The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-08-21


and volume, white-faced as death; relent-
less as death and life, and frozen tornado
of wind roared madly across their sheeted
crests. For a little time it seemed no
human power could save the Sophie. 1t
was all of short duration; and but one lit
tie hint TO man of the inconceivably awful
power within the mighty elemental forces.
My timber-hunter friends speculations
were upon different lines, however.
Changing his cud, he measuredly and
pathetically remarked.
'If l could jess tow what ice wuz
wasted in that cussed blow-up into Bos-
ting harbor. I'd buy the capitol for a res
dence an git the old common fur front
yard; damtiwouldn't"
Here at Indian harbor of Indian island
the latter one of the three-score or more
Esquimaux islands at the mouth of Ham
ilton inlet, we found resident popula-
ton of possibly 800, and temporary pop
ulation OH vessels of fully 1000 souls
The former chiefly comprised the Esqui-
maux Indians who from appearance are
fully as lazy and sodden as the Montag-
Mas and Nasquapees. The missionaries
all give an excellent account of their do
cility, good humor and general admirable
qualities. But fishermen and others who
who have no interest in impressing stran-
gers with their Importance fatty say that
they are the most miserable wretches
who live, and that the missionaries would
not be mere with them but for the large
sums made out of them in the annual
chickering's for furs and fish, and in pro-
viding them with supplies; for the mis-
sionaries are not only leaders and teachers
but they virtually control them as SO many
slaves, paying them what they like for
their furs, and conducting every transac-
ton of purchase and sale at outrageously
low and high valuations. This may be
Christianity to the heather, but ii seems
much like heathenish business with
pretentious Christianity. During July,
August and September there are always
busy scenes here; but they are all con-
nected with preparing and dispatching
fish, chiefly the cod. This is wholly Sc
cured by "shore" fishing, there being no
fishing whatever on "banks" along the
Labrador coast. Herring is principally
used for bait; though the iaunce, and to a
much greater degree than the launce, the
capelin, in the absence OF herring are also
used.
The capelin is peculiar to these and the
Newfoundland shores. 1t resembles the
smelt and is one of the most delicate and
savory of salt water fish. During our en-
from the deck of the Sophie whenever at
anchor, and our cod steaks and capelin
broils, cooked when the fish were not an
hour out of water, were something worthy
of precious memory to an ordinary Amer
lean man with an extraordinary American
appetite. Some of the habits of the cape
lin are very strange, particularly its meth
Cd of spawning. The males are provided
with ridged backs. Two of these take the
roe fish between them under these pro-
jecting eve-like ridges, dart ashore with
her in grand rush, and by sudden COM
preston expel the spawn from the roe
fish, when the trio still in company, wrig
gle back from the sands into deep water.
The shores OF Indian harbor consist OF
an irregular series of broadly arched
shelving rocks. There is nothing in sight
but harbor huts, sea, rocks, vessels, their
crews, Esquimaux and fish. More vessels
are moored to huge staples imbedded in
these rocks than by anchor. All vessel
requires for wharfage is hawsers and stap-
les. They are run alongside these natural
piers. moored, and the work of wheeling
the fish in creaking barrows to the wash
houses" begins. From these they 60 upon
the rocks for drying and curing. Piles
like small haystacks are often seen, and
for more than two miles of shore the en-
tire harbor takes on pale yellowish tint
OF curing fish, as strange temporary
| fringe to the purple darkness of the black
and barren stone behind. Boats are con-
stantly arriving with their loads OF fresh
] fish; frequently hundreds will come rush
ing in pell NELL together, to escape sudden
squalls outside; and brigs, brigantines and
schooners are daily setting sail for the
south, slowed to the gunwales with the
ripened harvest of these shores.
Hamilton inlet has other features of in
terest besides its greasy Esquimaux and
| its fish. Behind the numberless pictur-
esque islands at its mouth, it stretches
| back for fully 80 miles, the expanses of
Lake Melville and Goose bay included, a
vast land-locked inland sea; and from
thence its windings are followed for hun
| dreds of miles to its river source, but a
short distance from Seven Islands bay at
the mouth of the st. Lawrence, forming,
with few portages, undoubtedly the
! longest canoe route in the world. Mid
wav between its source and the Atlantic,
are falls variously stated to be from 400 to
| 1000 feet in hight, at the feet OF which the
| great river is compressed into a narrow
gorge 500 feet deep, through which il
/ leaps in mighty cataracts for distance of
thirty miles At Rigoulette, some sew
| enty-fve miles above Indian harbor.
where the inlet is narrowed between tire
mendous cliffs at point called the Mar
rows, is triling Esquimaux settlement,
and one of the ancient Hudson Bay COM
| pany's trading posts. All the way from
Rigoulette 10 the sea gigantic masses OF
stone frown above the bay. Behind these
to the south in little pockets of valleys
there are, all told, perhaps twenty acres
of ground under sickly cultivation, and
/ this district is proudly termed the gar
den-spot of the Atlantic Labrador coastw
From Indian harbor we set sail for
| Hopedale, the largest of the Esquimaux
settlements. On our way, though we met
several vessels whose appearance beto-
kened rough treatment from savage
weather, we were favored with almost
cloudless skies A fishing village OF exclu-
sively summertime population at Cape
| Harrison, or Webeck harbor, disclosed a
| large number of sails; and Ailik, or Eye
| lick, another tiny Esquimaux village in
/ charge OF Moravian missionaries, was
seen. Capt. Deschamps now became
| doubly valuable from his knowledge of
| Esquimaux words; for without him we
would have missed the pleasure of know
| ing that a short distance beyond Webeck
we passed group of island crags known
az Kyucktabuck; that the next group
/ reached bore the soundful name of Now
observation-disclosures, and that 10 their west
the waters OF mighty inlet invited the
! IaDbeTWOgklan pOat with the mur-