Bowdoin Boys in Labrador | Page 8

to without going
ashore. We went in under bare poles, and then had too much way on.
The agent for the Bayne, Johnston Co., which runs this place, keeping
nearly all its three hundred inhabitants in debt to it, is a Mr. Smith, who
has taken the professor and seven or eight of the boys on his little
steamer to the other side of the St. Lewis Sound. The doctor has gone
with them to look after some grip patients, and the professor expects to
measure some half-breed Eskimo living there. The boys are expecting
to get some fine trout. The grip was brought to this region by the
steamer bringing the first summer fishing colonies, and has spread to
all and killed a great many.
There is an Episcopal rector here, Mr. Bull, who says everybody had it.
I believe it is owing to his care and slight medical skill that none have
died here. It is hard for this people to have such a sickness just as the
fishing season is best. The doctor has opportunity to use all and far
more than the amount of medicine he brought, much to Professor Lee's
amusement. He is reaping a small harvest of furs, grateful tokens of his
services, that many of his patients send him, and some of his presents

have also improved our menu.
This place is named Battle Harbor from the conflict that took place here
between the Indians and English settlers, aided by a man-of-war. The
remains of the fight are now in a swamp covered with fishflakes. There
are also some strange epitaphs in the village graveyard, with its painted
wooden head-boards, and high fence to keep the dogs out. These latter
are really dangerous, making it necessary to carry a stick if walking
alone. Men have been killed by them, but last year the worst of the lot
were exported across the bay, owing to a bold steal of a child by them
and its being nearly eaten up. They are a mixture of Eskimo, Indian and
wolf, with great white shaggy coats.
The steamer with mail and passengers from St. John's, Newfoundland,
is expected every day, and as our rivals for the honor of rediscovering
Grand Falls are probably on board, there is a race in store for us to see
who will get to Rigolette first, and which party will start ahead on the
perilous journey up the Grand River. As they have refused our offer of
co-operation, we now feel no sympathy with their task, and will have
but little for them till we see them, as we hope, starting up the river
several days behind our hardy crew.
JONATHAN P. CILLEY, JR.
* * * * *

ON BOARD THE JULIA A. DECKER, OFF BIRD ROCKS, Gulf of
St. Lawrence, Sept. 10, 1891.
While our little vessel is rushing through the blue waters of the gulf,
apparently scorning the efforts of the swift little Halifax trader who
promised to keep us company from the Straits to the Gut, and who, by
dint of good luck and constant attention to sails has thus far kept her
word, but is now steadily falling astern and to leeward, I will tell you
about the snug little harbors, the bold headlands, barren slopes, and
bird-covered rocks, and also the odorous fishing villages and the
kind-hearted people with whom she has made us acquainted.
The Bowdoin scientific expedition to Labrador is now familiar with six
of the seven wonders in this truly wonderful region. It has visited
Grand Falls and "Bowdoin Canyon;" has been bitten by black flies and
mosquitoes which only Labrador can produce, both in point of quality
and quantity; has wandered through the carriage roads (!) and gardens

of Northwest River and Hopedale; has dug over, mapped and
photographed the prehistoric Eskimo settlements that line the shores, to
the north of Hamilton Inlet; has made itself thoroughly conversant with
the great fishing industry that has made Labrador so valuable, to
Newfoundland in particular, and to the codfish consuming world in
general; and finally is itself the sixth wonder, in that it has
accomplished all it set out to do, though of course not all that would
have been done had longer time, better weather and several other
advantages been granted it.
It is almost another wonder, too, in the eyes of the Labradoreans, that
we have, without pilot and yet without accident or trouble of any sort,
made such a trip along their rocky coast, entered their most difficult
harbors, and outsailed their fastest vessels, revenue cutters, traders and
fishermen.
It will be a good many years before the visit of the "Yankee college
boys," the speed of the Yankee schooner and the skill and seamanship
of the Yankee captain are forgotten "on