line which passes over a crutch on the top of a stake and then comes down to another at the bottom, under which one end of the tongue is fixed, while the other supports the bridge; which being pressed by the animal, disengages the point of the tongue, that sets the cat-killer at liberty and it falls down upon the ground- killer; con.sequently falls down upon the back of any animal, which may be standing across the latter. And the Main-killer; ope end of which rests upon the ground and the other upon the elevated end of the Cat- killer, and falls with it; serving to keep the latter down. KiLLicK. A wooden anchor, made by nailing a pair of claws across ea
  • The Century Dictionary says that shoal is the assibilated form of school, mean- ing a company, a multitude. GLOSSARY 379 Spubshores. Very long shores, to support the wall-plate of the roof of a codstage. Squid. The inkfish. [Ommastrcphcs illeccbrosus; of the cuttle-fish family.] Swing a net. A net is said to be at swing, when one end only of it is made fast. Ste.\dy in a River. A part where the bed widens, inclining to a pond, and there is no perceptible stream. Stint. The dam made by beavers across a stream, to raise the water to a height convenient for their purpose. Stock of TiMbtK. A piece of timber, intended to be sawed. Stopper - net. A large net for catching seals, which is made to fit the place in which it is fixed; the foot Ues upon the ground, and the head floats on the surface of the water, by means of buoys. The farther end is made fast to an island (where there is one) or to the head-rope of a long net which is moored parallel to the shore, and the near end is raised or lowered at pleasure, by means of capstans. Several of these nets being placed at certain distances from each other, form so many pounds. Stouter. Verj' strong shores, wliich are placed round the head of a stage or wharf, to prevent them from being damaged by ships or boats. Stranger. A water-fowl of the duck kind.' Tail a Trap. To fix it properly for catching an animal. Thwart up a Boat. To move a boat out of the reach of the tide, by the assistance of leavers, or bodily strength, when she is laid broadside to the shore. Tickle. A passage between the continent and an island, or between two islands, when it is of no great width. Tinker. A sea fowl, " Razorbill." Pennant. [Razor-billed auk, .4/ra tor da.] Tilt. A small hut. Tilt - back. A Back-tilt is a shed made of boughs, resembUng the section of a roof; the back part is placed towards the wind, and a fire is generally made in front. Tom - COD. Young codfish. [This term is used loosely of several 'The name stranrf^r for a water l)ird is not used, as far as I can discover, on tlio Lalirador coast at the present day, nor have 1 found the name ainonp; the vernacu- lar names of water liirds in use during CartwriRht's day in Kn(;land. Selby in his Illustrations of British <^)rnitllolo^'y, lH.t;t, Vol. II, ]>. 420, p;iv<'« the name utrniuj as one of the provincial names for the foolish jjnillemot, andMont:i(;"<', in his" Ornithologi- cal dictionary of British Birds," in 17:il,Jnd edit., p. W>, also K'ves this word,s])elt ttranfy, tor the same hird. It la perhaps not too far fetched to think that Cart- wright refern to the same hird under tht- name of utroit'irv, especially as it is common on the I^brador roast. The common or foolish puillemot or ninrro, Uria 1roilf,&n(\t\\P: very similar Hruniih's murre, I'rht hmtrin, hoth occurrod therein enormous numJ)ers in Cnrtwriu'ht's ', see Yellow-legs, Greater Baked apple, 177, 240, 375 Baked-pears, SJfO Bankruptcy, 292, 315, 316 Banks, Sir Joseph, 1^2 Baptism of Maria, 265 Barbel, 3^1 Barrens, 340, 373 Barricades, 373 Batteau Harbour, 165,253 Battle Harbour, 158, 270,321 Bear, Black, 26, 35, 166, 174, 177, 178, 179, food of, 236, 296; 273, 281, 282, 348 Bear, Polar. 