i-egardiiio- conditions that would probably be met by the Ma/hn in 

 the waters of the north. 



Halifax Avas left on the evenin<r of July 14. and some 24 hours 

 later we arrived at Sydney, Xova Scotia. F()<>iry weather with 

 little intermission prevailed durin<i- our run northeastward alon«j: the 

 Xova Scotian coast. On the IGtli the ship was fueled and loaded 

 up with fresh commissary stores. All hands sent letters home and 

 made last purchases of needed articles, for it was realized that no 

 other truly civilized seaport would be visited for at least some weeks. 



Just before leavina' Sydney Harbor, Captain Falk. of the Beofh/'e, 

 was interviewed on board his ship. He was preparinir to depart Avith 

 her on a far northern cruise which for several years has been annu- 

 ally carried out by the Canadian (iovernment. Captain Falk's advice 

 was extremely valuable, and so were several special charts of north- 

 ern harbors that he generously presented to the Marlon. His cheer- 

 ful description of the Arctic summer removed many doubts and mis- 

 givings, and heightened the pleasant anticipation which animated 

 the ship's complement Avhen Sydney Harbor was left behind on the 

 evening of July 16. 



Fog enveloped the ship almost as soon as it got outside, and it 

 remained thick throughout the crossing of Cabot Strait. On the 

 afternoon of July 17, after the run north across the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence was finished, the Marian began skirting the western shore of 

 Xewfoundland, the first land to be sighted being the high rocky bluff 

 of Cape St. George. The fog which had surrounded us since leaving 

 S^^dney, quickly departed and the weather became Avarm and fine. 

 The setting sun lit up ])rilliantly the colorful slopes of Red Island, 

 as the Marion passed close b}^ it on a smooth and bright blue sea. The 

 next day was clear and pleasant at first, but a thickening haze grad- 

 ually cut off our vicAv of the Xewfoundland mountains and valleA^s. 

 By midafternoon fog had again shut in thick. 



Looking back upon the cruise, one of the most uncomfortable situ- 

 ations was the night of Juh^ 18, as we chugged heavily into the nar- 

 row Strait of Belle Isle. Running before a fresh southerly wind in 

 the dense fog, Ave had left the Avarm Avater of the gulf to enter 

 abruptly into almost Arctic conditions. The thermograph, Avhich 

 registered only a fcAV degrees above the freezing point, brought home 

 only too A'ividly the prospects of colliding Avith an iceberg. There 

 was little solace to be had in attempting to seek shelter along the 

 precipitous rocky shore of XeAvfoundland, so Ave kept on, sounding 

 frequently Avith the fathometer and hoping for better Aveather con- 

 ditions at daylight. 



Throughout the night the Marion cruised northeastward in the 

 Strait of Belle Isle, sighting nothing the next morning because of 

 the fog's continuance. Some 15 icebergs Avere knoAvn from reports 

 received by radio to be in the strait, but fortunately none were 

 encountered. Thanks to occasional radio bearings, the^ Marion Avas 

 able to proceed right up under the diaphone of the soutliAvest liirht- 

 house, and then halfAvay around Belle Isle itself, despite the dense 

 fog. Xot until the afternoon of the 19th did the visibility clear up 

 sufficiently to permit the rocky heights of the island to be sighted. 



Our arrival at the Atlantic' end of the Strait of Belle Isle marked 

 the inauguration of a rigorous program of oceanography upon Avhich 



