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diff --git a/75927-h/75927-h.htm b/75927-h/75927-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e3682be --- /dev/null +++ b/75927-h/75927-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7668 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + Vikings of to-day | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + + +p { + margin-top: .51em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .49em; +} + +.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} +.p4 {margin-top: 4em;} + +.p10 {margin-left: 13.5%;} + +.p120 { + font-size: 1.20em; + text-align: center;} + +.p80 { + font-size: 0.80em; + text-align: center;} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: 33.5%; + margin-right: 33.5%; + clear: both; +} + +hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} +hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} +@media print {hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;}} + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} +h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} + + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +table.autotable td, + +table.toc { + margin: auto; + width:auto; + +} + +table.toi { + margin: auto; + width:auto; + max-width: 35em;} + +td.ccn { + padding-right: 2.5em; + text-align: right; + } + +td.cht { + text-align: left; + vertical-align: top; + padding-left: 1em; + text-indent: -1em; + } + +td.pag { + text-align: right; + vertical-align: bottom; + padding-left: 2em + } + +td.right { + text-align: right; + vertical-align: top; + padding-left: 2em; + padding-right: 1em + } + +.tdl {text-align: left;} +.tdr {text-align: right; padding-right: 2em;} +.tdc {text-align: center;} + +div.title-page { + text-align: center; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + padding-left: 0.5em; + padding-right: 0.5em; + max-width: 25em; + page-break-before: always; + page-break-after: always; + border: 6px double black +} + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.pagenum {/* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + text-indent: 0; +} /* page numbers */ + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.right {text-align: right;} + +.left {text-align: left;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.allsmcap {font-variant: small-caps; text-transform: lowercase;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +.oldeng{font-family: "Old English Text MT", gothic, serif;} + +/* Images */ + +img { + max-width: 100%; + height: auto; +} + +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; + max-width: 100%; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; + max-width: 100%; +} +/* comment out next line and uncomment the following one for floating figleft on ebookmaker output */ +.x-ebookmaker.figleft {float: none; text-align: center; margin-right: 0;} +/*.x-ebookmaker.figleft {float: left;} */ +.width650 {max-width: 650px;} + +/* Footnotes */ + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + font-size: 0.9em; + border: 1px dashed;} + +.footnote.label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +/* uncomment the next line for centered poetry */ +/*.poetry-container {display: flex; justify-content: center;} */ +.poetry-container {text-align: center;} +.poetry {text-align: left; display: inline-block;} +.poetry.stanza {margin: 1em auto;} +.poetry.verse {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} +.poetry .indent4 {text-indent: -4em;} +.poetry .indent2 {text-indent: -2em;} + +/* Transcriber's notes */ +.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; + color: black; + font-size:small; + padding:0.5em; + margin-bottom:5em; + font-family:sans-serif, serif; +} + +/* Poetry indents */ +.poetry.indent0 {text-indent: -3em;} +.poetry.indent2 {text-indent: -2em;} +.poetry.indent4 {text-indent: -1em;} + + + </style> +</head> +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75927 ***</div> + + + + +<div class="transnote"> +<h2>Transcriber’s Note</h2> + +<p><a href="#Page_23">Page 23</a>—the word ‘redpoles’ have been +left as originally spelt.</p> + +<p><a href="#Page_62">Page 62</a>—presbyterian changed to +<strong>Presbyterian</strong>.</p> + +<p>The Footnotes have been changed to a numeric order and placed at the +end of paragraphs they relate to.</p> + +<p>The book cover is labelled - “Labrador and its people, Grenfell”, +whereas the book is officially entitled, “Vikings of to-day, or life +and medical work among the fishermen of Labrador.”</p> + +</div> + + + +<div class="figcenter width650" id="cover"> + <img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" width="1678" height="2560"> +</div> + +<h1>VIKINGS OF TO-DAY</h1> + + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_002"> +<img src="images/i_002.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="442"> +<p class="caption center">S.S. PRINCESS MAY.</p> +</div> + + +<p class="p4"></p> +<div class="title-page"> +<p class="center p120"> VIKINGS OF TO-DAY</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<p class="center"> <span class="smcap">Or Life and Medical Work<br> + among the<br> + Fishermen of Labrador</span></p> + +<p class="p4"></p> +<p class="center"> BY</p> + +<p class="center p80"> WILFRED T. GRENFELL, M.R.C.S.E., L.R.C.P. + <em>Holder of the Board of Trade Certificate of Competency as Master Mariner</em></p> + +<p class="p4"></p> +<p class="center p80"> ILLUSTRATED FROM<br> + ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_003"> +<img src="images/i_003.jpg" alt="" width="130" height="110"> +</div> + + +<p class="center p80"> FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + <span class="smcap">New York</span> <span class="smcap">Chicago</span> <span class="smcap">Toronto</span> + <cite>Publishers of Evangelical Literature</cite> +</p> + +<p class="p4"></p> +<span class="oldeng p120">Dedicated</span> + +<p class="center p80"> BY KIND PERMISSION TO</p> + +<p class="center p80"> HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF YORK,</p> + +<p class="center"> <em>whose practical and gracious interest in the welfare of<br> + these far-off “Toilers of the Deep” has served in<br> + no small way to assist this enterprise, and to<br> + fire with loyal affections the hearts of<br> + England’s sons across the sea</em>. +</p> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_ix">[ix]</span></p> + +<h2 class="center" id="PREFACE">PREFACE</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">By</span> FREDERICK TREVES, F.R.C.S.,</p> + +<p class="left"><em>Surgeon to the London Hospital. Examiner in Surgery at the University<br> +of Cambridge. Chairman of the Hospital Committee of the Mission<br> +to Deep Sea Fishermen.</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">At</span> the present time—near to the close of the nineteenth century—we +are being constantly reminded, with somewhat unpleasant +persistence, that the human race is degenerating and that the +changes of decay are most marked among the most civilised +people. It is among the young men especially that these +unwelcome signs of the times are assumed to be the more noticeable. +It is claimed that the splendid physique and the heroic courage of +the British race are both deteriorating, and that those who seek +for the time of noble deeds and sturdy hearts must turn back to +the days of Elizabeth—to the stirring times of Drake and Raleigh.</p> + +<p>There is said to be no longer a field for that pluck and daring, +or for that determination and persistency, which at one period made +the name of the British famous throughout the world.</p> + +<p>It would be idle, in this place, to inquire into the substance of +these moanings and regrets, and it would be reasonable perhaps +to allow that there may be some real or apparent element of truth +in these lamentations over the man of the present.</p> + +<p>Be this as it may, it will be agreeable to those who are most +concerned in these forebodings to turn to the record contained in +this volume, while those who view with some disgust the fashionable +youth of the day, with his many effeminacies and affectations, +will find in the pages which follow some wholesome relief to their +distaste.</p> + +<p>Dr. Grenfell’s narrative will take the reader away from the +heated, unnatural and debilitating atmosphere of the modern city, +from the enervated crowd, from the pampered, self-indulgent +colonies of men and women who make up fashionable society, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_x">[x]</span> +will carry him to a lonely land where all conventionalities vanish, +and where man is brought into contact with the simplest elements +of life and with the rudimentary problems of how to avoid starvation +and ward off death from cold.</p> + +<p>The present volume deals with a land of desolation, with a +country hard, relentless, unsympathetic and cruel, where, among +fogs and icebergs, a handful of determined men are trying to hold +their own against hostile surroundings and to earn a living in +defiance of dreary odds.</p> + +<p>When the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen resolved to send an +expedition to Labrador, it was evident that the man to go with +it was Grenfell. He was well known both at Oxford and in London +as a hardy athlete; he was a skilled and able surgeon; he was +profoundly interested in Mission work; and the sea had for him +that magical attraction which a few centuries ago emptied nearly +every little cove and fishing hamlet in Cornwall and Devon of its +heartiest men, and carried them over the high seas to the ends of +the earth.</p> + +<p>Grenfell went, and the good work of the Mission was established +on the Labrador. It was no little matter to bring into the hard +and desperate life of the Labrador fishermen a touch of kindly and +practical sympathy from the old country. It was no little matter +to travel for many hundreds of miles along a grim, inhospitable +coast, where buoys and beacons are unknown and where there +is scarcely a bay or island which has not been the scene of some +lonely disaster.</p> + +<p>It will be seen from this book that the race of Vikings is not +yet extinct, on the one hand, and that on the other the spirit of +enterprise and daring is not yet lost to the English people, and +that the modern rover of the sea differs from his predecessor in +little save the motive of his expedition.</p> + +<p>Those who know how to value the comforts of an English +home, and who can appreciate the quiet content and the beauty of +an English village, will be induced by this book to feel no little +sympathy for those whose lives are cast among the dreary islands +and deserted bays of Labrador.</p> + +<p class="right"> +FREDERICK TREVES.<br> +</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xi">[xi]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="AUTHORS_PREFACE">AUTHOR’S PREFACE</h2> +</div> + + +<p>This book is intended to give a general account of +the country and people of Labrador, and to summarize +the efforts made by the council of the +Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, during the past +three years, to brighten the lives of the many +brave toilers of the sea on that desolate coast.</p> + +<p>I have avoided the use of scientific terms, and +have ventured to quote from some of the few books +on the subject without the permission of the authors. +Amongst these are Dr. Nansen’s <cite>Eskimo Life</cite>, Mr. +Packard’s <cite>The Labrador Coast</cite>, Dr. Harvey’s <cite>Newfoundland, +the Oldest British Colony</cite>, Crantz’s <cite>Explorations +in Greenland</cite>, Hinde’s <cite>Explorations in +Labrador</cite>, Cartwright’s <cite>Journals</cite>, Rev. J. Moreton’s +<cite>Life and Work in Newfoundland</cite>.</p> + +<p>The universal kindness and hospitality extended +to the Mission Staff in Labrador, Newfoundland and +Canada, and the almost unlimited scope for work,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_xii">[xii]</span> +have made these three years, three of the most +enjoyable in our lives.</p> + +<p>To his Excellency the Governor of Newfoundland +Sir Terence O’Brien, K.C.M.G., Chairman of the St. +Johns Committee, among many others, our warmest +thanks are due.</p> + +<p>The illustrations in this volume are from photographs +taken on “Barnet Plates” kindly presented +to the Society by Messrs. Elliot & Fry.</p> + +<p class="right">WILFRED T. GRENFELL.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p><em>March, 1893.</em></p> +</div> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xiii">[xiii]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> +</div> + +<table><tr> +<td class="cht"></td> +<td class="pag"><small><small>PAGE</small></small></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter I.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The Country</span></td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter II.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Natural Features</span></td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_10">10</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn"> Chapter III.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Of the Birds and Larger Fishes</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn"> Chapter IV.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Of the Fur-bearing Animals</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn" >Chapter V.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">We go to Labrador and Start Work</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn"> Chapter VI.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Do People Live in Labrador?</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter VII.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Just how Fish are Caught</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_66">66</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter VIII.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The Truck System</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_76">76</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter IX.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Results of the First Visit</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_85">85</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xiv">[xiv]</span></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter X.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Our Second Season</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_102">102</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XI.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Our Voyage Continued</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_114">114</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XII.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Conclusion of Second Voyage</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XIII.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">On Dogs and Difficulties</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XIV.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">On Seals and Sealers</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XV.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">On the Esquimaux</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_174">174</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XVI.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The Deeds of Heroes</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_194">194</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn">Chapter XVII.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">We Appeal for Canadian Sympathy</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="ccn" >APPENDICES.</td> + <td></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <em>A.</em> <span class="smcap">Some Medical Statistics</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_213">213</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <em>B.</em> <span class="smcap">Spiritual Agencies in Labrador</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_218">218</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <em>C.</em> <span class="smcap">Testimonies to the Work</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_221">221</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <em>D.</em> <span class="smcap">Poverty of the People</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_235">235</a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <em>E.</em> <span class="smcap">The Fishing Schooners</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_238">238</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS <span class="pagenum" id="Page_xv">[xv]</span></h2> +</div> + + +<table class="toi"> +<tr> +<td class="cht"></td> +<td class="pag"><small><small>PAGE</small></small></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"><span class="smcap">s.s. <em>Princess May</em></span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#i_002"><em>Frontispiece</em></a></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Entrance to St. Johns Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_7">5</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">A Shoal of Caplin Jumping out on to the Beach</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_10">10</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Iceberg in August off Tub Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_17">17</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">My First Caribou and Guide</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_21">21</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Eskimo Boys</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_28">28</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">A Beaver</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_32">33</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The Albert in Bateaux Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_44">45</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Hudson Bay Company’s Post at Rigolette</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_50">50</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Fields of Fish Drying in the Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_55">53</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Boat returning from the Trap</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_66">66</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Snug Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_71">69</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Cartwright Staff</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_76">76</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">A Visit from Eskimo</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_84">85</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Moravian Station, Hopedale</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_91">89</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The <em>Princess May</em> in Hamilton Inlet</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_102">102</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Interior of Male Ward, Indian Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_107">105</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">A Newfoundlander’s Hut, Labrador</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_114">114</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Interior of Indian Harbour Hospital</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_119">117</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The s.s. <em>Princess May</em> in Merchantman Harbour</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_131">131</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">An Eskimo Family, Hopedale</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_136">137</a> <span class="pagenum" id="Page_xvi">[xvi]</span></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Team of Dogs in Harness</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_143">143</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Eskimo Family</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_153">151</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">The s.s. <em>Sir Donald</em></span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_157">157</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Eskimo on an Island near Okkak</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_167">165</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Eskimo in Reindeer Tent, Okkak</span> </td> + <td class="pag"> <a href="#Page_174">174</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Taken from an Eskimo Grave at Long Island</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_180">181</a> </td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <span class="smcap">Eskimo Brass Band</span> </td> + <td class="pag"><a href="#Page_207">205</a> </td> +</tr> + +</table> + +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[1]</span> + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="VIKINGS_OF_TO-DAY">VIKINGS OF TO-DAY</h2> +</div> + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>THE COUNTRY</em></p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_015"> +<img src="images/i_015.jpg" alt="A large iceberg" width="350" height="356"> +</div> + + +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is said that a recent trial, over +a dispute about the fishery of a small natural harbour in Labrador, +called Tub Harbour, had reached its third day, when his lordship, +leaning over the desk, whispered to counsel, “Where is Labrador”? Not +to be caught, however, the counsel whispered back, “In Tub Harbour, my +lord.” Geography, it seems, is a sadly neglected science.</p> + +<p>Such being the case, I have ventured to describe +the general features of the country in the terse,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[2]</span> +accurate, graphic, and authoritative words of the +<cite>Encyclopædia Britannica</cite>.</p> + +<p>“Labrador, properly so called,” says the <cite>Encyclopædia</cite>, +“is the peninsular portion of North America, +bounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the North Atlantic, +Hudson Straits, Hudson Bay, and vaguely +defined towards the S.W. by Rupert’s River, Mistassini +River, and Bersiamits River. Its greatest length +is 1,100 miles, its greatest breadth 700 miles. The +area is approximately 420,000 square miles, that is, +as large as the British Isles, France, and Austria. +The coast from Blanc Sablon, a spot 85 miles up +the Straits of Belle Isle, to Cape Chidley at the entrance +to Hudson Bay straits, and all the off-lying +islands, with the country inland about 70 miles, are +under the government of Newfoundland. The rest +is part of the province of Quebec, under Canadian +rule.”</p> + +<p>Sterile and forbidding it lies among fogs and icebergs, +famous only besides for dogs and cod. “God +made this country last,” says an old navigator. “He +had no other view in end than to throw together +here the refuse of His materials as of no use to +mankind.”</p> + +<p>“As a permanent abode of civilized man,” says the +<cite>Encyclopædia Britannica</cite>, “Labrador is, on the whole, +one of the most uninviting spots on the face of the +earth. A vast tableland occupies much of the interior. +This plateau, says Professor Hind, is pre-eminently +sterile, and where the country is not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[3]</span> +burned, caribou moss covers the rocks, with stunted +spruce, birch, and aspens in the hollows and deep +ravines. The whole is strewed with an infinite number +of boulders often three and four deep. Language +fails to paint the awful desolation of the tableland +of the Labrador peninsula. The Atlantic coast is +the edge of a vast solitude of rocky hills, split and +blasted by frosts, and beaten by waves. Headlands, +grim and naked, tower over the waters—often fantastic +and picturesque in shape—while miles and +miles of rocky precipices or tame monotonous slopes +alternate with stony valleys, winding away among +the blue hills of the interior.”</p> + +<p>The cliffs rise from the ocean to a height of +from 500 to 1,000 feet. The watershed of the interior +plateau is on an average 150 miles from the +coast, and rises considerably over 5,000 feet. Near +Cape Chidley the hills are close to the sea, rising to +the height of 6,000 feet, and the view from the sea +is magnificent. A powerful current coming from +Hudson Bay, combined with the great rise and fall +of tide, renders navigation here very dangerous. A +high, bare peak of syenite, inland from Cape Harrison, +and known as Mount Misery, is visible seventy-five +miles.</p> + +<p>We are accustomed to think of Columbus as discovering +America, but it seems certain that about +the year 1000, while Northman and Saxon were +struggling for pre-eminence in this England of ours, +bold Vikings from Iceland visited Labrador. In the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[4]</span> +Sagas of Erik the Red and of Thorfinn Karlsefne, we +read of a strange land they visited and called Vinland<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> or +Wineland, which most probably was Labrador.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> See Hon. L. G. Power’s paper on “Vinland,” read before the Nova +Scotia Historical Society in 1887.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Now, it is needless to say grapes do not +abound in Labrador, and we southerners should not +describe it now as the “Land of Wine.” But we +must remember that Erik came from Iceland, and +was also possibly addicted to the proverbial fault of +travellers. Moreover, when Erik returned from one +of his voyages he called the land he had visited +“Greenland,” not with reference to its nature, because +Biarni, a contemporary voyager, describes it +as a land of “mountains and high ice hills,” but “he +called it Greenland because, quoth he, people will be +attracted thither if the land has a good name.” An +amusing incident, which I quote from Mr. Power’s +paper, arose out of this. When Thorfinn Karlsefne +and Snorri were making an endeavour to colonize +the “Vinland” they most inappropriately ran short +of provisions. Now it so happened they had with +them Thorhall, the hunter. “He was a large man +and strong, black and like a giant, silent and foul-mouthed +in his speech, and always egged on Erik +to the worst; he was a bad Christian; he was well +acquainted with uninhabited parts. Thorhall now +suddenly disappeared. They had previously made +prayers to God for food, but it did not come so quick +as they thought their necessities required. They +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span>searched after Thorhall three days, and found him +on the top of a rock; there he lay, and looked up +in the sky and gaped with both nose and mouth, and +murmured something. They asked him why he had +gone there. He said it was no business of theirs. +They bade him come home with them, and he did +so. Soon after, came there a whale, and they went +thither and cut it up, and no one knew what sort +of whale it was; and when the cook dressed it, they +ate it, and all became ill in consequence. Then said +Thorhall: “The red bearded was more helpful than +your Christ; this have I got now for my verses +that I sung to Thor, my protector. Seldom has he +deserted me. But when they came to know this +they cast the whole whale into the sea, and resigned +their case to God. Then the weather improved, and +it was possible to row out fishing, and they were +not then in want of food, for wild beasts were caught +on the land, and fish in the sea, and eggs collected +on the island.” Now, when Thorhall bore water to +the ship, and drank, then sang he this song:—</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“People told me when I came</div> + <div class="verse indent2">Hither, all would be so fine;</div> + <div class="verse indent0">The good Wineland, known to fame,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">Rich in fruits and choicest wine;</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Now the water pail they send</div> + <div class="verse indent2">To the fountain I must bend,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Nor from out this land divine</div> + <div class="verse indent2">Have I quaffed <em>one drop</em> of wine.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p class="p2"></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_019"> +<img src="images/i_019.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="434"> +<p class="caption center">Entrance to St. Johns Harbour.</p> +</div> + +<p>And when they were ready, and hoisted sail, then +chanted Thorhall—</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span></p> + + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“Let our trusty band</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Haste to Fatherland;</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Let our vessel brave</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Plough the angry wave;</div> + <div class="verse indent0">While those few who love</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Wineland, here may rove,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Or, with idle toil</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Fetid whales may boil,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Here on Furderstrand</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Far from Fatherland.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>So that Vinland, in the year 1000, to which this +voyage had been made because “the people of Brattahliel +began to talk much about it,” saying, “a +voyage thither ought to be particularly profitable +by reason of the fertility of the soil,” appears to +have turned out no better than we found Labrador +in 1891. The famous log-books of George Cartwright,<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> +written about 1790, give a more reliable +account of the country, and he appears at first to +have found it profitable to make voyages thither. +The animals, and not the vegetables, engaged his +attention, and he would have made a remunerative +business of it had not first pirates and then privateers +despoiled him of his ships, and outfits, and +wares.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> <cite>Journals of George Cartwright.</cite></p> + +</div> + +<p>In Labrador now, work as he may, one man +cannot keep the wolf from the door—the Eskimo +and natives of the coast, the mountaineer and +hunter Indians of the interior, and the white settlers, +are alike often face to face with starvation. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9]</span> +two former are rapidly dying out, while among the +latter it is only where a settler has grown-up sons +to work with him, and a good supply of stock in +boats, nets, traps and guns to help him, that he +can make anything approaching to what we in +England should consider a respectable living. Even +with these helps, and with steady, hard work, and +with sound health, he seldom can hope to lay up +store against times of misfortune. True in England +the poor often see hard times, and have to +face occasionally poverty and hunger. Moreover, +as Richard Whitbourne, that plucky British sea-dog, +says,<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> “It hath beene in some winters so hard +frozen, aboue London bridge near the court, that +the tenderest faire ladies and gentlewomen that are +in any part of the world, who have beheld it, and +great numbers of people, have there sported on the +ice many dayes, and have felt it colder there, than +men doe here, that live in Newfoundland.” Yet we +must take into consideration that here absolute want +is the exception, there the rule.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> Richard Whitbourne.</p> + +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[10]</span></p> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>NATURAL FEATURES</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Labrador</span> rocks are of the oldest +formation (Laurentian gneiss), and destitute of remains of animal +or plant life; so that they, too, maintain the general harmony of +desolation. On the south shore, lower Silurian sandstones, red syenite, +and one splendid mass of basalt, known as the “Devil’s Table,” crop +out.</p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_024"> +<img src="images/i_024.jpg" alt="" width="305" height="450"> +<p class="caption center">A shoal of caplin jumping out on to the beach.</p> +</div> + +<p>The action of ice and fire are shown +in marvellous manners on this weird coast. Not only +is every rock, mountain, and pinnacle crowned with +countless boulders, which seem but to need a shake +to set myriads tumbling down every incline, but the +whole coast is carved and chiselled in a wondrous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span> +manner by a glacial period that lasted much longer +than in Europe; while the fierce frost of winter has +blasted mighty rocks, and left, wherever a resting-place +could be found, huge fragments, jagged and +rough, “hurled aloft, as they appear, by the hands +of Titans.”<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> Packard’s <em>The Labrador Coast</em>.</p> + +</div> + +<p>That long before the ice period volcanic fires +helped to mould the hills, is well shown by the out-crop +here and again of trap rocks. Especially near +the hospital at Indian Harbour is this the case, +where the light and polished quartzite rocks are +capped with black trap rocks which have overflowed +them. These rocks are marked with deep half-moon +shaped cuts, running east and west—done by ice—and +“showing that Hamilton Inlet, which at the +mouth is forty miles wide, was once filled with an +enormous glacier.”<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> <em>Ibid.</em></p> + +</div> + +<p>Near Hopedale a beautiful blue and bronze iridescent +felspar is found. It is called labradorite,<a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> +and when polished glistens in the sunlight like a +peacock’s feather. It is used for brooches, and occasionally +for ornamenting buildings. We dropped +anchor one night near an island almost entirely +composed of this.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> <em>Ibid.</em>, gives fuller information.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Copper pyrites, mica, asbestos, with salts of some +of the rarer metals, such as yttrium and rubidium, +have been found on the coast. One mining company +works for labradorite during the summer.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span></p> + +<p>In the inlets and along the rivers some trees and +arctic plants are found. These are more especially +spruces, larches, mosses, and lichens. Birches, aspen, +silver fir, willow, cherry, and mountain ash, however, +exist in favourable spots. I have seen good +60 ft. spars from the end of Sandwich Bay. The +trees get more and more dwarfed as one goes north, +and beyond the 59th parallel the merest scrub exists. +The botanical aspect, however, which chiefly interests +the settlers, is the number of edible berries, which +form a valuable addition to their articles of diet. +These are bakeapples or cloudberries, cranberries, +whortleberries, bilberries, tea-berries, gooseberries, +raspberries, and currants. They are preserved in +water, or in molasses when it is obtainable, against +the winter.</p> + +<p>Very few vegetables can be grown, though with +care, up the inlets a few potatoes, cabbages, and +turnip tops have been raised. The Moravian missionaries +have to cover their vegetables up at night +to keep them warm. This lack of vegetables is +tritely expressed in the diary of a gentleman wintering +on the north coast; the entry describing his diet +runs as follows—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">—— ditto.</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">—— ditto.</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">—— ditto.</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">—— ditto.</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">—— found a blade of grass. Eat the whole of it.</span><br> +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span></p> + +<p>Cartwright (1786) adds a list of his own of indigenous +vegetable delicacies—</p> + + +<ul><li> 1. Young osier leaves.</li> +<li> 2. Red dock leaves.</li> +<li> 3. Scurvy grass.</li> +<li> 4. Alexander, or wild celery.</li> +<li> 5. Indian salad.</li> +<li> 6. Alpine plant.</li> +<li> 7. Fathen.</li> +</ul> + +<p>There is a charming catholicity about this old sea-dog +and trapper.</p> + +<p>The tips of the young spruce branches are used +for making a non-intoxicating beer, being boiled +with molasses. When other tea gives out, the leaves +of <em>uva ursi</em> are used. These are known as Labrador +tea.<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Ledum latifolium</i> is also called Labrador tea.</p> + +</div> + +<p>The Saga of Lief Erikson thus describes a conversation +between the Viking and his old henchman +Tyrker, who, for two or three days, had wandered +from the party: “Why wert thou so late, my fosterer, +and separated from the party?” “I have not +been much further off, but still I have something +new to tell of: I found grapes and vines.” “But is +that true, my fosterer?” quoth Lief. “Surely is it +true,” replied he; “for I was bred up where there +is no want of either vines or grapes.” They said +that next day they <em>filled their long boat</em> with grapes. +But we must, I fear, consider this a “traveller’s +licence,” as we must also when old Richard Whitbourne +describes the wild berries of Newfoundland. +“There the summer naturally produceth out of the +<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span>fruitful woombe of the earthe, without the labour of +man’s hand, great plenty of greene pease and fitches +faire, round, full and wholesome ... great store +of hay also.... Then have you here strauberries +red and white, and as faire rasberries and +gooseberries as there be in England; as also multitudes +of bilberries, which are called by some whortes, +and many other delicate berries, which I cannot +name, in great abundance.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Peares,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Sowre cherries,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Filberds,</span><br> +</p> + +<p>of which divers times eating their fill, I never heard +of any man whose health was thereby any way impaired.”</p> + +<p>The rivers contain salmon for about one month +in the summer. These seem, however, to be very +susceptible to cold, and are seldom taken north of +Hopedale. In seasons when the drift ice remains +long on the coast the number of salmon caught is +always largely diminished. They seldom take a fly. +On the other hand the trout are very voracious, +very large and numerous, and will rise at any bait.<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> +They remain all the year, and are easily caught in +winter by cutting a hole in the ice and letting down +a hook with a bit of raw meat. The women largely +replenish their larder in this way. Cod are far and +away the most important of all Labrador products +at present—they are called “fish,” and even in legal +terms are the only denizens of the sea recognised as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span> +“fish.” In summer they come into shallow water, +first in pursuit of a small fish known as “caplin,” +and then remain probably to spawn before seeking the +deeper water in winter. It is unlikely that in their +migrations they cross any large portion of the Atlantic.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> There is a large salmon-trout fishery at Ungava.</p> + +</div> + +<p>The caplin come to the shallow water in countless +myriads to spawn. They are somewhat like a +sardine, only a little larger. At times they blacken +the water, and so crowd one another as they swim +along the very edge of the water in calm weather +that every ripple of the sea leaves numbers struggling +on the strand, till at times the whole beach is +hidden by dead and dying fish. Further north these +caplin visit the shore later in the year. They are +followed always by immense numbers of cod. I +have seen cod also so thick that even in deep water +there seemed no room for them, their backs being +constantly out of water. This is called the “caplin +school,” and on the catch of cod during their visit +the success of a whole fishery will depend.</p> + +<p>While the “caplin school” lasts the most intense +excitement exists. The men will work day and +night, with scarcely an hour in twenty-four for +sleep, even eating their meals in their boats. The +cod at this time will not take bait, and are caught +in traps in the way described in a subsequent +chapter, or are hauled in a huge seine, by which a +“school” is surrounded. Alas, sometimes so many +icebergs are driven inshore, that the precious time +slips by without any opportunity of fishing, though<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span> +all the men, with boats and gear, are waiting on +shore in the greatest anxiety to be “up and at the +fish.” The caplin are sometimes smoked and kept +for food, but usually are dried on the rocks for dog +food in winter. Messrs. Munn, of Harbour Grace, +have tinned them like sardines, and they are then +excellent eating. The sea also affords “hair” seals; +these are caught in nets in the fall of the year, or +are shot swimming in the bays in summer time. +Whales are common on the coast, but the people +now have no means of taking them. I saw two +small right-whales which had been washed up on +the beach, and also one very large sperm whale. +Fourteen hundred gallons of oil was taken from his +head. So long ago as the 15th century, before the +discovery of America, Basque whalers are said to +have fished these waters. In the far north, at Ungava, +the Hudson’s Bay people make a regular +attempt to intercept the large schools of porpoises. +At times they will get as many as 150, some individuals +weighing a ton each. They are used for +their skin and fat, and their flesh for dog food. +This is put raw into old flour barrels, and then +buried in the ground, usually in June, and in +October it will be dug up again. Decomposition +will have made the flesh swell up, and the barrels +will have burst. As, however, the whole is now +frozen, the wood can be removed, and the barrel-shaped +masses of frozen and unsavoury flesh are +stored away for the dogs’ repasts.