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

The narrative follows a spirited Bowdoin College scientific party as they set sail aboard the Julia A. Decker in the summer of 1891. While waiting out fog and wind in the Gulf of Canso, Professor Leslie Lee and his assistants begin a meticulous anthropometric study of the Micmac people, measuring height, arm span and head dimensions, while a small photographic crew captures the vivid faces, birch‑bark tents and bustling camps that line the shoreline. Their observations also reveal the everyday ingenuity of the locals—log huts, basket‑making, and a chief whose lifelong authority shapes community life—building a lively portrait of a culture on the edge of the modern world.

Beyond the measurements, the expedition members are drawn into the surrounding landscape: striking coastal coves, bustling fishing villages, and a celebrated boat‑building tradition that has even attracted royal attention. As a grand summer festival looms on Brasd’Or Lake, the team prepares to join the celebrations, armed with gifts of whiskey and a sense of camaraderie that promises an unforgettable first leg of their Labrador adventure.