This historical document includes a detailed report of the operations of the Canada Dept. of Marine and Fisheries at the turn of the 19th century. The author, Joseph Elzear Bernier, was a well-known Canadian ice navigator, and his insights into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River provide a fascinating glimpse into an era of maritime history that is often overlooked. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.