I.

OT many persons in Can

Nada, or the United States

Dr.

either, are aware that within a few days' sail of Canadian and American ports one may reach a majestic range of coast rivalling in its fjords and mountains the far-famed coast of Norway. Grenfell, who is familiar with every inch of both, declares that some of the northern bights and fjords of Labrador are unequalled by any on the Scandinavian coast. During the summer season a comfortable steamer, the "Virginia Lake," makes fortnightly trips from St. John's, Newfoundland, as far as Nain, calling at over a hundred bights, bays, "tickles," and fishing harbors along the coast. The "Virginia Lake" was specially constructed for the seal-fishing. She is solidly built of wood. Iron would be perfectly useless amid the ice fields. It would shiver like glass if pinched by floes, whereas the sturdy wooden ship will slip up out of their grasp like an apple seed squeezed between the fingers. The "Virginia Lake" is a staunch and sturdy craft with comfortable dining saloon and state-rooms, good promenade deck, and an an officers' quarter-deck to which passengers are welcome if they will not speak to the

WHAT ARE THE WILD WAVES SAYING?'

coast, the Eskimo villages, Moravian. missions, and Hudson Bay posts."

"The calls of the S.S. Virginia 'Virginia Lake' at so many of the ports, give ample opportunity to enjoy the magnificent scenery and study the conditions of fisnermen's life. We were specially impressed by the intricate navigation of the inside channel of Fogo Island, and the splendid cliffs extending north from Tilt Cove, the Narrows of Hamilton Inlet, the rugged coast line of Labrador, reaching its culmination in the impressive mountain background surrounding Nain."

Our own glimpses of Eskimo life at the stations of the Moravian missionaries were of exceeding interest, and made a profound impression of the valor and fidelity of the noble-minded men who conducted these religious and philanthropic undertakings. We found the ships very comfortable, the fare abundant and good, the company genial, the captain and officers skilful, kindly and courteous, and everything conspired to make an ideal holiday.

However bleak and bitter the weather may be in the spring and fall months, in July and August it is generally ideal. Although we were sel

dom out of sight of icebergs-we counted at one time forty-eight, like a great white-sailed line of battleships stretching along the horizon, a scene made more impressive by the mirage or loom, which duplicated this phenomenon in the sky-yet we wore light summer clothing and basked in almost continuous sunshine.

There came, once or twice, just enough of fog to enable us to realize. the conditions that often prevail. Once only were we detained by stress of weather, where in a sheltered bay we out-rode a passing storm.

The Labrador has won its chief fame from its magnificent fisheries, none like them in the world. Over twenty thousand fishermen from Newfoundland spend their summers on these sterile coasts, reaping the harvest of the sea, and a few hundreds of "liveyers" live all the year round

hence their name-on its stern and forbidding shores.

As one passes through the large outports of Carbonear, Harbor Grace or Trinity, in Newfoundland, he will notice that many of the stores are closely shuttered and without sign of human habitation, looking much like the Dead Cities of the Zuyder Zee.

LOADING NETS AT FISHING STAGE.

When he inquires the cause of this, he learns that the people are all off to the Labrador; when they come back in the fall the stores are re-opened and business fairly hums again.

The twenty thousand fisher folk go north in the spring in over a thousand schooners. These are heavily loaded with salt and stores; and men, women and children and household gear crowd every available space. Great fishing firms have their permanent buildings, store-houses and drying. stages at their own "rooms," as as they they are called, that is, a section of the coast-four or five rooms being occupied in one harbor. The fisherfolk live in more or less comfortable tilts or wooden shacks, and sometimes in little troglodyte - looking cabins of stone and earth sods. The essential thing is a fishing stage where the fish may be landed, cleaned, salted, and spread on fish flakes, or on the rocks to dry and then re-stored

till they can be loaded on shipboard for the home. voyage.

These northern bays and ports, when the fish are plentiful, are often scenes of intense activity. Sometimes a hundred sail are found in one tickle, or harbor. The fishing schooners, when they come in on a brisk breeze, their snowy sails, spread wing and wing, glistening in the sun, make a particularly stirring scene. The sails of the smaller boats are almost always tanned a rich brown to preserve the fabric, and under an either bright or lowering sky present a picturesque appearance.

The mode of fishing is of four kinds. There is the fishing with a line and bait, which is the universal method on the Grand Banks and many deep sea fishing grounds; "jigging," when no bait can be had, and the bare hook weighted with lead is jerked up and down, and a surprising quantity of fish are thus caught; seine fishing,