— 8 — 



mouth of the Channel, it is to be hoped that the Irish Fishery Department will 

 exhibit the same active interest as hitherto. 



c. The sea east and west of Greenland. 



In this part of the sea, the determination of the conditions with regard to ice 

 is the first thing to be considered. As is well known, the Danish Meteorological 

 Institute has taken upon itself the task of furnishing reports as to the forward 

 progress of the Arctic ice during the different months of the year. As the Director 

 of this Institute, Captain Ryder, has been invited by the Bureau to the meeting, 

 the Council will be able to obtain his views as to whether and to what extent any 

 hydrographical observations in the Arctic current may be expected in connection 

 with the observations with regard to ice. These observations stand in the closest 

 relation to the investigations. 



d. The Labrador current. 



We do not possess a single hydrographical section through this current, which 

 plays so great a part in the water circulation of the Atlantic. After the enormous 

 outbreak of Arctic ice and icebergs last year, the necessity of establishing, in the interest 

 of shipping, a service of observation has been recognised, and the well known expe- 

 ditionary vessel »Scotia« has been chartered for this purpose by the English Board 

 of Trade. The ship has been at work since March or April, and will not return 

 from the expedition until the end of August. It was intended to repeat this expe- 

 dition next year, possibly also further, provided the necessary pecuniary means were 

 forthcoming from the great steam shipping companies; which will naturally depend 

 to a considerable degree upon the results obtained this year. After the return of 

 the »Scotia«, the Commission in whose hands the direction hes will meet in 

 October of this year, and lay their report before the Board of Trade. We 

 have conferred, both in writing and by word of mouth, with Commander 

 Campbell Hepworth, as it appeared to us of the highest importance that the re- 

 connaissance work of the »Scotia« should be continued in connection with the in- 

 tended general reconnaisance of the Atlantic. Commander Hepworth's answer was 

 extremely encouraging, but naturally non-committal, no statement having yet been 

 made pubhc either by the Commission or by the Board of Trade. Our impression 

 is that on the one hand, the assistance of the »Scotia« in an international recon- 

 naissance of the Atlantic would be of the highest value, and that on the other hand, 

 the prospect of such a general reconnaissance taking place would support the endea- 

 vours to obtain an extension of the investigations of the Labrador current. The 

 »Scotia« is, as is well known, provided with instruments by the care of the Central 

 Laboratory, estabhshed at the last Council Meeting, and the vessel is, on account 

 of her solid build, most especially suited to the difficult service of observation. On 

 the way out and home, stations might be made in the northern part of the Atlan- 

 tic, which would be a very desirable addition to the transatlantic fine of investiga- 

 tion, to be discussed later on. 



