56 



though subordinate to the commander in chief 

 in North America. To the northward of St. 

 John's are the Magdalen islands, seven in 

 number, thinly inhabited by a few hundred 

 persons chiefly employed in the fisheries ; from 

 some anomalous cause or other these islands 

 are considered within the district of Quebec. 

 Islands of ice are sometimes met with in cross* 

 ing the gulf during the summer months: the 

 ice that drifts out of the St. Lawrence all dis- 

 appears by the latter end of May, but these 

 masses make no part of it. The conjecture is, 

 that they are not formed on any of the neigh- 

 bouring coasts, but descend from the more 

 northerly regions of Hudson's Bay and Davis's 

 Straits, where it is presumed they are severed 

 by the violence of storms from the vast accu- 

 mulations of arctic winter, and passing near 

 the coast of Labrador, are drawn by* the in- 

 draught of the current into the straits of Belle- 

 isle ; they often exceed an hundred feet in 

 height, with a circumference of many thou- 

 sands; the temperature of the atmosphere is 

 very sensibly affected by them, which, even 

 in foggy weather when they are not visible, 

 sufficientl}'- indicates their neighbourhood ; by 

 day from the dazzling reflection of the sun's 

 rays, also by moon-light their appearance is 

 brilliant and agreeable. 



