THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF LABRADOR 71 



day's rain is exceptional. A land surveyor who, with a 

 party, spent four months on the Grand River and not far 

 from the very centre of the country, experienced only 

 one-half day during which rain prevented his party from 

 working. On the other hand, the amount of sunshine is 

 well up to the average. One might say that in summer 

 one day in three is altogether sunny; one day in three is 

 partly sunny ; one day in three, dull. As these deductions 

 are not the result of accurate, scientific records, I can only 

 offer them as the results of my own general notes from year 

 to year. They appear, however, to agree with those of 

 observers who have more accurately chronicled the amount 

 of sunshine during their visits to Labrador. 



The summer temperature of both air and water varies 

 greatly as one leaves the coast and goes up the bays. This 

 remarkable feature of the coast is due to the combination 

 of two influences that of the southerly latitude within 

 which Labrador lies, and that of the polar current which 

 sweeps right home to its Atlantic shore. When one con- 

 siders that the southern point of Labrador is on the same 

 parallel of latitude as London, and its most northern point 

 only the same as the north of Scotland, one can understand 

 how in summer the sun's rays are very effective in warm- 

 ing the atmosphere in localities untouched by the polar 

 current. The summer temperature of the outside water 

 averages, at the surface, from 40 to 45 F., while ten 

 fathoms down it sinks to nearly 35 F., and at thirty 

 fathoms is from 30 to 35 F. When, however, one gets 

 near the head of a bay, say twenty miles in from the coast, 

 the temperature at the surface may be as high as 50 F. 

 and at the heads of the big bays, especially above Rigolet 



