32 Our North Land. 



Mr. M. P. McElhinney, of the Department of Marine and 

 Fisheries, furnished the committee, through Mr. Smith, the fol- 

 lowing remarks, based upon his observations of the log-books 

 furnished the Government by the Hudson's Bay Company : — 



" The ice during the years 1870, 1875 and 1883 appears to have 

 been exceptionally heavy, the ships having taken seventeen, twenty- 

 two and thirty-two days, respectively, to get through the Strait. 

 The passages made during the seasons of 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874 1 

 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879 and 1881, the Strait was passed without any 

 detention from ice, excepting from cautionary measures during 

 foggy weather. Ice was seen at times, and intervals of fog, requiring 

 great care in sailing. A steamer could have been kept moving to 

 better advantage than a sailing vessel. 



" The earliest date of entering the Strait, given in these logs, 

 was July 19th, 1871, the ship taking ten days to get through. The 

 earliest date of passing through was July 28th, 1879, taking six 

 days to get through. 



" The shortest time through was made in 1876, the ship entering 

 on August 19th, and getting through August 23rd, being in the 

 Strait only four days. The longest time given was in 1883, the 

 ship entering on the 22nd of July and not getting through until 

 August 23rd. The detention here may have been caused by the 

 ship getting jammed in the pack-ice and being obliged to drift 

 with it. 



" There is no record in any of these logs as to the date of the 

 closing of the Strait. The latest given of passing out was October 

 27th, 1883, having sailed from Moose Factory October 7th. No 

 loose ice was seen in the Bay or Strait ; only a few icebergs in the 

 Strait. 



" I am of the opinion that steamers fitted for the work could 

 make the passage with very little detention from ice as early as 

 August 10th, entering after the 1st, and keeping along the north 

 shore, avoiding the pack-ice. 



" Three months' navigation is all that could be depended on,, 

 extending from the 1st of August to the 1st of November." 



It will be seen from the evidence submitted to the committee,. 



