Labrador, the country and the people . nks, as some with Frenchmens banking hooks stickingin their mouths have been captured by the Labrador crews. As cod began to show real or apparent failure on the New-foundland coast, and then on the Grand Banks, the greatfleet of fishing vessels began to turn its bows , a few venturesome fishermen crossed the Strait ofBelle Isle without having wetted a line or net, and riskedtheir summers catch off the Labrador coast. These earlypioneers were richly rewarded, and others soon followedin their wake. As it became imperative for more and morefa
Labrador, the country and the people . nks, as some with Frenchmens banking hooks stickingin their mouths have been captured by the Labrador crews. As cod began to show real or apparent failure on the New-foundland coast, and then on the Grand Banks, the greatfleet of fishing vessels began to turn its bows , a few venturesome fishermen crossed the Strait ofBelle Isle without having wetted a line or net, and riskedtheir summers catch off the Labrador coast. These earlypioneers were richly rewarded, and others soon followedin their wake. As it became imperative for more and morefamilies to seek a living from Labrador, many, who had nomeans of obtaining schooners of their own, managed tofind their way north as ^freighters, with their morefortunate brethren. Arrived on the Labrador, a familyof ^freighters builds a rude summer Hilt at some spotsuggested by their previous experience, and then fish fromthe land in small boats, returning in the same way in theautumn. Thus commenced the great exodus of men, < ^iM-. ^yL^.^^. .^ THE COD AND COD-FISHERY 297 women, and children that every year starts for Labradorfrom Newfoundland as soon as the ice of winter breaks upand the journey becomes possible. At length these so-called summer settlers pushed as far north as Cape Harri-gan, and the floaters as far as Cape Chidley. Of late years,however, an ebb tide has set in, and more fish is taken inthe Straits and along the southern shore than in the north,and many of the northern summer settlements have beenabandoned. On first consideration the Labrador voyage does notsound particularly enterprising. But there are featuresabout it which are not immediately apparent. Theentire living of these pioneers depends on the fishery, forthe fur catching in Newfoundland is almost a negligiblequantity as far as most of the men are concerned. Onlyof late years has enough work at the Sydney (Nova Scotia)mines or steel works, or at the iron mines on Bell Island,Newfoundland, been av
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