or by direct approach through the scattered patches forming the 

 field during the latter part of the month. 



The ice in the George Bay-Northumberland Strait area was ex- 

 ceptionally light. A Swedish motor vessel was reported to have 

 reached Georgetown Harbor, Prince Edward Island, during the 

 first week of April, which according to the news release, was the 

 earliest date on record for a successful passage via the Gut of Canso 

 and George Bay. 



The St. Lawrence River also began to open at an early date. Local 

 navigation was possible in some of the lower sections of the river 

 as early as 4 April. A track of clear water 15 miles wide extended 

 from St. Pauls Island to Bird Rocks by the 8th, and by the 14th 

 the steamer track from Bird Rocks to Fame Point to Quebec was 

 reported to be so open as to be considered navigable. The first sea- i 

 going ship was reported to have arrived in Quebec on 20 April. 

 On 26 April the routes through the Gut of Canso to the St. Lawrence i 

 River via East Point or West Point, Prince Edward Island, were t 

 reported open for navigation. At that time only a few broken fields ; 

 or patches remained in the gulf and these were mostly in the eastern t 

 part. By the first of May, the only remaining fields of patches of a 

 consequence were along the northwest coast of Cape Breton Island it 

 and in the northeastern part of the gulf between Newfoundland and 2 

 the mainland. fcii 



MAY la 



The field ice off the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts deteri-jsi 

 orated and receded rapidly during early May. On the 30th of April 

 loose strings and scattered patches had been sighted as far south- 

 east as 48°00' N., 49°30' W., and on 3 May some field ice was re- 

 ported about 26 miles northwest of that position. By the 11th of 

 May, however, no field ice remained in the areas south of the 51st 

 parallel and the few widely scattered pieces and strings in the 

 vicinity of 51°10' N., 50°00' W., were the only remnants of the ice 

 field remaining in the area covered by an air search made on that 

 date. The northern limit of this area was a line extending 060° true 

 from the Gray Islands. Some field ice, the southern limits of which 

 were estimated to be in the approximate latitude of Cape Bauld, 

 was observed in the distance to the north of this area, but the extent 

 of this ice was not ascertained. On the 16th the area within 30 to 

 40 miles of the coast was observed to be free of field ice as far north 

 as Cape St. Francis, Labrador. Remnants of the field formerly along 

 the Labrador coast had apparently been blown seaward beyond the 

 limit of this particular observation, however, for on the 22d a vessel fep 

 traversing the area reported field ice about 48 miles east of Cape df 

 St. Francis extending south almost to the latitude of Belle Isle, [j, 

 Navigation via the strait of Belle Isle is believed to have been pes 

 sible as early as the 15th of May, but ships using this route would jp 



20 



