8 



rapher gave a 15-minute talk this same evening on the history of 

 the ice patrol and general behavior of Arctic ice south of Newfound- 

 land. 



Nothing could be done during the day of the 8th on account of fog 

 but the 9th it cleared, the very same day that the patrol ships were 

 meeting on the southwest side of the Bank. Two reports were 

 received from steamers on the east of the slope which had sighted 

 bergs and which plainly indicated that the ice was beginning to drift 

 southward around the Tail. The Tampa during the third cruise for 

 the season covered about 1,255 miles, and took 24 oceanographical 

 stations. There were 54 ice reports received and 9 ships were given 

 special ice information. A total of 835 surface temperature reports 

 were contributed by passing vessels. We requested that 22 steam- 

 ships give receipted acknowledgment for the ice broadcast because 

 their courses were laid near the ice danger zone. 



THE FOURTH CRUISE, "MODOC," MAY 10 TO 25, 1926 



The Modoc met the Tampa the morning of May 19, 120 miles west 

 of the Tail, where the oceanographic party was received on board 

 and the relief effected. As soon as the boat was hoisted the Modoc 

 was headed eastward with plans to search the region around the 

 Tail the next day. Unfortunately a dense fog shut in before the 

 close of the day which necessarily suspended all searching work. 

 Foggy conditions continued for the next two days but about 5 o'clock 

 the afternoon of the 12th the wind shifted to the westward during a 

 rain squall and the blanket of fog was swept away. We were not 

 slow to take advantage of such ideal conditions and for the next 36 

 hours conducted a search which led as far north as the 43° 30' 

 parallel. There were four bergs found in the searched area, the south- 

 ernmost one on the forty-third parallel in the heart of the Labrador 

 current drifting south-southwest at the rate of 0.8 knots per hour. 



The scouting work on the 14th instant revealed more ice than the 

 patrol had found heretofore this year. There were a total of 21 bergs 

 found south of latitude 44° 15' which was fartherest north for the 

 trip. This ice was strung out along the eastern edge of the Bank 

 and in positions which indicated that the bergs were tending to set 

 on shore and strand. Many of the bergs had growlers near them 

 and it was observed, moreover, that there were no extraordinary 

 large bergs sighted. The rate of drift was estimated at 1.1 knot- 

 per hour. 



Fog shut in again on the 15th and lasted with occasional brief 

 "light ups" until May 20. During this time the Modoc steamoi 

 over an area lying off the southwest slope and around the Tail 

 where a total of 12 stations of salinity and temperature were occupied 

 A current map was constructed upon the basis of these data and the 



