STRAIT OF BELLEISLE CENTRE BANK. 641 



Northeast ledge, bearing 13°, distant 1^ miles from the north- 

 eastern point of Belle isle, dries at low water springs; there is deep 

 water in the channel between. 



Strait of Belleisle. — The entrance of the strait of Belleisle, 

 between St. Peter islands and Belle isle, is 13 miles wide, and that 

 betAveen Belle isle and cape Bauld is 14 miles wide ; but the narrowest 

 part of the strait is southeastw^ard of Armour point, where it is 9| 

 miles wide. The length of the strait from the southern end of Belle 

 isle to a position 7 miles southeastward of Greenly island is about 

 73 miles. 



From York point southwestward to cape Diable the northwestern 

 shore is steep, and is composed of granite hills rising to flat-topped 

 ridges and summits 1,000 to 1,300 feet high ; and thence to Long 

 point, at the western entrance of the strait, it is composed of sand- 

 stone lying on granite. 



Outer sounding's and Tooker bank. — See page 83. 



Soundings. — The deepest water in the strait of Belleisle is on the 

 Labrador side, but the line of deep water is not direct, nor continuous 

 through the strait, and there is deep water beyond a distance of 2 

 miles off the Flower ledges on the Newfoundland side. The depth 

 of water varies between 80 and 16 fathoms, and the bottom in some 

 places is rock, and in others sand, broken shells, coral, or gravel. 



With the exception of Maudit bank, near the eastern end, and some 

 shoals off the Newfoundland coast near its western end, the strait is 

 free from shoal obstructions to navigation in its fairway. 



Maudit bank.— See page 363. 



Fairway bank, lying southwestward about 14 miles from the 

 southwestern point of Belle isle, is 2 miles in extent north-northwest- 

 ward and south-southeastward and 1| milas northeastward and south- 

 westAvard ; the least water on the bank is 16 fathoms, but the general 

 depth is 20 fathoms, with rock bottom. 



Centre bank extends southwestward nearly 20 miles from a posi- 

 tion 8 miles southward of the southern point of Black bay; the 

 depths on the bank vary from 24 to 30 fathoms. 



Tidal streams and currents. — See pages 54, 55. 



The movement of icebergs is strong evidence of a preponderance, 

 at times, of a southwesterly flow of the body of water on the Labra- 

 dor side of the strait of Belleisle. During the summer of 1898 the 

 number of icebergs in the strait was unusually small, due prob- 

 ably to the general persistence of westerly winds; but whenever ice- 

 bergs were in the strait, they slowly and persistently pursued their 

 course to the westward, keeping on the Labrador side. A gale from 

 the westward might cause a slight drift back to the eastward, but as 

 soon as it is over the westerly course would again be resumed, unless, 

 76846—09 41 



