The Labrador Coast

Alpheus Spring Packard traveled to Labrador on an expedition while he was a student at Williams College. He later wrote this book in the hopes it serves as a guide to people travelling to the Labrador Coast, adding information from other expeditions to that from his own journals.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IV THE EASTERN COAST OF LABRADOR "The sea.gulls wheeled around the rocky cape And skimmed their long wings lightly o'er the flood; The fog rose up in many a spectral shape."--S. C. E. Mayo. "North, East, and South, there are reefs and breakers You would never dream of in smooth weather, That toss and gore the sea for acres, Bellowing and gnashing and snarling together."--/. R. Lowell. T7R0M the rocks of Battle Island some brighteyed boys discovered the smoke of the mail-steamer Virginia Lake coming down from St. Johns, Newfoundland, about ten o'clock on the morning of July 15th. At noon we were climbing up her steep steps as she lay at anchor at the northern mouth of the harbour, surrounded by a throng of fishing-boats. The Virginia Lake is a staunch screw steamer, considerably larger than the Home, and well fitted for conflicts with the ice, as she is employed as a sealer every spring. Her decks were cluttered with lumber, oil casks, and odds and ends of every description. She had not the air of a well-appointed yacht or tourist steamer, but both she and her bluff captain gave one the impression of staunchness and reliability. To the north there is but one lighthouse on the whole rugged coast, and no fog-horns in a region where fog abounds, as well as rocks and reefs innumerable and unchartered. A priori the trip seemed hazardous, but after one knows the Virginia Lake and Captain Parsons, a feeling of confidence takes the place of any anxiety that may have existed. The knowledge of the coast shown by the good captain, and his conscientious care in guiding the vessel are unexcelled. Every rock, every shoal, every tickle, he knows as one knows the streets of one's native city. A glance through the fog at a headland, the...

On January 22, 2005, Inuit from communities throughout northern and central Labrador gathered in a school gymnasium to witness the signing of the Labrador Inuit Land Claim Agreement and to celebrate the long-awaited creation of their own regional self-government of Nunatsiavut.This historic agreement defined the Labrador Inuit settlement area, beneficiary enrollment criteria, and Inuit governance and ownership rights. Settlement, Subsistence, and Change Among the Labrador Inuit explores how these boundaries – around land, around people, and around the right to self-govern – reflect the complex history of the region, of Labrador Inuit identity, and the role of migration and settlement patterns in regional politics. Comprised of twelve essays, the book examines the way of life and cultural survival of this unique indigenous population, including: household structure, social economy of wildfood production, forced relocations and land claims, subsistence and settlement patterns, and contemporary issues around climate change, urban planning, and self-government.

In this beautifully illustrated account, A. S. Packard examines the natural history and geography of the Labrador coast, from the rugged shoreline to the mountainous interior. Drawing on his firsthand experiences and extensive research, Packard offers a unique and fascinating perspective on this remote and stunningly beautiful region. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.