PART VIII.

THE ISLAND COLONY OF NEWFOUNDLAND, INCLUDING LABRADOR. In order that a correct opinion may be formed as to the natural resources and capabilities of the island of Newfoundland, and the value of its fisheries, it will be necessary to give a brief notice of the geographical position and physical conformation of that island. A brief description will also be given of the Labrador coast, which now forms part of the government of this colony.

Newfoundland lies on the northeast side of the entrance into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. From Canada it is separated by the Gulf; its southwest point approaches Cape Breton within about 46 miles; to the north and northwest are the shores of Labrador, from which it is divided by the Strait of Belleisle; its eastern side is washed by the Atlantic ocean. Its form is somewhat triangular, but without any approach to regularity, each of its sides being broken into numerous bays, harbors, creeks, and estuaries. Its circuit is not much less than one thousand miles. Its width at the widest part between Cape Ray and Cape Bonavista is about 300 miles; its extreme length from Cape Race to Griguet bay is about four hundred and nineteen miles, measured on a curve through the centre of the island.

From the sea, Newfoundland has a wild and sterile appearance, which is anything but inviting. Its general character is that of a rugged, and, for the most part, a barren country. Hills and valleys continually succeed each other, the former never rising into mountains, and the latter rarely expanding into plains.

The hills are of various characters, forming sometimes long, flat-topped ridges, and being occasionally round and isolated, with sharp peaks and craggy precipices. The valleys also vary from gently sloping depressions to rugged and abrupt ravines. The sea-cliffs are for the most part bold and lofty, with deep water close at their foot. Great boulders, or loose rocks, scattered over the country, increase the general roughness of its appearance and character. This uneven surface is covered by three different kinds of vegetation, forming districts, to which the names of "woods," "marshes," and "barrens," are respectively assigned.

The woods occupy indifferently the sides, and even the summits, of the hills, the valleys, and the lower lands. They are generally found, however, clothing the sides of hills, or the slopes of valleys, or wherever there is any drainage for the surplus water. For the same reason, probably, they occur in greatest abundance in the vicinity of the seacoast, around the lakes, and near the rivers, if the soil and other circumstances be also favorable.

The trees of Newfoundland consist principally of pine, spruce, fir, larch, (or hackmatac,) and birch; in some districts the mountain ash,

the alder, the aspen, and a few others, are also found. The character of the timber varies greatly, according to the nature of the sub-soil and the situation. In some parts, where the woods have been undisturbed by the axe, trees of fair girth and height may be found. These, however, are scattered, or occur only in small groups. Most of the wood is of small and stunted growth, consisting chiefly of fir trees, from twenty to thirty feet in height, and about three or four inches in diameter. These commonly grow so close together that their twigs and branches interlace from top to bottom; and lying indiscriminately among them are innumerable old and rotten stumps and branches, or newly-fallen trees. These, with the young shoots and brush-wood, form a tangled and often impenetrable thicket.

Embosomed in the woods, and covering the valleys and lower lands, are found open tracts, which are called "marshes." These marshes are not necessarily low or even level land, but are frequently at a considerable height above the sea, and have often an undulated surface. They are open tracts, covered with moss, sometimes to the depth of several feet. This moss is green, soft, and spongy; it is bound together by straggling grass, and various marsh plants. The surface is very uneven, abounding in little hillocks and holes, the tops of the hillocks having often dry, crisp moss upon them. A boulder or small crag of rock occasionally protrudes, covered with red or white lichens, and here and there is a bank, on which the moss has become dry and yellow. The contrast of these colors with the dark velvety green of the wet moss, often gives a peculiarly rich appearance to the marshes. This thick coating of moss is precisely like a great sponge spread over the country. At the melting of the snow in the spring it becomes thoroughly saturated with water, which it long retains, and which every shower of rain continually renews. Numerous small holes and pools of water, and in the lower parts, small sluggish brooks or gulleys, are met with in these tracts; but the extreme wetness of the marshes is due almost entirely to the spongy nature of the moss, the slope of the ground being always nearly sufficient for surface drainage; and when the moss is stripped off, dry ground or bare rock is generally found beneath.

The "barrens" of Newfoundland are those districts which occupy the summits of the hills and ridges, and other elevated and exposed tracts. They are covered with a thin and scrubby vegetation, consisting of berry-bearing plants and dwarf bushes of various sorts. Bare patches of gravel and boulders, and crumbling fragments of rock, are frequently met with upon the "barrens," which generally are altogether destitute of vegetable soil.

These different tracts are none of them of any great extent; woods, marshes, and barrens frequently alternating with each other in the course of a day's journey.

In describing the general features of the country one of the most remarkable must not be omitted, namely, the immense abundance of lakes of all sizes, which are indiscriminately called "ponds." These are found everywhere, over the whole face of the country, not only in the valleys but on the higher lands, and even in the hollows of the summits of the ridges, and the very tops of the hills.

