The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-12-03
THE PEOPLE OF LABRADOR.

But Few Enjoyments.
Ii environment moulds people, then
the Labradoreans should have strong
traits. The climate, the unique feat
ures of the country, the undisputed
supremacy of the sea, the isolation
from the world-all their circum-
stances, indeed-are so strongly mark
ed as to be irresistible. The popula
ton of the Canadian part of the coast
down to the boundary line at Blanc
Sablon-is of French origin, Canadian
and Acadian; the Newfoundland part
of Labrador-the Strait of Belle Isle
and the Atlantic coasts inhabited
by English-speaking people. Moravi-
ans and Exquimaux are found IN the
far North The French Canadians
consist of two classes; part of them
come here every spring to fish for the
merchants, and return every fall to
their families and small homesteads
between Quebec and Gaspe; others live
here permanently, own little isolated
establishments, and fish on their own
account. The Acadians have collected
in two principal settlements, Esqui-
maux Point and Natashquan, where
they have their schools, priests,
churches, and some other features of
village life.
was fortunate in being storm-stay-
ed at a few of these French Canadian
homes, where found now and then
a person able to give me some account
of the summer and winter life of the
| people. To begin with external and
material things, the average home of
| Labrador generally consists of a rough
board dwelling, with two rooms and a
garrett, a small dock and store-house
for receiving, cleaning, curing, and
| storing fish, and two or three open
fishing boats. All these building perch
like anxious water-fowls on the bare
rocks; they never impress me as homes,
for they make for themselves no niche
or place in the surface of the earth;
you expect them to be washed or
! blown away at the next gale-as they
sometimes are. For the sake OF be-
ing near the fishing grounds these
shelters are generally established on
some outlying island Offering q moor
ing or else II beach for the boats;
they seem to be banished from the
earth as far as possible seward. They
stand up gaunt, stark naked in the
gales, in the midst of a desert of sea
and rocks IF x az
In the best places there may be i'll a
hollow a little sand, enriched with de-
caying fish, where a few turnips and
cabbages manage to show themselves
duringa brief season. Iouget sleam
of hope and horror On beholdmg a
quaint scaffold about1S feet high; but
Il Is not a gstlows for the ending q
life, only platform for keeping the
frozen fish for dogmeat. The interior
of these homes is not quite so distress,
ing as these hard surroundings, for
the human hand indoors can make
/ it's mark, which is not always a clean
one. The furniture, diet, costumes,
are rough and commonplace; but the
peorle are courteous and kind, and
thev observe we'll their religious rites
Their isolation is such that they Eeear
the run of time by marking the days
of the week On the door-post. An eX-
ception to this dreariness is to be met
here and there, at lighthouse, or at
the home of merchant. asked an
!
tent himself in such place.
"Well, sir, | expect we're fools TIC
STAY here The worst OF it is, oul
children are growing pas ignorant as
we are-just like hedogs. Hardly any
OF us can read or write. Our houses
are too far apart TO get the children
together for school. eAesptlng at Es
auimaux Point, Natashquah, and
tIutton Bay. Then, too, we can't see
the priest more than once or twice q
year, and that's very announcement
about dying, for pleurls. and consump
ton are very headstrong. And ti.ere' S
no doctor at all, nor any roots OF
herbs or medicines. We keep alive on
pain-kiler and salts that the traders
sell. It's a hard life, and VIC don't
live to be very old. We have to DC
all our own work-iack OF all trades
you know. When we came here to
live, my wife and / cut all the timber
in the winterfor building these houses
sawed it by hand in pit, and in the
spring RATED it down the river.
Sealing, one Of the peculiarlndustries
of Esquimaux Point and Natashquan
is the most venturesome occupation
of the Labrador coast. Seals are taks1
in three ways-by hunting them alone
; the bays and shores in boats or on the
} ice, by netting them as fish are taken
and by following them out to sea II
vessels and killing them on the foes
l sometimes met boat sailing about
. the islands and bays with two mer
, aboard eagerly watching the water and
4 IL e., Il h m snalc al
ia coats and skull-caps made Of seal
skin, they often creep along the rocks
With the motion Of the seal, and decoy
he animal by calling, Some OF then
have trained dog.
"What is he good for ia such work?'
inquired. "He can hardly be re
sriever for all animal weighing hun
ireds OF pounds" -
eyes, he is, sir if seals are fat wher
silled, they float, but even if they arr
very poor it takes but little to Aoat
chem. And the dog jumps off ant
catches them often before they sink
or he'll dive for them in shallow water
when they sink in deep water we Otter
Gig tbem--haul them up with q fish
look and line. Some seals dive whel
wounded, and swim On =" seaj othef'
: turn to the shore and crawl up WI
rock to die"
i In the spring of the year they hunt
seals on the ice when it drifts against
the shores. Cape Baud, Newfound
land, is anoted point for this kind O
sealing The foes coming from the
northern seas strike on this cape and
divide into two parts; one enters the
Strait of Belle Isle, and the other goes
outward along the coast of New
oundiand. s.
The people told me that hundreds Of
,unters come there in March with dog
leds from the settlements about Hare
Bay, etc. Each gang of men brings a
kiff, provisions, ETC., and many camp
4 little nuts, and 1emam till the 9Th