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>OF THE BIRDS AND LARGER FISHES</em></p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_031"> +<img src="images/i_031.jpg" alt="" width="326" height="500"> +<p class="caption center">Iceberg in August off Tub Harbour.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">Herrings</span> were once in great numbers on +the coast, and were so much larger and fatter than our English herring, +that at times knaves have found it worth while to imitate the “Labrador +Herring” brand. Of late years they have failed almost entirely to +visit the coast, and fishery stations have had to be abandoned where +once the sea was “dry with fat herring.” As many as 4,000 barrels have +been surrounded with the seine at one shoot of the net. The only other +common fish is the sculpin, pig-fish, or grubby. He is a voracious<span +class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span> scavenger, and, in foul +companionship with his friend the flounder, may be seen sweltering on +the rotting heaps of offal which surround every Labrador fish-stage. He +appears to have no feelings, but one all-absorbing idea—“to swallow” +with his stupendous mouth. I have caught on the sharp-pronged jigger, +when fishing for “tom-cod” for breakfast, the same sculpin three times +in succession, until for self-protection it was necessary to club him +with a rowing pin.</p> + +<p>The sleeper shark also infests the coast, and in +hundreds gather to devour the dead bodies of the +baby seals left by the sealers in the spring. It has +a callous nature, and Scoresby tells us, on one occasion +while one was feeding on a dead whale, and +scooping out at each bite pieces as large as a man’s +head, a sailor pierced it through with a scythe +knife. It took little notice, however, and went on +feeding in exactly the same spot. Mackerel appear +in the straits of Belle Isle only.</p> + +<p>Two series of submarine banks lie off the Labrador +shores, over which it is shallow enough to fish with +small boats and hand lines. These have been estimated +to cover an area of over 7,000 square miles. +Over these the northern current spreads countless +animalculæ, in the form of a vast ocean of living +slime. This food attracts the bait fishes especially, +and they, in turn, attract the cod. No doubt also, +this is the attraction to the numerous whales, whose +loud “blowing,” as they laze along in the sunshine<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span> +or hunt fish for their livelihood, alone breaks at +times the death-like silence in the lonely bays and +inlets. A large sperm whale, 70 feet long, was +towed into Battle Harbour our first year. This +variety has large teeth, which are used by ivory +cutters. A Captain Clarke, writing in 1766, narrates +how a sperm whale charged one of his boats; it +struck the bow with such violence that it threw his +son, who was harpooning, some feet into the air. The +whale turned and caught him in her devouring jaws +as he came down. He was heard to scream, and +part of his body was seen hanging out of its mouth, +when it “sounded.” A small but beautiful whale, +“as white as a sheet,” is common on the coast. I +have seen it caught in cod-traps. Its skin makes +excellent leather. The hump-back whale, and more +rarely the right-whale are also to be seen. The +ferocious “thresher” whale also visits us. It has +terrible teeth, and one variety has also a huge back-fin, +six feet high, with which the fishermen say they +have seen it beating its prey to death.<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> Captain +Scammon tells us of an attack by three threshers +on a huge cow-whale and her baby in a bay. “Like +wolves they flew at her throat, dragging her under +water, the others charging at her and leaping right +over her. At last they killed the baby, and when +it sank kept diving down and coming up with large +pieces of its flesh. Meanwhile, the poor mother<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span> +made her escape, leaving a long track of blood +behind her.” I have fired from my boat at the +grampus, but without success. Mr. Mackenzie, of +the Hudson Bay Company, however, told me he was +once standing up in his small boat, waiting for a +seal, when he saw a grampus rising to the surface +alongside. As its head emerged from the water, he +fired straight at the blow-hole, with the result that +the single explosive ball penetrated the animal’s +brain, and he rolled over dead without a struggle. +Not an unfortunate issue as far as the small boat +was concerned.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> Goode’s <em>United States Fisheries</em>.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Pliny speaks of a whale 960 feet long! Another +traveller’s license I fear. A hundred feet is, as far +as I know, an outside limit. The whale-bone hangs +from the roof of the mouth, is short in front and +behind, and is at best some six feet long. It is +scythe-shaped, and edged with long coarse fibres, +which sweep over the huge soft tongue, filtering off +the slime on which these whales live. Three hundred +and fifty pieces are found on each side.</p> + +<p>The narwhale, with his long tusk, eight feet long, +with which he pokes up the sea grass on which he +feeds, was once common on this coast. Some say +he uses the tusk to bore holes through the ice, and +so get air to breathe. The tusk is really an incisor +tooth, or two incisor teeth enormously prolonged, +and twisted round one another. Where no wood is +found the Eskimo hang their tents on these ivory +rafters.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_035"> +<img src="images/i_035.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="455"> +<p class="caption center">My first Caribou, and Guide.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span></p> + +<p>The sword-fish is a doubtful visitor, though he +is taken off Greenland and on the American coast. +Many are the authentic accounts of ships he has +attacked and even sunk.<a id="FNanchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> He will weigh as much +as 600 lbs., and Professor Owen says, “he strikes +with the accumulated force of fifteen double-handed +hammers, and its velocity is equal to that of +swivel shot.” In 1864 one, for which a sailor was +angling, stove a hole through the bottom of the +ship <em>Dreadnought</em>, and so “the insurance company +had to pay £600 because an ill-tempered fish objected +to be hooked, and took revenge by running +full tilt against copper sheathing and wood planking.” +Also in 1864 Captain Atwood took from the +stomach of a large shark a full-sized sword-fish, +but the shark’s skin was pierced with a dozen +holes, showing how much the dainty morsel had +objected to being swallowed. Hanging with the +armour of Christopher Columbus at Siena, in Spain, +is a sword of this fish, said to be “taken from a +<em>warrior</em> they slew on nearing America.”</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_10" href="#FNanchor_10" class="label">[10]</a> Goode’s <em>United States Fisheries</em>.</p> + +</div> + +<p>The fowl of the air are a most important factor +in Labrador life. Among many land birds that do +occur, far the most important are the willow grouse +and the spruce partridge. The former are large +birds, tawny red in summer, and white as driven +snow in winter.<a id="FNanchor_11" href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> At that season many depend on +these birds to keep them from starvation, and even +when a settler’s ammunition has all run out, he can +sometimes noose them with string on the end of a +long stick as they roost in the trees, so tame are +they. Like Alexander Selkirk’s animals—</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_11" href="#FNanchor_11" class="label">[11]</a> The willow grouse very rarely take to the trees, the spruce +partridge almost always.</p> + +</div> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">“They are so unacquainted with man</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">Their tameness is shocking to me.”</span><br> +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span></p> +<p>A covey in a tree can be killed right out, if shot +from the bottom upwards, so that the falling bird +does not disturb the rest. A common entry of Cartwright’s<a id="FNanchor_12" href="#Footnote_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> +is, “Saw a covey of six grouse. Knocked +off all their heads with my rifle.”<a id="FNanchor_13" href="#Footnote_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_12" href="#FNanchor_12" class="label">[12]</a> Cartwright’s <cite>Journals</cite>.</p> + +</div> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_13" href="#FNanchor_13" class="label">[13]</a> To economize powder, the settlers frequently shoot +these birds with bows and arrows. The arrows are club-headed.</p> + +</div> + +<p>The willow grouse in heavy weather bury themselves +in the snow, only the cock bird, who acts as +sentry, keeping his head above ground to watch for +an enemy. Besides these “spruce” grouse, thrushes, +American robins, warblers, redpoles, snow buntings, +sparrows, larks, woodpeckers, crows, hawks, and +owls occur. The snowy owl is an exquisite white +in winter, brown in summer, and a large bird. The +jay, also, is very common, filling the woods with its +cries. Now and again the beautiful gyrfalcon is +seen, whilst the osprey, or sea eagle, also breeds on +the coast. All these birds are American varieties, +and differ slightly from our British species.</p> + +<p>There is a great wealth of sea-birds, and until the +last two years the arctic curlew ranked first among +these. I fear in Labrador we class all our animals +in a descending order, with the flesh-pot as the +basis. These curlew came north, in flocks which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25]</span> +nearly darkened the air, in September, feeding on +the numerous berries, and returned south in October. +The last three years they have almost disappeared. +The settlers say that, owing to their depredations on +the American cornfields, poisoned wheat was laid +out for them, and this led to their wholesale destruction. +Their annual visit can be ill spared indeed.</p> + +<p>Perhaps one should mention next the Canada +goose. Great numbers of these breed near the great +lakes or ponds. They are largely graminivorous, +and therefore do not combine the flavours of fish and +flesh, which we find so unpleasant in the gulls and +divers. It is usual, however, to catch these when +young, and confine them in bounds, for in this way +not only is the flesh rendered much sweeter to the +palate, but since they grow very tame, they are used +as decoys for other geese. One man last year anchored +out by one leg his tame decoy goose, and so +shot no less than thirty other geese. But, in his +anxiety for more, unwittingly left his pet too long +in the water, with the result that it died of cold; +and so the goose with the golden—or in this case +“feathered”—eggs was lost. It shows these birds +do feel the cold. It is not waste to shoot a hundred +geese the same day, for it is only necessary to hang +them up in rows outside the house on nails, and they +will remain frozen and fresh all winter.</p> + +<p>Both eider ducks and the king eiders abound on +the coast. In huge flocks early in November they +come to the south’ard, generally with a north-east<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[26]</span> +wind, and then in quick succession flock after flock, +taking almost all exactly the same line. Near +Battle hospital is a barren, rocky point known as +“Gunning” Point. Here, under the above circumstances, +you can always find some half-dozen +“Livyeres,” with long guns and dogs, waiting for the +flocks. It is difficult to say whether the dogs or the +guns are most remarkable. I measured one gun, six +feet two inches long, and when it was discharged it +was always an open question which end of it would +do most damage, for the adventurous hunter always +loaded it “ten fingers” deep. When a flock pass, +all the guns are discharged simultaneously, and the +ducks, which at times respond in showers, are nominally +divided equally.</p> + +<p>But now comes the excitement. As a rule a huge +Atlantic surf, with these north-east winds, breaks +over the point, and the splendid pluck and endurance +of the dogs is taxed to the uttermost. Dashing into +the waves, I have seen them repeatedly hurled back, +bruised and winded, high on to the ledges of rock, +only to be dragged off by the return wave and once +more pounded on to the rocks. To avoid this, the +brave beasts hold on with the energy of despair, and +many times have I noted their bleeding paws, and +nails torn off in the unequal struggle. Yet they +would at once return to the charge, and, waiting +their chance, leap right over the breaking crest, and +so get clear of the surf. Once they have seized a +duck they never let it go, and I have often felt sorely<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span> +tempted even to jump in and give the brave creatures +a hand, when it seemed impossible for them to keep +up the struggle any longer. Yet, after being lost to +view, engulfed by a huge breaker, one would see +soon a duck appear, and after it a dog’s head, still +true to its hazardous duty. Sometimes, however, +they are really lost.</p> + +<p>Petrels, loons, divers, gulls, guillemots, widgeon, +teal, scoters, puffins, shanks, sandpipers and other +waders abound. These are shot in the fall, and +salted down for future consumption. Their eggs are +also collected for eating; and though we found even +the eggs of the domestic hen, when allowed to feed +on fish remains, too highly flavoured to be appetizing, +yet I have seen healthy babies flourishing on gulls’ +eggs. Whitbourne, writing in 1612, speaks of the +utility of the penguin—the great auk was common +then. He says, “These penguins are bigge as geese, +and flye not, for they haue but a short wing, and +they multiply so infinitely upon a certain flat Iland, +that men drive them from thence upon a boord into +their boats by hundreds at a time; as if God had +made the innocency of so poore a creature to become +such an admirable instrument for the sustentation of +man.” Then, as now, he says the “fishermen doe +bait their hookes with the flesh,” and also that they +were so fat that the men drew threads through under +the skin and used them as candles.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>OF THE FUR-BEARING ANIMALS</em></p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_042"> +<img src="images/i_042.jpg" alt="" width="412" height="650"> +<p class="caption center"> Eskimo Boys.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">For</span> food purposes among land animals the +caribou, which closely resembles the reindeer, ranks first. These roam +over the interior in great quantities, feeding on the very plentiful +Iceland moss. In winter they scrape away the snow with their large +cow-like hoofs to get at it. In Newfoundland they are very plentiful in +the interior, and Mr. W. Tyrrell of Winnipeg told me, that on the west +side of Hudson Bay he found thousands, so tame they would eat out of +his hands. They migrate north in summer, and south in winter, due, says +Rae, to their “sense<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span> of +polarity,” but I should presume in search of food. They are difficult +to find in the woods, for the colour of their skins varies with the +seasons, and always closely resembles their surroundings. Unfortunately +they are too far inland for the majority of settlers to reach.</p> + +<p>The stags have magnificent antlers, which are +especially fine about October, the rutting season. +With these they fight fiercely, going down on their +knees, and striking with the powerful brow-antlers. +I have seen several pairs of “locked horns” that +have been picked up, the poor creatures having got +these fixed and died side by side of starvation.</p> + +<p>A hunter this fall, having skinned a young stag +he had killed, put the skin over him so that the +horns, which were attached, came on his head. He +then walked out towards a herd of does, over which +a fine stag was keeping zealous watch as they +grazed on the open marsh. They allowed him to +come within range, and then the stag, mistaking +him for a rival, actually charged down upon him.</p> + +<p>Polar bears are not uncommon, and five were +killed this season near Cape Chidley. Captain +Blandford, of the <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Neptune</em>, told me that, having +sent some men ashore for water in a strange harbour +near Cape Chidley, they returned in great +haste, calling for their guns, and shouting, “Bears!” +They were soon perceived from the ship to be firing, +shot after shot being heard in rapid succession, and +great expectations were raised of bear steak for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span> +dinner. At last the hunters returned with downcast +countenances. The bears proved to be only inflated +heads, which some Eskimo were using as buoys for +their lines.</p> + +<p>In one boat going out to their fish trap were seven +men, six rowing, and the skipper standing on the +stern seat, steering with an oar.</p> + +<p>Suddenly a large white bear was sighted swimming +close to the boat. There was no gun on board, +and yet the men were loath to lose so rich a prize. +Chase was therefore given, and the skipper kept +hurling at the bear the large two-pronged lead +“jigger,” with a stout line attached. Each time he +threw it the bear warded it off, striking it a smart +blow with his fore-paw. At last one jigger came fast, +and then another, till the bear, who seemed only +bent on escape, and was now wearied with repeated +diving, was hauled near the boat, and first clubbed +with an oar, and then despatched with an axe.</p> + +<p>Black bears are very common. They are, as a +rule, herbivorous, eating the wild berries, and insectivorous; +but one night a settler I was staying with +showed me the skin of a large bear he had just +trapped. He was living at the mouth of a trout +and salmon river, the entrance to which he barred +with nets. Two bears happening to observe some +fish struggling in the net on the surface of the +water near the land were, I suppose, tempted to +feloniously sample the unexpected windfall, and +having once erred, continued their wild career. For<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span> +the settler told me they learnt regularly to come +down and haul his nets, dragging them to the land, +and not only eating out the fish, but severely +damaging the nets. But punishment had been meted +out to one in the form of a charge of buckshot, to +the other by a steel trap.</p> + +<p>Cartwright thus illustrates the power of this bear: +“We discovered this morning the damage done by +a polar bear to a cask of oil. It was of strong oak +staves, well secured by thick, broad hoops of birch. +Yet with one blow of his tremendous paw he had +snapped off the four chime hoops and broken the +staves short off.”</p> + +<p>The most valuable fur animals are the fox, otter, +beaver, mink, marten, and lynx. Musk-rats, squirrel, +and hares are also plentiful. The porcupine is not +uncommon. One specimen I shot was larger than a +sucking pig. The long black hair, which almost +obscures the short quills, made it resemble a bear as +it sat asleep on a bough at the top of a fir tree. A +bullet through the head brought it down at once, +but even when mortally wounded they will cling to +the boughs, and you may have to fell the tree. I +saw a dog one day worrying one. The porcupine, +with its head well down, waited for the dog to come +near, and then switched round his tail end, on which +are most spikes, with lightning speed, hoping to +leave some in his enemy’s nose. The quills are all +barbed, so that they “work in.” In this way they +will kill dogs, wolves, and foxes. A fox was found<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span> +dead near Hopedale, its skin ruined by festering +sores, which, on examination, showed the ends of the +black and white quills. It is very amusing to see +how easily it wards off an enemy by always turning +its back to him! When the dog was tired out, the +porcupine went up the nearest tree, had a good meal, +and went to sleep on a bough.</p> + +<p>Black or “silver” fox skins are very valuable. +For one good black skin I have known £170 given +by a Russian nobleman. The average retail value of +silver fox skins is nearly £50. Now the cunning of +foxes is proverbial, but Cartwright tells us a story +of vulpine ingenuity in a marten. One day he was +going to travel a long distance, and desired to leave +a deposit of food for his return journey. He feared +to bury it, because foxes would be sure to find it, so +climbing a tree he hung it by a string from one of +the branches. Shortly after a marten came along, +and espied the dainty morsel high over his head. +Whether he had watched old Cartwright climbing, +or whether it was an inspiration, the tale does not +say, but in any case it climbed the tree also, gnawed +through the string, and then, with an appetite +whetted by the exercise, had a square meal at its +leisure.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_047"> +<img src="images/i_047.jpg" alt="" width="323" height="500"> +<p class="caption center">A Beaver.</p> +</div> + +<p>Walking one day through thick wood we came +across a regular “pathway,” the trees having been +felled to make travelling easy. A glance at the +stumps showed that it was a road cut by beavers, +to enable them to drag their boughs of birch along<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span> +more easily. The pathway led to a large house on +the edge of a lake, and, fortunately for us, the beaver +was at home. There were other houses on an island +in the lake, and below them all a large, strong dam, +some thirty yards long, built the shape of a half-moon, +and below this two more complete dams across +the river that flowed out. The dams were made of +large tree-trunks, with quantities of lesser boughs, +and were many feet thick, and very difficult to break +down. The houses were built half on land, half in +the water. The sitting-room is upstairs on the bank, +and so is the “crew’s” bedroom, and the front door +made at least three feet below the surface to prevent +being “frozen out” in winter, or, worse still, “frozen +in.”</p> + +<p>The whole house was neatly rounded off, and so +plastered with mud as to be warm and weather-proof. +This is done by means of their trowel-like +tails, which are also of great use in swimming. +The house was so strong that even with an axe we +could not get in without very considerable delay. +In the deep pond they had dammed up, we found a +quantity of birch poles pegged out. The bark of +these forms their winter food, and is called “browse.” +The beaver cuts off enough for dinner, and takes +it into his house. Sitting up, he takes the stem +in his fore paws, and rolls it round and round +against his chisel-shaped incisor teeth, swallowing +the long ribands of bark thus stripped off. While +entering the house the stick often sets off a trap<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span> +set for them. The trappers say they do this purposely. +When surprised they retreat to holes in the +bank, of which the entrances are hidden under water. +These are called “hovels.”</p> + +<p>Beavers always work up wind when felling trees, +and cut them on the water side, so that they fall +into the pond if possible, and the wind helps to blow +them home. This beaver we caught proved to be a +hermit—at least he was living alone. He may have +been a widower of unusual constancy. They do not +destroy fish, their food in summer being preferably +the stem of the water-lilies. Otters occasionally +kill and eat beavers. When they call the beaver +has to try and be “not at home.” Of the other +animals I have not space to say much. The blue-grey +hare is a large animal, and like all the others +turns white in winter—so wonderfully does God remember +all His creatures.</p> + +<p>The pretty little squirrel is very tame. Like a +good sensible fellow he makes round holes in the +ground, and hides enough berries for his “winter +diet.”</p> + +<p>The climate of Labrador is rigorous in the extreme, +in spite of the fact that in summer, especially +in the inlets, the thermometer sometimes registers +75° and even 80° F. Icefields from Baffin’s Bay and +Davis Strait block the coast from October to June, +the sea freezing entirely over all along the shore. +Over this all the winter travelling is done, but sometimes +the commotion below so moves the ice up and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span> +down that a team of dogs with their sledge will only +move backwards when a swell arises. The average +temperature all the year round is at Hopedale 27° F., +at Nain 22·5° F., that is a mean average temperature +of 5° and 9·5° respectively of frost. During the +months the sea is open, countless islands of ice are +driven all along the coast, while snowslips often +make the land dangerous. A settler, his two sons, +and son-in-law were ascending the slope of an island +near Sandwich Bay to witness the first break-up of +the ice in spring, when an avalanche of snow buried +all but one son, who was a few yards behind the +rest. Rushing to where he saw his father last, and +tearing away the hard-frozen snow with hand and +foot, he came eventually on his father’s head, four +feet below the surface. Though his father heard the +son searching, he could neither stir nor shout to +guide him, from the weight of snow over him. This +man told me the sad story. The other two lads +were lost.</p> + +<p>Storms of exceptional violence and of sudden onset +occasionally visit the coast. The wind seems to blow +from all quarters at once, hurling clouds of sea-water +as dust, often mixed with icy spicules, far over the +land. A few years ago a vessel in Black Tickle, +lying at anchor near Gready, was carried up and left +on the rocks twenty feet above high-water line; at +the same time £4,000 of damage was done, in that one +harbour alone, by all the stages with the summer’s +voyage of fish and all the boats being suddenly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span> +washed away. It was then October, and snow was +on the ground. All the survivors left as soon as +possible. On returning next year an old man of +this vessel was found dead beneath the snow, his +hands crossed, his eyes bandaged. Evidently he had +laid himself out for burial. On October 9, 1867, in +one of these sudden gales, forty vessels were hurled +on the rocks. Forty poor souls lost their lives, and +fifteen hundred people were cast ashore.</p> + +<p>Again on October 26, 1885, in a similar hurricane +80 vessels were lost, 70 lives, and 2,000 men, women, +and children left on the coast. The Newfoundland +Government had to send up special steamers to +bring these people home.</p> + +<p>Easterly gales especially, as the water is deep, +heave in a most wonderful ground-swell. Close to +the land, I have in our little steamer been so low +down in these great watery valleys, that, standing +on deck, we could not see even the tops of the hills +over the crest of the next wave. Admiral Bayfield +says, “It bursts with fury right over islands thirty +feet in height, sending sheets of foam and spray, +sparkling in the sunbeams fifty feet up the sides of +precipices.”</p> + +<p>One feature, however, of rare beauty is peculiar +to these Arctic regions. I mean the Aurora Borealis. +At times one radiant crown circles the zenith; +at others, vast columns of light advancing across +the heavens keep changing shape like battalions of +men attacking, the varying uniforms of these flying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span> +squadrons resplendent with every shade of violet, +red and gold; at others deadly pale phantoms creep +ghost-like upwards from the northern horizon, till +the whole space overhead is filled with quivering +rays. Icebergs, till now invisible, reveal their baneful +presence; but almost before the sailor has time +to note their bearings, these transient glories are +suddenly extinguished, and the sea and sky are once +more plunged into darkness, all the more death-like +for the contrast, so that men call it, “The dead at +play.” The weird mirage also serves to add mystery +to these regions. Often have we seen huge icebergs +as if capsized, and hovering in the waves of ether +over the stern realities below, as though kissing +them and rejoicing in their power for evil.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_054"> +<img src="images/i_054.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="467"> +<p class="caption center"> Mountaineer Indians on the <em>Sir Donald</em>.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>WE GO TO LABRADOR AND START WORK</em></p> + + +<p>ON June 15, 1892, the good ship <em>Albert</em>, 97 tons +register, and 151 displacement, was towed out +of Great Yarmouth Harbour, and amidst many farewells +from wharves, quays and piers, spread her +canvas for her first transatlantic voyage. Trimmer +ship never left port bound on such a journey. Stout +timbers, teakwood decks, iron hatches, new running +gear—nothing had been forgotten—and in light airs +of summer or whole gales in winter, I want no +snugger vessel. The four voyages made by her at +present, under the care of Captain Trezise and his +crew of eight men, certainly deserve notice here.</p> + +<p>1892. Bound out. From Fastnet Rock to St. +Johns, Nineteen days.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41]</span></p> + +<p>Bound home. From St. Johns to Start Lighthouse. +Twelve days.</p> + +<p>1893. Bound out. From Fastnet Rock to St. +Johns. Seventeen days.</p> + +<p>Bound home. From St. Johns to Great Yarmouth. +Twelve and a half days.</p> + +<p>Our best twenty-four hours’ work was 240 miles, +registered on two harpoon logs. The fact that we +registered under 100 tons, allowed us to carry +an uncertificated mate—Skipper Joe White, so +well known in the North Sea. It also made my +certificate as a competent master of some practical +use. After visiting the mission vessel <em>Edward Birkbeck</em>, +at work among Manx and Irish fishermen off +the south-west coast of Ireland, we followed the +course taken by Cabot in his caravel, the <em>Matthew</em>, +nearly 400 years ago, and made a landfall directly +opposite St. Johns Harbour. Here a scene of the +wildest confusion greeted us. The prosperous city we +expected to see had been almost blotted out by fire; +and still amidst the ruins of churches, public buildings +and private dwellings, smoke and flames arose in +all parts of the city exultant and unsubdued, looking +at night-time like glutted vultures over their helpless +prey. Warehouses, wharves, and even vessels +at anchor, had shared the same fate, so that landing +at all was a difficult matter at first. In the streets, +here and there, were disconsolate groups of men, excavating +from tons of fallen masonry, safes which +had proved none too safe, and which, lying burnt,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[42]</span> +battered, and discarded at intervals, served to enhance +the sense of general desolation.</p> + +<p>From the harbour the first appearance suggested +the ruins of Pompeii, for the wooden houses of 12,000 +people had gone up in smoke, leaving only rows of +blackened and scorched pillars rising from the +charred debris. On closer inspection, however, the +illusion was dispelled, for the pillars proved to be +tottering brick chimneys, with two or three half-destroyed +fire-grates above one another, the whole +being topped by most prosaic cracked chimney-pots. +Queer things had happened in the general panic. +Patients who had lain in bed for years “arose and +walked.” Barrels of dry goods were rolled pell-mell +into the harbour, whence they were subsequently +fished out. Merchants gave general leave to bystanders +to save what they liked from their shops. +Church pews were packed with heterogeneous goods +and chattels, which only served to add to the conflagration +when the sanctuary itself fell a victim +to the all-devouring flames. Title deeds, recent +enactments of parliament, ledgers, valuable manuscripts, +were destroyed in scores; while, as the fire +occurred just before tea-time, thousands found themselves +houseless, hungry, dusty and “smoke-dried” +by morning. To meet these sudden needs every +available building was thrown open for shelter, +while weak tea and light refreshments were served +out, in every variety of pot, kettle, and cauldron +available, by cabinet ministers from the steps of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span> +Government buildings. The respected premier was +to have been seen at an early hour of the morning +with a background of blazing houses, in a most +precarious position astride an angular roof, putting +out burning embers as they fell. Nor did the +flames cry “Quarter” to the episcopal apron, even +his lordship escaping coatless. It was said that +a jeweller, who had at the last moment sent his +assistant to put valuables in the safe, found on +opening it afterward a dust brush and an old matchbox +only. One man was noticed skurrying up the +hill with a feather mattress on his back, all unconscious +it was brightly burning; while one, like +another Nero over another Rome, was seen playing +a piano in the open street, that had been hastily +deposited there by its flying owner. The musical +tastes of the community were impressively brought +out by the fact that some dozen “borrowed” pianos +were rescued from houses in neighbouring villages, +when authority was once more able to cope with +disorder.</p> + +<p>Forest fires continued to rage in every direction +for days and weeks after, till the greater part of the +peninsula of Avalon was treeless, many country +homesteads sharing the same fate as the city. In +some planter cottages I visited, I found men who +had been fighting for their lives, homes, and possessions +for days with these forest fires. In some cases +the women, children, and goods had been carried +out and deposited for safety for two or three days<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span> +on the edges of the great “ponds,” as the huge +lakes all over the country are called.</p> + +<p>Most wise enactments on the part of the authorities +prevented what might have led to serious riots. +All public-houses and liquor shops were promptly +closed, and several attempts at incendiarism were +nipped in the bud. Yet, amidst all their own +troubles, the Newfoundlanders found time to show +us the greatest of kindnesses. So much so that it +would be invidious here to particularize one more +than another. While in St. Johns we visited every +ship in harbour, giving away “readin’,” and finding +out all we could about the fishermen and fisheries. +The Hospital Mission ship, with her cargo of warm +clothing, some of which was at once in demand, +her medicines, and her stores of healthy literature, +spoke practically of warm hearts in the old country, +still dear to all her distant children, and served to +prove to this, her oldest colony, that England is still +a mother in more than name. Hundreds of all +classes and denominations poured down to see the +<em>Albert</em> when once her mission was understood, for +it took time to realize that the lovely ship, with +such admirable equipment, was really free for the +poor and sick of bleak Labrador. A pilot having +been provided for us in the person of Captain +Nicholas Fitzgerald, the <em>Albert</em> sailed for Labrador.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_059"> +<img src="images/i_059.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="449"> +<p class="caption center"> The <em>Albert</em> in Bateaux Harbour.—Flags up for Service.</p> +</div> + +<p>Dense fog prevailed for four days, so that the end +even of our own bowsprit was scarcely visible, the +<em>Albert</em> standing accordingly well out to sea, “Brother<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span> +Foghorn” having it all his own way. On the fourth +day we caught a glimpse of Cape Bauld, the north-east +corner of Newfoundland, and then the impenetrable +veil dropped again. Our only occupation +had been our deep sea thermometer, which registered +generally from 28-30° Fahren. in two to three +hundred fathoms. On Sunday we once more sighted +land. The foe had gone, and was replaced by a +bright clear day—not a cloud in the sky, not a +ripple on the dark blue water. Innumerable rocky +islands and lofty headlands were visible away on +the port bow—some showing a bright yellow from +the mosses and lichens on them. Around us we +could count thirty magnificent icebergs—chips from +the eternal Arctic ice. A school of whales were +sporting under our lee, every now and again throwing +jets of glistening water high into the air. The +scene to our eager eyes was one indeed of surpassing +interest and beauty.</p> + +<p>Our pilot’s experience was at once on trial, for +only a very imperfect survey exists of the coast. +And not one single landmark, lightship, buoy, or +distinguishing mark exists to aid the mariner anywhere +along this dreary coast, a lack not remedied +by the luxuriance of fogs and icebergs. It stood +the test well. He pronounced the spot “Roundhill +Island.”</p> + +<p>After passing through a precipitous rocky entrance, +half closed by a stranded mountain of ice, on +which the long swell of the Atlantic was thundering,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span> +we dropped anchor off a long narrow creek, +round which our glasses revealed rude fishing stages +and mud huts. The name of the harbour was +Domino.</p> + +<p>Five minutes was long enough to bring several +small boats alongside, with eager inquiries as to who +this strange vessel might be! Where was it bound? +what was its errand? while a few more minutes +saw us being swiftly rowed ashore to come and see +G—— who had been “bad all summer.”</p> + +<p>Soon I was sitting in a tiny, dark mud hut, with +neither glass in the hole that served for light and air, +nor a chimney to carry up the smoke from the fire +on the floor, through the large hole in the roof +intended for its escape. A groaning man sat doubled +up on a rude bench in a dark corner of the room, +while his wife endeavoured to restrain the super-abundant +energy of a crowd of children. “Been ill +long?” I asked, after the usual greetings had been +exchanged. “About three weeks. Wish I could +get home. There’s no chance for a sick man up +here.” Evidently he did not yet grasp the idea of +our hospital ship. “Well, we’ll see what can be +done,” and the case was inquired into, and found to +my joy to be one for which relief could, by care, +be obtained. After some further talk, in which one +or two fishermen joined, who had entered during +the examination, we had a few words of prayer for +God’s blessing on the means used, and left for the +ship, leaving behind us, for the <em>Albert’s</em> first evening<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span> +in Labrador, at least one poor heart grateful—and +thoughtful. A hearty service aboard and many +minor cases of sickness closed the day. Daylight +again saw boats alongside the <em>Albert</em>, and we were +called to visit a poor Eskimo dying from consumption. +He had been brought from an island four days before, +and was lying in a lonely hut, hoping some day that +he would be well enough to get aboard the mail +steamer for advice.</p> + +<p>The poor house was indeed ill-calculated for a +dying man—ill-ventilated, ill-lighted, and dirty—with +little clothing, and still less food, semi-starvation +was rapidly hastening on the end. Oh, for a +clean bed, a nurse, a hospital, to put such cases in, +was the whole talk over tea that evening. All was +done that could be. Food, medicine, and some warm +clothing were taken him; but ere the <em>Albert</em> came +south again, death had claimed the poor fellow for +its victim, and closed the sad scene of human suffering; +and the valley of shadows had been crossed +without the knowledge of a Saviour, who takes +away all its sting. At whose door will this fault +be laid? Not more than once a year does the sound +of the glad tidings of God’s grace reach Spotted +Island, the home still of some fifty persons.</p> + +<p>To avoid repetition, I must now content myself +by giving a general description of the people of +this coast and their methods of earning a living.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_064"> +<img src="images/i_064.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="502"> +<p class="caption center"> Hudson Bay Company’s Post, Rigolette.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>DO PEOPLE LIVE IN LABRADOR?</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Do</span> people live in Labrador? There is a resident +white population of some 5,000 at least, scattered +along the south and east coasts. They call +themselves “Livyeres.” North of these are Eskimos, +and in the interior Indians, known locally as “Mountaineers,” +but actually they are different branches +of the old Algonquin race. The last returns were as +follows:—</p> + +<table><!-- style="width:60%" --> + +<tr> + <td>White population of St. Lawrence coast</td> + <td class="right">4,411</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>White population of Atlantic coast</td> + <td class="right">2,416</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td>Eskimo on the coast</td> + <td class="right">1,700</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td>Indians of the interior</td> + <td class="right">4,000</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="right" colspan="2">——————</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td>Total</td> + <td class="right">12,527</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="right" colspan="2">——————</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span></p> + +<p>These Indians, who once held North America from +the “Rockies” to the sea, have steadily decreased +in numbers. As they live by hunting only, the extensive +forest fires, and depletion of fur-bearing +animals, have driven them further and further west. +Whole encampments have been reported “found dead +from starvation.” Only occasionally do they visit +the coast, bringing furs with them to trade with +the Hudson Bay Company. They never take to sea +fishing.