On the south-western side of Davis's Strait is the wild, extensive, and
uncivilized country of _Labrador_. Its coast was first discovered by the
Portuguese navigators; but the frigidity of its climate is such, that no
settlements of any importance have ever been fixed upon its shores. Even
the extent of the country has been but imperfectly ascertained; for all
the knowledge we have hitherto obtained respecting it, relates only to
the coast. The inland territory remains yet unexplored.
Captain George Cartwright resided on the coast of Labrador, at different
intervals, for sixteen years. He states that the face of the country, as
far as he could discover it, was mountainous and desolate; and that some
of the mountains were of considerable elevation. The soil, in some parts
of the southern coast, appears, at first sight, to be fertile and
covered with verdure; but, on examination, it is found to be poor, and
the verdure is that of coarse plants, which would not serve as food for
horses, cattle, or sheep. Some attempts have been made to cultivate this
coast, but the depredations of bears and wolves have proved a formidable
impediment; and such is the severity of the 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 a whole family, together with the materials of their traffic. In
winter the mountaineers of Labrador pass over the snow, by means of what
are called snow-shoes.
These mountaineers are esteemed an industrious people. They bear fatigue
with almost incredible resolution and patience; and will often travel
two successive days without food. They, every year, come to the Canada
merchants, who have seal-fisheries on the southern coast, and bargain
their furs, in exchange for blanketing, fire-arms, and ammunition; and
they are immoderately fond of spirits. Some of them profess to be Roman
Catholics; but their whole religion seems to consist in reciting a few
prayers, and in counting their beads.
It is customary with these Indians, to destroy such persons among them
as become aged and decrepit. This practice they endeavour to vindicate
from their mode of life: for they assert that those who are unable to
procure the necessaries requisite for their existence, ought not live
merely to consume them.
The _Esquimaux_, who inhabit the northern parts of the country, are a
race similar to the Greenlanders. They have a deep tawny or rather
copper-coloured complexion; and are inferior in size to the generality
of Europeans. Their faces are flat, and their noses short. Their hair is
black and coarse; and their hands and feet are remarkably small. Their
dress, like that of the mountaineers, is entirely of skins; and consists
of a sort of hooded shirt, of breeches, stockings, and boots. The dress
of the different sexes is similar, except that the women wear large
boots, and have their upper garment ornamented with a kind of tail. In
their boots they occasionally place their children; but the youngest
child is always carried at the back of its mother, in the hood of her
jacket. The women ornament their heads with large strings of beads,
which they fasten to the hair above their ears.
The weapons of these Esquimaux are darts, bows, and arrows; and their
food consists chiefly of the flesh of seals, deer, and birds; and of
fish. Some of their canoes are near twenty feet in length, and not more
than two feet wide. They each contain only one person; are formed of a
frame-work, covered with skins; and are so extremely light, that they
are easily overset. Notwithstanding this, and the circumstance that few
of the Esquimaux are able to swim, these people are able to navigate
them, in safety, without a compass, and even in the thickest fogs. When
the ground is covered with snow, they traverse the country in sledges,
drawn by dogs.
During winter, they live in houses, or rather in a kind of cavern, which
they sink in the earth; and, during summer, they occupy tents, made
circular with poles, and covered with skins. Their only beverage is
water. The men are extremely indolent; and all the laborious
occupations, except that of procuring food, are performed by the women.
They sew with the sinews of deer; and much of their needlework is very
neat. The Esquimaux cannot reckon, numerically, beyond six; and their
compound numbers reach no further than 21: all beyond this are called a
multitude.
The principal articles of export, obtained from the coast of Labrador,
are cod-fish, salmon, oil, whalebone, and furs of various kinds.