12 



FIFTH CRUISE, "MENDOTA", JUNE 9 TO 23, 1934 



The Mendota sailed from Halifax at 4:08 a. m., June 8, 1934, to 

 relieve the Pontchartrain. The Pontchartrain was met in 42°26' N., 

 51°50' W., at 8 p. m., June 9. The ice-observation party reported 

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

 We then stood for the tail of the Grand Banks to begin a search for ice. 

 On June 10 we scouted up the eastern edge of the Grand Banks be- 

 tween the 100- and 1,000-fatliom curves to latitude 44°25' N., and 

 changed the search to the eastward. A berg was sighted in 44°25' N., 

 48°11' W.; sea-water temperature 40°. This was an old valley type 

 berg about 60 feet high, 300 feet long and 100 feet wide. Numerous 

 growlers indicated that it was disintegrating rapidly. Another berg 

 was in 44°24' N., 47°58' W.; sea-water temperature 39° F. This 

 was a rounded berg about 80 feet liigh, 200 feet long and 100 feet wide. 

 At dark the Mendota stopped and drifted in 44°25' N., 46°01' W. 



At 4:15 a. m. the following morning the ice patrol vessel headed 

 for the berg sighted by the Pontchartrain on June 8 in 44°05' N., 

 43044/ ^y Ti^is berg was located in 44°17' N., 44°11' W., sea-water 

 temperature 56° F. It was about 60 feet high and 130 feet long. 

 The warm water had melted it rapidly since it was last sighted. In 

 3 days it had drifted 22 miles, 302° true. From this berg the Mendota 

 scouted to the eastward as far as longitude 43°00' W., and between 

 latitudes 44°00' N., and 44°40' N. At dark we returned to the berg. 

 The Mendota stood by this berg on June 12 and 13 in a strong north- 

 westerly breeze reaching gale force at times. By the evening of the 

 13th the berg had decreased in size until it was scarcely larger than 

 a large growler. During the 14th the ice patrol vessel continued to 

 stand by this growler. The sea-water temperature at this time was 

 46°. The Mendota left the growler in 43°50' N., 43°25' W., 7:30 

 a. m., June 15. At this time it contained about 15 tons of ice. 

 Since June 11 it had drifted 44 miles 130° true. 



The ice patrol vessel scouted to the westward until dense fog set in 

 at 11:50 a.m. Fog and low visibility prevented all scouting until 

 June 19. On June 19 the ice patrol vessel ran to the westward 

 through alternate fog patches and clear spaces. Just east of the 50- 

 fathom curve the search was changed to the north for 25 miles and 

 then continued to the eastward until dark. A berg was sighted in 

 44°27' N., 48°22', W., water temperature 46°. This berg was about 

 75 feet high, 400 feet long, and 300 feet wide. 



On June 20 the Mendota scouted from 44°05' N., 46°55' W., to 

 the eastward to longitude 46°. On longitude 46° we ran 24 miles 

 north and then scouted to the westward until dark. On this westward 

 run fog was encountered in patches. June 21 the area bounded by 

 latitudes 44°20' N. and 45°10' N., the 50-fatliom curve, and longitude 



