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EXPLORING INNER LABRADOR.
A journey into tho interior, of the
great Labrador Peninsula is fraught with
so many, difficulties and so many dan
gers that ho who makes it must indeed
have a compelling motive (writes a
traveller). . 1
' The Peninsula'forms'that portion of
the Dominion of Canada lying between
Hudson Bay-on tho west, and the At
lantic Ocean on tho cast, with the Gulf
of St." Lawrenco for its southern boun
dary, and Hudson' Straits marking its
extreme northern limit. Only its coast
fisheries, its fur trade, and, in southern
parts, its timber lands, have as yet at
tracted tho gain-seekers to its inhos
pitable shores, icebound as they are iri
winter, and in summer swept by the
Arctic current as it bears southward its
burden of bergs.
As a whole tho Peninsula consists of a
vast, roclty plateau, cut at intervals by
valleys, into which gather tho waters
of its myriads of lakes and streams for
their wild mad race to the sea. The
rivers thus formed are tho only high
ways into tho interior, and none but the
oxpert canoe-man can successfully navi
gate them. Ho must he brought near,
two thousand miles to the task, for tho
native of Pastern Labrador, is not a
canooman, and fears the interior of his
country. The game supply, too, is un
certain. Starvation broods over this
wilderness, and now and then claims
even the Indian, to whom its ways are
familiar.
Thus inner Labrador lay wrapped in
the shadow of mvstery. unbroken until
the loiter hair of the last century, and
. then lifted chiefly by the explorations
, of Mr. .A. P.- Low, now Director of the
Geological Survey of Canada. His work,
the results of which aro set forth iu the
Government reports, extended over a
nerir.d af 10 years—1SS." to ]8!).o: hut
it. left the portion of the Peninsula lying
between Lat-e Melville and TTngava Bay
still a-irgin field for the explorer, where
remained two large rivers to he travers
ed and mapped. ■ These v.ero the Mas
rntipon Liver, draining Lake Michikn
mnu to Lake Melville and the Atlantic,
and tho George Liver, draining the
northern s'opo of tho plateau to Ongava
Bay.
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