17 



summary of general conditions for the year. Detailed account of the 

 operations of the Patrol vessels, each cruise, will be found under 

 Cruise Reports (p. 44) and there are also sections on Communications 

 (p. 27) and Weather (p. 28). 



ICE CONDITIONS, NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, 1938 

 AUGUST TO DECEMBER 1937 



As far as is known no bergs drifted into the Ice Patrol area (south 

 of latitude 49° N.) during these months. Several bergs were reported 

 drifting in vicinity of Belle Isle all through August and one berg on 

 November 14 in latitude 51°50' N., longitude 54°50' W. Reports 

 of ice conditions farther north along the Labrador coast, Davis Strait, 

 Baffin Bay and its tributaries during the summer, fall, and early winter 

 of 1937 were obtained from the various agencies of government and 

 commerce which operate vessels in these little-frequented waters and 

 a summary of their findings is given here. All were unanimous in 

 believing ice conditions were exceptionally good that summer. Cap- 

 tains with 20 and 30 years' experience in the Arctic stated that con- 

 ditions were the best ever known. 



Along the Labrador coast about 50 bergs, in July, were sighted in 

 vicinity of Hamilton Inlet but all had disappeared by September. On 

 July 8 and 9 nine bergs were sighted in vicinity of Belle Isle and from 

 there northward to Roundhill Island, 35 bergs, thence to latitude 

 55°25' N., longitude 56°30' W., 8 bergs thence to latitude 60°00' N., 

 longitude 61°30' W., about 10 bergs and at this position large numbers 

 of bergs and growlers and some strings of field ice. From this last posi- 

 tion to 25 miles oft' the radio station at Resolution Island scattered and 

 loose field ice becoming close packed at times with many bergs and 

 growlers all south of the track were encountered, thence clear water to 

 Acadian Cove. Another source reports that no field ice was encoun- 

 tered along the Labrador coast south of Hebron from July 15 to Sep- 

 tember 15 and only a few bergs, all north of Cape Harrison. In 

 Hudson Strait, itself, conditions were reported as remarkably good 

 throughout the season, the pan ice being light and the bergs smaller 

 than usual. During the last days of July light open ice, with long leads 

 and large lakes of clear water, was observed from Acadian Cove west- 

 ward to Hopes Advance and numbers of bergs and growlers from 

 Hopes Advance westward to longitude 72° W., while west to Digges 

 Island from 72° W., no ice. The navigation season opened on August 

 4 and ships were able to make passage to Port Churchill unassisted 

 encountering no dangerous ice, except the usual bergs at the eastern 

 end of Hudson Strait, from that date on. Reports from farther 

 north in Davis Strait, Baffin Bay to Ellesmere Island, Lancaster 

 Sound, Admiralty Inlet, Prince Regent Inlet to Boothia Peninsula 

 reveal the following conditions July through September in these 

 regions: Small ice fields in Cumberland Sound, Lancaster Sound, 



