ABSTRACTS OF MEMOIRS. 515 



Hydrographical Observations in the Labrador Current in 1913. 

 By Donald J. Matthews. {Report on the work carried out hy ilie 

 ss. "Sco/ia," 1913. H.M. Stationery Office, London, 1914.) 



The Scotia wa? sent out by the Board of Trade in the spring of 1913, 

 under the command of Capt. T. Robertson, to make observations on the 

 amount of ice collected in the Labrador Current to the northwards of the 

 liner tracks, which might prove a danger to shipping later in the year. 

 She was fitted with apparatus for hydrographical work to a depth of 

 550 fathoms and for meteorological and plankton investigations. The 

 scientific staff consisted of Mr, G. I. Taylor (meteorologist), Mr. L. R. 

 Crawshay (biologist), and the writer. 



The Scotia left Dundee on March 8th, but was much hindered by bad 

 weather, and did not get clear of the Hebrides till March 23rd. She 

 reached St. John's, Newfoundland, on April 14th, having passed a group 

 of bergs on the Flemish Cap. 



The Scotia left St. John's again on April 23rd, and steamed first south- 

 wards to Cape Race and then south-eastwards across the Banks to the 

 deep water. The surface water had a temperature between 1-5° and 0° ; 

 in the deep channel under the coast a minimum of — 1-5° or less was 

 reached at 40 fathoms and extended to the bottom in 90 fathoms off 

 St. John's ; near Cape Race the lower layers were somewhat warmer. This 

 temperature distribution, with a minimum at some intermediate depth, 

 is characteristic of polar waters ; it was not found on the Banks. Warm 

 salt water was encountered off the south-eastern edge of the Banks. 



The next run was made northwards along the edge of the Banks and 

 then eastwards beyond the Flemish Cap, and large numbers of icebergs 

 were sighted in spite of almost continuous fog. The Labrador Current 

 extended seawards as far as the western edge of the Flemisli Cap ; east- 

 wards of this the bergs were melting rapidly in relatively warm high 

 salinity water. Between the Cap and the Banks the polar water was 

 underlaid by water with a s linity of over 34, but the vertical changes 

 were irregular. 



■The Scotia then proceeded to Bonavista Bay, where the characteristic 

 min'mum, — 1-7°, was found at 70 and 100 fathoms. From this point she 

 worked northw^ards through or along the edge of pack ice to about 54° N. 

 It had been intended to proceed as far as Hamilton Inlet, but a strong 

 northerly gale made this impossible. The pack encountered during the 

 more northern part of the run was very heavy and in places hummocky, 



