CHAPTEE VIII. 



XEWFOl NDIiAND, EAST COAST— CAPE ST. JOHN TO CAPE 



BONAVISTA. 



The coast of the pronioiitoiy of cape St. John turns south-south- 

 eastward at North bill, and at the distance of 1^ miles, with a bight 

 between, is Middle bill. Xorth bill and Middle bill end in remark- 

 able peaked rocks. At a mile southward of Middle bill, and also 

 separated from it by a bight, is South bill, which falls steeply from 

 cliffs 2U feet high. " ^ 



Notre Dame bay is 47 miles wide at its entrance betAveen South 

 bill of cape St. John and Fogo island. At the head of the bay are 

 many islands and many inlets extending into the mainland ; and 

 amongst some of these navigation is not safe without a pilot. 



Ice. — Vessels bound to Notre Dame bay in June, should proceed 

 first to St. Johns and obtain a pilot familiar with Stag harbor and 

 Change island tickles and with the conditions of the movement and 

 prevalence of the ice, as the time when the Arctic current, 50 to 100 

 miles off Fogo island and its vicinity, is clear of heavy ice can not be 

 foretold with any certainty; the ice may be passing in July, so that 

 it is inadvisable to approach the bay from the eastward early in the 

 season. By keeping near the land shelter ma}^ be obtained, and the 

 ice may be avoided. 



It is usual to find ice at cape St. John in June; occasionally it is 

 clear and remains clear after the middle of May, but these seasons 

 are not frequent. The ice is usually in strings or bodies, often several 

 days apart ; the strings may be avoided, but it is difficult to keep 

 clear of ice that can not l)e seen over from the hills, and closes the 

 coast as far as the eye can reach. Shelter must be sought, and there- 

 fore local experience is required. The cape has telegraphic communi- 

 cation with St. Johns, so that the state of the ice may l)e known to a 

 certain extent ; but the ice often travels fast in the southerly current. 

 For daj^s no ice may be visible from cape St. John, but in a few hours 

 it may come in and close the bay; this occurs between the 1st and 

 28th of June, seldom later. It is, therefore, impossible to state a safe 

 date, but it may be considered prudent for iron ships not to approach 

 cape St. John before June 10, and wooden ships about Jime 1. 



Within the bay the ice is often kept off the shore by the streams 

 out of the deep arms. A northerly wind packs the ice into Fogo and 



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