626 SOUTHEAST COAST OF LABRADOR, 



Caution must be used by steamers in the herring- season to avoid 

 fouling their screws in the nets. 



Battle harbor is reported to be secure during summer, but in 

 autumn an undertow, or a heavy ground swell, is said to roll in 

 between the islands, damaging vessels and fishing stages, and render- 

 ing the harbor unsafe. The harbor is generally crowded with fishing 

 vessels and boats, which moor to the rocks on either side, and the 

 shores are bordered with fishing stages and the houses of fishermen. 

 A good house and store stand on Battle island, and also a high flag- 

 staff, which is noticeable from seaward. There are some 200 people 

 about this station during the fishing season, but the number of resi- 

 dents during winter is very much less. It has an Episcopal church 

 with a small spire. The harbor is not visited by Eskimos, but some 

 half-breeds come there occasionally. 



Communication. — A steamer runs between Bay of Islands and 

 Battle harbor weekly during summer and autumn, and the steamer 

 from St. Johns to the northern Labrador ports calls fortnightly dur- 

 ing July, August, and September. 



A wireless telegraph station has been established by the govern- 

 ment of Newfoundland at Battle harbor. 



Coal.— Usually about 20 tons of coal may be obtained. 



Hospital. — The Royal Xational Mission to Deepsea Fishermen has 

 a hospital at Battle harbor with 8 beds for males and the same num- 

 ber for females. 



Ice. — Battle harbor generally freezes about December 13 and opens 

 May 16. The average time of the arrival of northern ice is December 

 31. Drift ice apjDcars during Februar}'^ or March, and the coast in the 

 vicinity is clear about the middle of April, except in an abnormal 

 season, when ice sometimes remains as late as June 6. 



Great Caribou island is the largest of the islands on the southern 

 side of St. Lewis sound. There are two coves, with huts and fishing 

 stages, in Great Caribou island, just westward of Battle harbor. 



Caribou channel, leading to Assizes harbor, runs between Great 

 Caribou island on the east, and Little Caribou, Hare, Copper, and 

 Assizes islands on the west. Black head, the southwestern end of 

 Great Caribou island, is 200 feet high; it falls steeply to the sea, but 

 its northern side slopes gradually to a marsh a few feet above high 

 water, which extends from Sand cove, on the western, to Cartridge 

 bight, on the eastern side. 



A shoal with depths of less than 3 fathoms over it, extends from 

 the northern part of Black head across Sand cove, and there is a rock, 

 with 2 feet of water over it, on its southern part, at 200 yards off- 

 shore. 