29, 37, 72, 73, 86, 95, as food, 98; damage by, 102; eating salmon, 178; 196, 199, 200, 205, action with cubs, 206, eating eggs, 217; 348, at Eagle River falls, 228-236; habits of, 256-2.58 Beaver, 26, 35, 49, 50, 70, 172, 202, 226, 227, goncral account of, 297-319; 310, 311, Indian mfthods f)f capture, 350-351 BeiJlamer, 185, 257 Bellv-timber. 90 BeothuLs, 9, /6-25, 34, 319 Birch. 77, 82, 176, 342-345 Black-diver, see Scoter, American Black duck, 27, 140, 219 Blackguard Bay, 218, 240, 253, 280 Black's Head, xxx Blueberries, SJ^, 346 Boneta, 136 Bottle-nose diver, see Scoter, Surf Bras.s-wing diver, see Scoter, White- winged Brouze, 306 Buffon, 297, 308, 309 Bulfinch, sec Pine grosbeak Bull, see Dovekie Butcher bird, see Shrike Byron, Commodore, 28, 32 Callibogus, 373 Caplin, KAS". 173, 174, 204, 373 Caribou, Barren-ground, 20, 21 Caribou, Newfountlland, 20, 21 Caribou, Woodland, 20, .30, 36, 45, 46, 47, 48, 51 , .59, behaviour with dogs, 60-62; freciucnting shores in winter, 72; 76, 77, 103, 160, 161, 174, speed, 183, 278; 198, 200, 201, 249-251, migrations of, 2.56; captive calf, 271 278; food of, 27(), 277; as food. 279; 324, 325, mewing antlers, 325, 326 Caribou Castle, 237, 241, 242, 247 Carmack, Expedition of, 16, 22 Cartwright, Cli.-irlcs, xxvii, xxviii ('art Wright, Edmund, ancestor of (Jeorge, xix, xx Cartwright, Edmund, brother of George, xxv-xxvii Cartwrinlit Harbour. 171. 175. 198 Cartwright, .loliii. xxi-xxv, 8, 9, 32 Cartwriglil, Miss V. D., xxviii Cartwright, Sir Hugh, xix Cartwright, \\'illi,iin, brother of George, xx 381 382 INDEX Cartwright, William, father of George, xx Cat, see Fisher Charles River, 29, 30, 39 Chateau Bay, 14, 77, 99 Cherry, 345 Christmas, 58, 96, 186, 254, 325 Churching of Nanny, 70 Climate, 189, 221, 352 Clive, Lord, 7 Cloudberry, see Baked-apple Cod, 39, 83, 173, 174, 204, 237, 248, 271 Colleroon River, 81 Convoy, Sailing under, 214, 215, 285 Cormorant, 173 Covent Garden Theatre. 122 Cow-parsnip, 82, eaten by black bears only, 277; 346 Cranberry, 34-6 Cranmer, Archbishop, xix, xx Crossbill, 193, 223 Cross-buttock, 110 Curlew, Eskimo, 33, 34, 36, 37, 137, 207, 282, 320 Curlew, Hudsonian, 207 Currant, 79, 343, 346 Darby, Nicholas, 14, 30 Dartmouth, Earl of, 131, 135 Deer, see Caribou Deer fences, 19-22 Doater, 93, 203, 374 Docket, To strike a, 315 Dog-berry, 277, 345 Dolland, Pocket, 16 Dolphin, 136 Dove, 180, 348 Dovekie, 153, 259, 373 Duck hawk, 44, 262 Eagle, 106, 178, 197, 348 Eagle River, 178, 227, 228, 231-236 Edwards, Admiral, 284, 286 Eel, 341 Egging, 80, 81, 82, 162, 201, 203, 216, 217 Eider, 29, 43, rate of flight, 77-78; courtship, 172; down of, 267, 268, 269; eggs of, 269; migra- tion, 310, 341 Eider, King, 251 Empetrum nigrum, 21, 34, 180, 340 Elliot, Gov. John, 332 Ermine, see Weasel Erskine, Baron, 338 Esquimaux, 13, 14, 15, 16, 28, 30, 38; habits, 41-45, 48; 53, 54, 55; komatik, 56, 57; 59; snow-house, 67-69; trade with, 85-92, 104-107; sports, 108- 110; medical treatment, 111, 116; trip to England, 115- 132; small-pox, 133-137; grief, 138-140, 143, 296, 320; fatal dispute, 328,329; offer in