COAST GUARD CUTTER "MODOC." COMMANDER B. M. CHISWELL 

 ICE PATROL, FIRST CRUISE. APRIL 3 TO 17, 1923. 



At 10.35 a. m., March 30, the Modoc sailod from the Boston Navy 

 Yard for the Grand Banks. At 12.35 a. m., April 3, met the Tampa, 

 in lat. 42° 50', long. 51° 47'. The oceanographic observer was 

 transferred from the Tampa to the Modoc and the latter vessel took 

 over the duties of the ice patrol, drifting until daylight. 



April 3 began with the vessel ch-ifting. Airs and breezes from 

 SW. to S.; smooth sea; barometer from 30.62 to 30.51; weather clear, 

 with excellent visibility. Searched for ice, covering a rectangle 

 bounded by the 42d and 43d paralh^ls and 51st and 49th meridians. 

 No ice was seen. During the day numerous dovekies, a few fulmars, 

 and a school of blackfish were seen. Mirages were observed, giving 

 the eastern horizon the appearance of a long sand beach, backed by 

 high dunes, and dwarf pines appeared and disappeared at regular 

 intervals. At 6.25 p. m. 'stopped and drifted for the night, in lat 

 42° 18', long. 49° 00'. 



April 4 began with the vessel drifting. Gentle breezes and light 

 airs, shifting from S. to WNW., then back to SE. and ending at SW., 

 with heavy mist and fog from 10 a. m. until sunset. At dayhght 

 search was begun for the berg last visited by the Tampa at 8 a. m., 

 April 2, in lat. 43° 14', long. 48° 19'. The weather having shut in 

 thick with fog and heavy mist, stopped at noon, in lat. 43° 10', 

 long. 48° 10', and drifted for the remainder of the day and for the 

 night. During the day dovekies and fulmars were seen, also one hair 

 seal. Ice information was given the steamships George WasMngton 

 and Sir Ernest Cassel and special ice warnings were sent to the 

 steamships Falls City, Drottningholm, and Callisto. Several requests 

 were received relative to harbor ice conditions at Halifax and Louis- 

 burg, Nova Scotia, and the authorities at Halifax were requested to 

 furnish this information to the patrol vessel. 



x\pril 5 began with the vessel drifting. Light airs and breezes from 

 SW. to NW. ; foggy over cold water, clear over warm water. Stood to 

 the eastward, to clear a belt of fog hanging over the cold water of the 

 Labrador Current. On reaching clear weather, in the warm water of 

 the Gulf Stream^ set a course to the northward and eastward along the 

 western edge of the Stream. At 5.45 a. m. a large, flat-topped berg 

 was sighted, in lat. 43° 27', long. 47° 00'. When within about 3 miles 

 of this berg, the temperature of the surface sea water was found to be 

 38° F. We became enveloped in dense fog and headed back toward 

 warm w^ater. Many small pieces of drift ice trailed off to leeward of 

 this berg for a distance of about 4 miles. The steamship Sir Ernest 

 Cassel reported this berg on April 3, in lat. 43° 10', long. 47° 11'. It 

 had drifted 25°, true, at a speed of 0.4 knot per hour. Dovekies, ful- 

 88124—24—2 



