Page:Material Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos.djvu/23
fluence of Baffin Bay may make itself felt, whereas the ice-filled Hudson Bay does not succeed in altering the severe continental character of the climate. In the period from December to March inclusive the mean temperature mostly fluctuates between −30 and 35° C; for long periods, however, it often falls below −40° and, occasionally, below −50°. April and November have a mean temperature of about −20°, October about −10°, May −5°. June and September about 0" and July–August about +5°; only on a few warm days does the temperature rise above +10°. During the greater part of the year a north and north-west wind blows; the direction of the wind is only more variable in summer. Violent gales are rare; but on the other hand complete calm is also rare; a steady north wind is most often blowing, sufficiently to set the fine drift-snow in motion — the "ground sweeping" of the Eskimos. Considerably quantities of snow fall during the course of the year, and some rain in summer; but how much cannot be said. The country is covered with snow from about 1st October till the beginning of July, although in the south only until the middle of June. Lakes and rivers become covered with ice in the latter part of September, and it breaks again in the middle of June. Even in mid-summer there may be night frost and snow; none of the months of the year are entirely free from snowstorms.
Ice Conditions. Along the coast from Chesterfield Inlet to Repulse Bay a narrow barrier of smooth winter ice forms in winter; only at certain projections of the land does the ice pack very much. The mouth of Wager Inlet never freezes over, whereas the inner part of the gulf has a flat covering of ice. The ice appears on this stretch in October–November and breaks up in July.
Repulse Bay is covered every year with flat winter ice, which appears in October and does not break up until August. In 1846 Rae was able to run into Repulse Bay on 25th July; but this is the exception. In 1854 he could not leave it before 4th August, and Hall mentions that in 1865 the ice broke up on 6th August. In the summer when I was at Repulse Bay, 1922, the ice did not break until 16th–17th August.
It is only occasionally that Roes Welcome and Frozen Strait freeze over in winter. Not infrequently the former is passable in winter owing to the fact that the drifting masses of ice freeze together for a day or two, only to separate again when the wind blows. In February-March, 1923, Frozen Strait was covered with firm winter ice up to a line from Fængselsporten to Baffin Land; this, however, was a rare exception.
On Southampton Island flat winter ice forms in the big bays, Duke of York and South Bay, and a narrow barrier along the south