37 



eventful. Fog and low visibility were experienced the whole dis- 

 tance, with light wind and sea. 



The Mcndota met the Pont chart rain in latitude 43° 19' N., longi- 

 tude 54°3G' W. Lt. G. Van A. Graves, ice-observation officer, and 

 tlie observer's party reported aboard, and at 2300, June 3, the 

 Mendota relieved the Pontchartrain as Ice Patrol vessel and set 

 course for the tail of the Banks in order to commence scouting for ice 

 immediately when the weather cleared. At 0900, June 4, dense fog 

 set in. This day and the next two succeeding days and nights, June 

 5 and 6, were spent steaming at slow speed in dense fog, which was 

 general over the whole Ice Patrol area, maintaining position by 

 soundings around the tail of the Grand Banks. On June 5 the 

 steam trawler Imperialist of St. John's, Newfoundland, which had 

 previously asked for medical assistance, was met in latitude 42°58' 

 N., longitude 50° 35' W. A boat was lowered and John Hawlett, a 

 member of the trawler's crew, w'as received aboard for treatment of 

 seriously infected wounds. 



The morning of June 7 was fine and clear and the Mendota com- 

 menced scouting in the critical area between latitude 43° N., and 

 45° N., just east of the Grand Banks. No ice was sighted in this 

 area. On June 8 the Mendota continued the search for ice in the 

 cold water between latitudes 45° N., and 46° N., east of the 50- 

 fathom curve. Ice in this area was located as follows: small berg, 

 latitude 45°14' N., longitude 48°47' W. ; very small growler, latitude 

 45°23' N., longitude 48°47' W. ; and a berg in latitude 45°45' N., lon- 

 gitude 48°47' W. This last berg was inside the 50-fathom curve and 

 will probably remain on the Banks and disintegrate this summer. 

 At 1453, located a large berg in latitude 44° 55' N., longitude 48°04' 

 W. After completing the search for the day, and sighting no 

 further ice, the Mendota returned to this berg and drifted for the 

 night. The following day, June 9, the Mendota cruised through 

 this area again, relocating all the ice of the previous day. Tlie 

 northernmost berg, located inside the 50-fathom curve, had drifted 

 slowly w^est northwest, further on to the Banks into 43 fathoms of 

 water and was disintegrating rapidly. The small berg was relocated 

 show^ing a drift almost due south at 12 miles per day. The large 

 berg located just south of 45° N. had drifted almost due west at 

 {ibout 24 miles per day. 



On the morning of June 10 an attempt was made to again check 

 the drift of all the ice in this area but the prevalance of low-lying 

 dense fog everywhere over the cold w^ater made this impossible. The 

 large berg first sighted on June 8 in latitude 44°55' N., longitude 

 48°04' W., which was in 44° water, was watched throughout the en- 