</p> + +<p>The Eskimo, of Mongolian origin, at one time +were as far south as Newfoundland. In 1780 a +tribe 500 strong still dwelt along the Straits of +Belle Isle. Now almost all are north of Hamilton +inlet; of these I shall speak later.</p> + +<p>Whence do the whites come? Some are said to +be descendants of those who fled the old country in +press-gang days. In 1780 we hear of a crew of convicts +sent out there. Some are descendants of sailors +wrecked on the coast, or of Newfoundland and other +fishermen who have been left there. More come +from those who have gone out in the service of the +Hudson Bay Company, while some few have emigrated +directly there. The largest settlement consists +of about 100 persons, and with the people of neighbouring +coves numbers about 350. It is here where +the mission has built the first hospital ever known +in Labrador. In May or June every year the +coast is visited by from 20 to 25,000 fishermen, +women and children. These arrive as soon as the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span> +ice is blown off the coast by westerly winds. Most +are from Newfoundland, some from Canada, with +occasional Americans buying fish. They come in +every variety of vessel—small and large, good, bad +and indifferent—mostly of the schooner type. They +number about 1,000. Besides the crew, which varies +from five to ten men, with one or two women, most +Newfoundland vessels bring a number of people +called “freighters.” These are landed at various +harbours, where they have left mud huts and boats +the previous year, and where they will fish all summer. +The fish is “made” or cured in Labrador, and +sent in large vessels to the Mediterranean, Brazilian, +or English markets. Meanwhile, the schooner has +gone further north in search of a “fare” of fish. If +successful, the fish will be salted, and brought home +“wet,” so that these vessels are called “green-fish +catchers.” As they come south they call for their +“freighters,” with their goods and chattels, who pay +25 cents per head per cwt. of fish caught in return +for their passage. The overcrowding on some of +these vessels returning is very great, and is made +worse by the fact that every year more vessels go +than return. Besides the cargo of fish, casks of oil, +nets, boats, and general goods, perhaps thirty, forty, +or fifty men and women will be crowded into these +small vessels, at times with only room to lie down +in the hold between the deck and the cargo. On +one small schooner of nineteen tons we counted fifty +people, thirty-four men and sixteen women. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55]</span> +women, many of whom have children with them, are +often very bad sailors. As a rule, they are not +allowed on deck except in port, and this voyage is a +nightmare all summer to numbers. They are pillars +of pluck, many of these women. They can handle +an oar and sail a small boat with the best, and +among them are “Grace Darlings” only wanting an +opportunity. They work chiefly at cleaning fish and +keeping the huts for the men, though some, I think +very wrongly, form part of the crews of the green +fish catchers. The Canadian schooners are larger—carry +about eighteen men and no women. The +people consider Labrador very healthy, which I attribute +to their comparative immunity there from +epidemic diseases. The damp mud huts, often filled +with snow till the very day they go in, the entire +absence of any sanitary provisions, combined always +with either cold draughts or too little ventilation, +have, without any doubt, an ill effect on the people, +but more especially on the women, who occupy them.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_067"> +<img src="images/i_067.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="415"> +<p class="caption center"> Fields of Fish Drying—Emily Harbour.</p> +</div> + +<p>The fishermen are tall men, and broad to match, +born to the sea, and are accustomed, from their +training at the seal fishery on the ice, to be quick +and active. No lighthouse, no buoy, no landmark +aid navigation on the Labrador coast. The charts +are old, bad, incorrect, incomplete and unreliable, +while north of Hamilton inlet, <em>where nearly all the +schooners go for green fish</em>, there is practically no +chart at all, most of the surveying having been done +by the keels and bilges of devoted fishing schooners.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[56]</span> +Streams of icebergs, floating all the summer to the +southward before the polar current, render it always +unwise to stay at sea at night. With sudden calms +and baffling winds from high perpendicular cliffs, +making a harbour without a tug is always hard +enough; but here, in addition, the constant and dense +fogs make it often impossible, without any kind of +guide, even to find a harbour at all; for in places +shoals and ledges run out twenty miles to seaward. +Yet for all this shameful neglect on the part of the +Newfoundland Government, the weak defence is +constantly made, “Not many lives are lost.” That I +know to be due solely to the consummate seamanship +and daring perseverance of the fishermen. Among +many good vessels, many are bad, and, worse still, +are provided with but bad tackle and holding-gear. +The latter is an absolute essential, with the liability +that exists to sudden hurricanes, and I believe more +vessels are lost in Labrador from this one cause +than all others put together. Moreover many, as I +have already pointed out, are greatly overcrowded. +More than once we saw vessels drifting to destruction, +and once, when holding on ourselves for all we +were worth, we had the pleasure of saving a comrade +by running him a coir hawser, and so holding +him on the verge of the rocks after his own tackle +had given out and the crew had received brief notice +to quit through the boiling surf.</p> + +<p>It must be remembered that Newfoundland, our +oldest colony, exists solely by its fishery; that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span> +one-third of its entire revenue is now derived from this +very Labrador fishery, that is some one-and-a-half +million dollars, and that in no other way could this +harvest be reaped. Moreover almost every man in +Labrador may be called a fisherman, and yet nothing +is done for all their returns. Here is another method +of interpreting the value of the industry. It is said +seventeen tons of fish contain the nutritive value +of 50 head of cattle, or 300 sheep. Now the average +yield for fifty years from the French and English +Fisheries is 2,300,000 cwt., that is 338,235 cattle, or +2,029,410 sheep.</p> + +<p>The summer Labrador settlements are on islands +or outside headlands, and here both Newfoundlanders +and “Livyeres” dwell, the latter retiring up the +bays and inlets, to be nearer wood and game, when +the former return to Newfoundland. There are +about a dozen well recognised central stations in +Labrador, where agents representing the various +merchants’ firms are stationed to collect the fish +from the fishermen dealing with their firm, and to +ship it thence to market. These men have far better +houses than the rest, generally also a store from +which the general wants of their men are supplied. +As a rule, advances are made of all needful appliances +and food to some better known fishermen.</p> + +<p>These men are known as “Planters,” and employ +under them so many men and women on “share” +or wages. Occasionally, also, the agent has some +men of his own, working for settled wages, who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span> +may be made to fish for cod, to pack salmon, to load +vessels, or do any work they are told. When seven +men fish one trap or seine net, the total catch is +divided into fourteen shares—seven for the planter +and seven for the men. That is one share each; a +few dollars on the hundred quintals being allowed +the skipper of the “crew.” Or when a man fishes +his own net with four men, I saw the value divided +into twelve shares—four for the master, four for the +trap, and one each for the men, so that each man +gets every twelfth fish. When hand-lining begins, +and two men have charge of each boat, every other +fish belongs to the men, the owner taking two out +of four. A girl’s wages are £6 to £7 currency +for the season, and her keep. Each planter has his +own hut, but his men often live together. The huts +are of logs with the chinks filled with moss and +covered with sods. Entrance is by a low doorway, +and there is a small window placed low down to +prevent escape of heat. Warmth and ventilation +cannot co-exist in so small a space. A man a little +over a fathom long once visited Sir Donald Smith, +when an agent on that coast. To accommodate his +legs at night a hole had to be cut in the wall, and +a box lined with dogskin fixed up outside. I saw +one day a fisherman moving house. The house was +first wedged up on piles, then a rope was put round +it, and, with the help of a few neighbours, it was +dragged higher up the hill. Another house I saw +had been dragged over the harbour on the ice “to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span> +be nearer the fishing ground.” An American stove, +or more often an open fireplace (the smoke going out +of a huge chimney like in an Irishman’s cabin), serves +for warmth and cooking. The stove, anyhow, is a +movable chattel, and accompanies its master to his +winter hut in the fall. Clothes are so expensive and +so scanty that every man is his own wardrobe, and +he who puts his clothes in a drawer must himself +go naked. Thus a block of furniture is obviated. +Bunks are put up for the men or a partition boarded +off, while the girls sleep in a “lean-to,” called a +“bunk-house,” or have a part partitioned off, or hang +an old curtain in front of their bunk in the smaller +huts.</p> + +<p>Some Newfoundland planters and agents provide +boarded huts for their “crowd,” but in all the arrangements +are much the same. The Livyeres’ families +have all their separate huts. Each “crew” has a +fish stage, alongside which the fish are brought in +the boats. These stages are built out on piles driven +into the mud. Long poles, known as “rounders,” are +laid side by side across the tops of these, and form +a kind of flooring. The whole is then roofed in +with poles and sods, in order that fish-curing may +proceed at night by costers’ lamps, or in bad +weather. Up the middle of the stage runs a table +for splitting the fish on. The green fish are hove +up on to the stage with pitchforks, seized by a woman +who cuts off the head—“the header,” and passed +on to one who opens the throat—“the throater.”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span> +She passes it to a man—“the splitter.” He, with +great dexterity, cuts out the backbone and flings +the flesh into a tub of water for the “washer.” I +have timed a man split thirteen fish in one minute. +It takes the tyro nearer thirteen minutes to split one +well. The offal is thrown through a hole in the +floor into the sea below, where every variety of +scavenger fish congregates. In Norway, and by +Messrs. Munn of Newfoundland, the skins and bones +are made into a splendid glue, while the rest of the +offal is preserved for fish manure. The washed fish +is next laid in pile and salted. The “salter” is +also a skilled mechanic. It is easy to undersalt and +easy to “saltburn,” or oversalt, whereby much +valuable salt is wasted. This salt comes all the +way from Cadiz by the same vessels that take the +fish away. Next the fish is spread in the sun. A +fine day is waited for, and all hands turn to. Many +a slip exists between the cup and the lip, however. +If the fish has lain too long, it will be sodden, and +go grey or dun. If the sun is too hot, it will be sun-burnt. +If rain comes, and it is wet and dry again, +too often it will be injured. It must be turned and +returned. At last it is gathered up into circular +“piles,” back up, and tail to the centre. These +piles are covered over with birch rinds, and a few +stones placed on the top to keep the whole together +till it is time to ship them away. They are weighed +into the ship, two quintals at a time, a “culler” +looking over them as they pass in and classifying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span> +them; and according to this classification they are +paid for. The receipt handed to the fishermen runs +thus:—</p> + + +<p class="left"> Received from..............</p> + +<ul><li> Large}</li> +<li> Medium} Merchantable fish</li> +<li> Small}</li> +<li> Madeira merchantable fish</li> +<li> West India merchantable fish</li> +<li> Talqual merchantable fish</li> +<li> Inferior merchantable fish</li> +<li> Damp merchantable fish</li> +<li> Dun merchantable fish</li> +<li> Slimy merchantable fish</li> +<li> Labrador merchantable fish</li> +<li> And also ...... casks of ...... gallons of oil.</li> +</ul> + +<p>There is always a great race to get first to +market, for the first cargo always fetches a higher +price. One fish planter ships his own fish to England, +and thus is able to get at times a better price +than that offered in St. Johns. On the other hand, +he runs the risks of the freight, insurance, etc.</p> + +<p>No railway, public building, roads, drains, or such +like things exist in Labrador, and every man is a +fisherman first, a handy man after—boat or house-builder, +blacksmith, cooper, curer, as the case may +be. Only three harbours do I know where liquor +is sold: in one of these two poor fellows were +drowned through its influence last year. No jail or +police exist on the coast. A small revenue schooner, +with a justice of the peace on board, is responsible<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span> +for maintaining the law and preventing smuggling. +The people are, as a rule, law-abiding; but crimes, +especially among the half-breeds and Eskimo, go +unpunished. In one settlement a lay reader and +school teacher are established; in another an aspirant +to the Methodist ministry, while settlements up +two long inlets enjoy similar privileges. These men +are all doing excellent work, as is a Presbyterian +student from Dalhousie University in the Straits of +Belle Isle.</p> + +<p>Most school work can be done in winter, for in +summer only those too young to work can be +spared; and if they are old enough to journey alone +to and from the school, they are old enough to do +something at the fishery. Only a small percentage +of Livyeres can read or write. Every summer it is +usual for a Roman Catholic priest, a Methodist +minister, and an Anglican clergyman to visit as +many stations as they can on the first 400 miles of +coast. They are passed along in boats from place +to place by the too willing people, who, irrespective +of creed, extend their kindly hospitality to all alike. +In places wood buildings have been put up voluntarily +by the men in their spare time, for Sunday services, +conducted usually by one of themselves. Our own +gatherings, at times too large for the <em>Albert’s</em> hold +or these little buildings, were held in fish stores +ashore, cleared for the purpose, or in the open +air, one of the countless boulders serving for a +natural rostrum. I have seen the same place serve<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span> +in the morning for Church of England, in the afternoon +for Wesleyan, in the evening for Salvation +Army, and pretty much the same congregation attending +each. I have known a Methodist meeting +house on Sunday reconsecrated for Mass on Monday. +This absence of conventionality, this socialism on a +basis of kindly generosity, is most congenial to one +from the old world.</p> + +<p>Fresh meat and vegetables are alike hard to procure. +No cow or horse exists. The domestic animal +world is represented only by the inevitable dog; the +vegetable by the stringy cabbage or struggling turnip, +whose leaves alone attain to economic value. +To prevent scurvy in winter, when fresh fish is not +attainable, salt meat must be avoided, even if they +can afford to buy it. The following recipe is invented +with that end: “Dry the cod in the sun till +it is so hard none can go bad. In winter powder +this, rub it up with fresh seal oil, and add cranberries +if you have any.” This dainty is known as +“Pipsey.” These people neither need nor expect +luxuries; sugar and milk are very rarely used—tinned +milk being too expensive, molasses being +cheaper than sugar, and also margarine than butter. +White rabbits, white grouse and sea-birds help to +eke out the winter’s diet.</p> + +<p>But to be accurate, in two harbours I saw a pig, +brought by the Newfoundlanders. When they arrived +the dogs were banished to a desert island near. +In one harbor we listened to much wailing. Two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span> +pigs had been isolated on an island near, the fishermen +enjoying daily the bliss of anticipation. But +alas! here the dogs proved equal to the occasion. +An on-shore wind had brought them the joyful news, +and that very morning the pigs disappeared, only +a few blood-stained bristles remaining to tell the +story of the crime. In one harbour a planter had +brought a sheep, but its isolation had so developed +its affection for its owner that it followed him everywhere, +and he could not make up his mind to kill +it. Goats fare a little better: they have horns. +Yet in one place three nights in succession a goat +had been missed. A team of runaway dogs was +roaming near, but only approached the houses under +cover of night. All these animals are, however, the +perquisites of affluence, and belong almost entirely +to the planters from Newfoundland. Some few +bring fowls, which eke out a perilous existence on +suffrance of the dogs. At the Hudson Bay Company’s +station of Rigolette, Mr. Wilson, the chief factor, told +me that two of his dogs got into his well-enclosed +yard, and in four minutes killed eight hens and tore +four goats to pieces. Among all these people no +resident doctor exists, nor is skilled aid of any kind +to be obtained in case of need; for the few minutes +in the summer that the mail steamer stays in any +harbour, and the irregular times of her calls, gives +the doctor on board no opportunity to render effective +aid. When sickness falls on the people no one knows +what it is, or how to treat it. Not knowing they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span> +are ill, men work on till a trifling ailment becomes +a matter of life and death. A slight accident with +no “first aid” at hand, permanently cripples a limb +or destroys a valuable function, such as sight. +Bleeding unchecked from a simple wound deprives +a dependent family of the father and breadwinner. +Many are the piteous stories I have learnt of such +cases since first, in 1892, the Gospel Hospital-ship +<em>Albert</em> was sent out by warm hearts in Old England +to their brothers and sisters in this “region beyond.”</p> + +<p>After all this description of Labrador, do you ask, +as I do, why do people stay here, when the fair farm +lands of Canada are offered free to all? There is +a story that a solitary old woman in the wilds of +North America was one day visited by a gentleman +from that “hub of the universe,” Boston city. She +asked him, “Where do you live?” “Oh, hundreds +of miles away—in Boston.” “How do you manage +to live so far away?” was the reply. To begin +with, every one has a lingering belief in his “ain +countree.” The wild life to which these people are +born has a certain charm to others besides themselves. +Sailors they are born and bred. What else +can they do? Some have been taken by the Canadian +Government to the southern side of the Gulf of St. +Lawrence—the Arcady of Longfellow—and yet have +found eventually their way back. The fact remains—here +is an increasing English-speaking colony.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>JUST HOW THE FISH ARE CAUGHT</em></p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_080"> +<img src="images/i_080.jpg" alt="" width="368" height="600"> +<p class="caption center"> Boat returning from the Trap +full of Fish.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">Cod</span> (Gadus) = goad or rod fish—called +in Norway stick or stock fish, or in Spanish “baccalhao,” in Italian +“mazza,” a club or rod—all of which synonyms imply that a rod or stick +is used in preserving the fish. In Norway two are tied tail to tail, +and then slung over a stick, being then exposed to sun and air so +many days—prescribed by law. The Eskimo largely hang them from a rod +by the gills after splitting and salting them, but Newfoundlanders +spread them out on poles, called “flakes,” or on the natural rocks, +called “bournes.” But “you must first catch your hare, then cook +him,” and seasons suitable being very brief<span class="pagenum" +id="Page_67">[67]</span> in these Arctic climates, the most rapid +methods must be adopted; and in cod-catching Newfoundland has eclipsed +all her rivals.</p> + +<p>In spring, nets only are used, for the fish are in +shoals, feeding on the myriads of caplin, a fish the +size of a sardine, which are inshore then to spawn. +The most successful net is the cod-trap. Practically +it is a submerged parlour of net without a roof, but +with a large door, into which the cod are invited to +walk by a long net leading to the nearest headland +of rock, and ending at the centre of the door. It is +all kept in position by heavy anchors. The distance +from the rock is from a hundred to a hundred and +fifty yards. Cod are gregarious fish, and, like sheep, +follow a leader. When, therefore, one comes up +against the net as he swims near the rocks, he turns +out into deeper water to circumvent it, and so leads +his confiding following directly into the net. Here, +being a platonic fish, he remains, indolently browsing +on the infusoria and ocean slime which collect about +the twiny walls of his prison. Suddenly a boat appears +overhead, and a long telescope, with a plain +glass bottom—the fish glass—is pushed down into the +room, through which the trap-master is peering to see +how many finny prisoners there are. Now the door +is pulled up, and now the floor is rising—rising—rising, +being passed along under the boat, until all the +frightened captives are huddled together in one seething +mass near the surface. Now a dipper is put in, +and the jumping, struggling fish are heaved into the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span> +boat. Soon the boat is full to the gunwale, and still +there are more prisoners. Large bags of net are +produced and filled with the rest of the fish. These, +after being buoyed, are thrown overboard to wait till +they are “wanted.”</p> + +<p>I have seen fifty to sixty hundredweight of fish +taken in the same trap time after time. Sometimes +more are caught than the curers can keep pace with. +Then the fortunate trap-master allows his neighbours +to “haul the trap,” receiving in return a small proportion +of cured fish. Now certain positions are +thought better than others for setting these traps, +with the result that there is every spring a race from +Newfoundland to get them, like our members of parliament +race for seats. The law does not allow traps +to be set till a certain day, and the leading net must +be put out to secure the berth—a top hat on a bench +is not sufficient—and unless within four days the +whole trap is set, the claim becomes void. Thus, +while the ice was still on the shores of Labrador, a +steamer was sent ahead with numbers of men, each +armed with “a trap leader,” to get ahead of the sailing +schooners which were working their perilous way +along inside the floe ice. In one case, after the best +berths had thus been taken, the nets to complete the +traps did not turn up till after the prescribed four +days. Meanwhile another crew had pulled up their +nets and pounced on the coveted prizes. Again, +some men were landed with “leaders” on one station +late at night. “No sail in sight. We’ll secure our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span> +berths to-morrow morning.” During the night, however, +a southerly wind brought in two schooners, and +during the hours of darkness these secured the prize +while the others slept.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_083"> +<img src="images/i_083.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="492"> +<p class="caption center"> Snug Harbour.</p> +</div> + +<p>The “cod-seine” ranks second in importance +among nets in Labrador. It is of prodigious size, +up to 60 feet deep, requiring seven men to work +it, and is used either to bar an inlet, or to shoot +round a shoal of cod in deep water. The seine +master stands, fish-glass in hand, high on the bow +of the seine skiff, as his stalwart crew, with eight +huge pine oars, drive the boat along, perhaps hour +after hour. The vast net is piled up on the stern, +while one man stands on the thwarts, steering with +his oar like an Italian gondolier. Suddenly “Easy +all!” is cried; “Hold her up!” and the seine master +peers down into the water with his glass. A school +of fish is on the bottom. Swiftly the net anchor is +dropped, and the net is paid out astern as the willing +backs bend to the oars and force the skiff round +and home to the starting place, marked by a gaily-painted +buoy. Thus the whole school are enclosed. +Now the weighted foot rope is “gathered” together, +the net has become one vast bag, and the prisoners +are dealt with as before, <em>i.e.</em> dipped out and bagged +off.</p> + +<p>The gill net is rarely used in Labrador now. In +Norway it is still a favourite method. Twenty to +twenty-four nets, eighty feet long and about fifty feet +deep, are “shot” in water of from twenty to sixty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span> +fathoms, or even in ninety fathoms, as many as +three to four thousand cod being meshed at one +time. Under certain circumstances nets are no use, +<em>e.g.</em>, on the great banks, or late in the season in +Labrador. Lines must then be used, and it is advisable +to use bait on the hook. To us accustomed to +row out and catch a few codling with a mussel, the +subject of “baits” has apparently little interest. +But out here it has become a subject of international +importance. The fact is, mussels are too soft, coming +off the hook too readily, and also cod are a fastidious +fish, and will only condescend to swallow that +“poisson” which is in season. True, it is not essential +to bait the hooks at all. Instead you may take +two large hooks, fix them back to back with a piece +of lead, which will act at once as bait and sinker. +Lower this to the bottom, and then keep jerking it +up and down. Often you will strike fish as fast as +you can work, using one line in each hand. This +method, called “jigging,” eventually injures the +fishery, probably because numbers of fish escape +after being wounded, and others follow them, possibly +to devour them, more than five being injured for one +caught. The fishermen say the injured warn their +friends, but a fish’s appreciation of pain is somewhat +doubtful.</p> + +<p>Sailors have told me of sharks which, after being +caught and having had their livers cut out, will continue +to pursue and swallow the same piece of pork +as long as sufficient vitality remains in them to keep<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span> +pace with the vessel; nay, even that, after being cut +in half, the “bow end” will still wriggle after the +bait, when the ship is becalmed in the doldrums. +But Jack is prejudiced against sharks.</p> + +<p>Bait is necessary, however, in deep water, a fact +that led the Newfoundland Government to pass the +famous “Bait Act,” rendering it illegal to supply the +French with bait in the hope of destroying their +banking industry. Alas! laws are easier to make +than enforce, and the worst sufferers were those who +formerly made out of this supply an honest livelihood.</p> + +<p>Octopus and Squid is <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">facile princeps</i> among baits +for cod. Yet the cod must be circumspect in indulging +this weakness, and confine his attention to those +of tender years, for these cephalopods attain to enormous +size at times in these waters. Thus the Rev. +Dr. Harvey (F.R.S., Canada), of St. Johns, narrates +how, while recently two Newfoundlanders were out +fishing in their little rowing boat, two enormous arms +rose out of the water, seized the boat, and endeavoured +to drag it below the surface. Fortunately +a chopper lay at hand in the boat, and the great +beast, after losing two of his arms, sank amidst +volumes of black ink. The parts of arms cut off +were nineteen feet long, and are now preserved in +St. Johns Museum. Shortly after another was +secured by Dr. Harvey, which had been found floating, +dead. Its grasp embraced forty feet. Again, +in 1772 Cartwright caught one seven feet long without<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span> +head or tentacles. The beaks of these fish resemble +a parrot’s, and in large specimens are far +more solid than human teeth.</p> + +<p>Catching octopus is exciting work. A number of +row-boats are anchored close together outside some +point of land, and the fishermen are lazily jigging +up and down a little bright red leaden weight, bristling +with wire spikes. Suddenly a stir—all are +working with might and main. A company of +squids are passing and flying on the jiggers like +vampires; the red weights are being grabbed voraciously. +Beware as you get him on board. Suddenly +he relaxes his grasp, and shoots out a jet of ink, +which smarts considerably in one’s eyes, and leaves +weird patterns on white linen. They swim backwards +and at great pace after their prey. Salted +down, these squid fetch fifteen to fifty cents per +hundred. “Bankers” pay ten to twenty cents per +hundred.</p> + +<p>Caplin I have mentioned. They are taken in fine +meshed seine nets or in cast nets thrown from the +shoulder like the “retiarius” of old threw his.</p> + +<p>Herrings form a very excellent bait. They are +caught in gill nets anchored out in likely spots, and +these are emptied every day. Our English drift +nets are rendered impossible by the icebergs and +sudden storms, with no harbour lights in case of +emergency at night, and herring see the net in daytime. +Herrings have been kept frozen, and then +found to serve as excellent bait. A new way to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span> +freeze these is to half fill a barrel with broken ice, +salt and herrings, and then roll it well over and +over. Thus a constant supply of bait at known +places might be maintained in fixed ice houses; a +much needed arrangement, for much time and money +is lost by the uncertain supply of bait. Launce or +sand eels have often to be used, but can only be +taken on sandy bottoms, perhaps miles from a fishing +station. Then several crews club together, and +lend men in turns to row the bait skiff as many as +twenty-four miles, sharing up the bait when it +arrives. Occasionally they pay shares for a small +launch to keep up a regular supply. White fish, a +small fish taken in surface seines, are occasionally +used, and also sometimes whelks.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_090"> +<img src="images/i_090.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="473"> +<p class="caption center"> Cartwright Staff.</p> +</div> +</div> + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>THE TRUCK SYSTEM</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Cod</span> alone is fish in Labrador diction. Cod is the +coin of the realm. Money is scarcely known, and +no other medium of exchange is used by the people, +whose <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">raison d’être</i> almost is cod. All live on goods +advanced on credit, to be paid for by their catch of +cod. This truck system, is the next of kin to the +old feudal system, and has long been extinct in +most civilized countries. It seems the early treatment +of Newfoundland by England is partly responsible +for the rise of this baneful system, which +it is now difficult to remove. The struggling fisherman +knows it is a state of bondage, but cannot get +out of it; the merchant knows its disadvantages outweigh +its profits; while the colony must recognise<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span> +that it is alone the cause of so many of its younger +and more energetic men leaving the country as soon +as they can see their way to do so—for no race +loves its country with more patriotic affection than +do Newfoundlanders.</p> + +<p>Up to the end of the eighteenth century no one was +allowed to remain in Newfoundland after the fishing +season, each captain of a fishing vessel being held responsible, +under heavy penalty, to bring back all his +crew to England; while if any one did desert and +remain behind to be near the fishing grounds, and +to reap the harvest of the sea for his own benefit, +his stage, and even house and goods, might be appropriated +by the first fishing captain out next year. +This made it only possible for fishermen to go out +when some merchant capitalist would finance the +voyage, who, in return, repaid himself out of the +fish caught.</p> + +<p>Now many vessels were sent out, and though the +catch of fish by any individual vessel was uncertain—for +fish set into one place one year and another +the next—the whole catch would generally +repay the merchant amply. But as in some cases +all vessels of one merchant might do badly, a large +price was charged on goods advanced as a further +security for the merchant, that in any case he +might be quite sure to recoup himself for his outlay. +And lastly, though there might be no immediate +return in fish or cash, yet the fishermen at +once began to accumulate a large nominal debt;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span> +and though possibly, and even probably, they would +never be able to liquidate this, yet the fact of their +being indebted to any particular merchant insured +their fishing for him year after year. Thus, perhaps, +the best issue for the merchant at settling +time seemed in every case to be a debt by each +man, but not large enough to make the fisherman +despair and so fish badly. Thus the successful +fisherman had to pay for his unsuccessful brother’s +deficits. The fishermen soon found this out, and +were not only soured against their suppliers, but lost +the incentive to make any effort to discharge their +whole debts. The merchant now found it difficult +to make ends meet through bad debts, and was led +to buy in the fish himself, insisting on the fishermen +not paying in cash, but fish. Each year the +commercial body fixed its own price for fish, punished +those of their men who sold the fish for cash +if they could do so, and themselves resold the fish +in foreign markets, gaining a second profit when +possible. Thus large nominal debts arose, which in +hundreds of cases the men could never hope to +liquidate. The spirit of pauperism was directly +fostered, the men becoming absolutely dependent on +the charity of their merchants, and in many cases +from year to year never knowing how much they +really owed.</p> + +<p>This system persists to-day, as an evil heirloom, +dragging down both merchant and fisherman. To-morrow’s +labour is ever mortgaged ahead for food<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span> +to-day. At last a time comes when no longer any +hope of return from certain men can be expected. +The advances are suddenly cut off, and these men, +deprived of their usual source of supply, fall back on +government relief, till to-day over one-third and +nearly half of the whole revenue of the country is +spent in pauper relief. The recipients are frequently +able-bodied men, and yet they have no shame in accepting +it, looking on the government as an independent +source of wealth, and calling their annual +six to twenty-four dollars “a government appointment.”</p> + +<p>Thus the system has played into the hands of +idleness and dishonesty also; for though all a +man’s catch is nominally his merchant’s, he is +tempted to keep some part back and sell it elsewhere, +that he may have some ready money to +spend when he returns. Thus one man who has +already more fish than would pay his own debt, +will accept fish from another heavily in debt, and +turn it in to his merchant as his own, handing +over afterwards the money or goods he obtained in +return to his friend, and perhaps deducting a shilling +a quintal for the risk involved. A far more +common way is to take and sell your fish right +away to another firm. All are generally glad to get +fish anyhow; for not only is it a loss to send away +a ship without a full freight, but also there is a +great race to get vessels away first each year, as +the first in the market will realize a higher price<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span> +for their cargo throughout. To prevent this the +various firms agreed at one time not to buy fish +from another merchant’s planters. But this fell +through, and now only a careful watch is kept on +how much fish each man has as the season progresses, +and the amount compared with what he delivers +to his merchant. Any man caught alienating +much fish would not receive any advance in future, +though most firms are anxious to get all the men +they can.</p> + +<p>The advances are made in May or early June. +When the fish has been put on board the vessels for +market in October, notes of credit are sent to the +merchants thus:—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Received from......., .... qlts. ... qrs. ... lbs. of Labrador fish.</span><br> +<br> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">To Messrs. ........., qlts. ... qrs. ... lbs. of Merchantable fish.</span><br> +<br> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Per Agent.......</span><br> +</p> + +<p>Then, as soon as the total catch can be roughly +estimated, the Chamber of Commerce meet in St. +Johns and decide what price they will give for fish. +The credit notes are at once cashable at that price, +cargoes being all insured. Each firm then credits +its planters and men with their catch at that price, +and a balance is struck between the total and the +amount of each one’s advance in May. If a surplus +remains, it goes to provide the fisherman with his +winter’s diet. Now a good catch for a fisherman is +100 quintals of dry fish, or 300 quintals of green. On<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span> +an average 100 fish go to the quintal, that is, each +man must catch 30,000 fish. Each quintal is worth +in St. Johns from 2-1/2 to 3 dollars, so that 275 dollars +is a good season, less 30 dollars for salt 245 dollars, +or about £50. It must be remembered many will +only average 20 quintals some years, or 50 dollars, +not £50. The average catch per head for “bank” +fishermen last year was 47-1/2 quintals. How often a +man will be dependent, therefore, on charity for a +supply of food for himself and his family during the +winter becomes apparent.</p> + +<p>Often the winter’s diet that can be laid in is +all too small for the needs of the family; and before +the breaking up of the ice once more allows +cod-fishing to commence, and the planters to return +from Newfoundland, the poor Livyeres are reduced +to living on “the landwash.” “A short feast and +a long famine” is a coast epigram.</p> + +<p>Clothing is perhaps most difficult to find money +for, and is apt to become so scanty that the settler, +for lack of proper protection from the weather, +cannot prosecute his fishing or hunting, especially +where the temperature falls to 50°, or even more, +below zero. I met one poor fellow who years before +had missed his way home at night and had had to +sleep out in the open. He had lost both feet from +frost-bite. One can realize the need for woollen +clothing. When near Winnipeg, in North Manitoba, +I saw a young Englishman, who had been caught +out in a blizzard, and had lost both hands and both<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span> +feet at the wrists and ankles from frost-bite. But +a still more vicious circle is established when, to +procure food for this winter, a settler has to part +with his means of “killing a voyage” next summer. +The following is a case in point as related to +me on the spot:—</p> + +<p>Some three years ago, at Big Bight, a Mr. +Olliver, with his wife and five children, had fallen +into great poverty. At last in spring, when all +his food was exhausted, he set out, taking his +last possessions, an old Jack plane and a trout +net, with him. Having no dogs, he had to travel +afoot over the ice and snow. At last he came to +the house of the best-off settler about, Mr. Tosten +Anderson, a Norwegian, and a splendid fellow. When +asked for food, Mr. Anderson, showing all the flour +he had, said, “To part with any more than I have +done, means we must all starve together.” This was +thirty to forty miles from his own home. He then +went on twelve miles to a Mr. James Thomas, +whose reply was just the same. Two days later he +reached Richard Blomfield’s house on his way back. +Here he met the same reply again. No more was +heard till three days later, when Blomfield was summoned +to the Ollivers’ house. On the middle of the +floor, his coat off and his gun by his side, lay Mr. +Olliver, shot through the head. In a heap in one +corner lay the three youngest children, scarcely dead +from blows from an axe lying near them. Apparently +determined to spare those who might provide<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span> +for themselves, he had sent out first his wife and +eldest daughter to search for food, and his eldest boy +to search for birds. Mr. Blomfield told me he supposed +that the cries of the hungry children proved +too much for the poor father. Truly Virginius of +old acted in much the same way.