36 



wire are tightly wound on the drnni. The same faihire happened to 

 the other large winch drum on the first long leg of the expedition, 

 and it also occurred once during the ice patrol of 1927. In the latter 

 instance repairs were not attempted until the season was over, but in 

 this case no such delay could be thought of, for we badly needed the 

 winch for use at the next station, which would be reached in three 

 hours' time. All hands were turned to reeling off the 2,800 meters of 

 3^2-inch wire to the large wooden spool upon which it had come. As 

 soon as the winch drum Avas empty the most resourceful of the motor 

 machinist's mates set to work repairing the damage by bolting on 

 pieces of ^^"ii^ch scrap iron bent in the form of arms to strengthen 

 the drum and to hold on the wire. By 10 o'clock that night the wire 

 was back on the drum and the winch was in operation taking the next 

 set of observations. 



By 5 a. m. on August 20, the wind had died down to a gentle north- 

 west air, and the weather remained fine and sunny until 6 p. m. Sev- 

 eral bergs were sighted during the day. Around noon. Resolution 

 Island, the northern portal of Hudson Strait, was sighted ahead. 

 At 2.30 p. m. the last station of the line was taken 20 miles due east 

 of Gape Resolution. Many observations of the sun were made both 

 prior to and after the time this station was occupied and all of them 

 shoAved that the coast about Cape Resolution was apparently laid 

 doAA^n on our copy of B. A. Chart 235 about 12 miles east of its true 

 position. This seemed unbelievable, as Ave Avere noAv in fairly Avell- 

 known Avaters. Unfortunately, bad Aveather on the 22d, Avhen we 

 were again near Cape Resolution, made it impossible to verify this 

 possible discrepancy. Abnormal refraction may have throAvn off all 

 our observations of the 20th by 12 minutes of arc, but if refraction 

 was normal on August 20, the land about Cape Resolution was cer- 

 tainly draAvn in on the chart too far to the east. 



From the inshore station near Cape Resolution, the ship ran south 

 for 20 miles and then AA^est about 25 miles to a point V/o miles south 

 of Hatton Headland, Resolution Island. At 8.45 p. m. a station was 

 taken off the latter point, the beginning of a line of stations run 

 soutliAvard across the eastern entrance of Hudson Strait. Through 

 the mist and drizzle at the station off Hatton Headland the land 

 appeared to be mountainous and rocky, but the Ioav clouds and the 

 bad visibility prevented our seeing very far back from the Avater's 

 edge. There Avere some small patches of snoAv in sheltered places, 

 even within one or two hundred feet of sea level. The dim twilight 

 and the mist prevented us from telling Avhether or not there was 

 much vegetation on the shore. 



Out in Hudson Strait, a feAv bergs Avere drifting about strangel}^, 

 not quietly and imperceptibly as they do normally, but Avith notice- 

 able turnings and rapid relatiA^e motions Avith respect to each other 

 and to the drifting Marion. The agitation of the Avaters by strong 

 tidal currents was further evidenced by the peculiar AvaA^es that had 

 little relation to the force and direction of the Avind. These strange 

 waves or oA-erfalls tAvice struck the Marion resounding bloAvs that 

 made spray dash up to the bridge AvindoAvs, something Avhich Avould 

 have never occurred in a gentle breeze Avhile drifting in any sort of 

 normal swell at sea. 



By 9 p. m. the station off Hatton Headland Avas completed, and 

 a course was set through the rain and darkness toAvard the Button 



