76 



As a result of our interview with observers at Battle Harbor,. 

 Labrador, and Belle Isle, Newfoundland, it appears that Battle 

 Harbor tvxperienced no drift ice in March, with the Arctic field 

 arrivin<z April 1, solidly jamminjr the coast and no open water to be 

 seen from the shore. This is the ice which the seals usually choose 

 when off the entrance of the Strait of Belle Isle upon which to whelp 

 their young early in March. This spring the Arctic field was nearly 

 a month late. These fields cleared from the vicinity of Battle Har- 

 bor May 14 and no more reappeared until May 25, the day following 

 a northeasterly gale, when another field blocked the coast. ^Nlay 27, 

 the day we arrived, this Arctic ice was being driven southward, 

 blocking the northern shore of Belle Isle itself and gradually sur- 

 rounding it. The winds at Battle Harbor this spring prevailed 

 from the east with frequent southeast and northwest disturbances; 

 the periods of northwesterlies being of shorter duration this year 

 than normally. 



The observer at Belle Isle stated that no drift ice had been seen 

 this past winter. on the seaward side of the island where normally 

 it is jammed with ice and little open water in sight. Ice had filled 

 the entrance of the strait toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence, however, 

 throughout the winter, but occassionally a narrow lead of open water 

 hugged closely under the Newfoundland side of the strait. The 

 presence of such a lead also portrays a mildness of the 1923-21 

 winter. May 18 all the ice had broken out of the strait and clear 

 open water was seen in every direction. The 27th the Arctic field 

 which had appeared two days previously at Battle Harbor began 

 to surround the island and block the strait, under the influence of a 

 fresh noi'thwest breeze, 



Twillingate, situated near the head of the bight between Cape 

 Bauld and Funk Island, observed the arrival of the first field ice 

 early in March. This field was undoubtedly part of that which had 

 blocked the entrance of the Strait of Belle Isle during the winter. 

 The seals chose this small field upon which to have their young, the 

 ice drifting southward, held inshore by easterly winds until it rested 

 on the west side of White Bay ; a narrow strip less than 10 miles in 

 width, extending from Canada Bay to Coney Head. Last year the 

 sealing fleet from St. Johns derived its catch from the Arctic flows 

 2()U miles southeast of Funk Island, while this year, in marked 

 contra.st, it killed on the shores of White Bay. This latter position 

 would ordinarily have been inaccessable, due both to local cooling, 

 which froc/A's the surface waters with heavy ice from Cape Bauld 

 to (iray Islands to Fogo Island, and, furthermore, due to the aug- 

 mentation of Arctic ice in March and April, which normally leaves 

 no ojji'n wMlcr for hundreds of miles oil'shore. 



