Evening star., 1922-09-17
By Donald B. Macmillan

vious experience on the Labrador
might enable me to recognize.
The Camp Islands emerged and
with look -at-me quick action 0sap-
peared in the fog. Next came Fish
Rock. with the dim outlines of st.
Charles Gull Island in the back
ground. Then Double Island revealed
it's familiar outlines. and in few
hours we shot into the quiet waters
of Battle harbor and tied up at the
end of "Crouther's wharf"
DR.. Hazen and staff of DR.. Grenfelfs
Hospital rushed to the pier. for they
were all Americans and had recog-
nized the flag at the main truck.
Robinson, Goddard and I very gladly
accepted the invitation to come up
to the hospital and spend the evening
with u.s."
Battle Harbor has been called the
capital of Labrador. and perhaps
rightly, for it is certainly in many
ways the most interesting port on
the coast. 1t derives it's name from
the traditions of an encounter here
between the Indians and Eskimos,
inveterate enemies even today. The
Grenfell Hospital was presented by
friends in st. Johns in 1898. New
wing built on in 1902 with a conva-
lescent room and operating room. A
home for the doctor came two years
later.
The weather of August l made us
feel fortunate to be in port. for it
was raining and blowing, with falling
barometer and very heavy swell roll
ing through the tickle, Ga tickIish
place.. And so it continued until
Sunday. August Z. But the time was
profitably spent in rearranging our
deck cargo and transferring case oil
into our tanks below decks and into
drums, photographing and being en-
tertained. One or two dances were
held at the hospital, but at no time,
in spite of the volume of music from
organ or harmonica or violin. did the
fishermen really put their heels down
as if they meant it. or as had seen
them in many a tilt down North"
Had they done so, the patients would
have risen from their beds.
x X x x
THE summer was slipping by. Pos
i sibly now the northern bays and
inlets had disgorged their count
less millions of tons of ice and en-
trance was possible. We were away
at $40 am. Sunday, August 7-before
the churchgoers should see us-plung-
ing into a heavy head sea and wind.
but with weather clear. Not for long,
however, for when within fifteen
miles of Bateau a fog bank stole out
of the north and enyeloped every
thing. ere we ever to get rid
of fog? Upon our own coast. where
shoals, harbor approaches and capes
are sprinkled with spar bouys. cages,
perches, grunters, whistle buoys. bell
buoys and powerful foghorns, a thick
fog is a bit aggravating, but on the
Labrador there is hardly a thing to
aid the mariner.
We picked our way between the is
lands and arrived in Domino harbor
at 1:30 pm. To my surprise we found
here the Norseman. an American
schooner yacht belonging to Mr.. Will
liams of Hartford Conn. She was
built at East Boothbay, Me-, within
few yards of the Bowdoin, and was
launched about the same time. Mr..
Williams had kept his promise that
he would meet me on the Labrador.
He is one of the few Americans who
were enthusiastic over "bleak and
barren Labrador having cruised the
inside runs, gone into the heads of
deep bays. fished from it's clear run
ming streams, ard breathed of it's
health giving air. He declares that
he will continue his northern cruis-
ing as long as age and health will
permit. We spent a very happy even
ing in the cabin of his beautiful sixty
footer, with Mr.. Williams and his
friend, Mr.. Wells, also from the
States.
A long three blasts from the pat
ent fog horn Of the Norseman was
really our last goodbye to the Ameri
can flag.
Bad weather was certainly follow
ing close upon our heels, for the next
morning it was blowing and raining
and thick. With eight days in August
gone it was expedient that we press