The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1860-08-15

whose description of the wild and bleak re-
gion from which he wrote, and OF the Phe-
nonena attending the eclipse, will be READ
with interest by all.-ED. iNr.I "
TEMPLE Bay. STRAITS OF BELLE Isle; July 80 iooV
My DEAR JuDeE;-Thus far a favorlng
Providence has broughtus on our way home
ward. Temple Bay, the spot from which
write, is secluded fishing hamlet on the
southern coast of Labrador. 1t has Popu-
lation Of some forty families at present; ont
Of these only thirteen remain here during the I
rigorous winter. The rest all return to New
Fouudland, where most of them originally /
came from. Their small village is situated
under the shelter of two hills, which protects /
it against all winds except those from the
north and south; but the violence ofthe blasts
when they do happen to fall into these d.
rections, is amply sufficient to compensate Tor
their feebleness in cyeryother. The houses
are of the most humble description. There
is no sawed lumber except what Is imp"rteu'
and the poor people are scarcely able 10 III
port much. They build their houses very
slightly, of round poles, sometimes rudely
weather.boarled, aud sometimes filled IN with
sods. The roofs are generally OF poles ana
sods only. For warming, they use huge
stoves and though these (some of them be-
inc about three feet long and as many high)
are sufficient at the present season to make
their apartments intolerablc, yet they tell me
that they find them small enough in winter
These huge stoves are, Of course, consumpt-
i've Of much fuel, and fuel has to be obtained
f-o,, distance. No forest trees make their
onpearance near the sea shore; and in the IN
terror there arc none believe but species
Of fir. Wood for firing is therefore drawn
mon sIedres during the winter; and as there
are no cattle nor horses nor mules, the whoie
reliance for this great necessity Of life Is upon
teams of dogs. The settlement Is according
lv alive with these, here, most Indispensable
animals. The Labrador dogs are neither so
larro or handsome as the New Foundiand
brood. nor so woliish and wild looking as the
E,ouimaux. / suspect that they have the
blood of both races. Some of them are no
bic looking brutes; and there happening to
be small family of them, ofabout two months
t old in my way as | stroed along this morn
inc. .ncgotated" for promising member
Of il. which | have brought on ship-board
and purpose to transport to Mississippi
You will then be able to judge of the points
of the animal for yourself.
| have found the humble dwellcrs in this
remote quartcr,-,ncarly the very last ofthe ont
posts Of civilization on the continent re-
! markaby moral people, and more awake to
: religious feeling than could possibly have
anticipated. Their first inquiry was, it we
had a clergyman on board and, II being sun
,, day when we dropped our anchor in their
harbor, they begged that divine service might
! be held ON shore for their benefit. \ congre-
CATION quickly assembled, larger than the
house could contain; aud the attention and
r interest displayed cqualled anything ! have
l ever seen anywhere. adapted my discourse
! TO their mode of life, and TO. the disastrous
5 incidents Of the last few weeks upon all this
dangerous coast; taking for my theme our
Sayior's rebukc Of the waves. The poor peo-
!. nile manifested much feeling at the close and
!. every one, man, woman and child came to
= inc, to take me by the hand before leaving.
4 They were very anxious to obtain religious
c books and tracts. As VIC had had no thought,
= in starting, of touching after leaving Sydney,
c at any point inhabited by civilized men, we
; had made no provisions for such an cmergen-
cy: but | could not forbear to promise that
would send some books from New York
9 and | have made an arrangement to do 50
: through fur dealer who collects his wares
:. on these inhospitablc coasts, and finds his
/ market in Halifax.
rave notice that, if there were any who
II wished to bring forward. their children foI
c baptism, would administer to them that sa
{ crament. with much satisfaction. | have aecor
y dinghy baptiscd one child to-day. There
: might perhaps have been more had time al
II j
!. lowed but we leave the harbor this afternoon.
All this time you will be asking, "but what
. about the eclpse" We'll, Imust come to that
> | suppose, at last; thought heartily wish
: had more to say about it, than Ihavc. But
/ Won saw it, certainly !" @ yes, we saw it,
but after such tant alzing fashion, as TO make
{ it, for the special purpose acc had an rier
a thorough disappointment. The sky was
: chcckcred with ieecy clouds all the morning
: At times it was almost wholly overcast
Still. we saw the first and last contacts of tho
C sun and moon perfectly; we saw the tota
Il immersion of the sun, and its subsequent
y EMERSON; but-and this little bit embrace:
e qualification of an Importance so great as tC
i involve the defeat of the substantial object.
of the expedition-during the entire period
: Of total observation, the whole phenomenon
q was lost to us in an impenetrable veil.
&c During the previous and subsequent pro
/" gross Of the eclipse, from beginning to end
Is tho sun was for the most mart unclOuded-