10 INTERNATIONAL ICE OBSERVATION AND ICE PATROL SERVICE, 



strong breeze and veered from NW. to N. The usual tests were 

 taken at oceanographic station 176, lat. 42° 40' N., long. 57° 10' 

 W. The temperature of the sea water, which was 54° F. at the sur- 

 face and 51° F. at a depth of 250 meters, placed the vessel in the 

 Gulf Stream. Observations taken 12 hours later, at station 177, 

 lat. 42° 53' N., long. 55° 35' W., 60 miles to the eastward of station 

 176, showed the temperature of the sea water at the surface to be 

 34° F., while at station 178, lat. 43° 15' N., long. 53° 45' W., the 

 temperature of the sea water at the surface was 51° F. The high 

 temperatures of the sea at stations 176 and 178 indicated that we 

 were in the Gulf Stream. The Seneca arrived at the edge of the 

 Great Bank at 6 p. m., March 16, where we took the usual tests at 

 station 179, in lat. 43° 38' N., long. 51° 48' W. 



On the 16th, the barometer fell from 29.80 to 29.26 and the wind 

 veered from N. to ESE. at noon, and then backed to ENE. at mid- 

 night, by which time it had increased in force from a gentle breeze 

 to a moderate gale. The sky was overcast and there were frequent 

 snow squalls, wliile the sea was rough, with a heavy swell from SE. 

 On the 17th, the barometer rose steadily from 29.26 to 29.84 and the 

 wind moderated to a gentle breeze, which backed from ENE. to 

 NW. at noon and then veered to ESE. at sunset, later backing to 

 ENE. at midnight. The rough NE. sea was followed by a heavy 

 SE. swell, and the sky was overcast throughout the day. At station 

 180, lat. 43° 50' N., long. 50° 25' W., the usual oceanographical tests 

 were taken. On the 18th, the barometer fell slowly; the wind 

 moderated to a light breeze which veered from ENE. to S. The 

 weather was foggy and rainy, except during the forenoon and after- 

 noon watches. The Seneca steamed to the NE., to search for bergs 

 which the steamship Breizizel reported as having sighted this morning 

 in lat. 43° 24' N., long. 49° 25' W. Observations taken at noon 

 this date showed that we had been set 30 miles SW. during the pre- 

 ceding 24 hours. On the 14th, the steamship Bothwell reported 

 having sighted a berg in lat. 42° 56' N., long._ 48° 44' W. This 

 report was relayed tlirough the steamship Saxonia and was received 

 by us on the 17th. The location given is believed to have been in 

 error, as the steamship Corsican passed through it and searched 

 between meridians 50° W. and 48° W. during daylight. At the same 

 time, the steamship Mexico searched the zone between lon^s. 49° 

 00' W. and 47° 30' W. and lats. 42° 05' N. and 42° 25' N. The 

 steamship Melrose Head, on the 16th, searched between longs. 48° 

 00' W. and 49° 00' W., lats. 43° 00' N. and 43° 15' N. On the 16th, 

 the steamship Saxonia passed through the zone embraced between 

 longs. 50° 00' W. and 48° 00' W., lats. 43° 00' N. and 43° 20' N., 

 and on the same date the steamship Canadian Conqueror stood a 

 parallel course to the north of that of the Saxonia. None of these 

 vessels sighted any ice, although warned by the Seneca to keep a 

 lookout. On the dates given the visibility was excellent, especially 

 on the 17th. The Corsican' s track is exactly that which the Seneca 

 would liave followed, so it was concluded that the position given by 

 the Bothwell was in error, and the Seneca proceeded to search for the 

 bergs reported by the Breizizel. 



On the 18th, fog set in at 5 p. m., interrupting our search, where- 

 upon the Seneca was stopped and drifted. The fog lifted the morning 



