THE PREPARATION

In spite of the fact that the railway now goes right across Newfoundland, the interior is still comparatively little known, more especially that portion of it extending from Bonne bay to Cape Norman, forming part of the French shore, and commonly known as Le Petit Nord. Before long it will be traversed from end to end in the search for the mineral wealth it is believed to contain, for the country itself is an easy one to travel in. Last summer a friend, Mr. W. B. Burt, and myself spent six weeks in wandering through it, and these notes may be of assistance to those who wish to undertake a similar journey.

Sir Robert Bond, the Premier, very kindly gave as letters of introduction to different people along the coast, and also to Mr. J. P. Howley, FGA, the Director of the Geological Survey, who knows more of the interior than any one in Newfoundland. To him we are indebted for much kindness, and for a great deal of invaluable information.

By the advise of Mr. Howley, we arranged with Matthieu Michel, a Mic-mac trapper, more generally called Mattie Mitchell, the only man who has ever made a connected journey from one end of the northern peninsula to the other, to go with us as guide. He took with him his son, a boy of sixteen, [this would have been Lawrence - fgp] and Reuben Smith, another reliable Bonne bay guide.

Everything had to be carried on our own backs so we took nothing that was not absolutely needful, every pound being a matter of consequence.