he climate, that cattle must be
housed for nine months in the year.

The whole eastern coast of Labrador exhibits a very barren appearance:
the mountains rise abruptly from the sea, and are composed of rocks,
that are thinly covered with peat earth. This produces only stunted
spruce trees, and a few plants; but the adjacent sea, and the various
rivers and lakes, abound with fish, fowl, and amphibious animals.
Springs are rare, and fresh water is chiefly supplied by melted snow. In
the various bays of this coast, there are numerous islands, on which
eider-ducks, and multitudes of other sea-fowl breed. On some of the
larger islands there are deer, foxes, and hares. The fruits of Labrador
consist chiefly of currants, raspberries, cranberries, whortle-berries,
apples, and pears. Among the mineral productions is a kind of felspar,
which, when polished, exhibits a display of brilliant and beautiful
colours.

The climate of this country, though severe, is healthy. There is little
appearance of summer till about the middle of July; and, in September,
winter indicates its approach. During summer the heat is sometimes
unpleasant; and the cold of winter is of long duration, and generally
intense. In Labrador, as in all other countries of northern climates,
the quadrupeds are clothed with a longer and thicker fur during winter,
than in summer; and many of the birds have a softer down, and feathers
of a closer texture, than those of milder countries. Some of the animals
also assume a white clothing at the commencement of winter.

The native inhabitants of Labrador are _mountaineers_ and Esquimaux,
between whom there subsists an invincible aversion. The former, who
inhabit the interior districts towards the north, are of dark colour,
and robust constitution, though their limbs are small. They subsist
chiefly on rein-deer, which they are very dexterous in killing: they
also kill foxes, martens, and beavers. As these people live a wandering
life, they never build houses; but they construct a kind of tents, and
cover them with branches of trees, and with deer-skins. Their summer
dress consists of skins freed from the hair; and their winter-dress is
formed of beaver and deer-skins, with the hair on. During the summer
they traverse the country, in canoes, along the rivers and lakes. These
canoes are covered with the bark of the birch-tree; and, although they
are so light as to be easily carried, some of them are large enough to
contain