178 ST. PIERRE AND MIQUELON ISLANDS. 



Ice. — St. Pierre harbor was frozen over in 1874, this being the 

 only occasion for about 50 years. Field ice appears in February and 

 disappears about the end of March ; it rarely closes the harbor, which 

 is usually open to navigation throughout the year. 



St. Pierre town stands on the northwestern side of the Barachois 

 de St. Pierre, or inner harbor ; the administrator of the French islands 

 resides here and the port is the headquarters of the French squadron 

 in Newfoundland. The population was 5,385 in 1902, and during the 

 fishing season some thousands are temporarily added to this number. 

 The chief buildings are the administrator's house, the courts of jus- 

 tice, a large church and convent, and the treasury and post-office. 



Life saving stations.^ — A rocket apparatus is maintained at 

 the port of St. Pierre and another at Chien island. 



Communication. — The only mail and passenger service that exists 

 is maintained by a small steamer, the '' St. Pierre-Miquelon," under the 

 French flag, which makes a round trip to North Sydney and Halifax 

 once a fortnight. 



Telegraph cables. — There are 2 cables between France and! 

 St. Pierre ; 2 between Newfoundland and Cape Breton, via St. Pierre ; 

 2 between St. Pierre and Massachusetts, United States, and 1 between 

 St. Pierre and Cape Breton ; 2 of the cables are landed at St. Pierre 

 harbor. 



A telephone cable has been laid between cape x^igle and Trehouart 

 cove. 



Coal and supplies. — Provisions and water can be obtained, and 

 there is usually a quantity of 420 tons of coal in stock, but there are no 

 facilities for coaling vessels. 



Marine railways. — There are four marine railways : No. 1 is 147 

 feet in length, will take a vessel of 200 tons, and has 9^ feet forward and 

 13^ feet aft, on the blocks; No. 2 is 75 feet in length, will take a vessel 

 of 100 tons, and has 8^ feet forward and 11^ feet aft, on the blocks; 

 N^o. 3 is 162 feet in length, its lifting power is GOO tons, and it has 10 

 feet water forward and 15^ feet aft, on the blocks, but this slip is re- 

 ported to have been burnt; No. 4 is 75 feet in length, its lifting power 

 is 200 tons, and it has 9| feet water forward and 12| feet aft, on the 

 Mocks. 



Hospital. — The hospital at St. Pierre has 70 beds, but a permit 

 must be obtained from the governor or commandant before a patient 

 ean be admitted. The lazaretto is on Chien island. 



Trade. — In 1905, 2,119 vessels of 97,458 tons entered, and the value 

 ©f the exports for the same year was $1,386,840, and that of the 

 imports $1,055,723. 



The legal currency is French, but the bulk of the money in circula- 

 tion is American. The rate of exchange is 5 francs 40 centimes to the 

 dollar, whether United States, Canadian, or Newfoundland, and al- 



