LA BRA DOR, a large peninsula about 850 miles square, lying between and 60° of North Lat. and 55° and 714.° of Wcst Long. from Greenwich. It is bounded on the south by Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean ; on the north by Hudson's Straits ; and on the west by Hudson's Bay. It was discovered in 1496, by the Portuguese, and named Terra de Labrador, or ploughman's land,” a designation to which it seems to have very little title. It is frequently called also New Bri tain ; and its western coast is generally denominated the East Alain, by the Hudson's Bay settlers. The whole of this vast tract of country, as far as it has hitherto been ex plored, is extremely barren and dreary, the surface every where uneven, and covered with large stones ; the moun tains devoid of herbage, and producing at best a little moss, or a few blighted shrubs ; the yanks, in some places, full of low crooked trees of the pine and birch species. The southern parts present some appearance of soil capable of cultivation ; and in some of the deep bays a little timber may be found. The native plants are, wild celery, scurvy grass, reddocks, and Indian sallad. The prevailing aspect of the whole region is a heap of bare and frightful rocks. The highest mountains extend along the eastern coast, from latitude 54° to latitude 59° or 60° ; but their eleva tion does not appear any where to exceed 3000 feet. There are vast chains of lakes and ponds throughout the country, produced by the rains and melting of the snow ; but springs ate extremely rare. There ate several streams, which empty themselves into the sea ; but they are not deserving of the name of rivers, and are nothing more than drains from the lakes and ponds of the interior, running on a bed of solid rock, sometimes broad, but rarely of any depth. The climate is remarkably rigorous ; and the winter lasts about nine months, from the middle of September to the middle of July. But, on this point, the following extract from a meteorological journal of the weather at Nain, in 57° of north latitude, will afford the most accurate infor as far as regards the state of the thermometer.
Of the mineralogy* of Labrador very little is known ; and the only subterranean productions hitherto discovered, are a little iron ore, granite, hornblende, limestone, lapis ollaris, haematite, and the beautiful shining spar, called the Labrador stone. This last mentioned substance was dis covered by the Moravian missionaries in sailing over the lakes, where its bright hues were reflected from the water; and is supposed to be the same article, which some of the early navigators brought from the coast as a specimen of gold ore. Its native rocks have not been discovered, but it is collected by the Esquimaux on the shores of the sea and lakes.
The animals of this country are neither rery numerous nor various. Rein-deer, whose venison is excellent, are tolerably abundant. Black and white bears are frequently seen in considerable numbers, especially where the fish, being retarded in their progress by the cataracts, are found collected in one place. Wolves, foxes, carkashew, moun tain cats, martins, beavers, otters, hares, a few ermines, and plenty of porcupines, are the principal quadrupeds met with in this dreary region. The more permanent feather ed inhabitants, are eagles, hawks, horned owls, the red game, and a smaller species, called the spruce partridge. migratory birds frequent the woods and lakes in summer and autumn, and some of the smaller sort are re markable for their beautiful plumage ; but, after the breeding season is past, they seek a happier climate be fore the approach of winter. The curlews are extremely abundant, and well grown, and excellent for eating. The sea fowl arc remarkably numerous, especially in the little islands which lie along the eastern coast. The most pre vailing kinds of fish on the coast, are whales, cod, and sal mon, with a very few shell fish. There are no venomous insects or reptiles in the country ; but the myriads of small flies in the warmer months arc exceedingly tormenting.