.')') THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. chap. xxrv. 



CHAPTEE XXIV. 



THE ST. LAWRENCE BELOW MONTREAL THE ESTUARY AND 



GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE. 



Freezing of the St. Lawi-ence — Ice-bridges — The Winter Phe- 

 nomena of the St. Lawrence — Ice Packing and Piling — Grand 

 Movements of the Ice in the Winter — Dimensions of the River 

 at Quebec — Tributaries below Quebec — The Estuaiy of the 

 St. Lawrence — Character of the Coast — Gaspe Bay — Gaspe 

 Peninsula — Mount Albert — Prevailing Winds in the Estuary — 

 Utility of the Barometer — Currents at the Entrance of the Gulf — 

 Icebergs — Main Current of the St. Lawi-ence — Affected by 

 Winds — Ice in the Estuary and Gulf — Importance of Ice- 

 eignals — Value of the Thermometer — Temperature of the Waters 

 of the Estuary and Gulf — Dr. Kelly's Observations. 



THE Eiver St. Lawrence is generally frozen between 

 Quebec and Montreal every winter, and when tliere 

 is no ice-bridge at Quebec, the communication between 

 the two cities is open for steamers, generally on the 24th 

 of April. When there is an ice-bridge opposite the great 

 fortress, the river is closed until the 27th of the same 

 month. Durmg a period of above twenty years, from 1833 

 to 1855, the St. Lawrence has been frozen across at or 

 near Quebec nuie times, without retarding the opening 

 of the navigation for more than three days. 



The winter phenomena of the St. Lawrence are of the 

 grandest description ; they have been ably described by 

 Sir William Logan. 



