CANADIAN FISHERIES EXPEDITION, 1914-15 289 



Directions from Belle Isle to Boston). In the bays of the south coast of ISTawfound- 

 land, the water flows in up their eastern side, and out along the bottom, with an 

 outward-going surface current also on the western side. 



From the foregoing, it will be plain that the majority of the icebergs drifting v/ith 

 the Labrador current will collect on its western side, making their way up into the bays 

 on the east and south coasts of ISTewfoundland as far as Placentia bay. The suction 

 towards the boundary between the Labrador current and the Gulf Stream will, however, 

 draw a number of icebergs thither; they may be encountered far out at sea and to the 

 southward, even occurring down towards the east and south sides of the Great Bank, 

 In the intermediate zone, between the two ice lines, the current should be relatively 

 free from ice. 



At cape Eay, the water of the Labrador current pours into the gulf of St. Lawrence 

 at the rate of some 12 cubic miles per day. Its place of destination is here the con- 

 sumption area at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river, where this quantity of water is 

 required for the production of the Gaspe current. We have thus in the gulf of St. 

 Lawrence a solenoid system drawing this water towards the northwest. At cape Ray, 

 however, where the velocity of the water becomes considerable, owing to the narrow 

 passage through which it flows, the influence of the earth's rotation also makes itself 

 strongly felt. The current, therefore, on entering the bay, veers off to the right in a 

 curve, this curve being, however, of wide radius, owing to the pressure exerted by the 

 solenoids in a northwesterly direction. It consequently passes by the bay of St. George 

 without entering there, touching the west coast of Newfoundland for the first time at 

 the bay of Islands, and setting on shore from there as far as point Rich. 



On the way it loses a great deal of water which sets off westward out into the gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, making for its destination, the mouth of the St. Lawrence river. The 

 last remainder of the current also curves out from point Rich into the gulf, following 

 the attraction of the solenoids. A slight westward current is still perceptible along the 

 north coast of the bay, from Esquimaux island to cape Whittle. Morgan strait being 

 shallower than the level of the solenoid system which draws the water westward, the 

 current leaves the coast at cape Whittle, passing out east and south of Anticosti to 

 reach its destination. In the region north of Anticosti, a slight back vortex seems to 

 arise, as the current is directed eastward along the range of coast beyond Natashquan 

 point. 



South and west of Anticosti, the earth's rotation forces the current over to the 

 northward. The effect, however, is insignificant, owing to the great extent of the 

 current in transverse section, and its consequent slight velocity. 



At the mouth of the St. Lawrence river, we encounter the mixing process which 

 gives rise to the Gaspe current. In all probability, the ebb and flow of the tide are, 

 for this process, of considerable importance. 



In this mixed water of the Gaspe current, the fresh water from the St. Lawrence 

 constitutes a quantitatively insignificant yet highly important ingredient; it is this 

 which renders the Gaspe water slightly lighter than the surrounding sea-water, wliich 

 again gives rise to the solenoid system that forces the Gaspe water out of the gulf of 

 St. Lawrence, and draws in the Labrador water. Owing to the earth's rotation, 

 the Gaspe current keeps to the southern side of the entrance to the St. Lawrence, 

 rounding cape Gaspe, and filling the southern part of the gulf. Here the Gaspe water 

 accumulates, forming a kind of cushion, and the Gaspe current itself flows thereafter 

 on the north side of the same. As a rule, the current flows south of the j\ragdalen 

 islands, but when the " cushion " is well developed, part of the current may go north 

 of this group. Within the cushion itself reactionary currents arise, especially in the 

 vicinity of the primary Gaspe cvirrent, and where the cushion is very strongly 

 developed, such a reactionary current may even extend up as far as cape Gaspe, press- 

 ing the Gaspe current even here out from land. 



