The berg distributions through the remainder of the season was 

 average with the exception of the extreme southerly drifts that 

 occurred in June and the presence of bergs as far south as latitude 

 45 in the middle of August. The number remaining along" the 

 Labrador coast in late September was somewhat less than would 

 be expected. 



CANADIAN ARCTIC AREA 



On 14 July the approaches to Hudson Strait were open from the 

 eastward and open water extended into the strait as far as 60 

 miles westward of Resolution Island. The ice westward through 

 the strait was breaking up and the cover in the center of the 

 channel was less than three-tenths in places but navigation was yet 

 impractical for other than a heavily ice-protected vessel. Open 

 water extended on to the westward an undetermined distance from 

 the western edge of the ice extending from the western tip of Big 

 Island to Cape Prince of Wales. Some open water was observed 

 along the southern and eastern shores of Ungava Bay and a small 

 area within the southeastern portion of the bay. Although this 

 ice was beginning to break out, it was yet impassable. The upper 

 portion of Frobisher Bay was rapidly clearing but almost solid 

 cover remained between the island barrier and Chase Island and 

 about seven-tenths of the surface southward from Chase Island 

 was covered by ice. By the 25th of July an area of open water, 

 with the exception of occasional patches, extended from 10 to 20 

 miles off shore along the eastern side of Ungava Bay. Because of 

 the dangerous character of these waters along the east shore and 

 the hazard of ice crowding the shore with strong westerly winds, 

 passage through Ungava Bay remained impracticable. Frobisher 

 Bay was rapidly clearing, only one-tenth to three-tenths cover re- 

 maining in the lower part of the bay and the area north of the 

 island barrier was almost clear. By the 5th of August upper 

 Frobisher Bay was clear and the ice in the lower bay was con- 

 sidered navigable. A belt of ice was apparently drifting westward 

 across the entrance of the bay from Cumberland Sound. Ungava 

 Bay was almost clear of all field ice. Aerial reconnaissance west- 

 ward through Hudson Strait reported that area clear of field ice 

 westward past Southampton Island with the exception of a string 

 of light ice off Big Island and a field of ice along the eastern coast 

 of Southampton Island ending at Native Point. Passage to the 

 south coast of Southampton was clear until ice drifting southward 

 from the field along the east coast threatened the channel between I 

 Southampton and Coats islands. I 



Considerable ice remained in Cumberland Sound throughout 

 the season, but the field eastward around the coast of Baflfin Island 

 rapidly deteriorated. In mid-Tiily the ice edge had extended 



96 