</p> + +<p>This, of course, is an extreme case, and in order +to arrive at a fair conclusion, we took, as far as +possible, a census of the Livyeres—noting the numbers +and ages of children—the proportion that could +read and write, and the number each had of gallons +of molasses, barrels of flour or pork, pounds of tea, +and tobacco, which, alas, nearly all use, however poor +and unable to afford luxuries. That a very large +proportion had a quite insufficient quantity of food +became beyond question. It must be remembered +it is not a question of how much they can buy, but +how much a supplier is willing to give to people +already heavily indebted to him, only a few being +independent enough to pay down for what they +take. Government aid, sea birds, seals, trout, willow +grouse, and rabbits, <em>i.e.</em> arctic hares, are the supplemental +sources available. The Newfoundlanders are +too often only little better off than Labradormen, +and I have many piteous accounts of parents themselves +suffering chronic starvation in order to supply +their little ones with the necessities of life. Soon, +it is sincerely to be hoped, the interior of Newfoundland +will be opened up. All look to the new railway +to turn the attention of many to the cultivation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span> +of the land, which will at least help to render existence +more easy. It is reasonable to hope also +that the new sealing laws, the new fishery restrictions, +and Mr. Adolph Neilsen’s magnificent work +at the fish hatchery and lobster incubation, are the +presages of happier times. But the people can never +be free, industrious, and contented, until the truck +system is dead and buried.<a id="FNanchor_14" href="#Footnote_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_14" href="#FNanchor_14" class="label">[14]</a> December, 1894. And now the long impending crash has come—both +the banks of Newfoundland have failed, and ten out of twelve merchants’ +firms have had to suspend payment, while the masses of the population are +face to face with absolute starvation. The Truck System has entailed ruin +on all concerned in it, and has brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy. +There are not few, however, who see in these terrible events the +promise of better things. A better system of trade must arise, a better +relation between labour and capital, a better era for this oldest of England’s +colonies. “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.” God grant it may be +so in this case.</p> + +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_099"> +<img src="images/i_099.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="462"> +<p class="caption center">A visit from Eskimo.</p> +</div> +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span></p> +</div> + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>RESULTS OF THE FIRST VISIT</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">November</span>, 1892, saw the <em>Albert</em> once more in +St. Johns Harbour, after having spent seventy-eight +days on the coast. She had visited many harbours, +treated 900 patients, distributed much clothing +and literature, and collected much valuable information; +while Mr. Adolph Neilsen, superintendent of +Newfoundland fisheries, who had joined the <em>Albert</em> +during the greater part of her cruise, had been carrying +on scientific observations calculated to directly +benefit the fishing industry. Daily services had been +held, at which thousands in all had been present, and +not a few had confessed openly aboard their intention, +by God’s help, to live new lives.</p> + +<p>On arriving in a new harbour, our large blue flag,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span> +now known along the whole coast as the herald of +good things, had always proved a sufficient call to +prayers. We found no need for adventitious attractions; +where opportunities are so few, we found men +and women only too glad to come and join in simple +praise to God for mercies past, and prayer for the +unknown future before them. Here the uncertainty +of things seen, renders things unseen more real, while +the impotence of man being so evident, makes the +power of his Maker more intensely felt, and the +anxiety to be ever ready to meet Him more deeply +earnest. Even the sceptic has acknowledged it +means something, this “coming to Christ” of the +fisherman. His faith, unburdened by “higher criticisms,” +or convenient interpretations, sees in his +Master’s words a call to follow Him, on earth as well +as in heaven. Often I have watched men tremble +and hesitate, time after time, when God’s Spirit seems +striving with them, before the final step is taken. +For they count well the cost beforehand, and realize +fully the weakness of their own natures. But once +“over the line” means <em>following</em> Christ to them—means +coming out, being separate, marked men. +The world sets for them no higher standard than +they set for themselves, and their self-sacrificing +fidelity to their ideal has stirred the heart of more +than one Christian worker. There is little half-and-half +following, little “coasting” for fear of “launching +out,” such as saps to-day the joy and rejoicing +of thousands of professed Christians. A fisherman<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span> +knows if he has “tacked ship,” and is on the Lord’s +side, or on the other side. Often they say, “I should +like to be”; almost never, “I hope I am.”</p> + +<p>For visiting places inaccessible to the ship, from +the fact that they lay among dangerous rocks, or +up narrow creeks, or because they only offered shelter +to small boats, we had taken with us a twenty-five +foot whale-boat, the <em>Alfred</em>, which we rigged with +two lug-sails and a jib. In this we made many +journeys. Once we capsized her; once lost our way +in the fog, and had a nasty half-hour, with wind +rising, and fearing we were making out to sea as we +ran before it, till the thunder of the surf warned us +of the land, and the bottom of towering cliffs, white +with Atlantic breakers, broke suddenly into view. +We had to abandon the boat that night, and walk +home over the hills; but we managed to fetch her +home, close-reefed under shelter of the back of the +islands, next day. It so happened that where we +landed two or three couples wanted marrying. No +chance had offered for several years, so one couple +determined at once to return to the ship with us for +that ceremony, as we had at the time a visiting +minister on board. It was late at night before we +got there, but we decided (1) any hour was better +than none, and (2) that in a lonely harbour, on a +solitary ship (and as they already had three children), +“pronouncing the banns might be dispensed +with.” So we adjourned to the cabin, and proceeded +to business at once. The skipper was best man and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span> +I was witness, while the steward and crew, who had +previously decorated the cabin with bunting, together +with one or two Livyeres from the creek, were congregation. +After all was over, hard biscuits and +tea were served, in lieu of a wedding breakfast, +while the occasion was honoured from a few old +fowling-pieces and by a couple of dynamite distress +rockets on the <em>Albert’s</em> deck. Altogether, we visited +in the <em>Alfred</em> and the <em>Albert</em> some thirty-five harbours, +exertions which so told on the <em>Alfred’s</em> constitution +that now she is taking her last rest at +Great Yarmouth.</p> + +<p>Our dingey also upset in Domino Run, when endeavouring +to get ashore; an accident which proved +nearly fatal to the ship’s carpenter, for he happened +to come up under the sail, and was unable to +swim. Happily it only ended in an undignified +rescue. A more serious accident happened to the +<em>Albert’s</em> winch, for in Winsor Harbour, while letting +go the anchor, a catch got wrong and stripped +off all the teeth of the cog-wheels. After this we +were unable to get our anchor in, except with the +help of a great many men, for it was impossible to +replace the cog-wheel on the Labrador. It was quite +a sight on leaving harbours to see often fifty men, +who had come off voluntarily, “walking in” the +anchor by means of a system of pulleys, each as he +came to the stern of the ship trotting back to catch +hold of the rope again near the bow, a continuous +chain of men being thus maintained, and all singing,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span> +as they pulled, one of the old shanty songs to assist +them to pull together. The names of the harbours +we entered were, if old Eskimo names, long and unpronounceable, +such as Nukasasuktok; if French, +often almost unrecognisable, thus Cape d’Espoir has +become Cape Despair; if English, often descriptive +of some incident, such as Run-by-Guess, Seldom-Come-By, +Ice Tickle, Cutthroat Island, Split-Knife +Harbour, Bakeapple Bight, Tumbledown Dick Island, +and so on.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_103"> +<img src="images/i_103.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="480"> +<p class="caption center"> Moravian Station, Hopedale.</p> +</div> + +<p>When visiting up the bays our chief enemies +were always the mosquitos. These are a very +real scourge, for, like the black fly and sand fly, +which also exist in myriads, they bite very severely, +and we found them at times so thick that it was +difficult to breathe without inhaling them. Even +the “Livyeres” seldom, if ever, get accustomed to +them, while it is at times impossible to send Newfoundland +crews up inlets for firewood.</p> + +<p>Our medical cases had included many and various +ailments, especially of the eye, the lungs, and the +skin. Many teeth, of course, had called for attention; +and the forceps had on more occasions than +one been the way to a man’s heart. If you do not +believe this, try a week’s toothache at sea without +remedies.</p> + +<p>Among many interesting cases was that of one +poor fellow, who fourteen days previously had accidentally +shot off both his arms below the elbows. +Since that time he had lain on his back, with nothing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span> +but an oily rag over the wounds. As we went into +his hut he held up the raw stumps piteously, from +which, in each case, some inches of bare bone +protruded. What could be done was done to relieve +his agony, but the poor fellow died of exhaustion +after an operation on the stumps. The night we +were leaving that harbour it was dark and blowing +as I clambered out over the rocks, to signal for the +ship’s boat about 10 p.m. There I found waiting +for me the poor man’s wife, who, in a flood of tears, +gratefully wrung my hands, till I too felt a choking +sensation about the throat. There was something +so real in her sorrow, now left still more lonely on +that lonely coast.</p> + +<p>One day a silver-haired old fisherman came aboard +for advice. “All my three sons died this summer +from diphtheria, sir,” he told me. “I buried them +all the same week. My eldest was nineteen, and he +lasted out the fever; but he couldn’t swallow, and I +did not know how to feed him.” “What did you +do?” “Well, I tied a split herring round his throat—some +say that is good—but he starved to death +before my eyes. It is hard for us now to get along, +with no one to help me tend the nets. You see I’m +not so young now as I was.”</p> + +<p>One poor woman, with a tumour of the leg, one +day sent for “the mission doctor.” She couldn’t +walk for it, she said, and life had become a burden. +We told her, “An operation will make you quite +well, and we can put you to sleep while it is done.”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span> +She would not take chloroform, however, and so we +thought all was over. Next morning another message +summoned me to the cottage, where I found +five strong men waiting. “These men have promised +to hold me, doctor, while you take that away. +But I may bawl, mayn’t I?” In quarter of an hour +all was completed, and my plucky patient was laughing +loudest at the queer scene; for bawl she had, +indeed, “to keep me from thinking of it,” she said. +But the men held on well, and in ten days she was +all healed, and was up and walking.</p> + +<p>Among our most interesting visits had been that +to Hopedale, the most southern station of the Moravian +missionaries; but I must leave to a later chapter +a description of the Eskimo, of whom we saw a +good deal. There were three Moravians and their +wives here, the oldest having lived in Labrador +twenty-seven years. Once a year they communicate +with England by the good ship <em>Harmony</em>, +which, with its predecessors, has been visiting the +coast for one hundred and twenty years. These men +are true followers of the Saviour in the self-sacrificing +spirit, which draws them to live their lives +out on so barren and deserted a coast. At seven +years old their children leave them for ever, to be +educated in Germany, and then find an occupation +in life. In one harbour, Zoar, was a lonely missionary +and his wife, who had just sent home their +eighth and last child, a little girl of seven years. +“Can you not bring me a baby from England? we<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span> +are so lonely now,” said the good man’s wife to me. +Even to get a wife they must write home, and one is +chosen by lot for them. After our visit, they wrote +as follows:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Hopedale, Labrador</span>,</p> +<p class="right"><em>September 7th</em>.</p> + +<p><em>To the Council of the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen.</em></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Gentlemen</span>,—On behalf of the Moravian Mission +here I would ask you to accept our warmest thanks +for sending your ship, the <em>Albert</em>, to visit us and our +people, cut off as we are for so many months in the +year from the rest of the world. We feel by its +visit that we are within your thoughts. For the +comfort we have found in having our hands spiritually +strengthened by the presence of other Christian +men; for what benefit we have received from medical +attendance in our Mission house and in our congregation; +for the kind gift of books for our library, +and for the blessing we had in joining these meetings +kept, and for the pleasure we have had in meeting +all those we met from the <em>Albert</em>, we beg you to +accept our most hearty thanks. May our Lord and +Saviour bless your work everywhere, as He has done +it here among the fishermen and at our Station.</p> + +<p>With kind and brotherly love, we remain your +brethren in Christ,</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">P. M. Hansen</span>,</p> +<p class="right"><em>Moravian Missionary</em>.</p> +</div> + +<p>In Hopedale Harbour we stayed many days, for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95]</span> +hundreds of vessels kept calling in on their way +south; for winter was then approaching, and already +cod-trap boats going to their nets had had to +cut through two inches of new ice.</p> + +<p>On our arrival in St. Johns it was thought advisable +to report the results and deductions from this +experimental voyage. Accordingly his Excellency +the Governor, Sir Terence O’Brien, invited the leading +citizens acquainted with the fishery to meet at +Government House. The report showed that (1) +much needless suffering, limbs and special functions, +besides life itself, were to be saved by the possibility +of obtaining skilled assistance in the first instance; +the famous sealing master, Captain Sam Blandford, +who was present, stating that while he had charge +of the mail steamer plying on the coast, seventeen +unfortunate people had died aboard without possibility +of proper treatment. (2) That even that year +twenty-nine persons had died at one harbour in +Labrador of diphtheria without being able to get a +doctor’s help—nay, more, no one would take their +fish or visit them to trade a winter’s supply. (3) +That the doctor on the small mail steamer was so +short a time in each harbour, and the time of his +arrival so uncertain, that the people had little confidence +in the few moments possible to devote to each +case, even if they were fortunate enough to see the +doctor at all, while it was impossible to undertake +any serious case with success. (4) That poverty +and starvation directly result from sickness or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[96]</span> +accident to the breadwinner being left untreated. +After the report the following proposition was moved +by the Hon. A. Harvey, and supported by Sir Wm. +Whiteway, premier, and Sir Robert Thorborne, ex-premier, +which was carried unanimously:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“<em>Resolved</em>—That this meeting, representing the +principal merchants and traders carrying on +the fisheries, especially on the coast of Labrador, +and others interested in the welfare of +this colony, desires to tender its warmest +thanks to the directors of the Deep Sea Mission +for their philanthropic generosity in sending +their Hospital ship <em>Albert</em> to visit the fishing +settlements on the Labrador coast....</p> + +<p>“Much of our fishing industry is carried +on in regions beyond the ordinary reach of +medical aid or of charity, and it is with the +deepest sense of gratitude that this meeting +learns of the amount of medical and surgical +work done, besides all the other relief and help +so liberally distributed. This meeting also +desires to express the hope that the directors +of the Mission may see their way to continuing +the work thus begun, and should they do +so they may be assured of the earnest co-operation +of all classes of this community.”</p> +</div> + +<p>His Excellency the Governor then nominated a +committee to help to perpetuate and extend the operations<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span> +of the Mission in Labrador. One merchant +present, Mr. W. Baine Grieve, presented to the +Mission a house at Battle Harbour for the first +hospital.</p> + +<p>The <em>Albert</em> soon after left for England. She reached +Yarmouth on December 1st, where she received a +hearty reception from the many friends of the work.</p> + +<p>In the report of the Chamber of Commerce of +Newfoundland the following reference to the work +was included:—</p> + +<p>“A new feature worthy of mention in this report, +affecting as it does, more or less, the comfort of +20,000 or 30,000 of our people, was the appearance +on the Labrador coast of the Mission to Deep Sea +Fishermen ship <em>Albert</em>, outfitted by a philanthropic +society in England, non-sectarian in its lines, and +intended to afford skilled medical aid to, and provide +to some extent for the mental and material wants +of our fishermen. This essay has been an unqualified +success, and has evoked from the recipients of its +bounty expressions of deep gratitude, while at the +same time it has engendered in the breasts of all +who are interested in the welfare and prosperity of +the Colony feelings that must strengthen the bonds +which bind this comparatively neglected dependency +to the Mother Country. The vivid portraiture, by +the doctor in charge, of his own personal experiences +on the coast is likely to result in well-organized co-operation +by the Colony next season upon the lines +on which the Mission ship is being worked.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span></p> + +<p>And in February, 1893, the following resolution +was received from the St. Johns Committee:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“That this representative Committee will undertake +to provide two suitable buildings which +may be used as hospitals by the Mission to +Deep Sea Fishermen, should the Council of the +Mission signify their intention to continue +their operations on the coast of Labrador, and +the Committee will heartily co-operate in any +other way that the Council of the Society +may suggest.</p> + +<p>“That a copy of the foregoing resolution be +forwarded to Dr. Grenfell for the information +of the Society.</p> + +<p>“(Signed) {<span class="smcap">T. O’Brien</span>, Governor, <em>Chairman</em>.</p> +<p class="p10">{<span class="smcap">M. Monroe</span>, <em>Secretary</em>.”</p> +</div> + +<p>The council of the Mission replied that they were +prepared to fit out a second expedition, and to undertake +the working of the two hospitals.</p> + +<p>During the rest of February, March, and April +the captain of the <em>Albert</em> and myself held meetings +in various towns, in the endeavour to raise money +to carry on the work. Meanwhile we sent out +directions for the fitting up of the house given by +Mr. Baine Grieve at Battle Harbour, and also plans +for a wooden hospital, to be built in sections in St. +Johns, for transference to Indian Harbour, at the +entrance to Eskimo Bay, one hundred and eighty +miles further north.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span></p> + +<p>In April an earnest appeal was made for money +to obtain a steam launch, to assist the <em>Albert</em>, by +visiting otherwise inaccessible places, and by towing +her in and out of narrow harbours. At the same +time preparations were being pushed ahead at Yarmouth. +The <em>Albert</em> was once more recalled from +her work in the North Sea. She was victualled for +six months, refitted as far as necessary, and stored +with the clothing, woollens, and literature which had +been in the process of collection all winter. A crew +was shipped, and by the 1st of May she was all +ready to sail. Our whaler had been knocked to +pieces last year, and we had to get a new boat to +replace it, or trust still to the money coming in for +a steam launch.</p> + +<p>Arrangements had been made for the <em>Albert</em> to visit +one or two English seaports on her journey out, in +order to solicit further help, amongst others Exeter, +Swansea, and Bristol, whence she was to sail direct +to St. Johns. Still the money had not come in. +While, however, we were at Bristol, our boat still +unbought, the joyful news reached us, “Money necessary +for a launch has now come in.” The <em>Albert</em> +touched last of all at Swansea, where a suitable +rowing boat, the <em>Mary Grenfell</em>, was presented to +her. In Chester we found the most suitable launch +for the money we had—an oak-built, copper-fastened +boat, with simple 9-inch engine, six years of age, +though only little work had been done in her. She +was forty-five feet long. Her great defect was her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span> +width, which was only eight feet, so that, being +carvel-built, she would roll most dreadfully. However, +while the <em>Albert</em> sailed across to Queenstown +we fitted out the launch at a total cost of £325, and +arranged to ship it direct by Allan line steamer +<em>Corean</em> to St. Johns. On June 1st I joined the <em>Albert</em> +at Queenstown, and next morning we set sail for +Newfoundland.</p> + +<p>The hospital committee had meanwhile appointed +A. O. Bobardt, M.B., M.R.C.S., of Melbourne, Australia, +and King’s Hospital, and Eliot Curwen, M.B., B.A., +of Cambridge and the London Hospital, as medical +missionaries for the two hospitals. These sailed +with us in the <em>Albert</em>. They had also appointed +Miss Cecilia Williams and Miss Ada Carwardine to +act as matrons and nurses under the doctors, and +had arranged for them to sail by the same steamer +as the launch. We had three dirty days on the way +out, and once were at close quarters with a large +iceberg, but the <em>Albert</em> again quitted herself well, +and on our arrival in St. Johns we again experienced +the greatest of kindness. Our committee had +collected some fifteen hundred dollars. A meeting +was at once called, and a small executive of two +members were appointed for each hospital, the Hon. +M. Monroe acting for Battle Harbour and Mr. W. C. +Job for Indian Harbour.</p> + +<p>On the arrival of the launch she was at once put +into order for starting, while the nurses joined the +<em>Albert</em>, as the best way to reach their respective<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span> +stations. Meanwhile the Indian Harbour hospital +was sent on by steamer to Labrador. But a pleasing +function yet remained to be done—the christening +of the new launch. A telegram had reached +us that the Princess May, who had long been +interested in the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, +had consented to allow it to be named after her. +Accordingly on May 6th, amidst much rejoicing +and display of bunting, Her Excellency Lady +O’Brien christened our launch the <em>Princess May</em>.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_116"> +<img src="images/i_116.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="475"> +<p class="caption center"> The <em>Princess May</em> in Hamilton Inlet.</p> +</div> +</div> + + + + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>OUR SECOND SEASON</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> Friday, July 7th, with a steward, an engineer, +and Dr. Bobardt as my companion, the <em>Princess +May</em> left St. Johns for Labrador, the <em>Albert</em> having +left the previous day. It was not without some feelings +of misdoubt that we first encountered the swell of +the Atlantic, knowing we should not make harbour +till night; and as we had two large bays to cross, +none of us being familiar with the coast, we had +hoped for a clear day to enable us to keep the land +in sight; but here again we were disappointed, for the +rebound from the cliffs forced us to stand out half +a mile to sea, and a dense fog shut everything from +view. Not having yet given the launch a trial ourselves, +and she being six years of age, we were not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span> +surprised after the first five miles, when the engineer +sang out, “Sprung a leak, sir; shall we put +back?” An examination revealed the fact that we +could stop the leak with a wood plug; and so to +disappoint some few “croakers,” who had “told us +so,” we settled to stand on. Our compass having +only a card disc, and not being filled with spirit to +steady it, proved very unsteady, our narrow width, +of only eight feet, making us roll very rapidly. We +adopted the method of endeavouring to steer midway +between the extreme points the needle swung +to, and then to keep one point inside our course so +that we should not run out to sea. Very shortly +this resulted in bringing us up straight before a +perpendicular cliff. Evidently our compass was incorrect. +An examination revealed that its box had +been screwed on to the cabin with large iron screws, +the proper binnacle having been broken on the voyage +out, and being still at the optician’s in St. +Johns. These we soon extracted, and making a +fresh start to the nor’ard sighted Bacalhao Island, +about forty miles from St. Johns, at mid-day.</p> + +<p>Not having sighted any more land by 5 p.m., we +began to think it was time to turn inshore, and after +some time found ourselves suddenly amidst numbers +of ragged rocks and small islands. Our chart book +described on the north side of Trinity Bay some +“Ragged Islands”; and we guessed we had struck +among these, so once more we stood out into the +fog. Shortly a weird noise attracted our attention.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span> +We stopped and listened. Yes, it was a fog-horn. +This confirmed our recent diagnosis of “Ragged +Islands,” and once more we knew where we were. +Night saw us safely berthed in Catalina Harbour, +where we managed to coal ship before going to rest. +With no small feelings of satisfaction we went below +that night. True the locker was hard to lie on, +but the anxiety and subsequent success of that first +day was a sure soporific, combined with the fact that +the previous night had been none too restful, for we +had then no confidence in the powers of the <em>Princess +May</em>. Here we found our compass was still incorrect, +so we unshipped it altogether and carried it +forward, to be further from the magnetic influence +of certain iron handles. Right gaily we left harbour +next morning, but outside found a new experience. +The wind had veered round and was +blowing on shore, with a chilling drizzly rain to +enhance the effect of the nasty lop of the sea. Our +loose deck gear began to go overboard, and among +it our boat-hook took leave of us. Being heavy at +one end it disappeared from sight at once. It was +gaily painted black and white, and we were sorry +to lose it, being our only one. As I looked back it +suddenly rose again, lifting its painted handle high +out of water, as if to ask for help. We couldn’t +well desert it after that, and so went round to pick +it up. Our log has no record of the number of +circles we completed; but if the reader has ever +pursued a stick with one heavy end in a choppy sea,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span> +he will find it usually disappears just as the vessel +has completed the tedious manœuvres necessary to +come up to it. The next question was, should we +venture further? The mail steamer was just coming +out behind us, and it wouldn’t look well to give up. +We would try for Cape Bonavista. By ten o’clock +the Cape was safely rounded, and the wind increasing +we determined to lay into the Bay, which +is twenty-eight miles across. We should not have +reached Greenspond, north of the bay, that night, had +we steamed the course we intended; but after some +hours steaming and seeing no land, we spied a fishing +boat, and went alongside for information as to +our locality. We found we were already across the +bay to our great surprise and joy. It appeared that +Dr. Bobardt, who had steered all day, had headed +two points to the westward of his course.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_119"> +<img src="images/i_119.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="438"> +<p class="caption center"> Interior of Male Ward, Indian Harbour.</p> +</div> + +<p>We were loath to steam on Sunday, but our next +run round Cape Freels was a most difficult one, from +the numberless off-lying rocks and shoals. So when +three a.m. showed a clear horizon and a calm sea, +we started off. Alas, fog fell on us shortly, and left +us threading our way through the labyrinth. Now +and again we could see bottom, and at times some +rock near the surface, over which at intervals the +swell would break with a noise like thunder. The +<em>Princess May</em> did well this day—covering eighty +miles—and the mail steamer, which had only just +reached and was anchored for the night in Toulinguet +Harbour, was surprised to see us come in and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span> +tie up alongside. The fourth day saw us on the +French shore, as we rounded Cape John at mid-day. +Here, however, we met a strong head wind, +against which we had no alternative but to steam. +Now, to provide some kind of cabin, a little house +had been built into the fore-part of the launch, with +a square glass front, being inside just about the size +and shape of the ordinary ’bus. As we steamed +into the head sea, it was just up to this part of the +cabin, which projected a couple of feet above deck, +that the launch dived, with the result that a sort of +water spout was thrown up and then dropped on +deck. Yet, as everything was closed up, no water +got below, and we managed to make a harbour to +the north side of the headland. The water, however, +got everywhere but below, and we were glad +of a change after dropping anchor.</p> + +<p>At almost all the places we called at along the +French shore, we found the people very poor and +but little educated. Unfortunately in Newfoundland +the Sectarian School system prevails, with +a most disastrous result among these poor and +scattered communities. In all we found some who +were anxious to avail themselves of the visit of +a doctor. In many no qualified medical man ever +goes; and on the part known to us, that is the +east coast, there are none at all resident. In the +lonely harbour we were now in, called Pacquet, +a man soon emerged from the woods and came off +to us in a boat. He was ill-clad and looked equally<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span> +ill-fed, and his boy, who was with him, was suffering +from a pustular disease of the skin, for which +we prescribed. Though it was warm where we +were anchored the inlet was still partially choked +by two large icebergs, and our friend told us that +want of a net, and indeed any proper fishing gear, +as yet prevented their getting any fish. The mosquitos +were here very numerous and very busy. It +was impossible almost to go ashore even for fresh +water from the river at the head of the inlet, and +indeed when the dingey came back, a cloud of these +bloodthirsty pests followed her to the launch, and +invited themselves to spend the night in our already +sufficiently crowded cabin. Professor Hind narrates +an Indian tradition that mosquitos were created for +the benefit of a saint, who, for disobedience, had been +banished from heaven to a desert part of the earth. +In her solitude she prayed for even flies as companions, +whereupon mosquitos and black flies were +created. This gave her plenty of employment till it +was time for her to return, but the flies remained +in order to teach men the folly of trying to divert +their attention from the consequences of their sins +by seeking amusement. Captain Whitbourne says +they are of great use to make the idle work.</p> + +<p>We were early astir next morning, and took a +course for the St. Barbe Islands. But a breeze rising +towards the land, we made a detour in order to cross +White Bay, which is eighteen miles at its narrowest +point, and so lay across till we were seven or eight<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span> +miles only from land. Then we again headed north, +and by nine o’clock, with a good breeze behind us, +crossed Hare Bay and ran into St. Anthony Harbour. +During the day a curious mirage had for +some time kept us under the impression that we were +hedged in by floe ice. We could see the vertical +edge, the gleaming white top, and what appeared to +be even cracks, fissures, and hummocks. It turned +out to be only an optical illusion, and we found that +it kept retreating before us all the afternoon like a +will-of-the-wisp. At St. Anthony we were among +friends of last year, so were soon ashore, and the +day closed with a hearty service in the kitchen of +the largest house.</p> + +<p>The breeze increasing, delayed us a day in this +port, but before daylight on the 13th we left for +an attempt to cross the Straits of Belle Isle. As +we rounded Cape Bauld a most magnificent crimson +light lit up the whole horizon. Against it stood +out many stately icebergs, rising weird and ghostly +from the deep purple of the sea. One of immense +height looked just like some gigantic cathedral, its +gabled roof in the red glow shining like burnished +gold, while ever and anon the stillness preceding +dawn was broken by the deep boom of the Atlantic +swell reverberating from some hollow chasm at its +base, suggesting a mighty organ played in its vast +recesses. No sooner had we passed it in silence +than the engineer touched me on the arm and pointed +back at its lordly summit. “Look, sir! isn’t that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span> +some one on the berg?” And there, sure enough, +plain and sharp against the sky, on the crest, stood +the figure of a man. But our glasses soon dispelled +the illusion. It was but a pinnacle with a thin base, +which, when thus seen edgeways, so closely resembled +a human figure.</p> + +<p>From here we headed for the Sacred Islands, and +a breeze making up the straits, we ran in behind +Cape Onion to see what sort of a day it was going +to be, before we ventured to cross the straits. I +was surprised, on landing, at the quantity and +variety of wild flowers here. There were represented +among many others, saxifrages, umbellifers, composites, +ranunculi, primulas, and gentians. The +insectivorous “Drosera” is common on the heights, +and the beautiful “Linnæus borealis” nestles in +among the scrub.</p> + +<p>The country, viewed from the head, is very peculiar, +being, as far as the eye could range, one +immense flat plain, with quite as much water as dry +land, from the innumerable winding ponds or lakes +of fresh water.</p> + +<p>By mid-day we ventured to make a start, and +headed direct for Cape Charles, close inside the +island of Belle Isle. As we brought the hills and +steep cliffs of Labrador into view, we found there +was still much snow in the gulfs and crevices; +while it was necessary carefully to thread our way +among the numbers of icebergs, which up to this +very week had been blocking the straits. By sundown +we sighted the flag-staff on Battle Island, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span> +at 7.30 were once more alongside the <em>Albert</em>. A +crowded gathering below decks closed the day, all +being full of joy and hope at the prospect of another +season’s work.</p> + +<p>Next day the house given by Mr. Baine Grieve +was inspected, and we found that Mr. Hall, the +agent for the fishery, had already placed it almost +in a condition for occupation. The <em>Albert’s</em> crew also +had been at work—carpentering, painting, and +landing heavy goods, such as bedsteads, bedding, +food, drugs, and furniture.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, the hospital for Indian Harbour, at the +mouth of Hamilton inlet, had been sent north, ready +cut in sections in the coastal steamer, <em>Winsor Lake</em>. +Two carpenters had also been sent north to work at +its erection. Next day, therefore, our party divided +again, the <em>Albert</em> going north to help with the +second hospital, having on board Dr. Curwen and +Sister Williams, while I, in the <em>Princess May</em>, went +south along the straits of Belle Isle, Dr. Bobart +and Sister Carwardine remaining at Battle. This +arrangement was rendered possible by the agent +extending his generous hospitality to the nurse and +doctor indefinitely.</p> + +<p>Our first run took us to Red Bay, where we at +once were among friends of last year. Alas, poverty +and want had laid their hands heavily on this +place, and some families had been nearly naked +and next door to starving all winter. Not only +had 1892 been a poor fishery, but now the best<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[113]</span> +chance for 1893, viz. the caplin school of cod, had +come and gone, while densely packed ice, held in +by persistent easterly winds, had prevented the men +getting their nets out.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[114]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_128"> +<img src="images/i_128.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="460"> +<p class="caption center"> A Newfoundlander’s Hut, Labrador.</p> +</div> +</div> + + + + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</h2> + + +<p class="center"><em>OUR VOYAGE CONTINUED</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> our arrival in a harbour our method was, as +last year, to hoist our blue flag to announce our +arrival, to then visit any seriously sick I could hear +of, after which we had evening service in a shed, +stage, or house, and then, last of all, any could come +for advice or assistance. To every family or vessel +a good bundle of reading was given if they wished +it, all the literature being selected at home as healthy +and suitable for fishermen. If any wanted God’s +Word, that, too, was to be had for asking for it; +while a register was kept of all the poor, describing +as accurately as we could the nature of the needs +and deserts of each case, in order that when, at the +end of the year, we divided up the warm clothing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[115]</span> +we had brought out, it should fall into the hands of +the most deserving. In this way also we became +possessed of a valuable record for future reference. +Thus in one house when visiting a case, I found my +patient to be the mother of a large family. The poor +thing, who, with self-sacrificing courage, had refused +to believe herself ill till she could get about no +more, was lying on one single wood form in a bare +and dirty room, her head close to an old cracked +stove, behind which a crowd of shivering urchins +were huddled together. The sickness was acute +bronchitis and pleurisy, made worse by little clothing +and less food. A haggard man meanwhile +was pacing up and down, nursing a screaming and +hungry baby. I pulled the children out from behind +the stove for inspection; but their rags so failed to +cover them, that each hastened back at once after +the ordeal to the seclusion and warmth behind the +old stove. The complete attire of one bony little mite +was an old trouser leg, into which he was packed +like a sack. All were alike barefooted.</p> + +<p>Staying here over Sunday, I was the guest of a Labrador +fisherman, rather better off than the majority, +an erect, grey-haired man of about forty-five, standing +some six feet two inches. His cottage, built with +his own hands, was a pattern of neatness and cleanliness, +but the bad seasons were compelling even +him to desert the harbour, and try squatting farther +along the coast. He was still the fortunate possessor, +however, of a cod-trap (value about £80), by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[116]</span> +means of which he still hoped to end the year out +of debt. He was the class leader for the neighbourhood, +and had many years been standing on the +Lord’s side, and, indeed, after the Wesleyan Missionary +for the Straits, he was the backbone of the +religious life of the place. Such an one, where +every detail of one’s life is known, must indeed be +an “Epistle read of all men,” of which fact he was +well aware, as also, that his neighbours, while unable +or undesirous to read God’s word for themselves, +measured the claims of God on their own life very +largely by his actions. This we found to obtain +more or less along the whole coast, especially among +these scattered communities, where little or no provision +is made for their spiritual needs. When +therefore Sunday morning broke, and a large iceberg +was noticed drifting towards his cod-trap, threatening +to deprive him of his means of earning his daily +bread, he at first decided to go and spend the day +working to save his net. But soon he came back, +saying, “I’ve decided not to go, doctor; there are +those in this harbour that only want a pretext for +working on the Lord’s Day, and I’ll not be the one +to give it them.” As we climbed the hill to the +little wooden chapel I noticed him standing and +greeting the people as they came along, according +to his custom, as if forgetful of the fact that the +mass of ice was at that moment probably robbing +him of his all. We had three <em>such</em> services that +day; the Wesleyan missionary, the Rev. John Sidey,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[119]</span> +was present, and more than one of our hearts were +full at the evidence of the reality of God’s Spirit +among this out-of-the-way, isolated people. Long +before sunrise on Monday, indeed immediately after +midnight, my good host was away in his boat after +the wreck of his cod-trap, and by breakfast had +returned, his face radiant with the same happy smile +he always has, saying, “I <em>knew</em> it would be all right, +doctor. The worst of the ice passed outside it; a +few hours’ work, and we shall get it all right again.”