FOG. 47 



Fog with easterly winds extends high above the sea, and can not be 

 seen from the masthead of a vessel ; occasionally the land or other 

 objects can be distinguished at the distance of ^ mile in daylight. 

 Fog in calms, especially after strong winds, is frequently so dense as 

 to conceal a vessel within hail, but it is usually not of much height, 

 so that objects at a distance of 50 yards, obscured from a person on 

 deck, can be seen from some 50 feet up the rigging. Such fog occa- 

 sionally lasts ten days. 



On the south coast fog is prevalent, especially between cape Race 

 and St. Pierre island ; during June and July it is frequently of long 

 duration, the weather being clear only during northwesterly to north- 

 erly winds. During southwesterly winds fog is generally very dense 

 on the eastern side of Placentia bay, especially about the headland of 

 cape St. Mary. 



On the east coast between cape Race and St. Johns harbor, fog- 

 generally clears as soon as the wind draws offshore ; it is less frequent 

 at St. Johns than farther south. In the vicinity of Trinity bay, fog 

 prevails both with easterly and southwesterly winds. Northward of 

 cape Bonavista, fog is not so frequent as on other portions of this 

 coast. 



The fog on the south and east coasts of Newfoundland is of all 

 kinds, from a dry fog to a wet drizzle, and there may be any sort of 

 weather during fog. It may vary from calm to a whole gale, or from 

 a clear sky overhead, with the sun breaking through at noon, to heavy 

 rain, but these changes have no marked effect on the fog. Rain makes 

 the most difference, as it partly clears the air and extends the view. 



On the west coast there is not much fog in June and Jul3^ 



In the strait of Belleisle dense fog prevails during summer, and 

 sometimes lasts for several days at a time. From June to September, 

 1898, thick fog was prevalent with either easterly or westerly winds. 

 With westerly winds the fog commences to the westward and rolls 

 gradually along the coast of Labrador, frequently extending only a 

 short distance from it, so that toward the coast of Newfoundland it 

 may then be clear. With easterly winds the fog is more general on 

 both sides of the strait ; it almost invariably clears first on the coast 

 of Newfoundland. During a period of forty days in July and Au- 

 gust, when simultaneous observations were made on both sides of the 

 strait, fog, mist, etc., occurred on 60 per cent of the days on the 

 Labrador side and on 40 per cent on the Newfoundland side. In 

 September strong northerly and northwesterly winds were frequent 

 with clear weather, and fog occurred only on about eight days. The 

 fog clings closely to the water and the shore line ; the summits of the 

 Labrador hills may sometimes, though rarely, be seen over it from 

 the masthead. 



