Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-22
a TOUR IN LABRADOR.
Tho Reports of starvation and Can"
nibalism imaginary, but the
People Very Poor

ton and cannlballSm, sad 10 De IN the
route Of our intended tour. writes n 81.
Johns, Newfoundland, correspondent
Of The NeV York World Having Wis
tied large portion of the ground that
figures in these scenes of reported suf-
fcring and death. can give facts that
will diaprove the fictitious stories that
have been extensively circulated in
England and in the United States.
Having left New York last June for n
cruise around the island of Newfound-
land and along the Atlantic coast Of
Labrador, we proceeded northward
after few days stay in ST. Johns
Cape Baud the most northern eX-
trcmc of Newfoundland. was sighted
July Is. We passed westward through
the straits of Belle Isle rs far rs Blanc
Sablon, near the boundary of Canadian
and Newfoundland and Labrador. The
following day. having retraccd our
course through the straits. we made
| Battle harbor, known rs the Boston
of Labrador" From that point the
course OF our vessel, the Hercules, lay
along the line of the fishing settle
mentS. and amid the floating craft that
constitute Labrador summer resort"
for person, who depend for lveli-
hood upon the inhabitants of the sea.
Scores of harborS were visited. We
talked with hundreds Of the fishermen
and iisherwomen. asking, How is fish
down the shorc?" and the various re-
plies 10 The query formed the chief
topic Of conversation. No hint of
restitution. no reports of starvation
was cited. SO it was when the news
papers reached us we were amused and
and surpr scd
With the mercury at an average
temperature of Il degrees Fahrenheit
we could not credit the reports of death
from cold Wolves and bears were
unknown quantities as far rs our knowl-
edge was concerned. Although the
weather WAS reported Il, intensely cold.
the temperature being Il, low n zero
during the first days of JAY. we had
experienced none OF It's rigor When
of the northern portion of the New
foundland coast We had passed numer-
ou> icebcrgs. We had seen but few or
no fields Of floating ice on Labrador.
Notwithstanding the assertion that from
Cape Bau Il, Newfoundland, TO Cape
Mugiord, Labrador, there Is one solid
barrier of iac, aad that frost is not yet
ont of the ground"
We found all along the shore pro-
fusion of beautiful lichens. wild flowers.
and berries. with which Labrador
abo1uds At the posts OF the Hudson
Bay company and at the Morayan m :
sion stat ouS there were well-progreS,-
ed flower AMI vegetable gardens. from
which latter We Jared sumptuou,ly cy-
cry day during our stay.
OF the dreadful snow-storm reported
to have occurred early in July we ne tn
or saw nor heard any traces The
ponies tina; were mentioned as hay-
Ing been used first to draw ,lc,lLrs and
conycY furnishing families from Sand
W ch bay and Indian harbor ami then
consumed for food ar mythical No
member Of the equine tribe has ever
been seen upon Labrador
The reports Of suffering name the
mhabAnt, of Main, the headquarters
Of thc Mora, AN mis-, sion. and Hope
dale one Of the other stations, as
part cd.ariy destitute and largely de-
populated by wild beasts and the hor-
rors OF cann.hai,m. At these towns
we remained two weeks. No past $
turbancc b. sickness, no death, no
want for necessities nor for comfort
existed The prospects for peaceful
winter are bright
The resident population of Atlantic
Labrador is about four thousand.
Report SAYS that "thirty-Gve hundred
have ed or have been eaten by wild
beasts or by their fellow-creatures.
Hcace that region would be nearly
dcpopulated were the stories other than
q gantic fabrications.
Mountainecrs. or Nascopie Indians,
living inland. brought no accounts of
suffering to residents of the shore;
neither did Protestant o. Roman Catho-
c m ssionares to these tribes. with
whom we had conver,a on. know of any,
although the sensational statement
places The number of victims at one thou
sand. the dead being used for food bv
Their surviving companions. A mis-
sionary to the Nascopies. who has
Travelled five hundred miles into the
interior and known them thoroughly.
laughed at the newspaper stories and
assured us of their entire falsitv. He
said that during last January one fam
lis in his mission, consisting of six per-
sons. persisted from hunger, but he
knew OF no similar case.
During our stay at Hopedale the
miss ON shin arri.,ed This vessel To