mar- riage, 329, 330; colds, 330; origin of, 352; 357 Esquimaux dog, 58, 120, 121 - Exploits River, xxii, 19, 22 Eyre Island, 51, 62, 69 Falcon, 262 Falls of Eagle River, 231, 232, 236 Falls of White Bear River, 178, 179, 205 Fillbelly Island, 200 Fir balsam, 37, 342-345 Fire (of buildings), 39, 40, 54, 55, 11,3-114, 2.59 Fire (forest), 33, 83, 343,344 Fisher, 223 Flakes, 374 Floe ice, 75, 76, 162-167, 263, 355, 356, 375 Flying-fish, 136 Fox, Arctic (also called blue or white fox), 35, 262, 263, as food, 267 Fox, Black, 35, 253 Fox, Cross, 35, 186, 188, 220, 374 Fox, Hon. Stephen, 127, 128 Fox, Red, 35, 62, as food, 66; 172, 188, robbing traps, 194; 260, 265, 266, 267 Fox, Silver, 35, 59, 70, 86, 91, 186, 188 378 Frostburn, 55, 63, 327, 374 Funk Island, 23, 24, 318, 319 Gannet, 152, 215 Gannet Islands, 243, 263 Gardening, 55, 56, 94, 176, 196, 227, 295, 339, 340, 3,58-361 George's Coffee-house, 146 Goat, intoxicated, 42 Goose, Canada, 36, 82, 112, 203, 219; quills, 273 Goose, Greater snow, 268 Gooseberry, 182, 346 Granby, Marquis of, 7, 9, 84 Gready Harbour, 240 INDEX 383 Great Caribou Island, 62 Great Island, 273, 274 Grimes, Captain John, 240-247 Grouse, see Ptarmigan, Willow Grouse, Red, 86, 14I Grouse, Sharp-tailed, 268 Grouse, Spruce, SS, 45, 46, 49, 50, 73, 297, S7S Guidelou, Captain, 319, 320 Guillemot, Black, 106, 203, 264; eggs of, 2G9 Guillemot, Common, see Murre Gulls, 40, 79, 197, 254, 377 Gull. Great black-backed, 40, 197, 377 Gull, Ivory, 254 Hare, Polar, 45, 162, 163 Hare, Varying, 4^, changing coat, 192 Harle, 268 Harlequin duck, S9, 43, 95, 154, 159, 376 Harp, 257, 375 Hawko, Sir Edward, xxii, 28, 32 Henly Island, 72 Hermit beavers, 303 Heron, 348 Hinchingbrook Bay, 168, 310 Hislop, Lieut. William, 6 Holland, Lord and Lady, 127 Horned lark, 158 Horned owl, 219 Hound, see Old-squaw Howe, Lord, xxi Humbles, 183 Hunter, Dr. John, 125, 126 Huntington Island, 168, 198 Icebergs, 354, 355 Igloo, 67-69 Indian tea, see Labrador tea Indians, see Beothuks, Micmars, Mountaineers, Nascaupees Indians, Red or Wild, srr Beothuks Indians, term f)ftcn wronglj' applied to KsriuiriKUix, (]. v. Inoculation for the small-pox, I46 Isle of Ponds, 167, 171 Isthmus Bav, 320, 360 Ivucktoke Bay, 248, 261, 268 James powder, 59 Jar, 375 Jay, Labrador, 47, 193, robbing traps, 195 Jigger, 374 Jones, Surgeon, 44, 63-65 Juniper, 345 Killick, 375 King-duck, sec Eider, King King George III, 122, 126, 127, 130 K no bier, 1S3 Komatik, 56, 357 Kyack, 42, 138, 375 Labour difficulties, 97, 252, 266, 274, 275, 323 Labrador: A Poetical Epistle, 363- 372 Labrador, Definition of, 339 Labrador duck, 45 Labrador spar, 347 Labrador tea, 70, 343 Lady, see Harlequin duck Laminaria, 257 Lance, 376 Lane, Michael, 95 Larch, 49, 171, 342 Life-boat invention, xxxi Lobscouse, 376 Lodge, The, see Ranger Lodge Lolly, 376 Longers, 376 Loon, 31, 269, 376 Loon, Red-throated, 36, 89, 177, 380 Lord, see Harlecjuin duck Lynx, 105, 223, 348 Mackerel, 136 Mallard, 27 Manures, 358-361 Marnham Manor, xxviii, 128 Marten, 35, 46, 48, 49, 51, 53, as food, m; 73, 172, 192, 196, 262 Mary Harbour, 79, 82 Meadow mouse, 250, 260 Mealy Mountains, 179,251 Medlar, 302, 311 Mcrgan.scr, Red-breasted, 40, 81, S2, 158, 377 Micmacs, 24 Midwiferv, 65, 66, 195, 262 Mink, \12,348,S76 Mole, 34s Moravians, 38 M()s(|uito<-s, 83, 112, 331, S6S Mount Martin, 250 Mountain ash, 345 384 INDEX Mountaineers, ^4, 34, 159, 173, 175, 208, 251, 268, 269, 348-352, 357 358 Mount Martin, 250, 324 Murre, 133, 