The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-08-14

In Jnelr 6leSta, or Sklmmlng through Sudi-
low waters and surf, while turning their
almost human heads from side to side,
like bevy of surprised and questioning
mermaids, astonished at our approach and
untimely intrusion.
On the afternoon of the third day after
leaving Mingen harbor we dropped
anchor in that great arm of the gulfkno
as Esquimaux bay. There are no maps
or charts extant to give an interested
student of these shores any proper idea OF
the areas of these occasional tremendous
indentations among the Labrador coast.
But our captain and chaplain were sure
that this inlet was one of the largest of the
southern Labrador shore. Grandly wild
and impressive as was the scenery OF its
islands and the shore-side noun
talns, terrace on terrace OF
everlasting stone blended by the magic
of distance into fairy peaks OF
green, but showing their hard, sterile re-
mOrseless actually through riffs of sickly
moss and stunted spruce on near APP
proach. 1t was relief to find morning
and slight suggestion of human associa-
ton in the occasionally-seen fishers sail
upon the mighty gulf again; and we sped
gaily along in company with gurgling
gulls and registering porpoises below,
making our course toward the exquisltely
beautiful Bradore bay.
Illuminating upon the inconceivable
hardships of this Labrador coast and peo-
pie, fell into a critical and interrogative
mood, in which the Yankee timber eX
plorer. by this time heartily hateful of
everything upon which our eyes might
rest, was my proud and enthusiastic
ally. 1 asked the missionary how many
people could be found in the lower Cana
dian portion of Labrador, between its
shore limits at Point Neuf on the st.
Lawrence and l. Anse Aux Blancs Sablons,
near the entrance to the straits OF Belle
isle.
about 1900" he replied, thoughtfully.
And this is distance of about 600
miles? ?"
eyes, and of these fully 1000 are Mon
tagnias and Nasquapee Indians. Toillus-
trate how thinly scattered they are. | may
instance the locality of my work along the
straits, from Blanc au Blank eastward.
There are twelve houses there. Three
miles further is L'Anse and Clair with 8
houses; the next, ForteauX, miles with
II houses; L'Anse au Loup, miles, II
houses; Penware River, miles, u houses;
st. Modiste, 3 miles, 8 houses; Carrolls
Cove, 6 miles, houses; Red Bay, miles,
% houses; Wild Cove, 10 miles, , houses;
Chateau, 20 miles, houses; Camp Island,
u miles, houses; Cape Charles, miles,
s houses; Battle Harbor, 3 miles, % houses
and the next and last, Fox Harbor, miles,
with 6 houses; so that in distance of s.
miles there are all told but 157 houses, or
barely enough for one village of moderate
size"
"But is there no population behind
this?''
mot a soul between these people and
the north pole. They could not by any
possibility exist"
"And this is the only result of 400 years
exploration and attempt at settlement, and
of a whole century's imperial and provin-
cial outlay amounting to millions of
pounds, costing tens of thousands of lives
and compelling indescribable human sac
rifice, hardship and misery to those in
duced to come and compelled to stay? ?"
1T would seem so :" meekly responded
the missionary. But our English tourist
was quicker with reasons. He was quite
near official circles. he said. He I'M
derstood the imperial policy quite
clearly, you may believe. He
even scornfully resented our Yankee
opaqueness with a snort. "H'England
don't care rap for all these cattle. She's
after bigger game, We know. And Cana
da's chip of the old block, We see. We
pay bounties aud give h'annuities. and
keep all these bloody hams along these
coasts for much 'eftier things than fish,
Blow the fish, h'anv'ow It's you bloody
Yankees we're mindin' Of Well ave
bloody rumpus with you h'Americans yet,
me boy. Then Wen ave these Labrador
and Newfunlun lads at We from 'Alifax
'arbor lively enough, We know. Han wen
they're dancin' 'eavy 'orn pipes on Bost'n
common, ye see, and up han down
Broadway, We know, with st. Georges
cross above 'em, you bloody Yankees'll
know why h'England's cub, Canada,
keeps hup their quota at any cost, me
boy"
The missionary smiled a sickly smile of
bilious approval; but am sure my tim
ber-exploring friend from Boston would
have then and there begun the impend-
ing struggle by setting the English tourist
camp chair and all square into the Gulf of
st. Lawrence, had l not quieted him; but
he would not be deprived the privilege of
enthusiastically presenting him with in
Vulnerable hearty offers to so accommo-
date him for the magnificent sum of fist
three red-hot cussed American centsw
Whatever special form of financial induce
ment NAV have lurked within this in
sistive offer, with varying and various in
teresting happenings Of a similar nature,
we passed the noble Bay of Bradore,
with a glimpse of the struggling viii
lage OF Point Jones, the BAYS innumera-
BILE islets separating the roadstead into
grand expanses and divisions; saw the
place where over four hundred years ago
stood the French fishing city of Brest, now
utterly effaced; gazed with delight upon
the mighty terraces behind, crowned far
TO the north by the mystic, cloud-wreathed
peaks of Bradore; rounded Point Amour
as the setting sun was lighting up its
ragged sides, and left the day with the
great Amour light twinkling on our port
quarter, as we lessened sail to carefully
thread the Straits of Belle isle, while the
night brought such glowing stars as
seemed to descend and pulse and throb
into ones very soul, and the great north
ern lights quivered behind inscrutable
films like half-hldden planets swung in
the hands of the infinite God.
The olden KEY of the entire northern
fisheries, Chateau bay, was reached all too
soon, for we had come TO feel a warm af-
lection for our hairy friend, the simple
missionary, who here, before debarking,
pointed out with inexcusable and modest
pride some of the many beauties of the
wild and splendid scene. Back to the far
south in a dark line against the purple
horizon were family traced the dreary
Newfoundland shores. Away to the east,
a