Scientific American Supplement No. 822, October 3, 1891Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement No. 822, October 3, 1891
Various
Science -- Periodicals
After leaving the plateau and plunging over the falls, the waters
enter an immense canon or gorge, nearly 40 miles long and 300 yards
wide, the perpendicular sides of which rise to a height of from 300 to
500 feet. The sides of this canon show it to be hollowed out of solid
Archaean rock. Through this canon the water rushes with terrific
rapidity, making passage by boat wholly impossible. Many erroneous
stories have been told in regard to the height of these falls, all of
them greatly exaggerating the descent of the water. The Indians of
this locality of the tribe of the Nascopee or the race of Crees have
long believed the falls to be haunted by an evil spirit, who punished
with death any one who might dare to look upon them. The height of
land or plateau which constitutes the interior of the Labrador
peninsula is from 2,000 to 2,500 feet above the sea level, fairly
heavily wooded with spruce, fir, hackmatack, and birch, and not at all
the desolate waste it has been pictured by many writers. The
barrenness of Labrador is confined to the coast, and one cannot enter
the interior in any direction without being struck by the latent
possibilities of the peninsula were it not for the abundance of flies
and mosquitoes. Their greed is insatiable, and at times the two men
were weakened from the loss of blood occasioned by these insects.
The object of the expedition being attained, the return trip was
begun, and the sight of the cached boat and provisions eagerly watched
for. On Aug. 15 the camp was sighted, but to their horror they saw
smoke issuing from the spot. It at once flashed upon their minds what
had taken place, and when they arrived they found that their fears had
been all too truly realized. Charred remains of the boat, a burned
octant, and a few unexploded cartridges were all that remained of the
meager outfit upon which they depended to take them to the mouth of
the river, a distance of over 250 miles. The camp fire, not having
been completely extinguished, had burned the boat and destroyed all
their provisions.
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