379 Muskrat, 297, 348 Nascaupees, 34, 34 Newgate prisoners, 317, 323, 324, 327, 328 Niger Sound, 63, 64, 70 Noddy, 118 Nottinghamshire militia, xxv Old squaw, 201, 264, 375 Ores, 294, 295, 347 Osier, 345 Otter, 35, 45, catching fish, 50; 54, 56, as food, 66; 71, 75, 81, 82, rubbing places, 35, 377 Oyster-catcher, 143 Palliser, Sir Hugh, xxii, 9 Paradise, 169, 175, 242, 247, 252, 271, 321,323 Partridge-berry, 201 Penguin, see Auk, Great Phrippers, 48, 376 Pied-duck, see Labrador duck Pied -bird, see Oyster-catcher Pigeon, see Guillemot, Black Pigeon, Passenger, 180 Pike, 170, 226 Pine grosbeak, 195 Pine, Weymouth, 23 Pipshy, 85 Planter, 376 Plover, Grey, 137, 207 Pooler, 377 Porcupine, 35, 40, 45, habits, 155- 156; quills, 156-158; as food, 158; 224, 225 Power-loom, xxvi Privateers, 240-247, 270 Ptarmakin, see Ptarmigan, Rock Ptarmigan (of Scotland), 36, 142 Ptarmigan, Rock, 36, 43, 142, 326, 377 Ptarmigan, Willow, 36, 37, 43, 59, changes in plumage, 141-14^, 197, 260, 377 Puffin, 238 Puppy's parlour, 95 Quin, 369 Quintal, 83 Quirpon, 319 Rabbit, see Hare Racoon, 348 Ranger, 84, 86, 92 Ranger Lodge, 39, 241, 247 Raspberry, 218, 346 Raven, 48, 52, 187, 192 Red-dock, 346 Reindeer, see Caribou Reindeer, European, 20 Reindeer lichen, 21 Rinding, 82, 155, 159, 376, 377 Robin, 227, nest and eggs of, 269 Robinson, Mrs., 14 Routh, Richard, 331 Rye, Wild, 77,277 Saddle-back, see Gull, Great black- backed Sallad, Indian, 263, 346 Sallow, see Willow or Osier Salmon, 35, 92, 106, 137, 176, 177, 178, 205, at Eagle River Falls, 232; numbers and weight, 272 Sandpiper, 158, 348 Sandwich Bay, 168, 175, 257, 273, 321 Saint Peter's Bay, 71, 73, 102 Scoter, American, 246 Scoter, Surf, 81, 202 Scoter, White-winged, 81 Sculpin, 377 Scurvy, 194 Scurvy-grass, 346 Sea-cow, see Walrus Seals, 45, 51, 59,87,95,96, 137, 161, eating sea-weed, 257; 271 Seal-nets, 51, 52, 95, 378, 379 Sea-parrot, see Puffin Sea-pigeon, see Guillemot, Black Selby, Mrs., 15, 26, 27, 33, 132, 218, 262, divorce, 264, 265; 283,290 Sewell, 20, 74, 78, 83, 377 Shag, see Cormorant Shell-bird, see Merganser Ship Harbour, 159 Shrike, 263, 264 Sled, Esquimaux (komatik), 56, 57 Sfink, 83, 105, 378 Small-pox, /55-137, 146, 261 Snipe, US, 34? Snow (a saihng vessel), 93 Snow-blindness, 71, 72 INDEX 385 Snow-bunting, 197 Sparrow, House, 263 Spruce-beer, 194, 254, 260 Spruce-game, see Grouse, Spruce Spruce trees, SI, 37, 49, of great size, 81; 193, 342-345 Spudgel,159, 378 Squid, 317, 379 Squirrel, Flving, 99, 202 Squirrel, Red, 99 Staggard, 1S3 Stint, 300, 301, 379 Storm, ISl, 182, 184, 185, 211, 212. 2S4, 288, 311, 312, 313, 333-337 Stranger, 202, 379 Strawberry, 346 Swallows, 226 Swan, \\'liistling, 269 Table Bav, 171 Temple Bay, 100, 101, 241, 248 Tern, 23S Tickle, 379 Tinker, see Auk, Razor-billed Tom-cod, 3S0 Trout, 79, 83, 92, 166, 177 Tyrconnel, Lord, xxi Vails, XX Venison Harbour, 161 Vetches, 27S \oyage. Definition of, 84 Walrus, 57 Weasel, 15S Whabby, sec Loon, Red-throated ^\•luiles, HI, 3S0 White-Bear River, 178, 179. 205, 224, 249 White-Bear Sound, 78 \\'hite whale, SSO \\'hortle, see Blueberries Wigwam, Indian, 22, 79, 81, 352 WiUlcat, see Fisher Williams, John, 33 Willow, 219, 3Jt5 Wolf, 5S, 59, 71, 74, as food, 74, 75, 187; 179, 187; robbing traps, 190; 191, 192, 194, 197, 222, 261, 262, 273 Wolverine, 73, 93, 98, 197, 228, 255 Writh, 299, 380 Yellow-legs, Greater, 36, 154, 873 York Fort, 28, 71, 77 1 DATE DUE JANl^ iyo3 ' GAYLOBD PRINTED IN US. A. AA 000 316 529 7