They vary in size from pools of fifty yards in diameter to lakes up

wards of thirty miles long, and four or five miles across.

The number

of those which exceed two miles in extent must, on the whole, amount to several hundreds, while those of smaller size are absolutely countless.

Taken in connexion with this remarkable abundance of lakes, the total absence of anything which can be called a navigable river is at first sight quite anomalous. The broken and generally undulated character of the country is no doubt one cause of the absence of large rivers. Each pond, or small set of ponds, communicates with a valley of its own, down which it sends an insignificant brook, that pursues the nearest course to the sea. The chief cause, however, both of the vast abundance of ponds and the general scantiness of the brooks, and smallness of the extent of each system of drainage, is to be found in the great coating of moss that is spread over the country. On any great accession of moisture, either from rain or melted snow, the chief portion is absorbed by this large sponge; the remainder fills the numerous ponds to the brink, while only some portion of the latter runs off by the brooks. Great periodical floods, which would sweep out and deepen the river channels, are almost impossible; while the rivers have not power at any time to breach the barriers between them, and unite their waters. In dry weather, when from evaporation and drainage the ponds begin to shrink, they are supplied by the slow and gradual drainage of the marshes, where the water has been kept as in a reservoir, to be given off when required.

The quantity of ground covered by fresh water in Newfoundland has been estimated, by those acquainted with the country, at one-third of the whole island, and this large proportion will not probably be found an exaggeration. The area of Newfoundland is estimated at 23,040,000 acres.

LABRADOR.

Of the coast of Labrador less is known than of the island of Newfoundland, to the government of which it was re-annexed in 1808, having for some time previously been under the jurisdiction of Canada. It may be said to extend from the fiftieth to the sixty-first degree of north latitude, and from longitude 560 west, on the Atlantic, to 78°, on Hudson's bay. It has a seacoast of about 100 miles, and is frequented, during the summer season, by more than 20,000 persons.

This vast country, equal in extent to France, Spain and Germany, has a resident population of between 8,000 and 10,000 souls, including the Esquimaux and Moravians.

The climate is very severe, and the summer of exceedingly short duration. It is believed that the mean temperature of the year does not exceed the freezing-point. The ice does not usually leave the coast before June; and young ice begins to form again on the pools and sheltered small bays in September, when frosts are very frequent at night. Situate in a severe and gloomy climate, and producing nothing that can support human life, this is one of the most barren and desolate countries in the world. But, as if in compensation for the sterility of the land, the sea in its vicinity teems with fish. There would be little inducement to visit the desolate coast of Labrador but

for its most valuable and prolific fisheries, which excite the enterprise and reward the industry of thousands of hardy adventurers who annually visit its rugged shores.

In general, the main land does not exceed the height of five hundred feet above the level of the sea, and is often much lower, as are all the islands, excepting Great and Little Mecatina. The main land and islands are of granitic rock, bare of trees, excepting at the heads of bays, where small spruce and birch trees are met with occasionally. When not entirely bare, the main land and islands are covered with moss or scrubby spruce bushes; and there are many ponds of dark bog-water, frequented by water-fowl and flocks of the Labrador curlew.

The main land is broken into inlets and bays, and fringed with islands, rocks, and ledges, which frequently rise abruptly to within a few feet of the surface, from depths so great as to afford no warning by the lead. In some parts, the islands and rocks are so numerous as to form a complete labyrinth, in which nothing but small egging schooners or shallops can find their way.

But although the navigation is everywhere more or less intricate, yet there are several harbors fit for large vessels, which may be safely entered, with proper charts and sailing directions.

The Strait of Belleisle, which separates Newfoundland from Labrador, is about fifty miles long, and twelve broad. It is deep, but is not considered a safe passage usually, owing to the strong current which sets through it, and the want of harbors. There are no harbors on that part of the Newfoundland coast which faces this strait; and those on the Labrador coast are not considered safe, except the havens near the northern and southern extremities of the strait.

During the winter months the resident population of Labrador does not exceed eight hundred souls of European descent. Many of the white men have intermarried with the Indians. The few widely-scattered families reside at the establishments for seal and salmon-fishing, and for fur-trading. Seals and salmon are very plentiful; the latter are of a larger and better description than those taken on the coast of Newfoundland.

The furs of Labrador are very valuable. There are four kinds of foxes; with otters, sables, beavers, lynxes, black and white bears, wolves, deer, (caribou) ermine, hares, and several other small animals, all bearing fur of the best description. The Canadian partridge, and the ptarmigan, or willow grouse, are also plentiful.

A number of small schooners or shallops, of about twenty-five tons, are employed in what is termed the "egging business." The eggs that are most abundant and most prized are those of the murr; but the eggs of puffins, gannets, gulls, eider ducks, and cormorants, are also collected. Halifax is the principal market for these eggs, but they have been also carried to Boston, and other ports. One vessel of 25 tons is said to have cleared $800 by this egging business in a favorable season.