Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-10

coast, is farnoG= resort for seals. At La
Tabatiere, the fishing village near, the
''shovers" own stand of nets whose total
length is forty-two hundred feet. At Ma
tashqaan and Esquimaux Point the sailing
feet numbers only about sixty small sehoon-
ers; and it is evident that unless the huge
sealing steamers are Roon wholly abandoned,
at no late date half the now triding popula-
ton of the st. Lawrence Labrador coast
must be driven from these shores
Some other interesting facts regarding the
seals themselves came to light through our
hairy missionary friend. The young are
brought forth on vast floating fields Of ice in
hair which soon changes to a soft, silky
brown fur, and they nestle upon their frozen
beds of Ice as long as they are sucked by
their mothers. When from five to six weeks
old they can exist in water. Then they be-
gin following their mothers about, much af-
ter the fashion of human babies, for their
attention and the food of fish which they
most dutifully provide During this period
the mother seal is an alert and hardy faher.
She will attack the most active and power
full fish of these waters save the shark; and
We had the testimony of Captain Deschamps
that instances have been known where bat
ties between the food hunting mother seals
and these rapacious rufians of the deep re-
suited in the defeat and death of the latter.
They are powerful swimmers and will force
themselves up the most rugged salmon leaps
to attack the largest salmon. When the
young seals are from five to sin months old
they are left to shift for themselves. Nor
are they given up gradually. OF sudden
the mother seems to determine that sufficient
time and energy have been expended upon
them. Instantly she is stranger to the
cab, and any further attempts at intimacy
are resented in the most savage manner.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence and the New
foundlsnd ooves begin to fill with great herds
of Greenland seals in November. During
the entire winter these break up into lesser
herds in search of icebe1gs upon which to
live. Here they remain until after the
breeding time Is past, struggling along the
coasts until May or June, when they disap.
pear into the Atlantic and head for Hudson's
| and Bafin's Bays. Their migrations are as
| regular as those of birds, and inoompara.
| bly, more certain than those of the herring
! and mackerel. The harbor seals (Phocs
vltulina) are found along these coasts at al
seasons of the year; and as our schooner
/ threads the mazes of coastwise islands, or
glides past reef and ledge of jutting head
land, they are constantly seen in their
seemingly lifeiess baskings in the sun, upon
shelving rocks, occasionally turning and
Tapping their shining fippers as if for ca
sier position in their siesta, or skimming
through shallow waters and surfs, while
turning their almost human heads from side
to side, like bevy of surprised and ques-
tioning mermaids, astonished at our approach
and untimely intrusion.
On the afternoon Of the third day after
leaving Mingan Harbor we dropped anchor
in that great arm Of the gulf known as Es-
quimaux 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 along the
Labrador coast. But our captain and chap
lain 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
mountains, terrace on terrace of everlasting
stone blended by the magic of distance into
fairy peaks of green, but showing their hard,
sterile, remorseless actuality through riffs OF
sicbly moss and stunted spruce on near ap.
proach, It was relief TO find morning and a
slight suggestion of human association In the
l occasionally seen fishers sail upon the Nigh
| ty gulf again; and we sped gaily along in
| company with gurgling 9ulls and registering
porpoises below, making our course towards
/ the exauisitely beautiful Bradore Bay.
Illuminating upon the inconceivable hard
ships of this Labrador coast and people,
fell into a critical and interrogative mood, In
which the Yankee timber explorer, by this
l time heartily hateful of every thing upor
| which our eyes might rest. was my proud
/ and enthusiastic ally. I asked the missiona
1 ry how many people could be found in the
Lower Canadian portion of Labrador, be.
tween Its shore limits at Point Neuf on the
st. Lawrence and LAnse Aux Blancs Sa.
blons, near the entrance to the Straits ol
l Belle Isle.
"About forty-fve hundred," he replied
| thoughtfully.
"And this Is distance of about six hun
dred milesa"
eyes, and of these fully one thousand are
Montagnais and Nasquspes Indians. To il
lustrate how thinly scattered they are I ma
instance the locality of my work along th
Straits, from Blanc au Blanc eastward
There are twelve houses there. Three mile
further is L'Anse au Clair, with nine houses
the next, Forteaux, eight miles, with seven
teen houses; LAnse au Loup, six miles
twelve houses; Penware River, three miles
twelve houses; St. Modiste, three miles, min
houses; Carroll's Cove, six miles, fou
houses; Red Bay. four miles, twenty-fv
houses; Wild Cove, ten miles, two houses
Chateau, twenty miles, eight houses; CAM
Island, twelve miles, eight houses; Gap
Charles, three miles, eight houses; Battl
| Harbor, three miles, twenty-fiv houses; ant
the next aud last, Fox Harbor, four miles
with six houses; SO that in distance o
eighty-five miles there are all told but on
hundred and ffty.seven houses, or barrel.
| enough for one village of moderate size."
"But is there no population behind thisa
HNot soul between these people and tn
North Pole. They could not by any possi
bility exist"
"And this is the only result of four hur
dred years exploration and attempt at sci
| tlement, and of whole century's imperi,
and provincial outlay amounting to million
Of poands, costing tens of thousands {
lives and compelling indesoribable huma
sacrifice, hardship and misery to those ir
duced to come and compelled to stays"
"It would seem so;" meekly responded th
missionary. But our English tourist WI
quicker with reasons. He was quite ne,
official circles he said. He understood IL
imperial policy quite clearly, you may b
lieve. He even scornfully resented our Yal
kee opaqueness with snort. "H'Englar
don't care rap for all these cattle. She
, after bigger game, We know. And Canada
, a chip Of the old block, ye see. We pt
bounties and give h'annuities, and keep 9
these bloody hams along these coasts f
: h'any'ow! It's you bloody Yankees we'
= mindin' Of. Well ave bloody rump.
with you H'Americans yet, me boy. The
!, | we'll ave these Labrador and Newfunlt
f lads at ye from 'Alifax 'Arbor lively enoug
4 ye know. Han wen they're dancln' 'ea'
!. 'orn pipes on Bost'n Common, ye see, aI
!. up ham down Broadway, We know, with :
1t Iees'f know why H'England's cub, canad
- Keeps I hap their quota as any cost, me boy
- The missionary smiled a sickly smile
T. bilious approval; but am sure my timb
I, exploring friend from Boston would ha
1t then and there begun the impending stru
a Gle by setting the English tourist, can
:, Chair and all squarely into the Gulf of
al Lawrence had not quieted him; but
a would not be deprived the privilege of 6
y Enthusiastically presenting him with innun