</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_131"> +<img src="images/i_131.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="446"> +<p class="caption center"> Interior of Indian Harbour Hospital.</p> +</div> + +<p>In the Straits of Belle Isle we visited all the +stations to Old Ford Island, about 100 miles from +the entrance. At L’Anse au Loup, Blanc Sablon +(the boundary between Canada and Newfoundland), +and at Bonne Esperance, we found large stations +for fishing, with numbers of men hard at work at +the caplin school. We had quite a number of +surgical and medical cases, including two of true +(sailor’s) scurvy from want of proper food. At one +place we were called to operate on the back of a +French settler, at another on the arm of a poor +Newfoundland schooner-man. In this last case I +had the assistance of a Roman Catholic priest who +was journeying along the coast.</p> + +<p>While visiting in Forteau Bay we passed close to +the wreck of H.M.S. <em>Lily</em>. We found here that a +Beaver line steamer, the <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Lake Nepigon</em>, had +recently run ashore. While journeying down the +straits she had struck on a whale-back iceberg, +and was sinking head foremost, like the <em>Victoria</em>,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[120]</span> +when her captain succeeded in grounding her on +one of the few bits of sand for miles. Her screw +and rudder were practically out of water when she +took the bottom, with her bows in 27 feet. The +doctor aboard had spent three days on shore near, +and had operated on one cancer of the lip and on an +old compound dislocation of the wrist in a young +girl. These came to us to have the stitches removed.</p> + +<p>While returning from visiting a patient at Greenly +Island in thick fog, we were unfortunate enough to +run the <em>Princess May</em> ashore. It was as dark as +pitch at the time, and we had burnt all our flares +out while threading our way through a quantity of +schooners at anchor. Two men on the bows of the +boat, after a long pause to search for some guidance, +had just given the word “all right ahead,” +when we ran up on a flat-topped rock, and found +that high, almost perpendicular, cliffs were only a +few yards ahead. Throwing out our dingey, and +removing all superfluous weight from the bows, we +succeeded shortly in getting off; and guided by the +stentorian shouts of some men from a schooner, +alternating with their fog-horn, we found our way +alongside and made fast to her. As we were too +many even to lie down on the launch I went aboard +the schooner, the hospitable skipper of which insisted +on my turning into his bunk. He was only +just back, apparently, with a load of fish from his +traps, and hearing the echo of our voices from the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[121]</span> +cliffs had guessed something was wrong. He added, +“there is fish to be had now, and so I don’t turn +in at all myself”; and sure enough, after a shake +down and some supper he and his crew disappeared +into the foggy darkness for a fresh load from the +trap, while sleep reigned supreme on board. He +turned out to be a green-fish catcher, who was +“making” his fish on his vessel.</p> + +<p>Further along the straits, at Bonne Esperance, we +met with a more serious mishap, for while returning +from a visit up Salmon River our propeller refused +to rotate, and we had to depend on our sail. The +kindness of the first engineer of a sealing steamer +(Mr. William Crossman) anchored in the harbour +set us all right again, however, for he made us a +complete set of new steel screws for our piston-top—our +own had given out, and we neither had means +of making new ones, or replacing them, in Labrador. +After one or two other similar mishaps, but having +treated some one hundred and fifty patients, and +having received much kindness and a warm welcome +wherever we had been, we reached Battle +Hospital again on the 29th of July. We brought a +dying fisherman the last 80 miles with us, which +necessitated his sleeping three nights in my cabin. +He was still in the prime of life, but pneumonia +developed into gangrene of the lungs, and he subsequently +died in Battle Harbour Hospital.</p> + +<p>The Sunday passed pleasantly and rapidly among +the people here. After evening service, held by the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[122]</span> +schoolmaster in the little church, we had a good +“fishermen’s meeting.” Dr. Bobardt was away all +day visiting sick people on a neighbouring island, +and holding service among them. No patients were +yet allowed in hospital, though it now only remained +to cover the floors and get the stores in. Sister +Carwardine had therefore arranged for the nursing +of one poor woman, on whom an operation had been +necessary, in a room of a cottage near at hand.</p> + +<p>As the mail steamer was shortly expected, and +would certainly bring patients for the hospital, the +following day was spent by all hands in rendering +the hospital inhabitable; and by evening our first +patient was comfortably located in a room on the +ground floor, while the sister spent her first night +in hospital in an arm-chair.</p> + +<p>Next day, before leaving for the north, Dr. Bobardt +again being away visiting, I was called on to bury +a poor fellow, father of a family of five, who had +died from consumption in a neighbouring cove. The +burial-ground is a small plot at the bottom of a deep +ravine on the seaboard side of the island. On each +side rose barren rocky crags, behind was the bleak +island top, while in front lay the great Atlantic, +bearing on its heaving bosom, as far as the eye +could see, countless mighty icebergs. As the sad +procession wound along the defile, carrying in its +rude wood covering what was so recently a living, +hopeful human being; as they laid it in its last long +resting-place amidst these cold and desolate surroundings,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[123]</span> +the craving for something beyond the +grave burnt fiercely in every heart; while the joy +of knowing of a Heavenly Father, who has given +us victory even over the grave, was realized as a +priceless possession which the world cannot give—no, +nor sell either.</p> + +<p>Our next object was to visit the coast up to Indian +Harbour, calling for coal and a few supplies left for +us half-way up by the <em>Albert</em>, at a place called +Bateau. In making a narrow inlet called Francis +Harbour, we found much difficulty in getting in; for +after long searching for the entrance, it proved to +be blocked with ice, and a circuitous method inside +an island was unknown to us. However, once inside +the warmth of our welcome made up for the suspense +outside, and after service in the neat and +commodious parlour of the agent’s (Mr. Penny) +house, we had a <em>levée</em> of sick visitors till midnight. +We next entered a deep narrow cleft in a high +mountain, running parallel with the sea, nowhere +wider than a stone’s throw. It is very deep, and +high hills of bright red rocks rise abruptly on both +hands. On the outer side are perched houses and +fishing stages. This is known as Venison Tickle. +The agent (Mr. Hawker) received us most warmly, +and being himself doctor, parson, planter, and all +combined, took me round at once to the various sick +and injured. One poor old fisherman, suffering from +apoplectic paralysis, we sent to hospital at Battle, +though we learnt from a schooner that already it +was nearly full.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[124]</span></p> + +<p>Landing on a low island as we passed north, we +found the eider-duck nesting in considerable numbers, +while in the little pools among the rocks were young +ducks and young gulls in numbers. Of the latter +we caught several for our stew-pot. We steamed +thence fifteen miles to Boulter’s Rock Harbour by a +long narrow channel inside two enormous islands, +the passage being known as Squasho Run. Fog +succeeded fog all along this part of the coast, and it +was only by the help of volunteer local pilots we +succeeded in finding many of the harbours.</p> + +<p>One dark night, unable to find our way further, +we dropped our anchor inside some outlying islands +called Seal Islands. It seemed to us that we had +hardly got straight and settled down for the night’s +rest before we heard a boat bumping against our +side. In such a lonely place, and in a thick drizzly +fog at night, a superstitious person might well have +started. Soon we heard the soft tread of a mocassin +over the half-inch boarding which, covered with +painted canvas, served us as a roof; then a bustling +at the hatchway door, and soon the broad face of a +half-breed Eskimo peered into the cabin. It appeared +he had a very sick daughter at his hut on the island, +near which no doctor ever went. He had heard of +the <em>Princess May</em> being about; and seeing our cabin +lights shining as he chanced to pass in his boat +homewards, he had come in search of assistance. +Soon, swathed in oilskins, I was sitting in the stern +of his boat, while he swiftly rowed away into the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[125]</span> +darkness. Landing, and following closely behind him +over broken rock for some quarter mile, brought me +to his cottage, which, in true Labrador fashion, was +well filled with inhabitants. Among them I found +two seriously ill, one a young man of eighteen, the +other a young married woman of about thirty. On +this poor woman it was necessary to operate on our +way south in order to save life even for the time; +but as we had no hospital open in winter, she had +to be left in that crowded hut to the tender mercies +of the most unskilled of nurses, and though any +communication with the island has been impossible +since, I fear she will not have survived the winter.<a id="FNanchor_15" href="#Footnote_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_15" href="#FNanchor_15" class="label">[15]</a> 1895. She has perfectly recovered, in the most +marvellous manner.—W. T. G.</p> + +</div> + +<p>I was one day asked, a little further north, to visit +a woman reported to have been ill in bed for three +months, and who was living up a bay fully ten +miles from any fishing station. At length, dropping +our anchor off the spot indicated, which was the +mouth of a large salmon river, we blew our whistle +repeatedly to try and attract her husband’s attention. +After some time a small boat put out with +one man sculling in the stern. He seemed to approach +warily, and the man piloting me took in the +situation in a moment. As soon as the small boat +was alongside, he greeted the oarsman with “It’s all +up; come aboard and surrender quietly, or you will +be shot down.” The condemning reply came back, +“Indeed, sir, the river isn’t barred. It couldn’t be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[126]</span> +barred. No nets would hold across it. It never has +been barred. I wouldn’t bar the river. You can +come and see for yourself.” We got into his boat, +and he started with us to the shore, when I asked +him if the launch was safe at her anchorage, as +darkness was coming on. The prompt reply was +that she would be aground on rocks at low water, +and that we had better steam across the inlet and +anchor the other side, where it was soft and good +holding ground, at which our engineer at once proceeded +to get steam again. On landing, I asked for +the sick woman, and was shown into the most miserable +dark hovel I ever saw. By a wretched tin chimneyless +lamp I examined my patient. She was lying +clad in one old petticoat on a few sacks spread over +a kind of built-up bunk. Her bodily ailments were +fortunately not great, but as she told me, and I +believe truthfully, having no clothes to get up in, +she was obliged to stay where she was. Turning +to go out, I stumbled over our boatman, who at once +commenced most profuse apologies. It appears he +was just off to destroy his “bar,” when my pilot +had told him I was not an excise officer, and the +<em>Princess May</em> was not a gunboat. So he went off to +tell the engineer the anchorage was good enough, +I fear that is not the only barred salmon river in +Labrador.</p> + +<p>Further north we steamed up Sandwich Bay, and +visited, among other places, Cartwright, now a +Hudson Bay post, but founded about 1790 by an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[127]</span> +English trader of that name. Here again we had a +serious case to deal with. A girl of fourteen had +been ill with internal abscess for between two and +three years. She was sent to hospital after a trifling +operation, and remained there a month. When +I returned south I found her well and happy, and +she told me she was only sorry she could not live in +hospital.</p> + +<p>I was interested in examining at Cartwright a +marble tomb, raised, as the inscription proclaimed, +“to commemorate the piety and zeal of the founder +of this colony.” Some humble lichens had, in the +course of time, grown in between the slabs, and +with irresistible power had forced them open, revealing +to the prying eye within not the crumbling +dust of the departed trader, but a mighty demijohn +of rum, no doubt made mellow by long years of +waiting. Alas! that there are those to-day whose +memory would be most aptly treasured by such an +epigram, whom in life, for their riches’ sake, a +blinded world “delights to honour.”</p> + +<p>We were now only two hands on the launch, the +engineer and myself, for our steward had returned +to Battle Hospital. We were therefore anxious to +push ahead, and on August 10th we were glad to +run into Indian Harbour, and again “bring to” +alongside the <em>Albert</em>. We found to our sorrow that +bad weather had prevented the landing of our hospital +till a month after we had expected; and, though +all available hands had been at work, it was found<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[128]</span> +impossible to occupy it this season. We therefore +decided, as soon as the shell was finished and all +done that could be without cutting the chimneys, to +board up the windows, store the property in it, and +leave it for the winter under care of the nearest +“Livyere.” Meanwhile Dr. Curwen and Nurse +Williams would remain on the <em>Albert</em>, and use it as +their hospital. This place is the centre of a very +large number of stations, and they had already found +ample scope for work. Just before we left in the +<em>Princess May</em>, both doctor and sister were summoned +over the island to treat a woman on whom a fish +stage had fallen, while they already had in the ship’s +hospital a young girl dying of consumption. The +condition in which some of our patients were when +first admitted was horrible; the condition of the +women from the green-fish catchers especially; +for with scarcely any privacy, and scarcely any +opportunities for washing, it was not to be wondered +at that vermin often abounded. The experience +of both our nurses tallied in this respect, and +a good wash, clean clothes, and a few days’ nursing +always appeared to work marvels, even in apparently +hopeless cases. When it became evident that +this poor girl must die, she expressed her determination +to go home by the first opportunity, that, if +possible, she might reach her family in Newfoundland +before the end came.</p> + +<p>It was ten o’clock at night, and a blustering +evening in Cape Webeck Harbour, when we next<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[129]</span> +met the mail steamer going south. With much +difficulty we got our poor patient into the boat, +wrapped over and over in clean blankets; two of us +in the stern sheets holding the large bundle in our +arms, while Captain Trezise and his men rowed us +down the harbour. Getting her up the steamer’s +side was, however, a still less easy task, but was +at last accomplished, and she was soon ensconced +in a bunk in the saloon. Fortunately we had +decided that Nurse Williams should now return to +Battle Harbour to help Nurse Carwardine, for the +hospital there was now overflowing into huts around, +and our in-patients could be kept down to one or +two. The nurse therefore was able to tend to her +wants during the journey down. Eventually she +reached St. Johns, where the Rev. Dr. Harvey most +kindly met her, got her to the train and off to her +home; so that her last wish was gratified, and she +passed away peacefully among her loved ones.</p> + +<p>At Cape Harrison we had a really hot Sunday, +the flat cabin reflecting the sun so fiercely from the +water that our very paint began to blister. Such a +chance was not to be lost, and the fisherfolk gathered +from far and near. One company, who journeyed +from their schooner in King’s Arm, must have travelled +some ten miles to us, rowing first to Sloop +Harbour, then walking over the high cape, and then +rowing again to Webeck Island; while even as we +went to and fro from the meetings, which, owing to +the numbers, we were obliged to hold on the shore,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[130]</span> +we heard sounds of hymns and praying from some +of the mud huts we passed. It was a day indeed +to be remembered. Our longest single expedition +during this time had been to the Hudson Bay post +of Rigoulette, up Hamilton inlet, some fifty miles +from the entrance. Here we had several patients; +and especially one little lad with a diseased bone in +the leg—part of this it was necessary to remove. +At the operation we were ably helped by the wife of +the agent (Mr. Wilson), who proved herself a most +able nurse and assistant. The difference of temperature +up this long inlet is very marked, and we found +the children of the house actually picnicing outside +the hut in a canvas tent.</p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[131]</span> + + + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div class="chapter"> +<div class="figcenter" id="i_145"> +<img src="images/i_145.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="579"> +<p class="caption center"> The <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Princess May</em> in Merchantman Harbour.</p> +</div> + + + + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>CONCLUSION OF SECOND VOYAGE</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Our</span> next meeting with the <em>Albert</em> was arranged +for Hopedale, the first station of the Moravian +brethren. In the meanwhile we visited such harbours +as Ironbound Island, Ragged Islands, Roger’s Harbour, +Long Island, Ailik, Turnavik, and Winsor Harbour. +Again we had one or two serious cases: one poor +fellow with cancer of the gullet; one from whom it +was necessary to amputate two fingers, and from +another one finger. While at Winsor Harbour, we +decided to visit an off-lying island, called “Double +Island,” from which the Hopedale Eskimo had their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[132]</span> +summer fishery. Unfortunately it is not even indicated +on the charts, and missing our way to it we +got entangled among a series of reefs. At sundown +a strong northerly wind arose, making the water +boil in foaming breakers over the shallow patches. +This however in reality assisted us, for we were +thus able to avoid the hidden dangers, as any +shallow likely to pick up the <em>Princess May</em> was now +a white seething mass; indeed, I have found places +where we saw the water break as deep as five to +fifteen fathoms. We had decided at last to “heave +to” under the lee of an island, keeping steam all +night for fear of a shift of wind, when through our +glasses we descried against the horizon a ragged +tent. Steering for this we soon descried figures of +some of the little people skurrying to and fro after +their fish as fast as they could go, for the sky +looked threatening, and they did not wish the fish +to get wet again. Our steam whistle at once caught +their attention, and soon two of their little boats +came shooting out through the surf.</p> + +<p>With their help we were safely moored fore and +aft in a little narrow creek, and a few minutes +later saw us ashore. Amongst them we noticed +many friends of last year, especially a dear old man, +a sort of Christian father among them, named +Daniel. A profuse hand-shaking and welcoming ensued, +and then they intimated they wished me to +come up to one of their tents. My Eskimo was +exhausted, however, with Auchenai—How do you<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[133]</span> +do? (or, literally, Be ye strong?), and Aila, yes, and +a few other every-day expressions. When, therefore, +I was set down on a low box in the tent, +with a space in front of me for the patients to +squat, and the rest of the ground available densely +packed with Esquimaux, I was confronted with the +difficulties of a veterinary surgeon. Among other +things a toe, frost-bitten last winter, had to be removed; +apparently not such a painful operation as +one might have supposed at first, and one in which +the patient appeared to take a personal interest, from +the proud fact that she occupied on that account +the position of most importance.</p> + +<p>At Hopedale I left the <em>Albert</em> again, and, joined +by one of the Moravian Brethren—a Dane (Rev. P. +Hansen), proceeded at once further north. Together +we visited as far as Okkak, though the entire absence +of charts, and the innumerable islands and +labyrinths, made us more than once end up in a +blind tickle. At Zoar we deposited our deck cargo +of coal, piling up wood on our cabin top instead, +and lashing a ladder against our foremast, from the +top of which in the clear water it was possible to +see rocks in time to avoid them. We passed on our +way immense flocks of water-fowl. While in places +the rocks shine with the beautiful blue or yellow +sheen of the Labrador felspar, the trees get perceptibly +fewer and smaller as Okkak is approached, the +shrubs more stunted, and the berries more scarce, +until north of Hebron no trees at all are found.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[134]</span></p> + +<p>With much perseverance and labour the brethren +at each station raise a few potatoes, cabbages and +flowers, but when trees are cut down for wood they +do not replace themselves in a man’s lifetime. It +is impossible in these pages to recount all the incidents +of this part of the trip. At each station I +had numerous patients—Eskimo and white. In the +former cases my dear friend and whilom companion, +the Rev. P. Hansen, interpreted. At each station +also we gathered daily for prayer and exhortation, +and for me the time passed all too quickly. Now, +however, the approach of winter was making itself +felt. Schooners were flying south before every +favourable breeze, and in so small a boat as the +<em>Princess May</em> no unnecessary delay was advisable. +On the 8th of September we again reached Hopedale, +and were surprised to find the <em>Albert</em> still +there.</p> + +<p>A terrible tragedy had occurred in a neighbouring +inlet. It appeared some men fishing, from +an island called East Turnavik, had gone up +to boil their tea-kettle at a solitary house on a +promontory of Kipekok Bay. On entering they at +first found no one at home, but during the process +of tea-making came across two women lying on the +floor of the passage covered over with a counterpane. +At first they thought they were merely enjoying +an afternoon sleep, but soon found both were +dead; hereupon they at once beat a hasty retreat +to their own island, and next day came back with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[135]</span> +half-a-dozen more men and the planter. A search +revealed two more dead women in an inner room, +while no trace of the two men who lived there +could be found.</p> + +<p>Next day, however, these returned with wood from +the bay, saying they had been away making coffins +for the last four days. The circumstances were so +suspicious, and one of the men bore such an exceedingly +bad character on the coast—having been +suspected of deeds as dark before—that the two +neighbouring planters advised an inquiry, and sent +up their steam launch to Hopedale for Dr. Curwen +to come and make an examination. From the evidence +taken from the men, and the general appearances +of the case, he was convinced they had died +of poisoning. Eventually the head of the police +was sent down from St. Johns, and, confessing to +another crime, the worst of the two men was taken +away and placed in Harbour Grace Jail for the +winter.</p> + +<p>Whilst endeavouring one night to navigate a +narrow passage known as “the Rattle,” the <em>Princess +May</em> had been suddenly caught by the current, +and at full speed taken a rocky bottom. The +tide was falling at the time, and all hopes of +getting off before morning had to be abandoned. +Our ladder and some large blocks of wood lashed +together were therefore placed under her port bilge, +and she was listed over on to them by all the moveable +weights we had. After a very uneasy night,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[136]</span> +which fortunately held calm, we got safely off. It +was necessary now to inspect the launch’s bottom. +We therefore grounded her in Hopedale Harbour, +and at low tide examined her outer casing. She +proved to be nastily dinted in one or two places: +a bit of her keel was gone, and a few inches of +copper torn off here and there, but her hull was +still as sound as a drum. Not so her shaft. We +found that it had worn very considerably inside +the propeller, and the outer end had so dropped +that another two inches and the screw would be +unable to rotate. For this we had no remedy, and +had nothing for it but to “Go ahead.” Sunday, +the 10th of September, we spent in Hopedale, the +harbour of which was now crowded with no less +than 100 schooners; and though the Brethren put at +our disposal their large chapel, capable of holding +some 400 people, Captain Trezise found it necessary +in the evening to hold an overflow service on the +<em>Albert</em>.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_151"> +<img src="images/i_151.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="451"> +<p class="caption center"> An Eskimo Family, Hopedale.</p> +</div> + +<p>It was with no ordinary feelings of sorrow that +we heard at Emily Harbour that the <em>Albert</em> had +been ashore. To think of her splendid frame and +delicate lines the sport of these cruel jagged rocks +was heartrending. The beautiful little ship which +had smiled at so many storms, and carried those entrusted +to her so many thousands of miles so faithfully +and safely. It appears she was trying to +make West Turnavik Harbour at night, and the +pilot who came off from shore mistook the blind<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[139]</span> +entrance for the real one. Both anchors were at +the time ready for letting go, and the moment the +mistake was noticed were run out. But as the +vessel swung to, her stern came down on the rocks, +and for nearly three hours bumped heavily. By +the help of Captain Bartlett and some sixty men +she was eventually warped safely off; but it was +found necessary, in the dry dock at St. Johns, to +replace 35 feet of her keel.</p> + +<p>Rough weather characterized our journey south, +and, indeed, often rendered it very difficult getting +round the great capes at all. We revisited, where +possible, all the places we visited going north, and +also others we had been obliged to pass by. Thus +we saw again many of our former patients, distributed +to many the clothing we were able to allot +them, and also had the joy of seeing once again, +before winter set in, some of those who were commencing +in earnest to live consecrated lives. When +the weather kept us longer than we intended in a +harbour, we brought into use our magic lantern, for +which we had some beautiful slides of the life of +Christ, Bible lands, and some simple stories. This +never failed to bring a crowd together, even if sleeping +the night in the building became necessary for +those who came from too far to return; and, indeed, +we eventually often preceded our services with the +views through the magic lantern.</p> + +<p>On Thursday, October 19th, we once more steamed +into Battle Harbour, where we found the <em>Albert</em> had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[140]</span> +preceded us by a couple of days. Dr. Bobardt and +the sisters were still busy and in good health. Hospital +had been full all the time, and thirty-nine in-patients +had been treated. Only one other death had +occurred in hospital—a young girl from a schooner, +who had died of cellulitis from neglected sores, which +had assumed the characteristics of erysipelas. We +were delighted to hear that the fishery here had been +good. Mr. Hall, the agent, had again been first away +with a steamer loaded for market. After all the +time and attention he had so generously bestowed +on our work, by lending the launch when it could be +spared, by loan of men for the hospital, by entertaining +nurses, doctors, and others, we could but rejoice +that his fishery had been a really successful +one. Our only regret now was that no hospital +could be kept open during this winter.</p> + +<p>Bad weather prevailed during our journey to St. +Johns. The <em>Albert</em>, in a gale, lost her boom, and +blew away some canvas, while the delays to the +<em>Princess May</em> on that coast, where no telegraphic +communication exists, gave rise to the impression +that she was lost with all hands, an impression +heightened by the fact that the mail steamer, which +had encountered the same gale in the Straits of Belle +Isle, had noticed in the sea a small boat’s flag and +flagpole resembling ours. Unfortunately, therefore, +it appeared in the English dailies that we were missing. +Except losing a good spirit compass and loose +deck paraphernalia, we had suffered no inconveniences.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[141]</span> +Indeed, being forced to shelter in so many +of the small harbours along the French shore, gave +us a valuable insight into the lives of the out-harbour +people of Newfoundland, and also the opportunities +of helping many who need it quite as much as do +some on the Labrador.</p> + +<p>At Toulinguet, on November 3rd, we met our old +friend Captain Taylor, of the mail steamer <em>Virginia +Lake</em>, who showed us a written commission to search +all the islands for us between certain latitudes. +Thence we wired our whereabouts to St. Johns, but +we heard subsequently that that kindly office had +been performed for us the day previously by the +captain of a schooner, who had passed us on his way +south. The sealing steamer <em>Neptune</em> gave us a line +across Trinity and Conception Bays, and so, on the +7th, we ended our cruise for 1893 in St. Johns +Harbour.</p> + +<p>We found St. Johns in the excitement of a general +election, and it seemed as if there was little likelihood +of our getting an audience to listen to a report +of the season’s work. However, Sir William Whiteway +kindly placed at our disposal the “Star-of-the-Sea” +Hall, and His Excellency Sir Terence O’Brien +consented to preside at an evening meeting. By the +help of some good friends in St. Johns, some of our +most successful photographic plates were turned into +lantern slides; and not only was the large hall filled +with friends and sympathisers, but one hundred and +fifty dollars were realized for the funds.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[142]</span></p> + +<p>The <em>Albert</em> sailed for home, having on board Dr. +Curwen and the two nurses, on Tuesday, December +28th, and after a wonderful passage, entered +Great Yarmouth Harbour on the thirteenth day, +having accomplished the long run at an average +pace of nine English miles or 7·5 knots per hour.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[143]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_157"> +<img src="images/i_157.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="439"> +<p class="caption center"> A Team of Dogs in Harness.</p> +</div> +</div> + + + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>ON DOGS AND DIFFICULTIES</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Esquimaux dog, unlike his Newfoundland +congener, is by no means a fiction, being an +ubiquitous feature of Esquimaux life. Indeed, being +musical like his master, his propensity for nocturnal +chorus keeps him constantly in evidence; and, though +he is never heard to bark, he manages often to leave +a deep impression on an incautious stranger.</p> + +<p>On his dog’s pluck and endurance the master’s +safety often depends, and to his marvellous instinct +for finding human habitations many a man, hopelessly +lost in a snowstorm on the icefield, owes his +existence. Yet the Eskimo, finding it ample trouble +to satisfy his own needs, never adds to his trouble +by feeding his dogs in summer time, with the result<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[144]</span> +that the exigencies of existence have considerably +sharpened their faculties.</p> + +<p>To look at, they closely resemble the grey wolf of +the prairie, and wolves mingling with the team would +scarcely be recognised by an untrained eye. Usually +the dogs wander in summer around the land-wash, +in troops of say fifty, eating the offal below the fish +stages; or when caplin schools are close inshore, +they wade into the water and swallow the fish alive. +Always lean and lank at this time of the year, they +never neglect to lay up against an evil day, a fact +that becomes most ludicrously apparent on these occasions, +for they “swells wisibly.”</p> + +<p>Perhaps the most interesting sight is to see them +catching flounders. The fish lie buried in the sand +in shallow water, and as the dog’s paw comes down +on one it struggles to get away. He then literally +“puts his foot down,” and after it his head, which +disappears under water only to reappear with a +struggling victim. This is carried kicking to the +land, to be devoured at leisure.</p> + +<p>The door of the chapel at the Moravian station of +Hopedale was one day accidentally left ajar. Such +a golden opportunity for a meal was not to be wasted, +and a company of dogs soon found its way in. Some +tempting hymn-books and litanies were shortly +brought to light, redolent with blubber from the +thumbs of the worshippers. Needless to say they +were sacrificed at the only shrine dogs recognise.</p> + +<p>On another occasion a similar oversight let them<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[145]</span> +into the tenderly-nurtured kitchen garden of the +Brethren. The dogs rased the cabbages to the ground, +and even carried away with them the few highly-prized +wurzels.</p> + +<p>Modesty is a virtue of which the Eskimo dog +is seldom guilty. I was visiting one day a bedridden +patient. As the outer door opened, a fragrant +scent as of a dinner preparing was wafted outward. +Suddenly an avalanche swept me off my legs, and a +pack of dogs, whisking the stew-pot off the fire, began +to fight savagely over its contents, the more so as +each, having burnt its nose in the boiling liquid, +attributed his affliction to his neighbour. Meanwhile +the house filling with steam and Eskimo imprecations, +the latter rendered forcible by long harpoon +handles, made me almost sorry I had called.</p> + +<p>An Eskimo’s financial condition may be gauged by +the number of his dogs, and no one with less than +six would rank as “carriage folk.” Eight to thirteen +normally form a team, each being harnessed, by a +single walrus hide trace of a different length, to the +komatik. The leader will be some twenty-six yards +away, which enables the team to clamber over or +round hummocky ice. The driver on these occasions +jumps off to help the sleigh over, while, to prevent +breaking, the komatik is made of numbers of short +wide cross boards lashed by strong tendons across +two longitudinal pieces, no nails being used. The +runners are shod with ribs of whale, with iron, or +with mud. A slot is made in the snow and filled<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[146]</span> +with soft mud, which at once freezes. This is next +frozen on to the wood, and then planed or chopped +smooth with an adze. As there are no reins, the +leading dog is trained to obey the voice. At the +shout “Auk” he goes to the right, and at “Ra” to +the left, and so on, the others all following him. If +those behind are not pulling well, the leader will +drop back among them and bite at them. They +always pull in the same place in a team. Thus three +dogs, the whole team of a poor man, were lent to +pull with six others. They were first placed in front, +but would not pull, being frightened at so many dogs +behind them. When, however, the leader was left in +front and the other two put last of all, the whole +team ran capitally. Mr. Young tells us he once put +a young dog in front of his old leader, a magnificent +old fellow on whom he always could rely in danger. +Before he had, however, mounted the komatik, he +found the pup scampering away loose—the leader +had bitten through the traces. He refastened it three +times, always with the same result. At last he gave +his old leader a good whipping. The old dog’s spirit +was completely broken by this treatment, and it so +felt its double disgrace, it was never, to the day of +its death, the same brave, trusty dog.</p> + +<p>The dogs greatly enjoy their work, and when +harnessed in get tremendously excited, at times even +turning on their own drivers. To correct them a +short whip, with an enormously long lash, all of +walrus hide, is so dexterously used that an expert<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[147]</span> +driver can flick a piece out of any particular dog’s +ear.</p> + +<p>Occasionally, a refractory dog is pulled in by its +trace for punishment. They know the meaning of +this, and anticipate the beating by a lively howling; +so that merely to shorten a trace, may exert a good +moral effect on a team.</p> + +<p>The “trail” is usually over the frozen sea, the land +being too uneven. Good dogs will cover from 70 +to 100 miles in a day. When starting in the morning +the snow is covered with little icicles, formed by the +mid-day sun melting the frozen surface. As this +is apt to make the feet of the dogs bleed, they are +shod with a bag of seal-skin, tied round the ankle. +Three small holes are cut for the claws. A pup +shod for the first time, holds up his paws in the air +alternately; but once he learns to appreciate the fact +that shoes save his feet from being cut, though he +will always eat any ordinary piece of skin, such as +on a kayak or a skin boot, he rarely eats his own +shoes. They do, however, bite at, and eat the harness, +especially of the dog in front of them. Mr. Young<a id="FNanchor_16" href="#Footnote_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> +tells of a big dog which, though apparently always +hard at work, never seemed to get tired like the rest. +It always seemed to strain at its trace, and kept +looking round, apparently for the driver’s approval. +His suspicions, however, were aroused, and one day, +cutting loose the trace, he fastened it by a single +thread to the komatik. Sure enough, the dog<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[148]</span> +strained and worked as hard as ever, but it <em>never +broke the single thread</em>.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_16" href="#FNanchor_16" class="label">[16]</a> <em>Stories from Indian Wigwams</em>, R.T.S., by Rev. Egerton Young.</p> + +</div> + +<p>When the ice is good, dogs will maintain eight +miles an hour, at other times they can only advance +at a walk; while, yet again, when the ice is surging +up and down over the sea, and wind and snow +are against them, the weight of the sleigh will even +drag them backwards. These dogs are exceedingly +heavy, and their dragging power is enormous. It +takes a full-grown man to hold one in leash. A +team of fifteen dogs took six people on the sleigh +“like a house on fire.” They are very quick to +recognise the danger of being cut off from the land, +especially when water comes over the ice, and they +will then throw their whole strength into the work. +Many times when a driver, overtaken by night, perhaps +having missed the trail from heavy snow, and +quite exhausted gives up the unequal struggle, the +unerring instinct of the dogs finds full play, and +they rarely fail to reach shelter of some kind. At +night the traces are unhitched and stamped down +into the snow, for lack of anything to tie them to. +This keeps them from straying. Their dole of food +is then given them, probably rotten caplin and seal +blubber; after which they sleep out on the snow, +even when the temperature is 50° below zero. Yet +if other dogs are near, and they can get at them, +most of the night will be spent fighting. It is often +the capacity for carrying food for the dogs that +limits the journey. To prevent this, the Moravians<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[149]</span> +make depôts of dog food along the coast during +summer.