New-York tribune., 1921-01-23
Labrador and Grenfel
Travels in Labrador Wastes and a Sketch Of
the Mission Worker

LABRADoR. BY William Brooks Cabot.
Published by Small, Maynard s. Co..
Boston.
WITH GREENFIELD ON THE LABRADOR
By Fullerton l.. Waldo. Published by
Fleming H. Reve!l Company, New York.
T\HE first item of the makeup of
William Brooks Cabot's Labra-
dor (Small, Maynard & Co.. to
appeal to US is the inclusion of
two maps, one prefacing the text and
the other at the end of the book, on
the cover. Al! history, in fact, any,
record that deals with mans efforts
in exploring and charting the earth
surface, is written in vain if it lacks
the human and informative material
found only on the surfaces of good,
reliable maps. Another worthy feature
of this book is the authors recognition
Of the authority and age-long persist
ence Of native names for rivers, lakes,
hills and plains.
Left Ericsson, if the Morse legends
are accepted, called Labrador "a land
good for nothing" and jacques Car
tier, viewing it's coast during an un-
friendly season, termed it "the land
God gave Cain" So might the Pill
grims have spoken of the shores of
Massachusetts in the winter of 1920.
And we, who shiver when wind sweeps
down from Hudson's Bay, think always
of Labrador as q desolate tract of
snow-covered, hostile ground. Yet
England lies due east from the inlets
of Labrador, and on the parallel Of go,
to the west of land north of that trav-
ersed by Cabot, lie billowing wheat
fields.
Wherein lies the value commercially
of this area, perhaps the oldest in the
world geologically? Mr.. Cabot gives
his answer as follows: "The ultimate
future of the semi-barrens, which
stretch away from the middle country
to Ungava and the polar north, may be
as pasture ground for domesticated
reindeer, in the hands Of some north
ern nomadic race, perhaps Lapps or
the present Esquimau-white strain of
the shores. Meanwhile the one product
of the interior, not to be wholly super
seeded even if minerals are found. is
fur, which will not soon fail. This is
it's only yield to the world. Most other
regions of earth left to the hunter
races are being fast invaded; they are
more amenable to modern purpose
their borders are approachable the
year round. But isolated Labrador
avoided to this day in the great west
ward march Of civilization, may yet be
known as the last Of the fur coun-
tries"
The meat of Cabot's book is in his
accounts of travels westward over
Labrador soil in the years 1904, 1905,
1905 and 1910. These years were de-
voted during their possible months
mainly to journeys overland, extend
ing from Voisey's Bay to the George
River, the latter being in the region
forever linked with the memory Of
the Huhbards. The trail between the
bay and the river lay along the
reaches of the Assiwaban and Mistartin
rivers. The distance, as q bird flies,
is about one hundred miles, but, as
covered by Cabot and his companions
it is far more. The story of the ad-
ventures experienced and the observa-
tions recorded, as given in this re-
markably we'll written and carefully
planned book, is Of unusual charm. For
Cabot, after twenty years of tramping
and voyagings over difficult inland
paths and along intricate waterways,
was prepared, as few Or no other men
have been prepared, to give a wholly
reliable picture Of the life and the
habitats of the Labrador Indians.
That DR.. Grenfell is destined to be-
come historic figure in the annals
of the northeast coast Of North
America is assured. Books, magazine
and newspaper articles have been writ
ten about the man and his works, and
wt are informed that he has been
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