The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-29
MISCELLANY.
Labrador's Queer Folk.

ninsula, 5000 are of the white or mix
ed race. They mainly are descendants
of English sailors, some of whom were
shipwrecked and more of whom prob
ably left their ships without leave.
Finding themselves stranded on this
lonely shore, they made the best of
their lot, marrying Eskimo wives and
living after the manner of the country.
In later times some Newfoundlanders
chose rather TO settle in Labrador than
make the uncomfortable trips to and
fro yearly from st. Johns for the an
nual codfishing off the Labrador shores.
These brought their wives and chill
dren with them and introduced new
strain of civilized life.
All of these people live in little set
Elements strung along the coast, on
Dor south to the Gulf of st. Lawrence.
They dwell in houses of stone or logs.
In winter they wear hooded fur gar
ments like the Eskimoe; in summer
the ordinary garb of Newfoundland
fishermen. The women dress in gray
or blue wooden stuff, with gaudy gown
for best. On their heads they wear
knit hood or a bright colored handker-
chief, and, it may be, at out-of-door
work or abroad on the water, mans
SOU
Against the walls in their houses are
pasted such pictures as they have been
able to clip from the few newspapers
that have come with goods to the trad
ing stores, and pictures of tie sort is
sued by tract societies. On the table or
shelf in the living room is always a
Bible, religiously read on every SUM-
day when the cod are not biting or a
fare of fish TO be dressed and faxed.
1t is devout and sober minded COM
munity, that of the whites along the
coast of Labrador. Their religious min
istrations are provided by the Mora
VANS, who have several missions in
Labrador; their temperance is assured
by stringent laws forbidding the land
ing of any liquors in Labrador, and
these are made effective by thorough
patrol by the Dominion revenue steam
ships, which deal inexorably with
smugglers of strong water.
In summer the white colonists fish
for cod with travis, nets, traps and
hand lines. Before the cod arrive they
usually take turn at salmon fishing,
using nets and spears. They dispose
of their surplus fish at the trading
stores, with which they keep yearly
account that rarely is completely set
tied. In October, when the cod have
left the shores for deep water, ending
the fishing for the year, and the twenty
odd thousand Newfoundland fishermen
who came at the beginning of the sea-
son have departed for home, tie resi-
dent in Labrador prepares for winter
He lays evergreen boughs round the
foundation of his house for warmth
and looks after his supply of firewood.
If living far to the north, where wood
is scarce, he may depend on an oil stove
or lamp for heat. For provisions he
has an abundance of sailed cod and
smoked or picked salmon of his own
I catching. If the season has been fairly
good his credit at the trading store will
insure him flour, tea, sugar, and can
ned or sailed meats. If he has plot
of ground in sheltered, sunny place
he may have raised few bushels of
turnips or watery potatoes to help out
his fare, and if they have not been kept
too busy at the flakes his wife and
daughters have gathered from the up
lands in the summer wild berries which
they preserve in jars of cold water.
Until snow falls he will have traps
set for mink and otter in the streams
that pour down into the fords. After
ward he will go on snowshOes to the
uplands to hunt caribou, and to trap
and poison the wolf and Arctic fox for
their fur. Also he will do some seal
and walrus hunting off the shore for
the skins and to get food for his dogs,
and seal, like caribou meat, is an agree
able addition to his own bill of fare.
He keeps from six to twenty Eskimo
dogs and does all his winter travelling
in komatik, or sled, drawn by dog
team, usually taking the ice along
shore for his roadway.
Taken altogether the white colonist
in Labrador is simple of character, ig.
norant, religious and superstitious. He
is fortified in prejudices and believer
in all sorts of sailors and fishermen's
omens and old wives tales. The rigors
Of the climate keep him down to the
stern necessities Of providing warmth
and food and leave him little time for
anything else. 1t is curious study
what the ultimate effect Of such con-
dition upon civilized white people
will be. But already there is found
decrease in stature and lessening of
mental energy. How far these things
may be overcome by acclimation re-
mains to be seen. The Icelsnders, as
far to the north, are noted for learning
and intellectual energy-but then they
started as race of bards and saga men.
Another sort of people are the Eski-
mos, of whom about LOO live along
the coast of Labrador from Cape Child
ley to the Straits Of Belle Isle. Through
the winter they live in their iglooks, or
huts of stone, by the waterside, hunting
the seal and walrus. They do not 60 to
the uplands, for they are afraid of the
mountain Indians, their hereditary
enemies. They do not fish for cod, but
with the coming OF summer set up their
sealskin tents at the mouth Of streams
emptying into the head Of q ford and
catch trout and salmon for food. This
occupation they vary by killing seal
and walrus that come with the pack ice
or are found summering along the