Navigation of Hudson's Bay and Strait. 245 



the year through, are undoubtedly from the west and north-west, but 

 it not unfrequently blows from the south-east and north-east, but 

 with the latter there is generally unsettled weather. 



Fine weather is generally experienced when the wind is from 

 the west or north-west. So far as we could judge from our experi- 

 ence and from the information received, gales are of rare occurrence. 

 A gale of even fifty miles an hour was not encountered but twice 

 during the whole of the voyage, and on these occasions it was of a 

 very brief existence. 



We met with but one serious fog, and that was really in the 

 North Atlantic. In the Strait proper, and in the Bay, fogs seldom 

 occur, and, when they do, their duration is very short. Sometimes 

 thick, misty weather is to be met with ; but there is no serious 

 obstacle to navigation in the fogs, wind, or general character of the 

 weather. 



The meteorological observations taken by the staff of the Expedi- 

 tion during the voyage give a very clear indication of the general 

 character of the weather in July, August, and September, and part 

 of October. I have divided these into three classes, viz. : the out- 

 going and return voyages on the Labrador coast ; the outgoing and 

 return voyages in Hudson Strait ; and the voyages in Hudson's 

 Bay, as follows : — 



