69 



The winds were well diversified around the compass during the 

 month of March, with the north and northeastern directions pre- 

 dominating slightly, the average force being 4.5, Beaufort scale. The 

 strongest winds were from the north and the weakest from the 

 southwest, with a total of five gales during the period. The absence 

 of the northwesterlies which normally prevail at this time of year 

 was noted and a comparison of the wind rose on chart F with that 

 of chart G, Ice Patrol Bulletin, 1923, and chart I, Ice Patrol Bulle- 

 tin, 1922, will bring out this fact. We experienced 16 per cent hours 

 of fog and 18 per cent hours of fog and low visibility which was less 

 than last year, the latter having 4 per cent hours of fog and 9 per cent 

 hours of fog and low visibility. The United States Pilot Chart for 

 the North Atlantic shows 31 per cent days of fog. 



SUMMARY 



Ocean temperatures 5° to 6° F. above normal over the Grand 

 Banks' reservoir indicated that winter chilling in this region had 

 been much less than normal. This fact provided a thermal contrast 

 between the normal positions of the three classified types of water, 

 viz, Arctic, Banks, and Atlantic. There were a total of six bergs 

 south of Newfoundland during March. With the exception of a 

 small amount of field ice in January and February, and the small 

 patches of field ice, the last of which disappeared March 6, there 

 was no field ice south of Newfoundland for the year — a very ab- 

 normal condition. 



APRIL 



April 1-11 the patrol was fully occupied in following berg No. 

 2 in its drift south of the Tail into the Gulf Stream, and an ac- 

 curate drift track was obtained which is shown on chart B. From 

 the 14th to the 16th the patrol scouted northward along the eastern 

 side of the Grand Bank, about 10 miles seaward of the lOO-fathom 

 contour, where normally exists the heart of the south-flowing cur- 

 rent. No appreciable set was observed during these two days, al- 

 though the positions for latitude were checked carefully by sights 

 of the sun and stars; remarkably clear atmospheric conditions per- 

 mitted us to determine our positions with excellent accuracy. We 

 crossed the Grand Banks east to w^est in the latitude of Cape Race, 

 experiencing a southerly set in the neighborhood of 0.4 knot per hour 

 while on the Banks, and a southwesterly set of 1 knot per hour 

 w^hile the ship crossed the gulley between the Banks proper and 

 Cape Race. April 19-20 we ran a line of stations southwesterly 

 into the deep water off the continental edge, and while doing this 

 we allowed for a fair current of 0.5 knot per hour and from various 

 10761—24 6 



