64 GENERAL REMARKS. 



much more numerous in some seasons than in others; 200 bergs and 

 large pieces of ice were counted in the strait in August of one year, 

 whilst onlj'^ half a dozen could be seen in the following August. With 

 westerly winds the strait is often clear of bergs. The bergs are a 

 considerable source of danger to shipping during the prevalent thick 

 fogs; in 1898 the bergs kept chiefly on the northern shore of the 

 strait and could generally be avoided by keeping on the opposite side. 



After May strings of heavy ice drift in with easterly Avinds and 

 cause great obstruction, but with light winds these strings do not 

 enter the strait, which may be clear and remain so after April. Be- 

 tween about the 10th and end of June these strings of heavy ice 

 usually fail. (See also pp. 641, 642.) 



The first steamers enter the strait between the 7th of June and 

 the 25th of July, and the last pass outward between the 11th and the 

 26th of November. 



In 1899 the first steamer passed westward through the strait on 

 the 22d of June; later than this a number of steamers attempted to 

 pass through, but were compelled, owing to the amount of field ice 

 encountered, to bear up for cape Race and pass southward of New- 

 foundland. 



The ice met with in the gulf of St. Lawrence and its approaches is 

 of three kinds: (1) Berg ice, or the true icebergs, which come into the 

 gulf through Belleisle strait. Berg ice is also found on the south- 

 ern coast of Newfoundland, nearlj- as far west as Cabot strait. 

 (2) Flat or pan ice, forming fields or in broken pieces, usually not 

 more than 6 feet thick, but sometimes reaching 10 feet. This jams 

 or shoves along the shore between islands, and maj^ form masses 20 

 or more feet in thickness, but it can never be mistaken for berg ice. 

 In this flat ice a distinction is sometimes made between northern ice, 

 which finds its way through Belleisle strait, and gulf ice, which 

 is formed in the gulf itself. (3) River ice from the river St. Law- 

 rence and its estuary; this is flat ice, and off the Gaspe coast it can 

 readily be distinguished from the gulf ice. 



Caution. — The proximity of ice is indicated by the following 

 "igns, and if only one of them is observed caution should be used. 

 Both by day and at night the ice blink is almost always visible on 

 the sky toward the ice. Ice blink is a bright yellowish-white light 

 near the horizon, reflected from the snow-covered ice, and seen before 

 the ice itself is visible. The absence of a swell or motion in a fresh 

 breeze is a sign that there is land or ice on the weather side. 



The temperature may fall as ice is approached, if the ice be to 

 windward, but not otherwise, and only at an inconsiderable distance 

 from it. The fall of the temperature of the sea is sometimes a sign 

 either of a cold current or of the proximity of ice, and although the 

 temperature of the sea has been known even to rise close to ice, fre- 