</p> + +<p>One day an old Eskimo arrived at Nachvak from +Cape Chidley, a distance of about 100 miles. When +asked where his dog food was, he answered, “Me +go home to-morrow, then feed them,” showing the +power of endurance of these dogs. On one occasion +during a long journey a traveller (P. Mackenzie) +shot some caribou deer, and taking all the meat he +wanted, pursued his journey. While building his +snow hut for the night, a fresh herd of deer passed +within scent of the dogs. All, with the exception +of their leader, a small bitch, managed to free their +traces and gave chase. By chance they came on +the dead quarry, and, falling to, at once gorged +themselves on it. As they, returned to the camp, +one large powerful dog was observed carrying a +whole haunch in his mouth, and was seen to go +and lay it down in reach of the still captive little +leader.</p> + +<p>These dogs can be dangerous at times. Once the +team of a settler living in Seal Islands ran away. +They came back savage as wolves, and it transpired +that they had killed and eaten a little girl, of seven +years old, while away. Of course their owner was +forced to shoot them. This tendency to wander was +recently put to good use. A solitary settler and his +wife were suddenly struck down with influenza. The +man developed lung symptoms, and the woman also +became too ill to feed either herself or him. She<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[150]</span> +could hardly crawl as far as the cupboard for food; +and they both stood in great danger of being starved, +though food was in the house. In this extremity +the woman, who could write, scribbled on a piece +of paper, “Come over quickly,” and tied it round +one of the dog’s necks. The dog carried it to the +nearest neighbour, a distance of ten miles over the +ice, and eventually returned with help. Possibly as +the old couple could no longer get about to give the +dogs food, that might account for its setting off for +another house.</p> + +<p>In the water the Eskimo dog is quite at home. I +have known them swim home from a desert island +a good mile from land, and have watched them +playfully chasing one another’s tails as they swam +about in that cold water.</p> + +<p>Fighting, however, is their chief diversion. Each +team always has its king, who maintains his position +solely by his might. I have watched from a boat +a pack banished to an island in summer to keep them +out of mischief. As we rowed round, a fine young +dog, with the only female close alongside, moved by +curiosity followed us out to the end of every little +promontory, but the rest all maintained a respectful +distance behind. Next week, when we passed again, +we found he had been deposed, and then woe betide +him for some time. The entire pack seem to combine +to pay off their pent-up grudges against him, +and at times he is so harried he takes to the water. +I have watched a late leader standing up to his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[153]</span> +shoulders in water eyeing his tormentors to see if +he could escape unobserved; but every attempt he +made to come ashore a combined rush was made, +and he was forced to retire again.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_165"> +<img src="images/i_165.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="600"> +<p class="caption center"> Eskimo Family.</p> +</div> + +<p>At night on travel a snow hut is built. Half an +hour is long enough for this. The snow is cut in +blocks—nowadays usually with an old cavalry +sabre—from the inside of the circle chosen for the +house. Thus the hut goes down and up at the same +time. A hole is left at the top for the air, while a +block is cut to fit into the door from the outside, after +all are in. If a tent is carried, it is of the usual +reindeer skins, sewn together with tendons. The +sleeping bag is made of seal-skin with the hair outside, +and lined with reindeer skin with the hair inside. +Almost any cold can be borne in it; and if your +family are travelling with you, and share your bag, +they are then said to be positively warm. The +skin boots always worn are so exquisitely sewn, that, +like the kayaks, they are quite watertight.</p> + +<p>However, there is no water in Labrador in winter, +for even the perspiration from the men’s bodies, if +they do violent work, freezes inside the clothing; and, +as in cases of Arctic explorers, it may become necessary +to take off one’s clothes at night to hammer out +the ice from the inside.</p> + +<p>To do this sewing it is necessary to chew the +edges of the skins soft. One woman said to me, +“Me no good now,” showing me that her teeth +were all too far worn down to be of any use in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[154]</span> +boot-making. The Eskimo’s teeth meet one another, +and do not overhang like Europeans’. Soft +bread gets so hard frozen that biscuits have to be +carried, which, with lumps of meat, are stowed away +under their clothes next the skin, in order to keep +it soft. Spirits even will freeze in the bottle; but +neither whites nor Eskimo carry alcohol, or dare +resort to it in cold weather, if they had it. These +people form an excellent apology for total abstinence, +as do the Laps, who drink only coffee. In England +and the United States cold weather is used as +an apology for whisky. Drink soon destroys the +Eskimo. Yet they, like white men, willingly become +its slaves. They have even buried in their oil casks, +water, molasses, and old mouldy biscuits, in order to +get fermented liquor, when once habituated to it.</p> + +<p>The Moravians have, however, kept the traffic in +check, partly by not teaching the Eskimo English, +and partly by Christian teaching. One dear old +fellow—named Zacharias—had in his early days +been expelled by the Eskimo from Okkak for drunkenness +and being a nuisance to the community. +Becoming a Christian under the preaching at Hopedale, +he was now seeking to get back to Okkak to +show them what the grace of God can do in the +dark heart of a drunken Eskimo. Very practical +are some of these Eskimo Christians. One Nathaniel +last winter, while going to his sealing ground, was +carried off to sea by the ice drifting off. When +eventually he managed to escape, he told the missionaries:<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[155]</span> +“I felt like Peter. I could not pray, +though I thought I must die. I had not lived a good +life.” On another occasion a woman actually went +and gave back all the property she had won from +another by gambling, when told it was displeasing +to God.</p> + +<p>The following translation of letters from some +much respected leaders among them, gives an insight +into their feelings and ideas. One wrote to us +as follows: “In spirit I am among you, my fellow-servants. +Only a little I want to say to you. Because +the Lord, He helps us, you as well as us—we +in Labrador. In one faith and love in that which +Jesus has wrought for us, that we can walk through +Him that strengthens us. Once more we have reason +to be thankful, because the physician came; we are +often reminded that our souls also must have medicine, +<em>i.e.</em> the Word of God. I salute you all. The +Lord may help every one of us. You as well as +me. Zacharias. The one that is in Hopedale.”</p> + +<p>Another wrote, “My wife and I and all the Eskimo +wish very sincerely to thank all the good believers +on the other side of the sea, who in their love have +thought of us, and sent a doctor to help and assist us +in our illness. We do not understand the language of +those you have sent here, yet we rejoice that they are +preaching the Word of God faithfully to the many +fishermen who work along the Labrador. My prayer +and wish are that the Lord will protect them on +their journey, and bless you and them in the work.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[156]</span> +My wife and I greet all those who love the Lord Jesus +Christ.”</p> + +<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Daniel and Josephina.</span>”</p> + +<p>When the missionaries desire to punish an Eskimo, +it is generally done by (1) refusing to allow him +personally in the store; (2) ejecting him from the +choir or band; (3) cutting him off from communion. +An Eskimo, never having severer punishment, feels +each of these very acutely.</p> + +<p>Cartwright punished them much more summarily. +In his dry way, he remarks: “July 1. Having +reproved an Eskimo in a very angry tone for stealing +a skein of thread, I gave him a few strokes +with a stick. He instantly made resistance; when +catching him in my arms, I gave him a cross buttock +(a method of throwing unknown to them), and +pitched him with great force head first out of my +tent. The rest applauded my action as just, and +had a high opinion of my lenity.”</p> + +<p>Conveying Bible ideas to the Eskimo has not +been easy. It must be remembered they have never +seen sheep or lambs, horse or mule, fruit tree or +corn, sowing or harvest. Nor have they much idea +of kindness to animals at all. Every animal but a +dog is to be killed, and even their dogs are to be +kept at a considerable distance. But they are themselves +very grateful for kindness, as the above +extracts show.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[157]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>ON SEALS AND SEALERS</em></p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_171"> +<img src="images/i_171.jpg" alt="" width="390" height="600"> +<p class="caption center">The <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Sir Donald</em>.</p> +</div> + +<p>The hair seal, locally “swile,” affords to the Newfoundland +fisherman almost the only means of work in winter which will help him +to eke out the meagre living provided by his Labrador voyages. True, +there is a home frozen-herring trade, but it is limited to the west +coast; and also the new railway employs a certain number of men as long +as the inclemencies of winter allow work to proceed. But it is to the +spring sealing, or “going to the ice,” as they call it, that most look +for the extra few dollars to help fill the children’s mouths. Not long +ago every<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[158]</span> one could go +to the ice, for then only sailing-boats went, and the wealth reaped +from the voyages passed mostly into the fishermen’s pockets. Now all is +revolutionized, and the sealing is in the hands of half-a-dozen firms, +that send out big steamers, carrying crews numbering as many as three +hundred men. Moreover, the value of seal-oil has greatly decreased, and +the expenses of the steamers eat up much of the profit. There are not a +few whom one hears growling, “Steam has ruined Newfoundland.”</p> + +<p>The hair seal, “Phoca Greenlandica,” must not be +confounded with the fur seal of the Pacific, for +though the former is found in the Pacific, the latter +is never found in the North Atlantic. The fur seal +is as a rule larger, has much longer hands and feet +in proportion to his body, and also a much longer +neck. He is apparently a much more powerful +swimmer. There are, however, several kinds of +hair seal. The largest is the hood seal. A truly +magnificent animal, and one that shows much +courage in defending himself against his enemies. +Sitting up on his tail and hind legs, he defends +himself with teeth and flippers, protecting his head +from injury by blowing out a bladder-shaped and +shot-proof excrescence on it. The usual method to +kill a seal is to hit it upon the nose with a club, +called a seal-bat, but when once fairly roused the +bull hood seal is invulnerable there. An old sealer +described to me a battle between one of these fellows +and a polar bear, in which he told us the seal only<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[159]</span> +yielded to be eaten after a prolonged and bloody +struggle. It takes two men at least to kill one, for +one man has to divert the animal’s attention by +striking its tail, while the other endeavours to hit +it under the jaw as it turns round.</p> + +<p>The most important hair seal, however, is the +harp. It is the variety which resort to the ice to +breed in such countless thousands, and which the +sealing vessels go out in pursuit of. The process +of breeding is most interesting. The following account +was given me by Captain Blandford, of Newfoundland, +perhaps the most successful of all the +bold sealing captains:—</p> + +<p>“Soon after we got jammed in the ice there appeared +from the water four or five old seals, which +scrambled up on to its surface. Within five minutes +there were 500 seals on it, and in half an hour +200,000 as nearly as we could guess. Scarcely had +they come to rest on the ice when they commenced +throwing their young, and at once, after whelping, +those close to us, being somewhat frightened by the +ship, jumped back into the sea, leaving the little +seals whimpering exactly like babies.”</p> + +<p>The young are born about the 1st of March, and +are very small, fat, and snowy white, remaining so +up till the 20th to 25th, <em>i.e.</em> about three weeks, between +which date and the 1st of April they are big +enough to take to the water. During this period they +are known as “whitecoats.” They grow so rapidly +that you can almost see them growing, though on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[160]</span> +the above occasion those close to the ship did not +grow nearly as rapidly as those farther away, for the +dams were shy about coming to give them suck.</p> + +<p>The “whitecoats” are not large enough to kill until +they are fourteen days’ old, so that on this occasion +the crew had to wait. Now, however, by law no +sailing vessel may leave for the ice until the 8th of +March, and no steamer till the 12th, under a penalty +of $2,000, which gives the seals a chance to get +sizeable; nor is a vessel now allowed to make a +second voyage the same year, if she has once come +back loaded. This prevents the extermination of the +mother seals. Great excitement always exists when +the sealers are about to start; sometimes it is necessary +to cut their way out of the harbour, in which +they have been imprisoned during the winter months, +with dynamite, saws, and crowbars, the way being +cleared beforehand, that not an hour may be lost +after the clocks announce midnight of the 11th. +This year, 1894, while blasting a way out of the ice +in Greenspond Harbour, the <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Walrus</em> was severely +damaged by the explosion of the dynamite, which +shattered her bows, and killed some of her men. +The ice was ten feet thick.</p> + +<p>The vessels may start from any part of the island, +north or south, but no one place is always best, the +position of the seals varying every season. There is +much competition to get a place among the crews, +and the men are carefully selected for their pluck, +energy, experience, and physical capacities. These<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[161]</span> +are queer-looking craft to the unaccustomed eye +these steam sealers of about 300 to 400 tons burden, +with their outside thick sheathing of hard wood, +called “ice chocks,” and their huge double stems, +filled between with from nine to twelve feet of +solid oak, built for charging through floe ice. For +when shut in the steamer will back far enough to +gain good impetus, and then dash full at the weakest +part of the floe. Usually the sloping forepost +allows the vessel to rise up on to the ice, the +great weight then breaking down into clear water. +Anything loose on deck is of course upset, as are +any of the crew who happen not to be holding +some support. All are rigged with three masts, +and can sail as well as steam; and the screw +being fixed in a slot can easily be pulled up out of +the water at these times. Each masthead is fitted +with a barrel or crow’s nest, from which a careful +look-out for seals is constantly maintained. When +once discovered, the next thing is to keep them to +yourself, and, if possible, mislead any other vessels +near, who might be apt to join in and so lessen +your prize. A captain, well known for his success, +was lately dogged in this way by a fresh hand. To +mislead his rival the captain steamed into one of the +large bays, where, it so happened, he got frozen in +while the raw hand, turning out, caught a full +voyage.</p> + +<p>Once alongside the floe, the men jump off on to the +ice, and at once the work begins. Sometimes they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[162]</span> +work in pairs, one man shooting the seals, and his +chum, who is called “the dog,” following up, cutting +off the tail from the dead seal to “mark it,” and then +gathering them in heaps, and putting up a pole with +a flag or a piece of liver as a claim. These are +then said to be “panned.” This is technically called +“swatching.” When shooting, 1,400 seals in a day +is good work for a crew, though they have killed +3,000; but when it is only necessary to “club” them +with the seal-bat, 25,000 have been killed in a day, +and 47,000 in two days. Sculping (scalping?) is +the next process—that is taking off the skin and +fat. This scarcely takes a minute. The seal is +thrown on its back, ripped up from chin to tail, +and the fat and skin, known as the “pelt,” are torn +off. The body is no use, and is left on the ice, +except that occasionally the hearts are cut out and +strung on the hunter’s belts, as a reserve of food +in case of necessity.</p> + +<p>The mother seals show great sagacity in finding +the particular hole, through which she comes and +goes for food, among so many thousand others, and +at once she finds her own little white pup. They +will evince much self-sacrifice in trying to rescue +their offspring from danger, at times carrying them +in their fore flippers to escape being nipped by ice, +or drawing them into the water to teach them to +swim. Alas, after a sealer’s visit she will only find +a quivering red corpse when she returns. Let us +hope she does not recognise it.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[163]</span></p> + +<p>When another crew is also at work on the same +patch of seals the greatest expedition is naturally +used, and under these circumstances the seals will +often only be “batted” and stunned, not stabbed +to the heart as well, before being skinned. It is +this that has given rise to the charges of cruelty, +for the naked body has been seen to move around +after the operation. Otherwise there is no more +cruelty in killing seals than in killing cattle or +poultry, and any man who is humane in one will +naturally be humane in the other; nor do I think +you will find anywhere a more humane set of +men than you will among Newfoundland fishermen.</p> + +<p>Captain X. was once just forcing his way through +ice towards a pack of seals when he sighted a rival +vessel coming up under his lee. Backing out, he +at once altered his course away from the seals to +mislead the other, but was too late to prevent them +sighting his seals. The second vessel, being much +faster, now ran in between my friend and the ice, +and passing him on the starboard side gave the +order “hard a starboard” to force him out from his +own cutting. Incensed at this, Captain X. from the +barrel shouted “hard a port,” and went straight for +his rival’s stem. Fortunately an intervening pan of +ice prevented a fatal accident, but he ran his bowsprit +well over the other’s counter. All hands from +the foremost vessel were overboard and hard at work +killing and panning seals before Captain X. could<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[164]</span> +land his men; so he shouted, as his final order, +“Hand aboard the dead seals; never mind killing +live ones,” and then, calmly descending, went and +had refreshments with the other captain in the other +vessel’s cabin, while the crews were left to fight it +out as best they could. They are a brave, generous, +and skilful set of men, these sealing captains, and +reck little of danger or hardship.</p> + +<p>Work proceeds during the night by torchlight, and +the scattered fires, with their ruddy glow on the +heaps of dead seals and uncouth-looking figures at +work, must present indeed a weird sight. Now the +pelts have to be brought back to the ship; and in +this work the physical capacities of each hunter +are tried to the utmost. Six pelts is a full “tow” +for one man. Often when the ice is hummocky, or +perhaps broken up into pieces, called “slob” ice, +and it is necessary to jump from pan to pan, or +again when the distance from the ship is long, and +the approach of night or the fog render travelling +almost impossible, are these men tempted to abandon +the hardly-won pelts, and get home themselves to +the ship and safety.</p> + +<p>Sometimes one hunter will be long adrift from +the steamer, and all the rest being back, and all +the seals in that patch boarded, the captain is +anxious to get off—how anxious, if the patch was +a small one and other seals are near, perhaps only +a sealing captain knows,—for all ships must be +home by April 21st, full or empty. Yet though so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[167]</span> +much depends on it a stray hunter has never yet +been abandoned. It costs a large sum to send these +vessels to the ice, and a “clean ship” means a +big loss to the merchant, and no money for the +men.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_188"> +<img src="images/i_188.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="481"> +<p class="caption center">Eskimo on an Island near Okkak.</p> +</div> + +<p>Sharks, even in these latitudes, are not slow to +gather at the smell of slaughter, and can be caught +with boathooks between the pans. It is not a rare +thing for men to slip off the pans into the water, +and it requires no little skill to get out again without +help; for the water, naturally, is very cold, +and one is apt again and again to slip off back +into the water while trying to climb on to the ice. +Acts of great heroism are performed sometimes in +rescuing a man thus endangered; in one case, the +pans being very small, it was not possible to stand +on one in order to pull the man out. The rescuer, +therefore, quickly throwing off his outer garments, +came jumping from piece to piece, making +a grab at the struggling man as he passed, trying +to push him on far enough for him to catch hold. +The second run he succeeded, but, of course, himself +ran great peril in the attempt. The vessels +eventually, loaded to the gunwales if they have +been fortunate, return to St. Johns, every hole and +corner being used for stowing the pelts, so that at +times the crew will have to sleep wherever they +can find a dry spot, even on deck or in the boats.</p> + +<p>Once in harbour, the fat is separated and put into +enormous vats, the oil being squeezed out from the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[168]</span> +blubber by their own weight, and being eventually +drawn off, clarified, and sold. Now, however, the +blubber is usually “rendered” by means of a steam +mincer. The skins are salted without being stretched, +and are then exported “green,” for making into +leather for boot tops, gloves, etc. When the white +coat is a year old, he is dark in colour on the +back, lighter on the belly, and is known as a +“bedlamer harp.” When he is three years old, a +large black saddle-shaped mark begins to appear over +his back, and he is called a full “bedlamer.” When +he is four years old, the saddle is fully and clearly +marked, and the seal is then known as the “old +harp.”</p> + +<p>Seals, as is well known to those who visit Zoological +Gardens, are very easily tamed, and display +almost the sagacity of dogs. Tales are told of seals +which have become so thoroughly tame that they +will come and lie before the fire, making friends with +the dog and cat; while one, when it had been found +too expensive to keep, and had been taken out to +sea and dropped overboard, followed the boat ashore +again and again, even getting in at the window +when the door had been shut against it. The seal +is used by the Eskimo for nearly everything. The +stretched coat of the bowel serves instead of glass. +Their boats are entirely of skin. Their clothing +almost all skin. Their winter food almost all seal meat +and blubber. Dog food, dog harness, dog whips, +etc., are all of seal, or of walrus hide. Moreover, to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[169]</span> +the settlers, their skins for boots and their fat for +oil are invaluable.</p> + +<p>In Labrador the “old harps” are caught either +in the fall or spring, when the sea is first freezing +over or the ice first breaking up, and always along +shore, in one of the following ways. Strong twine +nets, with very large meshes, are anchored out on the +bottom in about twenty to thirty fathoms of water, +off prominent headlands, or in the mouths of bays +and inlets known to be frequented by seals. These +are buoyed on the surface, and in these the seals +mesh and drown themselves. This industry is attended +with much danger and hardship, for it involves +rowing out in all weathers in small boats to +clear the nets. Sometimes the buoys are under the +ice, and the process known as “creeping” has to be +undertaken to find the nets at all, for it will not do +to lose these most valuable possessions.</p> + +<p>If the nets are not recovered by New Year’s Day, +they are lost; yet occasionally they may be recovered +immediately the ice goes in April, when, +the men tell me, both nets and seals in them are +good; but if much time elapses after the floe drifts +off, both rot rapidly and are destroyed by animalculæ.</p> + +<p>Often hours must be spent “creeping,” and then, +perhaps, only some one else’s nets are taken, while all +the while each must be carefully watching the other +to see he is not getting frostbitten. The nose, ears, +or chin will become frozen unknown to the owner<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[170]</span> +and another will cry out “your ears are dead,” the +parts having turned snowy white. Then begins the +painful and tedious process of rubbing the part with +snow—woe betide the sufferer who goes in a heated +room, or uses hot water; for a certainty he will lose +his ears or his nose—then the creeping must be +again proceeded with; or when the nets are partly +hauled bad weather will overtake them, perhaps a +sudden squall from the high land sweeps down on the +little open boat, and the tragedy of “the three fishers” +is apt to be enacted over again. In one case, a man +described to me how, when out with his brother +and another man, while in the act of hauling into +the boat a square flipper seal of larger size than +usual, the little craft capsized, and his brother, getting +cramp from cold, slipped off the bottom of the +boat to which all three were clinging. Fortunately, +the other two managed, it being a calm day, to hold +on till a rescue was effected. It is cold work at +best, and, as one stalwart fellow said, “jest a bit +hard, that when a man comes home real hungry it +should take him half an hour to get the ice off his +face before he can find his mouth.” “Yes,” chimed +in another, “I lost two toes and this ear,” showing +that he had been cropped as if at the pillory. +I have myself seen the frozen breath hanging from +men’s beards and moustaches till, from nose to +chest, it was one huge white mass.</p> + +<p>The easier way of catching the “old harps” is +with a submerged room of net, resembling the cod-trap,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[171]</span> +with the difference that the wall which is on +the side the seals enter from is lowered to the bottom. +A watch is kept from the shore, and as soon as the +seals enter the room a rope attached to this wall is +wound up on a capstan on the land, and the seals +are thus imprisoned. They are now given time to +entangle themselves in the net, and so get drowned, +or the boat rows off and the hunter shoots the seal +before taking it out of the water; for the seals +would bite badly if given the chance. The net is +thirty to forty fathoms deep, and is set in about +six to ten fathoms of water.</p> + +<p>The last variety of hair seal is known as the +“bay seal.” It frequents the shores, bays, and +mouths of fresh-water rivers, up which it breeds, +all the summer, and is caught either in mesh nets, or +shot from a boat as it puts up its head to breathe. +This feat is rendered more easy by the natural +curiosity of the seal. As soon as it spies the boat +it raises its head and shoulders out of water to get +a good view of the stranger. If you now remain +quite still, and especially if you can imitate the +“Hough, hough” of the animal, it will dive down +and in a minute come up nearer the boat. I have +been almost ashamed to shoot as it opened its large, +human eyes, so full of inquisitiveness. “Bang!” +If you are a good shot, your seal will be dead, a bullet +through his brain, and you must at once row +and pick him up while his few kicks keep him +afloat. I remember seeing one sink after being shot,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[172]</span> +as we rowed off to the <em>Princess May</em> from the shore +one day. We stopped over the spot, and peering +down into the crystal water, could see him ten +fathoms down. Suddenly, one last kick—only it +seemed a slight movement—and the carcase rose to +the surface for the last time. Up, up! We watched +it gyrating round and round, and as it reached the +surface, grabbed hold of one flipper and slung it +into the boat. We had one or two good meals off +that fellow, for we hung him up from our forestay, +and the frosty air kept him sweet and fresh as long +as we needed him. Had he not arisen we should +have got him up by means of our “jiggers,” <em>i.e.</em>, our +heavy leaded hooks.</p> + +<p>The Eskimo harpoon their seals from the kayak, +occasionally shooting it first; but shooting accurately +from a kayak is no easy matter. The harpoon is +made of light wood, about three feet in length. On +the end of this is fixed a whole walrus tusk, to carry +the loose barbed iron top, and also to weight it and +carry it truly home. As soon as the seal is struck +it dives, taking the harpoon with it, but as the harpoon +is attached by about twenty fathoms of walrus +hide to an inflated air-tight seal-skin, the hunter +spies it, as soon as it comes up, even if it ever +succeeds in carrying the buoy down. A few strokes +of the paddle brings the kayak once more alongside, +and the seal is soon put <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">hors de combat</i> with a lance, +lashed on the back of the little boat, and the hunter +starts for home, or it is towed home alongside the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[173]</span> +kayak. When one year old the bay seal is called a +“jar seal,” and its skin is poor; in the second year +it is a “doter,” and becoming speckled, in the third +year, it is a “ranger,” and is then very beautiful, +being checkered silver and black all over.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[174]</span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_179"> +<img src="images/i_179.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="449"> +<p class="caption center">Eskimo in Reindeer Tent, Okkak.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>ON THE ESQUIMAUX OR ESKIMO</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was a still moonlight night, and the <em>Albert</em> lay at +anchor in one of those numberless creeks in which +the venturous fishermen hide away their schooners, +while in their small boats they are snatching from +the very edges of the reefs their precious fares of +fish.</p> + +<p>We were below decks, dressing the wounds of a +fisherman in the <em>Albert’s</em> little cabin, the only sounds +being the moan of my patient or the lapping of the +water against the ship’s side, when the silence was +suddenly broken by the sound as of many voices +singing. The air was very familiar:—</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[175]</span></p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent0">“There’s a land that is fairer than day,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">And by faith we can see it afar,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">For our Father dwells over the way</div> + <div class="verse indent2">To prepare us a dwelling-place there.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>Mounting the gangway, I found the deck crowded +by a number of the quaintest little figures. They +were dressed in skins, with snow-white jumpers +topped by long pointed cowls standing high up over +their heads. Some sat cross-legged on the bulwarks +or hatches, while others, in their seal-skin boots, were +gliding noiselessly about in the moonlight, till imagination +conjured up “the merry elves” of childhood. +The early Norsemen called them skrellings or weaklings. +They call themselves Innuits, “the people,” +because they say God went on creating till they appeared, +then He was satisfied, and created no more. +Eskimo = raw meat eater, and is a term of opprobrium +conferred on them by the Indians.</p> + +<p>Soon all were down in our main hold, chattering, +laughing, and pleased as children, at the <em>Albert’s</em> fittings +and at our attempts to understand their remarks. +The one that acted as leader spoke a little broken +English, and from him we learned that they had come +from a group of islands lying outside us with some +boat-loads of dry fish for a planter; that they had been +puzzled by our strange rig, and so had come aboard +to see us.</p> + +<p>When their leader had explained to them that we +were a “Gospel ship,” and had things to heal the sick, +their merry, round, flat faces grew sunnier than ever.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[176]</span> +All heads were uncovered at once, displaying mops +of long straight black hair, cut fringe-like level with +the eyebrows. Then they all broke out singing again, +squatting all round the hold on their haunches or on +the floor, while, to our surprise, one seated himself at +the harmonium and played it excellently, others performing +on two concertinas and two cornets. They +sang in parts in their own language, but hymn tunes +well known to us, so our crew all joined in, and kept +it up till the watch called “All hands off board.” +Since then we have seen and learnt much of this +simple people; “Uskies” the fishermen call them, +and we all like them greatly.</p> + +<p>Not many heathen Eskimo remain in Labrador, +yet between Ungava and Cape Chidley some are still +to be found. They recognise a god (Tongarsuk), a +good spirit, and also lesser spirits (Tongaks), whom +he sends to tell the priests (angekoks) how to heal +diseases, and how to tell the weather. The Devil is +a vague kind of female spirit, apparently unnamed. +These angekoks are really delphic oracles, who make +supposititious journeys to the bowels of the earth to +consult Tongarsuk. The journey must be in winter, +in the dark at night time, and the angekok remains +alone in his hut with his head tied between his legs, +and his arms behind his back, while his soul is off +to heaven or hell. To become an angekok poglit, +<em>i.e.</em> fat priest or chief priest, his wandering spirit +must be dragged by one toe to the sea by a white bear, +and there swallowed by a sea lion and the same white<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[177]</span> +bear. Then it must be spued up and return to his +body, which is shut up in a dark house. A drum and +other noises are kept up during the ceremony.<a id="FNanchor_17a" href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a></p> + +<p>They have a vague tradition of a flood, saying +that the world upset once, and all but one man were +drowned. They prove this by the fact of shells being +found high above the sea, and even the remains of a +whale on a high mountain. They believe in a future +life and a happier one than this, where there is perpetual +summer, and they locate it at the bottom of +the sea, whence they get their richest possessions, +or in the bowels of the earth. Reindeer are there +quite common, and their beloved seals are ever ready, +swimming in a large boiling kettle.<a id="FNanchor_17" href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_17" href="#FNanchor_17" class="label">[17]</a> <em>The Eskimo</em>, by Dr. F. Nansen.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Nansen tells us they thought that all inanimate +objects had spirits, and that this is the reason that +they buried with the warrior his boat and weapons, +and often figures like dolls, possibly to represent +his wives. I found several of these old graves, and +two I examined. One, evidently very ancient, was +perched on a high central promontory, overlooking +the entrances to two bays; perhaps in order that +as the harp seals or wild birds passed, the warrior +might, even in death, look down upon those who of +yore so oft paid tribute to his skill. The body in +every grave is simply laid on the surface on its +back, in its clothes—in one grave a female skeleton +lay alongside a male one. Over it is built a rude +structure roofed with large flat stones, so that the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[178]</span> +view should be unobstructed. In a small cache +alongside the above grave were two wooden figures +of females, an ivory harpoon head and the remains +of the shaft, the skin-cleaning instruments, and the +remains of a stone lamp.</p> + +<p>In another, further south, I found an iron sword +about three feet long, used for cutting snow blocks +for snow houses, a dagger with a curved blade, +a clasp knife, an old pot of iron, a nail or needle +case, a lead buckle silvered over, a whetstone, and +a few other simple household implements, while in +each case the remains of the kayak or canoe, the +paddle and the harpoon were lying near.</p> + +<p>The skipper of a Newfoundland vessel told me +how one of his men took some frankincense from +one of these graves. That night the crew were +startled by one of the hands shouting out, “There +is a man in the cabin!” though it was all dark +at the time. A lamp was lit, and the same man +shouted, “There he goes, up the hatchway!” The +others chaffed him and blew out the light. Very +soon shouts were again heard, “There he is, an Eskimo, +searching in Tom’s bunk.” After that the +lamp was kept lighted, and next day the grave was +restored.</p> + +<p>The early Moravian missionaries found it very +difficult to convey to the Eskimo the Bible teachings +of our Saviour’s love and of God as our +Father. They had no word for love; neither sheep +nor lambs, seed-time nor harvest, silver nor gold<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[179]</span> +were familiar to them, and all the oriental similes +of the sacred book were unintelligible. Yet the +missionaries’ Christ-like lives during 130 years have +accomplished what their words could not express.</p> + +<p>In <span class="allsmcap">A.D.</span> 1000 the Eskimo extended as far south as +Newfoundland. In 1790 a tribe five hundred strong +dwelt in the Straits of Belle Isle. Now only a few +dwell south of Hopedale, three hundred miles north +of the same straits, and only some two to three +thousand north of that place. Contact with white +men has killed them off, at times by small-pox or +diphtheria, but usually by tubercular consumption. +The two racial tides now meet at Hopedale, and +here the Eskimo appear least healthy.</p> + +<p>The nomad life in skin tents has been abandoned +for wooden and mud huts. The seal-skin clothes +have largely given way to inferior cotton and European +goods. The “blubber” food is largely replaced +by “flour and molasses.” The art of kayaking is +nearly lost, and the Eskimo have become less and +less reliant on their own powers of procuring a +livelihood, while guns and powder have largely diminished +the supply of game. This has well been +exemplified around the mission station of Zoar. The +Eskimo here had contracted a habit of taking out +their supplies from the Moravians, but secretly +traded their fish and fur with the nearest Hudson +Bay station at Davis Inlet. Thus they ran up large +debts, which eventually the Brethren refused to increase. +Soon after, while two missionaries were in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[180]</span> +the store, some bullets were fired right through the +wooden walls. Fortunately no one was hurt. But +bad feelings had been roused, and at last it was +found necessary to close these stores altogether, +with the result that the Eskimo have been <em>obliged +to leave</em>, and stay where they could buy provisions +at hand; and now the Eskimo are all gone, and +the whole station is closed for good. But this is +only what civilization has done for aboriginal races +all the world over.</p> + +<p>Thank God that in this case the Gospel both preceded +and accompanied commerce. To this alone +I attribute the fact that after over 130 years any +of the Eskimo do now remain. The Gospel has +been received. Many have passed from darkness +to light, and so are in a position to correspond to +or resist the new environment of white men’s customs +and white men’s whisky. True the Eskimo in +Labrador are being slowly driven to a last stand. +Thank God that stand is at Ramah, Hebron, Okkak, +Hopedale and Nain, around the devoted Christian +missionaries of the Moravian brethren, who for +Christ’s sake spend their lives among the hardships +of this bleak and barren coast; and while +Beothicks and Red Indians have fallen victims to +the God of mammon, remnants of this gentle and +harmless race still persist. Take away these Moravians +from Labrador, and the days of the Eskimo +would soon be numbered.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_195"> +<img src="images/i_195.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="423"> +<p class="caption center">Taken from an Eskimo Grave at Long Island.