Bowdoin Boys in Labrador: An Account of the Bowdoin College Scientific Expedition to Labrador led by Prof. Leslie A. Lee of the Biological Department

In Short

Jonathan Prince Cilley Jr. records the 1891 Bowdoin College Scientific Expedition to Labrador aboard the schooner Julia A. Decker. Led by biology professor Leslie A. Lee, the young men set out from Maine to explore the rugged eastern Canadian coast. They collect plant and bird specimens, measure Indigenous populations, navigate treacherous icebergs, and launch a perilous interior river trek to map the formidable Grand Falls. Written with directness and youthfulness, the narrative survives as a vivid chronicle of late nineteenth-century collegiate field science, marine navigation, and human endurance along an unforgiving frontier.

The Story

The narrative follows a group of Bowdoin College students who board the repurposed lime-and-coal schooner Julia A. Decker to spend their summer break conducting scientific research in Labrador. Leaving Maine, the vessel navigates fog, gale-force winds, and shifting coastal currents toward Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. At the Gut of Canso, Professor Lee initiates their scientific efforts by conducting anthropometric measurements of the local Micmac community, while student photographers document their bark-covered encampments.

As the schooner pushes further north into the Straits of Belle Isle, the crew encounters massive icebergs and dense mists, forcing them to seek shelter in remote harbors like Chateau Bay. Here, they observe ancient basaltic tablelands and historical ruins, contrasting former colonial conflicts with the poverty of local fishermen. Arriving at Battle Harbor, the port of entry for Labrador, the expedition finds itself locked in a friendly race with the regional mail steamer Curlew, pushing their vessel hard through tight channels and thick fogs to reach Hudson's Bay Company trading posts like Rigolette and North West River.

At North West River, the expedition splits. Four members—Austin Cary, W. R. Smith, Dennis Cole, and E. B. Young—take two lightweight cedar dories to navigate the uncharted, rapid-strewn Grand River toward the interior plateau. The main body of the expedition remains on the Julia A. Decker, sailing north to Hopedale. Along the outer islands, the shipboard group investigates ancient Eskimo dwelling sites, studies Moravian missions, interacts with local collectors, and harvests hundreds of puffins and auks from the cliffs of the Heron Islands for museum collections.

Meanwhile, the river detachment faces immense hardship. Navigating swift currents, swarms of biting insects, and violent squalls, they suffer a major setback when an overturned boat costs them essential supplies. An infection forces Young and Smith to turn back with one boat, leaving Cary and Cole to press onward on foot and by makeshift rafts. Reaching their destination, Cary and Cole become the first explorers to fully measure and document the three-hundred-foot Grand Falls and its surrounding canyon. Their return journey degenerates into a struggle against starvation, sustained only by small game, fish, and abandoned caches, before finally reuniting with the schooner at Rigolette.

Rejoined, the crew embarks on the long voyage home down the coast. Dodging shoals, enduring sudden squalls, and stocking up on native "bake apple" berries at Red Bay, the expedition sails back to Maine, arriving in Rockland to ringing church bells, civic receptions, and celebratory college songs.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The schooner Julia A. Decker sets sail from Maine, carrying seventeen students and professors crammed into a modified cargo hold. Enforced leisure during foggy weather at the Gut of Canso allows Professor Lee to measure and photograph the local Micmac Indians before the vessel braves open-water gales toward Newfoundland.

Navigating the northern ice Approaching Chateau Bay and Battle Harbor, the crew encounters heavy icebergs and dense fog, forcing the captain to dodge into sheltered harbors. The young men measure coastal mountains, examine basaltic tablelands, and observe the grueling routines of local cod fishermen working trap networks.

The race to Rigolette The expedition engages in a spirited sailing race against the Labrador mail steamer Curlew, beating through insect-swarming inlets to reach the Hudson's Bay Company posts. At North West River, the party divides, sending four men inland while the schooner presses further north.

Missions and seabird cliffs Sailing up to Hopedale, the shipboard party examines ancient Eskimo turf structures, purchases native carvings, and explores Moravian mission posts. At the Heron Islands, the crew engages in a massive bird hunt, taking nearly four hundred puffins and auks for biological study.

