at
which was vivid enough to the minds of the mate and myself. We sat
down for a regular pow-wow beside the fire sputtering in the open
room, from which thick smoke crept up the face of the rock, and hung
over us in a material but symbolic cloud. It was naturally cold. The
man began with a plea for some "clodin." We began with a plea for some
children. How many would he swap for a start in clothing and "tings
for his winter"? He picked out and gave us Jimmie. The soft-hearted
mate, on whose cheeks the tears were literally standing, grabbed
Jimmie--as the latter did his share of the gull. But we were not
satisfied. We had to have Willie. It was only when a breaking of
diplomatic relations altogether was threatened that Willie was
sacrificed on the altar of "tings." I forget the price, but I think
that we threw in an axe, which was one of the trifles which the father
lacked--and in this of all countries! The word was no sooner spoken
than our shellback again excelled himself. He pounced on Willie like a
hawk on its prey, and before the treaty was really concluded he was
off to our dory with a naked boy kicking violently in the vice of each
of his powerful arms. The grasping strength of our men, reared from
childhood to haul heavy strains and ponderous anchors, is phenomenal.

Whatever sins Labrador has been guilty of, Malthusianism is not in the
category. Nowhere are there larger families. Those of Quebec Labrador,
which is better known, are of almost world-wide fame. God is, to
Labrador thinking, the Giver of all children. Man's responsibility is
merely to do the best he can to find food and clothing for them. A man
can accomplish only so much. If these "gifts of God" suffer and are a
burden to others that is kismet. It is the animal philosophy and
makes women's lives on this coast terribly hard. The opportunity for
service along child-welfare lines is therefore not surprising from
this angle also.

One day, passing a group of islands, we anchored in a bight known as
Rogues' Roost. It so happened that a man who many years before had
shot off his right arm, and had followed up his incapacity with a
large family of dependants, had just died. Life cannot be expected to
last long in Labrador under those conditions. There were four
children, one being a big boy who could help out. The rest were
offered as a contribution to the Mission. A splendid Newfoundland
fisherman and his wife had a summer fishing station here, and wit