</p> +</div> + +<p>In the eleventh century Thorfinn Karlsefne describes<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[183]</span> +the Skraellings as “black and ill-favoured, +with coarse hair on their heads, and large eyes, with +broad cheeks.” Cartwright, writing in 1790, says +they were quarrelsome among one another, and +occasionally thievish. Cranz, in 1760, says they +were degraded, immoral, and brutish in their heathen +state. Nansen thinks they led an ideal socialistic +life, but founded, I think, rather on a basis of inevitable +union against starvation in bad times than on +a basis of Divine and brotherly love. They appear +ever to have been simple and confiding. Karlsefne +says they came to visit his men in Vinland and +began to barter.</p> + +<p>“These people would rather have red cloth than +anything else; for this they gave skins and real +furs. For an entire fur-skin the Skraellings took a +piece of red cloth a span long, and bound it round +their heads. Thus went on traffic for a time, then +the cloth began to fall short among Karlsefne and +his people, and they cut it asunder into small +pieces, which were not wider than the breadth of a +finger, and still the Skraellings gave just as much +as before, and more.”</p> + +<p>According to our code they are very immoral, yet +seeing the conduct of white men to one another and +to themselves they always say of a good man, “He +is like an Innuit” (Eskimo). They themselves have +no words for cursing, and Nansen says also no +words of opprobrium, such as liar, scoundrel, or +rowdy. Recently one in the far north of Labrador,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[184]</span> +who already had seven wives, stole his son-in-law’s +wife also—that is his own daughter. The younger +man bided his time, and then shot the older one off +his guard. Some twenty years ago a number came +south to the most northern Moravian station. One +had cut on his gun-stock many notches. On being +asked what these meant, he explained they indicated +so many men craftily shot. On being told it +was wrong, he promised not to do it again. Polygamy +is now done away with, and it is only in +their fishing-tents that different families sleep together. +In some tents I visited the only separations +were marks made on the ground.</p> + +<p>Yet they have learnt to repent of wrong-doing, +and all their outbreaks have ended in asking for +forgiveness. They confess even murder to the missionaries. +I have met four who have done so. +In all spiritual matters they implicitly accept the +Brethren’s teaching; nor do they ever question the +authority of the Bible; <em>e.g.</em>, one man had a very +refractory boy, who was always annoying his +teacher, and wilfully disturbing the whole school. +His father refused to punish him, for he said he +thought that must be wrong for a Christian. Nor +would he alter his decision till Solomon’s maxim +on that point was shown him in black and white. +He then at once adopted Solomon’s view of the +matter, and “appealed to his son’s feelings” with +a piece of walrus hide.</p> + +<p>Other enemies, besides civilization, have helped to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[185]</span> +deplete the Eskimo race. The early Vikings harried +them on their visits to the coast. Thorfinn Karlsefne +mentions finding five Skraellings sleeping under a +boat. He adds, his men killed them; and similar +incidents occurred to others of these rovers. The +Indians of the interior have always been hostile to +them, and in their battles with these the Eskimo +have generally come off second best.</p> + +<p>We were shown the spot where tradition has it +the Eskimo and Montaignais Indians fought their +last fight for mastery. A story to which the finding +of many stone arrow heads and knives lends some +colour. Off the mouth of a long river lies a large +island, with a smooth central plain, rising at each +end to high broken rocks. On the outer end clustered +the humble huts of the Eskimos, with their fishing +gear lying around. One night, under cover of darkness, +the Mountaineers crept stealthily down the +river in their large, double-ended, birch war-canoes, +and effected a landing, dragging the canoes up after +them, and then hiding themselves among the rocks. +Next day, however, the wary little Eskimo discovered +their arrival, and pluckily determined to attack them +at once. It is easy to picture the wild scene that +followed. No doubt the little warriors fought desperately; +but, against their taller and more powerful +adversaries, were at a great disadvantage in a hand +to hand conflict. Many having fallen in the open, +the remnant sought cover among the rocks at the +outer end of the island, only to be dislodged and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[186]</span> +driven back towards the sea. Here, no doubt, the +squaws—who still dress like men and partake in all +the expeditions—helped them to make one last stand +for home and children. Then came the skurry to +the beach. Behind are the ruthless, bloodthirsty +“braves,” in front the mighty ocean. Picture the +tiny skin-boats, manned by the few survivors, darting +out through Atlantic surf, with probably wife +and child hurriedly lashed on the back, as they do +sometimes at the present day. Think of the tragedies +enacted, as perhaps some obstacle prevented the +kayaks getting away—some refractory child, some +accident to the frail craft at the last moment. With +fiendish yells the Indians are hurrying over the +beach towards them, more horrible from their weird +war-paint. History only says the settlement was +exterminated.</p> + +<p>Starvation also has lessened their numbers. Near +Sir Leopold McClintock’s winter quarters—where the +darkness lasted for three months—were camped some +Eskimo. These people had neither fires nor lights. +Living in snow huts, into which they crawled on +their bellies through long snow tunnels, they lay +huddled on one another for the sake of the warmth. +Their clothes were of duck-skins and other feathers +inside, and seal-skin outside. No wood existed anywhere +near. Their food consisted of raw seal meat, +buried deep outside. Whenever hungry, they would +crawl out, eat about four pounds of raw meat, and +crawl back and sleep again as long as possible—almost<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[187]</span> +hibernating like the black bear. What would +happen when the polar bear got at their meat supplies, +as he was only too likely to do?</p> + +<p>Only this year (1894) the crew of the whaler <em>Balaena</em> +brought to Dundee the horrible details of what might +well be expected. The <em>Balaena’s</em> crew discovered on +the shore, in a place far removed from all animal life, +the dead bodies of three Eskimos, and a number of +bleached human bones. These three—two men and one +woman—were evidently the last survivors of a larger +party. Near to the bodies three human heads were +noticed—in each case the throat had been cut and +savagely hacked with a knife, while the brains had +been extracted through a hole in the skull. A +smashed rifle and a bow and arrows were lying near, +and all the evidences of a severe struggle between +the last two male survivors. A blood-stained knife +was taken from the woman’s hand. It is probable +the party had been waiting here (Elwin Bay) for +the arrival of the whalers in 1893. Alas! ice had +prevented their coming, and at last, among the +patiently-expectant little people, an awful tragedy +had been enacted.</p> + +<p>Less dramatic incidents also occur in Eskimo life. +Thus, in one case recently, an old tyrant had appropriated +the fine new kayak of a poorer man; and soon +after this poor fellow was drowned while shooting +deer out of his old canoe, of which the skin covering +was rotten. His son, a young fellow under twenty, +remained quiet a long time. One day, however, he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[188]</span> +was taken out hunting by the old man. Whilst +crossing a wide river on the ice, the son dropped +behind a step and blew the other’s brains out.</p> + +<p>On one or two occasions they have combined to +attack the Moravian Brethren. Thus in Hebron, on +one occasion, they shut the missionaries up in their +house, not allowing them even to go and get water, +demanding that all the goods in the store should be +handed over to them. No resistance was made, except +that the store was kept locked. At the end +of three days, which the Brethren had spent in +prayer, conviction seized the Eskimo, and they came +and said they were very sorry.</p> + +<p>No stretch of imagination could call them an +emotional people; some are almost fatalists, and all +are easily satisfied and careless of the morrow. One +day an Eskimo guide accompanied me out fishing. It +so happened that rain fell in great quantities, and as +he had left his skin “kossack,” or jumper, at home, he +might reasonably have been expected to seek shelter +under one of the many rocks while I fished. Not so. +He remained seated all the time out in the rain as if +he were a mushroom. Late at night, after he had +gone home, he came off again in his “kayak” to the +ship to see me. “My boy dead,” he said. “Why +did you not tell me he was ill? You knew we had +medicine.” “No good; must die,” he replied.</p> + +<p>I went next morning to see the funeral. The +Moravians have taught them to bury beneath the +surface. A hole had been dug in the sandy ground;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[189]</span> +the body was put in, and the grave filled up with +sand. An hour later not a sign remained to mark +the spot. It would never suggest itself to them to +visit it.</p> + +<p>In 1790, Cartwright, falling in love with an Eskimo +girl, asked her hand from her husband Eketcheak, +who had another wife himself. The reply was, “She +is no good to work. Have this one and her two +children.” Cartwright declined, saying he preferred +the younger. “Take them all then,” said the generous +husband. Cartwright explained he did not wish +to trespass too much on his kindness. “Oh, you +can give them back at the end of the year if you +don’t want to keep them.”</p> + +<p>While we were in Okkak, an elderly squaw came +to be treated for shaking of the knees. It appeared +that she had never before seen a steamboat, and had +received a severe fright at the arrival of the <em>Princess +May</em>; for she thought it was a man-of-war come to +punish her son Rudolph, who some time previously +had shot his wife, being tired of her. Since that incident +Rudolph had become a Christian, but, as his +crime was still unpunished, by Moravian rule he +could not be admitted to their communion.</p> + +<p>Remorse seemed to have seized him, and his one +desire now was that his crime might be expiated +by receiving its punishment at the hand of man. +Naturally his mother was anxious.</p> + +<p>This lack of emotion seems to prevent a due appreciation +of the principle of self-sacrifice. Thus,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[190]</span> +one day, while a heavy storm was raging, some +of those ashore noticed a party in great distress, +endeavouring to reach the mainland in one of their +smaller boats. A heavy surf was rolling in, and +it would no doubt have been risky to go out. So +the idea of a rescue seems never to have suggested +itself. The people were drowned, and in telling the +story themselves afterwards, they said, shrugging +their shoulders, “Kujana,” meaning, “It must be,” +or “I don’t care for it”—a solution which to them +is perfectly satisfactory.</p> + +<p>Yet they do at times brave deeds. Once last winter +Michael and Simeon (they never have two +names) in crossing from an island in their kayaks, +were overtaken by a kind of blizzard. Simeon became +unconscious and capsized. Michael, though +himself almost <em>in extremis</em>, and having only his +tiny kayak to fight the storm in, managed to get +his friend out of the boat—into which they are +usually laced—to put him on the back of his own +canoe, and to carry him safely to land. Needless to +say no Albert medal rewarded his brave deed. Unfortunately, +the art of using the kayak is rapidly +becoming lost, largely because the foolish Eskimo +part with the seal-skins, necessary to cover their +boats, in exchange for cheap and useless European +goods. At one time, with their skin kossack or coat, +laced over the opening, and fast round their wrists +and face, they could upset with impunity, for with +a couple of deft strokes with their paddles they were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[191]</span> +soon right way up again. Indeed, in heavy seas +they would purposely upset, and so get the force +of the broken water on the bottom or side of their +boat, righting themselves immediately the danger +had passed. In sport one kayak would “leap-frog” +over another; or turning over on one side the +“kayak man” would right himself on the other in +their merry dexterity. Alas! that so marvellous +an adaptation to the necessities of their lives should +ever be relegated to a forgotten past. Broken +water does them no more harm than it would to a +swimming seagull, so exquisite is their buoyancy.</p> + +<p>Generosity and vanity form a queer combination +in many of them. On one occasion, a family, which +had long been struggling for the mere necessaries +of daily life, were fortunate enough to catch in their +large stone trap a black fox. With tears of joy +the father took the skin to the store. God had +heard his prayers. He was credited with £9 worth +of goods. When he got home, however, the well-filled +cupboard so filled his heart with vanity that +he issued an invitation to all his acquaintances “to +come and eat and stay with him.” In two days +the supplies ran out, and already again the wolf of +hunger besieged his doors.</p> + +<p>In another case a Newfoundland planter had left +an Eskimo in charge of his stores during the winter, +giving him for himself a more than generous winter’s +diet. Soon his friends, with their chronic state of +hunger, came to pay him a visit. Without a thought<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[192]</span> +as to consequences, the visit was prolonged indefinitely, +and soon the whole of them were without +provisions. The usual course to adopt next is to +drive on and visit the nearest settlement, till all +alike are “commercial travellers” in the same line +of business. No wonder there is an Eskimo saying, +“Do not live near the komatik (or sleigh) track.”</p> + +<p>Loyalty is said to be a marked feature in the +Eskimo. They fully believed at Hopedale that Her +Majesty the Queen sits on a rock on the look-out—as +they do—in her anxiety for the arrival of the +mission ship <em>Harmony</em>. We were charged with many +personal messages by them to the Queen, expressing +their deep sense of gratitude for sending the <em>Albert</em> +out to them.</p> + +<p>When they heard the English were at war in +Egypt, they organized an impromptu regiment, with +a captain in a discarded policeman’s coat and one +odd epaulet, with which they proposed to the missionaries +they should proceed to the seat of war. +Indeed, they took no denial, and continued to drill +till the opening of the sea turned their attention +once more to cod-fishing.</p> + +<p>I must now close my few remarks about this +interesting people. Some of their habits, which to +us are more repellant, I have purposely passed over—such +as their predilection for their meat to be +“mikkiak,” or partly rotten, and their uncleanliness. +What we saw of the Eskimo we liked: their gratitude +for kindnesses done; their fortitude under the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[193]</span> +knife, or in pain; their merriment and good-nature +often under circumstances most depressing. When +talking to a dying Eskimo of forty-five, who for a +fortnight had lain in terrible agony with his hands +blown off, I asked the poor fellow if the pain was +unbearable. He answered simply, “It is nothing +to what my Saviour bore in the Garden for me.” +His last words were singing Zinzendorf’s beautiful +hymn:—</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse">“Jesus, day by day,</div> + <div class="verse">Guide us on our way.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>It continues:—</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent4">“Should the path us grieve,</div> + <div class="verse indent4">Thee we’ll never leave;</div> + <div class="verse">Lord, in days of greatest sadness,</div> + <div class="verse">Let us bear our cross with gladness;</div> + <div class="verse indent4">Trials mark the road</div> + <div class="verse indent4">Leading home to God.</div> + </div> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indent4">All our steps attend,</div> + <div class="verse indent4">Guide us to the end;</div> + <div class="verse">Should the way be rough and dreary,</div> + <div class="verse">With Thy strength support the weary;</div> + <div class="verse indent4">When our race is o’er,</div> + <div class="verse indent4">Open, Lord, Thy door.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[194]</span></p> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>THE DEEDS OF HEROES</em></p> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Some</span> 18,000 people cluster around the shores of +Trinity Bay, their scattered villages and fishing +hamlets nestling on its creeks and coves. It was in +February. The Ice King had laid his iron hand +even on the giant ocean, and the floe ice of the +frozen sea stretched far beyond the eye’s horizon. +Yet these boldest among England’s sea-loving sons +were adding to their scanty stock of this world’s +goods by venturing far out among the treacherous +ice in pursuit of seals.</p> + +<p>The morning of the 27th broke bright and beautiful, +enhanced by a clear space of deep blue water +between the shore and the inner edge of the ice. +The eager hunters were early astir, and snatching +a hasty breakfast, were soon off in their little boats, +being but lightly clad, to give their limbs freer +play in the various vicissitudes of their calling.</p> + +<p>From Trinity, Green Bay, Ireland’s Eye, boat +glided out after boat, as the crack of the guns of +those first afloat told of a prospect of success, until +over 220 men were out. “’Tis a strange and awful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[195]</span> +thing to think, how often mortality stands on the +brink of its grave without any misgiving.”</p> + +<p>Suddenly a dark cloud appeared in the north-east, +with incredible rapidity masses piled themselves +together, and then in a moment, from the heart of +the black battalions, the tempest leaped in fury, +struck the now darkened waters, and converted the +bay into a seething, hissing cauldron. The temperature +fell forty degrees, and the fierce cold, with the +piercing wind, seemed to freeze the very blood in +the veins. Gust followed gust, each more furious +than the last, driving the angry sea in foam-capped +mountains on to the doomed fleet of boats. Now +began a desperate struggle for life, enough to appal +the stoutest hearts. Two alternatives only were +possible—first to face the teeth of the gale and row +for their homes on the north shore; or, secondly, run +before it, and endeavour to clamber over the ice to +the southern side of the bay. Six boats tried the +former. The spray, freezing as it fell, drenched the +men to their skin, covering both boats and men with +casings of solid ice. Slowly and painfully, in terrible +danger each moment of being swamped, they +lessened the distance between themselves and the +shore. Suddenly a cry of despair arose from one of +the boats—the oars had snapped, and the boat was +drifting to certain destruction. Without a thought +of the peril of the delay, and from the increased +burden they would have to carry, the nearest boat +at once went to their aid, and in that terrible sea<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[196]</span> +took the perishing men on board. One of the poor +fellows, however, was soon dead from cold and +exhaustion. Ice began to form in thick masses on +the bow and sides of the deeply-laden boat, and as +each wave struck her she rose more and more +heavily, until all saw the immediate need of lightening +the boat. With sad, mute faces the men looked +at each other. The dead man lay at the bottom of +the boat, his white face and unclosed eyes turned +towards the sky. “Come, boys,” said the oldest man, +“it can’t be helped; Isaac must go overboard or we +shall all be drowned.” Rapidly they raised the body, +now draped in its icy shroud. “In the name of God +we commit this body to the deep in sure, and certain +hope of resurrection. Amen.” A dull plash and the +reverent funeral service was over. The boat seemed +now to float more buoyantly; but after another +hour’s struggle for life, the brother of him whose +remains had already been given to the sea, breathed +his last. No doubt the horror of the scene had +hastened his end. The sad ceremonial had to be +repeated at once, for the ice was fast gaining and +sinking the boat.</p> + +<p>Benumbed and exhausted in this death battle, all +hope was nearly over when from the foremost boat +a cry was raised which put fresh courage in their +hearts—Land, ho! It was the well known “Horse +Chop” rocks. Another desperate effort, and at last +their keels touched the strand. But, alas! for the +poor fellows even then. Some, unable even to leave<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[197]</span> +the boats till helped by their companions, staggered +feebly ashore, and tried to crawl up the steep gulch +from their landing place; but strength failed them, +and four more died after landing. It was a sad +ending to so brave a fight.</p> + +<p>Deeds worthy of the highest praise were enacted in +that gulch that day, the stronger helping the weaker, +and endeavouring to restore and encourage those +who were abandoning themselves to death. One +tells how “I saw Robert Bannister manage to crawl +partly up the cliff on his hands and knees. At last +he just stopped, said, ‘God bless us,’ and died where +he was. His son was lying dead near him.” The +nearest house was two miles away, but three men +had now spied them. Hastily making a fire of brushwood, +they helped the still living up the cliff, and +putting some of their own garments on them, nursed +some back to life—but here two more poor fellows +perished, while their rescuers carried or helped +them over that long two miles. Not one but +suffered terribly from frost-bite, especially one poor +fellow who had given his mittens to a lad without +any.</p> + +<p>There were still twenty-four boats missing. What +of them? Ice-covered, frost-bitten, and exhausted, +some had reached harbours in the great bay, situated +not so directly in the teeth of the storm; but of +those who made for Bonaventure, Deer Harbour, +Thoroughfare, and Ireland’s Eye, only one had died +in the boat. But now deeds of even greater heroism<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[198]</span> +were called for and performed. The men from +Ireland’s Eye found that far out in the storm were +men from English Harbour and Salmon Cove, who +could not possibly reach home, and who might be +sheltering on some off-lying uninhabited island, certain +to perish during the night unless help were forthcoming. +Food was partaken of, a brief rest snatched, +God’s protecting care besought, and once more these +heroes of the sea went out silently into that raging +storm, from which they had but just escaped with +their lives. “Inasmuch as ye did unto the least of +these, My brethren, ye did it unto Me.” Two boats +were manned, and after fruitless search one returned +safely, but empty handed, to the shelter of the harbour. +The other, through the darkness of the falling +night, saw at length a small light on a desolate spot +near Thoroughfare. Fierce joy burnt in those noble +hearts, as they strained every sinew to drive their +stubborn craft through the now almost forgotten +dangers. Alas, a sorrowful sight awaited them. +There in their boat on the beach, amidst the roar of +the storm, and the thunder of the surf, lay two poor +fellows silent in death—swathed in their winding +sheet of ice, and fast frozen to their boat. By the +fire were three fishermen, half dead themselves, trying +to rekindle the spark of life in two of their fast +dying comrades. All were taken back by the rescue +party, and the living nursed back to life at the nearest +cottage. It was enough to move the most cynical +to tears—wives and mothers wildly wringing their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[199]</span> +hands in agony of heart; and those strong men, +with nerves of iron, wept like children.</p> + +<p>The storm raged all Saturday night, and from many +a little home the men were still missing. During +the long hours hope and despair alternated in many +anxious hearts, for all knew they had drifted across +the bay, and none knew what their fate might be.</p> + +<p>At noon on Sunday a woman, at Heart’s Content, +on the southern side, happened to notice, far out in +the bay, a small boat drifting helplessly about. But +for this all must have perished. Rescue parties were +at once formed, and soon five boats, with seventeen +men, some in the last stage of exhaustion from the +exposure of that awful night, were brought ashore. +These men had spent the night on the ice; they had +broken up and burnt two boats, which, with the fat +of two seals they had killed, had kept off the worst +of the cold, while some of the fresh meat, roasted in +the flames, had helped to assuage the pangs of hunger +and maintain the bodily heat. All these were more +or less severely frost-bitten, but, with the loss of +fingers, toes, or heels, all recovered. Later in the +day the rest of the boats were seen, and twenty-seven +more men rescued. One of these men, Patrick +Hanlan, thus described his experiences:—</p> + +<p>“The spray was continually going over us, and +freezing, and we soon saw it was impossible to reach +land on the north side of the bay without running +the risk of freezing to death. After a time we gave +her a little sheet, and ran her for a pan of ice. Got<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[200]</span> +out on the pan and made a fire to get something to +eat and drink. Just as we were doing this, a sea +broke over the pan, and washed everything off except +ourselves. We had to jump in our boat and run her +before the gale until about four in the afternoon. +Just before dusk we caught up four other boats with +twelve men in them. We all hauled up our boats +on a large pan of ice, turned up the largest boats to +make a shelter from the wind, and made a fire. I +had two seals in my boat, and we pelted (<em>i.e.</em> skinned) +them to burn the fat, breaking up one of the smaller +boats, also, to use as fuel. We were on the ice drifting +up the bay all night. It was bitterly cold, in +spite of the big fire, and we had to keep dancing and +jumping to keep up our spirits, and to keep from +freezing. At dawn we were about five miles from +Heart’s Delight. We hauled our boats over some +ice, and then rowed for land, which we reached at +nine o’clock. The people treated us with wonderful +kindness, doing all in their power to relieve us. +Under Providence they saved our lives, and we shall +never forget their kindness.”<a id="FNanchor_18" href="#Footnote_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_18" href="#FNanchor_18" class="label">[18]</a> For the above account of this Trinity Bay disaster I +am indebted to the Rev. Dr. Moses Harvey, LL.D., F.R.C.S., one of +the truest friends the fishermen ever had.—W. T. G.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Enough has been said to show the stuff these men +are made of, and there is not space here to multiply +stories that point to the same traits of character, and +that show the same self-sacrificing courage. Yet +with such the history of these perilous fisheries<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[201]</span> +abounds. With which statement of fact, gentle +reader, I shall say adieu, thanking God if in any +way I may still be of service to these toilers of the +sea.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[202]</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</h2> +</div> + +<p class="center"><em>WE APPEAL FOR CANADIAN SYMPATHY</em></p> + +<div class="figleft" id="i_216"> +<img src="images/i_216.jpg" alt="" width="322" height="500"> +<p class="caption center">A Missionary in Winter Dress.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class="smcap">In</span> November, 1893, Dr. Bobardt and +myself visited Canada, with the hope of getting help for our work, +seeing that some Canadians would at least benefit by it. In Halifax, +Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto we found friendly audiences. St. Paul’s +Church (Episcopal), the Brunswick Street Methodist Church, and the +Garison Chapel, all of Halifax, each paid for the support of one cot +for a year, promising to endeavour to do so annually; while a small +committee was organized in each place to keep alive an interest in +the work, and to help by sending clothes and reading to St. Johns, +Newfoundland, for us to carry to Labrador. Governor Daly,<span +class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[203]</span> General Montgomery Moore, +and Bishop Courtney, of Nova Scotia, were good enough to assist us in +Halifax; while everywhere the members of that admirable institution, +“The Brotherhood of St. Andrew,” extended their generous friendship to +us. In Montreal, Sir Donald Smith, Governor of the Hudson Bay Company, +who himself had spent thirteen years in charge of one of the Company’s +stations, presented a steamer to the Montreal Committee, to enable the +work to be more efficiently carried out. Dr. Roddick, of Montreal, also +presented the Mission with a sailing boat for Battle Harbour, called +the <em>Urelia McKinnon</em>. His Excellency the Governor-General, +Lord Aberdeen, was good enough to preside at the meeting at Ottawa, +and express his sympathy with the work. Indeed, for real interest and +sympathy in every philanthropic work, and it is grand to know in every +distinctively missionary work also, Canada is fortunate in possessing +in both Lord and Lady Aberdeen examples of a kind alas far too rare in +these so-called Christian days. A meeting was also held in Winnipeg, +whither we went on a holiday trip, and here the Lieut.-Governor, Sir +John Schultze, presided, and, with Lady Schultze, expressed great +interest in the work. Samuel Blake, Esq., Q.C., so well known in Canada +for his broad-minded Christian sympathies, was our chairman at Toronto. +Our days at Toronto possessed for me an interest never experienced +before. We fell on a great Missionary Convention, and from Mr. +Warzawiak, of New York,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[204]</span> +Dr. MacKay, of Formosa, Dr. Gordon, of Boston, Dr. Pierson, of +Philadelphia, and many other remarkable men, we heard of such +difficulties overcome, obstacles removed, and successes attained by the +Gospel in other fields in the missionary world, that it made one desire +to be at work in China, Africa, and North America all at once.</p> + +<p>Reaching England in March, while preparations +were being made for 1894, I was enabled to visit +the North Sea fleets. The English fishermen expressed +a most lively interest in their brethren over +the sea, and the warm-hearted admiral of the Red +Cross fleet sent me a large flag, that they might be +“represented in Labrador.”</p> + +<p>Dr. Curwen having gone to China for the London +Missionary Society, and Dr. Bobardt desiring to remain +at home a year, our staff, consisting of Dr. +Willway, Dr. Bennett, and the two sisters, sailed +direct for Labrador in the <em>Albert</em>, while a volunteer +Christian worker, who came and acted as chief engineer +(Mr. W. B. Wakefield), and myself, left for +Montreal, fitting out and despatching the <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Princess +May</em>, as we passed through St. Johns, Newfoundland.</p> + +<p>The <em>Albert</em> had a long passage out, and meeting +the outside of the floe ice, had a tough three days +working her way through; now charging into large +pans, now laying against masses piled up higher +than her masts. Captain Trezise reported her as +at one time in great danger of being overwhelmed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[207]</span> +by masses falling on to her decks. She, however, +got through safely, and her magnificent sea qualities +and rapid movements were more than ever before +apparent to those in charge of her.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" id="i_219"> +<img src="images/i_219.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="486"> +<p class="caption center">Eskimo Brass Band at Moravian Mission Station of Hopedale.</p> +</div> + +<p>Having landed Dr. Bennett and Sister Carwardine +at Battle Hospital, she proceeded to Indian Harbour, +where the hospital was rapidly placed in +working order. Here the little wood building almost +came to an inglorious and premature end +by fire the first week of its existence; and we were +indebted to the strenuous efforts of a number of +fishermen for saving it from destruction, and to +Commodore Curzon-Howe, of H.M.S. <em>Cleopatra</em>, for +landing a body of blue jackets to repair the +damage, enabling the work to proceed. The <em>Albert</em> +then returned and lay in Battle Harbour, to await +the arrival of our steamer, the <em>Sir Donald</em>. Meanwhile, +we had visited many stations from Montreal +along the Labrador coast on the north side +the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Everywhere we had +had plenty of work to do: seeing sick people, +operating where necessary, holding services, and +distributing literature. We <em>everywhere</em> found people +deeply grateful for our visit, and glad to gather +to hear the Gospel. Many spoke eagerly of the +hopes raised that a third hospital would be erected +in the Labrador or lower province of Quebec, +to which the sick could be carried, and were +anxious to forward a petition to Ottawa to that +effect. We were everywhere entreated not to allow<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[208]</span> +this to be our last visit. At La Romaine, a station +of the Hudson Bay Company, we had a +severe operation on a young Montaignais Indian +hunter—otherwise doomed to die—and when we left +three days later he was lying in his tent, on a +clean bed of spruce boughs, on the high-road to +recovery. At the last places we visited, we took +patients aboard for Battle Hospital—one poor lad +with a horrible affection of the hip, a girl with a +useless wrist and arm, a child with hip-joint disease, +and a sick woman for operation. All of these eventually +returned home benefited or cured.</p> + +<p>Just before reaching Battle Harbour, with all our +flags flying, our brass polished, and our spirits wild +with expectancy of seeing our colleagues again, we +suddenly struck a submerged rock, and for a few +minutes lay in danger of rolling over and sinking +in deep water. All hands behaved exceedingly +well. Our boats were lowered, signals put up for +two schooners which happened to be passing, to +“stand by,” while kedge anchors were run out, in +the endeavour to save the ship by warping her off the +rocks. After a time, assisted by a heavy tide and the +big ground swell, she came off and swung to her anchors +in the deep water. Alas, for us, she had almost +better have remained a complete wreck, for her keel +and stem were broken, her rudder twisted, her propeller +gone, her engines broken, and her side bulged +in. Fortunately, we were able to travel over land to +Battle Harbour; and Mr. Baine Grieve’s agent sent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[209]</span> +thence his bait launch and towed the <em>Sir Donald</em> +into harbour. Here we found the <em>Albert</em>, very +anxious about our long delayed arrival, but now +overjoyed to see us in any plight. As nothing could +be done to repair the steamer in Labrador, Captain +Trezise undertook the exceedingly risky attempt to +tow the <em>Sir Donald</em> to St. Johns, and this, after +many exciting incidents and many close shaves of +losing her, he successfully accomplished. There she +now lies, undergoing repairs for another year’s +work.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, I left with the <em>Urelia McKinnon</em> for +Indian Harbour Hospital, and thence visited the +Hudson Bay station at Rigolette, and many other +places between Indian Harbour and Battle.</p> + +<p>Dr. Bennett was anxious to leave early for England, +as he was appointed by the London Missionary +Society to Tien-Tsin Missionary Hospital in China; +and so, till winter drove the Newfoundland people off +the coast, Battle Hospital came under my charge. +On November 1st the sisters and myself left for +Newfoundland, Dr. Willway remaining to hold the +fort alone till we could return in 1895. His arrangements +were to visit, if possible, as far as Blanc +Sablon, and then returning to his hospital to meet +our good friend Mr. Wilson, of Rigolette, at Cartwright, +to travel with him north to Hopedale and +Davis Inlet, and then to await at Battle Hospital +our return.</p> + +<p>Thus, God willing, much good will be done, many<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[210]</span> +sick and suffering ones relieved, many cheered and +assisted in their struggle for existence, and, above +all, the Gospel proclaimed in many homes where, +but for the “Labrador Mission,” its sound would +never reach during the long and weary winter +months.<a id="FNanchor_19" href="#Footnote_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_19" href="#FNanchor_19" class="label">[19]</a> Dr. Willway left for the North on January 9th, the sea being then +firmly frozen over.</p> + +</div> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[211]</span></p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[213]</span></p> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="APPENDICES">APPENDICES</h2> +</div> + + +<p class="center">APPENDIX A</p> + +<p class="center"><em>SOME MEDICAL STATISTICS.</em></p> + + +<p>There were treated from the <em>Albert</em> in 1892 nine +hundred patients, of which one-third might be +called serious cases. An epidemic of influenza visited +the coast, and this led to many cases of lung affections. +Affections of the eyes were also common, while minor +surgical cases were in great abundance. Seven +operations were performed under anæsthetics.</p> + +<p>In 1893 there were treated:—</p> + +<p>In Labrador, the Straits of Belle Isle, and on the +French shore of Newfoundland there were treated by—</p> + +<!-- <p> +<span style="margin-left: 22.8em;">In-Patients. Out-Patients.</span><br> +Dr. Bobardt at Battle Hospital<span style="margin-left: 12.0em;"> 33 647</span><br> +Dr. Curwen on the Hospital ship <em>Albert</em><span style="margin-left: 9em;"> 3 1,052</span><br> +Dr. Grenfell on the steam launch <em>Princess May</em><span style="margin-left: 6.0em;"> 1 794</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 24.5em;">— ———</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 14.5em;">That is a total of 37 2,493</span> +</p> --> + +<table> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"> </td> +<td class="tdc">In-Patients.</td> +<td class="tdc">Out-Patients.</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Dr. Bobardt at Battle Hospital</td> +<td class="tdr">33</td> +<td class="tdr">647</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Dr. Curwen on the Hospital ship <em>Albert</em></td> +<td class="tdr">3</td> +<td class="tdr">1,052</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Dr. Grenfell on the steam launch <em>Princess May</em></td> +<td class="tdr">1</td> +<td class="tdr">794</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdr">That is a total of</td> +<td class="tdr" style="text-decoration: overline">37</td> +<td class="tdr" style="text-decoration: overline">2,493</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p>These cases, for the council’s better information and +that of the public, I analysed as follows. [Our case +books are preserved in London for reference.]</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[214]</span></p> + +<p class="p2"></p> + +<p class="center"><strong><em>Medical Cases.</em></strong></p> + +<table class="toc"> +<tr> +<td class="left" colspan="2"><strong>Diseases of</strong>—</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Digestive system</td> + <td class="right">633</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Respiratory and circulatory system</td> + <td class="right">194</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Nervous system</td> + <td class="right">60</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Excretory system</td> + <td class="right">40</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Women</td> + <td class="right">64</td> +</tr><tr> +<td class="left" colspan="2"><strong>Diseases of special organs</strong>—</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Eye (including 34 cases of night blindness)</td> + <td class="right">211</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Ear</td> + <td class="right">40</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Nose and throat</td> + <td class="right">93</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Skin</td> + <td class="right">105</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"><strong>Minor cases</strong>—Headaches, colds, strains</td> + <td class="right">167</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"><strong>Cases of rheumatism</strong></td> + <td class="right">64</td> +</tr><tr> +<td class="center" colspan="2"><strong><em>Surgical Cases.</em></strong></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Affections of the upper limbs</td> + <td class="right">306</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Affections of the lower limbs</td> + <td class="right">94</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">General surgical cases—Glands, bones, special<br> + agues, rickets, tumour, fistula, etc.