19 



bergs were reported as follows: One close in shore at Cape Race on 

 Februar^^ 22; one in latitude 47°43' N., longitude 50°30' W., on 

 February 10; and one on the northeastern edge of the Banks in latitude 

 47°25' N., longitude 47°53' W., on February 17. The only real 

 hindrance to shipping during February was caused by field ice, the 

 distribution of which during this period was briefly this: heavy rafted 

 flows of ice were reported moving out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 between St. Paul Island and Cape North, past Scatari Island blocking 

 the coast of Cape Breton Island and spreading southward over the 

 Scotian Banks toward Sable Island, making any passage north of 

 Sable Island dangerous; the coast of Nova Scotia w^as clear for the 

 most part, at least to Louisburg Harbour, but the ice lay off shore 15 

 miles at that place and extended eastward to longitude 59°24' W., 

 and south from Scatari Island to latitude 44°40' N., and was moving 

 southward; the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, was 

 blocked by heavy fields of pan ice from Cape Race at least to St. 

 John's. This last ice was, for the most part, close packed and tight 

 against the shore, making the port of St. Jolm's inaccessible, and ex- 

 tended south and southeast 60 miles from Cape Race, Newfoundland, 

 and probably east to longitude 50° W. It is believed that the area 

 west of longitude 50° W., and north of latitude 46° N., was thicldy 

 strewn with field ice during most of the month. It is estimated that 

 three bergs drifted south of latitude 48° N., during February and the 

 distribution of the ice for this period is graphically shown on the 

 February Ice Chart. (See fig. 6.) 



MARCH 1938 



The ice situation during the month of March was materially 

 different from the preceeding month and the major movement of ice 

 had shifted from the Newfoundland east coast to the eastern slopes 

 of the Grand Banks. Beginning in the early days of March a con- 

 tinuous stream of heavy field ice moved southward in the eastern 

 branch of the Labrador Current. It was dissipated by gales and 

 melted by warm w^ater but was continually replaced by more and 

 heavier ice from the north. It was noticed that tliis ice was not 

 merely coastal ice formed on the continental shelves of the Labrador 

 and Newfoundland coasts but was intermixed with a large proportion 

 of true Arctic pack ice and also carried with it numerous small and large 

 growlers which were periodically released to drift southward. This 

 action continued until, by the middle of March, the field ice stretched 

 in a great arc, conforming to and just outside of the 100-fathom 

 curve, from latitude 48° N. to 45° N. Much slob ice and field ice 

 was reported along the Newfoundland east coast and extending in 

 strings and patches southwest, south and southeast of Cape Race. 

 By the end of the month the situation was as follows: Great masses of 

 heavy ice had moved southward over the northern slope of the Grand 



