As

we reached the coast. sleeping in the open, on bare rooky ground, had no attractions, and the temperature was distinotly lower close to the sea, we asked for and obtained house-room from a settler who lived there. There, rolled up in our blankets, we slept well enough on the floor, though it seemed strange at first to be within four walls after a fortnight in the open. We handed over the remainder of our stores, including some trout, to the owner of the house, who feasted us royally on fresh bread (his wife's baking), cod, and pork, helped out by our contributions. When, next morning, I wanted to pay him something for putting us up, he wouldn't hear of it: we were his guests, and there was nothing more to be said about it.

In the morning, when the launch appeared in sight, I paid their wages to Old George, Bill, and John, so that they could go straight home down the coast, if they liked. But all three elected to oross with me in the launch, and spend their money at the Company's store, in buying various things that would be useful to them during the coming winter. Well, indeed, had they earned their pay; never before or since, during wanderings in the wilds, have I had a more cheery, handy, or willing trio to travel with.

A hail brought the launch in to the settler's wharf; we said good-bye to him, and an uneventful run took us back to the comparative civilisa

tion of the Company's settlement.

of a

The mail steamer was due next day, but I was not fated to go up the coast in her after all. In the afternoon a trail of smoke to the south indicated the approach steamer, and a boat was sent out to meet her and pilot her in, in case she wanted to call. When presently, with pilot on board, she rounded the headland and entered the harbour, all interest was centred on her for the arrival of a steamer without previous warning was an event. Why was she calling? what was her destination? and-why was she so deep in the water? The manager at once put off to her; and I, as a privileged guest with nothing to do, went with him.

:

She was a

small Norwegian tramp, of about 300 tons, bound down the coast for a cargo of fish. The previous afternoon, the carpenter, when sounding the wells, had found a lot of water in her. The bilge-pump had not been able to make any impression on it, nor could the hand-pumps do more than prevent it increasing fast. They had been able to prove that the leak was in the afterhold, which was full of coal; and thereafter the crew had not had a wink of sleep, some working at the pumps, while others laboured at digging out the coal and piling it on deck to get at the leak. But they had not yet suoceeded, and were about played out, and saw no prospect of reaching their destination

farther north. Therefore they had put in to the nearest harbour shown on the chart for help. The manager at once gave orders for two schooners lying alongside the wharf to be moved out; and as soon as she was berthed in their place, a strong crew of Company's men was put on board to clear that clear that hold. Being at a loose end, I worked with them. Towards midnight the coal had been far enough removed to disolose the leak a jagged tear of about a square inch, right in the bottom plating, through which the water was spouting hard. At once a wooden plug, roughly whittled to the shape of the tear, was driven into it, and what had been a fountain of water was reduced to a trickle. The bilge-pump, by morning, had dried the ship.

There remained a decision about what the tramp should now do. Sea law apparently decrees that, in a case of this sort, a commission of three master mariners can decide whether a ship is seaworthy or not. So it was settled to wait until the mail steamer arrived, when her captain, with the captain of the tramp, and the owner of a schooner who held & master's oertificate, could pronounce a verdict. When the mail steamer arrived, it was her captain who quite took charge of the proceedings; said that the place where the leak was should be boxed off with iron plates, the box filled in with concrete, and steel wedges driven between the plates form

ing the box and the ship's ribs. With these patchwork repairs carried out, she would be seaworthy enough to enough to do the voyage up the coast to Newfoundland, where she could be dry-docked; but not seaworthy enough to cross the Atlantic. This decision, then, was written out at length and all the members of the commission signed it. Now as the tramp was bound for repairs to the same destination as the mail steamer, I asked her skipper if he could take me with him as a passenger, and he at once agreed. Then, as I was not leaving by the mail steamer, and happened to be a qualified civil engineer, I was appointed to see that the patchwork was well and truly built. This was only a matter of a few hours' work, with the help of the Company's blacksmith. To complete the formalities, I was asked to give a certificate that the repairs had been carried out in a workmanlike manner; and was presented, also as a formality, with a fee of ten dollars, for which I gave a receipt, to be duly filed with the rest of the documents. I presented this regal fee to the Deep Sea Missioner, who looked upon it as a most munificent and unexpected donation.

A few hours after the mail steamer left, the tramp was ready for sea again, and her coal was loaded back on board. I said good-bye to the manager and the others that I had got to know so well, and, truly sorry to leave that happy community, put to sea in the little tramp.

We had a comfortable run of two days up the coast to St John's, where the tramp was at once dry-docked, and a patch riveted over the tear. How it had happened remained a mystery. But she was quickly made fit for sea again, and set off down the coast, to pick up her cargo of fish for the voracious Mediterranean market.

I had hoped to find some unconventional means of returning from Newfoundland to England, in tramp or sailingvessel; but nothing was immediately available, and I could not wait indefinitely. So, finally, I was compelled to take passage in an Allan Liner, and finished my round trip in prosaic fashion. One trip in a liner is very like another. We had reasonably good weather for the time of year, reasonably good food, and there was a sufficiency of good company on board. So the seven days that it took us to reach the Clyde passed pleasantly enough. We reached the Mull of Cantyre about midday, but all hope of having a good view of the Firth was blotted out with the landscape by thick fog, through which we had to grope our way. It was past midnight before we dropped anchor at

the Tail of the Bank; and there she had to lie for the rest of the night, for the fog that had been thick in the Firth was a solid wall up the river, and the pilot declared that it was impossible to take a liner up under such conditions. So I left the ship in the early morning at Greenock, and my seven seven weeks' trip was over. I had gone in search of health, and I had found it. There was no need to weigh myself to prove it; but out of curiosity I did so, and found that during those seven weeks I had put on 35 good pounds.

