same as that in February. Southwesterly winds at times, how- 

 ever, pushed the ice to about 30 miles east of the February limits. 

 Heavy pack filled most of the central gulf throughout the month 

 and a compact core of this ice extended through Cabot Strait to 

 the vicinity of 46° 10' N., 59° 00' W. The actual position of this 

 core changed from time to time depending on the wind force and 

 direction. Occasionally the heavy ice was tight against Scatari 

 Island but never extended eastward as far as the Newfoundland 

 coast south of Cape St. George. At times leads may have opened 

 through the core from west to east but these at best would have 

 been of brief duration. Heavy ice did push at times almost to the 

 southeast extremes of the limits shown for sea ice, but was gen- 

 erally open near the outer edge. Heavy ice seldom was encoun- 

 tered west of longitude 60° 30' W., off the south coast of Cape 

 Breton Island. 



The formidable character of this heavy ice pushing from the 

 gulf is illustrated by the besetting in early March of the S. S. Kyle 

 south of Scatari Island. This vessel is strongly reenforced against 

 ice damage and under a master of many years experience in ice 

 navigation. It made practically no progress in the ice during the 

 period 2 to 6 March, but had freed itself and was making good 

 progress on the seventh. 



During the last 10 days of March the ice in the lower St. Lawr- 

 ence River and in the gulf immediately south of Anticosti Island 

 dissipated rapidly. By the end of the month the St. Lawrence 

 River was mostly clear from Quebec to the river mouth, and little 

 ice remained in the gulf thence to 48°00' N., 61°00' W. Except in 

 sheltered bays the fast ice in the gulf west of the 64th meridian had 

 broken loose and this area was clear. Heavy ice still blocked the 

 southern part of the gulf in Northumberland Strait and from 

 Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton Island north past the Mag- 

 dalen Islands. This heavy belt continued northeasterly across the 

 gulf but was opening rapidly. 



The normal steamer track across the gulf from Cape Ray passing 

 north of Bird Rocks the'nce to Cape des Rosiers and up the river 

 to Quebec was navigable on 4 April, and to Montreal on the 20th. 

 In 1942, also, this route to the river opened on the 4th, but in 1943 

 was closed until the 30th. In most years it can be expected to open 

 about the middle of the month. By 11 April all ice of consequence 

 north of this steamer track had receded to the north of a line from 

 the Newfoundland coast near 49°00' N., 58°30' W., to a position 

 of 50°00' N., 61°00' W. Heavy ice persisted in the southern part 

 of the gulf in the area extending from the northwest and west coasts 

 of Cape Breton Island to Prince Edward Island until late in the 

 month. It was not until the 26th that this ice was sufficiently dis- 

 persed to permit passage of vessels to the gulf over the Gut of 



46 



