172 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



known, as is the western coast forming the eastern shore of Hudson 

 bay. Navigation in any portion of Hudson strait is attended with 

 much danger, not alone from the tremendous energy of the tides but 

 also from the quantity of ice to be found at all times. During the 

 months of August aud September the strait is comparatively free from 

 large fields of ice, but after that date the harbors, coves, and other 

 anchorages are apt to be frozen up in a single night. 



CLIMATE. 



The temperatiire is controlled by the directioQ of the wind. The 

 warmest winds are southeast, south, and southwest during the sum- 

 mer. The northeast winds bring (if backing) fog, rain, or snow; the 

 north wind is usually cold aud disposed to disperse the clouds. The 

 northwest wind is always very cold in winter and chilly in summer. 

 Westerly winds are moderate in winter and summer. The southerly 

 winds are warm at all seasons if blowing hard, but very cold if blowing 

 lightly in winter. I think the coldest light winds of the winter are 

 trom a point little west of south. They are doubtless due to the cold 

 from the elevated region — the Height of Laud. 



The greatest amount of cloudiness occurs in the spring and fall; 

 rather less in July and August, and least during December, January, 

 and February. The average cloudiness for the entire year is not less 

 than eighty -two hundredths of the visible sky. 



Sleet falls mostly from the middle of September to the beginning of 

 December. Snow then succeeds it and continues to be the only form 

 of precipitation until the middle of April, when sleet and snow fall 

 until the first rain sets in. The season of rain is very erratic. It may 

 rain by the first of May, but rarely does. Snow falls every month in 

 the year ; the 2d of July and the 0th of August were the dates farthest 

 apart for this form of precipitation. The character of the rain is usually 

 moderate to hard for the summer showers ; although several notable 

 exceptions of abundant dashes occur during late June and all of July. 

 The August and September rains are usually light to moderate, but 

 often persistent for several days. The snowfalls are light to heavy in 

 character, rarely, liowever, lasting more than twenty-four hours. The 

 sleet is usually precipitated in severe squalls. The lower gi'ounds are 

 permanently covered with snow by the 1st of December, this covering 

 remaining until the 10th of June. At the latter date only the heavier 

 drifts and the snow of the ravines remain. It entirely disappears by 

 the last of July at all elevations no higher than that of Fort Chimo. 



The higher hills retain snow until the last of August, but none is to 

 be seen in the vicinity of Fort Chimo after that date. By the middle 

 of September snow again covers the tops of the distant high hills. 



Fogs rarely occur so far inland as Fort Chimo. Those occurring are 

 in July and August. At times they are very dense; aud, as they form 

 during the earliest hours of the day, they are usually dissipated by 4 



