Salmon and salmon-trout are caught in every creek and inlet; they
remain in the rivers and fresh-water lakes during the winter, and
return to the sea in spring. The Esquimaux about Okkak and Saeglak,
catch them in winter under the ice by spearing. For this purpose they
make two holes in the ice, about eight inches in diameter, and six
feet asunder, in a direction from north to south. The northern hole
they screen from the sun by a bank of snow about four feet in height,
raised in a semi-circle round its southern edge, and form another
similar bank on the north side of the southern hole, sloped in such a
manner as to reflect the rays of the sun into it. The Esquimaux then
lies down, with his face close to the northern aperture, beneath which
the water is strongly illuminated by the sunbeams entering at the
southern. In his left hand he holds a red string, with which he plays
in the water to allure the fish, and in his right, a spear ready to
strike them as they approach; and in this manner, they soon take as
many as they want. The trout on this coast are from twelve to eighteen
inches long, and in August and September so fat, that the Esquimaux
collect from them a sufficient quantity of oil for their lamps. The
great shoals of herrings, which are the staple of the Greenlanders, do
not touch at the shores of Labrador, but they have abundance of cod at
many of their fishing stations, which the missionaries have shown them
the method, and set them the example, of curing for their winter's
supply.
Sea-fowl of the duck and goose species frequent the shores of
Labrador, and the islands scattered around it, and afford to the
natives, as they do to the rest of the northern tribes, food, warmth,
and materials for trade. Of the land birds, the large partridge,
[reiper,] or American wild pheasant, is the only one which the
missionaries mention as being used by them as an agreeable variety of
food, when, other resources failing, they have been confined to salted
provisions.
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