The assault on Grand Falls The river detail pushes cedar dories against swift rapids and river shoals, suffering capsizes and losing vital equipment. Sending two injured men back, Cary and Cole battle through the wilderness to reach, measure, and record the magnificent three-hundred-foot waterfall.

Starvation and survival Facing empty supply sacks on their return, Cary and Cole construct improvised timber rafts to shoot dangerous rapids, surviving on squirrels and fish scraps. They successfully reach the coast, reuniting with their anxious classmates aboard the schooner.

Homecoming at Rockland The fully re-assembled crew sails back down the Atlantic coast, stopping to gather native berries and retrieve delayed mail. They drop anchor in Rockland, Maine, welcomed by ringing church bells, public receptions, and celebratory gatherings.

The People

• Professor Leslie A. Lee: The leader of the expedition from Bowdoin's Biological Department. He directs the scientific agenda, meticulously taking anthropometric measurements of Indigenous inhabitants, collecting bird and marine specimens, and ensuring the expedition's data serves academic standards.
• Jonathan Prince Cilley Jr.: The narrator and student chronicler. He captures the daily routines, nautical perils, and physical discomforts of life aboard the schooner with practical humor and direct observation.
• Austin Cary: The resolute leader of the inland river detachment. Driven to reach the unmapped interior, he perseveres through capsized dories, lost gear, and near-starvation to successfully survey the Grand Falls.
• Dennis Cole: Cary's steadfast partner during the final leg of the river journey. He helps build improvised timber rafts, endures exhaustion, and relies on sheer willpower to navigate the rapids back to safety.
• E. B. Young and W. R. Smith: Members of the river party whose journey is cut short. When Young suffers a severe hand injury amidst lost provisions, both display good judgment by turning back early to ensure the survival of the team.

In Its Own Voice

"A sorrier looking place than our wardroom, and a sicker set of fellows it would be hard to find."

The narrator describes the chaotic scene inside the schooner's modified hold during a severe northwest gale off Newfoundland.

"Here we had our first experience with the immense deer-flies of Labrador. Off Mt. Gnat they came in swarms and for self-protection each man armed himself with a small wooden paddle and slapped at them right and left..."

The crew defends themselves against relentless swarms of biting insects while steering the vessel toward Rigolette.

"The falls proper are three hundred and sixteen feet high, and just above the river narrows from two hundred and fifty to fifty yards, the water shooting over a somewhat gradual downward course and then plunging straight down with terrific force..."

The author details the awe-inspiring primary objective achieved by the inland river party at Grand Falls.

What It's Really About

Beneath its adventurous surface, the book is a portrait of late Victorian collegiate optimism meeting raw wilderness. It examines the boundary between academic ambition and physical reality, demonstrating how scientific curiosity drives young men into unmapped, hazardous terrain. The text contrasts the structured, measuring mindset of New England academia—equipped with sextants, darkrooms, and calipers—with the harsh, unpredictable realities of subarctic survival.

Additionally, the narrative captures the economic and human realities of the Labrador coast. It juxtaposes the seasonal struggles of Newfoundland cod fishermen and indigenous communities against the temporary presence of well-funded American explorers. The book documents a transition period where natural geography was actively shifted from indigenous lore and trade rumors into exact scientific measurements and cartography.

Why Read It Today

Bowdoin Boys in Labrador offers a candid snapshot of 1890s scientific exploration, appealing to readers who enjoy maritime history, wilderness survival, and historic travelogues. The writing is spare, brisk, and free from modern sensationalism. Readers experience the raw mechanics of nineteenth-century sailing, from handling uncooperative draft conditions in tight harbors to repairing waterlogged dories along rapid-choked rivers.

The book does reflect its era's perspectives. Readers will encounter period attitudes in the clinical, anthropometric measuring of Indigenous populations, as well as the heavy-handed harvesting of seabird colonies for museum specimens. Yet these elements provide an authentic historical record rather than a sanitized retold history. The narrative's true strength lies in its grounded, unassuming prose. It captures the camaraderie of college companions, the stark beauty of the Canadian coast, and the quiet satisfaction of completing a difficult voyage together.