Proving the Hudson's Bay Route. 475 



seven miles seaward, but not further. The observer there will not 

 be able to say whether or not the centre of the strait is closed or 

 open, at any date, although his observations will be of much more 

 value than those of the observers at Cape Chidley and Prince of 

 Wales Sound. 



The station on Nottingham Island is most unfortunately located. 

 That island is about thirty-five miles long and twelve broad. Its 

 position is north-west and south-east. The station is located not far 

 from the extreme easterly point, and about eight miles north and 

 east of its extreme southerly point. As strong currents come and 

 go in the channels both north and south of the island, the position 

 of the station is opposite to a broad eddy, or back-water, where ice 

 is always sure to collect when there is any in that neighbourhood. 

 It may be that the whole space between the channels north and 

 south of Nottingham, will be filled with pack-ice, while the channels 

 are both open and free. This may continue for months together ; 

 and all the while the observer can see the ice, but cannot extend 

 his vision to the channels. His observations will therefore not only 

 be unreliable so far as the navigation of the Strait is concerned, but 

 calculated to unfairly condemn the route. 



The station on the outer Digges Island, is located on one of a 

 series of small islands west of Cape Walstenholme. These islands 

 will serve as a net to catch all the drift ice in the neighbourhood, so 

 that the observer there will be quite sure to have a plenty most of 

 of the season. He will record its presence, but can tell us nothing 

 of the open water that may exist all the while farther out into the 

 broad channels between him and Mansfield Island, and between his 

 post and Nottingham. The former is over fifty miles wide, the 

 latter over thirty-five. 



Of course the station called Skinner's Cove will record nothing 

 pertaining to the Hudson's Bay route, as it is located about one 

 hundred miles south of Cape Chidley on the Labrador Coast, and 

 five miles inland from that. 



From these brief observations, the reader will see how little 

 reliance can be placed upon the records of the stationary parties. 

 Unless those records are read in the light of these remarks they will 



