* ' MARIO ]Sr ' ' EXPEDITIOiSr TO DAVIS STRAIT AND BAFFIN BAY 35 



lapped at the melting- floes. The edge of this last pack ice sighted 

 during the expedition was skirted for 5 miles to the southeastward, 

 after which the southerl}^ course could be resumed again without 

 hindrance. 



From 64° 07' N., 59° 05' W., a line of stations was taken to the 

 westsouthwest toward Caj^e St. David, Baffin Island, for nearly 

 120 miles. The weather was mostly clear, with fine visibility, while 

 ]iglit westerly airs prevailed. About 46 icebergs were sightecl during 

 the day, but the ship was south of all the pack ice that had prevented 

 a close approach to Baffin Island, 120 miles farther north. Many 

 astronomical observations were taken, and at about 11 p. m., after 

 the evening star sights had been computed, it was thought that the 

 ship's position was quite well known. Throughout the late afternoon 

 the heights of Baffin Island had been visible to the westward, and 

 many bearings were taken of points thought to be Cape St. David 

 and Cape Murchison. The station program was continued on 

 through the night, however, it being ]3lanned to take the last station 

 a safe distance east of Brevoort Island at 4 a. m. 



At 1 a. m. the fathometer showed the officer of the deck that the 

 water was shoaling considerably. He looked around in the darkness 

 and saw the dim outlines of an island to the northeastward and the 

 high land ahead seemed to be close aboard. He took the inshore 

 station at once, not daring to go on any farther. Then a course to 

 the southeastward was run. 



No land was visible at daylight on the morning of the 18th, but 

 a. m. star and sun sights verified the positions carried forward by 

 dead reckoning from the evening before. The chronometer's error 

 was well known, because radio time ticks were being heard almost 

 daily. Apparently the land about Cape Murchison and Cape St. 

 David was charted on our copy of British Admiralty Chart 235 

 about 20 miles to the southwest of its true ]iosition. This can not be 

 stated as an absolute fact, due to the slight possibility of unusual 

 refraction, to the darkness, and to the hurried manner in which the 

 Marion had to approach and leave the coast. The fact that an ap- 

 parent error in the chart was noted should certainly be mentioned 

 here, however, in order that the land's position may be checked 

 up in the future by the next expedition passing through the region 

 concerned. 



August 18 was a fine clear day with moderate northwesterly 

 breezes. All day long and until 4 a. m. August 19 the ship con- 

 tinued cruising to the southeastward, stopping to take stations every 

 25 miles. Numerous bergs were sighted until the ship ran out of the 

 cold current with surface temperatures of 37° F. and iijot into the 

 47° F. water situated farther out in Davis Strait. The last berg 

 sighted from this line of stations was passed in 62° 53' N., 61° 35' W. 



The greater part of Sunday, August 19, was spent running to the 

 westward on a line of stations laid in toward Resolution Island. 

 There Avas a moderate northwest gale almost all day. Late in the 

 afternoon, Avhile it was blowing the hardest, an end flange on the 

 drum of the forward winch began to bulae <>ut with a crack that grew 

 wider and wider, and finally |)rcvented turning at all. The manu- 

 facturer that sujiplied the hoists for use on the ice patrol in 1927 had 

 not designed the drum flanges with sufficient strength to withstand 

 the side thrust which occurs Avhen several thousands of meters of 



