HOLTON ISLAND— LITTLE HOLTON, 727 



mark on to pass between the reefs off the eastern entrance point of 

 the harbor and the shoal off the mid-channel rocks, and when the inner 

 points of the harbor open, bearing 211°, roimd in and steer up the 

 middle of the harbor, anchoring in 5 to Q^ fathoms of water, sand 

 bottom. 



A rock, that covers, lies close to the eastern shore northeastward of 

 the first fishing stage, and a bank, with 1^ feet of water over it, extends 

 150 yards from the western shore, just beyond the first white house 

 Avithin the entrance; the water shoals to 3 fathoms at 800 yards from 

 the head. 



Tides. — It is high water, full and change, in Holton harbor at 

 6h. 44m. ; springs rise 5| feet, neaps 4 feet. 



Holton island, northwestward 1^ miles from Green island, is 

 generally flat, with a truncated cone, 316 feet high, toward the western 

 end. The coasts are rocky, and should not be approached nearer 

 than I mile, nor should the passage between it and Chance island be 

 attempted without local knowledge. There is a St. Johns fishing 

 station at Holton island. 



Chance island, south-southwestward 1,200 yards from Holton 

 island, is 229 feet high. A reef, awash at high water, lies ^ mile west- 

 southwestward of the island, and there is a rock, that covers 6 feet at 

 high water, lying nearly midway between Chance island and the 

 western point of Holton harbor. 



Little Holton, westward about 1^ miles from Holton harbor, is a 

 shallow anchorage separated by a narrow neck of land from Alliuk 

 bight. 



Ice — Northward to cape Chidley. — As a general rule the 

 sheltered waters between Holton harbor and cape Harrigan, which 

 lies 135 miles to the northwestward, freeze in November, but not 

 sufficiently to prevent navigation before the 15th of that month, except 

 during early seasons. The navigation of the inside channels closes 

 between the 1st and 20th of December, and soon afterwards the ice 

 usually reaches out beyond the islands, and all navigation ceases. 

 Navigation opens toward the end of June or in July. 



In the summer of 1880, at cape Harrigan, Paul island, and Hebron, 

 the northern ice finally left the shore on the 31st of July, up to which 

 day it was reported that Hebron was interruptedly blocked. In 

 the latitude of Nain the harbors occasionally freeze over in October 

 and are frozen hard in November. It is also stated, on reliable 

 authority, that the coast from Nain northward to cape Chidley is 

 seldom clear of field ice before the last week in July, though the 

 local ice may break up in the early part of June. 



Icebergs may be encountered at any time, but are most numerous 

 from June till August, when they are occasionally found in great 

 numbers, consisting often of huge cubes, and not as a rule j)resenting 



