8 



last sighted by the ice-patrol vessel in 43°06' N., 49°32' W., on May 

 23. It had disintegrated rapidly since we had last sighted it. Now it 

 had three separate peaks rising from the water's edge to heights of 

 about 50, 30, and 20 feet. It was approximately 150 feet long. The 

 Mendota stopped and drifted near this berg. 



On May 26 the General Greene delivered a current chart of the crit- 

 ical ice regions. At 4:40 p.m. the Mendota left the berg in 42°33' N., 

 50°25' W.,and stood to the westward to meet the Pontchartrain. The 

 Pontchartrain was met at 10:40 p. m., May 26, in 42°31'N.,52°15' W., 

 and the Pontchartrain relieved the Mendota as ice-patrol vessel. The 

 Mendota then proceeded to Halifax, Nova Scotia. 



The only berg so far this season to drift south of the tail of the Grand 

 Banks was located in 42°34' N., 50°17' W., at the end of the cruise. 

 Its drift can be followed on the ice chart. During the cruise 10 differ- 

 ent bergs were south of latitude 45° N., just east of the Grand Banks. 

 It is estimated that 95 different bergs were south of latitude 48° 

 during this cruise. Most of these were between the 50-fathom curve 

 and longitude 46°. Four bergs were reported in 46°48' N., 43°16' W., 

 on May 25. This was the easternmost ice. Bergs remained numer- 

 ous north of latitude 48° N., between longitudes 44°20' W., and 51°20' 

 W. No ice was reported during the cruise on the northwest slope of 

 the Grand Banks between the Avalon Peninsula and longitude 

 49°00' W., although ships repeatedly crossed this area with good 

 visibility. 



The weather was rather mild with the exception of May 22, when 

 strong northeast and northerly winds were encountered. On May 

 23 it was foggy for 8 hours while a fresh northwest breeze was blowing. 

 On May 25 a mirage was observed. The ice-patrol vessel was stand- 

 ing by a small berg in 42°30' N., 50°14' W., sea water 40°, dry bulb 50°, 

 wet bulb 47°. The American Banker reported sighting two bergs 

 bearing 18° distance 53 miles from 41°50' N., 50°54' W., air 67°, 

 sea water 70°. Wlien this was received an inverted image of a vessel 

 was observed bearing 180° from the ice-patrol vessel. Evidently the 

 berg and ice-patrol vessel were the two bergs observed by the American 

 Banker. The percentage of time with visibility less than 2 miles 

 was 34.2, with visibility less than 4 miles, 41.3. 



The following is a summary of the ice and water temperature 

 reports received during the cruise: 



Estimated number of bergs reported south of 48°00' N 95 



Estimated mimber of bergs reported south of 45°00' N 10 



Number of bergs reported south of 43°00' N 1 



Number of ice reports received 402 



Number of water temperature reports received 1, 191 



Number of ships fui-nishing ice reports 72 



