evidence of rafting could be noted. The outer edge of this ice curved 

 westward out of sight at a point about 45 miles south of Cormorant 

 Rocks. The area south and southeast of Anticosti Island apparently 

 was covered by field ice, the eastern edge of this field approaching 

 to within about 40 miles of the Newfoundland coast west-northwest 

 of Cape St. George thence curving westward. The edge curved east- 

 ward again to a point about ^0 mile=; northwest of Cape Anguille, 

 then southward clearing Cape Anguille and Cape Ray by 30 miles, 

 thence the edge again curved westward out of sight at a point about 

 7 miles west of St. Paul Island. Another closely packed field 

 stretched southward from Cape St. Lawrence along the west coast 

 of Cape Breton Island. A few broken strings were scattered in the 

 area between St. Paul Island and Cape North and scattered strings 

 and patches could be seen to the limit of visibility southeast along 

 the Cape Breton coast. 



The character and limits of this ice were better determined by 

 an observation flight on the 14th covering the coastal area from 

 Scatari Island to St. Paul Island. On that date closely packed ice 

 was found to be close on shore in the bight between Scatari and 

 Flint Islands and from Flint Island westward past Giboux Island 

 this ice extended up to 12 miles seaward, blocking the approaches to 

 Sydney. It is interesting to note that later this day (according to 

 radio news broadcasts) the S. S. Kyle and S. S. Caribou, which had 

 been icebound at North Sydney, were able to get out through this 

 ice. Strings and patches with a total cover of less than one-tenth of 

 the surface were scattered up to 20 miles offshore from Scatari 

 Island northward. The outer limit being approximately on a line 

 from a point about 18 miles east of Scatari Island to St. Paul Island. 

 The southeastern corner of that field stretching to the northwest of 

 St. Paul Island extended up to 10 miles farther east than the limits 

 observed on the preceding day, and though no further reconnais- 

 sance by ice-patrol aircraft was carried out in this area, subsequent 

 reports from naval air transport planes crossing from Sydney to 

 Argentia, Newfoundland, indicate that this drift continued during 

 March. 



The naval air transport plane crossing the area on the 18th re- 

 ported that the ice along the beach at Sydney was moving seaward 

 leaving a shore lead inside Scatari Island and from Sydney west- 

 ward. Subsequent reports from naval air transport planes on the 

 21st, 25th, and 29th indicate further scattering of the ice that had 

 been along the beach from Scatari Island past Sydney with some 

 strings and patches reaching as far as 25 or 30 miles southeast of 

 Scatari Island and up to 60 or more miles east of that island. Other 

 patches were moving out of Cabot Strait and the pilot of the flight 

 on the 29th reported what appeared to be the outer edge of an ex- 

 tensive field extending from Cape North southeastward to the lati- 



13 