Labrador is not so inaccessible as it sounds. To those who desire good fishing, and are prepared to put up with, or even enjoy, rough life in the open, I can unreservedly recommend such a trip as I made. The country has a rugged charm of its own, from its rock-bound, ice-studded coast to that "height of land" that I saw but did not reach; its air has the magic of health in it; and all who live on the coast, from the humblest fisherman to the lords of creation in the shape of company managers and Deep Sea Missioners, extend the hand of welcome to the stranger who so rarely enters within their gates.

VOL, CCIV.-NO. MCCXXXV.

N

THAT some denizens of the Empire take less kindly to British rule than others is an understood thing; and the great British Public is dimly aware that there are localities in which the inhabitants not infrequently signify their disapproval by shooting guns or poisoned arrows at the officers who are sent to administer government. This story happened some years ago in a district of which not one in ten thousand has ever heard; consequently its name is of no interest. It lies alongside one of the great rivers of the world, and is not very far from one of the principal government stations in that particular Protectorate. The inhabitants were most unpleasant people. They preferred human meat to any other dish-white, if possible. They did no work, paid no tribute, and spent most of their time and energy in stalking the Political Officer.

Several good men and true had fallen victims to their cunning; but at the moment they were being governed by an officer who had not only contrived to win their respect, but had managed to survive several years among them. This, however, did not prevent their amiable efforts to cause his demise; though, from the fact that they had dubbed him "The White Father," the attempts on his life were only made by the least

regenerate of this collection of "bad hats." Into their midst. had recently come a second Political Officer, a keen and energetio assistant named Phipps. Him they neither feared nor honoured, so that his movements were dogged with patient regularity, and he had already escaped by the skin of his teeth more than once. In honour to him let it be said that his energies were deterred not one jot, for by such men is the British Empire served.

It so happened that towards the end of the dry weather Phipps had reason to visit one of the least openly hostile portions of the district to inquire into various malpractices, and, if possible, to collect some long-owing tribute. Lulled, perhaps, by a sense of false security (there had been no open attempt to murder him for nearly five weeks), he was only accompanied by an escort of seven native policemen; and with this little band he sallied forth on his country's business.

For several days all went well. The people were surprisingly amenable to law and order, and he was beginning to fancy that their evil character had been somewhat exaggerated. Travelling leisurely from village to village, he had nearly reached the end of his journey, and had collected quite a large amount of tribute, when word reached him that there had been a particularly ugly murder

in one of the villages that he had already visited. Being in the neighbourhood, he decided to return at once and endeavour to bring the offenders to book; so he gave the order to break up his camp and to turn back.

A tiring march brought him at sundown to the site of his camp that morning, and there his tent was pitched. He was but six miles from his destination, so a message was sent to the headman, ordering him to report himself the following morning. Having seen the messenger depart for Gidan Sama-for that was the name of the village-he superintended the grooming and feeding of his pony, then bathed and dined, and after smoking a contemplative pipe, retired to

bed.

Next morning he arose betimes, and having breakfasted, busied himself with correspondence while awaiting the head

As that worthy had not cast up by eight o'clock, he decided to seek him in his lair; so leaving his camp in charge of three armed constables, he rode slowly towards Gidan Sama, accompanied by the remainder of his police and his interpreter. He took his revolver, some sandwiches and a flask in his haversack, and at the last moment slipped a box of fifty cartridges in as well. How he was to bless that precaution shortly, he was naturally not to know at the time.

The country was undulating and covered with spear-grass, which at that time of year was not very high. Numerous

dotted

large boulders were about, and here and there sadlooking trees struggled for existence. The path was narrow and winding, so that the party had to walk in single file. Of shade there was none, and as the heat was increasing every moment progress was slow.

After a couple of hours of unpleasant going, Phipps called a halt on the top of a hill from which he could see Gidan Sama lying a mile or so below him in the valley. Slipping off his pony he got out his field-glasses and scanned the village, which struck him as being completely deserted. No living creature could be seen, and no smoke was issuing from the houses. Such behaviour, coupled with the non-appearance of the headman, aroused his suspicion; so after a short rest he and his escort started slowly down the hill. Not a soul was to be seen anywhere; the country lay quiet and sweltering under a cloudless sky. When within half a mile from the village one constable ran on ahead to spy out the land, but met Phipps at the entrance to the village with the same tale.

A slight movement in the grass behind him attracted the man's attention, and he pointed excitedly. Next moment he collapsed, transfixed by several arrows. Phipps lugged out his revolver, but his pony suddenly plunged and upset him; then struggling to its feet again galloped away with an arrow sticking out of its chest. The fall undoubtedly saved its rider's life, for a dane-gun was fired from the scrub just as he