</td> + <td class="right">188</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"><strong>Sundry minor cases</strong></td> + <td class="right">210</td> +</tr><tr> +<td></td> + <td class="right">——</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"><strong>Total</strong></td> + <td class="right">2,493</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p class="p2"></p> + +<table class="toc"> +<tr> + <td class="cht">Operations performed under chloroform</td> + <td class="right">17</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Major operations without chloroform</td> + <td class="right">11</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Minor surgical operations, including teeth</td> + <td class="right">269</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p class="p2"></p> + +<p>There were in Battle Harbour Hospital the following +named cots or beds: viz., Exeter, Brighton, Redhill, +Hutchinson, Macpherson; also the John Fountain +Elvin and John Charles Harris memorial cots.</p> + +<p>In the male ward were first the “Brighton cot.” +This was occupied by a poor Newfoundland fisherman +whom I brought 80 miles in the <em>Princess +May</em>. He had consumption, and died after about<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">[215]</span> +two months in hospital. His body alone reached +his relatives in Newfoundland.</p> + +<p>The second bed was the “Harris Cot.” There +were three patients in this bed this season. The +first was suffering with pleurisy; the second had +to have his middle finger amputated, after a deep +abscess of the hand; the third also had a severely +poisoned hand.</p> + +<p>The third, the “Redhill Cot,” was occupied by a +fisherman with paralysis of the right arm and leg, +and then by a poor fellow with consumption.</p> + +<p>The fourth, the “Hutchinson Cot,” was occupied +by, first, a man with a severely crushed hand; then +by a poor fellow from far north, sent back by the +<em>Albert</em> (he was suffering from ulcer of the stomach); +and, thirdly, by a French Canadian who was brought +in a sealing steamer from Canadian Labrador, with +a deep abscess of the back.</p> + +<p>The fifth, the “Exeter Cot,” was occupied, first, by +a fisherman with rheumatic fever and heart disease; +second, by a man with excessive deep inflammation +of the arm and forearm; third, by a man with +abscess in the palm of his hand; fourth, by a young +American with an affection resulting from consumption +in the system; fifth, by a very similar case +with a Newfoundlander.</p> + +<p>The sixth, the “Macpherson Cot,” was in the +female ward. First of all it was occupied by a +young girl who had to undergo a serious operation; +then by a woman who had come fifty miles down<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">[216]</span> +the Straits of Belle Isle with an internal disease; +then by a poor girl brought south in the mail +steamer from the cabin of one of the small fishing +vessels. She died in hospital. The poor thing was +engaged to be married this summer. Had she been +able to come earlier for proper assistance there can +be no doubt her life would have been saved. The +fourth patient in this bed was a girl of eighteen. +She had been suffering with an internal abscess for +nearly three years when I saw her first in Sandwich +Bay in the <em>Princess May</em>. After the operation we +sent her by the mail to Battle Hospital. Here she +remained some weeks, and on returning south in the +<em>Princess May</em>, and again visiting Sandwich Bay, I +found the girl returned, a new creature altogether. +“I should like to have stayed always,” she told me.</p> + +<p class="right">W. T. G.</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p><em>The following are a few figures from my report +rendered to the St. Johns Auxiliary Branch of the +M.D.S.F.</em>:—</p> +</div> + +<p>In 1894, owing to the loss of the <span class="allsmcap">S.S.</span> <em>Sir Donald</em>, +and the fact of the <em>Princess May</em> being unable to +reach the coast, the work of the mission was much +curtailed. Yet out of 1,306 patients treated a much +larger proportion were serious cases, and more +patients availed themselves of the hospitals. This +number will no doubt increase.</p> + +<p>There were treated this year by—</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">[217]</span></p> + +<!-- <p> +<span style="margin-left: 22.8em;">In-Patients. Out-Patients.</span><br> +Dr. Bennett at Battle Hospital<span style="margin-left: 12.0em;"> 27 444</span><br> +Dr. Willway at Indian Harbour<span style="margin-left: 11.5em;"> 20 580</span><br> +Dr. Grenfell on the <em>Sir Donald</em> and <em>Urelia McKinnon</em><span style="margin-left: 3em;"> 4 231</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 24em;">— ————</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 19em;">Total 51 1,255</span> +</p> --> + +<table> +<tr> +<td class="tdl"> </td> +<td class="tdc">In-Patients.</td> +<td class="tdc">Out-Patients.</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Dr. Bennett at Battle Hospital</td> +<td class="tdr">27</td> +<td class="tdr">444</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Dr. Willway at Indian Harbour</td> +<td class="tdr">20</td> +<td class="tdr">580</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdl">Dr. Grenfell on the <em>Sir Donald</em> and <em>Urelia McKinnon</em></td> +<td class="tdr">4</td> +<td class="tdr">231</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td class="tdr">Total</td> +<td class="tdr" style="text-decoration: overline">51</td> +<td class="tdr" style="text-decoration: overline">1,255</td> +</tr> +</table> + + +<p>These were—</p> + +<p class="center"><em>Medical Cases.</em></p> + +<table class="toc"> +<tr> +<td class="left" colspan="2"><strong>Diseases of</strong>—</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Digestive system</td> + <td class="right">226</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Respiratory system</td> + <td class="right">130</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Nervous system</td> + <td class="right">55</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Excretory system</td> + <td class="right">45</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Women</td> + <td class="right">33</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="left" colspan="2"><strong> Minor cases—</strong></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Colds, headaches</td> + <td class="right">73</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p class="p2"></p> + +<p class="center"><strong><em>Surgical Cases.</em></strong></p> + +<table class="toc"> +<tr> +<td class="left" colspan="2"><strong>Diseases of</strong>—</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> Affections of the upper limbs</td> + <td class="right">73</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Affections of the lower limbs</td> + <td class="right">64</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">General surgical affections, including<br> + glands, bones, fistula, etc.</td> + <td class="right">140</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Minor surgery cases</td> + <td class="right">114</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht" colspan="2"><strong> Diseases of special organs—</strong></td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Eye</td> + <td class="right">90</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Ear</td> + <td class="right">27</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Nose and throat</td> + <td class="right">48</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Skin</td> + <td class="right">74</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Affection</td> + <td class="right">64</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Operations performed under anæsthetics</td> + <td class="right">25</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">Minor operations, including teeth</td> + <td class="right">119</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht">In-patients</td> + <td class="right">51</td> +</tr><tr> +<td></td> + <td class="right">————</td> +</tr><tr> + <td class="cht"> <strong>Grand total</strong></td> + <td class="right">1,306</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">[218]</span></p> + +<p class="p4"></p> + +<p class="center">APPENDIX B</p> + +<p class="center"><em>SPIRITUAL AGENCIES IN LABRADOR</em>,</p> + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Since July, 1892, at which time we arrived +on the coast.</span></p> + + +<p>There is a Wesleyan missionary fifty miles west +of Battle, at Red Bay. To visit all round his +circuit and return must involve 250 to 300 miles’ +travelling. It must be remembered all this visiting +is done in a small open boat in summer, at great risk +in so dangerous a place as the Straits of Belle Isle; +and in winter over the ice with a komatik and team +of dogs. The Rev. J. Sidey was there three years, +and is now replaced by Rev. J. Antle.<a id="FNanchor_20" href="#Footnote_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_20" href="#FNanchor_20" class="label">[20]</a> These Wesleyan missionaries are supported by the Methodist Church +of Canada.</p> + +</div> + +<p>At Battle Harbour, as is well known to our readers, +there is a wooden church, but it has been in charge +of a young teacher and lay reader since we have +been on the coast.</p> + +<p>At Cartwright, thirty miles up Sandwich Bay, is +another wooden church and schoolroom combined. +Here also is a lay reader and schoolmaster. This +would be about 150 miles up the coast from Battle +Harbour. The sphere of work does not, I think, +extend at all outside Sandwich Bay.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">[219]</span></p> + +<p>Fifty miles above Indian Harbour, up Hamilton +Inlet, is a young Wesleyan minister. He has a small +school and chapel on the south side of the inlet. We +had the pleasure of taking him in the <em>Princess May</em> +to his new sphere of work. His name is the Rev. G. +Hollett, and his sphere of work is Hamilton Inlet, I +think as far in as the North West river, that is eighty +miles further, or 130 from Indian Harbour.</p> + +<p>From Indian Harbour to Hopedale the settlers +number from 260 to 300, and are very poor and +very scattered. The distance by sea is 150 miles, +and again consists of a series of long bays and +off-lying islands. There is no missionary or schoolmaster +anywhere along this part of the coast, +though once in the winter one of the Moravians +travels over the ice as far south as Cape Harrison +with his komatik and dogs, often at great peril to his +life. Northward of Cape Harrison are only a few +scattered European settlers, mixed among not less +than 2,000 Eskimos. These are mostly members of +the Moravian Church. The Moravian stations are +from 50 to 100 miles apart.</p> + +<p>To meet the spiritual needs of all these people, +scattered as they are, and of the 25,000 who visit +the coast in summer—some 10,000 living on their +vessels all the year—we only heard of one clergyman +of the Church of England and one Wesleyan minister, +with one Roman Catholic priest, visiting during +part of the summer. This year, 1893, we did not +hear of any peripatetic Wesleyan minister, and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">[220]</span> +only clergyman was rather in pursuit of health; but +we met in the Straits of Belle Isle Bishop MacDonnel +and the Rev. Father Lynch, of the Roman Catholic +Church. I must mention also that the Bible Society +send a colporteur every year to sell Bibles and testaments +on the coast, though we did not fall in with +him this year, nor do I know how much of the coast +he travels over. Last year a tiny schooner, manned +by three Salvation Army captains, also visited the +coast, partly fishing and partly preaching the gospel. +Among the fishermen themselves we met many earnest +and pious Christians, and as on the North Sea, +so on this bleak coast we have felt God’s presence +quite as real and as near in the meetings on board or +in the huts as we have in great buildings and comfortable +pews in the old country.</p> + +<p>Among past workers in Labrador I hear of the +Rev. J. G. Curling, Rev. Mr. Hutchinson, and Rev. +Mr. Quintain. The last two spent many years in +Labrador, while the Rev. J. Bull spent three years +at Battle Harbour. The Right Rev. Llewellyn Jones, +Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda, has also visited +the coast, as did Bishop Field, his predecessor. The +Rev. Father Lemoine, labouring among the Montaignais +Indians of the interior, also sometimes comes +out on the coast during the summer.<a id="FNanchor_21" href="#Footnote_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_21" href="#FNanchor_21" class="label">[21]</a> Bishop Jones sent three visiting clergymen to Labrador +this summer 1894.</p> + +</div> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">[221]</span></p> + +<p class="p4"></p> + +<p class="center">APPENDIX C</p> + +<p class="center"><em>A FEW TESTIMONIES TO THE WORK FROM +THOSE WHO KNOW LABRADOR</em></p> + + +<p class="center"><em>From the</em> <span class="smcap">Rev. F. S. Hollett</span>, <em>Missionary of the<br> +Canadian Methodist Church at Rigolette</em>:—</p> + +<p class="right">Hamilton Inlet,</p> +<p class="right">Labrador.</p> + +<p class="smcap">Dear Dr. Grenfell,—</p> + +<p> ... Any way that we can help you, we +will be glad to do it. As you know I can sympathise +with you in the difficulties you meet with. +D.V., we hope to have a visit from you next year. +May God bless you in your noble work, and you +will always remember,</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;">I am</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;">Your sincere brother in Christ,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 16em;"><span class="smcap">Frank S. Hollett</span>.</span><br> +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">[222]</span></p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p><em>From</em> <span class="smcap">Dr. Robert Murray</span>, <cite>Editor of the “Presbyterian +Witness”</cite>:—</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Halifax</span>,<br> +<em>December, 1894</em>.</p> + +<p class="smcap">Dear Dr. Grenfell,—</p> + +<p> ... From our Presbyterian teacher from +Canadian Labrador we had most favourable reports +of your work. I examined him personally on his +return, as to what he had seen and heard.</p> + +<p>While he had not seen the hospitals and the doctors, +he had heard most appreciative reports from +fishermen ...</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;">Yours very truly,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;">Robert Murray.</span> +</p> + + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p><em>October 27, 1892.</em> A representative meeting of the +colony of Newfoundland was held at Government +House, St. Johns. There were present, amongst +others, His Excellency the Governor, Sir Frederick +Carter (Judge of Supreme Court), Sir William +Whiteway (Premier), Major-General Dowell, R.A., +Sir Robert Thorburn (late Premier), Hon. E. D. +Shea, Hon. Robert Bond (Colonial Secretary), Hon. +A. Goodridge (late Premier), Hon. A. W. Harvey, +Hon. M. Munroe, and Messrs. W. Grieve, P. Tessier, +E. Duder, W. Job, E. Outerbridge, representing the +merchant firms, Captains the Hon. S. Blandford, +W. Bartlett, N. Fitzgerald, J. Watson, representing +the Labrador planters, and Messrs. Ch. Emerson, J.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">[223]</span> +Withers,—Cohen, etc. After a discussion, in which +several present took part, it was proposed by Hon. +W. A. Harvey, seconded by Sir Wm. Whiteway, +and when put by His Excellency the Governor +unanimously resolved:—</p> + +<p><em>Resolved.</em>—“That this meeting, representing the +principal merchants and traders carrying on the +fisheries, especially on the coast of Labrador, and +others interested in the welfare of this colony, +desires to tender its warmest thanks to the directors +of the Deep Sea Mission for their philanthropic +generosity in sending their hospital ship <em>Albert</em> to +visit the fishing settlements on the Labrador coast.</p> + +<p>“Much of our fishing industry is carried on in +regions beyond the ordinary reach of medical aid +or of charity, and it is with the deepest sense of +gratitude that this meeting learns of the amount +of medical and surgical work done, besides all the +other relief and help so liberally distributed. This +meeting also desires to express the hope that the +directors of the Mission may see their way to continue +the work thus begun, and should they do so +they may be assured of the earnest support and co-operation +of all classes of this community.”</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Subsequent to this great meeting the following +resolution was passed and forwarded to the Mission:—</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">[224]</span></p> + +<p>“That this representative committee will undertake +to provide two suitable buildings, which may +be used as hospitals by the Mission to Deep Sea +Fishermen, should the Council of the Mission signify +their intention to continue their operations on the +coast of Labrador, and the Committee will heartily +co-operate in any other way that the Council of +the Society may suggest.</p> + +<p>“That a copy of the foregoing resolution be forwarded +for the information of the society.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Signed) {<span class="smcap">T. O’Brien</span>, Governor, <em>Chairman</em>.</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">{<span class="smcap">M. Munroe</span>, <em>Secretary</em>.”</span></p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Montreal</span>, <em>December, 1893</em>.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">A. Bobardt</span>, Esq., M.B., R.N., writing, says:—</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Often in Labrador have I been urged on to further +work by noting how much a Mission visit is appreciated, +and how the people do enjoy a meeting; and +it seems a thousand pities that they cannot be +brought under regular spiritual influences.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>The small portable organ I had was most useful, +and wherever I went it was my <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Fidus Achates</i>, +tending to infuse more life into my meetings. I +found the people joined heartily in the hymns. +Most of this visiting was done by boat, and it was +in this work that one recognised fully the benefits +of being able to handle an oar, and pull oneself +wherever one wished to go.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">[225]</span></p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>In the hospital I had thirty-three in-patients, and +in the nursing of these I must pay tribute to Nurse +Carwardine, who, by her unremitting zeal and attention, +made many of these poor fishermen know +for the first time what it was to be in a comfortable +warm bed, and be skilfully attended to.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>The comparison between them in hospital and in +their own homes or smacks is too extreme to be +drawn, and they were very grateful for what had +been done for them.</p> + +<p>One case for example:—A gunshot wound of the +hand came to hospital, and, though his hand was +severely lacerated, he was able to return to his +home with a useful limb, after being five weeks in. +If this case had been left to itself, the young man +must have either lost his arm, or had a stiff and +useless hand; and the latter is in the way of a +fisherman, who necessarily uses his hands so much +in handling nets, lines, ropes, oars, etc.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Many at Battle and the surrounding coves are +now thanking God for His goodness in inspiring +friends in England and elsewhere to send clothing +for them this fall; the look of delight when they +received their bundles was a treat to witness. On +Tuesday, October 31st, we left Battle Harbour, +amidst the salutes from many “Brown Sallys” +(guns). We carried with us the pleasantest recollections,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">[226]</span> +and the hope that the work would grow +and increase, bringing health, happiness, and much +comfort to these Labradorites.</p> + +<p class="right">Sincerely yours,<br> +<span class="smcap">Albert Bobardt</span>.</p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p><em>From</em> Rev. <span class="smcap">Jno. Sidey</span>, <em>now three years Wesleyan +Missionary at Red Bay</em>.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="right"><em>November, 1892.</em></p> + +<p>At the present time I believe there are but two +ministers of the Gospel between Hopedale, the +Moravian settlement, and Blanc Sablon, in the +Straits of Belle Isle, a distance of over four hundred +miles. Around the coast line numerous settlements +are scattered along the route, and here in +the best harbours are congregated during the summer +season thousands of fishermen from Newfoundland, +Canada, and the United States. They may, perhaps, +the greater part of them, be attendants at the various +churches when at home; but out here, removed from +all religious influences, what wonder that they become +dissipated and lost in the spiritual darkness +that abounds on the coast. The Mission ship has +visited these harbours, held services, and, if one may +take as a criterion the work done here, and the interest +aroused, a very favourable aspect is presented +as to the spiritual portion of the work.</p> + +<p>But another and equally important phase of the +work of the Mission on these shores calls for the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">[227]</span> +earnest sympathy and encouragement of all who +have interest in this noble enterprise—<span class="smcap">The Medical +Work</span>. A doctor is provided by the Government +for this shore, during the summer months, but as +he is stationed on board the mail-boat, which only +calls just to land the mails and freight at comparatively +a few of the above-mentioned ports, his +services are practically <em>nil</em> to the greater portion +of the community. Yet the record of sick and disabled +fishermen is very large. Many have, year +by year, to be sent home in the mail-boats at the +expense of the Government, losing also a summer’s +fishery, which in many cases might be avoided by +a few days’ careful attention on board such a ship +as the <em>Albert</em>. In such cases it is not only the men +themselves that suffer, but their families are often +starving throughout the long cold winters that +follow. It may be a bold suggestion, but perhaps +worthy of a little consideration (in view of the +many harbours and extent of the coast), that were +the Society to substitute a small steam vessel for +the <em>Albert</em>, much more effective work could be accomplished, +as then during the course of the summer, +at least, three trips instead of one might be made +along the whole shore; disabled fishermen could be +accommodated on board for a trip and carried back +again without impeding the work of the Mission; a +representation might also be made to the Newfoundland +Government—who, according to repute, are at +great expense to keep up the useless custom of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">[228]</span> +sending a doctor in the mail-boat, and carrying +home sick men—to do away with their arrangement, +and grant a subsidy towards the maintenance +of a steam vessel, which could do the same work +far more effectually and, I doubt not, at less expense +to them.</p> + +<p>One word more in favour of the support of the +Mission on this coast. The system of trade, which +is largely a credit and barter system, deprives the +men of the use of cash, even what they have really +earned; and until settling-up day in the fall, few +feel themselves at liberty to draw upon their little +portion for the necessary comforts of their toil; +hence the distribution of the woollens, cuffs, etc., +comes as a great boon to many a poor fisherman +whose hands are cut by the lines, or whose clothing, +scant at all times, has become deplorable by the +wear and tear of a seafaring life. The writer has +seen much of this, and well knows how such gifts +would be valued.</p> + +<p>I trust that, as one who has lived and worked +upon the coast, and who knows by actual experience +something of the need of the Labrador shore, that +I have said enough to evoke the sympathy of all +who are willing to give one thought to the toilers +of the deep, to bestow upon your noble Society the +means for extending their work in this direction. +We are far away, but it should be remembered +that a large quantity of fish is exported to England +from Newfoundland; besides, we claim kindred, we<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">[229]</span> +are, for the most part, of the old British stock, and, +above all, we are children of the same Heavenly +Father who cares for all alike.</p> + +<p>May the Almighty bless the work already done, +and touch the hearts of His children, so that the +means may not be wanting when men are ready +to sacrifice their all to undertake this noble task.</p> + +<p class="right">Yours faithfully,<br> +<span class="smcap">Jno. C. Sidey</span>.</p> +</div> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p>Far away in that ice-bound, snow-clad country, +there are men and women struggling with poverty, +hunger, and disease. Could our kind friends at +home, while sitting around their warm firesides +with their dear children, supplied with every want +and comfort, take a peep into the many miserable +hovels, where men, women, and children are +ill-fed, poorly-clad (in some cases nearly naked), +suffering from sickness; and with no prospect of +roughing the winter out, as all traders are gone, +their only resource is to apply to the nearest fishing +station, perhaps many miles away, for charity, +which, I am thankful to say, is very rarely refused +to them—could our kind friends but get a peep at +them, I feel sure that they would be only too glad +to do a little to relieve their wants. There are +many residents scattered far and wide, some in +fairly good circumstances, and there is, without +doubt, an immense field of labour, both spiritually<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">[230]</span> +and medically, and I trust that many friends may +be found to assist in this branch....</p> + +<p>Hoping that I have been successful in showing +you that there is, indeed, a cry from Labrador: +“Come over and help us.”</p> + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Joseph F. Trezise</span> (late Master of <em>Albert</em>).</p> + +<p><em>December 8, 1892.</em></p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<span class="smcap">Dear Dr. Grenfell</span>,—<br> +</p> + +<p>The laudable work in which you are engaged has +my warmest sympathy, and I trust that your endeavour +in so good a cause will meet with the +success it deserves.</p> + +<p>I visited the Labrador coast many years ago, as +far north as Cape Harrison, and I then saw the +many hardships endured by the hardy fishermen +and their families. Yours is a most deserving +charity.</p> + +<p>Trusting that you will have a large audience +when you lecture in the city,</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;">Believe me,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;">Yours very truly,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 16em;"><span class="smcap">Robert Paton McLea</span>,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 18em;">Montreal, Canada.</span></p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">[231]</span></p> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p><span class="smcap">Moravian Missions, Secretary’s Office, 7, Furnival’s +Inn, London, E.C.</span></p> +</div> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="right"><em>Nov. 3rd.</em></p> + + +<p><em>To</em> <span class="smcap">F. H. Wood</span>, Esq., <em>Secretary Deep Sea Mission</em>.<br> + +<span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>,—</p> + +<p>I am commissioned by the Committee of our +Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel to convey +to your Mission our thanks, and those of our +missionaries at Hopedale, for the visit of the <em>Albert</em>. +They write very gratefully of the medical aid, and +especially of the spiritual fellowship and impulse +afforded them, and they expressed the hope that the +visit may be repeated. They say there is no lack +of work, and the Divine blessing will crown such +faithful endeavours to minister to the scattered +schoonermen and others along the coast.... +We beg our Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel +to express hearty thanks in our name, and that +of the Eskimos....</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;">Yours faithfully,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;"><span class="smcap">B. La Trobe</span>,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 16em;"><em>Secretary</em>.</span> +</p> +</div> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<p class="center"><em>From</em> Rev. <span class="smcap">Moses Harvey</span>, LL.D., F.R.S., <em>St. Johns</em>,</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="right"><em>July, 1893.</em></p> + +<p>The great need of hospital work on Labrador is +seen when it is considered how many cases occur +of blindness, deformities, or loss of certain faculties, +affecting the bread-winners of families, most of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">[232]</span> +which might have been prevented if treated in time, +and thus much personal suffering spared, and also +a great loss to the community. During the season +the medical men were able to render such aid that +several who had been compelled to give up work +found themselves capable of resuming their duties. +When sick persons are thus saved from losing their +season’s work, or saved the time and expense involved +in returning to Newfoundland for advice, in +cases of minor importance; or when, as happened +in several instances during the season, the lives or +limbs were saved, or, in some hopeless cases, life +was prolonged so as to allow them to reach home +and end their days in the bosom of their families, +the value of this hospital work becomes more apparent.</p> + +<p>To the sick of Labrador these hospitals will be +an inestimable boon. Only those who have known +what it is to toss on a bed of pain, perhaps unable +even at night to find rest, their tongue parched with +thirst, and fever raging in their system, can properly +appreciate the meaning of the skilful help of +the physician, the delicate attention of the trained +nurse, the hushed house, the subdued voices and +the gentle light of the half-darkened room. When +this is contrasted with the sad sight so often witnessed +on Labrador, of delicate women, and even +children, undergoing sufferings, which are hard to +bear even amid the comforts and gentle attentions +of home, on the dreary coast of Labrador, far from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">[233]</span> +every helping hand, or in the dark hold of some +small fishing vessel, where the atmosphere is poisonous, +and the noises to the sick distressing and +almost maddening, it is then we realize the value +of the noble humane work in the hospitals erected +on storm-beaten Labrador for the relief of suffering +humanity. Who would not aid in such a good +work!</p> +</div> + + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Distribution of Clothing.</span></p> + +<p>The <em>Albert</em> brought from England a very large +stock of clothing, both new and cast-off, the gift of +kind charitable friends. This was distributed with +the greatest care and discrimination, every precaution +being used to guard against imposition. +The cases of utter or partial destitution of clothing +among families who reside permanently on the Labrador +coast, were numerous, and much timely aid +was given, especially to women and children. Food +was also given in cases of extreme destitution. +Many families were thus helped to provide for the +long, cold winter of this region. There is no doubt +that every spring some families are driven to subsist +on mussels and seaweed they can gather along +the land-wash. With ice on the coast no help can +reach them.</p> + + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Distribution of Books, Periodicals, and Tracts.</span></p> + +<p>A very large supply of wholesome literature was +carried on board the Mission ship, and, wherever<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">[234]</span> +she went, was freely distributed among the fishermen. +Wherever it was found in any family that +any one could read, a gift was made either of illustrated +or plain literature, or both.</p> + + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Religious Services.</span></p> + +<p>Wherever the <em>Albert</em> or <em>Princess May</em> called, when +opportunity offered, especially on Sundays, religious +services were held, which all were invited to attend. +Hymns were sung, prayers offered, and simple addresses +given on Scriptural subjects. These services +were much appreciated among these lonely +sea-toilers; and thus something was done to make +known that Gospel which has brought such blessings +to mankind, but without any reference to +creed or sect being made.</p> + +<p>The steam launch, <em>Princess May</em>, proved to be of +great service in the Mission work. Dr. Grenfell +was enabled to go up uncharted bays in her, so as +to visit a large number of the small settlements +which would otherwise not have been within reach. +He was thus able to make a thorough examination +into the condition of the residents, and to collect +accurate statistical information regarding them to an +extent never before attempted. In all, he visited +eighty-seven different settlements on the Labrador +coast, as far north as Okkak. Dr. Curwen, in the +<em>Albert</em>, visited thirty-five more settlements; and Dr. +Bobardt visited all the places in the vicinity of +Battle Harbour.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">[235]</span></p> + + +<p class="center">APPENDIX D</p> + +<p class="center"><em>POVERTY OF THE PEOPLE</em></p> + + +<p>To gauge as accurately as possible the condition +of the people, we prepared as full a census of +them—of their belongings, their families, and their +accomplishments—as we could. In this, during three +years, I have had the assistance of four medical men +besides myself, of the resident missionaries on the +coast, and of the Moravian brethren further north.</p> + +<p>We find the people, as a rule, very poor, often +reduced to the verge of starvation. The causes we +believe to be (1) depletion of fisheries and fur-bearing +animals, and bad seasons. (2) Inability to replenish +traps, guns, nets, boats, etc., when worn out. +(3) Inability to secure proper clothing and supplies +of food when once they become overwhelmed in debt. +These causes have led to (4) loss of energy, apathy, +and even despair.</p> + +<p>There are some families still comfortably off, but +these are impoverished by their own generosity, +which impels them continually to assist their poorer +brethren. Where they are still well off, it is generally +because they have a number of grown-up unmarried +sons, or are in some harbour well separated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">[236]</span> +from other settlers. This last fact is more patent as +one travels north. The census papers are in my +possession now. I will quote here some bad cases.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>Two families here quite destitute. R—— R—— +and L—— R——. There was neither tea, molasses, +nor flour in either house, and their clothing was +literally dropping to pieces, while one boy was barefoot +and the others had boots tied on to their +feet by string to keep the pieces together. If ever +hunger wrote its name clearly on people’s faces it +was written on these people’s, the children being +pale and bloodless, the woman haggard and careworn. +The mother told me, in most pathetic way, +“Even the berries will be covered deep in snow soon, +and then we have only starvation to look to.” They +had <em>no flour to face the winter</em>, and apparently no +means of obtaining any. Neither family had seal +nets, salmon nets, or cod nets, or could pay for twine +to braid any, and both men showed me their powder-horns +and shot-bags empty, or nearly so. I found on +returning to the launch, the captain had given his +bag of biscuits away to these people.</p> + +<p class="right">W. T. G.</p> +</div> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>A—— P——. Seven children, very poor and ill-clad; +very poor supply of food, miserable hut, no +nets. The lay reader<a id="FNanchor_22" href="#Footnote_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a> found three inches of snow +blow in and remain on the floor of the only room one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">[237]</span> +night in winter he slept here. He found one counterpane +and a pair of man’s trousers almost all the +clothing the children had, including the eldest, a girl +of fourteen. These had to stay indoors, of course, +all winter.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + +<p><a id="Footnote_22" href="#FNanchor_22" class="label">[22]</a> Mr. Dicks, of Cartwright.</p> + +</div> + +<p class="right">W. T. G.</p> +</div> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>S—— B——. Seven children. Very poor, very +naked, short of food, no apparatus to kill fish except +a few hooks. Miserable one-roomed hut.</p> + +<p class="right">W. T. G.</p> +</div> + +<hr class="tb"> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>E—— O——. Wife and two undergrown boys; +father has consumption. All very badly clothed; not +a single flannel garment among them. No blankets; +bedclothes in rags. One trout net; caught only +enough fish for their consumption. Nine quintals +last year, with which cleared part of his debt, and +got one barrel of flour and two pounds of tea for his +“winter diet.” Shot some birds and one seal. Now +there is nothing but three pounds of broken biscuits +in the house.</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Eliot Curwen.</span></p> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">[238]</span></p> + + +<p class="center">APPENDIX E</p> + +<p class="center"><em>THE FISHING SCHOONERS</em></p> + + +<p>I have spoken of these in a general way. Here +are a few specimens of notes from our diaries as +to numbers of crews and “freighters” carried.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +B——. 34 tons. Crew, 7 men and 2 women.<br> +Passengers, 19 men and 16 women.<br> +</p> + +<p>A total of 44 souls. All passengers in one hold—no +partitions. 23 days out from home.</p> + +<p> +F——. 19 tons. Crew, 6 men and 1 woman.<br> +Passengers, 28 men and 15 women.<br> +</p> + +<p>A total of 50 souls. No name or register on her.</p> + +<p> +I——. 50 tons. Crew, 8 men and 2 women.<br> +Passengers, 75 men and 15 women.<br> +</p> + +<p>A total of 100 souls. Measured cubic space of one +man, his wife, boy, girl, and two men, 8 ft. by 6 ft. +by 3 ft.</p> + +<p> +X——. <em>Brigantine</em>, 116 tons. 66 men, 24 women.<br> +<br> +Y——. Small schooner-rigged vessel, 5 tons.<br> +4 men, 1 woman, etc.<br> +</p> +</div> + +<p>The larger merchants all send their crews down +in steamers. This has the double advantage of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">[239]</span> +securing better accommodation, and immensely +shortening the passage. We are all strongly of +the opinion that nothing can be said in defence of +allowing girls to form part of the regular crews of +the green-fish catchers, or of any fishing vessel. +It appears to be necessary that women should go +down as passengers; and with proper provisions +there is no reason why they should not do so.</p> + +<p>Here is the result of an accident to such a vessel +this year. Unfortunately I did not ascertain her +tonnage.</p> + +<p>On Thursday, the 14th inst., we left Spaniard’s +Bay, bound to Horse Harbour, Labrador, on a fishing +voyage, having on board a number of sixty-two +souls, comprising men, women, and children. All +went well, until about eight miles north-east of +Partridge Point (White Bay). On the 17th inst., at +4 p.m., Sunday, while in a dense fog, the vessel +struck a large pan of ice, which crushed her bows +in, causing her to fill and sink in about eight or +ten minutes. Five or six men succeeded in getting +on the pan of ice with a line, and secured it as +best they could to the pan. Unfortunately it could +not be secured on board, owing to the dreadful +panic which was taking place; so she fell off a +considerable distance from the pan, preventing any +one from getting on the ice. A few boats were +then thrown over, but before any one could be +taken on board the boats, the vessel sank, leaving +men, women and children floating among the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">[240]</span> +wreckage in the water. Some of the few boats +filled, and were upset, leaving only two to pick up +the men, women and children, who were then struggling +for their lives in the water. After a very +hard fight we managed to save fifty (including who +were in the boats), leaving twelve poor souls to +meet a watery grave, namely, eight men, two boys, +and two young women. Some of the women and +children were almost totally naked, having jumped +out of bed, and had not time to even catch their +clothes. These would have undoubtedly died before +many hours were over, as they were both wet and +naked, had not the schooner <em>Irene</em>, Captain Bursey, +of Catalina, arrived at this opportune moment, and +quickly got us on board, and brought us into +Coachman’s Cove.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;">I am, respectfully yours,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;"><span class="smcap">Henry Gosse</span>,</span><br> +<span style="margin-left: 16em;">Late Master of Schooner <em>Rose</em>.</span><br> +</p> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Spaniard’s Bay</span>, <em>June 28th, 1894</em>.</p> + +<p class="p2"></p> +<p class="center"><strong>Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London.</strong></p> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75927 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/75927-h/images/cover.jpg b/75927-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..45a0b13 --- /dev/null +++ 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