Bowdoin Boys in Labrador: An Account of the Bowdoin College Scientific Expedition to Labrador led by Prof. Leslie A. Lee of the Biological DepartmentCilley, Jonathan Prince
History
Bowdoin Boys in Labrador: An Account of the Bowdoin College Scientific Expedition to Labrador led by Prof. Leslie A. Lee of the Biological Department
Cilley, Jonathan Prince
Labrador (N.L.) -- Description and travel; Scientific expeditions
The squall came first, and as it blew heavily directly out of the
river, we could simply lay to and wait for it to blow over. Then a
calm followed and by the time the next squall struck we were in a
comparative lee. After the heaviest of it had passed, the Grand River
boys clambered into their boats and with a hearty "good by" pulled
away for the opening close at hand. The yawl meantime had grounded on
one of the shoals, but pushing off and carefully dodging the boulders
that dot those shallow waters, she squared away for North West River,
following around the shore, and with the aid of a fresh breeze reached
the schooner shortly after 10 o'clock P.M.
[Grand River] The river party was made up of Austin Cary in charge,
and W.R. Smith, '90, occupying one boat, and Dennis Cole and E.B.
Young, '92, with the other, all strong, rugged fellows, more or less
acquainted with boating in rapid water, and well equipped for all
emergencies. Their outfit included provisions for five weeks, flour,
meal, buckwheat flour, rice, coffee, tea, sugar, beef extract, tins of
pea soup, beef tongue, and preserves. They were provided with
revolvers, a shot gun and a rifle, and sufficient ammunition,
intending to eke out the stores with whatever game came in their way,
although the amount of time given them would not allow much hunting.
All the supplies, including the surveying, measuring and
meteorological instruments, were either in tins or in water-tight
wrappings, while the bedding and clothing were protected by rubber
blankets. The boats, made by Rushton, the Adirondack boat-builder,
were of cedar, fifteen feet long, five feet wide, double-ended, and
weighed eighty pounds apiece. A short deck at each end of the boats
covered copper air-tanks, which made life-boats of them and added much
to their safety. Each boat was equipped with a pair of oars, a paddle
and about one hundred feet of small line for tracking purposes.
Proceeding about three miles the first camp was made on the south
shore of Goose Bay, amid an abundance of mosquitoes. The next day
twenty-five miles were made through shoals that nearly close the
river's mouth, leaving but one good channel through which the water
flows very swiftly, by the house of Joe Michelin, the trapper, at
which six weeks later two very gaunt and much used up men were most
hospitably received. Here another night was spent almost without
sleep, owing to the mosquitoes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account