16 



being reported north of latitude 46° N., between the 50-fathom curve 

 and Flemish Cap, and these bergs drifted slowly westward over the 

 banks where they grounded and disintegrated rapidly. By the end 

 of May, distribution of ice indicated two distinct movements of the 

 bergs. First, the ice carried by the western branch of the Labrador 

 Current on the north and northwestern edges of the Grand Banks and 

 along the coast of New^foundland through the gully and around Cape 

 Race. Second, a slow drift of bergs to the eastward, north of 

 Flemish Cap, carrying bergs as far as longitude 44° 15' W. On the 

 6th of May, the southernmost ice for the month, two bergs, was 

 reported in latitude 41°20' N., longitude 47°40' W. On the 14th 

 of May, a very large berg over 150 feet high was found in latitude 

 42° 35' N., longitude 50° 08' W., and its interesting drift is shown on 

 the May ice chart (fig. 7), until its disintegration on the 25th of 

 May, in latitude 43°10' N., longitude 46°35' W. At this time, this 

 berg was the only ice known to be south of latitude 45° N. During 

 this month, St. Lawrence ice completely disappeared except for 

 patches of field ice in the vicinity of Cape Breton, and all the 

 Canadian steamer lanes from Cape Race westward through the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence were open. This was the heaviest ice month of 

 the year, and it is estimated that 501 bergs drifted south of latitude 

 48° N. during this period. The eastern limit of the bergs for the 

 month of May was longitude 41°50' W., the southern limit, latitude 

 41°20' N., and the western limit, longitude 54° W. Distribution 

 of the ice for this period is graphically shown on the INIay Ice Chart 

 (fig. 7). 



JUNE 1935 



The month of June brought the disappearance of field ice from the 

 entire Grand Banks area and large decrease in the number of bergs. 

 The ice had practically disappeared everywhere east of longitude 49° 

 W., except for a few bergs in vicinity of Flemish Cap, and scattered 

 bergs in the cold current along the eastern slope of the Grand Banks. 

 The bergs for this month were distributed in scattered positions along 

 the north and northwestern edge of the Grand Banks, and the num- 

 ber of bergs reported continued to decrease rapidly. Only two bergs 

 were known to drift south of latitude 45° N., during the month. 

 In the earlj^ part of June a current map showed a very strong, 

 though narrow, cold current running close along the hundred-fathom 

 cur\e between latitude 46° N. and 43° N. The presence of this 

 current is stiikingly revealed by the amazing drift of a medium-sized 

 berg sighted on June 18 in latitude 45°26' N., longitude 48°50' W., 

 and followed by the j^atrol vessel until June 30 as shown by the dotted 

 line between the berg's successive positions on the June ice chart 

 (fig. 8). The eastern limit of the bergs for this month was longitude 



